A few hours is the longest 31% could go without a smartphone

A few hours is the longest 31% could go without a smartphoneA few hours is the longest 31% could go without a smartphoneWhile research has found that were so obsessed with our phones, we emotionally connect to them, it makes sense that we like to have them close by at all times.New results from YouGovshow that 31% of Americans say they think the longest amount of time that they could be without their smartphones for personal use is simply a few hours. Millennials were defined as people born anywhere between 1982 and 1999, Generation X-ers were people born between 1965 and 1981, and lastly, Baby Boomers were those born between 1946 and 1964.How long people could be away from their phonesThirty-two percent of all surveyed said that they never check their phone while on a date, while 24% admitted to doing so once or twice.But that doesnt mean that we dont have a strong appetite for our phones.Respondents weighed in on the longest amount of time that they could not have their smartphones for personal use.A few hours 31%A full day 17%A few days 13%More than a year 10%An hour or less 8%A week 5%A few weeks 4%But where work is concerned, 53% said that they never look at whats going on with their phones while in a meeting lasting 30 minutes.Where Americans smartphones are during sleepOn my bed next to me 17% of all respondents, 24% millennialsDirectly next to my bed (nighstand or table) 42% of all respondents, 46% of millennialsSomewhere else in my room 11% of all respondents, 16% of millennialsIn a different room 22% of all respondents, 7% of millennialsMillennials clearly arent fans of having their phones in another room while theyre getting some shuteye.Twenty-three percent ofrespondents said that they always use their phones for functions other than the alarm clock within the first 10 minutes of waking up, like apps and the Internet.

Why being a workaholic could come back to bite you

Why being a workaholic could come back to bite youWhy being a workaholic could come back to bite youIn todays work culture, its not surprising when you come across a workaholic. You know, those people who stay way after hours because they want to. Maybe youre one of them. And while some companies revere this eat, sleep, and breathe work attitude (some even guilt their employees into it), its an awful way to live.Being a workaholic is a hell of a lot more than just working after hours from time to time. Workaholics often are literally addicted to the work theyre producing or the environment theyre in. They choose not to take a single vacation or to check their emails obsessively throughout the weekend. If you identify with any of unterstellung characteristics, you, too, could be a workaholic. And heres why all that OT could hurt you in the long run.Your health will probably suckThough it might be pretty obvious that working for nearly every waking hour of your life could take a toll o n your mental health, its more serious than that. Participants in a University of Bergen study who identified as workaholics - people who work excessively without being told to - were at a much greater risk for developing mental and personality disorders like ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression.And lets not forget that those who sit at desks for their jobs are already in health danger. But if youre choosing to spend more hours in the chair at work than normal, youre only further increasing your risk of prostate and breast cancers, as well as potentially ruining your posture permanently. Dont think standing desks dont have their risks, either.Youll be prioritizing work over everything elseIf youre a workaholic, it means youre spending the majority of your time - yep - at work. Any outside friends, family or other commitments typically fall by the wayside, which means those non-work connections will suffer. One 2017 study found that those who worked excessi vely had more issues with their homes and family.You may not actually be getting more work doneWorkaholics often lose out on rest throughout the day - and sometimes at night. While they may feel fine temporarily, their lack of sleep and general off time could actually affect their productivity negatively. Extended mental fatigue could actually make you less productive than those who have a clear work-life balance. But it gets worse Those who dont generally take time off from work could be damaging the problem-solving sections of their brains.It could actually cost you ($$$)Being obsessed with your work could not only cost you more money, but also your company some serious progress. Choosing not to take paid vacation and sick days means losing out on a ton of money, according to this report from Oxford Economics. Only 57% of Americans reported taking all of their vacation time - the average being 16 out of 20.9 vacation days. When adding up all that unused PTO, Americans lost a tot al of $52.4 billion in benefits that year.Your companys growth could seriously suffer as well. Work-related stress costs U.S. businesses up to $300 billion each year in productivity loss.This article originally appeared on Swirled.

