15 Steps to Cultivate Lifelong Learning

Assuming the public school system hasn't crushed your soul, learning is a great activity. It expands your viewpoint. It gives you new knowledge you can use to improve your life. Even if you discount the worldly benefits, the act of learning can be a source of enjoyment.

But in a busy world, it can often be hard to fit in time to learn anything that isn't essential. The only things learned are those that need to be. Everything beyond that is considered frivolous. Even those who do appreciate the practice of lifelong learning, can find it difficult to make the effort.

Here are some tips for installing the habit of lifelong learning:

1. Always have a book. It doesn't matter if it takes you a year or a week to read a book. Always strive to have a book that you are reading through, and take it with you so you can read it when you have time. Just by shaving off a few minutes in-between activities in my day I can read about a book per week. That's at least fifty each year.
2. Keep a To-Learn list. We all have to-do lists. These are the tasks we need to accomplish. Try to also have a to-learn list. On it you can write ideas for new areas of study. Maybe you would like to take up a new language, learn a skill or read the collective works of Shakespeare. Whatever motivates you, write it down.
3. Get more intellectual friends. Start spending more time with people who think. Not just people who are smart. But people who actually invest much of their time in learning new skills. Their habits will rub off on you. Even better, they will probably share some of their knowledge with you.
4. Guided thinking. Albert Einstein once said, "Any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking." Simply studying the wisdom of others isn't enough, you have to think through ideas yourself. Spend time journaling, meditating or contemplating over ideas you have learned.
5. Put it into practice. Skill based learning is useless if it isn't applied. Reading a book on C++ isn't the same thing as writing a program. Studying painting isn't the same as picking up a brush. If your knowledge can be applied, put it into practice.
6. Teach others. You learn what you teach. If you have an outlet of communicating ideas to others, you are more likely to solidify that learning. Start a blog, mentor someone or even discuss ideas with a friend.
7. Clean your input. Some forms of learning are easy to digest, but often lack substance. I make a point of regularly cleaning out my feed reader for blogs I subscribe to. Great blogs can be a powerful source of new ideas. But every few months I realize I am collecting posts from blogs that I am simply skimming. Every few months, purify your input to save time and focus on what counts.
8. Learn in groups. Lifelong learning doesn't mean condemning yourself to a stack of dusty textbooks. Join organizations that teach skills. Workshops and group learning events can make educating yourself a fun, social experience.
9. Unlearn assumptions. You can't add water to a full cup. I always try to maintain a distance away from an idea. Too many convictions simply mean too few paths for new ideas. Actively seek out information that contradicts your worldview.
10. Find jobs that encourage learning. Pick a career that encourages continual learning. If you are in a job that doesn't have much intellectual freedom, consider switching to one that does. Don't spend forty hours of your week in a job that doesn't challenge you.
11. Start a project. Set out to do something you don't know how. Forced learning in this way can be fund and challenging. If you don't know anything about computers, try building one. If you consider yourself a terrible artist, try a painting.
12. Follow your intuition. Lifelong learning is like wandering through the wilderness. You can't be sure what to expect and there isn't always an end goal in mind. Letting your intuition guide you can make self-education more enjoyable. Most of our lives have been broken down to completely logical decisions, that making choices on a whim has been stamped out.
13. The morning fifteen. Use the first fifteen minutes of your morning as a period for education. If you find yourself too groggy, you might want to wait a short time. Just don't put it off later in the day where urgent activities will push it out of the way.
14. Reap the rewards. Learn information you can use. Understanding the basics of programming allows me to handle projects that other people would require outside help. Meeting a situation that makes use of your educational efforts can be a source of pride.
15. Make it a priority. Few external forces are going to persuade you to learn. The desire has to come from within. Once you decide you want to make lifelong learning a habit, it is up to you to make it a priority in your life.

Taken from lifehack.org  Written by Scott Young

50 Power Twitter Tips

A while back, I write 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business. It still gets plenty of attention, as it's listed as an official resource on the Twitter business resources page (thanks, @ed!). But you know, I can't leave well enough alone, so here I am with another 50 Power Twitter Tips. Feel free to repost all or any of this, but if you do, please give credit to this link.

I broke them down into five categories: intent, technical, business, integrated usage, and off-twitter. Some could probably fit in more than one category, such as it were. So, here they are.

