1. How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?
2. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?
3. How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?
4. How would you find out if a machine’s stack grows up or down in memory?
5. Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.
6. How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
7. You have to get from point A to point B. You don’t know if you can get there. What would you do?
8. Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. It’s very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to organize your shirts for easy retrieval?
9. Every man in a village of 100 married couples has cheated on his wife. Every wife in the village instantly knows when a man other than her husband has cheated, but does not know when her own husband has. The village has a law that does not allow for adultery. Any wife who can prove that her husband is unfaithful must kill him that very day. The women of the village would never disobey this law. One day, the queen of the village visits and announces that at least one husband has been unfaithful. What happens?
10. In a country in which people only want boys, every family continues to have children until they have a boy. if they have a girl, they have another child. if they have a boy, they stop. what is the proportion of boys to girls in the country?
11. If the pro****lity of observing a car in 30 minutes on a highway is 0.95, what is the pro****lity of observing a car in 10 minutes (assuming constant default pro****lity)?
12. If you look at a clock and the time is 3:15, what is the angle between the hour and the minute hands? (The answer to this is not zero!)
13. Four people need to cross a rickety rope bridge to get back to their camp at night. Unfortunately, they only have one flashlight and it only has enough light left for seventeen minutes. The bridge is too dangerous to cross without a flashlight, and it�s only strong enough to support two people at any given time. Each of the campers walks at a different speed. One can cross the bridge in 1 minute, another in 2 minutes, the third in 5 minutes, and the slow poke takes 10 minutes to cross. How do the campers make it across in 17 minutes?
14. You are at a party with a friend and 10 people are present including you and the friend. your friend makes you a wager that for every person you find that has the same birthday as you, you get $1; for every person he finds that does not have the same birthday as you, he gets $2. would you accept the wager?
15. How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
16. You have eight balls all of the same size. 7 of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance and only two weighings?
17. You have five pirates, ranked from 5 to 1 in descending order. The top pirate has the right to propose how 100 gold coins should be divided among them. But the others get to vote on his plan, and if fewer than half agree with him, he gets killed. How should he allocate the gold in order to maximize his share but live to enjoy it? (Hint: One pirate ends up with 98 percent of the gold.)
18.Do you still think you have what it takes to work for Google?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Dulu Dan Sekarang !!
1) Zaman dulu tiada minuman ringan, semua natural. Coke? Pepsi? Mana ada semua tu. Kopi O kosong, teh O kosong tu ada la.
2) Zaman dulu kalau nak bergerak dari satu tempat ke satu tempat, kena jalan kaki. Paling mewah pun naiklah kereta lembu. Kalau dah jauh sangat tu terpaksalah menumpang sampan/tongkang orang lain. Sekarang? Setakat nak pergi ke kedai runcit yang jaraknya sekangkang kera pun nak kena naik moto (motosikal).
3) Zaman dulu makan banyak-banyak, tapi kerja pun mesti mau banyak. Kerja pula bukan main berat lagi, membanting tulang di sawah, bercucuk tanam, atau memburu di hutan. Isk.. mana ada pejabat berhawa dingin semua.
4) Zaman dulu semua orang dapat tidur yang cukup. Habis solat Isya', terus masuk kelambu, dan tidurlah sampai ke Subuh. Sekarang? Tonton TV, atau layan Facebook dulu sampai pukul 1 pagi. Tak pun blogging.. Opps..!
5) Zaman dulu tiada makanan merapu, keropok-keropok, cekedis-cekedis, atau yang sama waktu dengannya. Kalau nak snek, makanlah pengat pisang, lepat, atau buah-buahan sementara nak tunggu waktu makan malam.
6) Zaman dulu makanan semua organik belaka. Baja tanaman daripada najis lembu, persekitaran pun belum berapa tercemar. Zaman sekarang ni susah betul nak dapatkan makanan yang betul-betul organik.
7) Zaman dulu lelaki wajib belajar silat disamping mengaji. Ye la, bahaya kan ada di mana-mana. Sekarang belajar silat secara maya jer, guna PS3, Gameboy. Tanyalah adik-adik tu, macam mana nak buat side-kick. Tekan butang "triangle" 3 kali, pastu butang "square" sekali. Hebat bukan?
