from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIndividuality is how one expresses him or herself. Once you learn
how to be yourself, let others know!
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken!"
Steps
- "you can be whatever you want to be but don't change yourself for society"
- "mirror, mirror on the wall, you are great JUST as you are"
- Be true to yourself - the loreto way.
- Know exactly who you are. Figure out your likes and dislikes, and what's unique about you.
- Make a list of the things you like. You can make this fun, and no one has to see it but you. Be completely honest with yourself.
- Mold your life around what you like. It's alright if you like to make other people happy, it's good to be able to bend a little for other people. However, don't wear something to make someone else like you. Don't do the 'cool' things if you don't like them.
- Decorate your room the way you want it to be. If you want certain colors on your walls, buy some paint and get started! Whether you want to hang paintings or posters, or if you want to put flowers or a collection of yours on your shelves, make sure your room reflects you as a person.
- If something unique catches your eye, and you like it, buy it! This could be a pair of earrings, an unusual handbag or just an item of clothing that you think shows your personality well, don't be afraid to wear it.
- Make your clothes as individual as you. Make a boring t shirt into something of your own by applying beads, sequins, badges, fabric paint, buttons, chains, ribbon, sewing detail, eyelets, iron on images and much more!
- If you don't like current fashions, make your own! Put together pieces of clothing that you wouldn't normally consider as a combination. Layer your clothes and accessories, and if it looks good, wear it!
- Don't be afraid to put your personal touches into an outfit. You could be wearing a fashionable dress, but it would be individual if you added the necklace that was passed down from your grandmother, an special pair of shoes or a pair of earrings that mean something to you.
- Wear clothes that you like. Don't feel pressured to wear something just because its fashionable. If you like a certain style of clothing or certain colors, wear them with pride. Ignore what everyone says, because as long as you like them, it does not matter what they think.
- Be happy with yourself and what you like and your personality is what makes you you no one is alike so you are the only you there is.
- Make your phone individual! You can buy stick on gems, rhinestones or just stickers, or you could buy a cool phone charm, phone case or phone holder. If you can, put songs on your phone that you like and have them as your ringtone. Or if your phone has the feature, make your own ringtones! You could have a picture of you and your family or friends, or a pet, as your wallpaper. You could also do this on your computer.
- Customize things to make them your own. Put stickers on your school books (if you are allowed), decorate your bedroom with fairy lights or charms, or brighten up a boring bedroom wall with a notice board filled with pictures of all the people and things that are special to you.
- Listen to the type of music that you like, and not whats popular. If you like a certain type of music, such as rock, listen to it and don't be afraid to tell people that you listen to it.
- Say what you feel and be honest. If you lie, you aren't showing your true feelings and letting people know how you truly feel. Tell people your dreams, your likes, dislikes, no matter how weird it feels.
- Check yourself in the mirror before going out. This may seem vain, but if what you see doesn't make you smile, then it's not worth it. If you find yourself adjusting your clothing constantly, it's obviously not something you're comfy in. Doesn't matter what it is, it needs to make you feel good when you see yourself!
Tips
- Make changes gradually, don't change everything in your life at once.
- Be yourself—not anyone else.
- Prioritize, figure out what is more important to you
Warnings
- Think about making a change, will it affect your relationship with someone else? What is more important to you... friendships could be lost.
- Changing too much at once can cause an overload of stress...relax.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Express Your Individuality. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWe are presented with a plethora of alternatives. Critical thinking helps us analyze each alternative and choose one over the other. Colleges are paid good money for developing our critical thinking skills. Whether it be for critiquing a wikihow article, considering a business proposal, or analyzing a poem, these simple steps will help you:
Steps
- Understand your own purpose: Criticism, especially artistic, is subjective. What do you want to achieve by your critique? Do you want to evaluate an artistic work, or an objective business proposal?
- Understand the purpose of the person whose work you're analyzing: Most criticism goes off its target simply because the critic doesn't take into account what the writer or painter wants to convey. The writer may aim for and hit the branch, while you may think he has actually missed the bird on the branch. Has the writing or painting succeeded in accomplishing its original purpose?
- Know the alternatives: Research works related to the one you're reviewing. Criticism can only be done by a standard: A thing is higher or lower in relation to something. Find out about contemporary writings and similar endeavors in past ages. If you are evaluating whether to buy a car from someone, find out how much other options like buying second-hand, or renting a car will cost you. If you can find nothing related, let the standard be your own vision of how the project should shape up, or how the originator of the proposal wants it to shape out.
- Learn logic: Study how an argument is constructed, what premises are, and how the conclusion is reached. Then study the fallacies of logic, and practice pointing them out in your daily life.
- Learn the critical jargon: Every field has different critical jargon. For example, in poetry terms like alliteration, enjambment, and the trochaic meter, show that you know what you're talking about. These terms will help make your critique more concrete, and give you hotspots on which to focus your critique.
- Use the GBI technique: The lateral thinking psychologist Edward de Bono states that we should list the Good, the Bad and the Interesting points.
- Don't just say you don't like it, say why you don't like it, and add suggestions to make it better.
Tips
- Don't be absolute, yet don't be timid in your criticism: Try to avoid absolutes like "never", and use them only when you're completely sure. However, at the same time, be assertive in your criticism. Think how much less motivating this saying would be: "Slow and steady, in certain cases, wins the race."
- Use libraries and the Internet, to find out information on the topic you're critiquing. An uninformed critique is sometimes worse than one merely executed badly.
- Ask for other people's opinions. They most likely will offer a new perspective which could change your approach. Consider people both from different age groups and different occupations.
- Practice critiquing, as you'll get better at it. Take notice if others critique your critique.
- You can something critique much, much better if you can actually do it. Only a writer can properly analyze another's works, for example.
- Read other people's critiques in newspapers and books, and learn from their mistakes and strengths to improve your own style.
- Be diplomatic. Your aim is not the person himself, but the proposal he puts forward.
Warnings
- Give criticism in a non-offensive way. People get defensive if something they pride themselves on gets attacked. Prefacing criticism with praise usually works well.