Intent (Human Artist)

1. Don't read every tweet. It's perfectly okay. You have permission.
2. Follow anyone who follows you (and unfollow spammers).
3. Promote other people 12x to every 1 self-promotional tweet.
4. Build lists to watch people who matter to you more closely.
5. Retweet the good stuff from others. Sharing is caring.
6. A lot of @replies shows a lot of humanity/engagement.
7. Robot tweets are less sexy than human tweets.
8. Promote the new/less followed more than the "names."
9. Set an egg timer. Twitter is addictive.
10. Everyone does it their own way. You're doing it wrong, too - to someone.

Technical

1. A non-standard background and face avatar means we believe you may be human.
2. Leave 20 characters or more space in each tweet to improve retweeting.
3. Use Seesmic or Tweetdeck or Hootsuite so you can see more.
4. Linking one update to several communities is technically possible. It's just not respectful of each community's uniqueness.
5. Tools like http://bit.ly let you see stats. Use them.
6. Make hashtags small and simple. We need room to tweet.
7. If software allows you to "post updates to Twitter" as well as to the app, don't do that. We rarely want to see them.
8. If you develop software that pushes updates to Twitter, be very explicit how that works.
9. Every time you use OAUTH to give apps permission to use your account, you open a potential security hole. Check your permissions monthly.
10. The best mobile app is the one that you feel comfortable using. We don't know better.

Business

1. Spamming us repeatedly is okay. We just unfollow you.
2. Spend more time in search than in chatting us up about your stuff.
3. Finding people who need what you're selling trumps advertising to us.
4. Retweeting someone's nice words about you is lame and doesn't buy you more attention. Let it stand.
5. If your link is an affiliate link or a client, say so (in parentheses).
6. Your customers might not be on Twitter. Use rapleaf to find them.
7. Invite your customers to Twitter, then make it worth it for them.
8. Use Twitter as a personalized communication tool, not another blast.
9. Having different accounts for everything seems like the right move, until you realize it's hard to grow multiple followings.
10. Just make money and then the boss won't ask about ROI any more.

Integrated Usage

1. Twitter makes every event better. Post the hashtag everywhere. Make every speaker sign/label/name include a Twitter ID.
2. Apps like TweetChat.com make following event chats really easy. Put in a hashtag and go.
3. Tweeting the content of events is nice, but so is occasionally making a real live connection with the speaker.
4. It's okay to tweet your blog posts, but try asking a question that leads readers into the post.
5. Can you invite Twitter followers to your other social platforms, like LinkedIn and Facebook? Sure you can.
6. I'm not into mixing my location apps with my tweets, but if you do, do it from the location app into Twitter, not the other way around.
7. Getting others to tweet your posts or news or registrations is useful, but sometimes comes off as a  barrage or spam. Be prepared for that perception.
8. Tweets that point us to photos and/or video and/or music, etc. are always a great way to enhance the experience.
9. Please remove Twitter from LinkedIn. Use the #in tag instead and be selective.
10. Spammy or not, events that tweet their attendance registration seem to drive attendance.

Off-Twitter

1. Are your tweets really what you want to show in your sidebar? Doesn't that direct people away from your site?
2. Think of Twitter as a guidance system to what you think is interesting. A lot of that is likely off-Twitter.
3. Apps like VisibleTweets.com are neat, but can be very distracting at events.
4. If you use tweets on a screen at an event, be warned if you moderate. Angry crowds can happen.
5. Don't forget to invite people from off-Twitter to follow you on Twitter. Include your actual Twitter ID (I see lots of "follow me on Twitter" with no details.
6. Asking questions on Twitter makes for very interesting commentary and opinions for blog posts.
7. Tweetups are awesome, especially if you make them about more than just drinking and saying hi. (Though, hey, drinks can be nice.)
8. Outside of the Twitter app, keep "Tw" names to a minimum. We're not your 'tweeps.'
9. If your only marketing efforts are on Twitter, start building an email marketing list. Never put your eggs in one basket.
10. Start thinking in 120 characters (remember, save 20). Every bit of this advice is tweetable.

Your mileage may vary. Some of these might be really helpful and others might not be that useful at all, given you own situations. In fact, feel free to make your own version, add and subtract at will, and comment on where you disagree or agree. It's all up for discussion. Besides, you're doing it wrong!

