Archives for July 2008

101 Dirt Cheap Ways to Enjoy Yourself

07.14.2008 by Marc Chernoff // 30 Comments

Cheap Ways to Enjoy Yourself

Sometimes we just need to kick back and enjoy ourselves. What follows is a list of 101 simple pleasures and enjoyable activities to explore without breaking the bank. This list only skims the surface… the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy yourself.
These are the good old days you’re going to miss in the years ahead.
– Author Unknown

Check out a book from the library and read the afternoon away.
Break out the old mix-tapes and mix-CDs of yesteryear… soak up the memories and sing your heart out.
Picnic in secluded areas.
Bake and eat homemade cookies.
Start a blog.
Hike outdoors and explore Mother Nature.
Head downtown with a friend and two digital cameras. Shoot as many funny and interesting photos as you can. Then go home and sort through them all.
Find old stuff in your attic, put it up on eBay and watch the bids role in.
Play old-school board games like Monopoly and Scrabble.
Read interesting articles online… Reddit, StumbleUpon, Digg, Metafilter, etc.
Brew a fresh pot of coffee (or tea) and share it with someone over an interesting conversation.
Take a candlelight bubble bath.
Learn to play guitar (or any musical instrument) online.
Go swimming.
Crank up the tunes, break out the Wii and invite some friends over.
Fly a kite.
Research and discover new bands and musicians similar to the music you already like.
Stargaze.
Re-watch a great movie you haven’t seen in years.
Host a long night of $10 Texas Hold’em Poker with 9 of your friends. Make sure you understand poker odds.
Learn to play other card games too… especially Spades!
Find and pick beautiful wild flowers.
Test-drive a really expensive car.
Drink cheap beer and share funny stories with your friends.
Fire up the backyard BBQ. [Read more…]

How To Work Less and Still Impress

07.10.2008 by Marc Chernoff // 30 Comments

Work Less and Still Impress

Is it possible to work less and still impress your boss, wife, husband and friends? In other words, is it possible to do less and accomplish more? Everyone seeks the answer to this question. We all want to generate the greatest noticeable impact with the least amount of effort, as quick as possible. It’s the way of the modern knowledge worker. We strive to work smarter, not harder.

The answer to the question is: YES! With the right combination of skills, tactics and tools, you can work less and still impress. It requires thinking outside of the box… and then implementing strategies that directly increase the visibility, impact and “wow-factor” of your labors.

The list below is not comprehensive, but leads in the right direction, providing six basic strategies geared for increasing your impressiveness without increasing your workload.

Learn Skills Few People Know – Find a niche function (or two) that’s currently in high demand and master it. If very few people can perform this needed function, your effective value to others will skyrocket into the stratosphere. You will become the “go to guy”. Even if it’s only a temporary gig, you will be able to make a significant impact in a short timeframe. And if you play your cards right, you will find yourself doing less actual work and getting 10 times more credit for your efforts.
Provide Value from Within a Black Box – Mystery is a huge proponent of impressiveness. In order to achieve the ultimate level of impressiveness your efforts must make someone think, “Wow! How does he/she do that?” They can easily see your inputs and your results, but aren’t 100% sure how you got from point A to point B. In other words, you have to provide (or innovate) tangible value without disclosing the specifics of the mastery. This is similar to my point on learning a rare skill, but instead relies more on emotional curiosity and less on the end result. Human beings are curious creatures. If you can give them something they want while simultaneously stimulating their curiosity, you will always be more impressive than the guy who cranks out the most widgets.
Focus More on Less – A jack of all trades may do very well in life, but supreme impressiveness is achieved via specialization. Elite expertise attracts attention much faster than a run of the mill juggling act. This is because gradual increases in skill level have an exponential effect on the public opinion of overall impressiveness. Think in terms of Karate: A black belt seems far more impressive than a brown belt. But does a brown belt really seem any more impressive than a red belt? The bottom line: Society elevates experts high onto a pedestal. Hard work matters, but not if scattered in diverse directions. Focus on mastering your trade.
Only Use Quality Tools – Trying to cut through a thick piece of fresh lumber with an old, dull handsaw would be a pretty foolish endeavor. You would have to work extremely hard to make the even the slightest impact. This principle applies to everything in life. Don’t let inefficiency defeat you. If the tools in your toolbox don’t fit the requirements of the job, find someone who has the right tools and barter with them, hire them, invite them into the process. Possessing the right tools (and skills) can easily shrink a mountainous task into a molehill.
Always Under-Sell to Over-Deliver – The crooked salesman constantly over-sells the capabilities of his product. He sets the bar so high that the product ends up falling short of his client’s expectations. If you want to boost your impressiveness, do the exact opposite. Slightly under-sell your capabilities (or product, service, deadline, etc.) so that you’re always able to over-deliver. It will seem to others like you’re habitually going above and beyond the call of duty.
Follow the 80/20 Rule – The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. If you can identify and focus on the 20% that matters most, you can be more productive (and impressive) without increasing your workload. Try to automate or delegate the less productive 80% whenever possible. When random emails and phone calls start pushing you off course, remind yourself of the 80/20 rule and make an immediate course correction. If an emergency arises and you absolutely need to eliminate something from your schedule, make sure it’s not part of the vital 20%.

