Today I will be taking your automotive questions. If you have a question about a car, car repair, DIYs on your car, Volkswagen, mechanic's tools, or anything car related, ask it up. If you have a car question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)Humblemechanic(DOT)com. Be sure to put the phrase “Question for Charles” in...
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Happy Father's Day It's that time of year again. Time to find that perfect gift for dad. As a new(ish) father myself, It's fun to shop for all the cool things I would want my daughter to get for me. She is only a year and a half old, so she needs some help. But...
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You're reading Why You Don't Need To Travel Far To Turn Your Life Around, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes
Almost every person you know (perhaps including yourself) wants to travel the world. And it's not just because you see your friends' sunny photos by the beach on Instagram. Traveling has plenty of benefits: from seeing your dream city, experiencing different cultures, to leaving everything behind and starting over.
For a lot of people, their travels have changed their lives forever. They found new jobs, a new home, new friends, and a new reason to exist.
Whether you want to fly off to Paris or to simply visit another state, the idea of a getaway is enough to make you restless. But here's the catch: you're broke. If you're like most millennials, you love life but hate the fact that it's challenging to follow your dreams due to lack of funding.
So what do you do when you have bills to pay but you want to see how traveling can change your life? Do you quit your job and go? Or do you suffer in silence for a couple of years until you get a light bulb moment?
This may already be obvious to you: but you don't need to travel the world to turn your life around.
A coworker of mine is a cyclist. Every weekend, he goes on his bike and pedals on together with his other cyclist friends.
Not only is this great exercise, he claims it helped clear his mind of worries AND he was able to visit remote locations. His Facebook page is proof of that. He has pictures of long, narrow roads surrounded by greenery, steep mountains that look golden under the sunset, and grassy trails dotted with wildflowers.
Sure – it's not international travel. But he still went on a journey.
For my friend, cycling was his way of exploring, while de-stressing after a long week of hard work. It's economical, great for the body, and has helped him quit his addiction to video games. He says that since he started this new hobby, he has never gone back and feels a renewed sense of vigor now.
Never underestimate the power of small things. Like the tiny bits of coral washed ashore, they collect to form the beautiful sandy beach. It doesn't matter where you go: be it to another island, a neighboring state, or back to your parents' house. What matters is what you did – and felt - during your short expedition.
If you want to spice up a relationship, going on a date (particularly somewhere romantic) is often recommended. That's why honeymoon trips are usually held in Paris, Maldives, Prague, Sydney, or Venice. These destinations are beautiful, boast of countless activities, and have that air of romance.
So why not do the same if you want to spice up your life? That's right: date yourself.
Psychiatrist Abigail Brenner, M.D. suggests being alone to help you make better decisions and choices. Being in solitude gives you the free space to be yourself. To become who you truly are without outside influences.
Back when I needed to think about whether or not to quit my job, I would retreat to the woods near my mother's home. It was just a few minutes away, and I knew the path very well. I would go out in late afternoon, just when people would go inside their homes for dinner.
It was during these solitary walks when I would silently weigh the pros and cons of my choices. In my head, I would go over my plans. I imagine myself working, finding joy in the small things. But sometimes, I would picture my situation differently. I was a digital nomad working everywhere with my trusty laptop. These daydreams may seem silly, but they helped me choose a good path to follow.
Back then, my impulsive self would have just quit. But reality is a good wakeup call. Had I not taken the courage to be alone, I would have followed my impulses like before and perhaps regretted my decision. Thanks to these solitary walks, I have gained new insight to what I want to achieve in my life.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” ― Marcel Proust
So what can you do when you're itching to get away but have little time or patience to do get started?
Begin small. In fact, start so small that your first trip is just within your city (or state). You'd be surprised to find that the place you've become so familiar with still has one or two surprises just waiting to be discovered.
Take freelance writer, Ginny Graves, for example. In one post, she recalled being so caught up in her worries that she didn't notice the cute, black, potbellied pig in her neighborhood until one rainy day, when she saw it frolicking in the rain. Often, little slivers of joy pass our eyes but we fail to notice them because we're too focused elsewhere.
Wanting what we don't have is normal. Being worried about little things is also typical human behavior. But it's when we dwell on negative emotions that they start to wreak havoc with our potential.
