Wellcultured - Well Cultured is a men’s online magazine with advice and reviews on fashion, dating, finances, health, music, movies and many other topics, as well as a robust message board and the Well Cultured Guide, a freely editable community wiki.

2009 is going to be a different year. For most of us in the West, the economy has gone to hell in a handbasket- leaving many of us without jobs or fighting for those we have. Socially, the world is changing- especially in the US, where the entire government has been handed over to the opposite party and subcultures are growing and growing. This year, seemingly moreso than 2009, is going to be a year about recovery and optimization- making ourselves more better than we were before to weather any kind of economic or social situation.

Frankly, there is very little room for error in the West anymore. Where a few years ago one may be able to survive (to some degree) without a job and with a lot of room for error schooling-wise, we are no longer going to have such freedom. Many college graduates are very quickly learning that there simply aren’t that many jobs anymore- and many budding entrepreneurs are learning there isn’t the money to hire anyone anyway.

In a world like this, the strongest and the most savvy will survive- and when it comes to this sort of competition, being a well cultured individual will save you every time. Knowing how to look professional, dress well, handle yourself in a pleasant way and how to excel at your job is crucial- and here are ten new years resolutions you should follow to do just that.

10- Clean your life “history” now.

Few people really realize how much information can be found out via the Internet, especially by employers. Personally, a variety of information can be found out about me- from my school to even some of my political affiliations, people I’ve worked for, old friends, and embarrassing overweight pictures of myself. The worst thing is, a savvy individual can find some horrible stuff on me- namely, some posts about me from an old stalker, and an accusation of me being a mentally deranged homosexual. These constitute what I call a life “history” online- and just like your internet browser history, they can be fairly normal or very embarrassing, depending on what you do and how much you make public.

If you can, “optimize” your history. Get rid of old forum accounts. Delete old blogs. Remove (or untag yourself from) old photos on Facebook. Make sure no-one is talking about you, if you can help it. There’s nothing wrong with having accounts on websites, just realize that if they connect with your real name, they can harm you- which is why people often joke your name on the internet is a “Power Word”.

Worst case scenario, there are “cleanup” companies that specialize in fixing issues like unsatisfactory posts and the like. Employ them if you must.

9- Build connections everywhere.

Connections are how most people become rich, not by pure savvy. Sure, having intelligence is important- but knowing the right people who can help you (and who you can help in return) is incredibly important.

One of the easiest ways you can build a connection is to make yourself an address book- be it online, written out, or even on your cell phone. Websites like Linkedin and Facebook help, but not everyone in the world is on there- find a somewhat neutral way of cateloging who you know, from where, and their contact info. Store business cards, if you have to.

Remember, though, you have to reciprocate the help you get. Be willing to help out friends- use your skills for their benefit. Really good business connections are made on mutual need, not necessarily on your ability to exploit the other person into getting you what you need.

8- Date more.

I’m very serious. This will help you.

Dating is marketing yourself, no matter what others may say- just, instead of asking the other person to hire you and give you money, you are asking the other person to like you. Dating lets you refine the skill of marketing yourself- both in the sense of getting to know others conversationally (understanding how to be social with near-strangers), but also understanding yourself a bit better- and how to explain yourself to others. You’ll also find yourself less nervous about interviews and other kinds of meetings- if you know how to woo women correctly, you shouldn’t be too worried about being causally friends with men.

As well, the bonus is you could always find an awesome girl- there’s nothing wrong with finding a girlfriend for 2009.

7- Optimize your computer to get things done.

This is the fun geeky part of the resolutions.

Optimize your computer for work. Sure, we all absolutely love to optimize our computers for play- cleaning up our harddrives and buying new parts for faster gaming- but there’s also a benefit to optimization to get things done.

First off, provide yourself simplified ways to manage your e-mail and calendar. Google provides a lot of these tools for free and in high quality- both Gmail and Google Calendar are excellent tools for management. Google Calendar, my personal favorite, allows you to not only make your own calendar, but share them with other users- synchronizing youself with everything from school schedules to football games.