9 Quick Resume Fixes from a Career Expert

9 Quick Resume Fixes from a Career Expert9 Quick Resume Fixes from an Expert9 Quick Resume Fixes from a Career ExpertBy now youve probably seen our Dont Be Dave video resume spoof. Daves cringe-worthy video blunders are fun to watch, but if youre hungry for usable tips to help your job search, check out this recent post on AOLs Jobs blog by Barbara Safani, expert resume writer, job search strategist, and owner of Career Solvers. Safani translated Daves video missteps into nine valuable recommendations you can use to fix your traditional written resume. Cleverly categorizing the errors under headings such as The Task Master, she points out that Dave describes skills and tasks, but offers nothing to back them up or show an employer the potential value he can offer. When you are up against hundreds of applicants with similar skills, says Safani, you are unlikely to stand out by just talking about stuff you do. Your job tasks arenot unique.Thats a mistake many written resumes share. The fix?Highlight the way you execute on those job tasksthat is what differentiates you and makes you successful.Be sure to read the other eight categories of tips, including The Time Warp, The Contextual Train Wreck, and The Cheese Doodle.In the end, if you really want to stand out, leave the gimmicky schemes to the unhirable Daves of the world, and stick to a well-written resume that targets the employers specific needs and illustrates how qualified you are to meet them.

5 everyday routines that are wrecking your productivity

5 everyday routines that are wrecking your productivity5 everyday routines that are wrecking your productivityIf you work a nine to five job, chances are the week before you go on vacation is pretty productive. In fact, Id bet that you get a normal weeks worth of work done in the two days before you head out of the office.Now, think about what would happen if you could be that productive every day- if you were always your pre-vacation self.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreA lot of people think thats out of reach. They think it would be impossible to get that much done on a consistent basis. Butincreasing your productivity isnt just about doing more work. Its also about figuring out what distracts you and removing those things from your day.If you want to get more done, then start eliminating behauptung five distracting habits from your day1 Mistaking Movement For ProgressEarly on in my career, I had the bright idea to get three computer monitors. That way, I could keep track of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, news stories, stock prices, and every other online event at the same time.Not surprisingly, it destroyed my productivity.Id made aclassic mistake- conflating movement with progress. The more information you have pouring in, the more itfeelslike youre doing something. But in reality, youre accomplishing less.Productivity is about getting things done, notlage watching them happen.2 Needing Constant ConnectionIn todays work environment, most distractions stem from the fear of missing out, or FOMO.Social media and the constant churn of the 24-hour news cycle has created a sense that things are alwayshappening.And if we dont catch them right away, well have missed out on something important.Take thefire in Notre Dame, for example. I love that cathedral. Ive been there and seen its majesty in person. Its hard to overstate its cultural importance.But I di dnt need to watch it burn in real-time.Yes, its important to stay up-to-date and informed- Im all for learning about the world we live in. But unless your job requires you to be on top of the latest breaking news, I promise it wont matter if you learn about a story a couple of hours later than everyone else.3 Having Unfocused Work TimeI hate to break it to all you multitaskers, butthe myth of multitaskinghas beenthoroughlydebunked. People just arent as productive or effective when they attempt to split their focus between a number of tasks.To truly be productive, its important you dont look at a two-hour block of time as simply work. If you go in with several different items you need to accomplish and 20 open browser tabs, you wont get the most out of your time. Youll become distracted and flit back and forth between one task and another.So you have to be specific about what youre doing with your time. Tell yourself exactly what youre going to work on for the first half-hour. Then t he next. Once you stop splitting your focus and start structuring your time, yourproductivitywill soar.4 Relying On Your MemoryI had tolearn this lessonthe hard way.When I was younger, I used to tell myself, Oh, Ill remember that. No problem. Of course, I wouldnt remember it and would miss the deadline, call, or whatever I needed to be doing. I dropped a few balls before I wised up, but today, I put everything on a to-do list or calendar.Its so much easier to jot down what you need to do, set reminders, and refer back to your schedule throughout the day. Youll save yourself some pain, and the reminders will keep you from getting distracted and drifting off into unproductive territory.5 Prioritizing Your Wants Over Your NeedsProductivity comes down to self-discipline.That means if youre traveling, but you need to get work done, you do it on the plane rather than watching a movie. It means if youre taking time off, you get all your work done first, then go hit the beach.I know it can be tough to prioritize what you dont want to do. But whenever I feel like putting off a task Im really not looking forward to, I think of a favorite quote of mine from the bookThe Hard Thing About Hard Things If youre gonna eat shit, dont nibble.Do what you have to and move on. Get the unpleasant work out of the way so you can focus on the next thing. Dont worry, the world will wait for you to get it done. People will still be posting on social media when youre finished with your work. The news cycle will keep spinning. That beach isnt going anywhere.Once you realize this secret- and begin cutting out distractions andbecoming more productive- you arent simply making room in your life for more work. Youre creating more time to do everything in life you really want to.This article first appeared on Minutes.