8) Zaman dulu kalau nak memasak kena ada kayu api, kena cari kayu api dahulu, kemudian potong kayu api tu, baru boleh guna untuk memasak. Sekarang? Petik suis elektrik, dah boleh terus memasak.
9) Zaman dulu tak pakai minyak masak. Cara masakan biasanya rebus, bakar, atau makan mentah-mentah (ulam). Sekarang minyak ada macam-macam jenis, minyak sapi, minyak sawit, minyak ikan, minyak dagu. Pilih jer yang mana mau.
10) Zaman dulu orangnya hidup dalam suasana tenang, kerja pun tanpa tekanan (perasaan). Cukup musim dah boleh tuai padi, ikan pula hari-hari timbul di kali. Sekarang ni kerja penuh dengan tekanan dan emosi. Kena maki dengan bos, siapa yang tak pernah kena?
11) Zaman dulu tak banyak kedai makan, kedai mamak, KFC, McD, Burger King, tak larat nak sebut dah. Kalau nak makan, paling 'up' pun di warung. Tak suka? Masak sendiri dan makan saja di rumah.
12) Zaman dahulu kalau nak air, kena angkut sendiri dari sungai, kemudian simpan dalam tempayan. Penat juga tu. Kalau yang tinggal berhampiran sungai tu, memang rezeki dioranglah kan? Untung duduk tepi sungai.
13) Zaman dahulu orangnya rajin kunyah sireh. Tak macam sekarang, orangnya rajin kunyah gula-gula getah (yang manis, bukan yang sugarfree), ada pelbagai perisa lagi tu!
Orang zaman dahulu tidak dimanjakan dengan makanan dan teknologi. Namun siapa sangka, kedua-dua faktor inilah yang membuatkan orang-orang zaman dahulu majoritinya sihat-sihat dan berusia panjang.
Kita seharusnya bersyukur kerana zaman ini sudah dilengkapi dengan pelbagai prasarana dan kemudahan yang sangat membantu kita dalam melakukan aktiviti seharian. Namun siapa sangka, kemodenan yang kita perolehi ini mampu menjadi racun atau duri dalam daging yang akan merugikan kita kelak.
Mahu makanan yang sihat, tidak semestinya harus membelanjakan ratusan ringgit untuk membeli makanan organik, atau berbelanja di Subway mahupun Kenny Rogers. Senaman pula tidak semestinya dilakukan pada hujung minggu atau di gymnasium. Tak susah untuk jadi sihat, kerana makanan yang sihat itu sebenarnya ada di mana-mana, di sekeliling kita, dan senaman itu pula ada dalam gaya hidup kita. Fikir-fikirkanlah..
2) Zaman dulu kalau nak bergerak dari satu tempat ke satu tempat, kena jalan kaki. Paling mewah pun naiklah kereta lembu. Kalau dah jauh sangat tu terpaksalah menumpang sampan/tongkang orang lain. Sekarang? Setakat nak pergi ke kedai runcit yang jaraknya sekangkang kera pun nak kena naik moto (motosikal).
3) Zaman dulu makan banyak-banyak, tapi kerja pun mesti mau banyak. Kerja pula bukan main berat lagi, membanting tulang di sawah, bercucuk tanam, atau memburu di hutan. Isk.. mana ada pejabat berhawa dingin semua.
4) Zaman dulu semua orang dapat tidur yang cukup. Habis solat Isya', terus masuk kelambu, dan tidurlah sampai ke Subuh. Sekarang? Tonton TV, atau layan Facebook dulu sampai pukul 1 pagi. Tak pun blogging.. Opps..!
5) Zaman dulu tiada makanan merapu, keropok-keropok, cekedis-cekedis, atau yang sama waktu dengannya. Kalau nak snek, makanlah pengat pisang, lepat, atau buah-buahan sementara nak tunggu waktu makan malam.
6) Zaman dulu makanan semua organik belaka. Baja tanaman daripada najis lembu, persekitaran pun belum berapa tercemar. Zaman sekarang ni susah betul nak dapatkan makanan yang betul-betul organik.
