The Best Decision You Can Make for Your Business — That Has Nothing to do With Money
october 2011 by alexhansford
Sunset by F.M. on flickr
Imagine two people starting identical companies with the exact same resources, network, and time at their disposal (gender randomly assigned for brevity’s sake):
Person #1 wakes up every day with anxiety, stressed about his mounting to-do list. He immediately buries himself in reactive work — striving to please everyone else but himself by responding to emails, taking meetings and delivering what others ask of him. He gets whipped around by his moods — one minute he’s happy and excited, the next he’s tired, anxious, unmotivated and depressed. His productivity on any given day is completely unpredictable — sometimes he wakes up excited to work, and on other days you couldn’t pry him off the couch with a forklift.Person #2 starts her days with purpose. No matter what her mood is upon waking up, she laces up her running shoes and gets her blood pumping with a 20-minute run. She uses that time outside to reflect and plan her day, and the resulting endorphins and morning shower give her energy to launch into her best work. She works diligently on her most important projects first, while she’s feeling sharp and creative. She takes a break in the afternoon by heading to yoga class, which centers and grounds her. By the time she attacks her inbox in the afternoon she already feels accomplished — the emails no longer assault her plans, they support them. Person #2 ends the day feeling calm, happy, confident and empowered.Both of these people are me.
I quit my job at Google two months ago to pursue my passion as an author, speaker and coach, and during my first month of solopreneurship I was Person #1.
I wasn’t running my business, my business was running me. And as 100% of the company, the opportunity costs of operating at half-mast were extremely high.
I knew I had hit a low when I ordered Panda Express and a King-Size Snickers bar on my way home from the airport after a speaking engagement in June. I felt lethargic, unhappy and mad at myself. Where was my discipline and self-respect when I was wanting it most? So I resolved to make a change.
Within three weeks, I became Person #2 — and it didn’t cost a cent. It didn’t have anything to do with sales, marketing, productivity or inbox management. It had to do with me.
I resolved to put my health first.
I started a three-week cleanse where I completely eliminated caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol, wheat, dairy and red meat from my diet. I committed to going for a 20-minute run first thing in the morning, which is just short enough to be manageable — it’s hard to make the excuse that you don’t have time to run 10 minutes out the front door and 10 minutes back. Finally, I bought an unlimited yoga pass and committed to going a minimum of two times a week; it was so rejuvenating that I ended up going closer to 4-5 times per week.
During the first three days, I had complete monkey-mind — craving coffee, sugar and TV like the addict I was — unable to focus because I was thinking about them every five minutes. But on the fourth day and every day thereafter, I started noticing something incredible.
I felt clear-headed. Creative. Confident. Energized. Productive. HAPPY.
I was getting more done in one week than I had completed in one month. I was no longer experiencing crazy mood swings or unproductive days. I started sleeping like a rock. I was in a great mood, glowing and energetic at conferences and razor sharp during my coaching and speaking engagements. I was on a roll and I stayed there.
I used to scoff at the countless magazines that preach healthy eating and exercise — get over yourself! Until I experienced, firsthand, the insanely powerful impact it had on my business’s bottom line (not to mention my actual bottom, which now fits nicely back into my best jeans).
How to grow your business, a big goal, or improve your life by putting your body first:
Start with four-day wins. This is a concept I learned from Martha Beck, who wrote the book The Four Day Win. That book forever changed how I think about diet and exercise — Beck emphasises tackling one thing at a time, for four days at a time. That’s it! Start with something ridiculously easy and build up confidence and momentum over time.Organize your days around healthy eating and exercise. No matter how much you resist this, thinking “But I don’t have time!” try it. If you try this for one week and don’t see business results, then ignore me. But at least give your body the chance to speak for itself.Track your progress and engage friends. I started this health challenge on my own, but quickly realized it would be more fun with friends, so I created a template that we could all track our progress on (feel free to use it too!). At the end of each week, I emailed the group four questions: How do you feel this week? What are you proud of? What challenges did you face? And what do you want to focus on next week?Optimize for your best energy windows. This is generally common knowledge, but as long as you’re putting your body first, make sure you put your best work first too. Start your days with your most creative, important tasks, and everything will seem easy after that. My favorite book on this subject is Eat that Frog, by Brian Tracy.You don’t have to do a crazy cleanse like I did (though I highly recommend Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program if you are interested); see what experiments you can run in your own life that work for YOU.
Now that I’m in maintenance mode I’m adding some coffee back in (can’t skip those deliciously foamy lattes forever!) and one cheat day per week, borrowing from Tim Ferris’ Slow Carb Diet. I’ve lost almost 15 pounds without even trying — a very welcome side effect of eating in a way that facilitates my best work.
Other books that you might find helpful and motivating:
The Paleo Solution by Robb WolfeThe Four-Hour Body by Tim FerrisWheat Belly by William DavisClean by Alejandro JungerThe Accidental Creative by Todd HenryJust as a business has start-up costs, so does making major health and lifestyle changes. The first few days might feel agonizingly difficult, but the rewards on the other side are absolutely worth it.
Lifehack
Lifestyle
Productivity
from google
Imagine two people starting identical companies with the exact same resources, network, and time at their disposal (gender randomly assigned for brevity’s sake):
Person #1 wakes up every day with anxiety, stressed about his mounting to-do list. He immediately buries himself in reactive work — striving to please everyone else but himself by responding to emails, taking meetings and delivering what others ask of him. He gets whipped around by his moods — one minute he’s happy and excited, the next he’s tired, anxious, unmotivated and depressed. His productivity on any given day is completely unpredictable — sometimes he wakes up excited to work, and on other days you couldn’t pry him off the couch with a forklift.Person #2 starts her days with purpose. No matter what her mood is upon waking up, she laces up her running shoes and gets her blood pumping with a 20-minute run. She uses that time outside to reflect and plan her day, and the resulting endorphins and morning shower give her energy to launch into her best work. She works diligently on her most important projects first, while she’s feeling sharp and creative. She takes a break in the afternoon by heading to yoga class, which centers and grounds her. By the time she attacks her inbox in the afternoon she already feels accomplished — the emails no longer assault her plans, they support them. Person #2 ends the day feeling calm, happy, confident and empowered.Both of these people are me.
I quit my job at Google two months ago to pursue my passion as an author, speaker and coach, and during my first month of solopreneurship I was Person #1.
I wasn’t running my business, my business was running me. And as 100% of the company, the opportunity costs of operating at half-mast were extremely high.
I knew I had hit a low when I ordered Panda Express and a King-Size Snickers bar on my way home from the airport after a speaking engagement in June. I felt lethargic, unhappy and mad at myself. Where was my discipline and self-respect when I was wanting it most? So I resolved to make a change.
Within three weeks, I became Person #2 — and it didn’t cost a cent. It didn’t have anything to do with sales, marketing, productivity or inbox management. It had to do with me.
I resolved to put my health first.
