Category: General

Charles Duhigg has done it again, this time with his new book, Smarter Faster Better. It’s already a New York Times Best seller.

The author talks to researchers who mine data from a recruiting firm looking for clues about the personalities and work habits of exceedingly productive people.

Data show that the most productive people know how to focus. They constantly try to develop new skills and meet with new people. They throw out ideas at meetings and eagerly solicit help from colleagues. Constant conversation helps them figure out how to focus their attention where it is needed.

At the core of Smarter Faster Better are eight key concepts, from motivation and goal setting, to focus and decision making, they explain why some people get so much done.

Duhigg also draws on the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics. He studies the experiences of CEOs, educational reformers, four-star generals and occupations where individuals have to make decisions.

He finds that the most productive people and organizations view the world and their choices in profoundly different ways. The ability to draw on personal knowledge and transfer it to a new setting is one of the strategies that drove the team behind Frozen.

An early screening flops and movie creators aren’t sure how to fix it. But they try to find ways to connect their own experiences with the lines of Anna and Elsa, the two sisters at the center of the film. These insights help make the music and the film successful.

“Every choice we make in life is an experiment,” Duhigg writes. He applies relentless curiosity, deep reporting and rich storytelling to explain how we can get smarter, faster and better.

Everyone is quick to offer advice to the new graduate. And everyone has a personal definition of success.

The truth is there are no specific steps that assure success in life. There is hard work, perseverance, staying focused and looking for opportunities. But there will be no knock on the door to let you know an opportunity awaits.

Amid the joy of graduation and the strain of deciding what to do next, here are a few words of advice for you from people who have been there.

* “Life has no remote, get up and change it yourself.” By Mark Cooper
* “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” By Erma Bombeck
* “Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.” By Arnold Schwarzenegger.
* “You will never have more energy, enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today.” By Tom and Ray Magliozzi.
* “Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they’re open.” By Thomas Dewar.
* “God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars.” By Elbert Hubbard.
* “If you’re picking your best friend based on what kind of clothes she wears or how popular she is, chances are you aren’t going to stay in touch after graduation.” By Renee Olstead.
* “So long as your desire to explore is greater than your desire to not screw up, you’re on the right track.” By Ed Helms.
* “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” By Will Rogers.
* “If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments.” By Earl Wilson.

Congratulations, graduates. Have a good time and a wonderful life.

British fitness convert Susannah Taylor reveals five ways she gets moving even when moving is the last thing she wants to do.

Taylor, the editor of the health hub Get the Gloss, started out exhausted and weary as she worked on the launch of her business.

At one point, she commuted three hours daily, took care of her two kids, and promoted her business.

At a dinner party three years ago she found herself miserable and exhausted from work and commuting.

As Taylor sipped her third glass of wine at a dinner party, she had a conversation with one of her fittest friends about exercise. She became convinced that moving her body would make her feel more alive, less exhausted and less stressed.

Today, she exercises 3 to 5 times a week and she feels great.

Here are the five essential tips for getting off the couch:

1. Start slowly. If you are going running, start by walking fast and then at that moment where your walk breaks into a jog, stay at that pace and you’ll be able to go farther.

2. Exercise even when you don’t feel like it. No one ever regretted a workout, she says.

3. Overthrow the “stay here on the sofa” gremlin who says “It’s cold”; “it’s starting to rain”; “I haven’t got time”, “it’s late”; “I’m tired”; “I’m hungry”; “it’s getting dark.” Go out anyway.

4. Put your trainer outfit and shoes on and walk out the door. You’ll feel really guilty if you then go back inside.

5. Buy some new training clothes. Whether it’s a pair of leggings, a bright new pair of running shoes, or just a vest top, wearing flattering, stylish training clothes inspires you to work out.

States across the nation are beginning to offer an investment account for people with disabilities. It’s similar to the 529 college savings plans. The first states to offer the plans were Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Nebraska.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts allow those with disabilities and their families to invest money and withdraw it later, with tax free earnings, for housing, education, transportation, health care and employment training.

A key feature of the plans: having the savings won’t disqualify people from valuable federal benefits, such as Medicaid.

Before ABLE, people with disabilities became ineligible for federal benefits, such as SSI and Medicaid, if they had more than $2,000 in cash and property, $3,000 for couples.

An ABLE account allows tax-free withdrawals for a wide range of expenses, but if withdrawals are used for unqualified purposes, the earnings will be taxed as regular income.

To qualify for ABLE, the beneficiary’s disability must have begun before age 26. Up to $14,000 can be deposited in an ABLE account yearly. If the savings account balance reaches $100,000, the owner will no longer be eligible for federal benefits.

Google, GM, Ford, Tesla, and BMW are all researching and testing automated car technology.

While the prospect of robotic cars may be anxiety-provoking to some, a car that drives itself at the push of a button could mean more freedom and mobility for older adults

The decision to stop driving can have an enormous impact on those who live in suburban or rural areas. Jennifer FitzPatrick, a gerontologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, whose book, Cruising through Caregiving: Reducing the Stress of Caring for Your Loved One, sees driving cessation as a source of anger and frustration.

“It’s the idea that they have to depend on someone and they lose their privacy,” FitzPatrick says. A study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) found that seniors who stopped driving were twice as likely to experience depression. Among family caregivers, the dependency created by driving retirement adds added work and stress.

AARP says that 80 percent of the 45 million adults aged 65 and older in the U.S. live in car-dependent communities. Many advocates of driverless car technology think that when they are mobile longer, it means a better quality of life for them and for caregivers.

FitzPatrick sees the advent of driverless cars as incredibly exciting. And she says older adults who still drive are more cautious. They stay closer to home and only drive during the daytime.

U.S. airlines expect record passenger loads for June to August 15, a 4.5 percent increase over last year.

With packed planes, customers should focus on traveling with civility, especially when conditions that breed conflict and bad behavior are rising.

* Board nicely. Avoid cutting in line, or pushing and shoving so you can board ahead of other passengers.

* Don’t use more than your seat space, or lean into strangers when you sleep. If you want to recline, ask the person behind you before you do.

* Share the overhead bins. Jamming stuff into them can damage others’ belongings. If you have small, crushable bags or fancy hat, put it under the seat in front of you.