Favorite Life Hacks ~ What Are They?

[pickeringmt]

i have a rule of 10 that I follow each day

That is very cool, I'll have to try this!

Forcing Smiles

This is something that I find very powerful. Just catching yourself and consciously choosing to smile instantly changes how you feel.

I also try to force myself to talk to people that I don't know whenever I am standing by them for more than a minute or so. It is just an opportunity to practice getting people to talk. You meet tons of people, and you build your confidence.

One particular "hack" I have been using is this:

I have a pretty good list of all of the stuff I need to do consistently every day - like opening the mail, managing my budget for the family, writing out my affirmation, etc. I used to never get it all done and slip on some because I was trying to get it all done every day.

Finally, I set a timer and started only giving each thing 5 minutes a day.

Now, I am totally caught up on the routine stuff and totally consistent with the daily stuff.

It doesn't sound like enough time to get things done, but just like anything else, force applied consistently over time beats sporadic bursts.

 

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[Milkanic]

1.) Wake up at 5:20AM and get a 30min workout and 1.5hrs of work in before the day job.
2.) Keep an Evernote notebook of a vision board, goals, diary, and affirmations. I work out at home so I review this between sets.
3.) Listen to podcasts/audiobooks during any downtime (showering, driving, etc) and at work.
4.) Fill out a 3x5 notecard with tasks for the next day at night.
5.) Meditate in the late afternoon to refresh my mind.

 

[Bigguns50]

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

 

[cautiouscapy]

Groceries ordered online and delivered.
I live a little outside an urban area so it saves a 2 hour round trip, plus reduces impulse buys.
Oh, and I can get grass-fed butter and virgin coconut oil in this delivery ;-)

 

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[Iwokeup]

Completely agree. Just need to pickup butter from grass-fed cows and the MCT oil .... question is where to get these in Toronto...hmmm

I use coconut oil. Tastes great and honestly....I doubt that there is much difference between it and MCT oil, except price. Remember: K.I.I.S.

 

[Iwokeup]

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

Cool. Got any others? I could learn something.

 

[Bigguns50]

@Iwokeup ... sure...In addition to yours.

• Evernote
• The book "Ready for Anything" by David Allen. I know...not really a hack.
• 3 second rule. No..not when you drop food on the floor, or in the toilet that it's ok to eat it before 3 seconds. Basically...and I got this from TedTalks, if you have a thought to do something..not all things..do it inside of 3 seconds. ie: Compliment someone, make a phone call whether it's personal or business, and get your a$$ out of bed, feet on floor and stand up when your alarm goes off...3 seconds ! The 'science' behind this is basically that if you wait any longer the chances of you doing it diminishes greatly. Works for me.
• Cross off the days on a visible year calendar.
• Keep a journal, or diary, or simple daily notes on a calendar. My attorney gave me this advice yrs ago saying it is submissible in Court if you ever need it.
• Do everything to stay healthy...everyone gets challenged at some point.
• When you get your a$$ handed to you don't get down and depressed. Pull out your anger emotion and turn it into positive action.
• Look outside your little life bubble.

Meh...probably more.

 

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[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?

 

[Mowbetta]

Fitness Hack-never ever go longer than 3 days without working out, ALWAYS work out on
Mondays!

 

[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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[Daniel A]

This free software came to mind: https://justgetflux.com/

Flux Sux!

Haha, it actually doesn't. But there are definitely better ways. Keep reading and I'll share them with you...

I've done my research AND experimenting with this, so I know 'a thing or two' on this topic...

First, back to the topic of f.lux. It's been constantly crashing or does not start for me... so I uninstalled it. Bye bye. If you have nothing though, you might as well try it out and see if it works on your computer because when it does work ... it does work (a little). Like I said, it's better than nothing.

EDIT: f.lux has different 'modes' though. I didn't get to try them out much because it kept crashing, but I'm sure they're great in the long run too. Still, I've read that people have used actual devices to measure the amount of blue light being emitted from their screens and apparently f.lux doesn't block blue light too good.

Second, I've also tried prescription GUNNAR glasses for over a year. I have the GUNNAR VINYL frame with prescription lenses.

They're great -- but the best part about them is honestly the prescription lenses. My left eye is the one that is slightly 'not perfect' and the prescription definitely helps. BUT -- the blue-light blocking is not that great. I do remember it being awesome at first, but now I need something eve better. I get tired of spending time on my computer because I ALWAYS (used to) get a headache. I began hating it...

Third, and this is the conclusion I've come to...

Buy yourself a pair of Uvex S1933X glasses from Amazon for $7.11 right now.

$7.11 is very inexpensive and they'll help you earn your money back and then some...

And since I'm sure all of us who are users of the forum spend at least 4+ hours on a computer daily. We can all benefit from it in ways that are immeasurable. Trust me. They're DA BEST!

 

[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'.

 

[Sweeetland]

I've shared this before but I think It would be a nice addition to this thread. Anyone looking to get into meditation should check out headspace.com.

I am not affiliated in any way, just an avid user whose benefitted enormously.

