alexhansford + productivity 11
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
Rolling Your Own Online Office
june 2011 by alexhansford
A set of useful links for those thinking of setting up your own distributed company - this time it's productivity tools.
Bookmarks
delicious-export
freelance
howto
productivity
tools
june 2011 by alexhansford
30 Boxes | it's your life
june 2011 by alexhansford
30 Boxes is almost certainly the easiest way to share your calendar and your web stuff online. Organize your schedule, share all or parts of it with friends. Post it to your blog. Track your friends online including their Webshots, Flickr, MySpace, blo...
Bookmarks
delicious-export
productivity
social
tools
web2.0
june 2011 by alexhansford
30 Inherently Useful Tools for Freelancers
february 2011 by alexhansford
Credit: David Mottram, Smashing Magazine
Being a freelancer can sometimes feel like a solo venture into the unknown, an exciting but nevertheless daunting prospect! We all have our particular strengths and individual weaknesses, but few of us would decline a little help with some of the more practical aspects of being a freelancer.
While not every tool on this list will be helpful for every freelancer, its overall aim is to provide you with resources that could help you significantly increase your productivity (do more…), get organized, work more efficiently, plan your to do items better, and maybe even save some money!
Useful Tools
Evernote
Evernote is in the very first spot on this list because it’s awesome and it’s free! Whether it’s an App that will become a trustworthy companion or pleasant acquaintance will primarily depend upon your level of organization, but it’s undoubtedly worth a look! Click here for an in-depth review of Evernote for Mac.
Google Calendar
You may be entirely satisfied with your current calendar and it’s capabilities, you like the way iCal syncs with your iPhone or the simply virtuous pen on paper. Despite this, it’s worth having a look at whether Google Calendar could enhance the way you work! It’s a great tool that allows you to share your schedule, access your calendar on the go, and get customizable reminders to help you stay on schedule. You can even choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone, for free!
LessAccounting
“Bookkeeping sucks. We make it suck less.” Is the simple but striking tagline for LessAccounting that sums up a feeling many of us get when thinking about even the most basic accounting tasks. With the ability to import data directly from your bank, and a experience designed to be stress and jargon free, it’s well worth considering – you might even begin to enjoy it!
Square
An iPhone and iPad App that heralds the future of monetary transactions! Square is a revolutionary service that enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere. Depending on your line of work Square could be invaluable, allowing you to accept payment instantly and speeding up your cash-flow! It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is no extra equipment, merchant accounts, complicated contracts, or monthly fees required.
Sample Design Contract
Alongside some of the more interesting entries here I’ll also endeavour to shed light on some useful tools that won’t change your life but will make it easier. Here is a good example of a sample design contract from Mayhem Studios that includes some useful small print!
SlimTimer
SlimTimer is a useful tool for tracking how much time you’ve spent working on a task and even includes the ability to export the reports to coworkers and clients. Did I mention it’s free?
Outright
Outright is a simple piece of web-based accounting software that aims to help you ‘free yourself from accounting’. It has a couple of really great features, including the ability to pull in spending from your bank and credit cards, as well as grab online sales from PayPal.
Creating a Web Design Contract
This blog article by Anders Haig on how to create a web design contract is a great tool for anyone starting out in the web design business and gives a good overview of what needs to be included. It even goes as far as including a sample contract, although it is a little more basic than the sample from Mayhem Studios.
Dropbox
Dropbox is an effortlessly brilliant piece of software that syncs your files online, as well as across your computers and handheld devices. You simply put your files into your Dropbox folder on one computer, and they’ll automatically appear on any of your other computers or devices that also have Dropbox installed! Its basic version is free – get it now!
Google Docs
For some of us a fully functioning Office-like suite of programs for word processing, et al., just simply isn’t necessary and would be a waste of resources! Meet Google Docs. It’s a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application that allows users to create and edit documents online. It goes above and beyond the standard word processor, allowing collaborating in real-time with other users!
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer
An eBook on being a successful freelancer, covering everything from getting started to expanding your business. An invaluable tool if you’re just starting out and full of engaging insight for those of you already making good headway!
PayPal
It might sound ridiculous to those of you who’ve been in the freelancing world for years but PayPal is an incredibly useful tool for receiving and sending money. If you regularly receive payments via PayPal, then it may have become a little mundane and unremarkable, but it’s worth remembering how powerful it is for a freelancer to be able to quickly and easily receive payments from anywhere in the world!
