Feeling Stuck? Let's Talk About Your Personal Development!

Do you feel sometimes that each day morphs into the rest? That you are just going through the motions? You may not be in your ideal job, are saddled with too many obligations or just plain need a change. Shaking up the routine may be just what you need to arouse some excitement and enthusiasm in yourself. Below are 12 personal growth ideas that can help lead to positive change. You can even take on the challenge of pursuing one of them for each month of the year!

Self-confidence and esteem is definitely the secret to a successful and satisfying life. A lot of people look at others wishing they too, could have such confidence and would do anything to achieve it. Improving ones self esteem and confidence is not as difficult as it may appear, you just have to look in the right direction. Most of the help books you will find in bookshops will be of no help at all; what you really need are stories that relate true experiences. Look for biographies of people you admire and who have a positive attitude towards life. Helping other people in difficulty also does wonders for your self-esteem and boosts your confidence, as does a positive outlook towards everyday life. Avoid comparing yourself with others who are more successful than yourself, this will only make things look gloomier; after all how successful is this person really?

“Act as if”. These simple words have the power to transform a person and/or situation. Say you feel self-conscious and nervous whenever you have to speak in front of people. The next time you are in this situation, you can make a choice to be more confident and “act as if” you are more confident. See how it works for you. Your perceived lack of confidence is from persistent thoughts of how poor you think you are as a public speaker, when in fact you appear to others much better than you think.

Everyone hides weaknesses behind an apparently strong façade. Appraise yourself with what you were before you started building up your self esteem and see if more efforts are needed. Another basic but essential recipe is in smiling. If you walk out into the day with a smile on your face, your whole being and charisma will reflect a positive aura to others. People will feel better just looking at you and will think that you are one of those people that must have all the luck in life.

Why Will Power and Discipline are Important

Will power and discipline are the two most important virtues needed in order to develop and grow as a responsible human being. But what does these terms actually mean?

What is Will Power?

Will power is our ability to control the harmful impulses. A combined feeling of happiness and optimism helps to develop will power. Will power is the main virtue that aids in developing inner power and control the unnecessary and useless habits. It is to set positivity in our mind and clear out negativity from our brain. Will power is the strength of a conscious mind. In order to develop will power, you need to focus on your goal and get control of the emotional or behavioral responses.

• Will power boosts your brain; with the development of will power you develop the strength of mind to achieve something. Even if it’s a challenging task, you get the inner boost to be the gainer only if you have will power.
• This virtue helps you to stay away from negativity and mental ailments like depression, forgetfulness and other issues. It helps you to stay calm, composed and well balanced.
• Will power helps you to develop self control and ability of systematic planning.

What is Discipline?

Discipline teaches you to get responsible, punctual and lead the life in systematic way. It is the habit which should be practiced at every age. Discipline plays vital role towards the success and meet the ends of the goals set in life.

• Discipline helps you to stay focused towards the work and achieve the goal. It is a habit which we can practice and build in our day to day life.
• Some basic aspects of discipline are punctuality, time management, priority setting, and ability to organize and divide work in segments to cover them all up in stipulated time. If you are disciplined, you can achieve all of these easily.
• Discipline teaches you to respect others; as you respect your lifestyle and adapt the ways of discipline, you in return respect others you are associated with your lifestyle.

Developing the will power and self discipline can make a great difference in your life, both are vital for success and personal growth. Will power and discipline cannot be achieved in a day – it should be a lifelong practice and only then they will help you to reap benefits. Following are the ways how you can maintain a well disciplined life with will power –

 

Believe in yourself; do not underestimate your abilities. Hear to criticisms but take them in a way to improvise your skills. A person who criticizes you actually wants to make you a better human being! (or at least that's how you should interpret it) Practice meditation and simple physical exercises on regular basis; sedentary life has no goal and to trigger the “mantra” of life you need to keep your physical self agile too. Read books that talk about positivity, will power and organizing skills. Everything does not come through management classes; you can read these non fictional books yourself and gather inner strength.

Finally, you need to keep time for yourself. These virtues are usually instilled from childhood but there is no age for learning and development, thus you can definitely achieve will power and discipline if you want to at any age!

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Imagine yourself five years from now. What would your life look like if you made the decision right now to improve every aspect of yourself every day from this point forward? What kind of impact would that commitment have on you as a person? What would your health and physical appearance be like? Where would you live? How much money would you have? What would it mean for your relationships and what kind of people would you be surrounded with? No matter what you’re personally striving for there’s no doubt that continuous self-education is extremely powerful. Coming up are some really awesome tips that everyone should know about and put to use.

 

 

The Starting Point is Closer Than You Know!

Are you feeling like you don't know where to start? I have a few recommendations for you that may lead you in the right direction.

 

Let's be honest, this long list of tips and tricks can get a little overwhelming if you're not sure what exactly you should work on. But hey, I'm here to help! One place that I like to start is with an online personality test. I know what you're thinking. "Personality? What's wrong with my personality? Why would changing my personality help with my development? Why should I change?" Don't worry, I'm not trying to insult you in anyway. This test gives you more of an insight into your strengths, weaknesses, romantic relationships, friendships, parenthood, career paths, and workplace habits.  Some of these are more than you've ever really thought into before! In their words, its "freakishly accurate".

 

The 16 Personalities test is available to take any time, even if you've taken it before. And, in my experience, your personality concepts can change! I like to take it about once a year to see how much has changed.  It's entirely free, very quick, and extremely easy. It also offers the availability to learn to understand others. The more people who take the test and share their results, the better chance you have to understand those people in your life.

 

5 Love Languages is another free online test that can help you understand a little bit more of your soul. By taking the official assessment it'll help you discover your love language and begin improving your relationships. Your love language profile will explain your primary love language, what it means, and how you can use it to connect to others.

 

Finding Potential has a self assessment that also opens your mind to your behavioral preferences. This assessment does cost you about $7.50 that you can complete with your PayPal, but based on the testimonials, it seems more than worth it! It provides you with Personality Premium Reports, Connect Premium Reports, and Supporting Workbooks.

 

There is a lot of science behind these questionnaires which is why large organizations use them in recruitment to identify people who are best suited to their requirements – for a change you can be in the driving seat.

 

To work on your development, you must start to understand the you from within.

 

 

5 Kinds of Self-Improvement Goals and Ideas to Get Started

We’re always looking, either consciously or unconsciously, for ways to improve ourselves or the various aspects of our live. Changing things can be a daunting task, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, so we’ve gathered a list of self-improvement ideas and tips for motivation. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of taking steps to improve your life.

1. Health and Fitness Goals

Improving your health is one of the most common forms of self-improvement, and it’s often one of the most difficult. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Issues (NIDDKD), more than 2/3 of adults are overweight or obese, and about 1 in 20 are morbidly obese. Most of us have learned, either from childhood or over our adult life, unhealthy habits that take a long time to unlearn.
If you’re planning to improve your health, a list of self-improvement ideas might include:

• Changing your eating habits. Don’t go on a diet — according to research they don’t work. Instead, resolve to make healthier choices a little bit at a time. Don’t try to change your entire lifestyle overnight.
• Counting your calories. This doesn’t have to mean that you’re changing your eating habits. Simply use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your calories for 30 days. This will give you an idea of how much you’re eating. If you decide to make changes to your diet, use that information as a foundation for change.
• Not exercising — just moving. Going to the gym can be intimidating, especially if you’re not in the best shape. You don’t need a gym membership or an exercise plan to improve your health. Simply start moving as much as possible during the day. Dance in the living room, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or do yoga before bed. Just get moving!
• Using the power of accountability. If you tell yourself that you’re going to get up and move, there’s no one to hold you to that statement when you decide you don’t want to do it. Use your friends, your coworkers or your social media followers to keep you accountable and make sure you stick to your goals.
• Not getting discouraged. It’s easy to get discouraged and quit if you don’t see results immediately. Don’t let yourself become discouraged. It takes you a lot longer to see results than people around you, simply because you see yourself in the mirror every day.

