Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts

Supporting Your Child Through Life Changing Events

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When it comes to childhood, we like to think of it being a time of fun and carefree days and nothing untoward that will ruin that. As magical as we want childhood to be for our children, things don't always pan out the way we want them to. It is a sad reality that at some point children may experience the kind of issues that even adults struggle to process and deal with effectively.

Do Word Puzzles Keep Your Mind Sharp Or Not?

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For years, companies have been encouraging adults to engage in regular “brain training” to train their neurons, just like their muscles, and make them stronger. But the relationship between solving puzzles and cognitive performance is anything but clear cut. Doing crosswords doesn’t seem to have a one-to-one relationship with the sharpness of our minds. So what the heck is going on? 

What Does The Evidence Say? 

When psychologists and brain researchers examined the question, they found conflicting results. A 2001 study in Brain and Cognition, for instance, found that as people get older, they perform worse on games designed to test working memory. Younger subjects almost always had the upper hand.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology from 1999 found that older people who do crosswords don’t experience any reduction in the speed of cognitive decline. So, the researchers concluded that the brain might not be analogous to muscle tissue at all. 

But then another study in Psychology of Aging in 2000, found that doing crosswords regularly did, in fact, reduce the speed of memory loss as people get older.

So what the heck is going on here? Can you really train your brain like the rest of your body to keep it youthful?

The Importance Of Hidden Information

Although the science is mixed, some researchers think that certain types of word puzzles can actually help cognition. 

Consider a riddle, “what is full of holes but still carries water?” 

You can’t just read the statement and then think it through analytically to solve it. You won’t get anywhere. No matter how long you stare at it, the answer won’t pop out at you from the words on the page. 

Instead, you have to think “out of the box,” drawing on your knowledge of context. Eventually, if you think broadly enough, the idea of a sponge will enter your mind, and you will solve the riddle. 


The cognitive processes here are profound. Not only do you have to unscramble the problem, but you also have to open yourself up to novel ideas. Otherwise, you can’t resolve the riddle at all. It is a necessary part of the process. 

Finding hidden information is essentially what riddles are all about. They appear to allude to something that doesn’t make sense on the surface, but that can be resolved with the right idea. 

Riddles have appealed to people down the centuries, partly because their solutions are so unexpected and novel. You get a buzz of satisfaction when you solve one that makes you want to go on and do the next. 

Word puzzles, like riddles, therefore, could help train the mind by creating new connections in a way that many other types of problems don’t. Perhaps that’s why there have been mixed results in the literature. Performing rote calculations (in sudoku, for instance) uses well-worn neural pathways. But solving a riddle necessarily implies having to come up with an entirely novel solution. 

What do you think? Can solving riddles make you a better thinker overall? 



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How To Improve Your Next Business Trip

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You may have a job that requires you to travel often for business purposes. In this case, it’s worth you taking the time to learn how you can improve your next experience away so that it’s smooth and productive.
Remember that you’re representing your company while you’re away so you must act professionally in all circumstances to uphold your reputation. You not only want to survive these periods away from the office but truly thrive so you can return home feeling satisfied with your travels. Follow these suggestions, and you’re likely to start looking forward to your future business trips instead of dreading them.

Research Hotels in Advance

Improve your next business trip by researching places to stay in advance. Read up on hotels in the area and reviews by other travels before booking a room. You want to make sure that you’re not only in a safe location but that the hotel will be comfortable and cozy for sleeping. You may also want to confirm there are amenities available such as a restaurant and exercise room. Verify that your hotel isn’t too far from your daily meeting location so that you aren’t wasting a lot of time commuting. Monitor prices and watch for deals to pop up so that you can get the best rate possible and save some money.

Be Prepared to Work Remotely

You’re going to want to stay in touch with your coworkers about projects that are unfolding back at the office when traveling for work. Your business trip will be a lot less stressful if you’re able to work remotely when you have breaks in your schedule without running into any obstacles. It’s a wise idea to ensure you can access important files and email messages while you’re away. Turn on your out of office so that people aren’t expecting an immediate response from you. Furthermore, do your homework about which screen-sharing app you might want to have available to you by reviewing this information https://setapp.com/how-to/top-screen-sharing-mac-apps. Having this capability will be useful if you happen to have technical problems with your computer and need an expert to access your machine while you’re in another location quickly.