Taken from chrisbrogan.com  Written by Chris Brogan

10 Easy Steps for Twitter Beginners

So you just signed up for Twitter. You make your first tweet and you realize you don't have any followers. "What a dumb idea!" You say. "Who the hell would be interested in what I'm doing anyway?"

Don't worry. You're normal. That is a sign that you are a Twitter beginner. A lot of us Twitter users (or addicts) went through the same questioning routine. And look at us now. We're geeks who are on Twitter all day and night and we can't stop tweeting.

So you want to be like us? It's not that hard really. Open up Twitter.com and follow along.

1. Set up your profile. The first thing you need to do is set up that profile. See that bar on top of your Twitter page? Click Settings and start filling up your profile. The notable areas in here are the URL, bio, picture and design. Put up a link to your site or blog in here along with a brief description. Upload a picture to differentiate yourself from the others and then tweak your Twitter design. Like any other social networking site, it is important to completely express what you are or what you stand for in your profile.
2. Follow people with similar interests. Now that you have a profile, start following people. You can find these people in Twitter directories. I use Twellow and JustTweetIt. These sites can introduce you to Twitter users that have the same interest as yours. Follow these people and observe their tweets. You may also try following who these people follow but read up their descriptions and visit their blogs to make sure you're still on the right niche. Being on the right niche will make it easy for you to build a community with a similar interest.
3. Get into the conversation. So now that you are following people, you will now see some tweets on your board. Read up on what the people you are following are up to and reply if it interests you. For example, a person narrates how he is going to conduct a meeting. You may then reply with ideas. When someone asks a question, don't hesitate to answer if you know it. Don't be afraid to interact.
4. Don't spam. Spam is the cause of many unfollows on Twitter. There is a character limit for a reason. Do not send repeated messages to people. Do not constantly direct message (DM) them with links.
5. Update daily. Alright so you're blending in the community. Now update daily if possible. I know some Twitter users who unfollow because of inactivity. Reply to people and update people with what's going on with your life. Soon you'll be recognized and you'll get some follows.
6. Find the latest buzz and contribute. Now it's your time to contribute. Find a topic that will interest your niche and tweet it. Since you have established relationships with your followers (through replies), you will get more attention. It's a nice strategy to always append "please retweet" at the end of your tweet. There will be some people who will be so interested that they will retweet. There are others who will reply to you about the link you tweeted. But you are not a "nobody" anymore. You are not just talking to yourself. People are now responding to your tweets,
7. Help other people out. The famous saying "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you" holds here. Before you can receive retweets, you must help others first by retweeting their messages. Help the people in your niche. One day you'll be surprised on how eager they are to help back.
8. Create relationships. Now it's time to create constant connections. Soon you will find that some users are more active than others. You will get to talk with the same group of people at the same time every night. But don't get bored. Interact with these people and create relationships. Ask how they are doing and try to touch on their interests.
9. Integrate Twitter with other social networks. Have a blog? Then post to Twitter when you have a post that will interest your niche. Have a Facebook profile? Then ask people to add you. Twitter is really a vital part of web 2.0. It can serve as the core. It can let you build relationships that can branch out to other social networks.
10. Establish relationships even outside Twitter. Have a lot of friends on Twitter? Then take it to another level. Ask for their messenger and talk to these people on a more intimate level. Call them through Skype or even arrange a meet-up. Twitter can create real relationships.

Congratulations! You are now an official member of the Twitter community. You talk, act, think and breathe like us. Perhaps you find yourself spending every five minutes updating Twitter on what you are doing. But I guess I'll save Twitter addiction for next time.

Taken from Twitip.com  Written by Aira Bongco

How to Use Twitter in 10 Easy Steps

Despite it's simplicity Twitter seems to intimidate people. It's one of the things I hear most from people I talk to about Twitter. With this in mind I've found a brilliant video on YouTube by the clever people at Howcast which shows, in under 4 minutes, how to get started on Twitter in 10 easy no nonsense steps. I've added a few additional written notes to go with this video with some useful links. This is also handy if you don't have sound on your computer. Less than 6 months ago I was a social networking ignoramus - I freely admit it, just so you know!

Step 1: Create a Twitter account in less than 2 minutes. Go to www.twitter.com and click the green 'get started' button. Set up an account by simply adding your name and email address and by choosing a user name and password, type in the encrypted code and hit 'create my account.' That's it, you're in!