2. Self-Care Goals

Self-care is often described as the steps you take to help optimize your physical and mental health, but what does the term really mean? In a nutshell, it means putting yourself first and taking care of your needs before you spread yourself thin to help others. A list for proper self-care should include:

• Treating yourself. One of the easiest ways to practice self-care is to treat yourself. Enjoy a manicure or a haircut, or do something you’ve wanted to do but haven’t.
• Stepping out of your comfort zone. This might seem detrimental to self-care, but it’s not. Stepping out of your comfort zone and traveling to another country or city can be a great way to take care of yourself.
• Trying meditation. Meditation is a great tool for self-care. It makes you slow down and focus on yourself rather than trying to keep up with the world around you.
• Writing it down. Journaling, writing or dumping your mind out on a sheet of paper at the end of the day is a great way to keep track of your thoughts and make sense of everything that happened during the day.
• Learning to say no. It’s tempting to say yes to everything that people ask of you, but it often ends up being detrimental to your own mental and physical health. Learning to say no is the best application of self-care that you can do.

3. Mental Health Goals

One out of 5 adults suffer from some form of mental illness every year, so mental health should be a priority. In our fast-paced world, it’s too easy to let our mental health suffer. Maintaining and improving your mental health should include:

• Being aware. We’re aware of our physical health because of the way it impacts us, but many of us aren’t aware of our mental health. Take a few minutes every day to be aware of your mental state and use that information to make changes or improvements if necessary.
• Taking time to yourself. You don’t have to open yourself to others 24 hours a day. Even if it’s only 20 minutes a day, set aside a period of time for yourself and guard it jealously. This is your time — don’t let anyone else intrude on it.
• Practicing self-care. Practicing self-care can be a great way to help improve your overall mental and physical health. If you’re worried about not having time, consider using the time you set aside for yourself as time for self-care.
• Getting enough sleep. Most adults aren’t getting enough sleep. According to the CDC, as many as 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting enough sleep, which can be detrimental for both your mental and physical health. Focus on getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
• Asking for help. Mental health can be difficult to handle on your own sometimes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, family or mental health professionals if you feel the need. You don’t have to do it alone. There are many resources available!

4. Relationship Goals

Relationship management doesn’t only refer to romantic relationships. It can also refer to your relationships with your family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances. All of these relationships need maintenance at one point or another, whether that comes in the form of a quick text, a handwritten letter or a visit. The following tasks should be on your list of self-improvement ideas to help you maintain your relationships with all the important people in your life:

• Resolving to connect with at least one person every day. Start by sending a text to someone that you don’t talk to everyday, or send an email to reconnect with a good friend. Sometimes all it takes is a small effort to rekindle communication between you and the other individuals in your life.
• Skipping social media. Social media is a great way to keep in touch with new and old friends, but it’s not the best way to stay connected if you’re concerned about maintaining your relationships. Don’t post on Facebook — text or message people individually.
• Removing toxic people from your life. Toxic people take and take and take without giving anything back. Kick those people out of your life without a second thought, because all they’re doing is draining your vitality.
• Constantly evaluating your relationships. Simply because you enjoy someone’s company now doesn’t mean they will continue to be good for you in the future. Evaluate your relationships consistently and make sure they aren’t becoming toxic.
• Keeping an open mind. You can form great relationships with almost anyone, as long as you keep an open mind. You’re not going to find people who are exactly like you — and that’s the fun of forming and maintaining relationships. Keep your mind open, and you’ll be amazed at the kind of people you meet.

5. Education Goals

In recent years, education has become synonymous with debt. If you go to a traditional college, you’ll often find yourself facing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Thankfully, you don’t have to put yourself in debt to use education for improve your life. The following education-based tips should be part of your self-improvement plan:

• Utilizing Free Tools. There are many free sites on the internet where you can learn about anything. Kahn Academy, for example, is a totally free site that offers classes on everything from math and history to computer programming and test preparation. If you want to start from scratch or simply need a refresher, Kahn Academy is a great tool.
• Taking free courses from accredited collages. Yes, you read that right. Have you ever wanted to take a physics course at MIT or a literature course at Harvard? You can do it with the power of the internet at your fingertips. Sites like edX allow you to take free courses with curriculums designed by the world’s top professors. You’re taking the same courses as students at the universities, for free.
• Learning a new skill. Coding is one of fastest growing fields, and you don’t need a college degree to learn how to code. Instead, sites like code.org and Code Academy offer free self-paced coding courses you can use to learn how to write everything from HTML/CSS to C# and everything in between.
• Starting a hobby. Learning and mastering a new hobby gives you a way to enjoy spending some time with yourself — and that can be beneficial.
• Emphasizing the importance of learning. Albert Einstein once said “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” No matter what life throws at you or what you find yourself facing each morning, make it a point to learn one new thing every day.

Self-improvement is an ongoing and ever-changing journey, and what works for you might not work for anyone else. Sometimes it might feel like you’re lost or you don’t know how to find the next step on the path. Hopefully some comprehensive goals will help you find your path again and turn your life into what it was meant to be: the most amazing journey you’ve ever experienced.

Small Changes Can Make a Bigger Difference Than You Think

Take a spiritual journey. Spirituality has different meanings for people. For some, it’s going to a house of worship. For others, it may be reading religious texts, practicing meditation or taking yoga. Whatever spiritual journey you desire, start a journal to write down your thoughts, challenges and accomplishments along the way. You’ll be sure to gain some valuable insight about yourself.

Creatively express yourself. Creativity gives us an outlet to express our authentic selves—the true self which is aligned with its values, desires, talents, and beliefs. So how do we choose what best expresses our true selves? Think about what creative activity excites you? Is it writing, painting, cooking, making jewelry, or flipping houses? You can spark some creative thinking with ideas like creating a vision board, trying a new recipe, or taking a day trip somewhere new. This will help you discover what inspires you most.

Choose a virtue. One way to challenge yourself is to choose a virtue that can support your vision for the year. Practicing a virtue such as kindness can make a difference in the many people you meet and there are so many ways to express kindness. Not to mention how good you’ll feel when spreading kindness! Other virtues such as gratitude, courage, determination, and integrity are all important for a successful life. You can choose one, two or even three virtues from the recommended list that can be a steady guide and inspiration for what’s to come. To select a virtue, ask yourself, “What do I most want to manifest in my life?” Then select the virtue(s) that you’ll need to achieve that answer. Once you have chosen your virtue (or even two!), here are some suggestions to help keep it a priority all year long.
Write it down and place around your home, office and even your car, wherever you will see it during your daily routine. This helps to keep it present in your mind and remind you to live it each day.
Journal about the virtue. Write about how you envision the virtue playing out this year. You can jot down ways you will practice it and then write about your experiences. This will provide great insight on your success with the chosen virtue.
Create powerful affirmations that you can read regularly such as: “I am a courageous person who radiates strength and determination.” (Courage); “I am grateful for all that I have and all that is yet to come.” (Gratitude); “I love and accept myself for who I am.” (Acceptance)
Take one daily or weekly action. If you choose “peace”, perhaps you can begin meditating daily. Think of ways to incorporate the virtue into your life through specific daily, weekly and/or monthly actions. And don’t forget to journal about it!