I started a three-week cleanse where I completely eliminated caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol, wheat, dairy and red meat from my diet. I committed to going for a 20-minute run first thing in the morning, which is just short enough to be manageable — it’s hard to make the excuse that you don’t have time to run 10 minutes out the front door and 10 minutes back. Finally, I bought an unlimited yoga pass and committed to going a minimum of two times a week; it was so rejuvenating that I ended up going closer to 4-5 times per week.
During the first three days, I had complete monkey-mind — craving coffee, sugar and TV like the addict I was — unable to focus because I was thinking about them every five minutes. But on the fourth day and every day thereafter, I started noticing something incredible.
I felt clear-headed. Creative. Confident. Energized. Productive. HAPPY.
I was getting more done in one week than I had completed in one month. I was no longer experiencing crazy mood swings or unproductive days. I started sleeping like a rock. I was in a great mood, glowing and energetic at conferences and razor sharp during my coaching and speaking engagements. I was on a roll and I stayed there.
I used to scoff at the countless magazines that preach healthy eating and exercise — get over yourself! Until I experienced, firsthand, the insanely powerful impact it had on my business’s bottom line (not to mention my actual bottom, which now fits nicely back into my best jeans).
How to grow your business, a big goal, or improve your life by putting your body first:
Start with four-day wins. This is a concept I learned from Martha Beck, who wrote the book The Four Day Win. That book forever changed how I think about diet and exercise — Beck emphasises tackling one thing at a time, for four days at a time. That’s it! Start with something ridiculously easy and build up confidence and momentum over time.Organize your days around healthy eating and exercise. No matter how much you resist this, thinking “But I don’t have time!” try it. If you try this for one week and don’t see business results, then ignore me. But at least give your body the chance to speak for itself.Track your progress and engage friends. I started this health challenge on my own, but quickly realized it would be more fun with friends, so I created a template that we could all track our progress on (feel free to use it too!). At the end of each week, I emailed the group four questions: How do you feel this week? What are you proud of? What challenges did you face? And what do you want to focus on next week?Optimize for your best energy windows. This is generally common knowledge, but as long as you’re putting your body first, make sure you put your best work first too. Start your days with your most creative, important tasks, and everything will seem easy after that. My favorite book on this subject is Eat that Frog, by Brian Tracy.You don’t have to do a crazy cleanse like I did (though I highly recommend Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program if you are interested); see what experiments you can run in your own life that work for YOU.
Now that I’m in maintenance mode I’m adding some coffee back in (can’t skip those deliciously foamy lattes forever!) and one cheat day per week, borrowing from Tim Ferris’ Slow Carb Diet. I’ve lost almost 15 pounds without even trying — a very welcome side effect of eating in a way that facilitates my best work.
Other books that you might find helpful and motivating:
The Paleo Solution by Robb WolfeThe Four-Hour Body by Tim FerrisWheat Belly by William DavisClean by Alejandro JungerThe Accidental Creative by Todd HenryJust as a business has start-up costs, so does making major health and lifestyle changes. The first few days might feel agonizingly difficult, but the rewards on the other side are absolutely worth it.
october 2011 by alexhansford
Grain Free: 15 Tips for Eating Ancestrally
august 2011 by alexhansford
As a food lover who writes about her passion for a living, I often get asked how I manage to stay slim, given the nature of my work. Usually I just smile and shrug and tell them that I’m into running. And that seems to keep them happy. But the thing is I used to struggle with my weight, just like everybody else.
Then late last year, I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and decided to try eating ancestrally. Even after a few weeks I felt I was heading in the right direction. While I didn’t actually lose weight, my body shape started to change. My waistline became more slender – exactly what I was hoping for.
Paleo, primal, slow carb or ancestral eating, whatever you call it, there are many benefits of eating grain-free. From improving your blood chemistry, to losing weight, to increasing your energy levels, to improving your sleep and more. It’s almost been 9 months since I started eating grain-free. I’m finally in a place where I’m happy with my weight and I’m really enjoying what I eat. I’m running about one third of the distance I was last year. No more pounding the pavement to make up for what I ate.
But the best thing has been discovering that it’s much easier to ditch grains than you would think. In most cases there is a vegetable which fills the place of your bread or pasta or rice. And often they taste just as good, if not better than their grain equivalent.
So today I wanted to share a few tips for eating ancestrally. Enjoy!
Have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal.
Eggs are a brilliant source of protein that keeps you feeling full much longer than a bowl of cereal ever will. Still concerned about cholesterol? Have a look at 7 reasons you should eat eggs for breakfast.
Grate raw cauliflower instead of steamed rice.
A recent discovery, I’m just loving my new grain-free accompaniment to curries and stir fries. Just get raw cauliflower and grate it. Instant grain-free ‘rice’. And the brilliant thing it that it’s super quick if you get your food processor to do the hard yards. No more gluggy rice to worry about.
Zucchini your noodles.
For an alternative to spaghetti or other long pasta, roast some finely sliced zucchini (courgettes). And serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Carotti your spaghetti. Shave a carrot or two into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and then simmer until tender. Presto! Orange ‘spaghetti‘.
Make thin omelets instead of pizza bases.
Pizza can be difficult to go without. Try making a thin egg omelet in your non-stick pan and topping with your favorite pizza topping and popping under an overhead grill.
Or try a meatza
Something I’m yet to make myself. Hard core paleo fans replace their pizza bases with a big flat disc of ground beef.
Replace flour with almond meal (or other ground nuts).
This only works for some situations, like using flour or breadcrumbs to coat meat. Or in baked goods.
Use pureed cauliflower instead of polenta.
Pureed cooked cauliflower is a great alternative to soft polenta or corn meal.
Try lettuce wraps instead of bread.
For those who love their sandwiches, try washed lettuce – iceberg works really well – to wrap your favorite fillings. Think sang choi bau with so many possibilities. Just remember that lettuce isn’t as satisfying as bread so you’ll need to make your fillings more substantial.
Serve your burgers without the bun.
Let’s face it. The best part of the burger is the meat and the sauce. Just increase your burger size and serve it without the bun.
Or try a mushroom burger instead.
Just roast or grill two large field or portabello mushrooms until tender. Then use these exactly like you’d use a hamburger bun.
Salads or soups not sandwiches.
If sandwiches are your default ‘healthy’ lunch, just switch to a salad or soup. If you’re used to making your own lunch, it doesn’t take any more time to make a salad. Just keep the dressing in a separate container to add just before you eat.
Use chocolate for sweet treats.
For those with a sweet tooth, I know a life without pastries and cakes can seem a little dull (see point 15). But then there’s chocolate. Start exploring the wonderful world of dark chocolates, preferably with a high (60-70%) cocoa solids content.
Wine not beer.
If you enjoy a drink or two, going grain free doesn’t mean you need to get on the wagon. Wine is not only grain free, it is lower in carbs than beer. It’s also a source of antioxidants. Cheers!
100% compliance isn’t required.
While coeliacs are unable to tolerate even the tiniest amount of gluten, most people will still see the benefits of going grain-free even without 100% compliance. I tend to have one day a week where I’m indulging in sourdough bread and cookies which staves off any cravings the rest of the week. Later is much easier to live with than never.
