Dream Summer Vacation

Source: Sterling College

Beautiful You!

Five Ways To Say "No" So You Can Finally Reclaim Your Focus

Staying productive is all about consciously deciding what not to do. Here's how.

It isn't news that culture is obsessed with doing—with being in motion, with being occupied, with being busy. But the upshot of all this doing is that we spend very little time deciding exactly what we should be doing in the first place.

Saying "no" is all well and good as an abstract concept, but you can’t do it consistently without a plan.

Real productivity is more than just activity, after all. And when we're asked to act upon (or ignore) hundreds of updates, requests, and interruptions every single day, to actually step back and decide can be much more difficult than to simply do. Amid all this bombardment, being truly productive depends upon your ability to say "no." In other words, what you don’t do on a daily basis is at least—if not more—important than what you actually do take action on.

Of course, saying "no" is easier said than done. Many of us have an intuitive desire to please others, to explore every opportunity, to take on more than we can handle, and worry about the consequences later. But if you can master the art of saying "no," you can prevent your time and focus from being held captive by a constant barrage of requests and distractions. Here are a few practical techniques that can help.

1. MAKE A "STOP-DOING LIST"

Saying "no" is all well and good as an abstract concept, but you can’t do it consistently without a plan. The first step is to identify what activities are creating the biggest drag on your productivity—and to actually list them out. I picked up this tip from best-selling business author Jim Collins, who makes a habit of sitting down at the outset of every year to draw up a "stop-doing" list.

The idea is to identify a short-list of habits you want to avoid in the new year. Some things on my "stop-doing" list:

• I don’t schedule meetings in the morning (my prime creative time).
• I don’t treat emails from strangers as urgent.
• I don’t read the news at work.
• But keep it short, and focus on just a few key things you can really commit to avoiding. A brief list of simple, broad-strokes ideas is better than a long, overly detailed list of pet peeves.

2. WRITE TOMORROW’S TO-DO LIST TONIGHT

The easiest way to avoid distraction is to hit the ground running. That's why I like to close out my workday by jotting down in advance my to-do list for the day ahead.

If I wake up with a clear picture of my key priorities, I'm infinitely more productive and relaxed. What's more, I'm also much better at deciding what not to do and which requests to turn down, because what I need to do is already mapped out—I've already decided. By contrast, kicking off the day without a plan opens you up to working reactively, letting other people’s demands dictate what you do with your day.

It’s a lot easier to say no to unwanted additions to your to-do list if you’re crystal clear on what you want to accomplish and why.

3. SWITCH TO BATCHING YOUR EMAIL TIME

Inefficient emailers operate as "reactors," relying on notifications and near constant monitoring to nibble away at an endless pile of unread messages throughout the day.

Productive emailers, on the other hand, are "batchers," setting aside a few time slots each day to power through their inboxes—and say "no" to email interruptions outside those designated windows. Not surprisingly, batchers , happier, and less stressed out at work.

Here are a few tips for shifting toward a batched approach:

• Set aside two or three 30– to 45-minute windows each day for processing your inbox, giving it 100% of your focus.

• Turn off all push notifications and instead use an app like Inbox When Ready to show you new messages only when you want to see them.

4. TEACH PEOPLE TO EXPECT YOU'LL SAY "NO"

Whether it’s in your inbox or in-person, don’t fall victim to the assumption that you have to say "yes" to every single request. If you do, others will quickly pick up on that and take advantage.

Once you level the playing field between the possibility of saying "yes" and the possibility of saying "no," it becomes easier to gracefully decline.

This is especially true for things you probably can go either way on—a request for an interview or coffee meeting, an invitation to speak at a conference, or a pitch to demo a product. In most of these cases and many others, the person doing the asking is just testing the waters. They’ll be happy if you say yes, but they don’t feel entitled to your time.

So rather than assuming that every asker expects you to say "yes"—and resenting the unwanted obligation—experiment with assuming that they already think it’s a long shot. Reframing the situation like this makes it easier to put seemingly pushy emails or phone calls into perspective so you can consider the opportunity with a relaxed attitude.

Once you level the playing field between the possibility of saying "yes" and the possibility of saying "no," it becomes easier to gracefully decline inquiries that don’t match your priorities.

5. SWAP "I CAN’T DO THAT" WITH "I DON’T DO THAT"

Another way to reclaim your focus is through simple tweaks to how you communicate. Language is powerful, and the way that you say "no" can have an outsize impact on people’s perception of you at work. In a 2012 study, researchers found that it was easier for people to stick to resolutions if they said "don’t" instead of "can’t."

When you say you "can’t do" something, it may implicitly convey weakness and inadequacy—giving the sense that you might want to do the task but aren’t actually able to. Whereas when you say you "don’t do" something, it conveys power and conviction, a feeling of a rule to which you are staunchly committed.

And make no mistake: Preserving your productivity and defending your focus does take commitment. But once you actually decide to do it, it's something you can keep saying "yes" to.

Jocelyn K. Glei is the author of Unsubscribe: How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done. Follow her on Twitter at @jkglei.

Source: FastCompany

Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess 

Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those of us who'd describe our current living situation as a “f*cking mess” that we're desperate to fix. Unf*ck Your Habitat is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems. The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world.

Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is decidedly more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve for it to bring you happiness, not stress.

Source: Amazon.com

A simple comic about keeping things in perspective

Source: owlturd.com

Six reasons why sleeping in separate beds can be a good idea

Sleeping alone from time to time to avoid snoring, a young child in your bed and duvet hogging is a total luxury

One of you snores. Snoring seems like a joke until you’re confronted with a snorer, and then it’s the worst thing on earth. I’ve been a snorer and a snoree in the past, and the damage that snoring does to a snoree’s peace of mind is incalculable. All they want to do is sleep, but they can’t because the person they love is making a noise like a malfunctioning blender. Once, in a fit of sleep-deprived mania, I downloaded an app on my phone to measure how loud a partner was snoring. It was 90 decibels, as loud as a Boeing 737 coming in to land. When you sleep with a snorer, it overtakes your life. It makes you cranky and resentful. It can even break you up. When it happens, a bed in a different room is like paradise.