7) Zaman dulu lelaki wajib belajar silat disamping mengaji. Ye la, bahaya kan ada di mana-mana. Sekarang belajar silat secara maya jer, guna PS3, Gameboy. Tanyalah adik-adik tu, macam mana nak buat side-kick. Tekan butang "triangle" 3 kali, pastu butang "square" sekali. Hebat bukan?
8) Zaman dulu kalau nak memasak kena ada kayu api, kena cari kayu api dahulu, kemudian potong kayu api tu, baru boleh guna untuk memasak. Sekarang? Petik suis elektrik, dah boleh terus memasak.
9) Zaman dulu tak pakai minyak masak. Cara masakan biasanya rebus, bakar, atau makan mentah-mentah (ulam). Sekarang minyak ada macam-macam jenis, minyak sapi, minyak sawit, minyak ikan, minyak dagu. Pilih jer yang mana mau.
10) Zaman dulu orangnya hidup dalam suasana tenang, kerja pun tanpa tekanan (perasaan). Cukup musim dah boleh tuai padi, ikan pula hari-hari timbul di kali. Sekarang ni kerja penuh dengan tekanan dan emosi. Kena maki dengan bos, siapa yang tak pernah kena?
11) Zaman dulu tak banyak kedai makan, kedai mamak, KFC, McD, Burger King, tak larat nak sebut dah. Kalau nak makan, paling 'up' pun di warung. Tak suka? Masak sendiri dan makan saja di rumah.
12) Zaman dahulu kalau nak air, kena angkut sendiri dari sungai, kemudian simpan dalam tempayan. Penat juga tu. Kalau yang tinggal berhampiran sungai tu, memang rezeki dioranglah kan? Untung duduk tepi sungai.
13) Zaman dahulu orangnya rajin kunyah sireh. Tak macam sekarang, orangnya rajin kunyah gula-gula getah (yang manis, bukan yang sugarfree), ada pelbagai perisa lagi tu!
Orang zaman dahulu tidak dimanjakan dengan makanan dan teknologi. Namun siapa sangka, kedua-dua faktor inilah yang membuatkan orang-orang zaman dahulu majoritinya sihat-sihat dan berusia panjang.
Kita seharusnya bersyukur kerana zaman ini sudah dilengkapi dengan pelbagai prasarana dan kemudahan yang sangat membantu kita dalam melakukan aktiviti seharian. Namun siapa sangka, kemodenan yang kita perolehi ini mampu menjadi racun atau duri dalam daging yang akan merugikan kita kelak.
Mahu makanan yang sihat, tidak semestinya harus membelanjakan ratusan ringgit untuk membeli makanan organik, atau berbelanja di Subway mahupun Kenny Rogers. Senaman pula tidak semestinya dilakukan pada hujung minggu atau di gymnasium. Tak susah untuk jadi sihat, kerana makanan yang sihat itu sebenarnya ada di mana-mana, di sekeliling kita, dan senaman itu pula ada dalam gaya hidup kita. Fikir-fikirkanlah..
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Story Time - The horse that wanted more beauty
A cosmic god had a horse. The horse was beautiful and also it had many good qualities. But it wanted to be more perfect in every way. It especially wanted to become beauty unparalleled.
One day the horse said to the cosmic god, “0 Lord, you have given me beauty. You have given me other good qualities. I am so grateful to you. But how I wish you could make me more beautiful. I would be extremely, extremely grateful if you could make me more beautiful.”
The cosmic god said, “I am more than ready to make you more beautiful. Tell me in what way you want to be changed.”
The horse said, “It seems to me that I am not well proportioned. My neck is too short. If you can make my neck a little longer, my upper body will be infinitely more beautiful. And if you can make my legs much longer and thinner, then I will look infinitely more beautiful in my lower body.”
The cosmic god said, “Amen!” Then immediately he made a camel appear in place of the horse. The horse was so disheartened that it started to cry, “0 Lord, I wanted to become more beautiful. In what way is this kind of outer form more beautiful?”
The cosmic god said, “This is exactly what you asked for. You have become a camel.”