Top Choices of Resume Now

Top Choices of Resume Now Odds are yur words wont be in sync with your written resume if you arent thoroughly acquainted with exactly what your resume says. Wording plays a significant role in manifesting a great resume. Your resume will decide whether youre rejected or if youve got a running chance. The very last thing you would like is for your resume to let you down when youre actually the most suitable pick for the job. The response is to understand whats coming and be well prepared. Not certain what the heck is happening maybe shes overworked. Heres What I Know About Resume Now Be sure your contact information is all up to date. Resume or CV or cover letter is now a significant part our academic and the skilled lives. You know you must make stellar impression in order to acquire an interview. In the paper theres a subscription offer. The Unusual Secret of Resume Now The better an item works, the more sales will be created upon it. The sales resume examples below w ill provide you with some verstndigung im strafverfahren-clinching details about how to compose a best-in-class resume. If youre looking for work, you might be short on cash. On our site, you can order a complete package of services that each and every candidate needs when applying for work. Its essential when you build a resume to understand why the business should hire for a position. Lets see the function to receive a particular post. Besides consulting My Perfect Resume reviews, everyone can visit the website and find three primary steps for using the service. The way the Service Works My Perfect Resume is completely self-directed, so the quantity of time that it can take to experience the whole process will be different from rolle to person. So if theres been a gap between the former work and now it might be a little difficult. It is not hard to print on the incorrect side or upside down. One of the absolute most important issues that you ought to pay attention to creat e an effective resume is, it should highlight your most important features in the opinion of an employer. The very first step is to acquire the advertisement that you found and read it carefully a couple times to assemble information. Choosing Resume Now Is Simple Tailoring your resume to suit a possible employer is just the same. Writing your resume is important and is critical for this serves as your very first line of defence if you are looking for work. When you know what skills etc the employer is searching for you need to construct a resume around your very own marketable skills. The secret to acing work interview is preparation. Ambiguous Job Objective A career goal is the most significant portion of the resume. Now find a job which youre keen to apply for and find the work description. You to need to write about the job which you wish to apply. You should work very difficult to secure a good job. Prepare yourself to apply any training or education, skills and experi ence youve gained and abilities youve honed to every one of them individually. As you dont wish to lie on your resume, dont be scared to boast your abilities either. Learn about the action verbs technical abilities and achievements that could guarantee your data analyst resume gets the eye of employers. Make an outline of your abilities. Finding Resume Now Online Numerous formats and designs to select from, Resume Now-Resume builder is the ideal location to earn job winning resumes. Not only the resume, it has the wonderful functionalities for a CV along with the very best cover letter builder too. You may also see resume template. Utilizing a resume template saves you a good deal of time. Naturally, as everyone probably knows, you could also visit nearly every bookstore to discover many other books that will bring you up to speed. The website will ask you to pick a package as a way to download or print your new resume. The website provides many distinct formats of resumes to select from. If you should obtain help with a resume now, weve prepared an extremely straightforward guide for placing an order on the website.