Practice self-love. Being kind to ourselves is not something that comes easy for most. Our natural tendency is to talk to ourselves in a negative way, criticizing our behavior and who we are. To be kind to ourselves means to honor our needs and wants. It also means to take care of our health, stress levels and personal happiness. Find ways to practice self-love which will help increase your confidence.

Start doing what matters. “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least,” said German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This quote by Goethe brings to light a very important point. If we do not place our attention on what matters most to us in life, we can easily end up with regret later in life. What matters most to you right now? Are you setting aside time to focus on this or are you placing other obligations and distractions ahead of it? Try and move what you want to the top of your list and rearrange your schedule to honor that desire.

Do some self-introspection. When did you last take some time to reflect on how your life is going? Asking yourself, “Am I happy?” “Do I have meaning in my life?” “Am I using my talents?” and “What do I value and am I making my values a priority?” These questions are some of the most important ones you can ask yourself and the answers can bring about change that leads to greater joy and fulfillment in life. Set aside some time to reflect on your life to become more self-aware. Even write the answers to the questions above in a journal to help you get started. Then see if what you want in life is matching up with your daily life choices.

Serve more. What if we woke up in the morning and instead of thinking about all that we needed to do that day, we asked ourselves, “How may I serve today?” This question takes us out of ourselves and gives us a new and different perspective. For example, someone might wake up and say, “I have so much to do at work today and not sure how I can do it all.” Alternatively, someone can say, “How can I make a difference today with a project or a co-worker?” This approach gives us a whole new way of looking at things, taking us out of our ego and into the difference we can make in in others lives and in our own.

Change your mindset. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes,” said Marcel Proust, French novelist. Changing our mindset, can change outcomes. It’s not easy though because so much of our thinking is habitual. Really, it’s becoming more aware of our thoughts that allow greater control over them. So keep in mind that you always have a choice in how to react to life’s setbacks and challenges.

Stop resisting. “What you resist, persists,” said Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Meaning that whatever experience you are pushing away, keeps showing up in your life because another option is not present. For example, if your thoughts are always focused on what you don’t like about your job then you are resisting it, and your situation gets magnified, creating anxiety for you. If you give yourself another option, another way to think about the job, then your resistance and misery lessens. To do this, mentally catch yourself next time you complain about the job and shift to something you like about the job and/or how you will make things better by finding a new job or becoming an entrepreneur.

And finally...
Forgive someone. Who have you not forgiven? Although forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do in life, it’s one of the biggest acts of self-love. Forgiveness expert Fred Luskin said that the single most beneficial thing that comes from forgiving is that people, once they forgive, feel that they can deal with whatever life sends to them. He also says, “Forgiving lowers blood pressure. It reduces the strain on your heart. It certainly reduces depression, anger and stress as well as makes people feel more hopeful.” We can forgive for a better life. By letting go of anger and resentment, we become more peaceful, happier people.

Think big and you will achieve big!

Thing small and unfortunately you will achieve small.

Achievements begin in the mind before they can be manifested in the physical world. If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it! So make this list of self improvement ideas and tips your biggest friend and liberator. Put them into practice for the upcoming month and start doing and implementing at least 5 of them. After you master them, move onto 5 other ones, and by all means, if you want to go with more, just do it, it’s even better! Make the decision that this will be your self improvement month and that you are going to change!

Me, Myself, and Bacon -- Vol. 1

Can you hear that sizzle? Smell that delicious grease popping in the frying pan? Make sure to wipe your mouth, because I'm talking about that moist, crunchy, delicacy known as bacon. Yeah, and now you're drooling. Its so hard to describe the taste, or smell, or even the sound of bacon with words alone. Though it seems much easier in the form of facial expressions.


But what do we know about bacon other than the party it has with our taste buds? Well I'm about to share some Good News and some Bad News that we may, or may not, know. It's not all bad, I promise!

Good and Bad Truth's About Bacon

America has an undeniable love affair with bacon. On average, Americans each eat about 18 pounds of bacon a year. And considering the number of people who don’t eat pork or any meat at all, some of them are scarfing down a disproportionate number of the approximately 5,760,000,000 pounds of pig strips consumed across the country each year.

Bacon has become a permanent staple of the American diet, and unfortunately, it’s pretty unhealthy. But hey, doesn’t it sometimes feel like all the best things in life are bad for you? Here are some very unfortunate truths about your favorite piece of meat, balanced out by reasons that prove how great bacon is. Because it really doesn’t matter how bad bacon is for you, if you love it, you’re still going to eat it.

And no matter what you’re told, bacon will always be the key to your heart...

Bad news: Bacon has a lot of fat — the bad kind.

68% of bacon’s calories are fat, with half of that fat being saturated. The amount of saturated fat in bacon explains why one ounce of bacon contains 30 milligrams of cholesterol. Research has shown that eating foods with high levels of saturated fat can lead to a higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

Good news: Bacon and eggs is probably one of the best combinations ever.

There are so many ways you can eat bacon and eggs — in frittatas, in omelets, on sandwiches or just plain together. It always tastes good.

Bad news: Bacon, like other processed meats, could contribute to heart disease and some cancers.

A study done by researchers at the University of Zurich found an association between processed meat and higher risks of dying from heart disease or cancer. Processed meat contains nitrates, preservatives that, when absorbed by the human body, convert into N-nitroso, a compound that could cause cancer. Also, a study conducted by Columbia University found a direct link between consuming cured meats and developing chronic pulmonary disease.

Good news: It’s still better to choose bacon over sausage at breakfast.

While neither meat is good for you, WebMD reports that two pork sausage links contain 140 calories and 12 grams of fat. Three strips of pan-fried hickory smoked bacon contain 120 calories and 9 grams of fat.

Bad news: Pigs are adorable.

Seriously, they are so cute.

Good news: Bacon on a burger is one of the most heavenly pairs.

Just forget about that cute little piggy and think about how delicious the combination of pork and beef tastes...

Bad news: Factory-farmed pigs are more likely to get you sick than free-range ones.

Factory-farmed animals usually live in concrete cells with no outside interaction. Nutritionist Sara Bilbe says, “Pigs are fairly intelligent animals and this lack of stimulation in these cells leads to high stress levels and therefore high illness.” The Week reports that MRSA, a bacteria that has a strong resistance to antibiotics, has been found on factory pig farms in Canada, which sells millions of live pigs to the U.S.

Good news: Pigs are great recyclers, even of marijuana.

MRSA aside, Policy Mic reports that a group of farmers in Washington have been experimenting with turning their cannabis waste into feed for their free-range pigs. Turns out trying to give these pigs the munchies results in some high profit: A local butcher, William Von Schneidau, reported that the “smoked” bacon from the farm was “especially popular.”

Bad news: Some people in Canada would prefer to eat bacon than have sex.