The horse cried, “Oh no, I do not want to become a camell I wish to remain a horse. As a horse, everybody appreciated my good qualities. Nobody will appreciate me as a camel.”
The cosmic god said, “Never try to achieve or receive more than I have given you. If you want to lead a desire-life, then at every moment you will want more and more. But you have no idea what the outcome will be. If you cry for a longer neck and legs, this is what will happen. Each thing in my creation has its own good qualities. The camel is not as beautiful as you are, but it carries heavy loads and has a tremendous sense of responsibility.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Top 5 Ways to Build a Wonderful Life
1. Live Below Your Means
There will always be temptation to forsake the future for immediate gratification. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can’t afford. It might feel great at the time but rash spending hurts a lot later on.
Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don’t create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.
2. Put Your Money to Work
Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40′s or in your 60′s.
A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent’s projections, if a person in their early 20′s invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40′s. They could retire without a drop in income!
Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it’s something everyone can work on. It’s definitely an area I’ll be devoting more attention to in my personal life and on this blog.
3. Educate Yourself
To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life long education. This doesn’t mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives.
Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don’t mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.
4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships
Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don’t forget about them.
Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to longterm happiness. Without the people you care about you’ll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.
5. Work Towards a Dream You’re Passionate About
Even if your life isn’t perfect, you can always build towards a goal you’re passionate about. If you aren’t building towards something, you’re probably stagnating. When this happens to me I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life. The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal.
We can’t control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success. No matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something. As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
Bonus: 6. Stay in Shape
You only get one body. Once it’s been ruined there isn’t much you can do about it. Exercise to keep the rust off. Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial at the time but enjoying good health in your later years is worth the sacrifice.
5 Types of Books that Increase Intelligence
We read for information, with the hope that information we acquire will improve our minds, giving us the means to improve our lives. In the modern Age of Information, more reading material is available than ever, making it increasingly difficult to allocate our reading time efficiently.All books are not created equal, and it follows that all readers are not equal either. To read prodigiously and to read profitably are two very different things. A great amount of time is wasted reading books that are forgotten a short time after they’re completed. But time spent reading books that cultivate intelligence and wisdom is a labor that yields continuous benefit over a lifetime.Although it is certainly necessary, for the purposes of business and everyday life, to read about the latest news and trends, that type of reading is outside the scope of this article. My aim is to encourage the reading of books that permanently increase intelligence and, as a result, improve our chances of leading prosperous and fulfilling lives.
1. Science - Science is not restricted to scientific text books. It includes all books that increase our understanding of the natural world. This includes books on commerce and society, with the unifying theme being the use of evidence to explain events.The great value of these books comes, not from the theories they prove (which will likely be disproved in the future), but from the development of curiosity and the methods of learning. Scientific books teach us how to investigate our intuition and validate it with evidence. They also inspire wonder and respect for the physical world and for our own intellect.
2. Philosophy - In ancient times, science and philosophy grew from the seed of analytical thought. If science teaches us to understand the outside world, philosophy teaches us to understand ourselves. It could very well be called the science of human life.In addition to the classic philosophical works, this category also includes the great religious texts. The Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, etc. are not universaly valuable because of religious dogma, but because of the wisdom and beauty that has inspired billions to live loving, pious lives.It is an unfortunate modern bias that philosophy is considered irrelevant. Although we worship at the shrine of modern technology, this is still a very human world. Philosophy will increase your understanding of human needs and desires, knowledge that is essential for spreading ideas and predicting human behavior.
3. Serious - FictionI’d like to permanently discredit the belief that fictional works are inferior because they’re only “made up stories”. Only a person totally devoid of imagination could believe that. Great works of fiction contain more truth than any other literary genre because they allow the reader to experience a new reality. Fiction creates experiences that elevate your level of consciousness.Serious fiction also contains a great deal of philosophy, psychology, and history. Truman Capote said that a good novel is worth more than any scientific study. For the purpose of increasing individual human intelligence, I’m inclined to agree.Great fiction is also great language. And as I’ve written before, reading great language is the only way to become a better writer. It will also make you a better thinker, speaker, and conversationalist.