Things
Things is an excellent task manager that is, for now, only available for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Despite its platform limitations it’s well worth a mention, as the people at Cultured Code clearly understand the power of simplicity! Its sleek interface and beautiful cross platform synchronization allows you to focus on actually getting things done!
MakeSomeTime
MakeSomeTime is a Web App for simple online time tracking and invoicing. Its interface is sleek and it’s packed with functionality for a free App! Perfect for those of us who need an easy and cheap solution for time tracking and invoicing!
FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator
An abundantly useful tool, the FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator is designed to give you a guide based on your costs, number of billable hours and desired profit. As a simple tool for you to play around with it’s fascinating, and put to proper use it can really help you evaluate your finances!
Making a Living Without a Job
A fascinating an effortlessly readable book, now available in electronic form, by Barbara Winters on creating work that you love. Great for those starting out on a journey into freelancing and working for yourself, but also an excellent tool for anyone who feels they have lost their drive or just simply don’t enjoy what they’re doing anymore!
Mint
Managing your money is a vital part of being a successful freelancer and Mint is another tool that is designed to help you do just that! Mint brings all your financial accounts together online, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets, and helps you achieve your savings goals – and all for free!
Pulse
If your foray into freelancing has begun to grow and find success, then it’s definitely worth considering whether a paid money management App would be beneficial. Pulse is one such App and describes itself as the easy way to manage your cash flow online! Its wealth of features and functions empower you to make the best decisions for your business.
Moo
MOO is a great place to start when thinking about getting yourself some business cards! It has lots of ideas and inspiration for designs as well as some beautiful templates. It’s well worth a look even if you decide to go elsewhere for printing. MOO also boasts a new approach to business card printing called ‘Printfinity’, a unique printing technology that allows you to print a different image on every card in a pack!
UNPRINTED
For many types of freelancer it’s vital to have access to, or be able to refer people to, your portfolio. If you’re one of the lucky ones, or happen to find an iPad lying around in the street, then UNPRINTED could be the perfect way to dazzle prospective clients! UNPRINTED gives you an easy-to-update, stylish solution for presenting your best work anytime, anywhere.
Blinksale
We are gradually working through many of the potential solutions for managing your money, which is a vital part of being self employed. The perfect solution will vary from freelancer to freelancer, however, Blinksale is a strong contender in the arena of paid for invoicing solutions! In addition to the features you’d expect, it allows you to import clients from Basecamp and even automate billing!
Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk is a delightfully simple way to manage your tasks and events that allows you to get email, SMS, and IM reminders. It’s free and available for almost any platform/device you can name!
XE
For working with an overseas client you may need to handle foreign currencies. XE’s currency converter is a useful tool for accurate currency calculations that features up-to-the-minute currency rates.
Basecamp
Basecamp boldly declares that it’s the top choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups inside big organizations when it comes to project management. It’s focus on simplicity, clarity, and ease of use is excellent, while the depth of functionality is invaluable if you need to collaborate with others on projects!
Instacalc
Even if times you need to do inherently complicated math are few few and far between, I would still recommend bookmarking Instacalc. It’s beautifully intuitive and the perfect solution to any math jam you may find yourself in!
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the more popular online accounting Apps and benefits from having a good free account and an excellent companion App for the iPhone. It aims to help you break free with fast, simple services that help you manage your business.
Campfire
Campfire is made by the team that developed Basecamp and could become an indispensable tool if you are someone who regularly needs to collaborate with others. Fundamentally, Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups – it allows you to share text, files, and code in real time. You can also use transcripts so you don’t forget!
faxZero
Do you have a fax machine? I thou[…]
Freelancing_Essentials
Productivity
tools
from google
Being a freelancer can sometimes feel like a solo venture into the unknown, an exciting but nevertheless daunting prospect! We all have our particular strengths and individual weaknesses, but few of us would decline a little help with some of the more practical aspects of being a freelancer.
While not every tool on this list will be helpful for every freelancer, its overall aim is to provide you with resources that could help you significantly increase your productivity (do more…), get organized, work more efficiently, plan your to do items better, and maybe even save some money!
