Unclutterer » The Real Cost of Financial Clutter on the Road to a Remarkable Life

Some tips that sound like good advice. Now I'll have to follow up on these sometime:

Every time you spend a dollar, you sacrifice a bit of your future.

Calculate the true value of your time.

Physically unclutter your living space.

Set some big goals - and remind yourself of them all the time.

Use the true value of your time - and those visual reminders of your big dreams - every time you consider making a purchase.

Go through every. single. monthly. bill.

De-clutter your debt.

Unclutterer » Archive » The Real Cost of Financial Clutter on the Road to a Remarkable Life

Jott's Web 2.0 Sites Integration

I started using Jott.com this week and it's useful. I tried it November 07 but the transcription service wasn't that great and I didn't get my email very quickly. Seems they've worked the bugs and it's worth checking out again. As I setup more contacts, I noticed that I could even twitter from my cell phone now. That's cool. They also have a ton of other sites integrated like blogger, Xpenser, and bunch more which I've never heard of. Here's the full list:

Dainese airbag suit for 2010

Looks weird but if it works then I'd wear one.

PsyBlog: The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite

I try to remember this little tidbit below when speaking with most people. They will take their perceived stand but when faced with the situation they will probably bend. I include myself in this category.

that people don't do what they say they will in many situations - has been backed up by countless later studies, although in more sophisticated fashion. The question is: why?

PsyBlog: The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite

Hand-Eye Coordination: Can You Improve It?

I started researching this topic to see if there is something, late in life, that you can do to improve this type of coordination. While I doubt I'll get much better at Tennis, I'll certainly give the eye focusing exercise a try.

Can you improve your "sports vision?" Are there exercises that can help your eyes? Because I treat so many professional and high-level athletes, I am often asked if vision can be improved as it relates to sports performance.

While I don't think there are exercises that can improve your vision per se, you can improve the way your body tracks moving objects by doing some simple drills. This will help on the field and on the court.

Try playing catch with a friend. Use a large Wiffle Ball (or any larger ball). Write large letters and numbers on the ball with a Sharpie. Try to call out the last number or letter you see before catching the ball. Also practice quickly focusing on a near, then far object. Keep going back and forth - faster and faster, focusing on your ability to focus properly.

Hand-Eye Coordination: Can You Improve It? on Yahoo! Health

"Power Shift" - How to Boost Your Memory

If you see someone doing a Felix the Cat impression then they might be trying to remember something. According to this article below, moving your eyes left to right can help you remember. I'd be interested to know if anyone actually does this or has used to this trick to help them remember.

A recent study suggests that merely glancing from left to right (the traditional “shifty look” of spies and sneaks) can boost memory power and help people differentiate between real and imagined memories. Moving the eyes up and down had no such effect. The trick may work because the specific left/right eye movement engages both the left and right hemispheres of the brain at the same time. As little as 30 seconds of the activity could be enough to help you remember where you left your wallet, or the number sequence needed to deactivate that bomb.

"Power Shift" -How to Boost Your Memory | The Daily Galaxy: News from Planet Earth & Beyond

Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog - Advice from 256 year old man

It's not certain whether Li Ching-Yun actually lived to be that old but his advice is useful: "Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog."

Here is the excerpt from the Time magazine article from 1933:

In the province of Szechwan in China lived until last week Li Ching-yun. In China where Age means something he was a great man. By his own story he was born in 1736, had lived 197 years. By the time he was ten years old he had traveled in Kansu, Shansi, Tibet, Annam, Siam and Manchuria gathering herbs. He continued to gather herbs for the rest of his first 100 years. He lived on herbs and plenty of rice wine. When asked for his secret of long life. Li Ching-yun gave it readily: "Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog." The "Scholar War Lord" Wu Pei-fu. not satisfied with this formula, took Li into his home and was lectured on "how to get the most out of each century" by maintaining "inward calm." Some said he had buried 23 wives, was living with his 24th. a woman of 60, had descendants of eleven generations. The fingernails of his venerable right hand were six inches long. Yet to skeptical Western eyes he looked much like any Chinese 60-year-old. In 1930 Professor Wu Chung-chieh, dean of the department of education at Chengtu University, found records that the Imperial Chinese Government had congratulated one Li Ching-yun in 1827 on his birthday. The birthday was his 150th, making the man who died last week—if it was the same Li Ching-yun, and respectful Chinese preferred to think so—a 256-year-old.

Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog - TIME

Animoto Rocks!

Here is my first test with it and it's pretty freaking cool.