Related wikiHows
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIf you're reading this you're probably really bored and, at the moment, have no one to be with. Whether you long for a girlfriend, or miss your family and friends, this guide can help you cope with living alone. Keep in mind that humans are indeed social animals, but that doesn't mean that we can't be perfectly happy outside of society too.
Steps
- Be happy. Live a life of optimism. Happiness comes from within regardless of your situation, so don’t use any excuses, such as being alone.
- Do everything you would normally do with a partner or friend. Many times it isn't the partner or friend you are missing, but the activities and hobbies you shared. Take yourself out for a date. For example, if you would have gone out to dinner or to a movie on a date, then take yourself out to a movie or to a nice restaurant. Don't hold yourself back.
- Learn something new.
- Learning is the most important aspect of living alone. It helps to keep the boogieman away, and also gives you something to talk about when you do have to actually enter society.
- Learning is also incredibly more efficient when you don't have social responsibilities like family to take care of, or a girlfriend or boyfriend to entertain.
- Learning isn't just exclusive to books (although they are a great source of knowledge). You can learn to do anything by just practicing. Enrolling in classes is fun and also helps with the social life - you will meet new people in your classes. If you're not so much into the meeting people, the Internet is a great way to learn pretty much everything (That's what this site's for!).
- Consider learning: Indoor Activities: A Foreign Language, Painting, Yoga, Art Appreciation, A Musical Instrument such as piano or flute. Outdoor Activities: Gardening,Fencing, Tennis, Golf. Or Combination - things you can do indoors and out: Photography, Drawing.
- Get a pet.
- Humans need affection, without it they become bitter and hate the world around them. Pets are always a source of affection and will give loads of it endlessly.
- Pets also provide someone to talk to. No, it's not weird that you talk to your pet, it's weird if you don't. Just be cautious that your pet doesn't talk back. If so, seek professional help.
- If you are aloof and self-sufficient, tropical fish, hamsters, budgies or finches are great choices. If you like a little interaction, but not a lot of maintenance, try a cat. If you want to be very hands-on, spend lots of time and get lots of feedback, a dog is for you.
- Read.
- Now may be the time to catch up on some of your reading. Not only is it fun and enjoyable, but it's also self-education and a way to round yourself as a person.
- Consider spending some time with classics such as "Moby Dick," "A Christmas Carol," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Martian Chronicles," or "Tales of Mystery and Imagination."
- Or choose a genre to explore: Sci-Fi greats include "Stranger In a Strange Land," "Fahrenheit 451," and the "Dune" series. Horror: "Salem's Lot," "The Stand," and "Dracula." Fantasy: "Lord of the Rings," "Chronicles of Narnia," and "Harry Potter." Or just regular fiction: "East of Eden," "To Kill a Mockingbird," or "A Farewell to Arms."
- Poetry is cool, too, and nothing makes you look cooler than when someone says, "Oh my God, you actually know that by heart?" Great poetry: "Charge of the Light Brigade," "Ulysses," "She Walks In Beauty," "How Do I Love Thee," and Shakespeare's Sonnets - #29 is great!
- Join an on-line community.
- One of the most popular online societies is that of World of Warcraft, but there are several on-line multi-player games that will welcome you with an abundance of online buddies.
- Don't limit your online activities to just games. Join forums or chat rooms to meet new people also. Take whatever you're interested in and find other people like you.
- Think. Be introspective. Contemplate or ponder things.
- Above all, contemplation is one of the most important self-building things you can do. Think about what makes you you. What do you believe in? Why? Are there any things that don't seem right to you? What do you believe at face value (or accept as a matter of faith)?
- Philosophy is a great way to improve your thinking and reasoning skills. It will give you interesting topics that will stretch and bend your brain to help you understand your view of reality. Keep in mind that just because someone believes in something it doesn't mean you have to if you don't like it.
- Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Nietzsche
- Exercise.
- Now is the time to get that body you've always wanted. Instead of just pigging out on junk food and sitting in front of the TV all night, do some push-ups or sit-ups.
- Rediscover the fun to be had in simple exercises. Riding a bike around your neighborhood becomes less work and more fun as you do it.
- Be consistent. Exercise takes willpower and diligence. Make a schedule and stick to it. Keep it easy at first and you will discover your limits. Or, join a gym and create new friends there.
- Go outside. It's a big world out there, and you're only seeing a small fraction of it. Forget the people, just enjoy what life has to offer. Once you do that, then people will want to know and be with you. Frankly, you won't have a choice but to have friends!
Tips
- Be careful of who you trust. Don't be too eager to meet someone you just met on-line. Try to always meet in a public place and it's best to bring along someone you trust.
- Keep your mind as active as possible. It will help you cope with the fact that you are alone and will also help you improve yourself.
- If you're going to go out, make sure your neighborhood is safe. If not go to a safer neighborhood.
- Have fun, don't let the little things get to you.
- Let go. Don't think about being alone, just accept it.
Warnings
- If you're bored, you may be boring. You may have nothing to talk about at parties or gatherings, or may feel ill at ease contributing to other social situations, and therefore find yourself alone a lot. By making yourself more interesting, you'll also find more things to interest you. Be careful about making a change that doesn't fit your personality. Being honest with yourself and true to your own individuality is more important.
- Online communities, and especially online games such as World of Warcraft can become very addictive to some people. Learn to balance your new interest with other things that are both important and enjoyable in your life. If you find that participating in such a community or game is becoming addictive, stop immediately and reevaluate your situation.
Things You'll Need
- A willing attitude
- An open mind
- An explorer's heart
- Courage
- Will
- Persistence
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Enjoy Being Alone. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditNegative thoughts are not reserved for just a few people or situations. Everyone is plagued by negative thoughts at one time or another.
However, once you begin thinking about what you're "thinking about", you've already taken the first step to controlling negative thoughts.