Stay at Home Mom Resume Sample Fundamentals Explained

Stay at Home Mom Resume Sample Fundamentals Explained Most people today get jobs since they were referred, she states. Perhaps your kids are grown, prepared to go to elementary school, or in case youve homeschooled them, college. The good thing is there are tips which may help dads who have to polish up their resumes. Stay at Home Mom Resume Sample Being a mom is among the noblest and at the exact same time good jobs on earth. Aims to assist you in finding your fantasy job. How to Choose Stay at Home Mom Resume Sample When writing your career summary, its probably better that you dont mention specifically that youre a stay at home mom. Just take a Refresher Course One of the greatest strategies to demonstrate that youre committed to reentering the work marketand to catching up after a time period away from the officeis to take v in your specific area of work. If you understand how to make the most of the education part of your stay-at-home mom resume, you will help it becom e matter Starting a for-profit site or internet company can be a fantastic way to demonstrate that you know your way around the internet and that youre an independently motivated worker. After staying at home to be a dedicated mom for your children, getting back in the workforce is an intimidating task without a strong resume. If you dont have work experience during the gap thats pertinent to the position youre pursuing, in the event the gap was less than three decades, do not mention it. Given that youre a stay-at-home mom and which you most likely have a gap in your resume, you ought to think about choosing the Functional resume or the Combination one, based on the experience and the skills youve got.

Video The 2015 ASME ISHOW Competition

Video The 2015 ASME ISHOW Competition Video The 2015 ASME ISHOW Competition Video The 2015 ASME ISHOW Competition OverviewThe 2015 ASME ISHOW welches held across three continents, in Pune, India, in Washington, DC, and in Nairobi, Kenya. Between 9 and 12 teams competed as finalists in each city. Three teams in each location won, receiving a share of $50,000 and intensive coaching in Product and Engineering Design.Hardware-based products presented by ISHOW teams were designed to solve problems in water distribution, farming, healthcare delivery, the supply of off-grid energy, and internet infrastructure in remote areas. Teams ranged from student entrepreneurs to seasoned engineers driven by a deep passion to help individuals and communities facing poverty, digital and physical isolation, and shortages of food and clean water.Teams traveled far, and included competitors from Cambodia and Indonesia, and from all across India, Africa and the United States.Learn about the winners in each of the three cities.The ISHOW video was produced and directed by Roger Torda, ASME Public Information.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Gmail

Here is everything you need to know about the new GmailHere is everything you need to know about the new GmailStop what you are doing. Put everything down. There is a new version of Gmail out and you need to know everything about it. When I first opened it I did have an initial response of Ewww but I quickly got used to it and you will too.None of the new features are quite earth-shattering, but they definitely may make you a bit more organized.First of all, how does one get the new Gmail?From the main Gmail screen,click on the gear iconand then in the drop-down menu select Try the new Gmail and voilaOn the new welcome splash screen, you can choose your display density. If your inbox is usually full we suggest the compact view. Here are eight of the new Gmail features you need to know about1. OrganizationYou can keep yourself super organized with the Calendar, Keep, and Tasks which are all located on right-hand side of the Gmail screen in a sidebar. This allows you to look at your ca lendar while also having your email open.2. Snooze, dont loseYou know those emails you need to read but you just dont want to do it right now? Cue Snooze. Simply hover over the message and by clicking the clock icon, the email will temporarily disappear from your inbox. You then choose when you want it to come back to the top of your inbox so you cant miss it. This could be great for paying bills.3. RemindersNudged is another tool to help make sure you read important emails, this feature reminds you to respond to emails by using bright-colored text if youd like to send a reply.4. Easier downloadsYou can download attachments without opening email. Who needs to pesky words about what is attached in your email when you can just open the attachment?If a message contains an attachment, it will show up under the subject line on the main page then with just one click you can open the image, PDF, PowerPoint, Google Doc, etc.5. Offline accessWith Gmails new Offline Mode you can still have ac cess to your emails even when you are away from your WiFi or if your phone is on airplane mode.6. Better privacyYou can keep important emails private with Gmails Confidential Mode, which lets youtischset an expiration date or revoke the message after sending. As Wired pointed out, it basically allows you to make your email go into Mission Impossible mode as it will literally self-destruct.7. More securityYou can also put an authentication code on sensitive emails and can remove the ability to forward, copy or download a message, and unsend a message.8. Recommended repliesGmail will now use Quick Replies (short suggested messages you used to just send through the app.) It sounds a little creepy but Google will analyze your email style to match your tone.So what are you waiting for?

