Self Improvement

Irina Papuc

Boost Your Productivity With Clever Travel Hardware

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Written by Irina Papuc Topics: Self Improvement

Boost Your Productivity

So, you want to boost your productivity? Nevermind Game of Thrones, winter is not coming, at least not in the northern hemisphere. It’s summertime, and here at Toptal that usually means many of our freelance developers and designers are either on the road or getting ready to hit the beach.

When I started writing this, some of our people were in Portugal, trying to work out the math behind surfboards. Now it’s my turn, and I’m wrapping up my draft with a nice view of the Adriatic Sea, just a few miles away from the best windsurfing spot in Europe.

Yes, I’m a workaholic, so this might as well be a good time to cover the topic I had in mind.

I can probably guess what some of you are thinking:

“This is a lifestyle post! This guy is going to talk about surfing, healthy food and excercise.”

No. This is not a lifestyle post. As far as food goes, fresh fish and veggies are always a safe bet. Exercise? Well, cycling to a nearby village to try a marginally different fish dish and sample local wine counts as exercise, at least to me.

So, with all the lifestyle stuff out of the way, I can get back to my message and start discussing the logistics behind travel and remote work and how you can boost your productivity. You can buy capri pants, cheap flip-flops, and boonie hats everywhere, but beachside shops usually don’t carry quality hardware that can help you be more productive on the road, or save time and money for more enjoyable activities.

Caveat: If you’re an avid Apple user with a profound dislike of Windows, you may not like where I’m going with this. I don’t intend to bash Apple, but Cupertino simply doesn’t bother with cheap hardware that won’t be missed if it ends up in the water.

Travel Hardware: Myths and Moths

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Jason Nesbitt

Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz | Book Recommendation & Hidden Gems #4

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Written by Jason Nesbitt Topics: Books, Deep Thinking, Self Improvement Psycho-Cybernetics

Psycho-Cybernetics – Sounds Crazy

Psycho-Cybernetics…Where to start. This book is just totally awesome. After a couple of chapters I found myself saying ‘this is the best book I’ve ever read’. It’s true, quite a lot of books do get me excited when I get into them, but this one was particularly special.

I found myself writing a lot of notes right at the start of the book. It has very exciting ideas with apparent and practical revelations.

Today we will be talking about the very largely read:

Psycho-Cybernetics book by Maxwell Maltz – Click Here to Get Your Copy

I really hope you enjoy this post as there are some real golden nuggets in here.

Summary & Recommendation

Psycho-Cybernetics is all about the following quote:

The building of an adequate self image is something you should continue throughout a lifetime

It is full of excellent practical acts to build the best self image one can. It has a lot of amazing and inspirational stories and, as someone that is slightly obsessed with self improvement, I can say that it massively delivers on that idea.

Chapter after chapter is a golden gem with such excellent advice and mental activities that can help anyone improve themselves. 

As I mentioned above, it might very well be the best book I’ve ever read. There are so many examples and stories of the amazing implications of thinking positively and ignoring all negative thoughts and things. It is something I will frequently read.

Now, I know you must be eager for me to stop my meanderings and get into the juicy bits of brain work. Enjoy all the hidden gems below.

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Irina Papuc

How to Work Remotely and Still Be the Best

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Written by Irina Papuc Topics: Self Improvement

The Remote Worker’s Tool Belt

Starting a new remote or work from home gig, be it a contract project or a full-time job, can be a little intimidating if you’re used to going into an office day after day.

But this style of employment is growing in popularity, with some very notable companies lending it their endorsements.

I’ve successfully worked remotely using these tools for years now on projects of various scales and durations. With this post, I hope to enumerate some of the best practices that I’ve picked up for working in a variety of situations. The remote and work from home guide here ranges from specific recommendations for software and hardware, to tips for hitting your team’s deadlines.

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Jason Nesbitt

Wheat Belly Book Recommendation & Hidden Gems #4 | Dr. William Davis

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Written by Jason Nesbitt Topics: Books, Self Improvement Wheat Belly Book

Wheat Belly Book

Warning: Following the Guidance of The Wheat Belly Book May Make You Feel Amazing

Thanks for joining me again for the Wheat Belly book recommendation. This is one of my favourite topics in life: diet and nutrition. If you know me, you’ll know how obsessed I get with the different fuels that feed our body and my belief of how much of an impact they have on our body.

To summarise the Wheat Belly book and entice you to keep on reading I will provide you with the following sentence:

If you want to feel more awake, lose weight and understand the fuel of your body more then you have to read this book!

So, if that floats your boat and you’re drooling at the idea of losing weight (irony), then enjoy the summary and hidden gems below of:

Wheat Belly book by Dr William Davis – Click Here to Get Your Copy

Summary & Recommendation

This book will get you excited about how amazing you could feel so definitely comes highly recommended from my humble self.

You’ll be amazed by not only the weight loss impact, but the medical issues that have been resolved by removing this white demon. I enjoy the humour of dislike towards wheat induced people. A fun style of writing that makes it very easy to read.

Reading it made me begin to wonder if most of our foods are empty calories with minimal benefit….Is that something you have ever pondered before? I’ll leave you to read the book and decide for yourself.

I’ll summarise the general findings of it: modern wheat is very genetically modified to create a lot more of it. It results in spikes insulin that make us tired, more hungry, gain weight and have an array of health issues. It’s cheap and fills us up.

This is such a hot topic that I don’t think it needs anymore of a recommendation. After reading it, you’ll be looking out for the wheat belly everywhere and feeling content at having a better understanding of what causes it. Onwards to the gems hidden in the book.

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Jason Nesbitt

Hanoi Airport Transfer | The Cheap & Fun Way To Get From The Airport Into Hanoi

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Written by Jason Nesbitt Topics: Travel, Self Improvement

Hanoi Airport Transfer

Hanoi is an excellent place to visit. The new capital of Vietnam is modern and has a lot going on which can be quite overwhelming. You might be worried about your Hanoi airport transfer but you really shouldn’t be!

Read below to see, in my opinion, the best way to get from the airport to the centre with little hassle, very little money and a lot of entertainment. Oh, and keep reading if you don’t want to get scammed at Hanoi train station!

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