Useful Tools
Evernote
Evernote is in the very first spot on this list because it’s awesome and it’s free! Whether it’s an App that will become a trustworthy companion or pleasant acquaintance will primarily depend upon your level of organization, but it’s undoubtedly worth a look! Click here for an in-depth review of Evernote for Mac.
Google Calendar
You may be entirely satisfied with your current calendar and it’s capabilities, you like the way iCal syncs with your iPhone or the simply virtuous pen on paper. Despite this, it’s worth having a look at whether Google Calendar could enhance the way you work! It’s a great tool that allows you to share your schedule, access your calendar on the go, and get customizable reminders to help you stay on schedule. You can even choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone, for free!
LessAccounting
“Bookkeeping sucks. We make it suck less.” Is the simple but striking tagline for LessAccounting that sums up a feeling many of us get when thinking about even the most basic accounting tasks. With the ability to import data directly from your bank, and a experience designed to be stress and jargon free, it’s well worth considering – you might even begin to enjoy it!
Square
An iPhone and iPad App that heralds the future of monetary transactions! Square is a revolutionary service that enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere. Depending on your line of work Square could be invaluable, allowing you to accept payment instantly and speeding up your cash-flow! It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is no extra equipment, merchant accounts, complicated contracts, or monthly fees required.
Sample Design Contract
Alongside some of the more interesting entries here I’ll also endeavour to shed light on some useful tools that won’t change your life but will make it easier. Here is a good example of a sample design contract from Mayhem Studios that includes some useful small print!
SlimTimer
SlimTimer is a useful tool for tracking how much time you’ve spent working on a task and even includes the ability to export the reports to coworkers and clients. Did I mention it’s free?
Outright
Outright is a simple piece of web-based accounting software that aims to help you ‘free yourself from accounting’. It has a couple of really great features, including the ability to pull in spending from your bank and credit cards, as well as grab online sales from PayPal.
Creating a Web Design Contract
This blog article by Anders Haig on how to create a web design contract is a great tool for anyone starting out in the web design business and gives a good overview of what needs to be included. It even goes as far as including a sample contract, although it is a little more basic than the sample from Mayhem Studios.
Dropbox
Dropbox is an effortlessly brilliant piece of software that syncs your files online, as well as across your computers and handheld devices. You simply put your files into your Dropbox folder on one computer, and they’ll automatically appear on any of your other computers or devices that also have Dropbox installed! Its basic version is free – get it now!
Google Docs
For some of us a fully functioning Office-like suite of programs for word processing, et al., just simply isn’t necessary and would be a waste of resources! Meet Google Docs. It’s a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application that allows users to create and edit documents online. It goes above and beyond the standard word processor, allowing collaborating in real-time with other users!
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer
An eBook on being a successful freelancer, covering everything from getting started to expanding your business. An invaluable tool if you’re just starting out and full of engaging insight for those of you already making good headway!
PayPal
It might sound ridiculous to those of you who’ve been in the freelancing world for years but PayPal is an incredibly useful tool for receiving and sending money. If you regularly receive payments via PayPal, then it may have become a little mundane and unremarkable, but it’s worth remembering how powerful it is for a freelancer to be able to quickly and easily receive payments from anywhere in the world!
Things
Things is an excellent task manager that is, for now, only available for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Despite its platform limitations it’s well worth a mention, as the people at Cultured Code clearly understand the power of simplicity! Its sleek interface and beautiful cross platform synchronization allows you to focus on actually getting things done!
MakeSomeTime
MakeSomeTime is a Web App for simple online time tracking and invoicing. Its interface is sleek and it’s packed with functionality for a free App! Perfect for those of us who need an easy and cheap solution for time tracking and invoicing!
FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator
An abundantly useful tool, the FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator is designed to give you a guide based on your costs, number of billable hours and desired profit. As a simple tool for you to play around with it’s fascinating, and put to proper use it can really help you evaluate your finances!
Making a Living Without a Job
A fascinating an effortlessly readable book, now available in electronic form, by Barbara Winters on creating work that you love. Great for those starting out on a journey into freelancing and working for yourself, but also an excellent tool for anyone who feels they have lost their drive or just simply don’t enjoy what they’re doing anymore!
Mint
Managing your money is a vital part of being a successful freelancer and Mint is another tool that is designed to help you do just that! Mint brings all your financial accounts together online, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets, and helps you achieve your savings goals – and all for free!