As well, organize and back up your work. For both schoolwork and literal work, make an organization system that will allow you to store  your files safely and in a way where you will know where they are. I personally find that my best method is to have a separate hard drive in my PC devoted entirely to bulk storage- allowing me to reformat and play around on my main hard drive without worrying about where my other files are. This also often saves my rear when I destroy Windows in some way or other.

Oh yes, and if you do decide to optimize your computer, as one geek to another, keep or rollback to Windows XP if at all humanly possible. Despite recent advertisements, Vista is not a productivity system whatsoever. Worst case scenario, if you cannot find XP drivers for your system, consider some flavor of Linux.

6- Go to school- or get certificates for what you already know.

Unless you have already gone, if you are not currently in a form of College/University, you need to apply pronto. As I have often mentioned, High School educations simply do not cut it anymore for jobs- you need to specialize and be smarter. Some people can certainly find jobs after highschool because of their skill- but for the average joe, that sort of luck rarely comes. Get a degree in something- and study your ass off for a good GPA. There are many companies now that do not even briefly consider potential hires unless they have the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.

Some people are surprised at the ridiculous amounts of accrediation you can get for very little work. Many certifications- computer certifications such as the A+ Certification, various personal trainer certifications, and other similar certificates can be had for relatively cheap. These boost a resume for virtually any job, and always provide an extremely good way to make extra cash on the side.

5- Make more money- put your skills to work.

As I mentioned above, easy skills can be a great cash crop. Personally, I have found that basic tech support and design work provide me a steady stream of extra money for clothes, dates, and other kinds of frivolities- as well as a great way to augment rent if I need to.

Your “skill” doesn’t even have to be something incredibly complex- there are many party planning companies and restaurants that sometimes need extra hosts. If you have the looks for it (or the lack of self-respect to do horrible fetish photography), modeling is a very reasonable way to make cash.

What I will say, though, is to be careful. From the work I’ve done, as well as hearing stories from friends, there are many scams that exist for temps- not paying the right amount, expecting more than they listed, and that sort of thing. Always have something in writing- even an e-mail or two confirming the job and the pay- to back yourself up.

4- Eat healthier- no more junk food, period.

There have been countless articles posted online and published in newspapers/magazines about junk food and it’s bad effects, yet it still is purchased by the proverbial truckload by the average family. This is ridiculous. While sweets and chips are fine in moderation, you may not really realize how many calories, grams of fat and grams of sugar you are ingesting every day from a casual snack- and how much effect it has on your system.

Eating poorly makes you sluggish, irritable, sleepy (but often makes it harder to actually fall asleep), sexually weak, and it can give you horrible skin. Worst of all, it makes you fat. Why eat it?

Eat junk food in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with having a bag of chips or a soda every now and then- just don’t go overboard. If you eat a lot of junk food (say, during a Christmas party), exercise it off- don’t consider it a lost cause. Sometimes, the best way to ensure you don’t eat it is to simply not buy it- and, in the long run, it will save you money, too.

3- Dress better- buy clothes that are eternally stylish.

Of course, this being a fashion website, we always love talking about new fashions and how to wear them- it’s our “thing”. The problem is, with the economy going to hell, it’s hard to buy good fashions that are actually affordable.

The answer to this is twofold. First off, go for sales. With the economy as bad as it is, many clotheirs are cutting back their prices and holding sales like crazy- take advantage of them. I’ve seen $300 jackets go for $50 this Christmas- a bad thing for retailers but a good thing for you.

The second part of the answer is that you should buy long-lasting, not transient, fashions. Well-made suits, leather shoes, high quality jeans, and nice coats are all the kinds of clothing that will last you years- so buy them well and in fashions that are established, not extremely cutting-edge. Modernize your wardrobe with a few small pieces, but largely keep yourself traditional in fit and style- doing so will allow the clothing to truly last years, rather than look outdated in one or two.

2- Start a weekly exercise routine- preferably three times a week.

The reverse of junk food- exercising makes you look good and feel good. Beyond just being fit, exercising will make you look better (both in clothing and naked), it will give you more energy, allow you to focus more, and in general will make you a better person overall.

