US-centric: If your cell phone bill is giving you the flutters, then mobile enthusiast jkOnTheRun can (possibly) help you out with their list of employer and educational discounts. Just find your carrier (links are all provided) and figure out if you are eligible. Because I’m self-employed, I don’t qualify for diddly, but if you find out you scored some savings please share in the comments. How to score a discount on your monthly cellular bill [jkOnTheRun]
Routines are a double-edged sword; they can boost your output, but they can also rob you of your “spark”. Self-improvement site Pick the Brain advises us of the danger of getting stuck in a rut: Going through the same routine, day after day, can be monotonous and depressing. It often leads to getting caught in a rut. To get out of it you need to temporarily change your routine. If you can, take a day off from work. Do something you don’t normally have time for or something you’ve never tried. In the long run, taking a day off every now and then to get out of slump will make you happier and more productive.
For instance, today I plan on spending at least an hour with my newest art project – definitely out of my daily routine plan. What do you do to break your rut? Let’s hear in the comments. Stop Feeling Depressed [Pick the Brain]
In addition to their tax deduction potential, kids are also great for getting stuff done around the house. Productivity advocate Dumb Little Man has more: At the minimum, have kids do a quick tidy up 15-30 minutes before bedtime. This would include picking up toys, laying out tomorrow’s clothes, and collecting anything they’ll need by the door. For more kiddie help write down a list of all the chores that need to get done, and then assign them on a weekly basis on a family planning chart or white board.
Not only are you gaining some valuable extra time by utilising the kinder, you’re also teaching them to stop being leeches realise they are part of something bigger than themselves. How do you do chores in your house – let’s hear in the comments. 35 Spectacular and Practical Time Saving Tips [Dumb Little Man]
For those of us who aren’t quite the moleskine ninjas that we aspire to be (yet), Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project suggests one scratch paper a day. I have a “scratch paper for the day.” I keep a pad of paper by the phone, and anytime I have the urge to make a note to myself, I discipline myself only to use that pad of paper. At the end of the day, I toss the piece of paper, after copying anything I need to keep.
Since I’m a compulsive note/list maker, this method appealed to me, mostly because it’s so dang easy to implement. How do you keep your notes organised? Please share in the comments. A simple, easy, cheap way to fight the clutter that appears on your desk. [The Happiness Project]
Got a sliced apple you’d like to save for later, sans browning? No problem – just use a rubber band: Push the corer / slicer apparatus down through the apple until it is almost through, but all pieces are basically still together. Then put the whole apple back together again and stick a rubber band around it. This holds it together in your lunch pack and helps prevent browning.
A great tip for the brown bag crowd. Slamming Suggestions for the Humble Rubber Band [Wise Bread]
What does your optimum ergonomic workstation look like? Ergonomic product company Ergotron offers an installation tool to figure out just that. Just click your height and various values are displayed; sitting eye height, standing elbow height, seat height, etc. Using this made me instantly aware of how screwed up my sitting system (such as it is) really is—and why I have such a backache. Workstation Intallation Tool [Ergotron via Steve Olsen]
While many people just use Facebook as a social connector, you can also use Facebook – quite successfully, I might add – as a self-marketing tool. Entrepreneurial blogger Neil Patel has written up an article on marketing yourself with Facebook that brings up some good points, and the best one is this: More »
If you are trying to track down why your computer is running so slooowwwly, try using this simple DOS command from Digital Inspiration to uncover a possible problem: Type cmd in your Windows Run box. Type “netstat -b 5 > activity.txt” and press enter. After say 2 minutes, press Ctrl+C. Type “activity.txt” on the command line to open the log file in notepad (or your default text editor)
This .txt file will have a record of everything that has made an Internet connection in the last couple of minutes; you can then check your task manager to find out where it is and take care of it.
Is Your Computer Connecting To Websites Without Your Knowledge [Digital Inspiration]