Pulse
If your foray into freelancing has begun to grow and find success, then it’s definitely worth considering whether a paid money management App would be beneficial. Pulse is one such App and describes itself as the easy way to manage your cash flow online! Its wealth of features and functions empower you to make the best decisions for your business.
Moo
MOO is a great place to start when thinking about getting yourself some business cards! It has lots of ideas and inspiration for designs as well as some beautiful templates. It’s well worth a look even if you decide to go elsewhere for printing. MOO also boasts a new approach to business card printing called ‘Printfinity’, a unique printing technology that allows you to print a different image on every card in a pack!
UNPRINTED
For many types of freelancer it’s vital to have access to, or be able to refer people to, your portfolio. If you’re one of the lucky ones, or happen to find an iPad lying around in the street, then UNPRINTED could be the perfect way to dazzle prospective clients! UNPRINTED gives you an easy-to-update, stylish solution for presenting your best work anytime, anywhere.
Blinksale
We are gradually working through many of the potential solutions for managing your money, which is a vital part of being self employed. The perfect solution will vary from freelancer to freelancer, however, Blinksale is a strong contender in the arena of paid for invoicing solutions! In addition to the features you’d expect, it allows you to import clients from Basecamp and even automate billing!
Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk is a delightfully simple way to manage your tasks and events that allows you to get email, SMS, and IM reminders. It’s free and available for almost any platform/device you can name!
XE
For working with an overseas client you may need to handle foreign currencies. XE’s currency converter is a useful tool for accurate currency calculations that features up-to-the-minute currency rates.
Basecamp
Basecamp boldly declares that it’s the top choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups inside big organizations when it comes to project management. It’s focus on simplicity, clarity, and ease of use is excellent, while the depth of functionality is invaluable if you need to collaborate with others on projects!
Instacalc
Even if times you need to do inherently complicated math are few few and far between, I would still recommend bookmarking Instacalc. It’s beautifully intuitive and the perfect solution to any math jam you may find yourself in!
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the more popular online accounting Apps and benefits from having a good free account and an excellent companion App for the iPhone. It aims to help you break free with fast, simple services that help you manage your business.
Campfire
Campfire is made by the team that developed Basecamp and could become an indispensable tool if you are someone who regularly needs to collaborate with others. Fundamentally, Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups – it allows you to share text, files, and code in real time. You can also use transcripts so you don’t forget!
faxZero
Do you have a fax machine? I thou[…]
february 2011 by alexhansford
30 Inherently Useful Tools for Freelancers
february 2011 by alexhansford
Credit: David Mottram, Smashing Magazine
Being a freelancer can sometimes feel like a solo venture into the unknown, an exciting but nevertheless daunting prospect! We all have our particular strengths and individual weaknesses, but few of us would decline a little help with some of the more practical aspects of being a freelancer.
While not every tool on this list will be helpful for every freelancer, its overall aim is to provide you with resources that could help you significantly increase your productivity (do more…), get organized, work more efficiently, plan your to do items better, and maybe even save some money!
Useful Tools
Evernote
Evernote is in the very first spot on this list because it’s awesome and it’s free! Whether it’s an App that will become a trustworthy companion or pleasant acquaintance will primarily depend upon your level of organization, but it’s undoubtedly worth a look! Click here for an in-depth review of Evernote for Mac.
Google Calendar
You may be entirely satisfied with your current calendar and it’s capabilities, you like the way iCal syncs with your iPhone or the simply virtuous pen on paper. Despite this, it’s worth having a look at whether Google Calendar could enhance the way you work! It’s a great tool that allows you to share your schedule, access your calendar on the go, and get customizable reminders to help you stay on schedule. You can even choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone, for free!
LessAccounting
“Bookkeeping sucks. We make it suck less.” Is the simple but striking tagline for LessAccounting that sums up a feeling many of us get when thinking about even the most basic accounting tasks. With the ability to import data directly from your bank, and a experience designed to be stress and jargon free, it’s well worth considering – you might even begin to enjoy it!
Square
An iPhone and iPad App that heralds the future of monetary transactions! Square is a revolutionary service that enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere. Depending on your line of work Square could be invaluable, allowing you to accept payment instantly and speeding up your cash-flow! It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is no extra equipment, merchant accounts, complicated contracts, or monthly fees required.
