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Browse every published article connected to Steve Gillman, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Steve Gillman, or search within this exact expert archive.
An IQ test is supposed to measure one's "intelligence quotient," to provide a basic rating of how smart a person is. When we try to measure people in this way, we hope it will predict how well they will perform in either their profession or academic work. Of course we know that this doesn't work ...
There is a simple negotiating technique you can use to save money on many purchases. In the world of high-power negotiators, it is referred to as time investment. The simplest description is this: Spend enough time with a seller and he or she is more likely to accept your offer. Time Investment
I get a lot of newsletters and other emails on how to make money online. One recent newsletter suggested a technique for stealing the use ame of blog posters so that all of their posts were then linked to your website. That's just one of the dirty tricks being used by some internet marketers. I honestly can't imagine wanting to do business that way. Another common trick is to tell people they can have a "free" gift and then making them hand over their email address and wade through a long sale's pitch just to discover that the free gift is a CD that costs $5.99 for "shipping and handling.
Flip flopping refers to changing ones position on an issue. The public generally dislikes politicians who flip flop on their positions, in part because they assume that it is done dishonestly for political reasons alone, and in part because they simple like to know what a candidate for public ...
How do you choose the best meditation music? Baroque music is often recommended, and particular pieces may have the right number of beats-per-minute to alter your brainwaves. But more on that in a moment. The science isn't that settled in this area yet, and you may find that any music which you ...
I am a follower of hidden trails. In fact, on at least half of the hiking trips I take lately, I'm off the trails altogether, bushwhacking into the unknown. What do you get for doing as Walt Whitman suggested, and taking the "road less traveled?" A bit of adventure. Here are some of the things ...
We all have a bit of brain fog from time to time - particularly in the morning for myself. We may want to concentrate on finishing that story, working on that report for work, or whatever it is that requires our best mental efforts, yet we are in a haze. What can you do to more effectively concentrate on the task at hand? Fortunately there are several things.
What Do You Think? Can you solve problems easily? Can you learn new things efficiently? Can you increase your brain power? Whatever you think and feel about these questions, those thoughts and feelings will have an effect on your brain function, because brain power and psychology are ...
Contrary to what many believe, many atheist - if not most - would never say "God doesn't exist." Unfortunately, many dictionaries also have definitions like "Denial of the existence of God," which is a misrepresentation. In fact, if once you understand what atheism really means, you'll see why ...
The easiest route to creative product innovation is to start with something we already have and ask some simple questions about it to suggest new ideas. For the sake of demonstrating how this can be done, we'll suppose that we want to design a new kind of bicycle. We start by asking a lot of ...
The following creative marketing ideas are specifically about finding new places and ways to advertise. This has always been an area ripe for new ideas. What prompted me to write this page is an article I recently read on a company called Show Media. Show Media has advertising displays on top ...
The filed of behavioral economics repeatedly shows that we are not as rational as we think when making financial decisions. No big surprise there. But can we become more rational with our money? We can if we learn to spot our irrational tendencies and correct them. Let’s look at some examples. The Sunk-Cost Fallacy The idea of “sunk costs” in economics is that once money is spent it is gone and should no longer be a part of a rational decision making process.
Not sure what to do? Try the following seven step decision making process the next time you need to make up your mind about something important. And take notes! 1. What are your immediate intuitive feelings? Make a few notes about your immediate "gut reaction." For example, if you're not sure ...
You've heard people say that opportunity only knocks once. I say it knocks a thousand times, or at least it can. The problem is, we often don't listen, we don't see, or we don't want to work. The biggest problem, though, is that opportunity really isn't opportunity, if you're not ready for ...
When talking about financial freedom, different people can mean entirely different things. For some it means getting to do what they want because they have enough money. For others it means having enough income from investments that they are free of any financial conce s. Of course, few people are actually unconce ed about financial matters regardless of how much income they have. Some even get more worried about their finances as they get wealthier. And few people get to do everything they would like to do no matter how much money they make.
You Want Brain Power, Not Scores!Would you like to know what your IQ is? Want to improve it? What is IQ anyhow? The American Heritage Dictionary defines Intelligence Quotient as "The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100." Basically, ...
Everything happens for a reason? What nonsense! On the other hand, what a great idea! Whatever your religious or philosophical background, this is a belief that you can use, even if it isn't true. There is no way to prove that everything happens for a reason. In fact, when you think about some ...
Getting lucky is more probable when you have a certain way of approaching situations. This particular frame of mind is the good-luck-generating attitude expressed in the following quote: "If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of ...
Yes, it might feel great to win the lottery. Money, houses, travel - these are wonderful, but not enough by themselves. You need the right frame of mind to fully enjoy life. You need the attitude of gratitude. Be Grateful Life is better when you feel blessed, when you can look around and say ...
