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Life Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts

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Tips for an Easier and Successful Life

We learn a lot from our mistakes but it's much quicker and less painful to learn from other people's . I've always been a tip-o-holic on the search for an easier, more efficient (lazier) way to get things done. Read below for a potpourri of my life tips, most are useful, some are amusing

Contents at a Glance

Better Life Tips
Why you can't find things You've Mislaid
Safe Driving Tips
Preparing items for a journey (Wonder wh...
Tips for Punctuality
How you lose things (and how not too)!

Always carry Battery jumper cables in your car, Torch, Gaffer Tape, as well as tools

Always keep your clean sports gear in your car, it can also double as an overnight bag

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Be the first to say hello.

Use the good silver (ie live now!)

Return all things you borrow.

Make new friends, but cherish the old ones.

Never drink alcoholic drinks when you are thirsty/hungry

When you realize that you're starting to drink quite a lot of alcohol, break the sequence by drinking water or a cola. You'll notice that your free will will return.

Everything you have should have a place

Put everything back in its place (When you need something quickly you will be grateful)

Everything you own must have an exact place, not somewhere in a cupboard, and exact place in the cupboard

Respect Paperwork. Deal with paperwork instantly if possible

(Almost) Never put a trip off because of weather (By time you realise the weather is not too bad, it will be too late)

A telephone caller will reveal his real purpose with the third item

You will get better with each job interview, so diary your important interviews at the end

Always ask a question neutrally, ie never imply an answer. eg ask which country is the biggest coffee producer, NOT is Brazil the biggest coffee producer?

Communal Work: When you can see that you can't escape say clearing up after a party; jump in first that way you get to choose what job you get, plus you get plenty of Brownie points

Backup your PC personal documents/images/email addresses to CD/DVD every week

Share a cup or glass with an adult if you like, but never with a child their illnesses are far more virulent when passed on to an adult

Spend more time thinking strategically, when lying in bed before getting up, going to sleep, waiting in traffic, when arriving or leaving; plan how/what you are going to do in the next time-period, what you need to do, organize, what you need to prepare to make it happen. This is a habit that gets easier

Is there somewhere you always pass, pause say your coffee shop? If so mentally put things you need to do on the head of the owner, when you get to the cafe look at him and remember what those things are. Do the reverse of this for tasks you need to do when you get home

Most of us are not good at obeying ourselves, our education social system is geared to making us very good obeyers of other people's orders bosses, teachers etc. You have to work at obeying yourself!!

Learn to pick up signals from quieter people (including spouses) who may not always specify their desires forcefully. You will up many more Brownie points

Learn to say yes often, be seen as someone who gets things done but always negotiate your advantage

Like a woodsman, always clear up behind yourself so no-one can tell you were there (just good discipline/keep your friends and colleagues happy)

Fix those niggly things that nage you every time you walk by; you think I must tighten that screw, get the batteries, pay that bill". They are draining you!!

Why you can't find things You've Mislaid

Because it's next to something that your eyes jump to ie a photo of your dog (think about it!)

Because your memory of what it looks like is inexact (often the case)

Supertip : How to Find things You've Mislaid , Forget the item, just tidy up everything and you likely come across the missing item

Eventually you must train yourself to put everything back in it's proper place everytime

Or at least train yourself to not put things down unconsciously!

Safe Driving Tips

The new/young driver is at most risk when he thinks he's finally mastered driving.

If you drive so as to be gentle on your car's engine, brakes and gears you will, almost certainly, also be driving safely

You become a mature driver the day you realize that the you will not get to your destination significantly later if you resist overtaking at every opportunity

Keep reversing to an absolute minimum, you can never see as well.

Avoid being stopped by the Police once they stop you for one reason they will probably look for another>

Check your lights regularly, carry a spare bulb set

Preparing items for a journey (Wonder why you always forget something?)

At the last minute the must-get-going-panic seems to cause some kind of brain failure

You will then only remember the very obvious big things

Trick1 : Put things in your suitcase/vehicle as you think of them

Trick2 : Have a checklist

Trick3 : Before you drive away, mentally run through your list, AND the activities you will be doing

Trick4 : Have you left anything in your Computer Drives/Memory Sticks on printer/photocopier

Trick5: When you are all packed up and ready to go, return and make one last tour of your home/office

Trick 6: You cannot leave early enough, the earlier you leave the less the panic

Trick 7: Have you got the destination address, tickets, badges, maps, instructions, telephone numbers

Tips for Punctuality

One of Life's least well known success tips : be on time!