Tell me what you did today, and Ill tell you who you are

Tell me what you did today, and Ill tell you who you areTell me what you did today, and Ill tell you who you areYou live your life in 24 hour periods. How you use those 24 hour periods determines who you become and how successful youll be.If you learn to master your day, youll learn how to master your weeks, months, years, and life.All you need to do is become very, very good at living each day.The problem fruchtwein people face is that they start their day off wrong, which puts them on a downward spiral throughout their whole day. Momentum is created or destroyed every day with the first few decisions you make.Additionally, few people spend time planning and imagining the life they want to have and the partie they want to become. Very few people live intentionally each day toward a higher vision. Most people are solely living day-to-day, rather than maximizing each day to make enormous progress toward a bigger and better future.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraYou are what you repeatedly do. - Will DurantHow is your day going, today?Seriously.Look back on all the things youve done so far. Did you act like the person you wish to become?If you repeated today every day for the next year, realistically, where would you end up?If you are to really accomplish your goals and dreams, how much differently would your regular day need to be than today was?Did you interact with people who remind you mora of your future, or more of your past?In order to achieve your dreams, what does a normal day look like?One of the best ways to consciously design your ideal life is to start with your ideal day. What does that actually look like?What activities must happen daily for you to live exactly how you want to be living?- - - In this article, Im going to show youHow you can consistently live better and better daysHow you can set-up your days the night before in order to make success inevitableHow to consistently make more progress each day than fruchtwein people make in a month or yearHow to create the life you can only imagineLets start4 things your brain needs daily to thriveBefore diving into how to create an optimal day, its important to take a look at your brain, and what makes your brain happy. At the most basic level, your brain needs 4 things in order to thriveNutritionOxygenInformationLoveNutritionWhen a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food. - James AllenThe quality of food you put into your body matters. You become what you consume, literally.The best foods for brain health includeNuts and seeds - particularly almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seedsVegetables - particularly avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beetsLeafy greens - particularly spinach, broccoli, celery, and kaleFish - particularly salmon, sardines, and tunaBerries - particularly blueberries, strawberries, and acai berriesS pices - particularly cinnamon, sage, thyme, and turmericHealthy fats - particularly coconut oil and olive oilDark chocolate - one of the only foods shown to acutely boost mood, focus, and alertness, according to a University of Nottingham studyHealthy grains - University of Toronto researchers recently determined that eating carbohydrate-rich foods like oatmeal is equivalent to a shot of glucose, a.k.a. blood sugar, injected into your brainThe worst foods for brain health includeAnything with artificial sugar - particularly fruit juices, soda, candyAnything that has artificial and white flourAlchoholMost dairyOxygenBack in the day, the majority of exercise studies focused on the parts of the body from the neck down, like the heart and lungs. But now we are finding that we need to go north, to the brain, to show the true benefits of a physically active lifestyle on an individual. - Ozioma Okonkwo, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthThe amount of oxygen your brain gets determines how well it functions. Just because you breath air doesnt mean your brain is getting the quantity and quality of oxygen it needs to thrive.The brain uses about three times as much oxygen as muscles in the body doBrain cells are very sensitive to decreases in oxygen levels and dont survive or function well very long without itDaily fitness is essential to brain health and having a body that can provide maximal oxygen to your brain. SpecificallyOne study found that daily fitness is good for memory and decreases chances of AlzheimersOkonkwos research has shown that people who exercise have greater brain volume in areas of the brain associated with reasoning and executive function. In an interview with TIME, he stated, Weve done a series of studies showing that increased aerobic capacity boosts brain structure, function and cognition, he says, Other people have found exercise can improve mood.Aerobic exercise, like running and swimming, appears to be best for brain health since these increase your heart rate, which means the body pumps more blood to the brain, says Okonkwo. But strength training, like weight lifting, may also bring benefits to the brain by increasing heart rate.InformationYour brain needs information to process in order to continually develop new connections. If the brain isnt firing, its leid wiring, and this ages it.If you dont use your brain, you lose it very quickly. Memory fades and reality becomes less