Of course, don’t get into a “rut” by focusing exclusively on weight lifting or running- branch out and make your routine encompass a little bit of everything. Fundamentally, you should try working on a little bit of the “big three”- strength, stamina, and flexibility- by finding activities and exercises to promote all three, rather than one or two. If you exclusively weight lift, try to build in some cardio as well- you’ll find it beneficial both to your weight lifting stamina and to help slim fat off your body- and if you do nothing but cardio, try weight lifting to blast away pudginess and show lean muscle off.

1- Manage your money.

Obviously, I’ve been mentioning money a lot this post, and number one is all about money.

No matter how old you are or what financial situation you are in, it is imperitive that you begin to manage your money closely. Know where your money is coming from and where it is going- and keep it from blasting away on ridiculous expenditures.

One very important thing all people over 18 should work on is building credit. Even if you do not need one, having a credit card (and using it for a small expenditure monthly) is a great way to build up a credit score and prove you can handle small term loans. This will help immensely in the future with larger loans- such as car loans or home loans- which often require you have a demonstrated history of, in colloquial terms, “trustability”.

Arguably the easiest way to manage your finances is to buy cheap and only when you must. Other than things you absolutely must have (groceries, a roof over your head, etc), there are many things you simply do not need to spend so much money on. If you can manage it, avoid paying monthly fees for video games, upper-tier cable channels, personal trainers, and other amenities, especially if you do not use them.

I’ve listed a ridiculous amount of pointers today, but my point is incredibly simple: manage yourself tightly this year. 2009 is going to be a year of tight funds and even tighter employers- so you will have to bend to avoid breaking, if you pardon the metaphor. I can guarantee that even if you pick up one of these resolutions, 2009 will be just a little bit simpler- and hopefully, we’ll all survive just a bit better than the next guy.

Let’s face it, a lot of us are poor. Well, not eat-off-the-floor poor, but the vast majority of us aren’t rolling in cash, and many of us find ourselves in a position where we have to find money- and manage that money well lest we starve. And, as our forums show, many of us are college students with one big issue: Money.

So, in the interest of answering some questions and collecting some ideas, here’s a quick list of habits that will help you survive college life without major debt. Unfortunately, no answer will make your tuition debts completely go away, but… we can imagine.

Basic College Life

• Stay in a school that has what you want: remember, it’s not much different than hiring a service. Don’t get caught up in the concept of sticking at a school because of arbitrary means (such as “I like the name” or something like that). Remember: You are (probably) paying an exorbitant amount of money to attend- work hard for what you want, and if it’s not what you want, go somewhere else.
• Be wary of clubs and organizations. Don’t hide from them by any means, but some groups and organizations on campus (ESPECIALLY Fraternities and Sororities) expect dues to the tune of $1,000 USD or more. Either prepare for it or stay far away.
• Avoid going out to bars. Trust me, even if you like that scene, plenty of parties will have free beer in one form or another, and you don’t need the alcohol THAT badly. Modern bartenders take your credit card hostage and charge like there’s no tomorrow- they do so for their own safety, which is fine, but it also keeps you from realizing how much expensive crap you’ve guzzled down.
• Get good grades and keep out of trouble. You will be eligible for school-sponsored scholarships if you do- stuff that can knock the price off significantly.
• Become a “Scholarship Whore”. Apply to everything you hear about. While it’s taxing, you can do it in your free time. Who knows, you might get something.
• Take the PLSAT/PGMAT/Whatever as much as possible. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out your scores, and it’s a good way to figure out where you stand for both graduate school and some of your college strengths. Expect it to be rough- the PLSAT is roughly the equivelant of mental molestation, and the PGMAT even more so- but you need to take it. Most colleges let you take it for free.
• Stay off of JuicyCampus and other gossip rags. Some colleges have been known to severely punish students for doing such things.
• Avoid excessive spending. You do not need a 50″ plasma screen in a 10′x10′ room. Similarly, you do not need to walk around in the latest fashions driving a Porsche. Most people in college are too busy to care.
• Take advantage of free stuff on campus. Often, colleges will hold various free seminars and functions for students. This can range from being able to hear a famous speaker to getting a 100% free Flu shot. Keep your eyes peeled.
• Network like crazy. Your first job may come from someone you met in college- so don’t dismiss the idea of talking to everyone you can and networking with as many professionals as you can handle. Even taking business cards is a good start.