Being late for meetings/transport is at the least extremely stressful

You are more in danger of being late when you have "plenty of time"

Remember to add on the 'lost' time it takes from when decide to leave and the time you actually drive away in your car (say 15 minutes)

Some kind of guilt complex makes you do lots of last minute jobs before the appointment (cut them out)

Develop a Punctuality Strategy

Strategy I : Calculate Journey time and then add at least 30% for hold-ups

Strategy II : Plan to arrive early enough to have a coffee

Strategy III : Use your spare time up at the destination (write letters etc) and NOT before you begin your journey

Strategy IV : Diary the entry 30 minutes early (works)

How you lose things (and how not too)!

When you throw a big object away, make sure you aren't also holding a small object eg a key, pen etc. Your hands will automatically release everything.

When leaving your train, bus, plan seat always look back

When leaving a hotel look behind the door

Always make a last tour of the place you last left

Have a check list

Make sure that all your possessions have their own place

Just always put things back in their right place

Try and train yourself to never unconsciously put things down!

All this may not sound cool, well spending hours looking for things isn't much fun either!!

When you are a Newbie

You are a newbie when you change job, start a new sport, learn a new language, so no matter how expert you might be in other areas you are inevitably a newbie elsewhere

* In the first days of a new job try not to tell colleagues how everything the company does or produces is wrong at best they will think you a fool at worse you will make enemies
* Be aware that any (bad) impression you make in the first few days is likely to stick for a long time, so behave wisely

Learning the Knack

There is a Trick or a Knack to Most Skills

There is a knack to riding a bike. It seems impossible that you could learn to stay upright, for a while you wobble, then without realizing you are cycling without fear. Even when you haven't cycled for years you just get on the bike and off you go.

Many things that seem impossible require that you learn a knack, that you pass through some level of disbelief, so next time you want to yell that a task is impossible or that you can't do it just remind yourself that you just need to persist until you learn this knack!

Dismantling and Repairing without Forgetting

When you are repairing something it is too easy to dismantle in haste and then find that although you've fixed the fault you can no longer remember how to put the thing together. Well today there is an easy solution, photograph the object from many angles with a digital camera; you have to think of this before of course!

Keys: More Life Tips

Losing or mislaying your keys causes you worry, wastes time searching and is generally distressing, so learn to respect keys.

Keys
Make copies of your keys, leave one with a neighbor, another with a relation, cover one with sticky tape and bury in your garden.
Other People's Keys
Whenever you are lent keys by someone say to move their car, try to get the key back to them quickly , you don't want to have them ring you on your cell phone when you are a 100 miles away and nearly home.
Color Tag your Keys
Buy colored/patterned keys or second best those plastic tags, helps a lot when you arrive home late with a bunch of keys

Lists and Information Management

We have so must we need to remember these days

Create Lists to Manage your Information
(Best on your PC)
What to take on Vacation List
Birthdays List
Renewal Dates for Insurances etc
Xmas Card List
Technical Details of your cars, age, model,chassis number etc
Consider storing non-confidential information on a private web page or a downloadable zip file (both can be password protected) so you can access it remotely
Backing up your PC files
Many people only realize what a catastrophe it is to lose all their files when their computer fails or is stolen when it actually happens. Authors have lost the only copy of their new book, students their practically finished thesis, I could go on.

Even those of us that KNOW we should be backing our files fail to do it often enough. I now use a free automatic backup over the Internet , this backs up my files every night learn more by clicking here mozy.com

Dressing for the Occasion

If the invitation says smart casual, or black tie, or dinner suit then dress for the occasion otherwise you will feel ill at ease. Take the trouble to hire a suit and even if you are normally a jeans guy you will find you get a buzz from being smart.

Career Tips

Few people today stay in the same career all their working lives. People must therefore always be conscious of retraining , maintaining their flexibility, their willingness and enthusiasm for learning adapting to new circumstances

You can get a job with Company A, who pay you well, treat you well, where you have great colleagues and the work is fulfilling, or you can get a job with Company B who pay badly, expect unpaid overtime, where you are treated badly and the work is dull. So what's the difference YOU!. If you are working for Company B it is because you didn't take enough trouble researching and searching for your last job. Many people choose their careers extremely casually, not doing enough interviews and then accepting the first job offer.

Cars/Autos

Never EVER put/rest anything on your auto's roof, place rather on your hood/bonnet where you can see it when you step into the car. People lose briefcases, cellphones so often this way!

Daft, Funny , Humourous Advice

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE

Save money on expensive personalised car numberplates by simply changing your name to match your existing plate.- Mr. WXX 741P.
Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view
Keep the seat next to you on the train vacant by smiling and nodding at people as they walk up the aisle.

