Favorite Life Hacks ~ What Are They?

[Daniel A]

@Leo Hendrix I mentioned that I didn't get to try out the software's new modes much earlier. That's because that was where / when I believe the issue emerged. It was working fine for a long time until a software update ( I believe the one when they introduced the new modes / the ability to go 'warmer' ). After the update , it would work ... then crash later on. Or it would just not start ... then if I tried to start it it manually it would crash right away. I updated my computer's drivers and tweeted them about it, but they never replied. It probably works now if they had more updates so I might re-install it, but I still recommend the the UVEX glasses as #1. Using them blocks blue-light in general ... from all sources. And they do it better than the more expensive GUNNAR glasses I am sure. If you don't need prescription lenses -- UVEX glasses all the way. There's even a UVEX glasses model that goes over glasses. I might also get those to look super cool by using both at once. :joyful:

Edit: F.lux is available on Google Play?

Up until now, I've been extremely skeptical, as he made a LOT of claims on the site, and didn't back them up with research or proof (or not that I recalled anyway, but haven't looked back into this since first hearing about it about a year ago).

P.S. tempted to check out this bulletproof coffee...

I used to listen to the JRE podcast regularly so I heard about Dave when he got on the show long ago and then again and again ( that's probably what made him so popular). I never bought coffee from him specifically because I was skeptical too. I believe his main selling point used to be that his coffee was mycotoxin free...

Just do your research via a few Google searches about mycotoxins in coffee. You'll find that many people have been critical on that point Dave made in videos, blog / forum posts, comments, etc. And the process of adding MCT oil, butter, etc. can be done with anything, including any coffee. The coffee is not "special" in my opinion. It seems to also not be "special" by having no or low levels of mycotoxins.

 

[simplykickass]

1. Wake up early: gives me an extra couple hours each and every day

2. Lift some weights: Becoming the strongest version of yourself starts in the gym (or wherever you perform physical style training).

3. Meditate: Clears the mind, gets rid of stress and helps concentration and clarity.

4. Read: Helps me gain as much knowledge as I can.

5. Intermittent Fasting: Skipping breakfast and drinking only black coffee till lunch/mid afternoon helps my concentrate more, plus enables me to get leaner without stressing about eating 5-6 times a day.. Plus I like to eat massive f*cking meals.

 

[BeGreat]

This is an awesome thread thank you OP.

My current top hacks:
1. Add chia seeds and lemon or lime to water- provides more energy than coffee and fun to drink
2. Only workout 10 minutes a day! First or second thing you do when you wake up. Thats all you need. No more 60 minute trips to the gym. I swear! Just pick 2 exercises and do 3 sets (you pick the number of reps) each day. Thats it! You'll be fit in 30-60 days. Just switch the 2 exercises after you plateau
3. Toggl Timer App- great to track time spend on activities.

 

[HeresMyThing]

I would also add:

-Speed reading: get through a bunch of books quickly. Find the main idea and skim examples.
-Speed viewing/listening: use VLC player and crank up the speed to get through video and audio files faster.

 

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[Bigguns50]

@Daniel A ... I can vouch for Calm.com also. Love it. I also listen to Focus Music on Spotify.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

I don't know if this is a life hack, but I find myself spending too much time on the net.

A week or two ago I set up a Chrome app called 'StayFocusd' (actual spelling).

I inputted all of the sites that I use too much (like this one). It gives me a set limit to how long I can browse these sites each day. Every couple of days I lower the amount of minutes I'm allowed. Works well, and I find myself forced to do other, more important priorities/tasks.

 

[mowealth]

Do what you don't want to do first.

 

[CommonCents]

i try to keep things very simple or I won't do them or keep up with them long.

love my samsung galaxy note3 phone with integrated digital pen. Just pull out the pen and the app automatically pops up. I think digital pens are going to make a comeback for phones, tablets, and computers. The ease of input and navigation is just plain goodness, natural. Easy. I keep many lists, make notes etc... they can always be transferred to a calendar item later if need to be scheduled/deadlined. It's as tangible and old school easy to use as pen and paper, with the benefit of being new school digital to be easily copied, moved, transformed, distributed. i'll have to look at onenote/evernote and see if they are beneficial w/out complicating things.

the big benefit is It relieves any anxiety of keeping crap in my brain and trying to recall it later. 2 minutes later to hours/days.

 

[Razz]

Just getting caught up with all these. Attachment is a mind map to make a quicker or different perspective on this thread so far.

Findings: Mental Health with Proper Nutrition, Provides a Solid Physical Foundation. Focus & Meditation are appreciated. Bullet Proof Coffee is amazing (still going after my first cup), even if the taste takes a bit to get used to.