Step 2: Decide what you want to say. In general, Twitter messages or 'tweets' answer the question 'what are you doing right now.' But you can also post a link to a website, express an opinion or reaction, pose a question or provide an answer. Twitter messages can only be 140 characters (including spaces) which helps to keep things simple.

Step 3: How to send a tweet. On the home page, type your message in the box at the top of the screen (the number of characters you have left out of 140 is displayed at the top right hand corner of the box) and hit the update button. Congratulations you have posted your first tweet. If your tweet is intended for one person in particular type the @ symbol followed by the users screen name. For example, Event Magazine's screen name is eventmagazine. To send a message to them, include @eventmagazine before the text of your message. Even if Event Magazine is not following you they will be able to see your message by clicking on the @profile name on the navigation bar on the right of their page.

Step 4: How to find people. Twitter is a two-way street. Now you have posted your first update and you need to choose people you want to follow. To find people to follow on Twitter, you can click on the 'find people' tab at the top of any Twitter page. It's worth noting that people may be listed under a screen name that does not match their real name.

Twitter gives you 4 ways to find individuals and groups or businesses:

• On the 'find people' page type a person's name or user name into the search box to find them.
• Click on the 'find people on other networks' tab and search your existing email accounts.
• You can invite people via email by clicking on the next tab and entering a list of email addresses.
• You can also click on 'suggested users' for a list of people suggested by Twitter.

Step 5: How to follow people. When you have found someone you are interested in, click 'follow' and you will receive their updates automatically. People will usually, but not always, follow you back when you follow them.

Step 6: Help people find you. Fill in your account information under Settings and add the following:

• A profile photo (only add a logo if you are setting up a business profile).
• Your real name
• Your location
• A bio - you have 160 characters so think carefully about what you write
• A web, or blog, address so people can find out more about you

If you want to restrict your Twitter updates to only those you allow to follow you simply check the box marked 'protect my updates.' You will maintain your privacy but you will limit your reach. To get the full Twitter experience I suggest you leave this unchecked.

Step 7: Stay connected wherever you are. You don't have to be at your computer to receive Twitter updates. The video talks about using the SMS text messages to send and receive tweets wherever you are. Unfortunately, in the UK this service is not fully available and currently you are only able to send tweets via text. To set up this service, go to the 'devices' tab under Settings and follow the simple instructions.

Step 8: Customize your profile. By clicking on design tabs you can customize your profile using photos and background designs. You can also change the colors of fonts, background, links and borders. Click on the color boxes to make the color wheel appear. Be careful to select colors that show up clearly on screen. Darker colors for fonts work best.

Step 9: What are people saying. You can keep up to date with things that interest you by clicking on 'search' at the foot of any Twitter page or by going to http://www.search.twitter.com where you can type in a person name or topic. You can also follow what's generating the most buzz on Twitter by browsing through trending topics. You will find this below the search box, along side search results and on the right of any search page.

Step 10: Posting updates. You can post updates from the web from the update box using a computer, a mobile phone via text message as described in Step 7, by mobile phone web browser via mtwitter.com which will take you to a special mobile phone version of Twitter on a Blackberry or iPhone using one of many of the free apps available. For Blackberry, I recommend TwitterBerry and for the iPhone I use Twitterfon. There are lots of different apps designed to make Twitter easy to use. Some of the best are recommended at www.twitter.com/downloads although, more will be recommended on this blog. Remember - send frequent updates, keep them interesting and people will follow you.

Taken from eventmagazine.co.uk  Written by Peter Kerwood

10 Negotiation Tips From Women in the Trenches

With a wealth of advice on business negotiations available online and in bookstores today, business women should have all the information they need to become skilled negotiators. However, according to CareerWomen.com, the leading source of women's career information online, women still find that their most useful negotiation tips come from other women. To this end, CareerWomen.com has surveyed business women over the last year asking for their best tips and advice for successful business negotiations and compiled the "10 Negotiation Tips From Women in the Trenches," to be released today.

"As business professionals, we negotiate every day on topics ranging from work assignments, project delivery dates and even business travel. Our viewers have routinely reported that women and men approach negotiations differently and have asked for advice from others to develop and refine this critical skill set," said Jillian Donnelly, president of CareerWomen.com. "Our '10 Negotiation Tips' is the culmination of advice from CareerWomen.com viewers and clearly represents a strong desire by women to become better negotiators and ultimately strong business leaders."