The following real estate investing secrets are not so much secrets as they are principles that are not widely applied and often ignored. Use them and you will have less risk and a greater chance for success. 1. Speed Equals Profit When investing in a fixer upper, many people are tempted to do everything themselves, from repairs to improvements and even selling on their own. Although this can work, if you are not very skilled you can end up spending just as much on some repairs and improvements as it would have cost to pay a contractor.
Ready to hit the trails but without the beef jerky? Here are a few vegetarian backpacking recipes you can try, along with some simple snack foods. Olive Oil Noodles This is a simple recipe that you don't need to write down. Bring a small bag of spices (whatever kinds you like), some dried vegetables, pasta and olive oil. Soak the dried vegetables while you are setting up camp. Then cook them along with the pasta.
There are many money myths that can get in the way of your success. Here are three that you may have bought into. If so, it's time to learn some better ideas. Money Myth - You Need Money To Make Money Like most money myths, this one is pulled out as an excuse when a person doesn't want to do ...
There are a lot very good reasons for developing a meditation practice. You are likely to be healthy both physically and mentally. You’ll have less stress. You might gain some insight into the workings of your own mind. Your friends may find that you are easier to be around. Then there are the spiritual goals. Some people use meditation as a form of prayer. For some it means learning to be in the moment, with the hope that this more natural and peaceful state of mind can be carried into everyday life and activities. Other find that meditation helps them to become more compassionate.
Yes, it has been a bad real estate market in many ways (this is being written in early 2010). But there are ways to protect yourself when buying a home. If the following tips are coming too late to help you in your current situation, at least remember them for next time. In May of 2006, at the end of the biggest real estate bubble in our lives - we bought a home. My wife and I had been renting in Tucson, Arizona, and decided to move to Canon City, Colorado.
In order to find a house that is right for you, you have to first think carefully about what you actually need and want. Many people limit their thinking to the home itself, and so have a mental (or even written) list of all the features they want. But what you need in a house is not limited to the structure itself, nor even that and the neighborhood. Sure, you want a nice place, but you also need something that helps you with your important goals in life.
How do you choose the best self help books? That depends on what you want to accomplish. Are you looking for peace of mind, more money or less fear? Here are five self help books which I have read and can recommend, along with some tips on how to find more that are right for you. "Feel the Fear ...
The following economic depression survival tips are all about preparation. With a bit of street smarts and a willingness to do what's needed you can survive losing everything. But it is better to prevent that from happening in the first place by being prepared for some worst case scenarios. Depression Survival Tips - Keep That Income Keep your job or other income and tough times aren't so tough. In fact, if you are still making the same money when prices are dropping, homes cost less and stocks are on sale, a depression can be an opportunity.
People talk about the need to think outside of the box as though everyone understands what that means. It is assumed to simply mean being more creative and open minded in your thinking. But shouldn't we ask what the "box" is that we want to get out of? We'll get to an answer for that in a ...
You probably know that distributing your writing through various online outlets is a great way to promote your website or blog, but how do you come up with article ideas? Here are some simple ways to generate as many ideas as you need to keep your fingers busy on that keyboard. Using The News For Article Ideas If you have a blog where you comment on social or political issues, the evening news or the online headlines are great sources of ideas. You can use the news in one of two basic ways. The first is to simply report in your own words what you hear.
There are a number of speed reading techniques that you can learn quickly. The key to their effectiveness is not just in how well you understand the idea, though, but in how much you actually practice them. Here are two to get you started. Forced Speed Simply forcing yourself to read faster is one of the primary techniques you will learn from any good speed reading course. Our minds are able to see and process a lot of information at once - much more than we realize.
The following is not about how to write profitable articles for print magazines. In fact, it isn't about selling articles at all. There is nothing wrong with selling your writing, but it is a difficult field to get into and your income will always be limited. For example, how much can a new writer make for a 600-word article from a magazine? I recently looked at what various magazines pay for such short articles. It ranged from a few free copies of the magazine up to about $100.
Creating and using a metaphorical understanding is one of the primary ways we communicate a new idea. The process is very apparent with scientific knowledge. For example, we explain an atom using the metaphor of a little solar system in which the nucleus sits like the sun in the middle and the ...
Would you like to have more creative problem solving ability? How would you like to be the one who always has a creative solution? There are dozens of techniques that can help, starting with this simple one based on word inflection. It will work in all areas, from business to science to everyday ...
There are many ways to make money writing online. Just one of them will be laid out here. It is one that you probably haven't read about before. Make Money Writing Online Ebooks Okay, you have heard about ebooks and selling them. This isn't quite the usual way to do that however. You do have ...