Contribution: Interact Authentically. Doing so builds intuition, guides interpretation, and generates noiseless value.

 

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[AllenCrawley]

There is a local roaster close by that has organic wet processed beans from Peru and Nicaragua. I've tried the bulletproof brand and like it but did not notice any difference whatsoever when compared to what I buy locally.

 

[ruzara5]

I do interval training for up to 45 minutes at the gym. It energizes me and I feel more alert and balanced throughout my day I started out doing it a minimum 2 days a week now I do it up to 5 days a week. It also helps in my 2 mile kayak paddle event.

 

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[AllenCrawley]

At first I was mad at myself for getting sucked into the gimmick. But later I decided to give it one more try. I cut the butter serving in half and it tasted better..well at least better than normal coffee.

Not everyone likes the taste and since you have STBD I can understand your reaction to it. However, for clarity, I have three questions.

Butter from grass-fed cows? I asked because anything other is nasty. Kerrygold is the way to go.

Organic wet-processed beans? Anything other gives me heartburn and upset stomach.

How much butter and mct did you originally use?

 

[GuestUser201]

Oh man, I tried the bullet proof coffee today but with my regular beans, salted normal butter, and coconut oil instead of MTU because I don't have any of the proper ingredients, and it's so damn good.

Thanks for sharing it. Im still drinking it.

 

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[MoneyDoc]

Sorry to jack this thread guys, I feel it's the best place to ask.

One of the members signature has something like "if I don't work ,my mom will die working" - something along those lines. Does anyone know who that person is?

 

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[Leo Hendrix]

Thanks everyone for Sharing! Great thread.

Some 'lifehacks' I discovered, not sure if they have been mentioned already. In no particular order or emphasis.

1. Any Do app, Free simple easy to use to do list app. Check it out.

2.Writing down what you have achieved that day before you sleep and what your are thankful for, it seems to help sleep. Also prayer helps and remembering all the things I am grateful for and have achieved so far.

3. Humour always helps.

4.Taking in some sun, good for your health and mood, I find. Especially early in the morning.

5. Helping others without expecting anything in return, feels good and it can energize you.

6.Obviously reading and exercising, I agree to what others have said about Martial Arts, this aids discipline and is another skill or accomplishment in life. Try Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga, Ninjitsu and Systema. Ive only taught myself JKD but I am getting into the others soon, as others noted another habit is great to have, I find playing a musical instrument or 'free' creative time playing or creating music can get your creative juices flowing and opens and expands your mind and capabilities.Also helps to maintain life balance.

I will add more when I come across some new ones guys, I've read about BP Coffee and the Bulletproof Executive Stuff, he does use some pricey equipment though, I would be interested to test out his theories when I can afford too haha.

 

[AlanJ]

I don't know if one needs to go "Full Retard" like the bulletproof coffee guys says. I've been playing around and get the same benefit from great Starbucks coffee and good butter. It's basically a latte but with butter instead of cream. And when I'm doing low carb, it rocks.

I just use whatever coffee I can find, coconut oil and grass-fed butter, thrown in the blender (making sure to leave the lid up slightly so it doesn't blow off!) This works wonders for me.

 

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[Bigguns50]

@Iwokeup We must be related . I could have written each hack you wrote.

 

[Writer]

[QUOTE="Bigguns50, post: 403258, member: 14297]

• Keep a journal, or diary, or simple daily notes on a calendar. My attorney gave me this advice yrs ago saying it is submissible in Court if you ever need it[/QUOTE]

Do you know digital calendars (i.e. iCal etc.) are submissible?

 

[Steele Concept]

Wow, some great suggestions guys! Shout out to @Czech for training Jiu jitsu. I got about 10 years grappling mat time now a bit more Jiu jitsu than wrestling . Great way to stay in shape while having fun with bros. Supplementing fish oil for omega 3 and magnesium is also a grat idea from another poster here.

I recently posted a blog article on a sweet green shake that has helped my health greatly. On my site I also have a free diet chapter from my upcoming eBook on Paleo style holistic wellness. You guys can check it out if you are interested at www.greendiet.com

That URL cost money too - but it had a certain ring to it hehe.

 

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[Leo Hendrix]

It has been less than a year that I have downloaded and been using f.lux to date it has been working fine for me and I still use it on both my laptop and phone, it might been some sort of compatibility issue that you have faced @DanielTArgueta.
I run Windows 8 on my laptop and Android on my phone and everything has been working fine since installation.
I feel that my eyes are less stressed, sleep better as well as other spin-off benefits I won't list, so I would still recommend f.lux as a 'lifehack'.

 

[Daniel A]

Many of these "life hacks" I'm about to list are actually apps for my Android phone and /or PC.

