Sunday, October 14, 2007
Dissolve Mental Blocks By Thinking Metaphorically
10:00PM Wendy Boswell | Sometimes, the solution to becoming more creative can’t be arrived at by traditional thinking. Writing pro Copyblogger suggests that we try to frame ideas in a metaphorical way instead in order to see angles we might not have come up with otherwise. Why? Because logical thinking tends to follow a linear pattern, while metaphors are symbolic—which can potentially unlock our creative side. How do you unleash that creativity inside of you? Let’s hear in the comments. Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking? [Copyblogger] More »
Buy Books on a Thursday to Grab a Bargain
9:00PM Wendy Boswell | US-centric: If you’re looking for a way to make your book money go a little further, try buying books on a Thursday. Financial blog Everything Finance has more: Why: Price compare between major chains Borders and Barnes & Noble. The former releases its weekly sales and coupons on every Thursday; the latter, every Tuesday. This particular tip is for the brick and mortar shops; if you’re looking for even more ways to get your book on, try a few literary hacks. For the Frugal Mind: Cheapest days to shop [Everything Finance] More »Check In With Clients To Avoid Problems
7:00AM Wendy Boswell | You can avoid many possible miscommunication issues with the people you work with simply by checking in frequently. Productivity blog Bootstrapper has more: Whether it’s a simple e-mail once a week or a quick phone call every few days, constantly checking in with your clients will actually save you time over the long run. Handling little tasks as they come up means that you won’t have to deal with huge problem later on because you weren’t attentive enough. It’s that old “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” principle. Have you seen this work in your own dealings with clients and/or colleagues? Let’s hear how it worked out in the comments. 101 Little Hacks to Help You Get Your Work Finished More Quickly [Bootstrapper] More »
Track Travel Price Changes with Yapta Tagger
6:00AM Wendy Boswell | US-centric: Keep obsessive tabs on multiple airfare trip price changes with the Yapta Tagger, currently available only for Internet Explorer. Here’s how it works: after downloading the Tagger, you go to the various travel sites that Yapta has a relationship with (most airlines are covered, as well as Expedia and Travelocity) and dream up an itinerary. Enter in the necessary information and tag it to your My Trips —from here on out, Yapta will keep track of any time that travel package price changes. You can decide how much you want to be notified of; for instance, you don’t have to get tipped off unless the price change is above a certain dollar amount. It’s a great way to keep track of airfare changes without having to, you know, actually do anything. Yapta Tagger is a free download, it only works with Internet Explorer at this time; however, you can use the site’s interface to track one airfare price change at a time in other browsers. Yapta Au – While Yapta doesn’t work with any Australian travel websites, you still might find it useful if you’re looking at overseas flights. You can view the list of compatible websites here. More »
Build a Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder for Under $10
5:00AM Wendy Boswell | Build a bird feeder that those pesky squirrels will not be able to get into with Instructables’ step by step tutorial. Materials are all available at your local hardware store for less than $10 (your mileage may vary, but a quick walkthrough of my local big box priced me at around $12, so not much of a difference), and while the process is somewhat labour-intensive, it’s still doable in under a couple of hours and will cost you less than the squirrel-proof feeders you can buy already made. How to build a “Flexi-Perch” Squirrel-proof birdfeeder for $10 or less [Instructables] More »
Know When You’re In A Funk
4:00AM Wendy Boswell | We all have times when our energy is just blah, and we’re just generally in a pissy mood. Instead of taking out that frustration on our work or other people, Life Learning Today suggests that we learn to recognise when these “down cycles” are coming our way: The main thing with cycles is to roll with them and not to fight them. If you are in a high cycle, ride that wave. Get great work done and enjoy your energy. During down cycles when your energy is lagging, your emotions are more edgy, and you want to throw in the towel, just ride it out. Know that an up cycle is on its way. It is inevitable! What do you do to fight your funks? Let’s hear in the comments. Rolling with Your Cycles [Life Learning Today] More »
Prepare Yourself For A Healthy Old Age by Taking Care Of Your Body
3:00AM Wendy Boswell | Have you given much thought to what your old age will look like? The Happiness Project suggests that we prepare ourselves as much as possible for a healthy old age—at least, as much as it is up to us. For instance, regular exercise, proper care of your teeth, and applying sunscreen are all part of the equation, as well as choosing to be happy and exercising your brain. What’s your best tip for a healthy old age? Let’s hear it in the comments. Six tips for preparing yourself for a vigorous, healthy old age. [The Happiness Project] More »
Use Index Cards to Track Your Bills
2:00AM Wendy Boswell | Keep a running track of your bills by using index cards. Office productivity blog Web Worker Daily has more: Create a card for each bill, writing the name of the bill at the top. When you pay the bill, create an entry on the card. This way, you have a running log of all the bills you pay. Very low tech, but effective. You can also use these nifty finance index card templates to make your index card organisation go a little more smoothly. 24 Things You Can Do With an Index Card [Web Worker Daily] More »
How Big Should Your Emergency Fund Be?
1:00AM Wendy Boswell | The standard advice for the size of an emergency fund is enough money for three to six months of expenses; however, that’s not necessarily an obtainable goal for many of us. Financial advice blog Wise Bread suggests that you aim for at least one month’s worth of emergency money to cover your bare-bones expenses, and have it stashed where you can get to it quickly in case of an emergency. One month is the minimum—it’s a good start on the road to the preferable three to six month fund. What tips do you have for those looking to build up an emergency money stash? Thoughts in the comments. Figuring the size of your emergency fund [Wise Bread] More »