In a study conducted by Maple Leaf Foods, 43 percent of the respondents said they would rather eat some bacon than have sex. Also, you may want to know that when asked to rank the aromas of the two activities, 23 percent of men said they prefer bacon.

Good news: You can have sex with bacon.

If you are one of those people who would eat bacon over having sex, you can now have the best of both worlds. J&D Foods seems to be a company devoted to including bacon in every aspect of life. Therefore they have created bacon condoms. Don’t forget to enhance the experience by smelling like bacon during the moment with J&D’s bacon deodorant.

 

Bad news: Bacon has a lot of sodium.

And too much sodium puts you at risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. One slice of bacon has about 190 milligrams of sodium. According to the Mayo Clinic, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend having 2,300 milligrams of sodium every day. If you eat four to five slices of bacon, (and who doesn’t?) you’re already approaching half the amount of sodium allotted for the day.

Good news: Bacon could help cure hangovers.

Yes, at least one study suggests a bacon sandwich may have the edge when it comes to helping you get through that hangover. A study at the Newcastle University’s Center for Life examined just why the bacon sandwich could be the perfect culinary treat to absorb all that alcohol. Researcher Elin Roberts says it’s because of the mix of bread and the amino-acids found in bacon. She told the London Times, “Bread doesn’t soak up alcohol but is high in carbohydrates that boost blood-sugar levels and speed up the metabolism, helping to get rid of alcohol quickly. Binging on alcohol depletes brain neurotransmitters but bacon, which is rich in protein, contains amino acids that top these up and make you feel better.”

Bad news: Bacon, and other processed meats, may be associated with other unhealthy lifestyle choices.

A study published in the journal BMC that analyzed 448,568 men and women between the ages of 25 and 69 from different countries found out that those who ate more processed meat were linked to premature death due to cardiovascular disease or certain types of cancer. The researchers argued that this was because those people were also more likely to indulge in bad lifestyle choices, like smoking, drinking alcohol in excess and not eating fruits or vegetables.

Good news: The amounts of Vitamin B3 in bacon may help you live longer.

In a study published in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers found out that the niacin (Vitamin B3) in foods like sun-dried tomatoes, peanuts and yes, bacon, could help you live a longer life. When the researchers fed roundworms a ton of niacin, they lived one-tenth longer than the worms who weren’t fed any niacin. While we recommend getting your niacin from healthier food options, bacon does include substantial amounts of the vitamin.

Bad news: Bacon could be linked to a lower sperm count.

If you’re a guy and trying to have a baby, you may want to hold off on the bacon for a little while. HuffPost reported that researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed sperm samples from 156 volunteers and compared them to the participants’ food intakes. Those who ate a lot of processed meat — including hamburgers, hotdogs and bacon — were associated with lower sperm concentration and morphology.

Good news: A component in bacon could make babies’ brains healthier.

If you’re a pregnant woman, giving in to your bacon cravings may not be all bad. A research study published by scientists at the University of North Carolina shows that the chemical choline helps fetuses develop regions of the brain linked to memory. Of course, choline is also present in much healthier foods, like yogurt or chicken, but the chemical is found in foods like eggs and pork.

Bad news: The “Bacon Explosion” has 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat.

This monster meat creation contains more than two days worth of calories and a dangerous amount of fat.

Good news: It probably tastes pretty damn good.

How does bacon wrapped around a filling of spiced sausage and crumbled bacon sound to you? It’s meat wrapped around meat with some more crumbled meat on top of it. The creators, Jason Day and Aaron Chronister, thought of the idea in 2009 when they were challenged on Twitter to create the “ultimate bacon recipe.” The recipe calls for a seasoned woven bacon base, followed by a layer of sausage meat on top of it and crumbled bacon sprinkled on it. Don’t forget to add the BBQ sauce!


If these up's and down's haven't strayed you yet (and why would they, no one would abandon Bacon!), let's take a look at some of the BEST bacon restaurants in the US!

Restaurants Of The Bacon Genre

We'll start with a place that's a little close to home.

Jethro's BBQ, n BACON BACON
-- 1480 22nd St, West Des Moines, IA 50266

Some of the best menu items include:

The Ultimate BLT

Triple decker style on Texas toast with slabs and slabs of bacon, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato and creamy mayonnaise.

Bacon Billy Wrap
Buffalo style boneless chicken wings with creamy bacon bacon sauce, crisp lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese.

The Bacon Bacon Sandwich
Pork belly, bacon, BBQ sauce, sauteed onions and American cheese.

The Triple Bacon Bacon
Jethro signature blend of fresh ground Angus steak and smokehouse bacon, 1/2 pound, grilled juicy. Add two slices of thick slab bacon and two slices of Canadian bacon and American cheese; we'll bring the pickles.

The Elvis Presley Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Pancakes
Priscilla stirs in chunks of bacon and banana in her famous buttermilk batter, griddles 'em hot and piles 'em 3 high, then tops 'em with Jethro's yummy peanut butter sauce.

The Machine Shed
 -- 11151 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322

The Shed's World Famous Baked Potato Soup

Creamy white chowder loaded with tender Idaho red potatoes and topped with Colby cheese, green onion and crisp bacon.

 

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Bacon

We take bacon, crisp lettuce and tomatoes and add even more bacon on our toasted old-fashioned white bread. Served with garlic tomato mayonnaise.

 

The Heartland Delight

Whole pork tenderloins, trimmed, wrapped with bacon, seasoned and baked with or without barbeque sauce.

Vinsetta Garage
 -- 27799 Woodward Ave, Berkley, MI 48072

MACON BACON BURGER
Half-pound Vinsetta blend beef patty, Woodshop MI maple bacon, pancetta, grilled Canadian bacon, house-made bacon jam, smoked cheddar.

THE YETI DOG
Bacon-wrapped & deep fried, melted pepper jack, chopped tomato, shredded romaine, mayo.

THE 3 A.M. DOG
House-made bacon jam, Sriracha mayo, sunny fried cage-free egg, chives, crispy fried onions.

Union Woodshop
 -- 18 S Main St, Clarkston, MI 48346

Woodshop Burger

Half-pound Angus beef patty topped with our smoked cheddar, house-made maple bacon, sliced pickles, onion rings & Memphis mayo.

The Porker
House-ground pork patty, house made Michigan maple bacon, house-made hot link, pickled chilies, Woodshop cold smoked cheddar, South Carolina mayo.

Gino's East
 -- 162 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611

Jalapeño Blue Deep Dish Pizza
Bacon, blue cheese, Italian sausage, blue cheese & bacon stuffed jalapeños

 

Meaty Legend Thin Crust Pizza
Pepperoni, spicy pepperoni, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, patty sausage (deep dish only), roasted chicken, BBQ brisket, bacon, Canadian bacon, anchovies, Italian beef, meatballs, ground beef

 

Harris Grill
 -- 5748 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Hush Piggies
We've fired up the infamous Bluth Corn baller with absolutely no regard to our personal safety to bring you these free range tots chock-full of bacon and sharp cheddar, served aside a lil' bucket of Srirancha Sauce for dipping.

Quickie Salad Chop Chop
Iceberg lettuce and baby mesclun greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon, and many, many more veggies all carved up with grilled chicken, bacon, and a fig vinaigrette so all you have to do is fork it in. Perfect for eating with one hand tied behind your back!

