9 Killer Productivity Lifehacks to Supercharge Your Success Rate

“Productivity is being able to do things that you weren’t able to do before.” – Franz Kafka

Without productivity, you can’t accomplish anything. Or your results will be very lower than your true potential.

Productivity is the quality of creating something. Productivity is measured by the positive outcome of the energy you devote in a project.

The higher it is the more you can achieve. When your productivity is sky-high you can distribute your work and finish it in the best way possible, thereby achieving more goals and getting bigger rewards for your work.

Unfortunately, your productivity is highly threatened by many enemies.

These enemies can be very destructive and if you let them affect your productivity you jeopardize your success. You risk of not getting your work done, losing deadlines or even worse surrendering without even trying.

We all have the same 24 hours every day. The way we use these 24 hours is up to every one of us.

If you find the right methods, the right productivity lifehacks, you can take advantage of these 24 hours to the utmost.

The scope of this article is to give you 9 really powerful productivity lifehacks that will help you become a repetitive winner.

You probably won’t be able to implement every technique because it depends on your every day schedule. I hope that you will find some tips among the list that suit your lifestyle. The more of these tips you follow, the better for your productivity.

1. Enter the 2 Hour Hermit Mode

What is the 2 hour hermit mode? Will you need to live alone in a remote cabin? Of course not, unless you would enjoy that experience.

What you have to do is simpler than that.

For 2 hours every day, focus on your work and try to do what you have to do completely undisturbed. Lock yourself in your room, in the bathroom or even in the garage. Stay somewhere where you can find COMPLETE quiet for 2 hours.

It doesn’t matter if your mom is calling you endlessly, if your girlfriend wants to meet you or if your house is on fire. You have to be completely alone and focused on your craft.

Find a place where no one will disturb you. Absolutely nobody. Even if the God wants to talk to you, he will have to wait until the 2 hours are over.

That’s how important it is to be completely undisturbed. If you are working on something important and then you answer a phone call you are done. Adios productivity.

You lose all your momentum. Your brain takes a big break and gives a signal to your body that you should rest more.

How to enter the hermit mode:

1. Simply close your phone or put it in airplane mode. Answer any calls or messages after the 2 hours.

2. Logout from all social media.

3. If you live with your parents or roommate tell them to be quiet for these 2 hours and lock yourself in your room.

4. If you can’t find a quiet place, consider going to your local library.

5. Have some water or snack next to you for when you are thirsty or hungry. Going to the bathroom is acceptable; you don’t want to smell like urine…or something worst than urine.

If your schedule is too demanding, it doesn’t necessarily need to be 2 hours. You can spend 60 minutes or even 30 minutes. If what you want to do is important, you will find some time.

Otherwise, it wasn’t so important. On the other side, if your schedule is too loose, you could definitely enter the hermit mode for more than 2 hours.

2. Close Your Phone until as Late as Possible

When you are working on something, whether this is just your homework or an important business plan, hearing your phone ringing can really destroy your concentration. By putting your phone in silence mode or even better closing it you have the oportunity to work uninterrupted.

Just like with the hermit mode, you reduce interruptions and you can be more focused on your craft.

3. Focus on One Task at a Time

Multi-tasking can reduce your productivity up to 40%, according to behavioral psychologist Susan Weinschenk.

According to Susan, people can’t do more than one task at a time. Actually, multi-tasking is just switching between different tasks.

It’s impossible to do them all together so your brain focuses to one of them and quickly changes that focus to another task.

If you think that this helps in getting more things done, you should know that it actually takes MORE time than if you did each task separately.

Your brain can focus on only one cognitive (mental) task. You can only be reading or you can only be watching the news, but you aren’t able to do both together.

What actually happens when you are trying to watch the news and read simultaneously is that your brain switches from the one task to the other. So you are not multitasking at all. You are just switching tasks and produce LESS.

If you want to keep your productivity levels high stop switching between tasks. Do one thing at a time and prioritize your work. Then do the most important tasks first.

4. Start Your Day Doing What You Hate

Okay, this doesn’t sound really great, I know. Just let me explain.

When we have to do something boring or an unpleasant task, we tend to procrastinate. As a result, we push that task later in the day and in the end we don’t do it at all.

We continue saying “I will do that later” or “I will finish tomorrow” and this later/tomorrow never really comes.