Class Tricks

• Figure out your Library policy and abuse it. Taking an English class with 20 books and you have no money? The Library will probably have copies- and some older texts can be found online. Similarly, services like JSTOR and LexisNexis are usually free on student networks- abuse them if you can.
• Mass Print in “Fast Draft” mode. If you have it, use this mode for any/all required readings you have to print out. Your printer will thank you when it doesn’t have to chug out 300DPI scans of some stupid report (I know this, I killed a new printer in under 6 months doing this).
• Even if you feel academically confident, still use free tutoring services. If you have the free time, why not? It’s free lessons. Double up the time someone’s instructing you on a subject you are poor at and you have a hell of a lot better chance of passing. On many campuses, it’s free.
• Re-use notebooks or use loose leaf, if you can. Don’t waste the money to buy a huge notebook just to constantly scrabble “This Professor Is An Idiot” all over the first three pages to never use the notebook again.

Food/Drink Tips

• Hungry? Find a party or a gathering and feign interest. The moral nature of doing such a thing is questionable, but crazy political interest nutcases can make a good burger.
• Cut back on the Soda, Red Bull, and Vitamin Water. It’ll make you fat- even Vitamin Water (check the label if you don’t believe me). The worst thing is, that kinda stuff tends to make you jumpy and retarded. From personal experience, studying and drinking nothing but Red Bull (and eating Gummi Worms) for two days straight gives you Kafka-esque hallucinations.
• You can go cheaper than the cafeteria. Most upperclassmen learn this quick: get the minimum meal plan and buy stuff on your own. Cafeteria food gets old, and it obviously is kinda pricy for what you get. Cans of soup, sandwiches, and similar items are equally as tasty and are much cheaper. Hell, if you live off campus, brown-bag it.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol if you can avoid it. Yes, it sounds prudish, but that stuff is insanely expensive.

Living

• Living off campus may be cheaper in the long run. Do some searching when such an option is available- as crazy as it sounds, it may be cheaper to share an apartment with some friends (or even go on your own) rather than staying in a dorm.
• Fight for a dorm room you want. Many colleges charge roughly the same for a triple, double, and single dorm room, so fight for the one you want. Raising hell, within reason, can result in nice extras.
• Mooch. If you have roommates, more than likely they will have various other things you may need- such as televisions, new video games, etc.- if you split up the costs in the long run, everyone will have the same enjoyment without the high costs.
• Use the Library for movies and games. Check your library- they may have more interesting things than you think. Many Professors seem to have a love of modern movies (mainly for “teaching”, in the loosest term), so many libraries stock up with the newest films. It’s a lot cheaper than renting.
• Keep the place clean. Damage bills can be ridiculous.
• Make friends with the IT guys, if you can. Please an IT guy sufficiently and you will magically find yourself with more bandwidth and more blind eyes to your browsing habits.
• Carpool. Don’t go off on solo trips if you can. If you live in a dorm, no doubt some friends will need food too- everyone can pitch in for gas and collectively save money.
• Be frugal about laundry. Many articles of clothing can admittedly be worn multiple days- and when you do laundry, avoid using tons of detergent.

General Finance

• Lock your credit cards away. If you play your cards right, there will be few times you will genuinely need a credit card, especially on campus.
• STAY AWAY FROM ON-CAMPUS LENDING GROUPS. If you do decide to utilize them, be CAREFUL. Many of these groups are rather predatory, meaning if you are too loose with your funds they will tear your credit history to shreds before you even graduate.
• Read the terms of the “Campus Cash” (or equivalent) deals. Many colleges allow you to place money on your ID card for miscellaneous purchases, such as for drinks and the like. Some do not allow this money to “roll over” to the next semester/year. If that is the case, either put as little as you can on there, or buy everything in sight right before the year ends.
• Shop around for financing options for your tuition loan. Various states offer different things- even the federal government gets involved on occasion. Shop around.