clear and compelling.The problem with most of the information people consume is that it is repetitive and low quality - like putting junk in your car, it doesnt help your brain function well, but actually damages it long-term. For example, scanning Facebook or passively scanning articles like this one dont challenge the brain enough.In order for your brain to thrive, you need to continually give it higher quality information, which is often above your cognitive level. You also w ant to learn actively, which means youre taking leides and linking what youre learning in your memory through visualization.Your memory is entirely based on connection and imagination. So when youre learning something new, you want to be very active and imaginative with that information. You want to link what youre learning with as many other things as possible. The more visual and exaggerated you are with how you approach new information, the more memorable it will be. As you change your memory, you change yourself. Thus, learning is not about retaining or storing information, but rather, it is about reframing your entire paradigm.Thus, the purpose of information is not simply to put more information into the existing mental model you currently have. True learning is emotional and imaginative - thus, it is intended to reframe your entire mental model. If you dont see and operate differently in the world, you didnt change.Change is very, very good for the brain. Its one of the best ways to anti-age your brain and keep it healthy. Doing the same things over and over and not continually pushing and expanding your mindset and mental model is very bad for the brain. It trains your brain to be lazy. It keeps you stuckverzierung in a limiting identity and with an aging and decaying brain.See the world differently every day.Learn something new that changes how you view the world every day.This is how you heal your brain, keep it young, and keep it healthy.LoveLove is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. - Ann LandersResearch has shown that babies who dont receive love can die. Oxygen and nutrition arent enough. The brain thrives on physical touch and emotional connection.For over 75 years, Harvards Grant and Glueck study has tracked the physical and emotional health of two groups456 poor people in Boston from 1939 to 2014 (the Grant Study)268 graduates from Harvards classes of 19391944 (the Glueck study)After following these groups and testing them (e.g., blood samples, brain scans) for several decades, the findings have been compiled.Heres the conclusionThe clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period. - Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult DevelopmentAs Melanie Curtin reported on Inc., The biggest predictor of your happiness and fulfillment overall in life is, basically, love.Although the Harvard study lays the foundation, there is other compelling research on the importance of human relationships.This meta analysis showed a 50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships. Put simply, if you have healthy relationships, your chances of survival increase by 50%.The most loving and deep relationships are built on a very simple fou ndation giving and gratitude.When the focus is on what you can give, rather than what you can get, the relationship becomes a gift to both of you.Theres no holding back.No keeping score.Only in such relationships can you be fully present to the moment and fully un-inhibited in the expression of your love.- - - Every single day, you needgood nutritionoxygeninformationand love.Without these, your brain and soulmusik will not thrive, but instead will shrivel and die. These are the basics that you should build your day around.The rest of this article focuses on prioritization and productivity.If you are intentional and strategic, you can achieve more in one day than most people achieve in a week.Even more, if youre clear about what you want, you can make enormous progress, daily, toward important goals. Making clear and powerful progress daily is more than many people can say theyve done in years.Many if not most people are not pointing their life in a desired direction. They are in j obs and relationships they hate. Put simply, they are climbing a ladder that is facing the wrong wall. As bestselling author, Ryan Holiday has said, This is a fundamental irony of most peoples lives. They dont quite know what they want to do with their lives. Yet they are very active.Thus, if you can make tangible progress in a desired direction every single day, youll be living far more powerfully and intentionally than most of the population.If you can add productivity and courage to your day, you can radically transform your whole life in a matter of a few short years.For the remainder of this article, Ill coverSetting yourself up for success the evening beforeHaving an optimal morning routineAnd living daily such that youre continually expanding both inside and outside as a personUse Ernest Hemingways evening routine for maximized creativity and productivityThe best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day y ou will never be stuck That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start. - Ernest HemingwayApparently, Ernest Hemingway would stop his writing sessions mid-sentence. He did this for a few reasonsSo that his subconscious would continue chewing-on the ideaSo