Just do it right after you wake up or within 1-2 hours after waking up. That way you are sure that you won’t procrastinate during the day. It also helps in increasing your self-confidence.

When you say that “I will do this,” and you really do it, you send a subconscious signal to your mind that you are a person who keeps their promises. Someone who is reliable. This results in feeling more confident with yourself.

5. Split your work with the 25-5 method.

This method can be a part of the Hermit Mode and boost your concentration to the maximum.

The idea is that you split your work into two parts. The first part is 25 minutes of uninterrupted work. The second part is a 5-7 minute break for water, snack or just for flexing your muscles and walking around.

Use a timer with an alarm clock that reminds you when your 25 minute work period or your 5 minute break is over.

This is very effective if you plan on entering the hermit mode for very long periods, like 4+ hours. Even for 2 hours it can be very effective, because your brain will get tired after a while.

On the one hand, knowing that you have to be fully concentrated until your alarm rings makes you become ultra-productive and you get more work done. On the other hand, you have 5 minutes to give your brain enough time to relax but without relaxing too much.

Don’t make the mistake of logging into social media or answering your phone during your breaks because it can turn your 5 minute break into a 50 minute one. 

6. Listen to Audio books or Podcasts While You Are Eating.

Your meals are a perfect chance to supply your body with essential nutrients and become a little smarter simultaneously.

While most people spend their meals watching TV or just staring at their kitchen wall, you can differentiate yourself from the thought-castrated masses and use that time to educate yourself.

Of course, if you choose a book/podcast that you don’t like just because I told you to do so, it won’t work. Find something that you love to learn.

You have countless topics that you could choose from like:

• How to improve your self-confidence.
• How to lose fat effectively.
• How to meet beautiful women.
• How to build muscle.
• How to improve your memory.
• How to make money.

and much more.

You don’t have to start listening to audio books of Nietzsche or Freud from the beginning. Find something that you want to learn, something that would be enjoyable and could improve your life.

But you may be wondering: is listening to audio books going to make me smarter? Does it have the same effect like reading a real book? It seems that it depends on the subject of the book but generally it has the same effect. A study on college students in 1997 found that those who listened to a short story could write a summary as well as those who read it.

7. Use Dead Time to Read or Learn Something New

When it comes to productivity and accomplishing your goals you must learn new things constantly.

It’s impossible to achieve a goal if you are not improving yourself. If you are not taking a step closer to that goal every single day then it won’t work.

You might say that you don’t have enough time. But the fact is that many of us have a lot of time that is wasted.

What did you do the last time you took the bus?

What did you do when you were waiting for a visit to your doctor while you were sitting on his comfortable couch?

What did you do when you took your car and went to work?

Most likely, you were just waiting the time to pass, you were scrolling your Facebook timeline, constantly checking your e-mail, listened to music or just staring out of the window.

But you were wasting time that you could use to learn something. Start reading e-books on your phone or listen to an audiobook/podcast during such “dead time.”

If you are on the bus and you have 30 minutes ahead of you, don’t let them pass away. Read a book and become a little smarter. If you are driving, then listen to an audio.

You can’t imagine the difference in your mindset after a year if you started to listen to audiobooks every day for 30 minutes while you are driving to your work.

Start now, you can find audiobooks or e-books for dirt cheap online. And you can listen to podcasts that are completely free.

8. Use the 3 Color Layer Checklist Method

That’s something I recommend in my e-book Beat Procrastination in 10 Minutes.

Traditional checklists are boring.  However, the 3-color layer checklist is more unique. It’s a great way to be more productive and get important tasks done all the time.

Why? Because you prioritize your tasks based on importance. All you need is a piece of  paper and 3 colored pens. I prefer using red-black-blue.

Then you split your work:

Level 1-Red: Top priority-Emergency work that must be done today.

Level 2-Black: Medium priority

Level 3-Blue: Low Priority

When the day is over you must have done all tasks in the first 2 levels. But there is a rule: For every task on level-3 you must have two tasks on levels 1 & 2.

This ensures that you don’t put all the work in the low priority layer to avoid it.

For example, if you have two tasks on the blue layer, you must have two on black and two on red or 3 on red and 1 black. The ratio should be 2:1, Red & Black to Blue.

This system will allow you to become more focused by learning to identify and finish the important tasks first. You will always have the important work done and if you have time you can finish the low priority tasks as well.