Maybe the change you're looking for is right in front of you. Perhaps the happiness you're seeking is already beside you. Sure, it's alright to daydream about sunny beaches or romantic castles. But you probably don't need to leave everything behind to see a significant change in your life.
Maybe you just need a fresh perspective.
Traveling isn't just about seeing the world. Real travel happens when you start seeing the world in a new light. Like getting glasses for the first time, you suddenly begin to notice every crevice, every nook, and every curve. It's when you think to yourself with a smile: what's here is good, after all.
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Cristina Antonio is the EIC of scoopfed.com and a writer of all things related to world news, movies, real estate, health, or social media. She's currently focused on helping healthcare workers find better career opportunities through Locum Tenens. Cris also enjoys painting, collecting toys, reading German novels, and lurking the Web.
You've read Why You Don't Need To Travel Far To Turn Your Life Around, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Every morning, 128 million people commute to work in the U.S. More than three-quarters of them commute alone. While you may regard your commute as an event to be suffered through - and perhaps even dread - you could be putting that time in your car to productive use.
Here are eight ways to make the most of your time in the car:
1. Use a Voice Recorder
Voice recorders are one of the best ways to boost your productivity on commute. You can use them to generate to-do lists for the day or the week. You might also make a list of instructions your assistant needs to accomplish while you're traveling.
If you are preparing a presentation, a voice recorder can be deployed for listening to your presentation. It helps you see how it sounds to you before you deliver it, and it lets you hone your speech as necessary.
2. Listen to the News
Wall Street gyrations, the price of oil, the election cycle - whatever your business, it can be very tied to the news. You need to know what's going on, but keeping up with breaking news can be a real time suck. Unless you use your commute to listen to the news.
Many podcasts and CD or MP3 audio providers have news programs, newspapers or magazines available for you to listen to. All-news radio is also an option.
3. Learn Something New
Whether you want to increase sales, learn better Spanish or simply want to find out where the best hiking spots are, you can do it all on your commute. Check out audio books and download podcasts.
4. Sing for Health
What better time to sing than when you're alone! You can really let loose. Singing can be invigorating. It's also good for your heart and de-stresses you, lowering blood pressure, improving circulation and reducing anxiety.
There's evidence that lengthy commutes or traveling to work during rush hour causes spikes in blood pressure that are both short and long term. Do your blood pressure a favor and warble at the top of your lungs.
5. Relax Your Eyes
Much of your day will likely be spent staring at a screen. Perhaps even as you walk in from your car, you'll be checking your smartphone for messages. At the end of the day, your eyes will need a rest. What better time than on your drive? We don't mean, of course, that you should do nothing with your eyes. You need them while driving! Just enjoy the road and the scenery as you decompress from your screen staring.
6. Exercise by Strategic Parking
You can't run, row or walk in a car, of course. But you can get exercise during your commute through strategic parking. If you've been angling for the parking space closest to the door, aim for one furthest from the door instead. Your walk from the back 40 to your office door counts as part of the commute, and it's aerobic!
7. Utilize Time to Think
In daily life, we often don't have time to just sit and think. Suppose you want to draft a pitch to your boss or analyze ways to increase sales. You've got to start to think about these tasks early in order to accomplish them quickly.
There is no better way to use your commute time than to think these chores through. Create scenarios. Develop alternate scenarios. Poke holes as a devil's advocate. Refine them. It's all possible on your commute.
8. Eat Healthy Breakfasts
You can easily grab a cholesterol-laden fast food meal to eat on your way to work. Still, one key to productivity is to be healthy and fit. Think power bars. Eat bananas for breakfast and carrots for the way home. These snacks are all very easy to eat in a car, and chock full of energy, vitamins and minerals.
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If you have to commute - as so many of us do - you can at least make it a productive time. These tips will help you on the job, with your boss and with life in general.
Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer and the founder of Punched Clocks, a site dedicated to helping you grow your career. Follow Sarah on social media and subscribe to her newsletter for more great advice! You can catch her tweeting daily tips @SarahLandrum
You're reading Why Setting Boundaries Will Change Your Game, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Wanted to share with you a quick but useful tip I picked up from Warren Buffett and others.
Set definitive boundaries.