Try it: www.animoto.com

flickrvision

This interesting to watch but don't stare at it too long. It can be a time killer if you let it.

flickrvision

This American Life Promo #2: First TV Season on DVD

If you've never heard this show then find an hour where you're driving or walking the dog and listen to it. It's a great show that tells real stories of different people. I only discovered it recently but I'm already hooked. Check it out online or through iTunes:

Anne Lamott: Put the puppy back on the paper | 43 Folders

Merlin Mann mentioned this in one his podcasts and since then it's been a helpful reminder that I've adopted as well. So in my office (@ home currently), I have this reminder posted to the wall. My wife asked me the other day what it meant because she was bothered by it.

The idea is to gently remind yourself to get your focus back. I can easily let my mind wander at the slightest distraction. So this tip is very useful for me when my focus needs to be readjusted:

Next time you start to beat yourself up for all the things that aren’t working out or all the ways you’re falling short in your own eyes, try thinking about that puppy and what might be the best way to guide it back to the paper.

Anne Lamott also has the concept of the "shitty first draft" (sfd). This a great starting point for just about any project or post. Start by dumping some thoughts/ideas on paper or index card. Then move on to the second draft, third, etc. It's a way to get you to do some kind of action on whatever needs to get done. And action is really what it's about.

G.I. Joe always said that knowing is half the battle. As a kid it made me wonder, "Wtf is the other half?"

It's the doing.

Anne Lamott: Put the puppy back on the paper | 43 Folders

Another name

The thing that has your attention is what you're truly focused on. Well lately I've been focused on GTD/self improvement things. So to keep my attention focused on keeping with these positive changes, I've changed the name of this blog to Peaceful Warrior. This concept comes from the book "The Four Agreements". It's a Toltec way of life/thinking which sounds very interesting as a life philosophy. The warrior part refers to the war of the individual mind rather than a soldier. Anyways, I like the concept so I'll give it my best effort.

This American Life - Great Radio Show

This is a great show with humor, heart and some insight. It's great to listen to the different stories through my iPod. Here is a brief description of the show:

If you've never heard This American Life, our staff's favorite shows page provides a great introduction to what we do. You might want to start there. After a few episodes, we're sure you'll figure it out. Or, if you're looking for a written introduction, here goes:
One of our problems from the start has been that when we try to describe This American Life in a sentence or two, it just sounds awful. For instance: each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. That doesn't sound like something we'd want to listen to on the radio, and it's our show.
So usually we just say what we're not. We're not a news show or a talk show or a call-in show. We're not really formatted like other radio shows at all.

This American Life - About Our Radio Show

Humanity Lobotomy - Second Draft

Net Neutrality sucks! This video does a good job of explainining why.

Parenting tips roundup

There's no shortage of lists on the net and rather than talking about all the different posts I'll list the links and the concise version of the "advice". Most of which is common advice but still good to remember:

How to be a Great Dad - 12 Awesome Tips | Zen Habits

Put their interests first, always.

Protect them.

Spend your spare time with them. --The thing kids want most from their dads is their time.

Give them hugs.

Play with them.  See 100 Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids for Free or Cheap.

Do the “mom” stuff. changing diapers, feeding, bathing, rocking them to sleep in the middle of the night.

Read to them. This is one of the most important things you can do for your child. See the Best All-Time Children’s Books.

Stand by mom. Don’t contradict their mother in front of them, don’t fight with her in front of them, and most definitely don’t ever abuse her. 

Teach them self-esteem. Maybe this should be No. 1.Praise and encourage, don’t reprimand and discourage.

Teach them about finances.

Be good to yourself. You need to take care of yourself, give yourself some alone time, and some time with your buddies, also eat healthy, exercise.

Be good to the mom. Take her to dinner, give her a massage, do chores around the house for her, give her some time alone and babysit while she goes out, show affection to her, give her little surprises. Because when mom’s happy, the kids are happy. And dad will be happy too!

How to Raise Wonderful Kids - 15 Fantastic Tips to Shine as a Parent

Do the following:

Let your family be one of your top priorities.

Listen to them.

Be the life coach of your kids.

Expose them to art and wonder.

Teach them the value of people.

Teach them how to save.

Reward them.

Teach them how to handle disappointments.

Avoid the following:

Don’t teach them your limitations.

Don’t force them.

Don’t fight or argue in front of them.

Don’t act cheap.

Don’t lose patience.

Tony Robbins motivates you in 20 minutes: TEDTalks

I've never heard him talk before but Tony Robbins in this talk is very good. He's got some great points that make you think about your life. I recommend checking out the 20 minute video.