Steps
- Make the decision that you're going to be the one to decide what your thoughts are and will be. You can control what you think about. This means making a daily effort to consciously program positive thoughts or affirmations into your mind.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Have you ever heard the saying, "birds of a feather flock together"? It is the same with both positive and negative people. If your current list of friends does nothing but tear others down, complain, and generally be negative, it is going to be very difficult for you to get over being negative in that environment. You may, very well, need to make some new friends.
- Refuse to accept negative stuff when you hear it from others. If you're making progress and you hear someone spilling out a bunch of negative stuff, simply tell yourself that it's not what you think, it's not what you believe, and it's not what you accept about yourself or anyone else.
- Change your language. The words 'should', 'could', 'might', are out. For example change "I might go and fix the car" to "I WILL go and fix the car". That way you're talking action and making a promise you are more likely to stick to.
- Think for yourself.
- Use your initiative instead of waiting for people. You can waste a lot of time waiting for others to act.
Tips
- Get fit. Having and sticking to an exercise plan can be very helpful.
- Remember that actions speak louder then words. Rather than just talking, be willing to take some action.
- Your life will go nowhere if you sit around doing nothing all day. Have some ambitions and goals and work toward them. Plan what you want to achieve in your day. Then make sure you follow through.
Warnings
- Not everyone is going to like that you want to be positive. For whatever reason, some people enjoy being negative, and you may find yourself fighting an ongoing battle for awhile until you make new friendships.
Related wikiHows
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Eradicate and Stop Negative Thoughts. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditAn editor has suggested a title change:Save Electricity In accordance with the
title policy, titles should be the most concise, most commonly searched way to describe the content. To
suggest a new title, change this template or comment on the
discussion page. Notice added on 2008-04-13.
Well thought out and intelligent energy saving can not only be useful to the welfare of world, but useful in holistic health promotion.
Steps
- Switch off the mains while leaving the house as sometimes accidents occur due to electric iron, geyser etc in spite of auto stop arrangements.
- Switch off the computers when leaving the working place so that radiation dose can be beneficially reduced.
- Switch off the television sets and neon signs in public places as they can distracting [and hence harmful] to the drivers
- Switch off the AC in cars and other places when not required as extra use of AC can be harmful.
- Switch off the water coolers as extra cold water can be harmful.
- Use stair case in stead of elevators. This can reduce the chances of infections [in closed chamber of the elevator] and improve the health due natural cardiovascular workout!
- Walk to your office or for errands. This would save fuel and in turn electricity.
Tips
- Understand that this saving is not restricting your freedom, but this a way to be fair to yourself, the nature and rest of the world.
Warnings
- Do not get obsessed by the thought of saving but discuss and popularize the idea of saving electricity and its relationship with your health and welfare of the world!
Sources and Citations
- Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- Conceptual Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- Namasmaran [Marathi and English]:Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- These and other books avaialable on www.superliving.net and scribd.com for free download.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Save Electricity. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIf you have a lot of pictures and mementos just stashed away in a box on your shelf, then it is time to check them out. These pictures usually reflect your hobbies, your youth, vacations, or photos of loved ones. It is time to get the boxes down from the shelf, and create a
scrapbook !
Steps
- Organize the photos and mementos. A scrapbook can contain pictures, movie tickets, programs, anything that will lay flat when the book is closed.
- Separate by date, or vacation site, or holidays, depending on the photos found.
- Count them to see how many you have in order to determine the size of the book you will need to buy.
- Buy a scrapbook based on your theme, or just a regular inexpensive one, and mark it to reflect the theme. You will need stamps, cut-outs, stickers, scissors and glue. Construction paper is colorful and often cheaper than "specialty" papers made especially for scrapbooks.
- When you get ready to begin, carefully measure and "plan" each page before you start gluing. You can write your plan down on a piece of paper, so you will not forget how you want to layout each page.
Tips
- Some craft stores sell scrapbook-making kits to help you get started. If this is your first time making a scrapbook, this may be the way to go.
- Scrapbooks can be found in various styles and colors at most stores, Supermarkets, craft stores and online stores
- As you get more acquainted with scrapbooks, you will want tools that save you time and frustration. Two very useful tools are the Xacto knife and a pair of tweezers.
- Using 'other' crafts like little leaves, creative paper and pop up sticky can really enhance your photos.
- Make one photo the stand out photo that grabs your attention.
- Add some writing, especially dates and a BIG heading.
- Acid-free and lignin free products can keep your pictures from turning yellow.
Warnings
- Scrapbooks can be addictive. Once you make one, you will want to make more. The more you make, the more items you will want to put on the pages for decoration and detail. Have fun, enjoy and show your "books" to anyone who wants to see them.
- Be careful you don't the cut the only copies of your family photos. You can get color prints of them instead.
- If you are using the only copy of family photos get another print made of it. It costs a bit more than colour copies - but photos can be made from originals and look the same.
Things You'll Need
- Scrapbooks
- Photographs, memento items
- Scissors, glue, stamps, decorative stickers
- Anything else that you would like to see on the page
Related wikiHows
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Start a Scrapbook. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWhether you're looking for your very
first job, switching careers, or re-entering the job market after an extended absence, finding a job whittles down to two main tasks: understanding yourself and understanding the job market.
Steps
- Make looking for work a full time job. Devote 40 hours a week to this endeavor. Sometimes it takes luck to find a job, but you have to put yourself into the position to be lucky by putting in the legwork. Remember that "Chance favors the prepared mind" (Louis Pasteur).
- Analyze yourself. Write two lists. First, a list of all your talents. Secondly, write a list of every task you remember doing. Don't just include jobs, include unpaid internships, volunteer work, civic involvement, extracurricular activities etc. Using the task list, decide what skills you enjoyed using the most. Review any personal factors that may be holding yourself back from your dream job. For instance, some people are night-owls so classic 9-5 jobs may not fit their biological clocks. It is important to add these factors into what kind of job is good for you. Some circumstances will greatly affect how you search for a job:
- Review the opportunities. Investigate various career paths, both in books and in real life. Look at what everyone is doing and ask yourself if you think that's something that you would enjoy doing and that you could be really good at. Think about what you really want from a career and how hard you're willing to work to get those benefits. For example, are you willing to move if you find your dream job in another state?