‘Carotti’ Bolognese Recipe
serves 2+
This is my minimalist version of a beef ragu or bolognese sauce. The secret is in the butter. Feel free to substitute your own favorite pasta sauce.
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
large knob butter
2 medium carrots
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and cook beef and garlic, stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes or until well browned.
Add tomato and simmer for about 15 minutes or until reduced and good saucy.
Meanwhile bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Shave the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
Cook carrots for 3 – 5 minutes or until al dente like cooked pasta.Drain.
Toss butter into the beef sauce and season.
Return the carrot to the saucepan and stir in some beef sauce. Then divide between plates and top with more sauce
Lifestyle
from google
Then late last year, I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and decided to try eating ancestrally. Even after a few weeks I felt I was heading in the right direction. While I didn’t actually lose weight, my body shape started to change. My waistline became more slender – exactly what I was hoping for.
Paleo, primal, slow carb or ancestral eating, whatever you call it, there are many benefits of eating grain-free. From improving your blood chemistry, to losing weight, to increasing your energy levels, to improving your sleep and more. It’s almost been 9 months since I started eating grain-free. I’m finally in a place where I’m happy with my weight and I’m really enjoying what I eat. I’m running about one third of the distance I was last year. No more pounding the pavement to make up for what I ate.
But the best thing has been discovering that it’s much easier to ditch grains than you would think. In most cases there is a vegetable which fills the place of your bread or pasta or rice. And often they taste just as good, if not better than their grain equivalent.
So today I wanted to share a few tips for eating ancestrally. Enjoy!
Have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal.
Eggs are a brilliant source of protein that keeps you feeling full much longer than a bowl of cereal ever will. Still concerned about cholesterol? Have a look at 7 reasons you should eat eggs for breakfast.
Grate raw cauliflower instead of steamed rice.
A recent discovery, I’m just loving my new grain-free accompaniment to curries and stir fries. Just get raw cauliflower and grate it. Instant grain-free ‘rice’. And the brilliant thing it that it’s super quick if you get your food processor to do the hard yards. No more gluggy rice to worry about.
Zucchini your noodles.
For an alternative to spaghetti or other long pasta, roast some finely sliced zucchini (courgettes). And serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Carotti your spaghetti. Shave a carrot or two into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and then simmer until tender. Presto! Orange ‘spaghetti‘.
Make thin omelets instead of pizza bases.
Pizza can be difficult to go without. Try making a thin egg omelet in your non-stick pan and topping with your favorite pizza topping and popping under an overhead grill.
Or try a meatza
Something I’m yet to make myself. Hard core paleo fans replace their pizza bases with a big flat disc of ground beef.
Replace flour with almond meal (or other ground nuts).
This only works for some situations, like using flour or breadcrumbs to coat meat. Or in baked goods.
Use pureed cauliflower instead of polenta.
Pureed cooked cauliflower is a great alternative to soft polenta or corn meal.
Try lettuce wraps instead of bread.
For those who love their sandwiches, try washed lettuce – iceberg works really well – to wrap your favorite fillings. Think sang choi bau with so many possibilities. Just remember that lettuce isn’t as satisfying as bread so you’ll need to make your fillings more substantial.
Serve your burgers without the bun.
Let’s face it. The best part of the burger is the meat and the sauce. Just increase your burger size and serve it without the bun.
Or try a mushroom burger instead.
Just roast or grill two large field or portabello mushrooms until tender. Then use these exactly like you’d use a hamburger bun.
Salads or soups not sandwiches.
If sandwiches are your default ‘healthy’ lunch, just switch to a salad or soup. If you’re used to making your own lunch, it doesn’t take any more time to make a salad. Just keep the dressing in a separate container to add just before you eat.
Use chocolate for sweet treats.
For those with a sweet tooth, I know a life without pastries and cakes can seem a little dull (see point 15). But then there’s chocolate. Start exploring the wonderful world of dark chocolates, preferably with a high (60-70%) cocoa solids content.
Wine not beer.
If you enjoy a drink or two, going grain free doesn’t mean you need to get on the wagon. Wine is not only grain free, it is lower in carbs than beer. It’s also a source of antioxidants. Cheers!
100% compliance isn’t required.
While coeliacs are unable to tolerate even the tiniest amount of gluten, most people will still see the benefits of going grain-free even without 100% compliance. I tend to have one day a week where I’m indulging in sourdough bread and cookies which staves off any cravings the rest of the week. Later is much easier to live with than never.
‘Carotti’ Bolognese Recipe
serves 2+
This is my minimalist version of a beef ragu or bolognese sauce. The secret is in the butter. Feel free to substitute your own favorite pasta sauce.
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
large knob butter
2 medium carrots
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and cook beef and garlic, stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes or until well browned.
Add tomato and simmer for about 15 minutes or until reduced and good saucy.
Meanwhile bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Shave the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
Cook carrots for 3 – 5 minutes or until al dente like cooked pasta.Drain.
Toss butter into the beef sauce and season.
Return the carrot to the saucepan and stir in some beef sauce. Then divide between plates and top with more sauce
august 2011 by alexhansford
Grain Free: 15 Tips for Eating Ancestrally
august 2011 by alexhansford
As a food lover who writes about her passion for a living, I often get asked how I manage to stay slim, given the nature of my work. Usually I just smile and shrug and tell them that I’m into running. And that seems to keep them happy. But the thing is I used to struggle with my weight, just like everybody else.
Then late last year, I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and decided to try eating ancestrally. Even after a few weeks I felt I was heading in the right direction. While I didn’t actually lose weight, my body shape started to change. My waistline became more slender – exactly what I was hoping for.
Paleo, primal, slow carb or ancestral eating, whatever you call it, there are many benefits of eating grain-free. From improving your blood chemistry, to losing weight, to increasing your energy levels, to improving your sleep and more. It’s almost been 9 months since I started eating grain-free. I’m finally in a place where I’m happy with my weight and I’m really enjoying what I eat. I’m running about one third of the distance I was last year. No more pounding the pavement to make up for what I ate.
But the best thing has been discovering that it’s much easier to ditch grains than you would think. In most cases there is a vegetable which fills the place of your bread or pasta or rice. And often they taste just as good, if not better than their grain equivalent.
So today I wanted to share a few tips for eating ancestrally. Enjoy!
Have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal.
Eggs are a brilliant source of protein that keeps you feeling full much longer than a bowl of cereal ever will. Still concerned about cholesterol? Have a look at 7 reasons you should eat eggs for breakfast.
Grate raw cauliflower instead of steamed rice.
A recent discovery, I’m just loving my new grain-free accompaniment to curries and stir fries. Just get raw cauliflower and grate it. Instant grain-free ‘rice’. And the brilliant thing it that it’s super quick if you get your food processor to do the hard yards. No more gluggy rice to worry about.
Zucchini your noodles.
For an alternative to spaghetti or other long pasta, roast some finely sliced zucchini (courgettes). And serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Carotti your spaghetti. Shave a carrot or two into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and then simmer until tender. Presto! Orange ‘spaghetti‘.
