Awesome Likehacks to Unequivocally Improve Your Life
We’re big fans of lifehacks here in the Office Pantry office. They can make your day immeasurably better, and can even make you see the world in entirely new way.
lifehack; plural noun: lifehacks; noun: life hack; plural noun: life hacks
[ lahyf-hak ]
Define: a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one's time and daily activities in a more efficient way.
"this useful website offers good lifehacks for better use of your time and your technology"
Here are our top 8 lifehacks
1. Arrive at meetings bearing little gifts – it has a fantastic ROI. We learnt this by arriving at offices with food samples, and despite this being our business people were delightfully surprised and their reactions were priceless. It’s now mandatory for us to make sure we bring along a little food treat to every meeting we attend. It’s de-rigueur in Japan for a reason.
2. Listen twice as much as you speak – we have two ears and one mouth so this is biology telling you something, you should listen. You’ll not only absorb more information, but by not rushing into answering you’ll notice that people will keep chatting to fill a potential awkward silence. The more they speak, the more you’ll learn, enabling you to better determine what it really is that they are after.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
3. Pistachio nuts – how to unlock the pesky ones. Take a husk from a previously devoured pistachio, insert the pointy end into the small opening that’s too narrow for your fingers, twist, and you’re in. Magic.
4. Schedule 30 minute meetings - not 1 hour meetings. We promise you’ll get through just as much, but you’ll save 30 minutes of life every with every meeting you arrange. That’s not to say never hold 1 hour meetings, just reserve those for informal settings when you want to really get to know a person.
5. At social occasions – put your phone away. In fact put it in flight safe mode too. You’ll quickly find you stop awkwardly fiddling with your phone and really start to engage with the people you’re with. People will notice you noticing them more too. Plus you don't want to be that guy.
6. Pour other people’s drinks first - not yours. It is a tiny gesture, but people notice and appreciate the small things.
7. Walking and talking meetings – they’re underrated. When you are walking around in the great outdoors, you stimulate your mind, making you more creative. This brings you both more ideas and enhances the conversation. Plus you get to burn a few calories so everyone’s a winner.
8. Be a better friend – stay in touch with those you care about. Make a list of your 10 favourite people, from family to childhood friends or co-workers. These are the people you intrinsically trust to always be there for you. Put all 10 on your phone favourites list now. The next time you want to take a 5 minute taxi / bus / tube ride to save a 15 minute walk, don’t. Take your phone out and give one of them a call while you walk. Your quality of life will improve.
What lifehacks do you use?