9. Start Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting will allow you to burn more fat while eating less and saving time. Actually you won’t eat less food but you will eat fewer meals.

That’s because you will skip your breakfast. While common wisdom says that you should eat a large bowl of cereal to “activate your metabolism” this doesn’t provide any benefits. Eating makes your body spend energy to digest the food.This is known as the Thermic Effect. However, increased meal frequency doesn’t add any benefit as the thermic effect in 24 hours remains the same if you eat the same amount of calories, no matter if you consume these calories in 3 or in 6 meals.[3]

The food industry has invested millions of dollars to convince us that breakfast is essential. Eat pancakes, muffins, milk, cake and cereals because your body will enter in starvation mode if you don’t. That’s what they told us and we believed it.

In fact, skipping breakfast not only helps you to burn more fat but it has other benefits like increased growth hormone and boosted mental alertness.

But what has this to do with productivity?

When you skip breakfast you eat only 2-3 meals per day. Lunch and dinner are fine, but you can have an extra smaller meal in between.

This saves you a lot of time from breakfast preparation and gives you the ability to enjoy huge meals without getting fat. Or eating a dessert (wink).

In reality, you take the breakfast calories and put them in your dinner or lunch.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t only skip breakfast but you should also cut your meals quantity. There is no need in having 5-6 small meals per day “because this activates your metabolism.”

Whether your goal is building muscle, losing fat or maintaining your weight, it’s all a matter of how much calories you eat and if you get the right quantity of nutrients. You can achieve that only with 2-3 meals per day.

It will save you a ton of time from cooking, eating and even spending energy to digest the food.

What are your best methods to improve your productivity? I would love to hear to your ideas.

The post 9 Killer Productivity Lifehacks to Supercharge Your Success Rate appeared first on Lifehack.

10 Benefits to Daydreaming!

The sound of my heels on the hard floor, I find myself on stage, my face hot and eyes slightly squinting from the bright golden lights. I’m bowing before a standing ovation given to me by a much bigger room than I expected, full of admirers. The applause is overwhelming, and pride in my presentation bubbles up through my core. A wave of gratitude washes over me as I realize that my cheeks hurt from the work of smiling, then, suddenly, I am snapped back to my living room where I am writing an article on my Mac and the little cue card that pops up in the right upper corner notifies me of another reminder I had set weeks ago. So I collect my thoughts and continue my work.

We are mostly aware of the proven benefits of taking vacations. We are repeatedly and painfully reminded that our obsession with keeping up with the Jones’ and impressing our bosses is taking its toll on our efficiency, creativity, performance, and even our health! If we insist on leaving a couple vacation days in the bank each year, however, could taking a periodic trip to la-la land also be beneficial?

Daydreaming, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a pleasant visionary usually wishful creation of the imagination,” and by that definition, it is proving to be like a mini-vacation that carries with it more than just a handful of scientifically proven benefits!

1. You can exercise your brain (not your mind)…

Neuroscientist Dr Muireann Irish says that daydreaming is hard work and serves some very important functions. The capability to remember the past and imagine the future is a very complex form of thinking—as far as we can tell, we are the only species with this remarkable ability. The way in which you daydream and think is actually the effect of your brain’s physical structure, which, in turn, is constantly changing in response to new information in the form of new neural pathways due to neuroplastisity!

2. You can give different parts of your brain a break.

There are two main systems in your brain: the decision-making analytic part and the relatable empathetic part. When you get really involved in one, there isn’t much room for the other to play. Daydreaming allows for a natural and fluid, almost cyclical movement between these two parts of your brain, turning one on and the other on and off as it imagines.

3. You may find yourself to be more creative.

A lot of creative celebrities, including Woody Allen and JK Rowling, credit daydreaming with their best ideas. This is because when you daydream, your mind travels through different parts of your brain and collects bits of information that it may then be able to connect! These connections often end up being the beginnings of new and creative ideas!

4. You can practice being more empathetic, open minded, and understanding.

Like being able to remember the past or think into the future, your ability to imagine someone else’s perspective, as far as people know so far, is unique to humans. A person spends up to half of their waking hours daydreaming. If you could practice spending just a portion of that time to contemplate what someone else might be thinking or feeling, it could change your interactions with people and create great opportunities for improved communication and connections.

