Still healthy this winter season? Keep it that way. The That’s Fit weblog recommends ways to avoid catching a cold. Don’t touch your face with your hands and wash them often. Stay away from people who are sick (and if you’re sick, stay home!) Keep a clean workspace. Take vitamins that combat against illness, and if you feel the first sign of a cold, go with echinacea. The list is similar to our earlier article on how to stay healthy during the holiday season, which suggested that you toss out tissues, carry your own pen, and sneeze into your elbow in the absence of a tissue. Sure, none of these hurt and can keep you cold-free during the season. Wouldn’t that be nice?
How to Avoid a Cold this Holiday SeasonDo you have a spare hard drive collecting dust? Make a storage device for your spare screws and jumpers by removing the guts of the hard drive and by adding two small hinges. Hide your valuables (spare cash, jewelry, or any other small items that can be safely stored) in a hard drive, since nobody else will possibly think to look there. Sure, a box will work just as well, but if you wanted to be creative, this certainly brings a whole new meaning to hard drive storage space.
Store Hardware on the Hard DiskHave you ever been sad over mistakes of the past? Sure, we all have. Have you ever looked around at your environment and thought about effectuating change within it? If not, perhaps you should, because those changes will be reflected within yourself. Website Hack Yourself contains a collection of articles that are intended to bring you into moments of increased self-awareness, of excitement about living, and about being happy. It’s not worth it to dwell on the past; just look at the present and toward the future. Find the demons within you and exorcise them—you don’t need to let negative perceptions permeate your thoughts.
Amaze yourself with spontaneity and let go of the obstacles that you feel are getting in the way of your successes. The collection of articles within Hack Yourself are very short and the entire website is not a terribly long read, so if you’re really looking to stroll down the path of self-improvement for 2008, it’s highly recommended. Photo by sillydog.
Hack YourselfTraveling for the holidays? Make sure you don’t lose your luggage or break anything within. Instead, protect your bags by keeping them on your person at all times if possible. If you must check your baggage, make sure your luggage tag has current contact information. Check in early for your flight. Remove other airline tags (so that your suitcase doesn’t accidentally get misdirected to the wrong airport). In the event that your luggage does get lost, know the luggage brand, color, and approximate height so that the airline will not have difficulty locating it for you. In a worst case scenario, expect that your luggage will get lost, so pack extra clothing with you on your carry-on bag.
If you must pack fragile items in your suitcase, wrap your items carefully. It’s better to keep the breakables on hand, however. What has been your experience with broken or lost luggage, and how have you learned from it? Let’s hear your stories in the comments.
How to Prevent Lost Luggage [Squidoo]Productivity and lifestyle blogger, Scott Young, drastically boosts his productivity by scheduling “Project-Kill Days.” The night before a Project-Kill Day Scott makes sure to create a fixed to-do list, blocks off as much of the day as possible, and chooses an isolated location. The following morning Scott gets up early and begins working long and hard on his biggest rocks. The caveat to the Project-Kill Day is that Scott creates a false sense of urgency to help stay motivated. This means no distractions and absolutely no mid-task breaks. When I face this problem [a stressful and demanding workload] , my answer is to take on what I like to call a Project-Kill Day. This is a day where I am at my most productive state. I set aside large amounts of time to kill off the projects on my to-do list and get ahead. I’ve found, if you plan it properly, you can make tomorrow up to 3 times as productive as ordinary days.
Scott’s approach to productivity isn’t that far fetched. Is it possible to make everyday a Project-Kill Day? Sign me up.
Triple Your Productivity Tomorrow [PickTheBrain]For most online retailers the deadline for guaranteed pre-Christmas gift delivery passed days ago (December 18). The mall lines are growing longer and longer and a scant three shopping days stand between you and Christmas. Lowe’s seemed to roll out the perfect solution by offering electronic gift certificates delivered over email. However, as pictured above, overwhelming popularity shut the program down. Just when you thought all hope was lost, CBS News comes to the rescue with 15 last-minute gift ideas that don’t require leaving the house. What advice do you have to avoid the lines and deliver excellent gifts to your friends and family? Share in the comments.
Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas On The Web [CBS News]Frequently using Google Maps for directions? Reader Pham writes in with a simple but interesting way to save time when looking up directions. Basically, the multi-step process of going to Google [Maps] , typing in an address, clicking submit, etc., can be avoided by just putting all your info directly into the URL. For example typing this works: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1683 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