- Decide on a career field. Construct a list of potential jobs within that field that best match your experience, skills, and interests.
- Write a resume. Even if the kind of job you're looking for has an application process where a resume isn't necessary, the process of writing a resume can help sort your thoughts and prepare you for an interview. Having a written record of your work history makes filling out an application much easier, too.
- Get your wardrobe in order (power suit, shined shoes, etc.). Get a manicure, a haircut, a tan. Start going to the gym and lose a few pounds and start to feel stronger. Cover your tattoo. Do whatever it takes to look or dress like the people already working at the place you are considering as a place to work. Be prepared for the interview - no white socks with dark suits (unless you are in the fashion industry)!
- Develop your personal elevator pitch. This is a good time to rehearse how you will answer the question of all questions - "Why should I hire you?"
- Research companies, agencies, organizations or non-profits that could or will meet your needs and create a list. You can check the yellow pages, online jobs searches, government sponsored employment lines, and or ask around within your inner family and social circle. You can also make yourself available to recruiters or headhunters. Tell everyone you know you are looking for work, and explain what kind of work you're interested in. Call everyone you know and ask how they/their family/their dogs are doing. Slip in the fact that you are job searching and get their ideas (and any leads). Job opportunities often do not come from the usual routes like classified ads, employment agencies and unemployment offices.
- Apply for jobs that match your needs.
- Cold call. Locate a specific person who can help you (usually the human resources or hiring manager at a company or organization you're interested in). Call that person and ask if they are hiring, but do not become discouraged if they are not. Ask what kind of qualifications they look for or if they have apprentice or government sponsored work programs. Ask if you can send your resume indicating what field you want to go into. Indicate whether you would accept a lesser job and work up.
- Reflect after each phone call on what went well and what did not. You may need to write out some standard answers on your list of skills so you can speak fluently. You may need to get some additional training to break into your chosen field. None of this means you cannot get a good job it only means you need to become further prepared to do so.
- Another option is to apply for an unlisted job by writing a letter, although phone calls tend to get a quicker and more reliable response.
- Show up at interviews with a good attitude, eagerness to work, and an eagerness to learn. You can demonstrate how interesting and individualistic you are later on when they get to know you. Thank the interviewer for their time. After each interview, try to figure out what mistakes you might be making during interviews and avoid making them. Little mistakes can cost you.
Tips
- Realize that you may have to work your way up. For example, if you want to become an apparel buyer, work for a company that manufactures or sells such goods.
- Remember you are doing some HR workers a favour when you present yourself and they do not have to go out and find workers like you. If you get a snotty person, be happy you don't have to choose to work for them.
- It's also possible that your true calling is to be self-employed or an entrepreneur, in which case your task is not so much to find and get a job, but to create a job. Most people who work for themselves, however, often started off with a "day job" that paid the bills until their preferred income source could take over.
- 80% of all available jobs are not advertised
- Pay is not everything, it is good to have a high paying job but even better to enjoy because if you enjoy it you are more likely to stick with it for a long period of time and when you go to switch careers it will demonstrate that you have commitment and employers like to see that.
Warnings
- If you're doing a thorough job search, you will get rejected. If you're not getting rejected, you're not putting yourself out there enough. And if you don't learn to see rejection as a chance to improve your approach, then you'll have a very difficult time getting a job.
Related wikiHows
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Job. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditOffice e-mail takes time. Stop making these 5 e-mail mistakes and you could save up to 15 work days a year!
Steps
- Avoid using confusing subject lines. People find confusing subject lines frustrating because they're having to open emails that they wouldn't necessarily open if time had been taken to write a clear and descriptive subject line. Heading an e-mail something like "What's going on?!" or "Can You Do This?" etc., encourages opening but tells nothing and if the content is trivial, repetitive or simply targeted at getting a person's attention for a minor issue, you won't be in the good books.
- Quit replying to just say thank you. It might surprise you but it is estimated that 90% of e-mail users don't want an e-mail that says "thanks". This takes additional energy to open the e-mail and read it just to read what you already know. A new trend is to include a line that says NTN - No Thanks Needed.
- Get out of the habit of prioritizing your messages. There is nothing more irritating and presumptuous than assuming your e-mail request is higher in the queue than anybody else's, especially in a work context. Give the receiver the credit for working out themselves how to prioritize your message. Granted, there are certain instances when receipt required is needed for record keeping purposes or proof of receipt and there are other times when things are urgent (in which case, still consider if using the phone or making an internet voice call might be faster and more direct). But to mark every email as "Urgent! Receipt Required!!" or to call it "High Priority" or "Receipt Required" is not necessary and can be annoying and confusing to the receiver.
- Reply to the critical person only. Using "Reply All", all the time creates returns in abundance and leaves messages languishing in the in-boxes of many people. Consider the consequences of receiving an email, hitting reply all and it goes out to twenty people and then those twenty people hit reply to all... It can compound very quickly into hundreds of thousands of emails. Once you hit reply all, everyone feels compelled to hit reply all as a means of keeping everyone in the loop because nobody knows who is meant to read it and who is not!
- Learn to let go of writing long e-mails. You may feel you have a lot to say but truth is that e-mail communication creates a false sense of "listening". It's easy to keep writing away but the truth is - it isn't so easy to read all those gems of wisdom. Often just being clear and very concise and direct with the person is the best way to answer an email. If you need to go into greater depth, try a meeting, phone call or video conference. Or just break down the issues into small bites and raise them over time. Don't give the history of time if somebody just wants to know the time.
Tips
- Remember that breaking these rules can rebound on you negatively when people see an e-mail from you landing in their in-box. Tactics include avoiding opening your e-mails, having your e-mails sent directly to a folder marked "Deal with Later", or worst of all, automatically deleting anything from your address!