4. History - History feels boring because as children it meant dull text books, memorizing dates, and tedious lectures. And who can blame us? The public schools have done their best to take the humanity out of history.But at it’s best, history is fascinating anecdotes, remarkable characters, and the evolution of ideas that have shaped civilization. By learning about the past we are able to interpret our own times. We are able to recognize modern prejudices and the nature of humanity.Although history may not help us predict the future, it increases self understanding and awareness. It teaches us the timelessness of ideas and morality.
5. Poetry - I saved poetry for last because convincing you to take it seriously provides the greatest challenge. Poetry arouses images of Shakespearian actors reciting flowery rhymes. It’s no wonder most people think it lacks substance and applicability.But to maintain this opinion is to ignore one of the great joys of human intelligence and underestimate the mysterious power of words. It’s no coincidence that many languages use the same word for poet and prophet.The reading of great poetry produces a feeling that cannot be adequately described, a feeling of awe and reverence for the power of words. Great poetry is the fusion of music and meaning. It is the medium of humanity’s most ancient masterpieces.Poetry sharpens language skills and develops eloquence. Meaning is only half of great language. The best authors write with a style that is both pleasurable and instructive. An appreciation of poetry is essential for reaching this degree of excellence.
Resources - I can’t make a formal set of recommendations. There are just too many great books and my experience is too limited. How could I presume to know your tastes or area of interest? What I can to do is point out a couple places where you’ll be sure to find something of interest. Anyone who follows this site knows that I’m a whore for the old stuff. Strangely, the internet (combined the with public domain) is the best thing that’s happened to old books since the printing press.
Bartleby contains an extensive collection of materials that are well formatted for online reading.Project Gutenberg has almost any old book you could want.Of course there are many other great sites you can find with a quick search. Although these sites aren’t great for longterm reading, they can be used to test out books you might be interested in or fill a few spare minutes with quality reading.If you don’t know where to start, I recommend browsing famous quotations. Once you find an author that resonates, learn more about them.You should never read a book just to be able to say that you’ve read it.
Reading all the books in the world won’t make you any smarter unless you think about what you read and apply it to your own existence. You should read for self improvement, not to feel educated and superior.Reading, even the most rigorous intellectual type, should be a labor of love. It might be easier to read lighter books, but the moments of discovery created by challenging books are more pleasurable and exhilarating than any suspense novel.If you make an effort to read more profitably, you’ll be rewarded with wisdom, beauty, and many hours of productive leisure.
5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Intelligence
Your brain needs exercise just like a muscle. If you use it often and in the right ways, you will become a more skilled thinker and increase your ability to focus. But if you never use your brain, or abuse it with harmful chemicals, your ability to think and learn will deteriorate.
Here are 5 simple ways anyone can squeeze a bit more productivity out of the old gray matter.
1. Minimize Television Watching – This is a hard sell. People love vegetating in front of the television, myself included more often than I’d like. The problem is watching television doesn’t use your mental capacity OR allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sapped out of a muscle without the health benefits of exercise. Don’t you feel drained after a couple hours of TV? Your eyes are sore and tired from being focused on the light box for so long. You don’t even have the energy to read a book. When you feel like relaxing, try reading a book instead. If you’re too tired, listen to some music. When you’re with your friends or family, leave the tube off and have a conversation. All of these things use your mind more than television and allow you to relax.
2. Exercise – I used to think that I’d learn more by not exercising and using the time to read a book instead. But I realized that time spent exercising always leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and can concentrate more easily.
3. Read Challenging Books – Many people like to read popular suspense fiction, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writing ability you should read books that make you focus. Reading a classic novel can change your view of the world and will make you think in more precise, elegant English. Don’t be afraid to look up a word if you don’t know it, and don’t be afraid of dense passages. Take your time, re-read when necessary, and you’ll soon grow accustomed to the author’s style. Once you get used to reading challenging books, I think you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas is far more exciting than any tacky suspense-thriller.
4. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most rejuvenated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focusing. In my experience the early morning hours are the most tranquil and productive. Waking up early gives you more productive hours and maximizes your mental acuity all day. If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness. Anything longer will make you lethargic, but a short nap will refresh you.