Make thin omelets instead of pizza bases.
Pizza can be difficult to go without. Try making a thin egg omelet in your non-stick pan and topping with your favorite pizza topping and popping under an overhead grill.
Or try a meatza
Something I’m yet to make myself. Hard core paleo fans replace their pizza bases with a big flat disc of ground beef.
Replace flour with almond meal (or other ground nuts).
This only works for some situations, like using flour or breadcrumbs to coat meat. Or in baked goods.
Use pureed cauliflower instead of polenta.
Pureed cooked cauliflower is a great alternative to soft polenta or corn meal.
Try lettuce wraps instead of bread.
For those who love their sandwiches, try washed lettuce – iceberg works really well – to wrap your favorite fillings. Think sang choi bau with so many possibilities. Just remember that lettuce isn’t as satisfying as bread so you’ll need to make your fillings more substantial.
Serve your burgers without the bun.
Let’s face it. The best part of the burger is the meat and the sauce. Just increase your burger size and serve it without the bun.
Or try a mushroom burger instead.
Just roast or grill two large field or portabello mushrooms until tender. Then use these exactly like you’d use a hamburger bun.
Salads or soups not sandwiches.
If sandwiches are your default ‘healthy’ lunch, just switch to a salad or soup. If you’re used to making your own lunch, it doesn’t take any more time to make a salad. Just keep the dressing in a separate container to add just before you eat.
Use chocolate for sweet treats.
For those with a sweet tooth, I know a life without pastries and cakes can seem a little dull (see point 15). But then there’s chocolate. Start exploring the wonderful world of dark chocolates, preferably with a high (60-70%) cocoa solids content.
Wine not beer.
If you enjoy a drink or two, going grain free doesn’t mean you need to get on the wagon. Wine is not only grain free, it is lower in carbs than beer. It’s also a source of antioxidants. Cheers!
100% compliance isn’t required.
While coeliacs are unable to tolerate even the tiniest amount of gluten, most people will still see the benefits of going grain-free even without 100% compliance. I tend to have one day a week where I’m indulging in sourdough bread and cookies which staves off any cravings the rest of the week. Later is much easier to live with than never.
‘Carotti’ Bolognese Recipe
serves 2+
This is my minimalist version of a beef ragu or bolognese sauce. The secret is in the butter. Feel free to substitute your own favorite pasta sauce.
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
large knob butter
2 medium carrots
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and cook beef and garlic, stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes or until well browned.
Add tomato and simmer for about 15 minutes or until reduced and good saucy.
Meanwhile bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Shave the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
Cook carrots for 3 – 5 minutes or until al dente like cooked pasta.Drain.
Toss butter into the beef sauce and season.
Return the carrot to the saucepan and stir in some beef sauce. Then divide between plates and top with more sauce
Lifestyle
from google
Then late last year, I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and decided to try eating ancestrally. Even after a few weeks I felt I was heading in the right direction. While I didn’t actually lose weight, my body shape started to change. My waistline became more slender – exactly what I was hoping for.
Paleo, primal, slow carb or ancestral eating, whatever you call it, there are many benefits of eating grain-free. From improving your blood chemistry, to losing weight, to increasing your energy levels, to improving your sleep and more. It’s almost been 9 months since I started eating grain-free. I’m finally in a place where I’m happy with my weight and I’m really enjoying what I eat. I’m running about one third of the distance I was last year. No more pounding the pavement to make up for what I ate.
But the best thing has been discovering that it’s much easier to ditch grains than you would think. In most cases there is a vegetable which fills the place of your bread or pasta or rice. And often they taste just as good, if not better than their grain equivalent.
So today I wanted to share a few tips for eating ancestrally. Enjoy!
Have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal.
Eggs are a brilliant source of protein that keeps you feeling full much longer than a bowl of cereal ever will. Still concerned about cholesterol? Have a look at 7 reasons you should eat eggs for breakfast.
Grate raw cauliflower instead of steamed rice.
A recent discovery, I’m just loving my new grain-free accompaniment to curries and stir fries. Just get raw cauliflower and grate it. Instant grain-free ‘rice’. And the brilliant thing it that it’s super quick if you get your food processor to do the hard yards. No more gluggy rice to worry about.
Zucchini your noodles.
For an alternative to spaghetti or other long pasta, roast some finely sliced zucchini (courgettes). And serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Carotti your spaghetti. Shave a carrot or two into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and then simmer until tender. Presto! Orange ‘spaghetti‘.
Make thin omelets instead of pizza bases.
Pizza can be difficult to go without. Try making a thin egg omelet in your non-stick pan and topping with your favorite pizza topping and popping under an overhead grill.
Or try a meatza
Something I’m yet to make myself. Hard core paleo fans replace their pizza bases with a big flat disc of ground beef.
Replace flour with almond meal (or other ground nuts).
This only works for some situations, like using flour or breadcrumbs to coat meat. Or in baked goods.
Use pureed cauliflower instead of polenta.
Pureed cooked cauliflower is a great alternative to soft polenta or corn meal.
Try lettuce wraps instead of bread.
For those who love their sandwiches, try washed lettuce – iceberg works really well – to wrap your favorite fillings. Think sang choi bau with so many possibilities. Just remember that lettuce isn’t as satisfying as bread so you’ll need to make your fillings more substantial.
Serve your burgers without the bun.
Let’s face it. The best part of the burger is the meat and the sauce. Just increase your burger size and serve it without the bun.
Or try a mushroom burger instead.
Just roast or grill two large field or portabello mushrooms until tender. Then use these exactly like you’d use a hamburger bun.
Salads or soups not sandwiches.
If sandwiches are your default ‘healthy’ lunch, just switch to a salad or soup. If you’re used to making your own lunch, it doesn’t take any more time to make a salad. Just keep the dressing in a separate container to add just before you eat.
Use chocolate for sweet treats.
For those with a sweet tooth, I know a life without pastries and cakes can seem a little dull (see point 15). But then there’s chocolate. Start exploring the wonderful world of dark chocolates, preferably with a high (60-70%) cocoa solids content.
Wine not beer.
If you enjoy a drink or two, going grain free doesn’t mean you need to get on the wagon. Wine is not only grain free, it is lower in carbs than beer. It’s also a source of antioxidants. Cheers!
100% compliance isn’t required.
While coeliacs are unable to tolerate even the tiniest amount of gluten, most people will still see the benefits of going grain-free even without 100% compliance. I tend to have one day a week where I’m indulging in sourdough bread and cookies which staves off any cravings the rest of the week. Later is much easier to live with than never.
‘Carotti’ Bolognese Recipe
serves 2+
This is my minimalist version of a beef ragu or bolognese sauce. The secret is in the butter. Feel free to substitute your own favorite pasta sauce.
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
large knob butter
2 medium carrots
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and cook beef and garlic, stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes or until well browned.
Add tomato and simmer for about 15 minutes or until reduced and good saucy.
