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Why it's better to stay on schedule and put off unfinished tasks (yes, put off tomorrow what you can't do today)

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It’s easy to fall into the habit of pushing through a task until it’s finished. After all, completing something in one go feels productive. But what if stopping at the planned time actually made you more efficient? At first, this might seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t it be better to just power through? But the reality is, moving on when scheduled—rather than sticking with a task indefinitely—creates structure, reduces stress, allows us to spend less time overall, and leads to better long-term results. Why Sticking to Your Schedule Works: 1. Avoids the Domino Effect When one task runs over, it pushes everything else back. This leads to a cycle where the whole day falls behind. By keeping to your scheduled time blocks, you prevent this chain reaction. 2. Reduces Stress & Decision Fatigue Ever found yourself debating, Should I finish this now, or should I move on? That mental back-and-forth is exhausting. With timeboxing, there’s no debate—just follow the schedule and trust that every...

Why You Might Want to Skip Snacking: The Surprising Benefits of Avoiding Snacks

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Do you find yourself mindlessly reaching for snacks throughout the day? When it's time for a meal, are you just not very hungry? Or maybe you tend to gravitate toward food whenever you experience strong positive or negative emotions? These are all struggles I’ve faced, and over time, I’ve come to realize that avoiding snacking can bring surprising benefits. Through research and experimentation, I’ve discovered that skipping snacks may improve my discipline, help me enjoy more satisfying meals, and even provide better control over emotional eating. Here's a closer look at why avoiding snacks might just be the key to a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. 1. Improve Your Discipline Snacking is often impulsive—reaching for food without much thought. By cutting out snacks, I’ve had to build more discipline, particularly when it comes to meals. I find myself more mindful of my hunger cues and less likely to overeat during mealtime. 2. Have More Satisfying Meals When you skip sna...

Why I Switched to Using an Apple Watch as My Phone in 2024 (Leaving my iPhone at Home)

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In 2023, I realized how distracting my phone had become. While I've always loved researching things, having instant access to information through my phone and platforms like ChatGPT made it easy to get pulled in, often in an addictive way. I wanted to make a change. When I discovered that the new Apple Ultra Watch offers 36 hours of battery life, I saw an opportunity to make that change. If you're in a similar situation or just curious about the idea, this post outlines the benefits I’ve experienced in 2024, the disadvantages, and my plans for 2025. Benefits of Using the Apple Watch as a Phone 1. Avoiding Distractions The biggest benefit of switching to using an Apple Watch is the reduction in distractions. If you don’t see distraction as a major issue, this system may not be for you. However, if you’re like me and find it difficult to stay focused with your phone constantly drawing you in, this method can be a game-changer. By leaving my phone behind, I have the chance to thin...

How to Prevent Laundry from Sprawling All Over the House (The 2-Basket Laundry System)

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When my spouse and I first got married, we often had laundry scattered all over the house in the process of being folded. It seemed easy to just pull clothes out of the dryer and put them away, but life happens. You don’t always have the time to put laundry away right when it’s ready. And then another load goes through the washer—where do you put the clean clothes? Well, on the bed, of course! Or maybe somewhere else in the house. What started as a simple solution soon turned into chaos. The laundry began to take over every room. After some serious brainstorming, we came up with a much better way to tackle the laundry mess: The 2-Basket System . What Is the 2-Basket System? Instead of just having a dirty laundry basket, you also have a clean laundry basket for each person in your household. This is the key to keeping things organized!  We opted to install some shelving above our washer and dryer to store the clean baskets. Now, when you’re putting laundry in the dryer but there are...

How to Mop Your Floors Without Dirtying the Water (Is It Possible?)

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I’ve always thought mops were pretty gross. You move them around the floor to collect dirt, then put that dirt back in the pail, only to spread it out across the floor again. If you’re like me and want a cleaner, more efficient way to mop, this post is for you! Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to pristine floors, without ever putting dirty water back in your pail and using a mop head that’s always fresh and clean. Step 1: Get a Mop with Detachable Heads The first step is to get a mop that allows for easy detachable mop heads. I use this one (I’m not receiving any commission for sharing this link): Buy Mop on Amazon But feel free to choose any mop with detachable heads that suits you! Step 2: Get Your Mop Heads You’ll need a separate mop head for each area of your home. For example, I use five mop heads for the following areas: Downstairs bathroom and middle bathroom Playroom Kitchen Living room Upstairs bathroom For mop heads, I personally use these Mop Heads . You can use whatever ...

What's the Best Strategy for Buying Individual Stocks (and Crypto?)

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More and more of us are realizing how difficult it is to outperform the stock market, yet if you are like me, you still love the idea of being part of something that could go big—so we pick individual stocks. This post is dedicated to those looking for the best strategy for buying individual stocks and crypto investments. Principle 1: Invest for the Long Run Avoid investing based on hype or short-term trends. Instead, focus on assets that you believe will perform well over the long term. Investing with a long-term mindset helps you avoid emotional reactions to market fluctuations and makes it more likely that your investment will have time to grow. Principle 2: Pick Your Exit Date One of the best things you can do when buying a stock or crypto asset is to decide in advance when you will sell. Setting a sell date from the start helps you avoid common psychological pitfalls that lead to poor investing decisions. These include: Overconfidence – Thinking you can consistently predict marke...

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure and Find Success (Invest in Loss)

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Josh Waitzkin, who won multiple U.S. Junior Chess Championships and later became a World Tai Chi Champion, discusses "investing in loss" in his book The Art of Learning. I love how this idea makes learning something new feel freeing and fun. Here's a summary of that principle. Invest in Loss Be willing to lose and embrace discomfort in order to gain deeper insights and long-term success. In the pursuit of mastery, there are times when you need to take risks, try new techniques, and experiment with different strategies, even if it means temporarily losing or underperforming. This approach allows you to break through plateaus and develop a more profound understanding of your craft. It's a mindset that prioritizes learning and growth over the fear of failure, ultimately leading to greater mastery in whatever field you're pursuing. What are your thoughts? What tips do you have for mastering something new? Share your thoughts below!