5. Take Time to Reflect – Often our lives get so hectic that we become overwhelmed without even realizing it. It becomes difficult to concentrate because nagging thoughts keep interrupting. Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsibilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you anymore and your mind will feel less encumbered. I’m not saying you need to sit on the floor cross-legged and chant ‘ommm’. Anything that allows a bit of prolonged solitude will do. One of my personal favorites is taking a solitary walk. Someone famous said, “All the best ideas occur while walking.” I think he was on to something. Experiment to find the activity that works best for you.
Conclusion – I hope you aren’t disappointed that none of the techniques I’ve proposed are revolutionary. But simple, unexciting answers are often the most valid. The challenge is having the will to adhere to them. If you succeed in following these 5 tips, you’ll be rewarded with increased mental acuity and retention of knowledge.
Here are 5 simple ways anyone can squeeze a bit more productivity out of the old gray matter.
1. Minimize Television Watching – This is a hard sell. People love vegetating in front of the television, myself included more often than I’d like. The problem is watching television doesn’t use your mental capacity OR allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sapped out of a muscle without the health benefits of exercise. Don’t you feel drained after a couple hours of TV? Your eyes are sore and tired from being focused on the light box for so long. You don’t even have the energy to read a book. When you feel like relaxing, try reading a book instead. If you’re too tired, listen to some music. When you’re with your friends or family, leave the tube off and have a conversation. All of these things use your mind more than television and allow you to relax.
2. Exercise – I used to think that I’d learn more by not exercising and using the time to read a book instead. But I realized that time spent exercising always leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and can concentrate more easily.
3. Read Challenging Books – Many people like to read popular suspense fiction, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writing ability you should read books that make you focus. Reading a classic novel can change your view of the world and will make you think in more precise, elegant English. Don’t be afraid to look up a word if you don’t know it, and don’t be afraid of dense passages. Take your time, re-read when necessary, and you’ll soon grow accustomed to the author’s style. Once you get used to reading challenging books, I think you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas is far more exciting than any tacky suspense-thriller.
4. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most rejuvenated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focusing. In my experience the early morning hours are the most tranquil and productive. Waking up early gives you more productive hours and maximizes your mental acuity all day. If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness. Anything longer will make you lethargic, but a short nap will refresh you.
5. Take Time to Reflect – Often our lives get so hectic that we become overwhelmed without even realizing it. It becomes difficult to concentrate because nagging thoughts keep interrupting. Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsibilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you anymore and your mind will feel less encumbered. I’m not saying you need to sit on the floor cross-legged and chant ‘ommm’. Anything that allows a bit of prolonged solitude will do. One of my personal favorites is taking a solitary walk. Someone famous said, “All the best ideas occur while walking.” I think he was on to something. Experiment to find the activity that works best for you.
Conclusion – I hope you aren’t disappointed that none of the techniques I’ve proposed are revolutionary. But simple, unexciting answers are often the most valid. The challenge is having the will to adhere to them. If you succeed in following these 5 tips, you’ll be rewarded with increased mental acuity and retention of knowledge.
Overcoming a Loss of Motivation
How many times have you started a new activity (such as a personal project or exercise routine) with a burst of enthusiasm, only to see that initial momentum evaporate? This often leads to depression and causes us to give up prematurely. I’ve experienced this letdown dozens of times myself. But fortunately, with a bit of thought and reflection you can turn this negative emotion around.
The key to harnessing your emotions is understanding them. The natural pattern of human emotion is peaks and valleys. When we start a new project we’re filled with tremendous optimism. All we can think about is the expected benefits, and since we haven’t started yet, we aren’t aware of the difficulties involved. This natural high causes a surge of mental and physical activity. The peak is a great thing because the energy boost gets projects off the ground. If you’re a creative type like me, you know that this period is euphoric. You feel like nothing can stop you.
The downside of this surge of energy is that it inevitably ends. Exerting large amounts of energy wears you down, and after the initial optimism wears off we feel extremely tired. However high you started off, you fall down just as low. This causes a loss of confidence. The combination of fatigue, scant results, and an awareness of impending adversity makes us want to give up. From personal experience I’ve learned a few ways to hold strong against negativity.
