Most people have a list of life goals that include the phrase “to be successful at …” However, failures are an inevitable part of life; a part that cannot be avoided, and people must learn to plan for setbacks as well as working for triumphs. Although failures cannot be avoided, the chances of failing at specific tasks can be reduced through various strategies, including persistence, planning, and problem-solving.Continue Reading…

It might be true that university life is nothing like it was 15 years ago. The Internet has overhauled how our academic life is now experienced; from Wikipedia to Massive Open Online Courses, our academic performance and potential are ever-growing. But as scientists and IT specialists delve deeper into how university students can make the most of their academic potential, new ideas in the form of apps and online platforms are coming into being, to make student life a bit easier and perhaps a lot more bearable.Continue Reading…

Setting goals is relatively easy, while achieving them is sometimes quite difficult. This means that many of us fail to achieve most of our goals. Inability to achieve goals is often largely due to the fact that the goals set are unrealistic and unachievable in the given circumstances, or that we fail to take measurable steps in order to achieve the desired goals.Continue Reading…

Focusing on delivering a “perfect” project usually results in cost overruns and missed deadlines. Designing and developing a perfect project requires perfect working environment – something which is seldom found within the complexities of the real world. A perfectionist is often unable to add value to the project, and instead can create stress and tension for co-workers and colleagues working on the same tasks.Continue Reading…

We tend to associate music with going out, clubbing, restaurant background music, or a relaxing Sunday afternoon at home. We rarely associate music with work, as we tend to think of it as a distracting nuisance. However, this is far from truth: the right genre of music can actually boost productivity and even increase our momentum to work past our productivity plateau. That’s the magic of music.Continue Reading…

The analogy between time available and information awaiting our acknowledgement of them is disproportionate. However, we shouldn’t use this as an excuse for perpetuating our poor knowledge of the world surrounding us. The Internet no matter how many evils is accused of generating, it can be a quality resource of useful knowledge.Continue Reading…

Once upon a time, when humans had to fight off attacking barbarians, their bodies developed a system to divert all energy and focus to the muscles during periods of extreme stress. The biology was simple—when there was danger, the body would produce certain chemicals such as cortisol and epinephrine to shut off areas of the brain needed for higher levels of thinking and memory, and divert all energy to the muscles for the “fight or flight” response. This system worked very well, and the human race survived to eventually live in relative safety in modern times. Continue Reading…

Are you one of those “Yes” people? The people who always are on the run because of their inability to say no to anyone, not even themselves? While such people are quite kind and gentle with everyone without exception, they tend to try to please everyone, often at the expense of their own unattended needs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a commendable thing to do, being helpful to others. Continue Reading…

You’ve probably seen the gloom-and-doom announcers on television shows using ominous-looking statistics and “true life” stories to terrorize their audience into thinking that technology is a self-inflicted doom we brought on ourselves, making us dumb, lethargic, and mind-numb. On the other hand, the advertisements on those shows are usually from technology giants (and you know who I’m referring to all right) that are trying to convince you that their latest smartphone version is different than the last one, and is exactly what you need to be smart, energetic, and totally alive and connected. Apparently, to survive in this world of contradictions you either need to be bipolar, or to not really pay much attention to what self-titled scientists have to say – or technology advertisers, either.Continue Reading…

We spend the entire work week eagerly waiting for the weekend – but then we spend the weekend doing absolutely nothing, or at least nothing constructive. If you’re one of the people who falls into this category and who misuses the possibilities these two-day break offers, keep reading! Of course you need rest and sleep to make up for the crazy week that just passed, but finding a way to squeeze few self-improving activities into the weekend will be worthwhile in the long-term. Come to think about it, you have 52 weekends (counting both a Saturday and a Sunday) to achieve great things. That’s 52 opportunities for improvement, and it’s all possible if you set your mind to it.Continue Reading…