Meanwhile bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Shave the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
Cook carrots for 3 – 5 minutes or until al dente like cooked pasta.Drain.
Toss butter into the beef sauce and season.
Return the carrot to the saucepan and stir in some beef sauce. Then divide between plates and top with more sauce
august 2011 by alexhansford
The 100 Best Lifehacks of 2010: The Year in Review
january 2011 by alexhansford
Happy New Year everyone! It’s the first week of 2011 and many of us are getting ready to kick off the brand new year with a big bang. As we start off 2011 with our new resolutions and goals, let us now look back at the best posts at Lifehack in the past year.
In this review post, I have gathered 100 of the best LifeHack articles in 2010. These articles have been selected based on your votes and how much YOU have talked about them in social media (Facebook and Twitter). I have categorized these 100 articles into 11 main categories of Overall Personal Growth, Maximizing Productivity & GTD, Lifestyle & Habits, Inspiration & Motivation, Goal Achievement & Success, Emotional Mastery, People Skills & Relationships, Communications & Writing, Business & Career, Creativity & Inspiration, Family and Miscellaneous.
Do not attempt to read this whole post at once! Instead, bookmark this mega list post and come back time and again to read the articles relevant to you at that point in time. I’ve ranked the posts within each category in order of popularity, with the most popular post being #1. I’ve also included the (1) author name and (2) total number of retweets and Facebook likes/shares beside the article, so you can gauge how well-received the article was among the LifeHack readers.
Let me start off with the top 10 most popular life hack posts out of the 100s of posts published in 2010. Each of them is a gem in itself. Be sure to check each of them out!
Following which, I’ll present the 100 top articles presented in the 11 catetgories. Enjoy! And remember to share this to others via the retweet and Facebook buttons above! :)
Top 10 Most Popular Posts in 2010:
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself (by Celestine Chua, 2176)
Kitchen Hack: One-Minute Bread (by Seth Simonds, 2126)
The Not-Do List: 9 Things You Need To Stop Doing (by Celestine Chua, 940)
Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-Up Men (by Dustin Wax, 924)
7 Things you should stop doing at work (by Seth Simonds, 845)
11 Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination (by Celestine Chua, 823)
63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence (by Steve Errey, 754)
13 Strategies To Jumpstart Your Productivity (by Celestine Chua, 700)
Twitter Hack: 5 Ways To Up Your Visible IQ (by Seth Simonds, 505)
20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management (by Celestine Chua, 497)
Overall Personal Growth
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself (by Celestine Chua, 2176)
Why Being A Perfectionist May Not Be So Perfect (by Celestine Chua, 367)
The Quickest Way to Create a New Mindset (by Craig Harper, 263)
The Law of Attraction is a Dangerous Delusion (by Paul Sloane, 249)
7 Ways to Make Life Changing Decisions (by Hulbert Lee, 236)
5 Steps To Move Out Of Stagnancy In Life (by Celestine Chua, 150)
What Do You Need To Let Go Of? (by Craig Harper, 132)
How To Save Thousands on Personal Development (by Craig Harper, 114)
Can You Transform Without Getting Uncomfortable? (by Craig Harper, 99)
Do Your Beliefs Empower You or Limit You? (by Craig Harper, 97)
9 Ways To Tell If You Are A Self-Help Junkie (And What To Do About It) (by Celestine Chua, 90)
Maximizing Productivity and GTD
The Not-Do List: 9 Things You Need To Stop Doing (by Celestine Chua, 940)
11 Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination (by Celestine Chua, 823)
13 Strategies To Jumpstart Your Productivity (by Celestine Chua, 700)
Twitter Hack: 5 Ways To Up Your Visible IQ (by Seth Simonds, 505)
20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management (by Celestine Chua, 497)
How To Tweet in Just 5 Minutes a Week (by Seth Simonds, 229)
A New Productivity for the Smartphone Era (by Francis Wade, 222)
5 Types of Emails You Should be Automatically Filtering (by Sid Sivara, 170)
12 Useful Ways To Get Out Of Ruts (by Celestine Chua, 164)
Are You Becoming a “Productive” Moron? (by Francis Wade, 163)
Staying Organized: 8 Tips for Daily Sanity (by Debbie Bowie, 160)
Productivity Pr0n: 5 Unusually Useful Notepads (by Dustin Wax, 151)
How I’m Getting a Smartphone, While Avoiding Crazy Habits (by Francis Wade, 144)
7 Ways To Stay Grounded by Staying Organized (by Debbie Bowie, 127)
Fight Bad Cellphone Habits For Better Time Management (by Francis Wade, 124)
Are You a Productive Person? Look at the Number of People Waiting (by Francis Wade, 121)
Lifestyle and Habits
7 Caffeine-Free Ways to Increase Alertness (by Seth Simonds, 369)
6 Steps To Remove TV From Your Life (by Celestine Chua, 357)
5 Tips For Becoming An Early Riser (by Seth Simonds, 290)
Do You Have A Morning Ritual? (by Seth Simonds, 279)
7 Effective Ways To De-Junk Your Life (by Seth Simonds, 254)
6 Proven Ways To Make New Habits Stick(by Celestine Chua, 242)
9 Tips For Better Sleep (by Seth Simonds, 213)
Sleep Hack: A Simple Strategy For Better Rest In Less Time (by Seth Simonds, 187)
Inspiration & Motivation
5 Simple ways to live a life you love (by Seth Simonds, 692)
20 Inspirational Quotes To Brighten Your Day (by Celestine Chua, 573)
7 Ways To Demonstrate True Strength (by Seth Simonds, 407)
8 Life Lessons You Should Learn Today (by Mike Brown, 275)
What Advice Would You Give To Your 18 Year Old Self? (by Seth Simonds, 157)
Goal Achievement & Success
11 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Results (by Celestine Chua, 368)