Warren Buffett recently decided to live stream his annual shareholder meeting for the first time. I was watching an interview of the man from Yahoo! responsible for the live stream talk about the arrangement.
He said that Warren set a very clear and simple arrangement: we will give you the wire to the broadcast, plug it in, and if you don't have it ready in X number of days, we will look to someone else.
He had a very specific number of days for the deadline (I used X to substitute the number since I don't remember the exact number).
The point is that when you are operating on such a high level, you can easily clog up efficiency with inefficient deadlines or vague promises.
When you're starting out, you may want to say Yes to multiple opportunities more often.
But there comes a point where you have to set boundaries for your own health. Because people are out there who will manipulate, trick, scam, or push on those boundaries.
This applies to areas outside of just business: dating, relationships, and friends.
We all have met someone who is exploitative or will take advantage of you because you are weak or appear to be weak; some have met more of these people than others. Unfortunately, there are really bad people in the world.
If you are way too lenient, nice, or people-pleasing, it will show that you are weak or easily exploited, and some people will take advantage of that by abusing their privileges.
A great way of keeping things firm is the "Do this or we walk" method from Warren Buffett.
It's not super threatening and aggressive, but more than firm enough.
Examples include:
"If you don't have the project in by March 15, we will find someone else to do it."
Important things to note about the subtle tone of the situation:
When you are younger, you may not have as many opportunities. Therefore, saying yes more and being more open could be better for you.
However, at all stages of life, we need to set some level of personal and professional boundaries. Otherwise, we can be taken advantage of.
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Will Chou is a self-development blogger who finds the most useful practices of the world's most successful people through science, studies, and books by authors to find out how they did it. Join his free email newsletter for the top insights.
You've read Why Setting Boundaries Will Change Your Game, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
You're reading The 4 Thieves of Productivity (Avoid Them At All Cost), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
“…at any moment in time there can be only ONE Thing, and when that ONE Thing is in line with your purpose and sits atop your priorities, it ill be the most productive thing you can do to launch you toward the best you can be. Actions build on action. Habits build on habit. Success builds on success.”
- Gary Keller, Jay Papasan from The ONE Thing
One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. Give up the following four thieves of productivity in order to get more of what you want, and less of what you don't. Let's get into it…
As a rule of thumb, you should avoid saying yes to most things unless they're connected to your most important goals. If you're afraid of saying no to someone because it might hurt their feelings, come up with a way to say it that you're comfortable with. Here's Seth Godin on saying no: “you can say no with respect, you can say no promptly, and you can say no with a lead to someone who might say yes. But just saying yes because you can't bear the short-term pain of saying no is not going to help you do the work.” Love it.
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Stuff happens. Messes occur. Wives (and husbands) get angry. These things happen. But it doesn't mean you should give up on your goals. Chaos is natural. In fact, the more you focus on what you want, the more of it you'll probably get. That's okay. In fact, problems are a good thing. When you've got problems, it means you're taking action. You can't grow unless you take action. And the more action you take, the more problems you'll face. In fact, one of the biggest differences between productive people and unproductive people is this: when productive people come across a problem, they keep going - they take action. When unproductive people come across a problem, they stagnate - they stop.
Create time blocks to control the chaos in your life and remain as productive as possible. Use your time blocks to work on your most important projects, and protect them with your life. In time, you'll learn to deal with the chaos in your own unique way. But don't let chaos control you. YOU control the chaos… by focusing on one thing at a time. One time block at a time.
Poor health habits- especially poorly managed energy habits- are one of the most underestimated thieves of productivity. Your health and your success are intertwined with one another and depend on each to survive and thrive. For maximum energy management and productivity, plan your days to include the following:
Did you know that if one of your close friends becomes obese, you're 57% more likely to become obese [1] as well? Crazy, eh? This is because the people we see and spend time with most tend to set our standards (see: The Law of Averages).
The final thief of productivity is about getting your game up! It's about raising your standards in every arena of life - your goals, your habits, and your surroundings. I think Oprah's got a great little nugget of wisdom when it comes to this: “Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.”