Sample Design Contract
Alongside some of the more interesting entries here I’ll also endeavour to shed light on some useful tools that won’t change your life but will make it easier. Here is a good example of a sample design contract from Mayhem Studios that includes some useful small print!
SlimTimer
SlimTimer is a useful tool for tracking how much time you’ve spent working on a task and even includes the ability to export the reports to coworkers and clients. Did I mention it’s free?
Outright
Outright is a simple piece of web-based accounting software that aims to help you ‘free yourself from accounting’. It has a couple of really great features, including the ability to pull in spending from your bank and credit cards, as well as grab online sales from PayPal.
Creating a Web Design Contract
This blog article by Anders Haig on how to create a web design contract is a great tool for anyone starting out in the web design business and gives a good overview of what needs to be included. It even goes as far as including a sample contract, although it is a little more basic than the sample from Mayhem Studios.
Dropbox
Dropbox is an effortlessly brilliant piece of software that syncs your files online, as well as across your computers and handheld devices. You simply put your files into your Dropbox folder on one computer, and they’ll automatically appear on any of your other computers or devices that also have Dropbox installed! Its basic version is free – get it now!
Google Docs
For some of us a fully functioning Office-like suite of programs for word processing, et al., just simply isn’t necessary and would be a waste of resources! Meet Google Docs. It’s a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application that allows users to create and edit documents online. It goes above and beyond the standard word processor, allowing collaborating in real-time with other users!
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer
An eBook on being a successful freelancer, covering everything from getting started to expanding your business. An invaluable tool if you’re just starting out and full of engaging insight for those of you already making good headway!
PayPal
It might sound ridiculous to those of you who’ve been in the freelancing world for years but PayPal is an incredibly useful tool for receiving and sending money. If you regularly receive payments via PayPal, then it may have become a little mundane and unremarkable, but it’s worth remembering how powerful it is for a freelancer to be able to quickly and easily receive payments from anywhere in the world!
Things
Things is an excellent task manager that is, for now, only available for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Despite its platform limitations it’s well worth a mention, as the people at Cultured Code clearly understand the power of simplicity! Its sleek interface and beautiful cross platform synchronization allows you to focus on actually getting things done!
MakeSomeTime
MakeSomeTime is a Web App for simple online time tracking and invoicing. Its interface is sleek and it’s packed with functionality for a free App! Perfect for those of us who need an easy and cheap solution for time tracking and invoicing!
FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator
An abundantly useful tool, the FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator is designed to give you a guide based on your costs, number of billable hours and desired profit. As a simple tool for you to play around with it’s fascinating, and put to proper use it can really help you evaluate your finances!
Making a Living Without a Job
A fascinating an effortlessly readable book, now available in electronic form, by Barbara Winters on creating work that you love. Great for those starting out on a journey into freelancing and working for yourself, but also an excellent tool for anyone who feels they have lost their drive or just simply don’t enjoy what they’re doing anymore!
Mint
Managing your money is a vital part of being a successful freelancer and Mint is another tool that is designed to help you do just that! Mint brings all your financial accounts together online, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets, and helps you achieve your savings goals – and all for free!
Pulse
If your foray into freelancing has begun to grow and find success, then it’s definitely worth considering whether a paid money management App would be beneficial. Pulse is one such App and describes itself as the easy way to manage your cash flow online! Its wealth of features and functions empower you to make the best decisions for your business.
Moo
MOO is a great place to start when thinking about getting yourself some business cards! It has lots of ideas and inspiration for designs as well as some beautiful templates. It’s well worth a look even if you decide to go elsewhere for printing. MOO also boasts a new approach to business card printing called ‘Printfinity’, a unique printing technology that allows you to print a different image on every card in a pack!
UNPRINTED
For many types of freelancer it’s vital to have access to, or be able to refer people to, your portfolio. If you’re one of the lucky ones, or happen to find an iPad lying around in the street, then UNPRINTED could be the perfect way to dazzle prospective clients! UNPRINTED gives you an easy-to-update, stylish solution for presenting your best work anytime, anywhere.
Blinksale
We are gradually working through many of the potential solutions for managing your money, which is a vital part of being self employed. The perfect solution will vary from freelancer to freelancer, however, Blinksale is a strong contender in the arena of paid for invoicing solutions! In addition to the features you’d expect, it allows you to import clients from Basecamp and even automate billing!
Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk is a delightfully simple way to manage your tasks and events that allows you to get email, SMS, and IM reminders. It’s free and available for almost any platform/device you can name!
XE
For working with an overseas client you may need to handle foreign currencies. XE’s currency converter is a useful tool for accurate currency calculations that features up-to-the-minute currency rates.
Basecamp
Basecamp boldly declares that it’s the top choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups inside big organizations when it comes to project management. It’s focus on simplicity, clarity, and ease of use is excellent, while the depth of functionality is invaluable if you need to collaborate with others on projects!
Instacalc
Even if times you need to do inherently complicated math are few few and far between, I would still recommend bookmarking Instacalc. It’s beautifully intuitive and the perfect solution to any math jam you may find yourself in!
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the more popular online accounting Apps and benefits from having a good free account and an excellent companion App for the iPhone. It aims to help you break free with fast, simple services that help you manage your business.
Campfire
Campfire is made by the team that developed Basecamp and could become an indispensable tool if you are someone who regularly needs to collaborate with others. Fundamentally, Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups – it allows you to share text, files, and code in real time. You can also use transcripts so you don’t forget!
faxZero
Do you have a fax machine? I thou[…]
Freelancing_Essentials
Productivity
tools
from google
Being a freelancer can sometimes feel like a solo venture into the unknown, an exciting but nevertheless daunting prospect! We all have our particular strengths and individual weaknesses, but few of us would decline a little help with some of the more practical aspects of being a freelancer.
While not every tool on this list will be helpful for every freelancer, its overall aim is to provide you with resources that could help you significantly increase your productivity (do more…), get organized, work more efficiently, plan your to do items better, and maybe even save some money!
Useful Tools
Evernote
Evernote is in the very first spot on this list because it’s awesome and it’s free! Whether it’s an App that will become a trustworthy companion or pleasant acquaintance will primarily depend upon your level of organization, but it’s undoubtedly worth a look! Click here for an in-depth review of Evernote for Mac.
Google Calendar
You may be entirely satisfied with your current calendar and it’s capabilities, you like the way iCal syncs with your iPhone or the simply virtuous pen on paper. Despite this, it’s worth having a look at whether Google Calendar could enhance the way you work! It’s a great tool that allows you to share your schedule, access your calendar on the go, and get customizable reminders to help you stay on schedule. You can even choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone, for free!
LessAccounting
“Bookkeeping sucks. We make it suck less.” Is the simple but striking tagline for LessAccounting that sums up a feeling many of us get when thinking about even the most basic accounting tasks. With the ability to import data directly from your bank, and a experience designed to be stress and jargon free, it’s well worth considering – you might even begin to enjoy it!
Square
An iPhone and iPad App that heralds the future of monetary transactions! Square is a revolutionary service that enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere. Depending on your line of work Square could be invaluable, allowing you to accept payment instantly and speeding up your cash-flow! It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is no extra equipment, merchant accounts, complicated contracts, or monthly fees required.
Sample Design Contract
Alongside some of the more interesting entries here I’ll also endeavour to shed light on some useful tools that won’t change your life but will make it easier. Here is a good example of a sample design contract from Mayhem Studios that includes some useful small print!
SlimTimer
SlimTimer is a useful tool for tracking how much time you’ve spent working on a task and even includes the ability to export the reports to coworkers and clients. Did I mention it’s free?
Outright
Outright is a simple piece of web-based accounting software that aims to help you ‘free yourself from accounting’. It has a couple of really great features, including the ability to pull in spending from your bank and credit cards, as well as grab online sales from PayPal.
Creating a Web Design Contract
This blog article by Anders Haig on how to create a web design contract is a great tool for anyone starting out in the web design business and gives a good overview of what needs to be included. It even goes as far as including a sample contract, although it is a little more basic than the sample from Mayhem Studios.
Dropbox
Dropbox is an effortlessly brilliant piece of software that syncs your files online, as well as across your computers and handheld devices. You simply put your files into your Dropbox folder on one computer, and they’ll automatically appear on any of your other computers or devices that also have Dropbox installed! Its basic version is free – get it now!