Photo by: Parker

25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid

07.07.2008 by Marc Chernoff // 46 Comments

Body Language

Our body language exhibits far more information about how we feel than it is possible to articulate verbally. All of the physical gestures we make are subconsciously interpreted by others. This can work for or against us depending on the kind of body language we use. Some gestures project a very positive message, while others do nothing but set a negative tone.

Most people are totally oblivious to their own body language, so the discipline of controlling these gestures can be quite challenging. Most of them are reflexive in nature, automatically matching up to what our minds are thinking at any given moment. Nevertheless, with the right information and a little practice, we can train ourselves to overcome most of our negative body language habits.

Practice avoiding these 25 negative gestures:

I speak two languages, Body and English.
– Mae West

Holding Objects in Front of Your Body – a coffee cup, notebook, hand bag, etc. Holding objects in front of your body indicates shyness and resistance, such that you’re hiding behind the objects in an effort to separate yourself from others. Instead of carrying objects in front of you, carry them at your side whenever possible.
Checking the Time or Inspecting Your Fingernails – a strong sign of boredom. Never glance at the time when you’re speaking with someone. Likewise, completely avoid the act of inspecting your fingernails.
Picking Lint Off of Your Clothes – If you pick lint off of your clothes during a conversation, especially in conjunction with looking downwards, most people will assume that you disapprove of their ideas and/or feel uneasy about giving them an honest opinion. Leave the lint alone!
Stroking Your Chin While Looking at Someone – “I’m judging you!” People frequently stroke their chin during the decision-making process. If you look at someone while you’re stroking your chin, they may assume that you’re making a judgmental decision about them.
Narrowing Your Eyes – If you want to give someone the impression that you don’t like them (or their ideas), narrow your eyes while looking at them. It immediately places a scowling expression on your face. A slight narrowing of the eyes is an instinctual, universal expression of anger across various species in the animal kingdom (think about the angry expressions of tigers, dogs, etc.). Some people make the mistake of narrowing their eyes during a conversation as a reflex of thinking. Don’t send people the wrong message… don’t narrow your eyes.
Standing Too Close – This just makes people feel uncomfortable. Most people consider the 4 square feet of space immediately surrounding their body to be personal space. Cross this invisible boundary with good friends and intimate mates only.
Looking Down While in the Presence of Others – usually indicates disinterest. Sometimes it’s even interpreted as a casual sign of arrogance. Always look straight ahead and make eye contact when you see someone you know.
Touching Your Face During a Conversation – Face touching, especially on the nose, is commonly interpreted as an indication of deception. Also, covering up the mouth is a common gesture people make when they’re lying. Always keep your hands away from your face when you’re speaking.
Faking a Smile – another sign of deception commonly seen on the face of a fraud. A genuine smile wrinkles the corners of the eyes and changes the expression of the entire face. Fake smiles only involve the mouth and lips. It’s easy to distinguish between the two. Don’t force yourself to smile… unless it’s for the camera.
Leaning Away From Someone You Like – a sign of being bored and disinterested. Some people may also interpret it to mean: “I don’t like you.” People typically lean towards people they like and away from people they dislike. This is especially true when they are sitting around a table. If you lean away from someone you like, you’re sending them the wrong message.
Resting Hands Behind the Head or on the Hips – usually interpreted as a sign of superiority or bigheadedness. Only use these gestures when you’re in the presence of close friends.
Not Directly Facing the Person You’re Speaking To – This indicates a certain level of discomfort or a lack of interest. When we’re happily engaged in a conversation we face the person we’re speaking to with our feet and torso facing directly forward. When we’re unsure of the other person, or not completely committed to the conversation, we tend to angle our feet and torso to the side. Face directly forward during a conversation to give off the impression that you’re truly interested in what the other person is saying. [Read more…]

30 Articles that Will Help You Simplify Your Life

07.03.2008 by Marc Chernoff // 13 Comments

How To Simplify Your Life

The concept of ‘the simple life’ means different things to different people. In my mind, simple living equates to capitalizing on the fundamentals that truly make you happy and purging the needless remainders. It’s the notion of creating tranquility in your life by eliminating various roadblocks of clutter so you can concentrate your time and attention on the people and effects that matter most.

Alas, the actual process of ‘simplifying’ is not easy. It’s an ongoing voyage of self-control, a voyage where only your most valued possessions are brought along. If you’re interested in simplifying your life, each of these 30 articles is an absolute must-read. They’re short, yet packed to the brim with priceless advice. Enjoy!

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary
so that the necessary may speak.
-Hans Hofmann

Photo by: El Fotopakismo