that when he started writing again the next day, he didnt have to start from scratch, but could continue where he left off (already with a sense of momentum )Your evening routine doesnt need to be long. But like Hemingway, its good to know exactly what youre going to do when you wake up. Its good to have done even just a little bit of work so that you have somewhere to pick-up when you first get started.Facing a blank slate first thing in the morning can be difficult. If you take just a few minutes to consider what youre first going to do, and even give a minute or two of thought as to what that will inv olve, then you dont have to start from scratch.Pull out your journal just before bed and write down the first few things youre going to do the next morning. Then, as it relates to the first task or project, write down a few ideas related to that thing.Your brain is far more creative in the morning and far more analytical at night. Use your analytical evening strength to provide a simple plan and starting-point so your creative morning brain can run wild when you first wake up.Theres one more side-benefit to creating a runway for your next morning. As Hemingway stated, your subconscious will then be able to focus on and make important connections while you sleep. Thomas Edison did this himself, which is why he was such a prolific and productive creative person (something rare, indeed). He actually had a process. In his own words, Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.- - - This morning routine will save you 20+ hours per weekTypically, we have a window of about t hree hours where were really, really focused. Were able to have some strong contributions in terms of planning, in terms of thinking, in terms of speaking well, - Dr. Rod Friedman told Harvard Business ReviewAccording to psychologist Ron Friedman, the first three hours of your day are your most precious for maximized productivity.This makes sense on several levels. Lets start with sleep. Research confirms the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is most active and readily creative immediately following sleep. Your subconscious mind has been loosely mind-wandering while you slept, making contextual and temporal connections.So, immediately following sleep, your mind is most readily active to do thoughtful work.On a different level, the science of willpower and self-control confirm that your willpower - or energy levels - are strongest immediately following sleep. The longer you go throughout your day, the less willpower you have. In other words, you experience decision fatigue throughout your day.So, your brain is most attuned first thing in the morning, and so are your energy levels. Consequently, the best time to do your best work is during the first three hours of your day.During your morning time, you want to do a few important thingsSuper-hydration - drink 2040 ounces of water - this will wake you up, making you more alert (your brain needs oxygen to function well)Pull out your journal and begin writingCreate a mind-map of your ideal selfWrite about the top 1-3 things you want to achieve that dayThe purpose of this 10-30 minute morning journal session is to reframe yourself as the person you want to become. You want to put yourself into a peak and heightened state where you can live with intention.Creating a mind-map and also writing down your future goals is very powerful because it reshapes your mindset and memory. Mind-maps when done right work both your right and left brains because they are intended to be visual and emotionally stimulating.In other words, you dont want to simply write down your goals. You want images and pictures of your future self and dreams to be in your face. The more imaginative, emotional, and exaggerated, the more they will become real to you the more theyll shape your memory and identity.Every day, you should write down and visualize your future self and dreams. Then, you want to be results-oriented throughout your day in order to achieve those dreams as fast as possible.When you begin your day right, you start with confidence and momentum. Little wins in the morning lead to big wins throughout your day and throughout your life.Start right, end right.Start with vision and focus and youll be moving in a clear direction, rather than aimlessly moving without direction.After youve put yourself into a peak and intentional state, its good to begin working on the project you left undone or created a simple plan for the night before.If you work on your most important work first thing in the morning and without distraction, youll make progress daily. Over enough time, youll have made HUGE progress. This is what Darren Hardy calls The Compound Effect. As he stated, Its not the big things that add up in the end its the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary.After youve emotionally and imaginatively created and experienced your future vision, and after youve done your most important and creative work, then its time to get the body moving. Its time to workout and give your brain a little bit of a break But also, as you exercise, youre also giving your brain a HUGE boost, which will provide you with tons of energy and cognitive ability for the rest of your dayIf your 3-5 hours before your workout were focused, you could probably be done for the day. Youll have made more progress in your morning than many people make in weeks or months.