Getting Extra Cash

• Sign up to be a tech adviser/repairman on campus. Trust me, they don’t need A+ Certified pseudo-geniuses- most campuses hire general “Dorm Techs” to do the basic work (like plugging in Ethernet cables). You can be paid for this.
• Find a job in your major department. This is the ideal- not only do you get money, but you get offhand learning experience AND the opportunity to bond with your Professors.
• Find a job ANYWHERE on campus. Most colleges will hire you and then work around your class schedule, which is amazingly great.
• Do miscellaneous things for students on campus. One of the brightest ideas I’ve heard in a while is that the makeup group Mary Kay is hiring girls on campus to sell to girls on campus. That’s a money machine. While I doubt you can go around hawking makeup, there are many similar things you can do.

Another question from the readers:

Hello, I’m starting to get out on my own, and I’m heading off to college next semester.  One of my co-workers has suggested that I get put on the books so that I can start to establish my own credit history.  Honestly, I don’t know anything about credit, credit scores, or credit history, so I turn to you guys to hopefully steer me in the right direction to manage the meager amount of money I’m going to have as a college student.

Your coworker is actually pretty sharp. Credit histories take some time to build up (properly, at least), so it’s good to have a general game plan when you enter College.

When you enter College, you will probably get an insane amount of credit card applications- even from your college. While it’s something of an ethically questionable practice, many colleges (especially private ones) connect with local banking institutions to provide their students access to credit cards and banking resources. That being said, now is the time to start building up a credit history, it just has to be done carefully.

Here’s what I recommend: Get a credit card and use it only once a month for a meal or something. Credit cards are massive pains (and many argue against their existance as a whole), but you generally need them for various purchases, so it’s important to play the game early and build up a reputation (which is manifest in your credit history). However, as I’m sure you’ll notice in college, you can easily way overcharge crap on your credit card and get into massive debt- and it can ruin your future job opportunities. Too many people graduate from College with huge amounts of debt- debt from credit cards AND tuition.

Long story short, get a credit card to “officially” be using their services, but never use it except once a month (so it stays active) and pay it off immediately. If you need to carry a card with you, carry a debit card- and only when you absolutely must. While you will build up your credit history, you will stay out of debt, and essentially begin earning free services from the credit card company. Naturally, the company will be making SOME money off you (off of the people you buy from, rather), but in the long run, they’ll be giving you a free ride to a solid credit history.

So far as general money management, it isn’t that hard so long as you learn to budget and watch yourself:

1. Drinking in college is expensive and stupid. Nowadays, bartenders will actually expect you to hand them your credit card and let them charge away as you drink away. If you want to drink, go to parties or whatever and grab what’s free. This also applies with food and “major/minor parties”, though professors will get angry at you for that (I know this from experience).
2. Some campuses will be more expensive than others. On some, living on-campus is cheap, others will charge you an arm and a leg to do so. Figure out what’s cheap- if you live off campus close enough to bike, then you can save lots of money- always check prices.
3. Avoid nasty fees. Private universities love to tack on “bad” parking charges and/or food charges to make up what they spend on the football team, so avoid bad practices.
4. Build a budget and stick by it. Let’s face it, all you really need is food, water, clothing, a roof, and, in college, an internet connection. I’m not supposed to really say this, but you can download so much stuff now, it’s useless to buy most entertainment-related things.

So there you have it. I kept it fairly simple, but hopefully it should be straightforward enough to help. Good luck!

I really enjoy having lots of video games, posters, and all sorts of other stuff available to me. But sometimes, it’s a bit too much. At this point, virtually every average joe has a DVD collection of some kind, a game console or two, and some general crap that just needs to be organized. Here is 8 ways to do that.