Related wikiHows
Sources and Citations
- VideoJug A video of avoiding common e-mail mistakes. Original source of this article. Share with permission and appreciation.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Avoid the Top Five Email Mistakes. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditProblem solving is one of the most essential skills in life. Regardless of who you are or what you do, you will face obstacles. How you deal with such challenges will often be a determining factor in how successful you are at life. While problems come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, this article can give you a rough idea of how to solve one in a general sense.
Steps
- Approach the issue with clarity. This is the first and most important component to problem solving. While action and energy can often assist you in overcoming challenges, this effort is a waste if misguided or misplaced. The first step is always to approach any issue in a clear and logical manner, even if under time constraints or pressure.
- Understand the issue. Once you're appropriately focused, you need to run through the problem. What are the components of the issue? What aspects are vital to a solution and which are extraneous? Once you've broken down a problem into its vital aspects, sort through any cause and effect relationships or patterns and cycles at work. Basically, you want have a good grasp of what is going on.
- Plan a strategy. After you have a good grasp of the problem, begin to plan out a solution. In most cases this is a simple relationship of cause and effect. In dealing with a problem, you desire to achieve a particular result. Consider what steps must be taken to achieve said result, given the parameters posed by the problem.
- Execute your strategy. Once you've outlined logical steps toward your desired result, execute! If you are dealing with an issue such that conditions change upon execution, don't be afraid to reevaluate your strategy. Is something going vastly awry? Approach any new developments in the same logical manner that your approached the original problem. This is important. You must make a critical decision as to whether or not your plan warrants alteration. Remember, changes in parameters of the issue do not necessarily mean the steps you've outlined will fail! In addition, it is sometimes necessary to execute your original plan fully to gain more insight into the problem. Unless this is a one shot deal, trial-and-error are often an excellent approach.
- Evaluate the results. Upon seeing your plan through, consider the result. Optimally, you successfully tackled the dilemma. However, if the results you expect were not achieved, consider your approach. Was there an error in planing or execution? Did new parameters present themselves? Reevaluate in light of these discovers and approach the problem again. Sometimes you can repeat your original plan if the error was in execution. However, if the parameters have changed then a new strategy is often necessary.
- Continue to evaluate and execute. Several attempts may be necessary to solve the issue. Each time, however, keep in mind logic, clarity, and focus. These are the elements that ultimately lead to resolution. Even if you are checked by failure, clear thinking usually leads to a successful resolution.
Tips
- Always try to remain calm and logical when approaching a problem, resolution ultimately lies in this approach.
- Keep in mind the role others can play in problem solving. Although this article does not deal with group problem solving, team work often plays a vital role in such issues. The threat of personal tension in such situations merely underscores the importance of promoting clarity and logic within the group.
- Consider problem solving books related specifically to your issue. Polya's book "How to Solve It", is an example of an excellent book for general problem solving.
- Attitude is the key. The more problems you solve greater is your experience with problem solving. You can apply a solution from one area to another only by gaining experience. Be open to new problems.
- Be brave.
Warnings
- Naturally, common sense (which is derived from logic) is vital to solving any problem. Do not follow any procedure that results in endangerment, unless such hazards are unavoidable.
- Don't turn away to your Problems. It will come back sooner or later and it will be more difficult to solve.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Solve a Problem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditHaven't you always wanted to be nice to people? To have them be nice back? Being nice is not difficult, but it needs some polishing for others to realize your effort. A smile on your face makes others smile also. A kind word to someone, or holding a door open to the person who is about to enter, is really easy to do, and in the long run will make you happy also.
Steps
- Many books say that a smile to everybody you meet will urge the other person to smile back. A smile a day is the essential movement to niceness, and even if the girl is your worst enemy ever, muster a little smile and mutter a 'hi'. But don't do this in the morning if someone looks like they're half asleep, just nod to them unless they offer a response of their own.
- Greet everybody you know, not only with that smile, but also a 'hello'. If you have the time, try to introduce yourself to everybody you meet and don't know yet. Chances are that one of the hundreds you get to know will become your best friend into your old age!
- Get a conversation started. Talk about small stuff that you know the person would be interested in. If you don't know the other person well enought to know about their preferences, try to talk about things happening around you. (The meeting you've both been to an hour ago, the new guy in Math class, the fantastic new shoes your colleague has been wearing, etc.)
- Try to compliment your new pal. But be careful, though, not to flatter them too much. Too much flattery can give the impression that you are sucking up to them, and especially if this new friend is a superior, they will think of you as a lapdog or butt-kisser.
- Make arrangements to meet or talk almost every week. Remember to exchange contact methods. Get her email, grab his address, ask for their phone number. Don't leave without getting their personal info if you really like him/her! (However, if they balk at supplying contact information, do not harass them trying to get it. Be nice, smile, and offer to run into them again some day.)
- Get them something nice once in a while. And for holidays or birthdays, buy something really special that you know s/he will really appreciate. It doesn't need to be something super expensive. A box of chocolates, a new notebook, if you really mean it, your friend will get the message and be nicer to you too.
- Be polite to others. Help when needed, even to people you have never met before. That person might be lonely, and you may be the only one they have talked to that day. Imagine how happy they will be...and you will be happy also, knowing you have been nice to someone.
- Don't curse. It projects an ugly image of you.
- Be nice to "everyone", even those who have been nasty to you. Who knows? They might start being nice to you, too! And if they don't, at least you are being decent.
- Do not hesitate to offer help. Especially to those who have a their arms full, children they are attending to, difficulty walking, or carrying heavy articles, etc. One day, you might be like them, and need help also.
- Offer to help clean up after a party or a get-together. The host might be tired, and welcome your help.
Tips
- Be nice to others, and they will be nice to you!
- Not only will they be nice to you, be nicer than ever and you might even get a lifelong friend!
Warnings
- Don't be too friendly with people your personal instinct mistrusts. Chances are s/he isn't that trustworthy.
- Please don't make yourself too available, people will take advantage of you. Have your own standards and set boundaries, this way your integrity will remain intact and people will not be able to walk over you.