There are many ways to find affordable housing. There are even ways to make the home you have more affordable. Here are some of the best. Move to a cheaper location. This is often not considered by people, but the difference in housing costs between two cities within an hour of each other can be dramatic. This can be true whether you are renting or buying. If the new location isn't too far away, you can commute to your job.
People have money trouble for different reasons. On the other hand, there are some mistakes and bad financial habits that are common in these situations. This explains why some people have these problems with money over and over. See if any of the following apply to you. 1. Not wanting to think about money. If you didn't pay attention or think about where you were going when driving you would probably get lost and have accidents more often. The same is true of money. Many people just don't like to pay attention to it or think about it.
You have probably seen the bumper stickers that say, "America - Love It Or Leave It." Most polite people won't put it that bluntly, but many share the sentiment. They think that if a person doesn't like the system here, they have no right to be here. What an ignorant and hateful idea! To show ...
The following real estate investment ideas revolve around the general theme of gaining some special advantage. This is more necessary that normal at the moment (2009) because it is unclear whether home values will continue to fall. Having the right approach limits the risk inherent in falling prices and slow sales times. 1. Look For Special Infrastructure Situations Infrastructure changes can radically affect prices of homes. Transportation issues in particular matter when evaluating the future value of a property.
What if there was a way to make money with any of your hobbies? Fortunately, there is. Thanks to the internet it's more feasible than ever to turn a hobby into an income stream. The basic idea is to share your knowledge and ideas with others who have similar interests. You can do this with a website a blog or an email newsletter.
What is the American Dream? Is it two kids, a new car, a good job, and a big new house with a pet dog to greet you at the door? Hmm... At least there was a deeper conception of it when it was invented. James Truslow Adams answered the questio "What is the American Dream?" in his book, "The ...
Good metaphors, apart from just sounding nice to the ears, do at least two other things. First, they make it easier to think about something. For example, if you were to try to explain to a first-time computer user that bits of electricity create binary code which then... well, I can't explain ...
The following ten guidelines for writing articles are meant specifically for articles that are used to promote a website or blog. These are typically distributed through directories where readers can access them and other webmasters can take them for free to use as content on their websites. It is one of the best ways to optimize and promote your site or blog. 1. Have an Optimized and Interesting Title The title should catch the attention of readers. It doesn't have to be unusual or outrageous, although that can help when it is possible.
Want more good luck in your life? Then why not look at what the research shows about lucky people? Better yet, why not do some simple exercises that train your mind in the habits of lucky people? To start with, the research shows (and yes there is a lot of "luck" research) that luckier people ...
We should always be looking for ways of thinking outside the box. It isn't that we will always find a better solution through more creative or non-conventional solutions. But we sometimes will. Maybe that doesn't sound inspiring enough, so let me explain. Suppose you get in the habit of thinking outside the box and you have many interesting, creative, but unusable ideas. So most of the time you fall back on conventional solutions to your problems, whether at home or in business or in the workplace.
Looking for cheap travel destinations is a habit we developed during leaner times. Necessary or not, it still means being able to do more for the money. We also continually discover that the cheaper places can be just as much fun. Anaconda, Montana is a great example of this. When we first ...
When we hear about wealth creation it is usually presented as gaining money and other valuable assets. Make money, then invest it to grow your net worth - a common formula. Those who look a little deeper see that assets alone don't necessarily pay the bills, stress making your money and assets work for you to produce streams of income. In any case the basic idea as understood by most people is that wealth creation is a matter of accumulation. There is a difference between creation and transference, though.
At the moment (late 2009), it seems that real estate values may have stopped falling finally. Are they headed back up now, or are we in for a period of stable prices that barely move for years? Or are they going to start dropping again? I suspect we are in a slow recovery, but let's look at some of the things that determine prices. Watch these factors and you can make your own predictions. Supply The state of housing supply, like many other factors, is not the same in all parts of the country. Some areas have enough empty homes to meet demand for a long time to come.
The two creativity tips that follow suggest two of the dozens of basic questions you can ask to increase the creativeness of your thinking. Ask these as you work on something, and you can see more creative results today. 1. A Question Of Purpose Asking certain questions can lead to more ...
There are hundreds of ways to increase brainpower. They range from dietary practices and specific supplements to creative thinking techniques and even environmental changes. Here are six short examples of things you can try today to boost the power of your brain and mind. Act Intelligent When you act as if you’re more intelligent, it sets up an expectation in your mind that your unconscious mind tries to meet - and this affects actual performance. This isn’t merely speculation.
Why is there cheap real estate? Is it just that some sellers don't know what their property is worth? Sometimes this is the case, but only rarely. More often a seller is willing to sell for less because it means selling faster or more easily. In other words, sellers will trade a little equity ...