Your days start and end at different times. I start work at 6am on the dot, but my wife has a more sensible wake-up time. This leaves me with three options every morning. First: I let my alarm wake me up, but it also wakes my wife and she spends the rest of the day groggy and bad-tempered. Second: I train myself to wake up before my alarm goes off, creep out of the bedroom early without disturbing anyone and spend my day groggy and bad-tempered. Third: I sleep in a different room, everyone gets the right amount of sleep and we’re all happy.

You want to be healthy. If you share a bed with someone else, your sleep is 50% more disturbed than it would be if you slept alone. And sleep is important. Lack of sleep leads to loss of concentration, increased irritability, reduced mental wellbeing, lowered sex drive and can increase the likelihood of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Really, sleeping alone from time to time is basically a miracle cure.

...don't forget about the other (3)!

Source: theguardian.com

Nought to 103 in six generations: Bradford family claim UK record

Hansons believe they are first family in Britain to have six generations alive at once, after a new arrival on Christmas Day

A family from West Yorkshire is believed to be the first in Britain to have six generations alive at the same time.

The Hanson family from Bradford has 44 living members ranging from the oldest, aged 103, to the most recent arrival, born on Christmas Day.

Baby Finley is the great-great-great-grandson of the matriarch of the tribe, Hilda Hanson, known affectionately as “little gran”.

Talking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday, Finley’s great-grandmother Sue Godward, 62, said: “When Finley was born, my daughter Nikki and Melissa, my other daughter, started researching big generation families and they could not find anybody else in Britain with six generations living. Nobody else has come forward with six generations.”

They located one in Alberta, Canada, who last month celebrated the arrival of the sixth generation of their family. The Guinness World Records entry for most living generations is seven, achieved in 1989 by a family in the US.

Quite an intriguing read.

Source: theguardian.com

New Zealand hit by 'weather bomb' bringing summer snow and flooding

Severe low caused heavy rain and gale-force winds and resulted in large dumps of snow on the alps, in the middle of the southern summer

Find out the details here

Source: theguardian.com

This Professor’s Tweets After No One Showed Up To His Class Are Going Viral

On burnout and the slow rebuilding

True story: I started my career as an artist ten years ago as eager a beaver as you can imagine. I was the textbook illustrator and artist at the beginning of her career (except for that I was already in my late 30’s when I began). I was building my client base, finding my voice, experimenting with mediums, building my portfolio and dreaming about where I wanted to go next. It was scary, yes (I made no money for the first three years), but I loved it. I was motivated in a way I had never been motivated to do anything in my life. It took me about four years to really get going, and then once I did, opportunities began happening for me very quickly.

Since 2010, I have written and/or illustrated 15 books (seven of those my own) and worked with over 65 illustration and licensing clients. I’ve also recorded nine classes, 21 podcasts and stood on stage and spoken at 27 different events. Just this past year alone I flew on 28 different airplanes. Amazing things have happened for me in the past six years. I’ve worked with fantastic clients and on dream projects. I do not take those things lightly. I am enormously grateful for every opportunity I’ve had. I feel extremely lucky.

Click here to read the full story ...

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

"Without The Artist's Way, there would have been no Eat, Pray, Love.” —Elizabeth Gilbert

The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital today—or perhaps even more so—than it was when it was first published one decade ago, it is a powerfully provocative and inspiring work. In a new introduction to the book, Julia Cameron reflects upon the impact of The Artist’s Way and describes the work she has done during the last decade and the new insights into the creative process that she has gained. Updated and expanded, this anniversary edition reframes The Artist’s Way for a new century.

Deep Breath

Gemini

Updated Second Edition: Published December 20, 2015

Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things so we can make room for life's most important things--which actually aren't things at all.

At age 30, best friends Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus walked away from their six-figure corporate careers, jettisoned most of their material possessions, and started focusing on what's truly important.

In their debut book, Joshua & Ryan, authors of the popular website TheMinimalists.com, explore their troubled pasts and descent into depression. Though they had achieved the American Dream, they worked ridiculous hours, wastefully spent money, and lived paycheck to paycheck. Instead of discovering their passions, they pacified themselves with ephemeral indulgences--which only led to more debt, depression, and discontent.

After a pair of life-changing events, Joshua & Ryan discovered minimalism, allowing them to eliminate their excess material things so they could focus on life's most important "things": health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

Source: Amazon.ca

Vibrant Vegan Double Broccoli Buddha Bowl

3 cups cooked quinoa* 
5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

1 tablespoon green curry paste
2 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted 
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

Optional toppings: microgreens, hot sauce, sliced avocado

Heat the quinoa and set aside.

Cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, curry paste, garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, salt, lemon juice, and coconut milk in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pesto a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, and any other toppings you like - some slices avocado, greens or sprouts, and/or hot sauce are all good fits.

Serves 4 - 6.

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 5 min

Source: 101 Cookbooks

Danish supermarket refused to sell popcorn containing fluorinated chemicals

Even though it took 6 months to find an alternative, Coop refused to stock microwave popcorn because of the health risks to customers.

When Danish supermarket Coop discovered that its microwave popcorn contained fluorinated chemicals in the paper bag lining, it decided to pull the popcorn off shelves in 1,200 stores throughout the country. The chemicals were used by manufacturers to prevent the paper from degrading upon contact with hot butter, and they were chosen over natural substances like wax because of their ability to withstand microwave heat.

Source: treehugger.com