Helpful Little Tips for Life

by Tom Johnson on Dec 7, 2008
categories: technical-writing

Today I bring you a random compilation of helpful little tips -- for work, for home, or for dealing with kids, etc. -- that I've learned in life.

1. If you're tired at work, rotate tasks on the half hour to stay productive.
2. If you want to save money on toys, take your kids to a thrift store and let each child choose his or her own toy.
3. If your bath tub drains slowly, remove the plug and use a bent coat hook to pull out the endless hair that's stopping it up.
4. If your kid is having trouble riding a bike, remove the pedals, lower the seat, and let the kid scuttle along until he or she is ready for the pedals again.
5. If your kids act like hooligans in stores, get a small umbrella stroller and let one of the kids push another kid (it keeps them occupied a bit more).
6. If you need better sleep at night, turn off all sources of light (light prolongs the body's circadian rhythm) and sleep in total darkness.
7. If your kids resist having their teeth brushed, brush in the rhythm of a song (e.g., "monkeys up, monkeys down, monkeys left ...").
8. If you dread folding immense piles of laundry, pop in headphones and listen to a podcast while folding.
9. If you lose your cell phone, call it with Skype.
10. If you have writer's block, immerse yourself in information from books, listservs, RSS feeds, and presentations.

And one bonus tip: If something is hard to do, do it every day.