Pack & Travel Light

Your next business trip will be a lot more enjoyable when you pack and travel light. There’s no sense in bringing extra clothes and gear with you that’s only going to weigh you down. Check the weather forecast and plan out what you’ll wear each day, so you have the right amount of clothes packed. You can always buy what you don’t have or forget if need be. It’s good practice to try to fit anything you’re taking along in a carry-on so that you don’t have to check it or risk your luggage getting lost. Wear your largest and bulkiest shoes on the airplane, so there’s more room for your belongings in your carry-on.

Know the Purpose of Your Trip

You should avoid going on business trips for show or because you think it’ll make you look good. Instead, there should always be a valid reason and purpose for your travels. Improve your next business trip by thinking ahead about what sorts of takeaways you’re hoping to get out of your visit. The ultimate goal should be for you to be able to do your job better when you return home. Get the most out of your trip by meeting with as many clients in the area as possible, so you’re not continuing to travel back and forth repeatedly and having to spend money on flights and hotels. Take the time to plan out your schedule and agenda before you depart so that you can make the most out of each day.

Get Plenty of Sleep & Rest

Your business trip will be a lot more pleasant of an experience when you’re well-rested and don’t have to drag yourself around from one place to the next. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and rest in advance of your departure. Also, make it a point to when you’re on the plane and in your hotel room at the end of the day. Although you may have the opportunity to stay out late some nights, it’s in your best interest to go back to the hotel at a decent hour and get plenty of shuteye. Sleep will help you to think more clearly on your business trip, boost your mental health, and you’ll have more energy in the morning. Set boundaries for how long you want to work each day so that you can give yourself a break away from your responsibilities and the computer screen.

Eat Healthy & Exercise

Take good care of yourself while you’re away so you can have a better business trip. Improve your travel experience by making your health a priority, even though you’re away from home. Eat healthy meals as often as possible and try to stay away from or limit your intake of sugar and caffeine. You may also want to consider sticking with your workout routine and getting some exercise even though you’re out of your regular routine. Take advantage of your hotel’s gym or go for an early morning walk or jog outside and take in the new sights. You can avoid getting sick or feeling run down when you continue to care for your mind and body properly.

Work Ahead at the Office

The last situation you want is to feel stressed out and distracted while you’re attending a business or client meeting away from home. Therefore, commit to working ahead at the office once you know that you’ll be traveling for your job. Take care of any loose ends or important matters in advance so that you don’t have to think about them once you’re on your way to your meeting location. Ask someone from the office to pitch in and help cover for you so that you don’t have to feel pressured to check in with your team all the time. Your goal should be to allow yourself to remain as focused as possible while you’re on your next business trip so that you get the most out of it.  

Be Open to Meeting New People

Traveling for work is an excellent opportunity to network with and meet new people. Put yourself out there and be friendly and approachable so that you can interact with a variety of individuals. If you’re at a conference or seminar, sit with different people throughout the event and at lunch and hand out your business card so you can stay in touch with those you meet at a later date. It’ll be helpful to have people who you can feel comfortable contacting after the meeting if you have questions or need advice on a particular topic that was covered. You never know when someone you cross paths with will turn into a future client, boss, or friend.

Explore Locally


Improve your next business trip by taking the time to explore locally and check out the area where you’re staying. While work is what brought you to your destination, you’re also going to have some downtime that you should be sure to utilize wisely. Traveling is a chance to expand your horizons and learn new facts and information about places you’ve never been or seen before. You may even meet some new business contacts in the process of getting out and about in your location. Try new restaurants, go to a museum, and walk around sightseeing on your breaks so that you get the most out of being away from home.
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Future Planning: An Introduction To The FIRE Movement

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For most people, their career path is very simple. They go to college, find a job after graduating, and slowly but consistently work their way up the career ladder over the course of the next 30 or so years. Then, usually by the time they are in their 60s, they are able to retire. This is the conventional career route that has been a staple of society for decades; but it’s a route that a group of people are now challenging. 

Introducing FIRE 

FIRE stands for “financial independence, retire early”. The driving force behind the idea is that retirement is not something that people should have to wait until their 60s to achieve; instead, people focusing on FIRE look to retire as soon as possible, with some achieving this goal in their 30s (though between 40 and 50 is more standard). 

