8 Simple Google Tricks You Need To Know

Omg I think this can save me a lot of time when I do my research :D Love it!

The post 8 Simple Google Tricks You Need To Know appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28L5VFa

How Handwritten Notes Make You More Influential

Remember the days when you’d sit down and write out all your thank you letters? Picking out the nicest writing paper and carving out the perfect response? Maybe you even had a pen pal you wrote to on the other side of the world.

The art of handwritten notes has fallen short in today’s quick-and-easy methods of communication. Text messaging and social media messaging has numbed the excitement and personalisation of conveying that special response — it’s all too easy and sterile with no real sense of character and thoughtfulness.

To show how handwritten notes are so effective, a U.S. company called HEX decided their customer loyalty could go one step further. Gone were the automated thank you emails to each customer and in came 13,000 handwritten thank you notes from the employees themselves.

How does this make a difference? Well, handwritten notes can actually make us more influential at work, in business, and in our own personal lives. It evokes positive communication and has great influence on those both sending and receiving a handwritten note.

How Handwritten Notes Can Make Us More Influential

Rarity Creates Value

Handwritten notes are pretty rare these days. Can you remember the last time you sat down with a pen and paper and really thought about what to write? This is why handwritten notes are so influential — the rarity of writing and receiving a letter adds to its value. It means someone has put thought and effort into something that could easily be written in a 30-second text message.

Genuine And Edit-Free

When we send a text message, the ease at which we can deliberate and edit the message creates the sense of a lack of authenticity and genuine intent. When we handwrite a letter, editing is less occurrent, so the notes are deemed a better reflection of our genuine feelings.

Material Keepsakes

A physical note can be cherished and kept, making them more memorable for the receiver, unlike text messages that just become another number in our inbox. How many of us have those letters from friends and relatives in a shoebox stuffed at the back of a drawer? How nice is it to look back and reread them? Memories come flooding back and smiles appear across our faces. A text message years from now will be long gone to the invisible messaging graveyard.

Evoke An Impression On The Receiver

Research has found up to 100 instant messages can be sent by one person alone each day, with corporate email accounts receiving and sending 100 emails a day. We are so used to receiving this daily wash of words that, as stated earlier, we devalue the meanings. Receiving a quick email thanking you may initially rise a sense of warmth but it’s quickly lost and forgotten in the sea of emails and messages.

A handwritten note shows deeper investment as paper, stamps, drafting, and visiting the mailbox indicates costliness in both time and effort — the appreciation is perceived as greater and leaves a lasting impression. It can show a person is not forgotten, follow up on previous conversations, or even include a gift; all of which show care and thoughtfulness.

Positive psychology research shows the importance of gratitude on our wellbeing and happiness and it shouldn’t be underestimated how little shows of appreciation can have a massive effect on someone. Creating this in handwritten form is a powerful influencer, upping the wellbeing of both you and the receiver. Leaving a stronger emotional impression on the receiver gives us the power to be more influential.

How To Make Use Of Daily Handwritten Notes

So, how can we bring back the art of handwriting our notes instead of sending off a quick text? Writing has always been seen as expressing our personality, so it’s a perfect way to get creative.

Personification

Making your note unique and personal will always be a winner. Whether you leave a note for your other half when you leave in the morning or say thank you to a friend or neighbour, don’t be afraid to put your stamp on it. Go back to your childhood when you’d draw doodles and smiley faces (the original and best emoji!). Make it personalised for them.

Make It Longer Than A Standard Text Message

Short notes are great, but to really influence and make an impact, particularly at work, make sure the note is longer than what you would write in a standard text message. This shows you’ve really put effort and thought into it — especially if it’s involving your customers.

Emotional Expression

When we write text messages, the fast nature of writing and sending them detracts from emotional sentiment. To make a handwritten note that’s much more special, take the time to express how you feel through gratitude, thanks, warmth, and a sense of connection. These are things we tend to leave out when we know it will end up in someone’s trash inbox almost straight away. Take the opportunity to really get those feelings across.

Time Intervals

Unfortunately, as humans we adapt to things very quickly, which is why we tend to devalue something the more we have it and the same can be applied to receiving handwritten notes. Make sure you don’t send them too frequently to one person or there could be a danger of adaptability. Make it a special one-off every now and then and catch people by surprise.

So, why not make that special impact on someone — be different from the rest and stand out. Let’s bring back the art of handwritten notes and rise against soulless text messages and keyboards!

Featured photo credit: Aaron Burden via stocksnap.io

The post How Handwritten Notes Make You More Influential appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28OHcz0

One Small Game To Improve Memory

So now I can train up my memory anytime anywhere I want.

This would be so helpful to improve my productivity! Love it!!!!

The post One Small Game To Improve Memory appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28L5UkH

How To Start A Conversation With Anyone Without Awkward Silence

Have you ever cautiously approached a table full of fellow professionals at a lunch meeting, petrified to introduce yourself and chat them up? Or walked tongue-tied into a social gathering, facing a sea full of unfamiliar faces? Don’t fret, because we have some proven ways to break the ice and be that smooth talker who befriends strangers anywhere he or she goes.

What To Say First?