Make sure to get out and get around to all these fine places to check out the most delicious of bacon exquisiteness! Get even more creative and create some of your own dishes of eloquence! Share them with us, you never know what kind of amazingness you could come up with!



There is so much more that I want to discuss with my BACON love, but there is already so much content for you to handle at this point! That being said, I would like to say look forward to a sequel on this topic.

To Be Continued ...

Need An Excuse To Do Nothing Today? Here's A HUGE One!

NATIONAL LAZY DAY

Today there will not be much information regarding this annually celebrated holiday as I do not feel like doing any research. Actually, I do not feel like doing anything at all. So I'm dreaming of being in a hammock with a couple of good books and a glass of lemonade, or wine.. Yes, it is National Lazy Day, and I chose to be lazy rather than tell you that this holiday is observed each year on August 10th. Celebrate your inner couch potato by giving up all your daily chores and doing nothing the whole day long!

Lazy Day is a good excuse to be "slothful".
While I really don't want to tell you more about this awesome holiday, I'm feeling lazy, you see, so I will, so that you can make the most of trying to be dull for an entire day, too.

Also known in the United States as National Lazy Day, this unofficial holiday of unknown origins honors sloths, slackers, lay-abouts, idlers, and lazybones. It also provides an excellent excuse to those among us who are stressed and over-worked to take the day off and recharge.

How to Celebrate?

Do we really need to spell it out? Laze around, do nothing, goof-off, slack, and procrastinate. Refuse to do any chores - you can always do them the next day. Order food in instead of cooking and spend the day on the couch watching back-to-back episodes of your favorite TV show. Go to the spa and get a well-deserved "me-day". Stay in bed all day long and refuse to respond to any emails or phone calls. Watch the 1929 comedy film, Lazy Day. Okay, that one might be a little too far, unless you're into that sort of thing.

Did You Know…

…that many species of the sloth a very slow moving mammal found in Central and South America, can turn their heads 360 degrees? Now, that's a lot of effort for an animal that is named for its laziness!

5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

 

If you need an excuse to be lazy, here it is. While most of us don’t need an excuse to be lazy for 24 hours, National Lazy Day gives us a legitimate one just before the end of summer. The school year is about to resume, if it hasn’t already where you live, so enjoy it while it lasts. Side note, don't forget to take advantage of lazy day next year [2018] because it falls on a Friday!

 

Here’s a better look at the holiday and laziness.

1. It’s Not Clear Who Invented National Lazy Day, but It Was Mentioned in 2001

The origin of National Lazy Day is a mystery. However, it has been around for over a decade at least.

Slate writer David Plotz mentioned the holiday in a 2001 essay called “August, Let’s get rid of it.” He notes that August is the only month without a real holiday, but he then goes on to list “lame celebrations” that other months “didn’t want.” “Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week, National Religious Software Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week: All these grand American celebrations belong to August,” Plotz wrote. “Is it any accident that National Lazy Day, Relaxation Day, Deadwood Day, and Failures Day are commemorated in August?”

 

2. A 2015 Study Found That Laziness Is a Sign of High Intelligence

A 2015 study by Florida Gulf Coast University and Appalachian State University researchers found that laziness correlates with high intelligence. The study suggests that people with high IQs usually don’t get bored easily, so they are interested in thinking more than engaging in physical activities. Since those with less IQs are more easily bored, they will usually do more physical activity to keep themselves interested, notes the Telegraph.

However, the study had a very small sample size. They also found that there was no difference between the physical activities of either smarter or less intelligent people on the weekends.


“Ultimately, an important factor that may help more thoughtful individuals combat their lower average activity levels is awareness,” researcher Todd McElroy told the Telegraph. “Awareness of their tendency to be less active, coupled with an awareness of the cost associated with inactivity. More thoughtful people may then choose to become more active throughout the day.”

 

3. Other Studies Show That Humans Are More Interested in Taking the Easy Way Out

Other interesting studies have determined that humans are wired to lazy.

 

As the BBC reported in 2015, researchers at the Simon Fraser University in Canada studied the habits of nine volunteers who wore leg braces to make their usual walking pattern more strenuous. It only took them all a few minutes to figure out how to change their patterns to make it easier for themselves to walk with the braces on.

“Here we have provided a physiological basis for this laziness by demonstrating that even within a well-rehearsed movement like walking, the nervous system subconsciously monitors energy use and continuously re-optimises movement patterns in a constant quest to move as cheaply as possible,” Dr. Max Donelan said, notes the BBC.

 

A February 2017 study from University College London determined that the easiest way to accomplish something will always look more appealing. The study’s abstract reads, in part:

 

When participants reported the direction of the visual motion by left or right manual reaching movement with different resistances, their reports were biased towards the direction associated with less effortful option. Repeated exposure to such resistance on hand during perceptual judgments also biased subsequent judgments using voice, indicating that effector-dependent motor costs not only biases the report at the stage of motor response, but also changed how the sensory inputs are transformed into decisions. This demonstrates that the cost to act can influence our decisions beyond the context of the specific action.

 

4. The English Bulldog Is Considered 1 of the Top Laziest Dog Breeds

It’s not just humans who enjoy being lazy. Lists on the web of the laziest dog breeds usually include the English Bulldog. You can find the breed on lists by IHeartDogs and Rover. IHeartDogs put the English Bulldog at #1 because they enjoy sleeping most of the day. The site also included the French Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Clumber Spaniel and Pug in its Top 5.

Other lazy dog breeds include the Great Dane, Shih Tzu, Greyhound (when their not racing) and the Newfoundland. Toy breeds like the Chinese crested and Japanese chin are also considered lazy.

 

And let's not even get into cats! Some may give cats the label of laziness because of their unique sleeping habits. Others may say cats are lazy because they won't fetch a ball like Fido does. If you think cats are lazy because they seem to be sleeping all the time, you may be half right. Cats sleep an average of 13 to 16 hours a day. If a human did that, he'd be called a slacker. The age and general health of the cat has a lot to do with how many hours he will sleep. His living arrangements, too, come into play. A strictly indoor cat with little mental stimulation may become bored and take naps because there's not much else to do. Bottom line, cats may appear lazy because of their normal sleeping patterns.

 

5. A Stanford University Study in 2017 Found That the U.S. Is 1 of the Laziest Countries in the World

 

 

In July, Stanford University published a major study called “Activity Inequality,” which looked at smartphone step tracking data from 717,527 users in 111 countries. The study found that the average person took 4,961 daily steps.

Hong Kong averaged the most, with 6,880 a day.
Indonesia came in last place with 3,513 steps a day on average.
In the U.S., the average was 4,774 steps a day.

Many Americans are downright lazy. And it’s making us fat. Does that mean Indonesians are much more likely to be obese than Americans? No, the researchers say. The key is the variation in the amount of walking.

 

In countries with less obesity, the Stanford researchers say, people typically walked a similar amount every day. In nations with higher rates of obesity, there were larger gaps between those who walked a lot and those who walked very little.

Among those latter countries is the United States, where “activity inequality” ranks Americans fourth from the bottom overall. “If you think about some people in a country as ‘activity rich’ and others as ‘activity poor,’ the size of the gap between them is a strong indicator of obesity levels in that society,” Delp told the Stanford news site.

Tim Althoff, who worked on the study, pointed to Sweden, with an average of 5,863 steps, as having one of the smallest activity inequality gaps. “It also had one of the lowest rates of obesity,” he said. Another factor in activity inequality involved where people live: high-density cities or more suburban settings.