• Wunderlist (To-Do List)
• Lift.do (Habit Building / To-Do List) EDIT: Lift.do recently changed to Coach.me
• Clear Focus (Pomodoro Technique)
• Sleep As Android (Paid Version)
• Kindle (Android and Chrome App)
• Map My Fitness
• My Fitness Pal
• Google Fit
• Google Photos with automatic backup to a private Google+ album (I use this before I clear my whiteboard)
• Whiteboard (A Large / Plain Physical Whiteboard)
• Rescue Time (Tracks Activity While Using Devices ... Which Helps With Identifying Bad Habits)

Just now I used the Calm app and to my surprise it worked. I had a huge headache that made me want to just go to sleep early. While in bed I realized I had installed the app, so I tried it out. The pain coming from my eyes and the back of my head near my neck slowly went away. I honestly think I should take the "slow and steady wins the race" approach for 2015. I stress myself out when I'm behind on my to-dos and I always add more than I can do in a day. I'm going to try out the other popular meditation apps.

I also use Evernote and Pandora which were mentioned by @HeresMyThing already, but they are great. I need to learn how to use Evernote more effectively though. I also recently got Scrivener and a training for learning how to use it effectively. I went through some of it today and it does seem better than Google Docs and Microsoft Word already.

Any more apps for Android that you use? Please share them!

 

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[Daniel A]

1. Step-by-step plans (via an awesome web & mobile app).

https://www.coach.me/plans

2. Spotify Premium (best music app)

Today is the last day to get it for only $0.99 for 3 months / until March 31, 2015.

EDIT: Spotify has a 50% off discount for college students (so does AWeber -- not 50% off though). I'm going to take advantage of that and keep Spotify Premium after my $0.99 trial ends.

 

[Leo Hendrix]

Another one I just discovered: WorkFlowy, need to 'hack' it a bit more to obtain added functionality but so far its helping me a lot to clear the mess of my to do notes on MS Word a lot.

 

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[Daniel A]

@Leo Hendrix I haven't used much of the plans. The ones I remember right away are 7 Steps of Calm, a flossing one and one about being grateful. Most of what I use the app for is specific goals (without a plan provided via Coach.me). I searched for the specific goals I wanted to work on and added them.

BTW, a plan is kind of like a blueprint of what to do made by a coach or the app makers. Goals alone are just things you check into and make a plan of your own. For example I use the generic exercise goal, the read goal, the study goal, etc.

I just checked and there are more plans than before. Some plans I know of aren't even listed on the page linked to too. I think all the ones I used so far have been free.

It's a great app, but I had to drop several (good) habits because it was becoming harder to keep up with them since classes started.

 

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[Leo Hendrix]

https://www.youtube.com/user/phuckmediocrity

Theres a video shared by above^ regarding retention of material read as well as speed reading, if I remember correctly he speed reads and plays the audiobook sped up at the same time, his channel seems to be primarily centred around book reviews, useful books too I might add.

 

[Daniel A]

A week or two ago I set up a Chrome app called 'StayFocusd' (actual spelling).

I inputted all of the sites that I use too much (like this one).

I've used it on and off. But I recently re-installed it and yeah, this site is on the list. It helps.

EDIT: I cheat, though. I disable it completely sometimes. I'm going to look into the settings more and get serious.

 

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[Will Bauer]

I've used it on and off. But I recently re-installed it and yeah, this site is on the list. It helps.

EDIT: I cheat, though. I disable it completely sometimes. I'm going to look into the settings more and get serious.

If you want to get more serious you should try

"Selfcontrol" (if you're using a MAC) or "FocusMe" (for Windows)

You can set up the programs in a way that there is no way to cheat.

Hope that helps.

 

[ilrein]

Look at Leech Block.

I think you misunderstand. I don't have issues with managing my own time ^.^

NoScript + Adblock is a way to control advertising abuse (and malicious scripts that can hijack your browser).

 

[LIkeafox]

I also swear by this stuff and I know exactly what you mean by the energy drip. I bought a Magic Bullet last week for the sole purpose of blending my butter/oil blend. Sometimes I use a little heavy cream and a tablespoon of sugar if I'm feeling generous.

What kind of coffee beans do y'all use to make this? Do you go with their beans or does any good single origin bean work?

 

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[spoonerism]

What kind of coffee beans do y'all use to make this? Do you go with their beans or does any good single origin bean work?

I actually don't use bulletproof coffee because I also can't taste a difference. I'm in Kansas City, so the roasterie is good when I want some awesome beans, but most of the time I just find some K-cups that taste okay. When I get the butter and oil blended in the coffee I can't taste or feel any difference.