The easiest way to drum up the courage to start a conversation with a stranger is by simply introducing yourself. Social life expert David Morin says a straight forward “Hi, I’m David. How are you doing?” will work wonders in enticing the other person to engage in a friendly chat.

Make An Observation

You can extend a compliment about the social event you’re at, the person’s outfit, hair, the guest speaker at the lunch meeting, whatever compliment you think would be pleasant and well received by anyone, Morin noted. But don’t go overboard with your praise. Do not use subjective words that aren’t appealing to everyone.

Inquire About The Person’s Presence There

You can ask how the person knows other people present and why they’re attending the event, but don’t come across as nosy. Are they employed by a business that is in the same industry as others at a lunch meeting? Are they friends with the host of a party? Morin recommended keeping the conversation flowing with this subject.

Focus On Your New Friend

Be sure to not only start a conversation with genuine questions, but to keep the focus of the conversation two-thirds on your new acquaintance and one-third about yourself. Ask him or her where the person lives, if they like it, etc. You never know, you just might find some common ground with this subject. But don’t worry if you don’t share a lot of similarities; it isn’t necessary to narrow the window of newness between you and this stranger. Also, be sure the conversation doesn’t sound like a job interview with you grilling your new acquaintance, Morin said. Keep the tone conversational, light and casual, where it flows easily between the two of you. Be sure to share snippets about yourself to counterbalance this person’s bits and pieces he or she is offering to the conversation.

Work Or School

This is usually a great subject to start a conversation with, Morin emphasized. Strangers often will chat quite a bit about where they work, what they do, how much they enjoy their job or career, or where they attend school and what they’re studying. Don’t focus too much of the conversation on careers, though, unless you’re at a work function, because that line of conversation can dry up quickly. But you might find mutual interests and speaking about something familiar often puts people at ease.

Avoid Current Events

While some individuals enjoy chatting up the latest happenings and big news, some people aren’t comfortable talking about these heavier subjects. Morin said it also can cause a conversation to take a wrong turn if a controversial or sensitive subject crops up.

How About Hobbies?

If you start a conversation revolving around a stranger’s interests and hobbies, you may tap into a vein that starts him or him talking for some time. Morin said there’s potential for more gently prodding questions, such as “How did you get started?” and “How do you do that?”

So the next time you find yourself in a room of strangers, find someone who looks open and friendly, walk up, extend your hand for a handshake and simply say, “Hi! We haven’t met yet.” Then confidently steer the flow of conversation between the two of you. You just might find yourself networking with a key player in your profession or making a new friend.

The post How To Start A Conversation With Anyone Without Awkward Silence appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28OHgio

Day 7: Eat Breakfast Every Day

 Take Breakfast As Your Treat

• Eat things that you like. Don’t try to follow others diet that may not suit your flavor.
• Put your cheat meal in your breakfast. You’re not going to give up your healthy diet but everyone needs a break. That break will be at breakfast.

What’s the point

• Breakfast should be the time you take the most out of one-day consumption.
• Making it a treat motivates you to keep breakfast a habit.

Don’t forget….

• Great to see you here! You’ve already started to build a breakfast habit.
• Take the 7-day practice as your daily routine in the coming days. You’ll always be seen at the breakfast table!

Featured photo credit: flickr via flickr.com

The post Day 7: Eat Breakfast Every Day appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28L5VoD

Day 6: Eat Breakfast Every Day

 Eat Easy-To-Digest Food

• Include some liquid in your breakfast. For example, you can have soup, congee, soup noddles or cereal with milk.
• Don’t try to follow others’ diet without thinking carefully. Others’ diet may contain food you’re not used to and it may cause discomfort.

What’s the point?

• Picking easy-to-digest food reduces possible discomfort of your stomach when you are just awake.
• It gets you easier to follow the breakfast habit.

Don’t forget….

• Eat less at night.
• Can’t wait for another morning delicacy? Get up to eat and you’ll know.

Featured photo credit: flickr via flickr.com

The post Day 6: Eat Breakfast Every Day appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28OHhTi

Day 5: Eat Breakfast Every Day

 Eat Less At Night

• Have a fruit before dinner. It prevents you from food craving because of hunger.
• Drink soup before having the first bite. It makes you feel full.
• Eat vegetables before meat. Fiber extends the feeling of full and prevents you from overeating.

What’s the point?

• Eating less at night prevents fullness from disturbing your sleep. You’ll get up more easily for breakfast.
• Eating less at night motivates you to enjoy a great breakfast in the morning.

Don’t forget….

• Get your breakfast food handy.
• Can’t wait for another morning delicacy? Get up to eat and you’ll know.

Featured photo credit: flickr via flickr.com

The post Day 5: Eat Breakfast Every Day appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28L5NFT

Day 4: Eat Breakfast Every Day

 Get Breakfast Food Handy

• Place breakfast food such as bread, cereal or fruit at places that are easy to notice. For example, you can put them at the desk you walk pass every morning.

What’s the point?

• Getting your breakfast food handy keeps you alert to eat it before you rush to work or bring it as breakfast.

Don’t forget….

• Date your family members for breakfast.
• Can’t wait for another morning delicacy? Get up to eat and you’ll know.

Featured photo credit: flickr via flickr.com

The post Day 4: Eat Breakfast Every Day appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/28OHg1V