11 Simple Ways To Avoid Burnout (by Seth Simonds, 348)
Brilliant Thinkers Relish Ambiguity (by Paul Sloane, 340)
Top 10 Resolutions To Set For The New Year (by Celestine Chua, 304)
How To Be In The Right Place At The Right Time More Often (by Seth Simonds, 239)
How To Start and Run a Mastermind Group (by Sid Sivara, 208)
10 Tips to Create a High Performance Environment (by Debbie Bowie, 161)
Change Your Focus For Better Results (by Craig Harper, 155)
How To Walk On Water (by Seth Simonds, 130)
How to Do What You’ve Always Wanted (by Steve Errey, 130)
Education Should be More than Academic Basics (by Craig Harper, 115)
Emotional Mastery
63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence (by Steve Errey, 754)
7 Simple Ways To Be Happier (by Seth Simonds, 509)
7 Quick ways to turn a bad day around (by Seth Simonds, 449)
11 Reasons to be Cheerful (by Paul Sloane, 430)
5 Simple Ways To Spread Positivity (by Seth Simonds, 272)
How Much Stuff Do You Need To Feel Happy? (by Seth Simonds, 254)
5 Ways to Stop Second Guessing Yourself (by Steve Errey, 169)
5 Ways to Brighten A Cloudy Day (by Seth Simonds, 110)
People Skills & Relationships
9 Helpful Tips To Deal With Negative People (by Celestine, 760)
9 Ways To Manage People Who Bother You (by Celestine Chua, 554)
5 Simple Ways To Be A Better Listener (by Seth Simonds, 357)
Top 10 Ways to Lead More Effectively with Humor (by Mike Brown, 236)
5 Steps To Conquer Any Networking Event (by Seth Simonds, 183)
5 Keys To A Better Love Life (by Seth Simonds, 178)
5 Keys to Building Networks Over Time (by Alexandra Levit, 122)
Communications & Writing
11 Paradoxes of Being a Better Public Speaker (by Mike Brown, 326)
9 Expert Tips For Better Writing (by Seth Simonds, 240)
10 Ways Blogging Can Improve Your Life (by Annabel Candy, 232)
9 Ways To Handle Interruptions Like A Pro (by Seth Simonds, 211)
8 Qualities of Powerful Writing (by Dustin Wax, 182)
31 Proven Ways To Get More Comments On Your Blog (by Seth Simonds, 167)
Develop Your Greatest Skill – Language (by Paul Sloane, 106)
How to Tell a Funny Joke (by Hulbert Lee, 96)
Business & Career
7 Things you should stop doing at work (by Seth Simonds, 845)
8 Ways To Bring Your Creative Passions to Work (by Mike Brown, 238)
9 Strategies to Make Selling Your Ideas More Successful (by Mike Brown, 192)
How to Be Successful When You Can’t Plan Ahead (by Mike Brown, 190)
Wise Money – 5 Tips From Billionaire Investor Warren Buffett (by Seth Simonds, 171)
5 Things You Should Know About Personal Finance (by Ibrahim Husain, 137)
8 Ways to Recharge a Tired Old Job (by Mike Brown, 121)
How to Shine in a Job Interview (by Steve Errey, 110)
It’s Time to Manage Your Online Personal Brand (by Dan Schawbel, 107)
Creativity & Inspiration
9 Great Ways to Be Exceptionally Boring (by Paul Sloane, 387)
How to Feel Inspired When You’ve Lost Motivation (by Hulbert Lee, 308)
12 Tips for Being Good Feng Shui (by Debbie Bowie, 256)
Stop Trying To Be Creative (by Seth Simonds, 182)
How to Kill a Radical Idea (by Paul Sloane, 132)
Family
The Secret to Helping Your Child Excel in School and in Life (by Erin Kurt, 183)
11 Way to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Child (by Erin Kurt, 182)
Parenting: 6 Myths You Should Know About (by Erin Kurt, 165)
8 Reasons Why Children Misbehave (With Solutions!) (by Erin Kurt, 158)
How “Fun” Can Be Your Best Discipline Technique(by Erin Kurt, 119)
4 Ways to Spend Time with Your Kids When You Have No Time (by Erin Kurt, 115)
Miscellaneous
Kitchen Hack: One-Minute Bread (by Seth Simonds, 2126)
Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-Up Men (by Dustin Wax, 924)
11 Sinfully Easy Sangria Recipes (by Seth Simonds, 257)
Kitchen Hack: 7-Minute Chocolate Covered Strawberries (by Sarah Joy Albrecht, 112)
4 Tips for Getting Started and Self-Publishing a Book (by Debbie Bowie, 100)
Last but not least, here’s a special thank you to Leon Ho (founder of Lifehack.org) and all the writers at Lifehack who have contributed the articles above and more. LifeHack would not be where it is today without all of you. Thank you so much everyone! :)
Image ©
I'm Celes and I write at The
Personal Excellence Blog on how to achieve our highest potential
and live our best life. Get my free ebook 101
Things To Do Before You Die by joining my free
newsletter (unsubscribe whenever you want). Get my RSS feed and add me on Twitter @celestinechua.
Communication
Featured
Lifehack
Lifestyle
Management
Miscellaneous
Money
Productivity
Resource
2010
achievement
best_of_lifehack
excellence
goals
personal-development
review
from google
In this review post, I have gathered 100 of the best LifeHack articles in 2010. These articles have been selected based on your votes and how much YOU have talked about them in social media (Facebook and Twitter). I have categorized these 100 articles into 11 main categories of Overall Personal Growth, Maximizing Productivity & GTD, Lifestyle & Habits, Inspiration & Motivation, Goal Achievement & Success, Emotional Mastery, People Skills & Relationships, Communications & Writing, Business & Career, Creativity & Inspiration, Family and Miscellaneous.
Do not attempt to read this whole post at once! Instead, bookmark this mega list post and come back time and again to read the articles relevant to you at that point in time. I’ve ranked the posts within each category in order of popularity, with the most popular post being #1. I’ve also included the (1) author name and (2) total number of retweets and Facebook likes/shares beside the article, so you can gauge how well-received the article was among the LifeHack readers.
Let me start off with the top 10 most popular life hack posts out of the 100s of posts published in 2010. Each of them is a gem in itself. Be sure to check each of them out!