Jennifer Hicks, another researcher in the study, told the Stanford news site that they examined three California cities located close to one another – San Francisco, San Jose and Fremont. They found San Francisco held both the highest walkability score and the lowest level of activity inequality. “In cities that are more walkable, everyone tends to take more daily steps, whether male or female, young or old, healthy weight or obese,” Hicks said.

 

“The study is 1,000 times larger than any previous study on human movement,” researcher Scott Delp told the BBC. “There have been wonderful health surveys done, but our new study provides data from more countries, many more subjects, and tracks people’s activity on an ongoing basis. This opens the door to new ways of doing science at a much larger scale than we have been able to do

before.”

 

Enough About Statistics...

How to Be Lazy

Being lazy has a negative connotation, but have you ever stopped to consider why? Is it because all those over-stressed workaholics think the world will fall apart if they take a one-minute breather to do—gasp!—nothing? Or is it because your faith tells you that laziness is a sin? Or is it because it's just a much repeated "sin" from the seven deadly sins ("sloth") that has been drummed into you from birth as a "no-can-do"? It’s time to take a step back and see that laziness isn’t all it’s made out to be. In fact, being lazy now and then is a pathway to happiness, relaxation, and even success.

 

Adjusting Your Mindset

1. Reflect on what "lazy" means to you. Depending on your background and beliefs, the import of "being lazy" will likely differ, but ultimately, it's a term that tends to carry a negative implication about not pulling one's weight or not doing things when other people are doing a lot; it also tends to imply that a person does little to improve themselves or their living standards. However, what about seeing lazy in a different light? 

2. Reflect on how your lazy self can bring you to work out how to do less. Since when has getting the job done with less effort become a vice? Do you prefer to do things the hard way all the time? If so, whatever for? If the same result can be achieved with less effort, why not take that path and listen to your laziness? Think about this reality before leaping to a puritanical response: just about all of the advances in technology today are the result of laziness.
3. Consider who or what benefits from the busy, ever-working you. Every time you complain that your job consumes your soul and runs your life by the timesheet, you're actually complaining that you don't have the time to really switch off. As a generalization, the idea of lazy people isn't good for business and judgmental terms such as "bums", "good-for-nothings", "bludgers", and "time-wasters", are given to those who are not thought pulling their weight enough. We worry incessantly that someone might label us this way, even as we dare to label others lazy whenever we feel overworked.
4. Know that time spent away from work could renew your energy and spirit. The "virtue" matched to the "vice" of sloth is "diligence". For some, the art of applying oneself to the task at hand with a zealous and unquestioning belief in the worth of working hard has become more about working longer hours to earn more money and to impress others. Yet, this isn't how everyone sees the world; indeed, the Danes work a 37 hour week, find most of their wages consumed by taxes (in return for excellent social benefits), and have an average of six weeks vacation, yet they consistently score as one of the happiest nations on Earth. 

5. Redefine productivity. The how of being lazy is pretty straightforward (as it should be). At first, it may seem paradoxical to you that doing less (aka being lazy) can mean you're more productive. However, what's really going on here is a shift in your definition of "productivity". If you view being productive as "doing more", "getting more done", or perhaps the extreme of "never being caught doing nothing", then the idea of being lazy will probably freak you out. 

6. Know to stop when you’re no longer being productive. You may have the mindset that if you’re sitting at your desk, then it means you’re working, or if you’re scrubbing a counter that’s already pretty clean, that you’re doing housework. However, if you want to be lazy, then you have to be able to recognize when you’re just no longer getting anything done and to move on. This can help you save energy, to get done what you really need to get done, and to be more lazy in the process. 

7. Know that it’s okay to just spend quality time with people. Not everything has to be about multi-tasking or doing as much work as possible. If your spouse, best friend, cousin, or new acquaintance wants to spend some time with you, give in to that feeling wholeheartedly. Don’t ask your friend if she wants to go grocery shopping with you or send work emails during family movie night; instead, learn to be okay with just enjoying the time you spend with people even if it means you won’t be doing a lick of work. 

 

Taking Action

1. Be smarter about doing less. If you're lazy, then the choice is simple. Do less. But do it smartly: the lazy person makes every second count when they're doing something. If the action isn't going to count, isn't going to shave time off and free you up sooner, then either don't do it, or work out how it can be done in a way that does lessen the time and pain of input to allow you to do less

2. Enjoy nature. When was the last time you just sat in an open field and stared out at the beauty around you? If the answer is “When I was a kid” or even, “Never,” then your time in nature is long overdue. Even if you’re not the outdoorsy type, just spending a few hours hanging out by a pretty field, lake, beach, forest, garden, or mountain range can help you feel at ease and can rejuvenate your mind and body. 

3. Allow yourself weekend lie-ins. There is a lot of sleep research about that suggests regular sleep patterns are important to maintain, so sudden changes to your sleeping habits are not recommended. However, a lie-in is not about sleeping; it is about staying in bed and indulging yourself. Read a good book, eat breakfast in bed, draw in bed, or do anything you fancy while simply chilling out in bed.
4. Shop less. Less shopping gives you more time to be doing enjoyable things, like spending time with your friends, spouse, or kids, or hanging around the beach. Have a list, a plan, and do your shopping only when needed. And spending less means you acquire less, so then you own less, which means you have less to maintain and clean, and you're in better financial shape without the clutter. How's that for laziness?

5. Shelve your inner busy-bee. Busyness is a habit (often unquestioned), not a pathway to success. Needing to look and be busy all the time will reduce your productiveness dramatically because your focus is on the busy, not the achievement. Instead of running around doing lots of things, slow down. Do less and live a calmer, more peaceful life. Be content to sit, to do nothing. Relax a little. Smile and be happy.
6. Simplify your life. Own less clothes, less cars, less stuff, less anything that needs maintenance, time, attention and elbow grease. Make an effort to donate or give away the clothes you no longer wear, to clean out your kitchen cabinets, to make your social schedule less hectic, and just to make your life easier whenever you can. Though this will take more effort up front, it will leave you time for more laziness later on.
7. Let someone else do it. This is not about manipulation; it's about letting the right person for the task do it. If they're willing, happy, and most competent at the task, leave them be and don't interfere. Many of us carry guilt about letting someone get on with something, even where that person has made it clear they're best doing it on their own, because we feel compelled to help; sometimes our help is nothing more than a hindrance, and at other times, it can be viewed as overbearing and unwelcome.
8. Hop off the communications bandwagon. Constant online interactions without putting boundaries on your input can end up being time-sucking work instead of being fun or productive. Communicate less and give yourself lazy space. Less talking, less convincing, less yelling, less arguing, less emails, less IM, less phone calling, less checking in. If you make an effort to do this, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll feel more “lazy” and relaxed.
9. Do things when they need doing. This sounds like work! The reality is that many things are best done immediately to save greater effort later. A true devotee of the doing less and being lazy crowd will have long ago realized that much of true work results from not doing something well at the start. Remember the saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
10. Quit moaning. Lazy people don't complain; first, it takes too much energy and second, complaining is sourced from a sense of unfairness, missing out, and feeling worn into-the-ground. Less complaining and criticizing frees up time and mental space for more creative thinking and more resourceful responses to situations, including finding more productive ways of solving your problems through less focus on blame and more focus on solutions.
11. Be spontaneously lazy. Once in a while, do things differently. Sleep on the couch in all of your clothes by choice (and not just because you're too exhausted to move). Create a tent from blankets with your kids and crawl in and just fall asleep in a heap together. Lie on the grass and count the clouds or stars until you can't be bothered, and just drift off. Don't get dressed all Sunday if you don't feel like it; don’t bother worrying about what the neighbors think.
12. Just put your feet up. If you’ve had a long day, or you just feel like sitting there doing nothing, do it with pride. Sit wherever you feel the most comfortable, put your feet up, lean back, and enjoy the sensation of doing absolutely nothing. Don’t think about all of the things you have to do later or worry about how much you’re being judged; think about something that makes you smile, or nothing at all.