5. You can feel more love and connection to the people closest to you.

Speaking of closer connections, research has shown that certain kind of daydreams—namely the “approach-oriented” social kind involving loved ones with whom you have a significant relationship—results in more “happiness, love, and connection” in relation to those people. “Approach-oriented” just means that the daydream is associated with attaining something positive instead of avoiding something negative which would be “avoidance-oriented.”

6. You will have improved working memory.

Working memory is your brain’s ability to store and then recall information in the face of distractions. Recent research out of the University of Wisconsin and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science shows a correlation between high levels of this particular kind of memory and daydreaming!

7. You will likely experience improved performance/productivity.

This correlation is probably the most proven! A Cornell study showed “improved performance” with daydreaming, and Bar-Ilan University found that “spontaneous, self-directed thoughts and associations,” how they defined daydreaming, “have a positive, simultaneous effect on task performance.”  There are even more examples that prove that the assumptions of your elementary school teachers were wrong when they thought that your little lapses in attention were detrimental.

8. You can be healthier!

Research has proven that daydreaming is kind of like a low-level self hypnosis. In doing so, you may find that you experience lower levels of stress, translating to a physiologically healthier you. Another way to lower stress with the use of daydreaming is to practice in advance. If you have a new experience coming up (perhaps a presentation at work) you can go through it in your mind and be better prepared for the actual event. That’s not all. Daydreaming is also linked with a healthier brain. Patients who suffer from autism and Alzheimer’s disease are unable to participate in this form of self hypnosis. Daydreaming can also help you sleep better, provided your dreams aren’t too structured and serious. Let your nightly mind wander to playful, wild places instead.

9. You can achieve your goals!

Between being more creative, improving your working memory, increasing performance, and lowering stress levels, it is easy to see how you can have an easier time achieving your goals with the help of daydreams. But there is research that proves this as well! When you let yourself slip off to la-la land, your brain’s problem solving network is actually more active than when you are focused on routine tasks. So set your goals, make plans to achieve them, and let your brain help you when you run into obstacles!

10. Most importantly, you can be happier!

With all of the benefits of daydreaming, it’s little surprise that you can find yourself happier by letting yourself indulge in a little mental play. Another reason for this correlation is that hope and anticipation are both strongly related to joy and tend to be byproducts of mind wandering.

Be warned that not all daydreams are created equal. To really tap into the potential benefits of your daydreams, try to free yourself from the worry or fear-based “day-mares.” We all do this, so there’s no shame. But if you catch yourself biting your nails, lost in another imagined horror plot of how your next date could go wrong, or what your boss could have meant by that statement, simply redirect your mind to more positive thoughts and let your brain take you for a joyride—creating new neural pathways along the way!

Featured photo credit: autumn leaves boy/ Philippe Put via flickr.com

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14 Smart Apps To Improve Your Work/Life Balance

Some days we just have too many demands competing for our precious time – between work, family time, hobbies and personal goals, managing our time in a way that leaves us content rather than frazzled, could be a particular challenge for a lot of us. Luckily, we have technology to help us cope.

If you have the feeling you have been constantly busy, juggling too much things at a time and in the end of the day still feeling you haven’t accomplish everything you’ve planned, here are 14 smart apps to help you achieve the right balance between work and play time!

1.Timeneye (For smart time management)

Timeneye is a free visually appealing, non-distracting time tracking app for personal use to monitor how you spend your time on basically anything – from work projects to hobbies. You can easily sync it with other software like Basecamp, Google Calendar, Asana, Trello and track your time without switching between them. In time the app will learn about your habits and automatically create suggested time entries for you! That means you spend less time on dull work and have more room for creativity and innovation.

Timeneye is available as a web service, Android and iOS app for free for personal use and costs from $9/month for teams up to 5 people. You can check all available plans here.

2. Tribesports (For regular workouts)

With Tribesports you will have more motivation to stick to your workout schedule. This cool app allows sporty users to connect with each other, find inspiration for training and complete various fitness challenges. With an inbuilt GPS tracker you can monitor and analyze all your activity, keep all vitals in one place, make photos and record your routine to share it with the rest of community. The app tracks your fitness goals and gives you a detailed visual overview of your progress each week/month/all time to keep you inspired to find more time and energy for sports!

Available for free for iOS and Android devices.