Frugality is a big part of the FIRE lifestyle; in many ways, the movement is strongly related to anti-consumerism, and people choosing to spend more time enjoying the simpler things in life rather than working in order to spend. 

How is FIRE possible?

There are a few additional considerations anyone contemplating FIRE will need to keep in mind - which we will discuss in more depth soon - but the core essentials are aggressive saving and investment. People looking to achieve FIRE will spend as little of their income as possible - saving 75% of income is far from uncommon - and will instead choose to invest. Over time, the combination of savings and compounded interest from investments results in people having a large enough sum of money to retire and be able to live on the income from investments alone, rather than relying on a salary. 

How much is considered sufficient to retire on?


Most people aiming for FIRE aim to save 25 times their anticipated annual living expenses. So, if you were to estimate that you would need to spend $60,000 per year, then you would need to save $1,500,000. The x25 rule is thought to be sufficient to allow people to withdraw 4% from their savings to meet their living costs during their retirement.

Is it really possible to save that much money?

While the idea of setting so much money aside may initially seem outlandish, it is a goal that many people are able to reach. Admittedly it’s not a short-term goal - without a lottery win or two, no one is going to achieve FIRE in just a few years  - but if you’d like to retire earlier than expected, then it can be done. 

How can you get started on the path to FIRE?

The path to FIRE will always be slightly different for every person who chooses to walk it, as everyone starts from different financial positions and with slightly different goals in terms of how much they want to be able to save. However, the general steps needed to reach FIRE are as follows: 

#1 - Cost cutting 

Cost cutting is crucially important to those looking to pursue FIRE for two reasons. Firstly, FIRE requires a much higher savings rate than the 5-10% of income that most people aim for, so outgoings will have to reduce to allow this to be possible. Secondly, when actually retired, living a low-cost, frugal lifestyle is incredibly important to ensuring funds are sustainable, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit as soon as possible.

You will therefore need to go through all of your expenses and see where you can cut back. Be stringent here: anything but essentials should at least be considered for cutting if you’re dedicated to reaching FIRE. For areas of your budget that cannot be cut entirely - such as groceries, insurance payments, and so on - look for ways to reduce the amount you spend instead.

#2 - Debt repayment

FIRE requires people to save and invest as much of their income as they possibly can, while spending as little as possible - a situation that is difficult if you are carrying credit card or student loan debt. These debts will continue to accrue interest for as long as they are outstanding, which means that there’s more money being spent servicing debt than there is being saved into a potential retirement pot - which is obviously less than ideal. 

As a result, the extra funds found after cost cutting should be put towards clearing debt rather than saving for retirement; by doing this, potentially hundreds (or even thousands, depending on the size of the debt) of dollars in interest can be saved and diverted to an early retirement fund instead. 

#3 - Mortgage repayment 

Owning a property is outright is an important part of FIRE, as having to pay a mortgage (or, worse still, rent to a landlord) will inevitably deplete savings significantly and reduce the amount available to live on when retired. As a result, ensuring that your mortgage is paid off should be your next focus when you have cleared all debts; there are various methods available when it comes to paying off a mortgage, so explore these and decide which will work best for you.  

#4 - Investing 

With your mortgage paid off, you can now consider your investment options. Within the FIRE community, low-cost index funds are perhaps the most popular, but experiences and preferences do vary, so it’s advisable to seek the assistance of a financial advisor who can help decide which investments are the right choice for your specific goals. 

A quick note: Above, we have suggested that mortgage repayment and then investment is the best choice for those looking to achieve FIRE - but this is a hotly-debated topic within the FIRE community. 

Some people believe that investments and mortgage payments should be done at the same time (so interest can be earned on investments during the mortgage repayment), while others say, as we have, it’s best to focus all funds in paying off your mortgage first so that this important step can be achieved as soon as possible. 

The decision, however, is entirely yours: if you would like to split your focus, choosing to invest and pay off your mortgage at the same time, then you can do so - the route to FIRE is different for everyone, so go with what you believe to best the best course of action for you. No two routes to FIRE are the same!

Common questions people ask about FIRE 


FIRE is such an unusual idea that it is natural people may have further questions about how it works, so below we’ve sought to answer the most commonly-asked questions...

#1 - Is it possible to retire early and still pay college tuition for my children? 

Yes, but it’s complicated; there’s a helpful guide here that parents should find useful when deciding how to factor college tuition into their FIRE plans. 