 

Get out there and be lazy! I know you've got it in you!!

What Is What You're Saying, Saying About You?

Have you every had a conversation with someone and just thought to yourself, "This person is so dense, how do they make it through the day?" Okay, that might be a bit of an extreme thought, I'm sure most of you aren't really that mean inside your head (or at least don't admit to it out loud, right?). Anyway, the point is, we, as humans, are judged by every little thing that we do. How we dress, what we say, how we say it, how we hold ourselves, what we believe in, how we act, how we don't act, how we REact, and so many other things, it's crazy. Our brains immediately judge people. Even if we cannot consciously see a person's face, our brain is able to make a snap decision about how trustworthy they are.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the brain immediately determines how trustworthy a face is before it's fully perceived, which supports the fact that we make very fast judgments about people. So knowing this, wouldn't you want to give someone the best opportunity to make a good judgment about you that you could? I would. I would rather people think I'm intelligent or kind or humorous. So how can we do that? One big thing is by being able to speak and communicate effectively and intelligently. But where does that start? 
With your vocabulary.

Let's start with the WHY

Improving Vocabulary Increases Income

An improved vocabulary means you sound intelligent. Most smart people have an excellent vocabulary. They speak well and use the right words. After all, what creates the first impression at an interview? Of course, your physical appearance matters. If you go wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and an earring for the job of a lawyer, most people won’t take you seriously.
The way you speak is just as important as your appearance. If you are confident and your speech shows your confidence, it means you have left many others behind. It’s as simple as that.

Take A Look At The Research!

Recently a study was conducted to test this theory. The study showed twenty years after leaving college, a much higher percentage of students who finished college with an excellent vocabulary (or worked at gaining an improved vocabulary during their career) ended up in much better and more highly paid jobs than those with an average or poor vocabulary. Investing in a superior vocabulary is well worth your effort. One of the most popular vocabulary building programs which is good value for money is Ultimate Vocabulary.

An improved vocabulary will open up new opportunities for you because you will be recognized as intelligent, capable, highly educated, having good experience and successful in your career. What do you think about a person who speaks articulately and confidently? That’s right, you get the idea. So the answer to your question “should I improve my vocabulary?” is a definite YES!

Do I Really Need To Improve My Vocabulary?

A common question is “if I improve my vocabulary will it really help for my particular line of work?” It doesn’t matter whether you are working in a hotel or a software company, a better vocabulary will boost your income and help you become successful. Take note when you hear a successful person speak. Are they precise? Yes. Do they speak confidently? Yes. Do they slur? Never. Speaking confidently is about saying the right words at the right time, and for that you need an improved vocabulary. If you sound successful and look successful, there is a better chance of your being successful. A good way to develop your vocabulary is with high quality vocabulary building software.

Let's move on to the HOW

There are several proven benefits in improving your vocabulary, but how should we go about learning new words in the most effective way? By using the following ten vocabulary-building strategies, you are guaranteed to develop a strong vocabulary and keep improving it every day.

1. Read Voracious

It’s undeniable that reading is the most effective way to get new vocabulary. When you read, you see words being used in context — and that’s what makes it much more effective than, for example, merely memorizing word lists.

With context information surrounding each new word, there’s a good chance you can guess its meaning just by understanding the overall text. Finding out the meaning of words in such a way is the natural way of learning language – and reading provides the best opportunity to get exposed to this natural way of learning.

If you’re not able to infer the meaning of new words when reading, it’s probably because there are too many unknown words in the text. In that case, try reading easier materials. The key to good reading is making it a pleasurable activity; so don’t be afraid of coming across unknown words, but make sure the text is appropriate for your reading level.

2. Make Friends with the Dictionary

A dictionary is the first indispensable resource to improve your vocabulary. It’s only by looking up a word in a dictionary that you will learn its precise meaning, spelling, alternate definitions, and find much more useful information about it. A thesaurus is also a valuable resource for learning by finding connections between words, such as their synonyms and antonyms.

Consider adding a good dictionary and thesaurus to your bookshelf. Here are some recommendations:
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary;
The New Oxford American Dictionary;
The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus.

For online dictionaries, there are many free options with great extra features. Even if you have a good dictionary in print already, you can’t miss having a good online dictionary at your disposal:
OneLook: Has a reverse look-up function (get the word from its definition) and works as a “meta-dictionary”, showing you definitions from other major online dictionaries. I recommend you try OneLook and explore its results to decide which dictionary you prefer;
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary: An old-time favorite of mine, although the blinking ads are getting a bit annoying lately;
Ninjawords: It searches the free dictionary Wiktionary. What makes this site interesting is that you can look up multiple words simultaneously. Moreover, the results pages can be bookmarked – making them good personal reference pages;
Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: If you’re a fan of mind mapping, you will certainly enjoy viewing related words represented in a visual map format;
Answers.com, Dictionary.com, The Free Dictionary and many others: All of them are good resources – try each one at least once to help you make up your mind.

3. Use It or Lose It

Don’t settle after you learn a new word by reading it or looking it up in the dictionary: these are good starts, but it’s by using the new words that you truly commit them to your long-term memory.

Be creative and try to use your newly learned words in as many ways as possible:
Write them down;
Say them aloud;
Create sentences with them, mentally or in writing;
Try to use them in a conversation;
Discuss them with friends.

It’s also important to be aware of your own language style: every time you catch yourself saying common or nonspecific words such as “nice”, try coming up with richer and more precise expressions instead.

4. Learn One New Word a Day

If you learn just one new word every day, you’ll soon notice they add up pretty quickly. I like to think of it as the “kaizen way of growing your vocabulary" and what makes this strategy stand out is that it can be used by anyone, no matter how busy one’s schedule is. In the same way I grow my collection of favorite quotes in baby steps by receiving a new famous quote every day, I also learned to enjoy growing my vocabulary by committing myself to learning at least one new word each day.

There are many websites that provide free word-of-the-day services, delivering them in many formats – such as e-mail, RSS feeds, podcasts and even text messages sent to your cell phone. Here are my favorites:
Merriam-Webster’s Online Word of the Day: This is the website that delivers the most useful words of all. It’s also the most feature-rich: it provides audio explanation, pronunciation and word history. The service is available by e-mail, RSS feed, podcast, and SMS;
WordSmart Wordcast: Provides difficulty level, comprehensive details and audio pronunciation for the word. Just like Merriam-Webster’s Online, it’s available by e-mail, RSS feed, podcast and SMS;
Dictionary Word of the Day: Another fine service, not as complete as Merriam-Webster’s or WordSmart, but still worth checking out.