- Don't let anyone suck up to you, that will only make the person think you are treating them better than everyone else.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditSince launching Google in 1998 the search engine has rapidly grown to be the default search engine for the Internet, due to the innovative search algorithm that ranks pages in relation to other pages on the Web. If you have heard people say "Google it", using the trademark as a verb, then you know just how ubiquitous Google is becoming. Here's how to do a basic Google search.
Steps
- Open your Web browser. Do this by double clicking on the icon on your desktop, or in one of your control menus.
- Type www.google.cominto the address bar on top of the page. You'll see a page with "Google" in big, colorful letters on the top.
- Type your search in the rectangle that appears right under the word "Google". The blinking input cursor will already be in the search box, so just start typing.
- Select the type of search you want. You can search for Web pages, newsgroups, images, news, books, videos or you can choose Advanced Search for more complex searches.
- Click "Search", "I'm feeling Lucky" or press Return on your keyboard.
- Search produces regular Google results, while "I'm Feeling Lucky" takes you directly to the first search result. Pressing Enter or Return gives you the default search.
- Find the pages you are looking for, or modify your search for better results.
- Take it a step further by learning Google search syntax.
Tips
- If you are having trouble finding what you are searching for, try putting your search string in quotation marks which makes Google find the whole string as a single "word" rather than searching for each word individually.
- You can set preferences for your Google searches by using the Preferences link next to the Google search box.
- You can place a minus sign in front a word that you want to omit from your search results.
- Place a + sign next to any word you want to be sure is included in your results page. This is only really needed if you want to include stopwords like and or the.
- When you add double quotes ( " ) around a phrase, Google will only show you the results that have those words in that order. For example, searching "I really like wikiHow" will only yield results in which the phrase "I really like wikiHow" is used.
- Many web browsers have a built in search box where you can search Google and other search engines. In that case you can type your search directly into that box and not actually load the site.
- Consider opening a Google account for access to Google's full suite of search and Internet tools.
- you may want to select the type of search before typing the search term
Warnings
- In your search results you may see sponsored links. These links may not be relevant to the term you searched for.
- Certain links may put your computer at risk. Be vigilant in visiting or downloading from any website you find through Google.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Search Google. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit"You cannot rest from travel- you have drunk life to the lees. All times you have enjoyed greatly, suffered greatly, both with those who loved you, and alone... How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!" If this excerpt from the poem Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson epitomizes you, you can take inspiration from this article.
Steps
- Whenever you feel like doing something, but do not have the time... take a notepad and write it down! Save this notepad away... this will be "100 things to do after I retire" list. Many times we forget to record our desires, and so end up forgetting them. Don't let it happen to you!
- Pursue your passions: Paint sunsets, sculpt , sing, learn Tai-chi,buy a telescope and explore the skies.
- Read books on your interests, expore hitherto unexplored genres like Science Fiction or Romantic. Read on different topics like Gardening or Politics.
- Travel to those oft-desired places , which you used to dream about. Have you tasted the chocolate of Switzerland, drunk the wine of Burgundy, and undulated at the nature-based health resorts in India? Have you fished at Florida?
- Experience Nature: Walk leafy paths , watch the moon, feel the wind on your face. Meditate on the sun-soaked grass.
- If you follow a religion: Devote your time to it, proselytize others and spread your religion.
- Have fun with you little ones: Your grandchildren will be your afterlife to you after retirement- you'll live through them. It is worth taking out some of your valuable time for playing with them, watching them grow, helping them learn.
- Take proper health care: Some of your time may be spent at the cardiologist or the podiatrist, depending on how healthy you are. Look after yourself.
- Join special groups meant for your age group: You'll find many people there passing through similar experiences. If you have problems they will provide you with support, and guidance.
- Subscribe to a magazine for the elderly: Such magazine exist and are targeted at you. Take advantage of them.
- Clear up the slate: It is best to resolve any misunderstandings, or resentmens that might exist in others. You don't want to die being misunderstood.
- Write an autobiography: With your long years of experience, you will surely have a lot to share which will be immensely helpful to others. Even if you feel you have nothing to share, just start writing one, and you'll be surprised at how freely the words will flow.
Tips
- Do not worry if you find yourself empty. Use these times to meditate and think about your life. If thinking about life depresses you, then think about someone whose life inspires, fills you with pride. If you do not have someone like this in your personal life, find it in famous folk's biographies.
- You do not have to retire from active work completely. Many old people are still more active than some indolent youths. George Bernard Shaw, for example, was a prolific writer till he died, at 94.
- If you are from India, find 5 children who cannot afford to goto school and teach them the basics of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
Warnings
- If by any chance you find yourself depressed due to a lack of activity call someone who loves or sympathizes with you over, or contact one of the many help centers for the elderly.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Stay Busy During Retirement. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWhether you are a host or a guest, there are many social situations that will call for interaction, even when you are stumped for some way to get it going. For example, you might want to help a friend's new "significant other" feel comfortable. Or, you might see a stranger across a crowded room, and realize that this is your only chance to impress Mr. or Ms. Wonderful. Then, you realize that you're not sure what to say.
Steps
- Start with a "hello," and simply tell the new person your name then ask them theirs. Offer your hand to shake, upon his or her responding to you. (If you go to other countries, greet the person in tune with the particular culture, e.g. in India greet by saying 'namaskar' with folded hands). If you already know the person, skip this step and proceed to step 2.
- Look around. See if there is anything worth pointing out. Sure, talking about the weather is a cliche, but if there's something unusual about it--bam!--you've got a great topic of conversation.
- Offer a compliment. Don't lie and say you love someone's hair when you think it's revolting, but if you like his or her shoes, or a handbag, say so. A sincere compliment is a wonderful way to get someone to warm up to you. But be careful not to say something so personal that you scare the person off or make him or her feel uncomfortable. It is best not to compliment a person's looks or body.
- Ask questions! Most people love to talk about themselves --- get them going. "What classes are you taking this year?" "Have you seen (Insert-Something-Here)? What did you think of it?" Again, keep the questions light and not invasive. Do not ask too many questions if he or she is not responsive to them.