#2 - Is FIRE for me if I love my job and don’t want to stop working?

Absolutely! Many people who reach FIRE continue to work even when, mathematically speaking, they do not absolutely need to. The goal of FIRE is to simply have the financial independence to choose to work, rather than having to work out of financial necessity. 

#3 - Is property ownership an essential for FIRE? 

Realistically, yes - even if you would like to live a nomadic lifestyle (such as travelling the country in an RV) post-retirement. Property is an excellent investment, so even if you’re not intending to live in your current home when you’re retired, it will still be a valuable asset and can contribute to your income if you choose to, for example, rent the property out while you explore the world. 

#4 - Should I try to increase my income in order to reach my goal faster? 

Yes, doing so can be beneficial and is a common choice for many people focused on FIRE. It is usually preferable to try and increase your hours/wage in your day job rather than embarking on a potentially-unreliable side hustle, though you can give this a try if you would prefer to do so and have the time available. 

#5 - What happens to early retirees if the market crashes? 

As we have discussed, FIRE is highly dependent on investments - but, of course, the market can go up as well as down, which could spell trouble for those who are solely reliant on investments for income. This concern is one of the reasons why working with a financial advisor is so important; they will help to diversify risk and ensure that funds are stable even in the event of a market crash. In addition, keeping some savings in cash (as in a high-interest standard savings account; not storing literal cash) can be a good way of protecting against market downswings. 

In conclusion

The FIRE movement definitely goes against convention, but can be an incredibly positive step for those who choose to commit to it. We hope the above has provided food for thought and, if you decide FIRE is the right choice for you and your family, we hope the journey is as smooth as it can possibly be.


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Journey to Finding Life's Purpose - Part 4

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MEDITATION CAN UNLOCK THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Meditation isn’t just for the Yogis and Buddhist monks of the world anymore. Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Meditation and mindfulness have never been more popular than they are today. It’s now a tool used by medical professionals in a variety of fields and in the business world. Prisons are even teaching meditation to inmates.


Journey to Find Life's Purpose - Part 3

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FINDING YOUR PURPOSE THROUGH WRITING


Most of us don’t enjoy writing. A lot of people would much rather ponder things, but writing can be a very powerful tool. Clearly, if you have read my blog, you know I am not of that persuasion.  I have written posts on why I think everyone should have a journal, how to motivate yourself to journal daily,  and how to nurture your creative mind with journaling.  


Journey to Finding Life's Purpose - Part 1

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Do you wake up each day dreading the idea of spending another day at work? You might even feel the need to be a part of something bigger and more meaningful. If you’ve failed to discover and build your life around your life purpose, you might feel dissatisfied with your life. Determining the purpose of your life can be a simple process.


Developing a Strong Relationship with Your Teen

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Teenagers are a challenge. They can drive you crazy, eat up all of your disposable income and bring all kinds of dramas into your home, but there’s no denying your love for them. Your child’s teenage years are when they start becoming adults, shaping who they’re going to be in the future. It’s a time you’ll want to be around for which can be difficult when your teenager is trying to push the boundaries.

Lack of Time is Lack of Priorities

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Time Management

At the end of the day, it’s all about time management. When it comes to time management, we don’t want to admit we don't have it all together. It’s one of the hardest issues to face and can be a challenge. However, the good news is it’s very doable.

How to Get Better at Managing Priorities

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Managing Life Areas

In order to live a whole, full, and complete life, you need to break your life down into categories. What are the categories that are most important to you? Which ones are you most successful in? Where is there a breakdown and you need to recreate?

The Focus and Action Required to Achieve Your Dream Life Now

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Focus on Your Goals

Meditate on your goals. If you’re like most dreamers, your dreams are so big and so vast, you think about them and just as quickly, you put them aside because they are too big and too unrealistic. Rather than look at the big dramatic picture of your dreams, meditate on your goals.

How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal

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How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal



You already know that a bullet journal can help you make lists for the future, build your business, manage your finances, and relieve your stress. But perhaps one of the greatest benefits to this type of journal is that it can help organize your entire life.


Bullet Journaling 101: The Fundamentals of a #Bujo


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Bullet Journals 101

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several months, you have probably heard of bullet journaling. However, understand exactly what it is and what is involved is a little trickier.