Be Prepared for a Letdown
Emotions, by nature, lose their power when we understand them. Prove this to yourself. Next time you get angry, take a moment to reflect on the reason behind the emotion. When I step back and reflect, it’s easy to see that my anger is caused by insecurity/selfishness/jealousy etc. After I understand the cause my anger fades away.
The same technique applies to a loss of motivation. Instead of giving into negativity, step back and analyze. Look at the causes. Are you tired, burned out, disappointed by the results? Are these feelings justified, or are they a by product of a low point in the emotional spectrum?
To illustrate these ideas, I’ll use my most recent project as an example, the creation of this site. When I launched Pick the Brain it took an enormous amount of effort. I was completely new to blogging, web design, and traffic building so there was a steep learning curve. Writing new posts, setting up the site, and trying to build traffic took up nearly all my free time. After about three weeks I was completely burned out. I got depressed and started to question if the site was worth the effort. I wasn’t seeing any returns and I started to find enormous faults in my writing and the purpose of the site. There were moments when I was resigned to failure.
One reason I was able to overcome this loss of motivation is that I prepared myself for a letdown. Beforehand, I researched blogging and learned that it generally takes 9-12 months before a site begins to see significant traffic. Knowing that my lack of success was perfectly normal helped me get over it. The same is true for other endeavors. If you know losing 20 pounds in a month is unrealistic, you’ll be able to accept losing only 5 more easily.
I also knew my own emotions and was prepared for the initial emotional peak to pass. When I was first inspired to launch a website, my expectations were through the roof. Dreams of AdSense revenue danced in my head and I pictured throngs of loyal readers as if they already existed. But because I understand my emotional pattern, I realized this optimism would give way to depression. In the back of my mind, I foresaw the impending motivational battle, and when it came I was ready.
Reevaluate Your Strategy and Motivation
The passing of the emotional peak is a blessing in disguise because it allows us to reevaluate our plans from a fresh perspective. At first we are blinded by our own optimism. When we lose our motivation we can see gaping holes our in plan. We can either get down on ourselves and give up, or we can use this negative emotion to discover our faults and correct them. After I pulled myself out of the motivational cellar, I went back to all the negatives thoughts I’d had and applied them to improving the site. Having a pessimistic attitude opened my eyes. It made me realistic about my abilities and expectations. Emotional valleys bring us back to reality. Without them we’d be raving lunatics with unlimited self-confidence.
Use a loss of motivation as an opportunity to reconsider what your motivation really is. One reason I lost motivation is that I became too concerned with the financial aspect of blogging and lost sight of the real reason I started: sharing my passion for self improvement and the pursuit of happiness. When I realigned my motivation with my passion, the lack of results didn’t matter. My motivation returned because I realized connecting with people through my writing is an end in itself. Even if this site never makes I dime, sharing my ideas and experiences to help other people is worth the effort.
In truth, sometimes giving up is the right decision. If you started doing something for the wrong reasons you’ll likely lose your motivation. This is a good thing. It allows us to see what really motivates us. In these cases, the best choice is to move on to a new endeavor. Don’t fight self doubt, use it for your benefit.
Conclusion
Dealing with emotional highs and lows is an experience common to all people. We generally accept our emotions as beyond our control. They are powerful and mysterious and appear quite irrational. But if we contemplate our emotions, if we explore the inner workings of our minds, we find that like all things, emotions obey the law of cause and effect. Armed with this knowledge, we can continue to allow our emotions to dominate our lives, or we can use them to our benefit.
Don’t be surprised by a loss of motivation and don’t be disappointed by it. Understand it as natural effect of the human mind, and utilize this knowledge of self to make your emotions work for you.
article by John Wesley from pick the brain
The key to harnessing your emotions is understanding them. The natural pattern of human emotion is peaks and valleys. When we start a new project we’re filled with tremendous optimism. All we can think about is the expected benefits, and since we haven’t started yet, we aren’t aware of the difficulties involved. This natural high causes a surge of mental and physical activity. The peak is a great thing because the energy boost gets projects off the ground. If you’re a creative type like me, you know that this period is euphoric. You feel like nothing can stop you.