 

5. Understand the True Meaning of Words

By deeply understanding words, you can make your vocabulary grow exponentially. Instead of just memorizing words, try to really understand them by looking at their etymology, word roots, prefixes and suffixes. At least half of English words are derived from Greek and Latin roots, so there are enormous benefits in being familiar with them.

Just to pick an example, when you understand that the prefix “ortho” means straight or right, you start to find connections between seemingly unrelated words, such as orthodontist (a specialist who straightens teeth) and orthography (the correct, or straight way of writing).

Understanding the logic behind words always pays off in terms of learning and recalling. Consider the examples: “breakfast” meaning “interrupt the night’s fast”; or “rainbow” meaning “bow or arc caused by rain”: while these meanings may be trivial to native English speakers, having such insights about words, foreign or otherwise, never fails to delight me.

6. Maintain a Personal Lexicon

By keeping a personalized list of learned words, you’ll have a handy reference you can use to review these words later. It’s very likely you’ll want to go back and refresh your memory on recent words, so keeping them in your own list is much more efficient than going back to the dictionary every time.

Even if you never refer back to your lexicon again, writing words down at least once will greatly enhance your ability to commit them to your permanent memory. Another excellent learning aid is to write an original sentence containing the word — and using your lexicon to do that is a great way of enforcing this habit. You can also add many other details as you see fit, such as the date you first came across the word or maybe a sequential number to help you reach some word quota you define.

There are many ways you can keep your personal word list; each one has its own advantages and disadvantages – so make sure to pick the format that works best for you. You may prefer to keep it as a simple text file in the computer, or in a regular paper notebook; or maybe as flash cards in a shoe box.

My format of choice is a computer spreadsheet, for its handy features such as searching, sorting and filtering. For each word, I have columns for the date I learned it, a sample sentence, along with a link to its definition in an online dictionary. Lately, I’ve also been experimenting with keeping my personal lexicon in a concept map. This has been working particularly well so far, and I plan to explore the technique in more depth here when I get more conclusive results.

7. Follow a Process

To make vocabulary improvement a permanent habit in your everyday life, you should make it as habitual, automatic and tightly integrated in your daily workflow as possible – otherwise you won’t do it when your days get too busy.

If you already adopt some kind of structured workflow for your life – such as David Allen’s Getting Things Done – you’re probably familiar with the idea of organizing all input that comes to your life in “buckets”: virtual inboxes that get processed in a similar way to your e-mail inbox.

In that regard, one particularly useful concept is the one of maintaining a “Word Inbox”. By having a predefined place you use to capture the words you come across, you can process them much more efficiently.

Your process can be as simple as you wish – the key is to define it beforehand and then follow it. By knowing exactly how and how often to process your inbox, you stay on top of your vocabulary improvement process, even when there are other pressing matters crying out for your attention.

8. Play and Have Fun

Playing games and engaging in group activities are useful in any kind of learning, but particularly effective for language-related learning. Gather your family and friends and play word games together. Some interesting options are Quiddler, as well as the classics Scrabble and Boggle.

If you don’t want to spend money on boxed games, it’s easy to come up with your own word activities. You may, for example, try your own variation of “Word Evening”: at a specific day of each week, a different person brings a new word to the meal. The person reads the word, defines it, and the others must come up with a sentence using the word.

If you don’t have time or don’t want to engage in group activities, there are numerous options of word games in the Internet. You can either play them when you’re bored, or integrate them in your daily routine, such as playing a quick game after lunch, for example. Consider the following recommendations:
Merriam Webster’s Daily Word Game;
Merriam Webster’s Daily Crossword;
Word Games on Yahoo! Games.

Vocabulary.com This combined learning tool and game allows you to either learn and retain words you choose or words the app chooses for you. Vocabulary.com claims to use sophisticated algorithms to customize questions and exercises just for you.
PowerVocab is a definition matching game similar to this quiz currently popular on Facebook, or to Free Rice. Players match words against multiple-choice definitions with the added elements of competing against other players and playing against the clock. (Android only.)
Magoosh Vocabulary Builder This quiz app is similar to PowerVocab but is specifically aimed at improving scores on the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) used for entry to graduate schools. Magoosh is an online prep company that helps graduate school applicants do better on the GRE and other exams.
A Word A Day Widget From the people who brought you PowerVocab, A Word A Day Widget puts a new vocabulary word on your device's home screen every day. Android only, but for iOS, try Word of the Day Widget.
7 Little Words This fun little vocabulary game gives you seven definitions and tiles with combinations of two or three letters on them that you have to arrange into the seven words. You learn as you narrow down your choices from words you do know to words you don't. I'll admit to having played many rounds of 7 Little Words myself.
Word to Word This clever word association game offers you lists of words and challenges you to find the connections between them. They could be synonyms or antonyms, related words (such as "scurvy" and "liver") or elements in common phrases. Word to Word is simple to play but looks addictive to me.
Words with Friends This highly successful game from Zynga (the company behind Farmville) has been around for years and still appeals. (I'm a recent convert myself.) Because the only way to win is to find uncommon words, Words with Friends forces you to learn new words although not ones you're likely to find on a GRE exam. Plus, it's a nice way to stay in touch with distant friends. Available for Windows Phone as well as iOS and Android.
Penny Dell Crosswords Doing crosswords is a great way to increase your vocabulary and Penny Dell Crosswords offers a free daily puzzle. But there are many other crossword app options out there, including the venerable and challenging New York Times crosswords, if you're willing to pay for the subscription. Doing a crossword puzzle on a mobile device can be a lot more appealing than doing one with a pencil or pen--no worries about illegible letters or having to erase a wrong answer.

So pick an app, download it and get playing. Your vocabulary will be bigger before you know it!

9. Leverage Every Resource You Can

The Internet is a gold mine of resources for vocabulary building. The links I collected here are just my personal recommendations and don’t even scratch the surface of what’s available online.

There are many vocabulary-related books you can explore. There is a wealth of free literature on sites such as Project Gutenberg. If you use the Firefox browser, there are many ways to integrate dictionary look-up functions, such as the plug-ins Answers.com and DictionarySearch. You can find specialized vocabulary lists, such as these feeling words or descriptive words. Damn, you can even learn some classy, Shakespearian insults! 🙂

The point is that you’re only limited by your willingness to learn: let curiosity be your guide and you will never run out of resources to learn from.

10. Diversify

Do something different from your daily routine: hunting, fishing or blogging – any activity that is not a part of your normal life can become a great way to learn new words, as every niche has its own jargon and unique ways of communicating. Read different books and magazines than the ones you’re used to. Watch foreign-language movies. Take up new hobbies, hang out with different people.

By doing things out of the ordinary you will not only improve your vocabulary but also make your life much more interesting.

Resources!

Here are a few articles that give you alternative words or synonyms for pretty common words that we use every day! Check them out and try something new today!  One of my personal go-to's for just about anything is Thesaurus.com. When I'm updating a resume or trying to reword an email, it can be extremely handy!


41 Alternatives to the Word "Cool"
61 Interchangeable Terms For Beautiful
10 Expressions To Use Instead of "Thing"
550 Substitutes for "Said"

In Conclusion...

Do you care what people think about you?
Do you want a better paying job?
Are you looking for better opportunities for yourself?
Are you intelligent?
Are you confident?

Did you answer yes to any of these questions?

This sort of thing is as easy as getting a Word of the Day calendar. A small change can open BIG doors. Why wouldn't you take the opportunity?