8. Let everything have a “place”‘

nuff said- your gaming stuff belongs in a specific location, your books in another, etc. One of the biggest flaws of most pads is that they tend to mix up in one jumble- avoid it. If you have work or schoolwork in your place, make sure it is in a special location where you know where to find it.

This makes sense both from a physical and mental perspective. If you know where things are, you will naturally not only be able to find them better, but it will begin to make sense- and you will feel less overwhelmed when it comes to general clutter. It’s always much easier to mentally “know” when it’s time to work when you go to your desk with your paperwork on it- or when it’s time to screw off when you go to your couch to play a video game.

7. Open up floorspace

This is simple- get rid of tables and things that obstruct your ability to walk around freely in your place. Never stick chairs and other objects in your way- not only is it a safety hazard, but it’s just stupid. If you can’t walk from one end of a room to another with some path without tripping over something (or having to step over it), then you have a problem. All this requires is a bit of reorganization.

6. Make those decorations classy, not crappy

Repeat after me: Posters should never be taped to the wall, nailed to the wall, stapled to the wall, or otherwise stuck on a bare wall.

Okay.

Poster frames are cheap and easy to acquire- use them. If you like having movie posters around, get the ones you like and get decent quality frames- it will look leagues better and less college student-esque. More so, avoid going overboard on other forms of wall decorations- the general rule of thumb is, nothing out of a magazine you tear out, and think stylistically before fanatically. As spartan as that sounds, it will help.

5. Get better, more suited furniture

Ditch the childish “gaming chairs” and related junk. You do not need a special “gamer edition” desk to properly enjoy video games- you just look like an idiot. If you are over 15 years old, inflatable chairs are childish. Similarly, never use multipurpose furniture (see: folding tables) for furniture- it looks bad and unprepared.

I do know furniture is expensive, but trust me, it’s worth it. There’s nothing stupider than seeing a 20-something with a living room comprised of bean bag chairs.

4. Pack and store away (or throw away) stuff you don’t need

Box it and toss it, give it away, or put it away. Some things (winter clothes during summer, various photo albums or the like) don’t need to be out all of the time- so put it away, label it, and don’t worry about it. If you don’t intend to wear an article of clothing again, donate it to charity. Shit, if you have furniture you don’t like, donate THAT to charity.

3. Toss old game consoles, emulate

We all love old games- however, it’s come to the point when none of us can really fit a NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PS1/2, Dreamcast, and XBOX into our everyday lives. The nice thing? All of what I listed (and more) can now be emulated with a decent computer with some good tinkering, and you can enjoy your games on one system.

This takes a bit of work, but pays off for it in the long run. While it may limit your ability to play multiplayer, the ease of getting many good multiplayer games via new consoles makes it ridiculously simple to enjoy old games with friends. You can easily set up an emulator on your existing PC, or even go so far as to make a cheap Linux box for your media center that plays all your favorite games- it all works. And it’s all sweet, and a lot easier than having a ton of stuff crammed into your cabinets.

2. Get organizing solutions

Stop jamming clothing into boxes, DVDs into random bags, and books into drawers. If you enjoy making a collection, it should be no surprise that you need to invest in good ways to organize your collection- ways that don’t risk you losing your stuff, or even worse, harming it due to improper storage.

There are plenty of storage solutions for anything you might have- from CDs to DVDs to anything in between. For DVDs, invest in shelving that specifically fits DVDs as closely as possible. For books, invest in typical shelving, but make sure it can hold the weight of the collective books. For clothing, get a nice dresser or shelving solution, and never neglect your closet- get uniform, nice-quality wooden hangers.

Let’s put it this way- if you don’t keep it organized, you might lose it. And that would suck.

1. Sell old technology for better stuff

One of the silliest things I’ve seen in recent days is someone who had a fairly powerful PC (8000 series nVidia, etc) using a huge rear-projection television at 1024×768 for “hardcore gaming”.

No.