- Jump on any conversation-starters he or she might offer; take something he or she has said and run with it. Agree, disagree, ask a question about it, or offer an opinion, just don't let it go by without notice.
- Look your newfound friend in the eye, it engenders trust (but don't stare). Also, use the person's name a time or two during the conversation; it will help you remember the name, and will draw the person's attention to what you are talking about.
Tips
- Just relax. Chances are that whatever small-talk you're making isn't going to stick out in anyone's mind a few months from now. Just say whatever comes into your head, so long as it's not offensive or really weird. (Unless, of course, the person you're attempting to converse with is into weird stuff.)
- Remember, if you think of something in your head while you're talking, it's probably related.
- It will help if you watch some TV, listen to radio shows, and/or read a lot -- newspapers, magazines, and/or books. You need to have some idea of what is going on in the world. If you are shy, it will be helpful to have thought about a topic or two that you could talk about.
- Follow the lead that your listener is expressing. If he or she appears interested, then continue. If he or she is looking at a clock or watch, or worse, looking for an escape strategy, then you have been going on for too long.
- Interesting and funny quotes or facts can lighten things up, and make way for things to talk about.
- If talking over the phone, keep the person involved in the conversation at all costs. If you can't come up with a good topic, try the "questions" game. Just keep asking them questions; random questions work just fine as long as they are appropriate. This technique can save a phone conversation. The questions should be open ended questions that do not require a yes or no answer. For example "How do you know the hosts?" This way you can ask questions about what they just said or follow up with how you know the hosts (for example) instead of acting as if the conversation is an interrogation.
- Half of an effective conversation is the way you non-verbally communicate, and not necessarily what you say. Practice better non-verbal skills that are friendly and confident.
- Read newspapers and magazines to increase your knowledge so you can have more interesting things to talk about
Warnings
- Don't be overly invasive with questions.
- Don't use tons of fillers like "umm" or "soo". It might make the person you're talking to feel awkward or obligated to say something. Instead talk slowly and pause. This will create a little tension and make your partner more invested in your conversation.
- Don't desperately ask personal questions.
- Keep eye-contact
- Don't ever comment negatively on the person or someone's looks... you never know if they have a personal attachment to it or if they are friends with the person you are criticizing
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Start a Conversation When You Have Nothing to Talk About. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThere are many business ventures that can be found on the internet. All it takes is some searching, imagination, and thinking about what type of service you can offer by reaching out to others, by way of the internet.
Steps
- Side Note: In this article, we attempt to highlight you some possible common ways to make money online. If you are a beginner, you can find very good assistance and a startup knowledge.
- Sell information. There are many forms of information that you can sell on the internet, such as eBooks (digital books), digital reports, newsletters, or software. Virtually any product that is informative in nature can be sold on the internet as an information product. Here are some reasons why information products are a good choice to use to sell online:#* Information products are easy to create and quick to market. This type of method does not take years to develop, nor does it require intense design meetings, nor is it expensive to manufacture. You can create information products in as little as a couple of hours and not long after they are posted, they are generating a source of revenue. All you need to begin this venture is a great topic and a computer.
- You do not have to stock or count inventory. This frees up space in your home or garage because you do not have to buy any products to sell to others. The product that you are selling is digital and the only space that it will be taking up is on your computer.
- Startup costs are minimal because when you create an information product the only investment you are making is the time it takes you to create the product. In addition, if you choose to become an affiliate marketer for someone else who wants to place his or her information product on your web page your investment is nothing.
- Sales and delivery is automatic and is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week and you never have to close your doors. There are programs that allow you to completely automate everything from sales and deliveries to anything else that is needed to operate a successful information product business.
- It gives your customers immediate access or delivery of the product. For your customer there is no waiting for what they are looking for, especially if you have your business set up to automatically handle every aspect of the transaction.
- Save costs because shipping and handling are non-existent for this type of business venture. The only type of shipping that is required on your part is to click your mouse and send the customer the information that they are looking for.
- Earn an affiliate income.
- There are a variety of different types of compensation plans that online programs use. With some you just get paid once for the sale. Others will pay you a recurring monthly income for making the sale. And other online programs will even pay you when the members you refer also refer other members. These are called multi-level compensation plans.
- Choosing a program with a multi-level compensation plan can be very profitable especially if it is a forced matrix plan. A forced matrix compensation plan only allows so many on your first level, generally 2 to 5. If you refer more than 2 to 5 then they would spill over to help your first level members. Can you see how you could work as a team with this type of compensation plan? Every member is working as a team for mutual profits. These programs are sometimes called pyramid schemes, so be sure to research the program carefully.
- Make sure you get credit for the people that you refer otherwise it would be a wasted effort. This article is too short to go into static versus dynamic affiliate sites or cookie referral tracking systems. If the sponsor’s name shows on the affiliate site you may want to take note of it before you join then verify that he or she is your sponsor when you log in. If your sponsor received credit for you joining then you should too. A good sponsor should contact you after you have joined from their affiliate site offering help. If they don’t you may want to contact them.
- Earn money with Google Adsense.
- Take free online surveys.: Make easy cash by getting paid to complete offers and participate in online surveys on sites like GetPaidTo.com
- Start an Internet-based home business. Some suggestions:
Tips
- Use a buddy system. Find a friend in your local area that also wants to make money online and have them join your chosen programs from your affiliate sites. This way you can help each other learn about the program and advertise it, especially if the program has a forced matrix compensation plan. Plus you would already have started building your team. And if the program allows multiple accounts you could join from each other’s affiliate sites with your profits, doubling and tripling your income as your team grows.
Warnings
- You will need to be diligent to make much money.
- Stick with one actionable program at a time. Do not overextend your budget by purchasing too many products at once to make money online.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Money Online. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThere are different views on how to get rid of anger. Here are a few steps to help take off the edge.
Steps
- Scream into a pillow.
- Draw a picture of the person you are mad at and rip it into pieces.
- Dance, play or listen to music.
- Kick your soccer ball into a tree or shed. Pretend it's the person you are really mad at.
- Write in your diary, or try some reading.