- - - Use forcing functions to become results-focusedWherever you are, make sure youre ther e. - Dan SullivanIf youre like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).Most peoples working time is not done at peak wertmiger zuwachs levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.However, when you are results-oriented, rather than being busy, youre 100 percent on when youre working and 100 percent off when youre not. Why do anything half-way? If youre going to work, youre going to work.To get the best results in your fitness, research has found that shorter but more intensive exercise is more effective than longer drawn-out exercise.The concept is simple Intensive activity followed by high quality rest and recovery.Most of the growth actually comes during the recovery process. However, the only way to truly recover is by actually pushing yourself to exhaustion during the workout.The same concept applies to work. The best wo rk happens in short intensive spurts. By short, Im talking 1-3 hours. But this must be Deep Work, with no distractions, just like an intensive workout is non-stop. Interestingly, your best work - which for most people is thinking - will actually happen while youre away from your work, recovering.In one study, only 16 percent of respondents reported getting creative insight while at work. Ideas generally came while the person was at home, in transportation, or during recreational activity. The most creative ideas arent going to come while sitting in front of your monitor, says Scott Birnbaum, a vice president of Samsung Semiconductor.The reason for this is simple. When youre working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when youre not working, your mind loosely wanders (i.e., indirect reflection).While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you) subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem youre trying to solve (eureka)Case in point when youre working, be at work. When youre not working, stop working. By taking your mind off work and actually recovering, youll get creative breakthroughs related to your work.You can ensure that youre fully present in what youre doing by applying a concept known as forcing functions. According to entrepreneur, Dan MartellA forcing function is any task, activity or event that forces you to take action and produce a result. I believe the best way to work is to put ourselves into a position to execute. Essentially, forcing us to complete a task.Forcing functions are situational factors you put into distribution policy to ensure you succeed. In other words, you w ant to set up your environment so that your default and subconscious behavior is what you want it to be. You also want to set things up so that self-sabotage is difficult.Here are a few examplesWhen youre done with work, leave your phone at your office (this will force you to be present when youre home)Remove all unhealthy food from your house (make one decision that frees your mind from having to consciously control or suppress your behavior)Work at a library and leave your laptop charger at home (so you only have a few hours to work until your computer dies)Set short timelines (To achieve great things you need 1) a plan, and 2) not enough time - Meg Jay TED talk)High investment - when you begin investing money into a goal, you immediately become emotionally committedDo at least one thing daily that terrifies youA persons success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have. - Tim FerrissBut you dont have to constantly be battling your fears. Actually, Darren Hardy has said that you can be a coward 99.9305556% of the time (to be exact). You only need to be courageous for 20 seconds at a time.Twenty seconds of fear is all you need. If you courageously confront fear for 20 seconds every single day, before you know it, youll be in a different socio-economic and social situation.According to Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player of all time, You miss 100% of the shots you dont take.Make that call.Ask that question.Pitch that idea.Post that video.Reach out to that potential mentor.If you do one or even a few things daily that are outside of your comfort zone, eventually youll be living a different life. Although most of your courageous attempts may not be successful, some of them will succeed. Sometimes, youll catch a lucky break. And these breaks are what separate you from the masses.Even more important though is that youll become more confident in yourself. You cannot have confidence without positive and goal-directed behavior. You also cannot get motivation and momentum without being active and moving.Your network is your net worth. Do whatever you can to get access to the people you want to work with and work for.Be bold.- - - ConclusionHow you spend each day matters.If you optimize for brain health, priority, and productivity, you can live a masterful life.You can make enormous progress in all that you do.You can create and achieve enormous visions.Every day, your brain will change because youll be learning new things and becoming a new person.Enjoy this beautiful life. Its yours for the taking.Enjoy THIS day. Dont waste it. Enjoy it. Build upon it. Remember it.Ready to upgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your soci al class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people