3. Focus Booster (For staying on task)

Focus Booster encourages you to stop wasting time on unneeded tasks and get straight to business. Based on the Pomodoro technique, the app allows you to set ‘focus’ time windows and breaks and switch on the timer to start work. During your work time you can’t stop the timer as your session won’t be recorded and added to your time sheet. This app is essential for freelancers to bill their clients correctly by setting up hourly rates for each client and then just auto-tracking the time you’ve spent on the project. And pretty much everyone else planning to use their time wise.

Available as a desktop app for free with premium features starting from $2.99 per month.

4. Slice (for smarter online shopping)

Slice is a handy email add-on that will search your email inbox to find and collect all online order receipt information and store it in a neat list.  In fact you can create different handy lists, e.g. to track package delivery dates or a smart wish list that will automatically send you notification if a product’s price drop.  With Slice, you can spend less time on browsing through numerous shopping sites and have your inbox flooded with different alerts and notifications at once!

Available for free as an iOS and Android app.

5. SavedPlus (For saving money the smart way)

SavedPlus encourages you to save money without even realizing it (or doing some crazy math). To start saving all you need to do is connect your credit cards and bank accounts and set a percentage that will be auto transferred to you savings account. For instance, if you spend $50 on eating out, and you’ve said you want to save 10 per cent of your total spending, then $5 will immediately go straight from you current account to your savings account. Try it and by the end of the month you’ll be surprised how easy saving money could be!

Available for free as a desktop, iOS and Android app.

6. Simply Yoga (For timely breaks)

Simply Yoga app will help you squeeze in a 10, 20, 40 or 60-minute yoga workout wherever you are. The app walks you through more than 60 poses step-by-step and allows to built custom workouts. Remember, physical exercises help you stay productive and instantly reduce stress!

Available for $3.99 for iOS devices.

7. Splashtop Remote Desktop (For spending less time at the desk)

To get things done on the go no matter where on Earth you are, install Splashtop Remote Desktop. The app allows you to access all your PC or Mac files and programs from smartphone or tablet. It also streams video and audio from users’ PCs or Macs, and interact with PowerPoint, Keynote, Word, Excel and other application. Don’t feel glued to your desk and laptop longer than it is needed!

Available for all operational systems and numerous types of devices starting from $4.99.

8. Way of Life (For breaking bad habits)

One of the reasons why you are struggling to achieve proper life balance, might be your habits – e.g. lack of proper sleep, pour diet etc. Way of life helps you get rid of the bad ones and develop good ones instead. You can plot daily/weekly goals and track whether or not you are meeting them. Your progress is visually displayed in form of bar charts with trend lines, scoreboards for instant feedback and multiple daily reminders.

Available for iOS devices for free.

9. Cozi Family Organizer (For more family time)

Make sure you always have time for the family with the help of Cozi Family Organizer. The app allows you to manage family members’ schedules, appointments and activities, so you never miss your kid’s football match once again. Sync it with Google calendar, share to-do/shopping lists and keep a family collection of recipes to shop by dish. The app is essential to organize your family life efficiently and always make sure you have time for everyone!

Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows devices.

10. Stress Tracker (For eliminating stress)

Capture and reduce stress levels thought the day with Stress Tracker. You can record your stress levels during the day. Add different info such as the source of stress, symptoms of stress, and overall mood. Afterwards use the app’s “insights” tools to identify your biggest triggers and learn to avoid them. After all, a balanced life is a less stressed life!

Available for iOS devices only.

11. Daily Routine (For managing your daily chores)

The name says for itself in this case. Daily Routine app helps you keep track of all your daily tasks and sends notifications on what you should be doing and when. You can schedule routines for specific days of the week/month and add special reminders for those tasks you typically forget. Now, you won’t spend your precious time on running to the nearby corner store late at night when you forgot to buy cat food again. Besides, you can easily print out your daily chores created with the app and stick them to the fridge or cubicle-wall.

Available for $4.99 for iOS devices only.

12. SortMyBox (For online de-cluttering)

While de-cluttering your house seems like a daunting task, de-cluttering online files can get even more frustrating. Yet, SortMyBox can easily help you with that! The app helps you clean up and organize all your Dropbox files, so you could spend less time on digging for what you need! You can set special filters for different type of files (just like in your email) to avoid the mess later on.

Available as desktop app for free.