Following which, I’ll present the 100 top articles presented in the 11 catetgories. Enjoy! And remember to share this to others via the retweet and Facebook buttons above! :)
Top 10 Most Popular Posts in 2010:
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself (by Celestine Chua, 2176)
Kitchen Hack: One-Minute Bread (by Seth Simonds, 2126)
The Not-Do List: 9 Things You Need To Stop Doing (by Celestine Chua, 940)
Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-Up Men (by Dustin Wax, 924)
7 Things you should stop doing at work (by Seth Simonds, 845)
11 Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination (by Celestine Chua, 823)
63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence (by Steve Errey, 754)
13 Strategies To Jumpstart Your Productivity (by Celestine Chua, 700)
Twitter Hack: 5 Ways To Up Your Visible IQ (by Seth Simonds, 505)
20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management (by Celestine Chua, 497)
Overall Personal Growth
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself (by Celestine Chua, 2176)
Why Being A Perfectionist May Not Be So Perfect (by Celestine Chua, 367)
The Quickest Way to Create a New Mindset (by Craig Harper, 263)
The Law of Attraction is a Dangerous Delusion (by Paul Sloane, 249)
7 Ways to Make Life Changing Decisions (by Hulbert Lee, 236)
5 Steps To Move Out Of Stagnancy In Life (by Celestine Chua, 150)
What Do You Need To Let Go Of? (by Craig Harper, 132)
How To Save Thousands on Personal Development (by Craig Harper, 114)
Can You Transform Without Getting Uncomfortable? (by Craig Harper, 99)
Do Your Beliefs Empower You or Limit You? (by Craig Harper, 97)
9 Ways To Tell If You Are A Self-Help Junkie (And What To Do About It) (by Celestine Chua, 90)
Maximizing Productivity and GTD
The Not-Do List: 9 Things You Need To Stop Doing (by Celestine Chua, 940)
11 Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination (by Celestine Chua, 823)
13 Strategies To Jumpstart Your Productivity (by Celestine Chua, 700)
Twitter Hack: 5 Ways To Up Your Visible IQ (by Seth Simonds, 505)
20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management (by Celestine Chua, 497)
How To Tweet in Just 5 Minutes a Week (by Seth Simonds, 229)
A New Productivity for the Smartphone Era (by Francis Wade, 222)
5 Types of Emails You Should be Automatically Filtering (by Sid Sivara, 170)
12 Useful Ways To Get Out Of Ruts (by Celestine Chua, 164)
Are You Becoming a “Productive” Moron? (by Francis Wade, 163)
Staying Organized: 8 Tips for Daily Sanity (by Debbie Bowie, 160)
Productivity Pr0n: 5 Unusually Useful Notepads (by Dustin Wax, 151)
How I’m Getting a Smartphone, While Avoiding Crazy Habits (by Francis Wade, 144)
7 Ways To Stay Grounded by Staying Organized (by Debbie Bowie, 127)
Fight Bad Cellphone Habits For Better Time Management (by Francis Wade, 124)
Are You a Productive Person? Look at the Number of People Waiting (by Francis Wade, 121)
Lifestyle and Habits
7 Caffeine-Free Ways to Increase Alertness (by Seth Simonds, 369)
6 Steps To Remove TV From Your Life (by Celestine Chua, 357)
5 Tips For Becoming An Early Riser (by Seth Simonds, 290)
Do You Have A Morning Ritual? (by Seth Simonds, 279)
7 Effective Ways To De-Junk Your Life (by Seth Simonds, 254)
6 Proven Ways To Make New Habits Stick(by Celestine Chua, 242)
9 Tips For Better Sleep (by Seth Simonds, 213)
Sleep Hack: A Simple Strategy For Better Rest In Less Time (by Seth Simonds, 187)
Inspiration & Motivation
5 Simple ways to live a life you love (by Seth Simonds, 692)
20 Inspirational Quotes To Brighten Your Day (by Celestine Chua, 573)
7 Ways To Demonstrate True Strength (by Seth Simonds, 407)
8 Life Lessons You Should Learn Today (by Mike Brown, 275)
What Advice Would You Give To Your 18 Year Old Self? (by Seth Simonds, 157)
Goal Achievement & Success
11 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Results (by Celestine Chua, 368)
11 Simple Ways To Avoid Burnout (by Seth Simonds, 348)
Brilliant Thinkers Relish Ambiguity (by Paul Sloane, 340)
Top 10 Resolutions To Set For The New Year (by Celestine Chua, 304)
How To Be In The Right Place At The Right Time More Often (by Seth Simonds, 239)
How To Start and Run a Mastermind Group (by Sid Sivara, 208)
10 Tips to Create a High Performance Environment (by Debbie Bowie, 161)
Change Your Focus For Better Results (by Craig Harper, 155)
How To Walk On Water (by Seth Simonds, 130)
How to Do What You’ve Always Wanted (by Steve Errey, 130)
Education Should be More than Academic Basics (by Craig Harper, 115)
Emotional Mastery
63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence (by Steve Errey, 754)
7 Simple Ways To Be Happier (by Seth Simonds, 509)
7 Quick ways to turn a bad day around (by Seth Simonds, 449)
11 Reasons to be Cheerful (by Paul Sloane, 430)
5 Simple Ways To Spread Positivity (by Seth Simonds, 272)
How Much Stuff Do You Need To Feel Happy? (by Seth Simonds, 254)
5 Ways to Stop Second Guessing Yourself (by Steve Errey, 169)
5 Ways to Brighten A Cloudy Day (by Seth Simonds, 110)
People Skills & Relationships
9 Helpful Tips To Deal With Negative People (by Celestine, 760)
9 Ways To Manage People Who Bother You (by Celestine Chua, 554)
5 Simple Ways To Be A Better Listener (by Seth Simonds, 357)
Top 10 Ways to Lead More Effectively with Humor (by Mike Brown, 236)
5 Steps To Conquer Any Networking Event (by Seth Simonds, 183)
5 Keys To A Better Love Life (by Seth Simonds, 178)
5 Keys to Building Networks Over Time (by Alexandra Levit, 122)
Communications & Writing
11 Paradoxes of Being a Better Public Speaker (by Mike Brown, 326)
9 Expert Tips For Better Writing (by Seth Simonds, 240)
10 Ways Blogging Can Improve Your Life (by Annabel Candy, 232)
9 Ways To Handle Interruptions Like A Pro (by Seth Simonds, 211)
8 Qualities of Powerful Writing (by Dustin Wax, 182)
31 Proven Ways To Get More Comments On Your Blog (by Seth Simonds, 167)
Develop Your Greatest Skill – Language (by Paul Sloane, 106)
How to Tell a Funny Joke (by Hulbert Lee, 96)
Business & Career
7 Things you should stop doing at work (by Seth Simonds, 845)
8 Ways To Bring Your Creative Passions to Work (by Mike Brown, 238)
9 Strategies to Make Selling Your Ideas More Successful (by Mike Brown, 192)
How to Be Successful When You Can’t Plan Ahead (by Mike Brown, 190)
Wise Money – 5 Tips From Billionaire Investor Warren Buffett (by Seth Simonds, 171)
5 Things You Should Know About Personal Finance (by Ibrahim Husain, 137)
8 Ways to Recharge a Tired Old Job (by Mike Brown, 121)
How to Shine in a Job Interview (by Steve Errey, 110)
It’s Time to Manage Your Online Personal Brand (by Dan Schawbel, 107)
Creativity & Inspiration
9 Great Ways to Be Exceptionally Boring (by Paul Sloane, 387)
How to Feel Inspired When You’ve Lost Motivation (by Hulbert Lee, 308)
12 Tips for Being Good Feng Shui (by Debbie Bowie, 256)
Stop Trying To Be Creative (by Seth Simonds, 182)
How to Kill a Radical Idea (by Paul Sloane, 132)
Family
The Secret to Helping Your Child Excel in School and in Life (by Erin Kurt, 183)
11 Way to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Child (by Erin Kurt, 182)
Parenting: 6 Myths You Should Know About (by Erin Kurt, 165)
8 Reasons Why Children Misbehave (With Solutions!) (by Erin Kurt, 158)
How “Fun” Can Be Your Best Discipline Technique(by Erin Kurt, 119)
4 Ways to Spend Time with Your Kids When You Have No Time (by Erin Kurt, 115)
Miscellaneous
Kitchen Hack: One-Minute Bread (by Seth Simonds, 2126)
Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-Up Men (by Dustin Wax, 924)
11 Sinfully Easy Sangria Recipes (by Seth Simonds, 257)
Kitchen Hack: 7-Minute Chocolate Covered Strawberries (by Sarah Joy Albrecht, 112)
4 Tips for Getting Started and Self-Publishing a Book (by Debbie Bowie, 100)
Last but not least, here’s a special thank you to Leon Ho (founder of Lifehack.org) and all the writers at Lifehack who have contributed the articles above and more. LifeHack would not be where it is today without all of you. Thank you so much everyone! :)
Image ©
I'm Celes and I write at The
Personal Excellence Blog on how to achieve our highest potential
and live our best life. Get my free ebook 101
Things To Do Before You Die by joining my free
newsletter (unsubscribe whenever you want). Get my RSS feed and add me on Twitter @celestinechua.
january 2011 by alexhansford
11 Things to avoid in 2011
january 2011 by alexhansford
While millions head to the gym for the next two weeks, there’s cause to consider some things to avoid in the coming year. Here are 11 things you might do well to avoid in the coming year and beyond!