- Throw something hard, like ice cubes, at a wall that cannot be damaged by them, like tiles in the shower or a brick wall outside
- Count to ten, then take deep breaths. You can repeat this, if you have to.
- Better yet, take deep breaths, and count them to ten. Then do it again.
- Consider the good points about the person who makes you mad.
- Breathe.
- Go do some kind of physical activity.
- Throw a fit (without anyone else around). Scream and stomp and throw yourself on the floor if you want. Bite a pillow, punch a pillow, throw it against the wall.
- Listen to some soothing music, or a favorite song.
- Talk to a friend.
- Leave a phone message saying what you think on your own answering machine, then delete it.
- Watch TV.
- Have a good cry.
- Sleep.
- Lie down.
- Talk to them calmly and tell them how you feel.
- Draw a funny picture about the person you're angry at!
- Write a story that uses the emotions you are experiencing.
- Get a punching bag and beat it whenever you feel you need to.
- Think of something completely different.
- Exercise and think about what you are mad at and why you are mad at it.
- Listen to "heavy" music so that you release all of your anger into that song, then listen to a soothing song to calm you back down.
- Think of some things that you did which were funny, like throwing yourself on the floor, watch a comedy show/film etc. Laughter gets rid of a lot of Anger!
- Take a nice hot shower/bath, its soothing
- Leave the room
- Don't think about the person you are angry with.
- Surround yourself in good mates,good books, good films and good music to make you feel better.
Tips
- Make sure that when you talk to them, your body language shows that you are calm enough to talk it out.
- Make sure that when you kick the soccer ball, you are outside and not near any breakables or plants (just so you don't get into any more trouble, which will stress you out some more).
- Beat something up i.e. pillow, punching bag, anything thats not living!
- Consider the reason you're angry, and try focusing that rage into doing something about it. Try fixing the source of your anger.
- For anger in general, try reading texts like the Tao Te Ching of Taoism or the Dharmapada of Buddhism. These include interesting and logical suggestions about the roots of anger and how to prevent it.
- Try looking into calming activities like Tai Chi, Yoga, or meditation.
Warnings
- Hitting or punching a tree can result in bodily injury.
- Try not to spaz out at all to avoid this mess.
- Try not to punch your bed or jump on a pillow.
- Catharsis (letting your anger out through shouting, hitting things) has been demonstrated in scientific research to be a poor means of coping with anger
- If you get mad all the time see a doctor.
- Don't drink or do anything stupid and self-abusive.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Rid of Anger. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditKeeping a diary or journal is a great way to express your emotions on paper and treasure experiences. Twenty years from now, you'll wonder what you were doing years ago. A diary will remind you of the good - and bad - times you had in your past. However, to make sure it is a complete document, you've got to stick with it.
Steps
- Pick out a nice journal or notebook that reflects your personality. For example, if you like music, you may want a journal that is decorated with music-related things. Just find something appealing to you. You can also decorate it yourself with stickers or drawings.
- Write in some basic information about yourself on the first page. You could include your name, your age, your occupation or school grade, and a few of your hobbies and favorite things. Sometimes people include a "reward if found" note, just in case it gets lost.
- Start your first entry by labeling the top with the weekday and date, the time, and possibly the place you're writing. Write your entry as if you were talking to your best friend, or even to yourself.
- Try to take your diary wherever you go, and do your best to write an entry at least once a day. You can write your frustrations and celebrations, but also write everyday things about your schedule, your friends, and the things you like to do. People forget things they think they will always remember, and these everyday things will be very meaningful to you later.
- Start again if you have a break from writing. If you do skip a day, days, or even weeks, don't worry about it. Just start in again from the current day. Obsessively trying to catch up with all your past events is the quickest way to lose interest a diary. If you're still remembering something weeks later that you didn't write about, it will come up again in your mind later and you can write about it then.
- Personalize your diary. Some of the ways people make diaries their own are by:
- adding scraps, like movie ticket stubs, receipts, flower petals, etc.
- gluing in photographs
- making sketches and drawings
- writing poems
- choosing a quotation or a goal of the day
- Read your old entries every so often and see what you think now in comparison to then. But do this when you are in an accepting mood of yourself! It does not help to be mean and judge your former self and then throw away your diary in disgust. Be nice to yourself and treat your old diaries like letters from your former self to your present self. More importantly, see how much you have grown and learned from your experiences. At the end of the day, that is the true beauty of a diary, as a barometer of your own personal and emotional growth as you strive to better yourself every day.
Tips
- For inspiration, read other diary books, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Harriet the Spy, Dear dumb Diary and Alice, I Think by Susan Juby, or the "Georgia Nicholson" series. But don't compare your writing or yourself to others; we are each unique and our lives and styles will naturally be different.
- For guys it's ok to have a diary! Many men keep diaries. Celebrity men even keep diaries. One of the most notable was Kurt Cobain, Even though he had expressed his wishes of them never being seen they were. So guys its ok! Express your feelings and love and your personality
- If you want to make it even more interesting, once you read your journal many years from now, write your entries humorously. It'll definitely make you laugh later.
- It's always fun to write a letter to yourself. Write one of your own on the last page of your journal, and once you fill up all the pages, you can read the letter.
- You can also keep a journal on your PC (Doogie Howser style) and/or publish it for all to see in a blog, if you dare! You can keep it anonymous and publish under an alias if you prefer.
- If you have nothing to write, write lists. It can be anything- a to-do list, a favorites list, a shopping list, a travel list etc.
- Consider decorating the outside of your journal with stickers, drawings, etc.
- Be honest in your diary. If you can't say what you really feel, what's the point?
- Find a good hiding place so that you can write what you really feel without worrying about who will read it
- Whenever you have a thought that will not leave your head, write a note to yourself to explore it later in greater detail in your diary.
Warnings
- Make sure you know where your journal is at all times, especially if there is important information in it! If it has some ultra-top secret information, get a lock or get a diary with a lock and then hide it. Be careful not to drop it somewhere and forget about it.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Keep a Diary and Stick to It. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