13. IFTTT (For eliminating routine)

IFTTT stands for If This Then That and allows you to easily program repetitive actions and avoid spending time on them in the first place! For example, if the weather changes to rain, the app will send a text to warn me; if I post photo on Instagram it’s adapted and auto-shared on Twitter. This app saves you some valuable minutes each day that turn into hours by the end of the week.

Available as a web-based service for free.

14. Zirtual (For virtual assistance)

If you are still struggling with finding more time for play, get help from Zirtual. The service assigns you a dedicated virtual PA to take some of the administrative and organizational tasks off of your plate. Zirtual assistants can respond to emails, coordinate and schedule travel plans, manage your calendar, create itineraries and pretty much anything else you assign them to do.

Plans start from $399 per month and you can check all options available here.

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10 Signs You’re A Follower Instead Of A Leader

While the term leadership is often applied in the world of business, it is in fact a far broader concept that can be applied throughout everyday life. From visionary thought leaders and military generals to those who simply want to build a better life for themselves, leadership is an attribute that can help everyone to achieve their individual goals.

This underlines the importance of self-improvement, as we look to develop the fundamental leadership skills that will enable us to achieve multiple forms of success. Without these, you may consign yourself to the role of follower and struggle to achieve your full potential as an individual.

With this in mind, here are 10 clear signs that you are a follower rather than a bold and confident leader:

1. You lack emotional intelligence

While emotional intelligence may not seem like a fundamental component of successful leadership, it is impossible to build an aura of respect and authority without valuing the feelings of those around us. It can also isolate you from others, making it difficult to form either personal or professional relationships. Take the example set by Mitt Romney when campaigning in the U.S. election of 2012, when he famously claimed that ‘43% of the American population were losers’. This type of senseless diatribe shows a complete lack of respect for others, while it also showcases a lack of common sense and restraint. Unless you can empathise or respect the feelings of fellow humans, it is impossible to lead others or develop beneficial relationships for the future.

2. You are easily influenced in your decision making

Decision making is another crucial aspect of leadership, whether you are a captain of industry, keen to improve your existing lifestyle or voting in an election. Successful leaders are decisive and able to think independently, for example, while those who follow are all too easily influenced when attempting to reach a definitive conclusion. This was underlined during the recent UK election; as although an estimated 30 million votes were cast nationwide there is additional evidence to suggest that 59% of the electorate would be unable to name the British Prime Minister. This raises the spectre of ignorant voting, and unless you are able to research specific topics and think independently to make an informed decision you will never be able to succeed in leadership.

3. You follow rules rather than breaking them

There are a number of fundamental differences between leaders and followers, with their unique approach to rules providing a prominent example. While leaders are receptive to the need for change and capable of breaking rules for the greater good, followers are far more inclined to adhere to the status quo without question. There is also an issue of courage, as those with leadership potential have far greater conviction when it comes to driving change and pushing even unpopular reforms. If you have aspirations of leadership, you must therefore develop an analytical mind that can identify opportunities for change and remain strong in the face of criticism.

4. You are risk averse

In the pursuit of change, you may also need to take risks in addition to breaking rules. As a result of this, the stereotypical leader has a huge appetite for risk and is willing to trust their instinct when making difficult decisions. In contrast, followers tend to be risk-averse in their nature and are unwilling to take actions or decisions that may trigger a negative reaction in some. If you wish to overcome this innate fear and emerge as a strong leader that can control individual situations, you will need to step out of your comfort zone and start taking calculated risks for the greater good.

5. You are receptive to talent

From a business perspective, talent is crucial to breaking new ground and achieving long-term success. Those with genuine leadership skills therefore tend to attract and engage talent better than followers, primarily because they are secure in their own abilities and able to surround themselves with uniquely skilled individuals without becoming envious. As followers typically lack a strong, independent mind and self-confidence, they can quickly begin to question their own ability when they are surrounded by highly skilled and talented individuals. This can create a barrier to forging any positive professional or personal relationships, and in this respect developing an appreciation of talent and unique skill-sets can enable you lead a much-improved existence.

6. You get results in the wrong way

There is a fine line between leadership and bullying, and this is underlined by the fact that successful CEO’s such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have been accused of using intimidatory tactics. Despite this, true leadership skills enable individuals to influence and inspire others through encouragement, whereas followers who attempt to lead often resort to using aggression, manipulation and coercion to solicit compliance. It is crucial that you understand this core difference, and remember that the ends do not justify the means when it comes attempting to lead others. Aggression alone does not make you a leader, and in fact it can prevent you from ever achieving your full potential as an individual.

