You see pictures on Instagram of exotic places. Facebook is littered with updates of your friend’s adventures abroad, and every time you close your eyes you picture yourself on a beach in the Caribbean, or exploring the cobblestone streets of France. Yes, you want to travel. Unfortunately, however, you can’t afford it. A flight alone costs an entire month’s pay, let alone accommodation, travel insurance, and baggage. Luckily, travel is becoming more accessible to even those of us who need to pinch pennies....

One day, an innocent worker goes online and decides to see if there are any tips out in the big wide world on getting more done, more quickly, more often. But soon, the poor sod becomes entangled in a complicated trail of information; a few quadzillion blogs on the subject, millions of books, and a whole lot of fancy terms like “ubiquitous capture” and strange rituals such as weekly reviews and inbox processing....

You’ve probably heard of Ubiquity by now. It was causing quite a buzz a few days ago before Google Chrome came along and stole all of its thunder. Ubiquity is an experimental Firefox extension that bills itself as “a powerful new way to interact with the web.” One way to describe Ubiquity that gives you a clearer idea of what it’s actually all about is that it’s Quicksilver for the Internet....

The key to avoiding this negative distortion and stopping the mental spin is to understand what initiates the cycle. Once mindful of the triggers, people can train themselves to avoid it, or stop it before it does any harm. How to Stop the Negative Spin of Thoughts, Emotions and Actions

Professional coaches are one useful resource. They may be experts in the area of the goal we’re pursuing, like a running coach or an executive coach, or they may just be an experienced sounding board to give a different lens on our problem. But in order to establish patterns of success and consistently achieve our goals, it’s helpful (and more convenient, and cheaper!) to adopt some self-coaching behaviours. (No, this doesn’t have to involve talking to ourselves – but it can....

Long-time readers of Lifehack know of my ongoing love affair with Adobe’s online word processor Buzzword, since last year part of the Acrobat.com suite of online applications. “Love affair” is not too strong a phrase, either – I like the interface and ease of use so much that I was inspired to write a book, Don’t Be Stupid: A Guide to Learning, Studying, and Succeeding at College, just for an excuse to have something to use Buzzword for....

Aside from all this cool stuff the pineapple can do and produce, it also provides lots of amazing benefits for your health! 1. Pineapples Strengthen Your Nails And Prevent Hair Loss To soften and strengthen your nails, you can make lotion at home using 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple juice, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 2 drops of lemon oil. Mix these together and then put it on your nails and cuticles (q-tips would work well, or a cotton ball, or thin makeup brush!...

Illustrator, cartoonist, writer “and general layabout” Gemma Corell recently shared a great illustration called ‘A Map Of The Introvert’s Heart’. The heart-shaped map includes spectacular sights that a lot of introverts will relate to, such as The River Of Daydreams, Alone Time Lake, Isle Of Netflix, and Country Of Animal Pals. Granted, a lot of the map focuses on the typical introvert’s need to be alone (‘Hermit’s Cave‘), and even borders on worrying aspects that arguably are not just down to being an introvert, such as the ‘Railroad Of Cancelled Plans‘....

The first is that some people are simply born with the skills and personality traits needed to be successful entrepreneurs. They have natural charisma, risk-taking ability, creativity, and more. These “natural” entrepreneurs are able to dedicate the time and effort needed to be successful because they are driven by internal factors. They are passionate about their work and are motivated to achieve their goals. The second school of thought is that anyone can become a successful entrepreneur if they put in the hard work and effort....

Do you wear your skinny jeans to every afternoon event? Maybe it’s time change things up a little. Dressing manly is not about compromising your personal style or preferences. It’s about capitalizing on your strong assets by highlighting what already looks good on you. For a general guide on how to get this done, checkout the infographic above. The information provides the right elements of clothing to consider for various events....

This is a typical example of procrastination. One encounters block from a task, hesitate about it and then let it slips. The delay or missing of feature may cause consequences on the overall project and cost businesses a fortune. I’ve come across this now and again. For example, I was updating my list of projects earlier today and I came across a project that I needed to split into multiple projects....

The only way for you to cope with a changing workplace is for you to leave your desk and meet people who can help you attain whatever you want from your career – with or without the threat of recession. So, the best career investment that you can do now is to go to networking events. This will give you a chance to meet corporate executives and entrepreneurs who can give you job leads, serve as your mentors and/or become your business partners....

1. Do Your Research Your dissertation will not be successful without solid research. Find scholarly journal articles and books on your topic. Make sure you have a good selection from which to choose your material. Websites like Google Scholar can be particularly helpful. 2. Get Organized Write down your sources on flashcards as you go. You can color code your sources so each source gets its own color of flashcards. Write the quote or concept you will use on one side of the card and the properly formatted source on the back....

Taking Preventative Measures There are quite a few steps you can take to protect your own identity: There are more than a few companies that offer identity theft protection services, but the simple fact is that few of these companies can offer anything more than you can do yourself. If it will provide you some peace of mind, using such a service can be worthwhile, but I would recommend at least considering doing without....

In the morning, of course, it’s gone. All that you remember is that there’s something you should remember. Or you’re talking to a business associate on the phone, when you remember that tomorrow is your nephew’s/sister-in-law’s/best friend’s birthday and you need to stop and pick them up a card on your way home. Filing that thought away under “to do later” you finish your call, leave work, and drive home, all the time thinking “isn’t there something I was supposed to do today…?...

If this happens often, you might start wondering if you and your child are getting the proper amount of sleep and how to make bedtime easier. Why is it so crucial for your child to get enough sleep? What does sleep deprivation look like? How do you improve bedtimes for kids? How Sleep Impacts Your Child’s Health Whether young or old, sleep is a vital part of staying healthy. There are many benefits to getting the right amount of sleep while not getting enough can have negative consequences....

Other Internet news sites have followed by reporting on this interesting link. But a closer look at the study itself shows that while there may be a tenuous link between black coffee and psychopathy, this does not mean you should start dumping milk and sugar in your coffee if you do not wish to visit a mental asylum. The Study Is Not Actually About Coffee The study, published at the University of Innsbruck, does not focus on coffee at all....

The little black book, quite literally, fits into the palm of my hand. And despite its small size, it packs quite a whallop. Plainly titled “Book of Secrets”, this micro-book is a treasure trove of life hacks, trivia, quotes, and “secret information”. Compiled by a team of authors (Lloyd Bradley, Thomas Eaton, Emma Hooley, Patrick Humphries, and Charlotte Williamson), this 152 page book is so engrossing, you’ll read it in a single session....

Pasta, Bread, and Salad There are dozens of pasta dishes that are easy to make but taste really great. You can buy noodles for any kind of pasta at your grocery store; for example, you can make fettuccine Alfredo pasta with mostly pre-made ingredients. Buy the pasta and the sauce, and then grill up some chicken to place on top, add a salad, and then you have a nice meal. Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken can be made in thirty minutes....

Birds (Infographic)