For years I longed to be organized and to know where I could find things. I wished I knew where to put the things that I left lying around. My house was a mess, my head even worse. Little by little I saw the light (literally). I removed the clutter and organized myself in such a way that my disorganization no longer hindered my success. Here are some of the ideas that I have found to work and that I still use in my day to day life....

It is annoying when people reply with a curt “k” to a cheerful dinner invitation. What gets my goat is the excessive use of smileys and emoticons. This awesome video from Buzzfeed iterates the texting commandments; do watch. Featured photo credit: BuzzFeed via goo.gl

Waking Up at Different Stages Of Sleep Determines Your Energy Level Everyone sleeps in cycles. Throughout the night, your sleep ranges from “light sleep,” in which you are easily woken, to “deep sleep,” which entails rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. If you are woken from a deep sleep, you will feel tired, whereas if you are roused from a state of light sleep, you will wake up feeling refreshed. Each cycle lasts for approximately 90 minutes, and is made up of four phases in total....

Mihai Parparita, frontend tech lead of Google Reader, goes ahead and releases a GreaseMonkey that integrates Google Reader with Gmail. Outcome is great, because you can read your feeds just like you read an email in Gmail. It is an unofficial feature, but the integration makes Reader part of Gmail already, which in my opinion that it fits there very well (Google, you don’t have to launch another product – integrate Reader into an existing product instead)....

In this video I take a look at using Gmail as your primary email client. And it stands up surprisingly well! There are a few features that you do need to know about and a few add-ons that you should integrate in order to make Gmail serviceable, but if you take the time to learn a few tricks Gmail just might be the answer to your email productivity woes.

A lot has been written about dating. Some people rally enjoy dating, but for many, dating seems like a horrific trauma. Consider how many people stay in unsatisfying or even outright bad relationships because they’re even more terrified by the prospect of being “out there” again. Dating can be a chore because it seems so far removed from real life. But I wonder if there aren’t some everyday lessons we can learn from dating....

We all know that play is important for kids. Play teaches them coordination, adult roles, social interaction, and basic problem-solving skills. But somehow, we’ve fallen prey to the idea that play is only important for kids. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Bzzz! Wrong! Neener-neener-neener!...

Credit: StumbleUpon Featured photo credit: YouTube via m.youtube.com

As an alternative to posting the hackneyed advice of self-proclaimed life coaches and storytellers (e.g. Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, etc…), I thought I’d collect and share advice from real people in the mySomeday community that achieved real goals. In the past, they admitted to having issues with finishing what they started. “So, what was different this time?”, I asked. Although they all agreed that building a detailed step-by-step Plan was essential, each had a unique aspect to that Plan that kept them motivated....

Victoria Siemer – a.k.a Witchoria, a Brooklyn based graphic designer – is currently creating a series of photographs names “Human Error”. Updated weekly, Siemer captures the nostalgia of vintage Polaroid pictures and digitally overlays them with tweaked computer errors. These seemingly recognisable errors actually contain elements of ennui, existential crisis and heartbreak. They’re sort of like the teenage love child of Windows Vista and Tumblr, yet they explore the human experience beautifully by tying old and new technology together....

It’s so easy to be overwhelmed with long, detailed lists of actions to be dealt with and so have your attention fixed remorselessly on the short-term. Business leaders succumb to this all the time. They obsess about next quarter’s results and targets. It seems that a majority of managers are willing to give up on important, value-creating projects to “make the numbers” for the quarter instead. Some even compromise the long-term health of the business in favor of short-term achievements, as I noted this week in Short-termism, over at Slow Leadership....

Yahoo! GTD (Part 1) Yahoo! GTD (Part 2)

If anyone is interested, drop me a quick email and we can talk about the details.

Guide to Finding Venture Capital – [Work.com]

As the end of the year quickly approaches, here are ten martini recipes that sure will make your guests raise a hand when you pass around these delicious concoctions. 1. Nuts and Berries Martini Perfect for the holidays, this sweet martini has all of the elements to put a smile on your guests’ faces. It has fruity and creamy flavors with a kick at the end. 2. Hazelnut Mochaspresso Martini If you are looking for the perfect martini to help your guests feel the holiday cheer, look no further than this recipe!...

I tend to have a nice meal before drinking and to drink a lot of water while I’m out and before I go to bed, but I think the idea of adding a glass of milk to my pre-drinking routine could certainly help. As someone who is particularly prone to hangovers, I’ve tried just about everything and have found the only good hangover cure is prevention and moderation. Do any of you have any hangover cures you swear by?...

1. Your kids ask how YOU are doing from time to time 2. You are no longer a walking ATM The days of being asked, “Hey Mom, got a twenty?” are OVER. By this time, junior has a job and learning to pay for rent, car payments and (gasp) even his own toilet paper! I remember the time I moved into my first studio apartment. I was sitting on the john and thought, “Oh man, I’ve got to buy EVERYTHING around here!...

Professor Jihae Shin, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources at the Wisconsin School of Business (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Katherine L. Milkman from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) conducted an experiment to research this topic and have concluded that it is–indeed–a very accurate statement. Their research proves that merely thinking through a backup plan, in most cases, reduces overall goal performance and hurts the chances of successfully achieving the primary goal....

When you see someone in need, it can cost you very little to lend a hand … and in turn gives somebody else a priceless gift. To all single parents out there, life can be tough. Show compassion. Show kindness. Everything that goes around comes around. You CAN. You WILL.

Bruschetta Bruschetta is made up of very simple flavors; therefore, it is best if you make it with highest quality and freshest ingredients you can find. Ingredients: 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (roma, heirloom, beefsteak… whatever is in season is best) 4 cloves fresh garlic 1 bunch fresh basil 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil sea salt and fresh ground pepper Italian bread or baguette Prep Time: 15 minutes Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can....