1. Withholding forgiveness
If the person who wronged you really cares about you they’ll have beaten themselves up sufficiently before asking for your forgiveness. Don’t risk the health of your relationship by withholding forgiveness. That’s a vengeance that tastes good on the way down and breaks your heart on the way back up.
2. Using your job as an excuse
Far too often the phrase, “I’m doing this for my family!” is given as an excuse for neglect. If you are actually indispensable your employer will, perhaps begrudgingly, give you the time you need to get your relationship with family and friends back on track. You’ll be glad you did and so will your employer!
3. Eating for all the wrong reasons
Don’t eat because you’re tired, bored, thirsty, or anxious this year! You might consider those four different things to avoid but they all lead to the reason you probably resolved to hit the gym more often this year. Consider the notion of eating with purpose and see where it takes you in 2011.
4. Assuming that you always know the entire story
You don’t. Ask more questions. Listen. Ask more questions. Give yourself an out and don’t back others into corners when you give your final answer.
5. Self-loathing
Most aren’t aware of just how much they beat themselves up over things. Note this: You set an example for others as to how you should be treated and appreciated. Respect and take care of yourself and most will follow your example. This is one of those wildly simple yet agonizingly difficult things to accomplish. Try to get a solid start this year!
6. Blaming anything on gender
For example: I was in an argument recently (imagine that!) and my partner in the argument forcefully uttered the remark, “typical male!” in response to something I said that was admittedly unkind (imagine that!). This created a predicament in which my subsequent apology would be not just for my comment but also for my gender. I can’t change my gender (really, not an option) so I’d be apologizing for being myself. Crazy, right? She doesn’t do that because she’s a woman. She does it because she’s an imperfect human. He doesn’t do that because he’s a man. He does it because he’s an imperfect human. Things are simpler when we approach conflict with as few stereotypes as possible.
Such an approach will change things. I promise you.
7. Needless exhaustion
Try to be better about skipping the late-night TV or web browsing when you have work early in the morning. You’ll be more useful at work, more fun as a friend, and it’ll be easier to hit the gym or whatever your new year’s resolution was!
8. Neglecting your mind
You’ve talked about taking a class, joining a book club, working on more challenging projects, and taking time to read more or even start a blog. You’re officially done waiting. Congratulations!
9. Putting off your dreams
Look at your big dreams and identify what makes them so appealing. Is it the free time, the nice things, the great relationships, or being in the best shape of your life? Identify something you can do this year that will allow you to enjoy some of that dream without all the extras. Save up some cash and splurge on that amazing purchase or take some unpaid time off. Treasure the time you have and don’t wait until you’re loaded to start savoring the world around you.
10. Not asking for help
You’d be stunned if you knew just how many people are ready and willing to help you if only you’d clearly define your need and directly ask for help. Don’t ask for help like the friend who begs people to help him move but has nothing put in boxes when they show up. Ask for help like the friend who has done everything in his power to achieve and needs only that final push from a buddy to reach success. We want to be a part of your success!
11. Taking so many moments for granted
Time is limited my friend. Seize the moment. Try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it. (Eminem) We’ve not been promised another year. Only this moment right before our eyes, between our hands, and in the breaths of those we love.
Here’s to an amazing 2011, friends! Stay blessed!
Image: Today is a good day
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
Featured
Lifestyle
from google
1. Withholding forgiveness
If the person who wronged you really cares about you they’ll have beaten themselves up sufficiently before asking for your forgiveness. Don’t risk the health of your relationship by withholding forgiveness. That’s a vengeance that tastes good on the way down and breaks your heart on the way back up.
2. Using your job as an excuse
Far too often the phrase, “I’m doing this for my family!” is given as an excuse for neglect. If you are actually indispensable your employer will, perhaps begrudgingly, give you the time you need to get your relationship with family and friends back on track. You’ll be glad you did and so will your employer!
3. Eating for all the wrong reasons
Don’t eat because you’re tired, bored, thirsty, or anxious this year! You might consider those four different things to avoid but they all lead to the reason you probably resolved to hit the gym more often this year. Consider the notion of eating with purpose and see where it takes you in 2011.
4. Assuming that you always know the entire story
You don’t. Ask more questions. Listen. Ask more questions. Give yourself an out and don’t back others into corners when you give your final answer.
5. Self-loathing
Most aren’t aware of just how much they beat themselves up over things. Note this: You set an example for others as to how you should be treated and appreciated. Respect and take care of yourself and most will follow your example. This is one of those wildly simple yet agonizingly difficult things to accomplish. Try to get a solid start this year!
6. Blaming anything on gender
For example: I was in an argument recently (imagine that!) and my partner in the argument forcefully uttered the remark, “typical male!” in response to something I said that was admittedly unkind (imagine that!). This created a predicament in which my subsequent apology would be not just for my comment but also for my gender. I can’t change my gender (really, not an option) so I’d be apologizing for being myself. Crazy, right? She doesn’t do that because she’s a woman. She does it because she’s an imperfect human. He doesn’t do that because he’s a man. He does it because he’s an imperfect human. Things are simpler when we approach conflict with as few stereotypes as possible.
Such an approach will change things. I promise you.
7. Needless exhaustion
Try to be better about skipping the late-night TV or web browsing when you have work early in the morning. You’ll be more useful at work, more fun as a friend, and it’ll be easier to hit the gym or whatever your new year’s resolution was!
8. Neglecting your mind
You’ve talked about taking a class, joining a book club, working on more challenging projects, and taking time to read more or even start a blog. You’re officially done waiting. Congratulations!
9. Putting off your dreams
Look at your big dreams and identify what makes them so appealing. Is it the free time, the nice things, the great relationships, or being in the best shape of your life? Identify something you can do this year that will allow you to enjoy some of that dream without all the extras. Save up some cash and splurge on that amazing purchase or take some unpaid time off. Treasure the time you have and don’t wait until you’re loaded to start savoring the world around you.
10. Not asking for help
You’d be stunned if you knew just how many people are ready and willing to help you if only you’d clearly define your need and directly ask for help. Don’t ask for help like the friend who begs people to help him move but has nothing put in boxes when they show up. Ask for help like the friend who has done everything in his power to achieve and needs only that final push from a buddy to reach success. We want to be a part of your success!
11. Taking so many moments for granted
Time is limited my friend. Seize the moment. Try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it. (Eminem) We’ve not been promised another year. Only this moment right before our eyes, between our hands, and in the breaths of those we love.
Here’s to an amazing 2011, friends! Stay blessed!
Image: Today is a good day
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
january 2011 by alexhansford
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