Google Docs
For some of us a fully functioning Office-like suite of programs for word processing, et al., just simply isn’t necessary and would be a waste of resources! Meet Google Docs. It’s a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application that allows users to create and edit documents online. It goes above and beyond the standard word processor, allowing collaborating in real-time with other users!
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer
An eBook on being a successful freelancer, covering everything from getting started to expanding your business. An invaluable tool if you’re just starting out and full of engaging insight for those of you already making good headway!
PayPal
It might sound ridiculous to those of you who’ve been in the freelancing world for years but PayPal is an incredibly useful tool for receiving and sending money. If you regularly receive payments via PayPal, then it may have become a little mundane and unremarkable, but it’s worth remembering how powerful it is for a freelancer to be able to quickly and easily receive payments from anywhere in the world!
Things
Things is an excellent task manager that is, for now, only available for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Despite its platform limitations it’s well worth a mention, as the people at Cultured Code clearly understand the power of simplicity! Its sleek interface and beautiful cross platform synchronization allows you to focus on actually getting things done!
MakeSomeTime
MakeSomeTime is a Web App for simple online time tracking and invoicing. Its interface is sleek and it’s packed with functionality for a free App! Perfect for those of us who need an easy and cheap solution for time tracking and invoicing!
FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator
An abundantly useful tool, the FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator is designed to give you a guide based on your costs, number of billable hours and desired profit. As a simple tool for you to play around with it’s fascinating, and put to proper use it can really help you evaluate your finances!
Making a Living Without a Job
A fascinating an effortlessly readable book, now available in electronic form, by Barbara Winters on creating work that you love. Great for those starting out on a journey into freelancing and working for yourself, but also an excellent tool for anyone who feels they have lost their drive or just simply don’t enjoy what they’re doing anymore!
Mint
Managing your money is a vital part of being a successful freelancer and Mint is another tool that is designed to help you do just that! Mint brings all your financial accounts together online, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets, and helps you achieve your savings goals – and all for free!
Pulse
If your foray into freelancing has begun to grow and find success, then it’s definitely worth considering whether a paid money management App would be beneficial. Pulse is one such App and describes itself as the easy way to manage your cash flow online! Its wealth of features and functions empower you to make the best decisions for your business.
Moo
MOO is a great place to start when thinking about getting yourself some business cards! It has lots of ideas and inspiration for designs as well as some beautiful templates. It’s well worth a look even if you decide to go elsewhere for printing. MOO also boasts a new approach to business card printing called ‘Printfinity’, a unique printing technology that allows you to print a different image on every card in a pack!
UNPRINTED
For many types of freelancer it’s vital to have access to, or be able to refer people to, your portfolio. If you’re one of the lucky ones, or happen to find an iPad lying around in the street, then UNPRINTED could be the perfect way to dazzle prospective clients! UNPRINTED gives you an easy-to-update, stylish solution for presenting your best work anytime, anywhere.
Blinksale
We are gradually working through many of the potential solutions for managing your money, which is a vital part of being self employed. The perfect solution will vary from freelancer to freelancer, however, Blinksale is a strong contender in the arena of paid for invoicing solutions! In addition to the features you’d expect, it allows you to import clients from Basecamp and even automate billing!
Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk is a delightfully simple way to manage your tasks and events that allows you to get email, SMS, and IM reminders. It’s free and available for almost any platform/device you can name!
XE
For working with an overseas client you may need to handle foreign currencies. XE’s currency converter is a useful tool for accurate currency calculations that features up-to-the-minute currency rates.
Basecamp
Basecamp boldly declares that it’s the top choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups inside big organizations when it comes to project management. It’s focus on simplicity, clarity, and ease of use is excellent, while the depth of functionality is invaluable if you need to collaborate with others on projects!
Instacalc
Even if times you need to do inherently complicated math are few few and far between, I would still recommend bookmarking Instacalc. It’s beautifully intuitive and the perfect solution to any math jam you may find yourself in!
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the more popular online accounting Apps and benefits from having a good free account and an excellent companion App for the iPhone. It aims to help you break free with fast, simple services that help you manage your business.
Campfire
Campfire is made by the team that developed Basecamp and could become an indispensable tool if you are someone who regularly needs to collaborate with others. Fundamentally, Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups – it allows you to share text, files, and code in real time. You can also use transcripts so you don’t forget!
faxZero
Do you have a fax machine? I thou[…]
february 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! :)
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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
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