Old technology is big, bulky, and most important of all, useless. Unless you are a collector, there is no reason why you should have hundred pound CRT monitors or large bulky PC cases. Sell what you have and spend the cash getting something nice and worthwhile. For example, large rear-projection TV sets can sell for $400 or more- the same amount of cash you could use on a sweet 1080p flatscreen. Similarly, huge off-white PC cases can easily be replaced by a tech for smaller, sleeker cases that don’t take up a desk of their own- it isn’t expensive or hard.

Yes, this does require a bit of cash, but it’s worth it.

I recently received an e-mail with the following question:

Putting things off is easy; getting down to work on them is difficult. This is not true for everyone, but for lazy people like me, it’s a terrible hindrance. At times there’s nothing I’d rather do than just sleep, though that could probably be something a little sterner than just me being lazy.
Anyway. Any advice for getting procrastinating bastards like myself out of slumps?

Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that can’t be answered very easily- it really depends on the person. But, not surprisingly, most people end up losing time in fairly similar ways- ways that can be fixed relatively easily. With this, here are 5 things you can start doing today to be more efficient.

5. Eat more Healthily

Part of the problem that most experience with keeping focused is, surprise surprise, food, especially Caffeine. When you eat unhealthily and your energy level (via blood sugar or caffeine) shoots up and down randomly, you will have a hard time concentrating on either your highs or your lows. I know this sounds ridiculous, but eat more vegetables and avoid drinking too much soda. Avoid snacking excessively, and- sometimes most importantly- eat without doing anything like schoolwork if you can. This will give you more energy, and it will allow you to avoid getting that “lazy” feeling, especially during the middle of the day.

4. Get more Sleep

Just like the eating, sleep is important: I know this because I just spent a week with no more than four hours of it. Lack of sleep will (at least in my case) make you listless, tired, brain-dead, and basically useless to the world (and slightly paranoid/suicidal). While this isn’t the sole source of some tiredness and laziness, it plays a large part in it: get good sleep at night, and then wake up and don’t go back to bed until night again. Get into this habit and your body will learn to expect it, and it will give you energy when you need it in return.

3. Break up your time efficiently

By this, I mean schedule your life using Google Calendar or some other program. This way, you will know about things ahead of time and have the time to do what you WANT- but also know what to do and force yourself to do it. By having something like Google Calendar as a persistent reminder of your schedule, you will be able to focus and remember your responsibilities, as well as know not to shirk them. Trust me, by simply having a list of things you need to do, you will get leagues more done, and feel less tired about it when you do.

2. Turn off your Cell Phone

This applies especially to girls or just overly popular guys: turn off your damned cell phone. When you are working, do not allow yourself any distractions, especially that of talk. While you should be social like anyone else, mindless chitchat can eat up time and distract you from your responsibilities- and it can make you tired and lazy and not focus on the subject at hand. Being preoccupied with smaller things can distract you subconsciously, and it will make it hard to get-up-and-go so far as real work is concerned. I’m not kidding at all- if you don’t believe me, try talking to someone on Skype or watching porn while working on schoolwork or something. Notice how you can’t pay attention?

1. Stop browsing the internet mindlessly

This is number one for most of us. Face it: If you’re browsing the internet mindlessly, you’re wasting time. Forums, blogs, you name it- make time to visit them (visit US), but understand that browsing the internet is one big time waste. It’s like the common Wikipedia joke: you start with one article, and 300 articles later, you learned nothing about what you wanted to. This is not to say you should stop using the internet, just allot time for it and stop when you have something to do. When you study or work or do something important, stay away from your PC unless you have to- and if you’re on your PC, keep away from your internet browser and video players. I know it’s hard, but remember: this is more than likely your number one problem.

There are actually programs that help this more than you’d think- JediConcentrate is one that helps a TON, especially for writing papers and the like. In fact, you can find many of these awesome efficiency programs on Lifehacker.com, which is an invaluable resource for those of us stuck on PCs 75% of the day.

I certainly hope that helped a bit- like I said, it’s very difficult to pinpoint the source of your boredom and inability to “get things done” when I don’t have more specifics, but I CAN promise you that if you try some of the above, it won’t hurt- and I can also promise it’ll probably help you more than you think. Give them a shot and keep us posted on how it went!