The downside of this surge of energy is that it inevitably ends. Exerting large amounts of energy wears you down, and after the initial optimism wears off we feel extremely tired. However high you started off, you fall down just as low. This causes a loss of confidence. The combination of fatigue, scant results, and an awareness of impending adversity makes us want to give up. From personal experience I’ve learned a few ways to hold strong against negativity.
Be Prepared for a Letdown
Emotions, by nature, lose their power when we understand them. Prove this to yourself. Next time you get angry, take a moment to reflect on the reason behind the emotion. When I step back and reflect, it’s easy to see that my anger is caused by insecurity/selfishness/jealousy etc. After I understand the cause my anger fades away.
The same technique applies to a loss of motivation. Instead of giving into negativity, step back and analyze. Look at the causes. Are you tired, burned out, disappointed by the results? Are these feelings justified, or are they a by product of a low point in the emotional spectrum?
To illustrate these ideas, I’ll use my most recent project as an example, the creation of this site. When I launched Pick the Brain it took an enormous amount of effort. I was completely new to blogging, web design, and traffic building so there was a steep learning curve. Writing new posts, setting up the site, and trying to build traffic took up nearly all my free time. After about three weeks I was completely burned out. I got depressed and started to question if the site was worth the effort. I wasn’t seeing any returns and I started to find enormous faults in my writing and the purpose of the site. There were moments when I was resigned to failure.
One reason I was able to overcome this loss of motivation is that I prepared myself for a letdown. Beforehand, I researched blogging and learned that it generally takes 9-12 months before a site begins to see significant traffic. Knowing that my lack of success was perfectly normal helped me get over it. The same is true for other endeavors. If you know losing 20 pounds in a month is unrealistic, you’ll be able to accept losing only 5 more easily.
I also knew my own emotions and was prepared for the initial emotional peak to pass. When I was first inspired to launch a website, my expectations were through the roof. Dreams of AdSense revenue danced in my head and I pictured throngs of loyal readers as if they already existed. But because I understand my emotional pattern, I realized this optimism would give way to depression. In the back of my mind, I foresaw the impending motivational battle, and when it came I was ready.
Reevaluate Your Strategy and Motivation
The passing of the emotional peak is a blessing in disguise because it allows us to reevaluate our plans from a fresh perspective. At first we are blinded by our own optimism. When we lose our motivation we can see gaping holes our in plan. We can either get down on ourselves and give up, or we can use this negative emotion to discover our faults and correct them. After I pulled myself out of the motivational cellar, I went back to all the negatives thoughts I’d had and applied them to improving the site. Having a pessimistic attitude opened my eyes. It made me realistic about my abilities and expectations. Emotional valleys bring us back to reality. Without them we’d be raving lunatics with unlimited self-confidence.
Use a loss of motivation as an opportunity to reconsider what your motivation really is. One reason I lost motivation is that I became too concerned with the financial aspect of blogging and lost sight of the real reason I started: sharing my passion for self improvement and the pursuit of happiness. When I realigned my motivation with my passion, the lack of results didn’t matter. My motivation returned because I realized connecting with people through my writing is an end in itself. Even if this site never makes I dime, sharing my ideas and experiences to help other people is worth the effort.
In truth, sometimes giving up is the right decision. If you started doing something for the wrong reasons you’ll likely lose your motivation. This is a good thing. It allows us to see what really motivates us. In these cases, the best choice is to move on to a new endeavor. Don’t fight self doubt, use it for your benefit.
Conclusion
Dealing with emotional highs and lows is an experience common to all people. We generally accept our emotions as beyond our control. They are powerful and mysterious and appear quite irrational. But if we contemplate our emotions, if we explore the inner workings of our minds, we find that like all things, emotions obey the law of cause and effect. Armed with this knowledge, we can continue to allow our emotions to dominate our lives, or we can use them to our benefit.
Don’t be surprised by a loss of motivation and don’t be disappointed by it. Understand it as natural effect of the human mind, and utilize this knowledge of self to make your emotions work for you.
article by John Wesley from pick the brain
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