7. You lack time management skills

This is one of the more subtle differences that separate leaders from followers, as those with leadership qualities have innate time management skills that enable them to organise both themselves and those around them. Whether you manage a team of employees or simply want to develop an effective daily schedule, your ability to prioritise tasks and complete them efficiently is crucial. Followers tend to lack this skill, as their lack of foresight and passive nature means that are happy either to drift or allow others to manage their time. To change this behavioural pattern you will need to take the initiative and be proactive when scheduling tasks and creating time frames for completion.

8. You lack discipline as an individual

According to inspirational entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn, discipline is “the bridge between goals and accomplishment”. This is something that true leaders can identify with, as they tend to be extremely disciplined in their nature and are able to work in an extremely focused and dedicated manner at all time. In contrast, followers tend to be easily distracted by their surroundings and lack the mental fortitude to achieve long-term aspirations. This can highly detrimental, as even those with a strong sense of ambition and a keen work-ethic will fail without drive or self-discipline. Fortunately discipline can be learned over a period of time, especially if you are willing to schedule goals and develop a long-term plan for your advancement as an employee or individual.

9. You are not in control of your emotions

In a similar vein, leaders tend to retain greater control of their emotions and maintain a more consistent mood. This is not to say that they do not struggle with emotional highs and lows (as we all do), but they do possess the mental strength and character to manage these feelings without it impacting on their productivity or mood. Followers often lack this ability, which means that they are prone to emotional outbursts or periods of depression that can distract them from achieving a specific goal. To overcome this sensitivity and emerge as a potential leader, you must therefore embrace practical techniques for taking control of your emotions and challenging them into positive energy.

10. You lack a clear and translatable vision

Famous essayist and poet Jonathon Swift was renowned for his interpretation of being a visionary, which he described as the art ‘of seeing what is invisible to others’. This also provides a clear distinction between leaders and followers, as while the former have a clear and concise understand of what they want to achieve in the long-term the latter are more inclined to live for the moment. This is why clarity of thought is such an important leadership quality, as is the willingness to make sacrifices today for the good of tomorrow. If you want to develop your leadership skills, it is imperative that you are able to prioritise clearly defined, long-term goals that can be achieved through a series of stages.

Featured photo credit: Leadership – Jessica Lucia via flickr.com

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7 Random Facts You Didn’t Know About Driving

There is huge amount of knowledge available when we talk about the automobile world. For well over a hundred years, the automobile industry has changed the way we move around the world. Starting from the horseless carriages to fancy cars that touch top speeds in seconds, automobiles have come a long way from when they were first introduced. The first car was designed by Francois Isaac de Rivaz in 1807 and was powered by an internal combustion engine running on fuel gas.

The first modern automobile is generally considered to have been designed in 1886 by Karl Benz that featured wire wheels with a four-stroke engine fitted between the rear wheels. After 126 years, cars are still among our most pivotal obsessions. Not surprisingly, the last 126 years have delivered us prodigious automobile trivia.

In this article I’ve gathered some of the most interesting car facts you probably did not know, so if you’re motor head or simply looking for some time to kill, as a minimum one of these facts will tickle your fancy.

1. In The USA, States Have Varying Laws On Seat Belts

Seat belt laws vary across states in America. These are split into two sections: primary seat belt laws whereby drivers and passengers can be ticketed for not wearing seat belts and secondary seat belt laws whereby drivers and passengers can only be ticketed for not wearing a belt if another traffic offense has also occurred.

2. Driverless Cars Are Becoming A Reality

There are several entities attempting to create cars that can function without drivers. Google has created 10 different self-driving cars that have travelled a total of 300,000 miles on busy roads and have only resulted in 2 incidents, with one happening while a human was driving and one when another vehicle hit the car. It will be exciting to see the development of this technology and its implications on car related accidents.

3. The Largest Land Vehicle On Earth Weighs Over 45,000 Tons

The Bagger 288 excavator is the largest land vehicle in the world and was created to move massive amounts of earth. This excavator is over 300 feet tall, more than 700 feet long, and comes in at 45,500 tons.