→ Prefer audio? Listen to this on iTunes
Here's a quick recap of the four thieves of productivity - avoid them at all times, unless you want them to highjack your productivity:
You've read The 4 Thieves of Productivity (Avoid Them At All Cost), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
You're reading The 3 Surprising Things That Cause Short-Term Memory Loss, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Memories are a funny thing, aren't they? Sometimes our minds can recall the most intricate details of an event that happened 10 years ago. Other times, we can't remember where we put our phone 10 minutes ago.
While some age-related forgetfulness is normal, chronic forgetfulness is not-and it can happen at any age. New research has shown that certain lifestyle habits can impede our short-term memory and even increase our risk for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
So what common factors are linked to cognitive impairment and how can we improve our memory? The answers may surprise you.
We already know how critical sleep is for our physical well-being-but a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley shows what a vital role it plays in memory retention.
Since the short-term memory storage area of your brain can only hold a limited amount of information, things like names, dates, and phone numbers are pushed out and forgotten as new information enters. Researchers have found that as we sleep, brain waves carry these short-term memories to the prefrontal cortex (where long-term memories are stored). This process stores memories safely so you can recall them when you need to.
Poor quality sleep disrupts this transmission of information, and can affect your ability to remember things as recent as the day before.
Studies show that getting 7 to 8 hours of deep (non-REM) sleep, per night, can help your brain properly retain and consolidate fact-based memories. Getting a good night's sleep is one of the easiest ways to start improving your short-term memory.
While getting better quality sleep may help improve your short-term memory, if you have trouble sleeping, be cautious of using common over-the-counter sleep aids that contain Diphenhydramine.
Diphenhydramine is part of a class of drugs considered Anticholinergics, which can inhibit neurotransmitters associated with learning and memory. A large study found that long-term use of these medications can increase your risk for certain types of dementia, including Alzheimer's.
Instead, try these natural sleep aids:
Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and the thyroid hormones are all critical to our cognitive functions. Hormonal imbalances and decreases in these levels can have a major effect on brain function, often leading to memory and concentration problems.
Women tend to experience these types of memory lapses when they are pregnant (we call it baby-brain), and when going through Menopause. Men also experience a similar period of forgetfulness as their testosterone begins to decline in their later years.
While we all experience these changes at some point in our life, most scientists agree that it is never too late to improve brain health.
The Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation suggests that simple lifestyle habits can have a profound effect on brain function. Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and incorporating 150 minutes a week of cardio exercise and weight lifting can dramatically reduce memory loss and cognitive decline.
Brain aerobics are also a good idea to improve memory function and help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease. Whenever you are challenging your brain with new and different tasks, you are helping to improve cognitive functions. Try to incorporate mental exercises for 20 minutes a day, at least three days a week. Some ideas are crossword puzzles, word games, sudoku, reading, writing or playing board games.
With the advent of media and information overload, it's no surprise that short-term memory loss is sometimes attributed to lack of attention span. Microsoft recently reported that our average attention span is only about 8 seconds. Highly digitized lifestyles including web-brows, multi-screen devices, smart phones and social media, all create a “busy brain” that make it difficult to stay focused.
Avoiding a diet high saturated fats and eating fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can help feed your brain for better memory and protect against memory loss. But if you're serious about boosting your short-term memory, you should consider improving your clarity and focus as well.
Adding the following nutrients in your daily vitamin plan may be of help:
L-Theanine
This cognitive enhancer is an amino acid that can be found in green and black tea. It can help improve a person's focus and mental clarity especially when combined with caffeine.
Ashwagandha Root
This exotic Indian herb is receiving a lot of attention lately, due to recent studies on its ability to enhance concentration, mental clarity and focus.
PQQ
First discovered in 1979, this compound has been scientifically tested to improve brain function, particularly in attention and working memory.
You may be wondering if there is just one supplement that you can take to improve your memory without spending hundreds of dollars on vitamins at natural food stores. Be Brilliant supports memory, clarity and focus with both traditional and scientific ingredients including Vitamin D, Magnesium, PQQ, Coenzyme Q-10, L-Theanine, Gingko Biloba and Ashwagandha Root, in a convenient, one-a-day tablet.
