• WOWOW: The Real Hacks Edition [Links of the Week]

    by Alexander Becker

    I'd like to focus on real hacks, not the kind you find filed and dug away under 50 more list-items to improve your shut-eye through extended boredom, so, sleep, progress, and how-to -- not.

    • Relax like a pro: 5 steps to hacking your sleep --

      For longer naps, test multiples of 90 minutes, which is called an "ultradian" rhythm in some papers, though the proper term should be "infradian" since it's less than 24 hours. Thomas Edison, despite his vocal disdain for sleep and claim to sleep only four hours per night, is reported to have taken two three-hour naps daily.

      Don't forget to factor in your time-to-sleep. It often takes me up to an hour to fall asleep, so I'll set my alarm for seven hours ((4 x 90 minutes) + 60-minute time-to-sleep).

      ... and it's even true: The 90-minute increments work like magic. I'm not exactly sure on how to factor in the time-to-fall-asleep though. I tend to count only true sleep time.

    • 4 ways to stay on track --

      The bottom-line is that no matter what speed bumps inevitably appear, there are a number of ways to stick to your training program. Cop-outs are unacceptable, excuses are even worse. Even if you don't know exactly what's going to be thrown at you, with just a little planning, you now know how to handle almost any less-than-perfect situation.

    • Everything does not require a 'How To' manual --

      There are many situations in life where following your inclinations, without the manual of instructions, is the best approach.

    • The above article is from "the linguist," who provides our educational food for this weekend, a method -- LingQ -- to learn nine languages, for now.

      Everyone learns to speak their native language. Why not use the same approach with a second language? Surround yourself with meaningful input that matters to you. Start at an easy level and work your way up.

    Have a nice weekend, change the world as much as you can and make sure to keep smiling along the way.

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  • WOWOW: The Fighting Unpopularity Edition [Links of the Week]

    by Alexander Becker

    This week's links come somehow math-centric, with tips on subscribing, making money, latkes and the problem with becoming EX-WOW. Also, impressing your friends (hey!) and the art of taking notes.

    • Subscribing... I think I quote the whole thing except for the feed-URL which I replace with this blog's feed --

      If you're not currently reading your blogs through a reader, I highly recommend it. It's possible to go through a hundred blog posts in four or five minutes once you get good at it. When you click on the Subscribe link (in the left right column on this blog) you will see a list of available readers. Google Reader and Bloglines are quite popular.

    • 6 Steps to Making Money Because of Your Blog ... where the word because is the focus of attention --

      4. Give away the principles and Sell the Personalization -- I spoke with an author and business coach recently who does a fair few Media appearances to promote his work and he told me that his strategy is to give away as much general advice as possible when he's on TV or Radio in the hope that people will buy his books and come to him for coaching when they want to know how to apply it to their own lives. I think that this is a great strategy for bloggers also. A blog is a great place to spread the word of what you have to offer. Teach people the principles of what you know -- but make yourself available to those who want to take it further and apply it to their own situation.

    • Impressing your friends with mental Math tricks, how cool is that?

      Nine ideas that will hopefully get you to look at arithmetic as a game, one in which you can see patterns among numbers and pick then apply the right trick to quickly doing the calculation.

    • While on the subject: What is Lifehack x 2?

      One: How to Move Forward Once You Achieve a Big Goal ... or how to avoid becoming EX-WOW --

      What do you do once you achieve your big goal and make it to the top? This can become a big problem if it looks like the only way you can go is down. Professional athletes and aging celebrities all face this issue. The problem can be one of maintaining the position if this is what you want or figuring out where to go next while avoiding a big let down.

      Two: The Top 4 Misapplications of the 80/20 Rule --

      1. 80 + 20 = 100

      The 80/20 rule argues that 20% of the input creates 80% of the output. Inputs and outputs aren't the same thing, and therefore can't be made into the same pie chart. The 80/20 Rule could just as easily been called The 55/3 Rule, if 55% of the results were created by 3% of the inputs.

      Don't get caught up on the numbers. Both 80 and 20 are just examples of one type of uneven balances. The fact that they add up to 100 is a coincidence.

      See also The Pareto Principle vs. the Necessity of the Unnecessary and a review of The Dip by Seth Godin.

    • How do you counter the threat of unpopularity? The EX-WOW issue is an issue for you too: Want to become famous? Then stop trying! --

      Be yourself -- the most important part about creating your personal brand is that it represents you. If people don't like who you are or if they have a problem with you, then that is their problem and not yours.

    • How to Take Notes Like an Alpha-Geek or Ferriss-notes, if you want to. The key to taking notes is an indexing system you can rely on --

      Information is useful only to the extent that you can find it when you need it. Most of us have the experience of note proliferation—notes on the backs of envelopes, billing statements, hotel paper, etc. -- that somehow never gets consolidated. Consolidate and create an index.

      The culprit of taking notes is that you dump the information from memory to paper; you are able to memorize hundreds of telephone numbers but when it comes to remembering the ones you saved directly to your cellphone you're stuck: It's either/or; once it is on paper, it's off your mind, good or bad?

    • Also, what is the secret to making great potato latkes?

      We found that the starchier the potato, the crisper the latke.

    Happy holidays and enjoy your vices....

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