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

 

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[HeresMyThing]

My "hacks" (bear in mind I'm a Mac tard)

- Evernote to store and tag every brain fart.
- Action Enforcer (a pomodoro style program)
- stickk.com for accountability.
- Sleep Cycle app to wake up feeling refreshed.
- Ambisci Tesla app generates tones that help me take naps.
- Yerba Mate tea > coffee for alertness and no spikes or crashes.
- Tree style tab firefox add on so I don't have rows of tabs.
- X-Mind for mind maps.
- Pandora for background music
- Scrivener for most writing tasks
- Camscanner to take document or whiteboard pics and save them.
- A huge Scrum board so my work is always visible.
- Vipassana mediation - (Shinzen Young) for dealing with difficult emotions.
- RescueTime and Leechblock to shut down distractions.
- A "Big Mo" folder (momentum) with links to Youtube videos that inspire and motivate me when I feel like crap.
- F.lux
- Awareness of The Dip - http://www.bennadel.com/blog/776-the-dip-by-seth-godin-thanks-jack-welde.htm
- Self talk (Shad Hemlstetter)
- regular 80/20 analysis of pretty much every part of my life.
- Application of Parkinson's Law, though I could improve on that.

Richard

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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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[Leo Hendrix]

@DanielTArgueta

• How does coach.me peform?I mean how valuable of useful have you found plans on there so far?
• Have you utilized any Paid plans yet?

Sorry I havent signed up yet, I realized recently I need to slow my role and stop signing up for everything and absorbing copious amounts of content. Distractions and lack of focus has been a previous hindrance to and my mind is finally back to normal now, as I have recentlyregained clarity

 

[Journey2Million$]

1. I never succeeded in anything until I studied success advice, listened to affirmations, etcetera. That's cuz I grew up with horrible parents and horrible school kids who abused me every day and taught me to be a loser like them, even though I was far smarter than them. I still occasionally listen to affirmations for maintenance. They feed positive thoughts into my mind and help me succeed and be happy, unlike the assholes I grew up with who fed negative words and discouragement into my mind and ruined my life.

2. Think positive thoughts and be optimistic. Look for the gold in the world, not the shit. Open yourself to great opportunities. Look for the silver lining.

3. I eat healthy food, like organic veggies and meat, coconut milk, and various high quality supplements and superfoods.

4. My juice machine is a big deal. It makes a big difference for my health and energy. Everybody should use one. I use veggie juice instead of caffeine for energy. Caffeine will drain precious minerals from your body and F*ck up your health. Minerals are hard to get from food these days, and caffeine will make you pee out what little you have.

5. Stay far away from toxic people and losers. Hang around the winners.

6. Be disciplined as you can. Work hard, persevere, get serious, don't make a weak effort.

7. Learn a lot about nutrition and natural healing of your body. Your body is your vehicle, like a car, and you need to take the best care of it to go anywhere. Don't trust doctors and the drug industry. They just want to keep you sick so they can make a lot of money selling you tests, surgery, and drugs.

 

[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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[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.

 

[axiom]

1. Pick 3 Books. Read them everyday. A few months ago, I read everything in sight. I told myself it was to learn, and that was part of the reason. Mostly though, I was action faking and time wasting. Dropped the books. Picked my 3 favorites. Decided to read them and re-read them until I mastered their concepts and applied them in my life. Its better to be a master of a few things than mediocre at many.

2. Repeat your goals to yourself every single morning. It keeps them at the forefront of your mind. This way, you won't become distracted by all of the little details and problems in life. Plus it gets you pumped.

3. Instead of reading motivational quotes, imagine yourself speaking them. Motivational quotes and videos give you a quick shot of adrenaline, and then it dies out. Instead, imagine yourself as the motivational speaker. Imagine you are inspiring millions. Works every time.

4. Drink butter coffee. This is the one fad that I am happy to be a part of. Because it works. Coffee, grass-fed butter, and MCT oil leaves me with lasting energy throughout the day. No jitters. No sharp crash. Its great. By the way, its not that expensive if you don't buy the Bulletproof brand. Dave Asprey did a good job of convincing people that it only works with his brand, but that's not true at all.

5. Take kratom. I believe I've mentioned it in another post, but a big factor in my life is kratom. I won't go into too much detail here--you can look it up and decide if its for you. Essentially, it helps to keep my mindset strong, my productivity high, and my drive through the roof. If taken the right way, there is no tolerance build up. Get high quality kratom, and you are good to go. I may open a thread about it if people are interested. I'm still fairly new to it.

6. 80/20 Principle. Look it up. Learn it. Apply it. Live by it.

7. Eliminate social media/regular media. Social media is for vain and depressed people to show off to other vain and depressed people. Also, regular media is corrupt and nearly always biased. I avoid both. Saves me a lot of time.

There are more, but those are the main ones.

 

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[Moodswing]

Low Information Diet.

This means that I allow myself to have only a few sites I take knowledge from and ignore/block all the other bullshit. And by bullshit I mean stuff like Radio/TV/Facebook/Twitter/Video Games (Consoles/Phones/Tablets). It's all negative anyway. You don't need any of that shit. And basically if you really give it a try for a week to a few weeks you will start to notice you don't need it at all. You will also notice that your anxiety levels drop and you become more "peacefull"/rested. Happend for me at least!

And oh yeah, basically if you used to use all of the above, like me. You will notice you get a hell of a lot of extra time!

 

[Daniel A]

While using your computer (which I'm assuming you're doing now), you can help yourself focus by visiting the following website and letting the sounds play in the background.

http://www.calm.com/

I've had a "PRO" subscription to the android app for a while now and I'm finally going to make guided meditation a habit.

Anyways, the website itself has peaceful / calming background sounds that you can play while on your computer. Right now I'm listening to water running, birds chirping, etc. while inside a building.

I really do notice that I'm more present and the ADD internet effect isn't being triggered. It's a good "life hack" that I thought I'd share.

 

[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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[Jamesdoesmith]

Two new ones as I think I posted in here before.

Don't complain

Everything that happens to you is your fault. Own it.

 

[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.