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Sources:
http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/4-pillars-of-prevention/exercise-and-brain-aerobics
http://www.womensinternational.com/connections/cognition.html
http://www.livescience.com/42891-short-term-memory-loss.html
http://www.alzheimers.net/2014-01-02/foods-that-induce-memory-loss/
http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/healthy-aging/memory-boosting-foods
http://www.webmd.com/brain/memory-loss
http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/5-surprising-causes-memory-loss/
http://www.simplypsychology.org/short-term-memory.html
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20120716/sleep-may-protect-memory
http://www.rd.com/health/beauty/foods-that-help-you-sleep/
http://www.alzheimers.net/8-27-14-vitamin-d-and-dementia
http://bebrainfit.com/stop-short-term-memory-loss/
You've read The 3 Surprising Things That Cause Short-Term Memory Loss, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
You're reading How to Find Your Own Calling Within 7 Days, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Leading a meaningful, satisfying life is all about finding your calling. As great as this may seem in theory, finding your purpose in life is easier said than done. Busy and overworked, we often let go of our dreams and simply exist on a day by day basis. Dreaming big and finding something meaningful to live for get pushed in the background.
There's no need to give up on your calling, however. Figuring out why it's worth living will require just a few days and a conscious effort on your behalf. Here's how to do in seven days.
Use a day or two to figure out what's holding you back. Most of us are so burdened by our everyday existence that we forget about the more important things in life.
Are you stuck in a job that doesn't fulfill you but that you stick with because of necessity? Are you stuck in a relationship with a person who isn't right for you because you're afraid of ending up alone? Most of us are guilty of making such compromises. While they may start feeling comfortable with the passage of time, such compromises with values and beliefs will inevitably lead to a mediocre existence. To realize your full potential, you need to have a really good idea about what you want to accomplish and what's holding you back.
After identifying the barriers that you'll have to overcome, it's time to think about your passions. You have certain values, beliefs and a legacy that you want to live behind. Taking some time to think consciously about those will make it easier to identify your calling.
Journaling and recording your past experiences and attempts to identify your calling will come in handy. There may be things that you were passionate about for a certain period of time. After the passion subsides, however, you find out that they don't provide the genuine fulfillment you're looking for.
Apart from doing journaling, you may also take a day to carry out a brainstorming session.
Sit down and try to answer the question “what's my calling?” Don't think about it – just write down everything that comes to mind. You may be surprised by some of the concepts and the passions that will come to the surface through such a brainstorming session. It's even possible to realize something that has been sitting in the back of your mind but that has never manifested itself as a complete idea.
We are so set in our ways that saying “no” to new opportunities becomes an almost automatic response.
When you're used to your comfortable, everyday existence, you stop challenging yourself. If you don't push yourself outside of your comfort zone, chances are that you'll never figure out what your calling in life is.
Instead of simply dismissing anything alien and scary, force yourself to say yes to opportunities. By accepting something that you would otherwise have turned down, chances are that you'll identify new passions and things in life worth living for.
To feel satisfied and fulfilled, we need to know that we're making a difference. This is the main reason why volunteering, doing fundraising or participating in charities gives people so much happiness.
Identify a mission that resonates with you and stick with it. You may start with something simple like launching a blog about wildlife preservation or ending animal cruelty. You may want to attempt collecting clothes or making money for people in need. You may even travel to a third world country as a volunteer. The size of the project doesn't really matter, as long as you're doing something that you believe in. Sooner or later, you'll see yourself making the difference that you've always dreamed about.
Finding your calling doesn't have to be about helping others or being a volunteer. It could also be quitting your day job and starting a business of your own. It could involve turning your favorite hobby in a full-time occupation. As long as you're passionate about the mission you've embraced, jumping into a brand new world isn't going to feel scary – it will be motivating.
To accomplish these steps within a short period of time, you may want to give yourself a vacation. Spending some time away from work, even away from the people that you live will help you find clarity. Travel to a serene place and dedicate some quality time to connecting with your own self. Opening the inner lines of communication and allowing yourself to dream big can lead to self-awareness that you never would have expected. After all, allowing yourself to dream and explore your desires isn't scary. If you let your mind and your creativity wonder, chances are that you'll come out with something amazing at the end of the process.
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Alicia Honeycutt is a digital strategist and a beginning writer at essay. She adores travelling and writing about her adventures.
You've read How to Find Your Own Calling Within 7 Days, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