Single Men

Know how to cook at least one meal well (even if it's Spaghetti Bolognese)

Know how to iron a shirt, and sew a button

The decision as to who you choose as a life-partner, will be the most important of your life for your daily happiness; choose wisely

Even More Tips

Learn a Language

Learning languages apparently increases your intelligent, learning the first foreign language is the most difficult, after that subsequent languages get easier.
Learn a musical Instrument

Apparently learning a musical instrument will also increase your intelligence
When traveling to remote regions of countries don't tell strangers that this is your first trip etc. If they are by chance criminal you are telling them that you have no friends, and that probably nobody knows where you are! Important
Always carry a notepad to jot down ideas, things that need doing otherwise your "Idea Birds" can easily fly away
Reverse Thinking
Sometimes the best way to get yourself to the gym, is not to threaten yourself that you have to do 200 press-ups. Sometimes trick yourself into going by saying, tonight I'm going to the gym but I'm going to take it easy!
Going to the Gym

You will get the most benefit/enjoyment from going to the gym, when you LEAST feel like going!
Integrity

You must be honest and maintain your integrity if only for selfish reason, that dishonesty will catch up with you sooner or later
Cables

Label your cell phone,camera,mp3 cables and power supplies otherwise you will be have draws full of cables that you cannot identify

Organizational Tip : Transport Theory

Keeping Everything in the Right Place is a Constant Battle

To operate with any degree of efficiency we must be able to easily locate our possessions, equipments, tools, documentation. We must be confident that we will find an object where we expect it to be. This implies an organized and logical system of storage and that "Everything has its Place".

It is of great importance therefore that everything is returned to its natural place after use, I call this Transport Theory. I place things at the top of the stairs that need to go downstairs and things at the bottom that that need to go upstairs, things that need to return to the garage or auto I place at the front door. Things that need to go to the office i my briefcase.

This may seem rather obvious, but has to be done rigorously. If you didn't put your winter gear away properly last year you will find it very difficult to remember exactly what you did do with it after 12 months. When you appy for a new job and they ask for various certificates and references you will be distraught if you cannot find them.

Great Websites to Help you Find Tips, Advice, How To Information

Wikipedia: I usually turn to Wikipedia for all knowledge information
eHow How to Advice: How to open a jar that's stuck, how to tie a tie etc etc
Youtube for demontration videos: YouTube is not ALL videos of skateboarders crashing into hedges, no you can find videos demonstrating all sorts of skills including swimming, and DIY

Shopping

Basics
If you don't know if you need Bread,Milk,Eggs well play safe and buy them anyway

Any Decision Better than No Decision

Sometimes it seems impossible to decide between two options, which job to accept, which house to buy etc. The situation worsens if you are out of your comfort zone say in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.

You may not have enough information or all the information but this is not unusual so make the best decision and then stick with it.

Shoelaces keep undoing; here's a neat tip

When the tie the half-knot before doing the bow, instead of turning the know once turn it twice then do the bow, now it won't undo but will still undo easily when you need it to. See the photo

How to Tell If You Are Being Scammed

How to Tell If You Are Letting Yourself Be Scammed

All scams are the same: they say give me $100 NOW and I will tell you a CERTAIN way to get $1000. If it was TRUE they would say give me a $100 dollars WHEN you've made a $1000 dollars.

It's easy to say that, however remember, scam artists are experts in appearing honest, appearing to really like you, at being persuasive, at countering your objections and so on.

You feel a sense of exhilaration when you are told of the scheme
You see yourself paying off your bills, resigning from your job
They may appear at the last moment to withdraw their offer to be unwilling to share it with you
If they ask you not to tell anyone about it as they don't want too many people getting on the act
They will need to get the money off you quickly
Before your enthusiasm cools before your common sense returns, so watch their reaction when you say you can only pay next week!
You will find you feel reluctant to tell certain people about your good luck
You instinctively feel that people close to you will pour cold water over the scheme, so will sense a reluctance to tell them all - danger sign
Hypnosis
From my own experience falling for a scam is bit like being hypnotised, once you've fallen for it you actually reject any evidence even pleading of friends that it's a scam!

What's Your Favourite Tip or Trick?

Reply

JaguarJulie Dec 14, 2010 @ 5:59 pm | delete

Oh Oh Oh ... this is a good one! "Learn to pick up signals from quieter people (including spouses) who may not always specify their desires forcefully. You will up many more Brownie points"

Reply

JaguarJulie Dec 14, 2010 @ 5:58 pm | delete

Oh Oh Oh ... this is a good one! "Learn to pick up signals from quieter people (including spouses) who may not always specify their desires forcefully. You will up many more Brownie points"