4. As Of 2010 There Are Currently More Than 1 Billion Vehicles Being Used On Earth

In research carried out by Ward in the US, it is estimated that in the year 2010, there were 1.015 billion vehicles being used in the world. These are all motor vehicles including cars, all trucks and buses. The figure does not include construction equipment such as tractors, or off-road vehicles.

5. An Estimated 60 Million Cars Are Made Each Year

In 2012 it was estimated that are over 60 million cars would be produced; a global first. This would equal 165,000 cars being manufactured on a daily basis. The 5 largest producing nations of vehicles are China, Japan, Germany, Soth Korea, and India in that order. China produced 24 percent of all the world’s cars in 2011 and over double Japan, the runner-up. In fact, China produced 4.88 more cars than the US (14.4 million to 2.9 million).

6. The Average Car Has Thousands Of Parts

The average car is made up of around 30,000 parts, including each and every little piece that is in the resulting vehicle. It might seem unbelievable, but when you start calculating equipment like side panels and interior screws, you can imagine how the numbers will start to tally up. In addition to all those parts, a Mercedes-Benz car body is welded in 10,000 places. Car manufacturer companies like Mercedes are now even selling parts online through different vendors such as eEuroparts.com, which allow people to buy OEM parts with convenience.

7. One Horse Does Not Have One Horsepower

The number of “horsepower” advertised with cars considered as a basic unit of mechanical power of that particular vehicle that can be gaged in various ways. Some manufacturers involve converting one horsepower to 745 watts, or 33,000 foot-pounds of torque per minute in a physical conversion. According to these measurements, a real horse averages only about .7 horsepower.

Featured photo credit: Travis Wise via flickr.com

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How People Deal With Exam Stress And 12 Good Ways Suggested

I don’t think that there is a student out there who hasn’t had his or her fair share of stress. I’m not usually one to complain, but college can often feel like you are thrust into a hectic world where everything you want from life is at stake. Your academic future seems like its hanging by a thread, and you begin to think that it all comes down on just how well you do on an exam. People will tell you that failing an exam is not the end of the world, but it’s up to each student to try and cope with their own fear of failure. One of the biggest problems is that we tend to be quite good at finding ways of distracting ourselves instead of facing the problem. This leads to a self-perpetuating and never-ending cycle of watching TV to help us relax, and then getting even more stressed because we wasted so much time, which again makes us want to take a break and distract our mind. We might have what it takes to become successful, but it still takes plenty of hard work to put that potential to good use.

Over the years some students have managed to find relatively effective ways of coping with all the extra exam stress, and, as luck would have it, there are lots of smart people out there who documented the strategies that gave the best results. If you want to be able to effectively calm your nerves before an exam, and ensure that you stay focused and motivated, it is important to look at the scientific side of things. In this incredibly useful infographic the numbers talk for themselves – the majority of students have a problem with concentration leading up to a big exam, but there are a number of proven solutions. When researchers compiled the best strategies for calming the nerves, they came up with some interesting results. These twelve tried and true strategies can be just the thing you need to get things under control and keep your eyes on the prize.

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What Type Of Procrastinator Are You? Check In This Graph

I don’t know what’s gotten into me the past few months, but I’ve shed my procrastinating persona completely. Case in point, this article isn’t due for another five days, and here I am writing it minutes after it came across my desk.

But, as a former chronic procrastinator, I’m definitely qualified to write about it for the Internet. And chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re probably procrastinating, yourself.

Since you’re here, you might as well learn something. Let’s get to the bottom of why we put obligations off and how we’ve made procrastinating an art form.

If you’re currently putting off a major task, whether it be for school, work, or your personal life, you’re probably not just lazy. After all, you’re taking the time to read this, and not just staring into space. However, you are more than likely hesitant to take the next step in whatever process you’re procrastinating.

Maybe you’re scared of failure, or maybe you’re unsure of where to go from where you are. Whatever the issue may be, you should acknowledge it, and work toward getting over your fears and uncertainties. You’ll end up being the productive person you always thought you were.

There’s more than one way to duck a task. I used to wait until the last minute and would scramble to get all my duties finished on time.

Some people simply haven’t made a plan or are indecisive about how to tackle a project. Even perfectionists can end up procrastinating if they’re afraid they won’t do an exemplary job.

Whatever the case is, you’re not alone: everyone does it at some point. I can’t help you get over it, but I can help you reach the root of your procrastination with this simple flowchart:

Featured photo credit: Parcel Hero via parcelhero.com

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