The 10 tips include:

1. The Mars/Venus relationship needs to be top of mind in business negotiations. Communication styles between men and women are different and as a result, negotiations can be complex. Our advice: Keep your communication style direct by sharing plans, not concepts. Think collaboration not confrontation.
2. Use mentors to help refine your negotiation skills. Given that you will be negotiating with both men and women, pick a mentor from Mars and Venus to get perspective from both sides of the communication spectrum. Practice makes perfect, so our advice: Practice, practice, practice.
3. Women tend to think of getting along vs. getting what they want. Be clear about what you want and practice asking for it in a calm, direct manner. Our advice: Don't be confrontational. Getting fired-up and emotional may have an adverse reaction.
4. Negotiation is a conversation and you may risk getting off-track. Our advice: Stay focused; remain on point and on course to avoid negotiation disaster.
5. Gaining buy in along the way will get you closer to your goal faster. Making sure that the other party is being heard is a sign of respect and will be appreciated. Our advice: Repeat the points of the other side and use language such as "Let me make sure I completely understand your point."
6. Successful negotiating requires preparation. Be prepared with a strong understanding of your needs and motivations, as well as the other side. Our advice: Do your research, gather together relevant information and if it's complicated, get outside expertise from a mentor or colleague.
7. Creative solutions are well respected, especially if they demonstrate a strong understanding of the goals of the business. Our advice: Most points are negotiable and remember; it's not always about money. Think add-ons, better terms or additional services.
8. Starting with your bottom line may close the door on negotiations. Our advice: Be prepared to compromise and expect the other party to compromise as well.
9. Being fair is not a loss. It shows that you are willing to adjust your expectations to meet the needs of the other side. Our advice: Ask the question, "Why don't you tell me what you think is fair." You may be surprised at the answer.
10. Negotiating is a process not an event. One conversation may not culminate in a final decision. Our advice: Be willing to say, "Let me think about that and get back to you in 24 hours."

Taken from diversitysearch.com

Eight Business Travel Tips for Smart Women

Business travel takes you away from home and loved ones and can cause all sorts of unexpected issues. Make your travel easier with these time-tested tips.

1. Sleep smart. Dark circles under your eyes aren't good for business. Many road warriors know that you can only use a certain amount of concealer to cover bags under your eyes to mask jetlag or poor sleep nights in strange hotel rooms. So carry eye masks and earplugs. Wax earplugs are better than the little foam ones. They are often sold as swimming accessory and work well to mute noise, snoring and annoyingly chatty airline passengers. Invest in a blow-up pillow to sleep soundly on planes. They also prevent your hair from being flattened as you sleep.
2. Carry rations. The airlines are starving us! If your flight is delayed or has mechanical problems, you may spend hours on the runway or circling in the air while your stomach is screaming. Airlines offer little more than the tiny, salty rations of peanuts or pretzels for short flights. Carry a nutritious and filling power bar and an apple in your bag.
3. Wake up right. Hotel alarm clocks and wake-up calls can be unreliable. Pack and inexpensive sports watch with an alarm and a stopwatch. The stopwatch is useful for your workout on the exercise bike in the hotel fitness center or to time your bubble bath. If you carry a pager, find out if it has an alarm function and learn how to use it.
4. Pack lightly. If you need to be dressed in business attire for a meeting the same day you travel, wear it on the plane. Always assume your luggage may be lost and be prepared. Don't put yourself in the awkward and expensive position of being dependent upon taxis and tip-hungry porters. Pack the least amount of clothes and shoes you think you can survive on. You can wear the same mix-and-match outfits day after day. Leave room in your bag for the shopping treasures you can't resist along the way.
5. Take dark clothes. They don't show stains, wrinkles, or dirt, and work for most situations.
6. Cut down on shoes. How many shoes does a business traveler pack? Too many, usually! If the show fits, wear it...don't carry it. Wear the shoes you'll need for business and pack one pair of trainers for walking, jogging or informal occasions.
7. Shop without guilt. Spend some money on yourself and buy presents and cards for your loved ones' upcoming birthdays.
8. Communicate with home. It is unproductive to leave messages on answering machines. If you are traveling to a different time zone, you may wake a grumpy loved one in the middle of the night. The easiest and cheapest way to communicate home from most countries is via fax. Sending a fax costs less than a long distance call and you don't have to deal with time differences. Leave your hotel fax number with friends and family. If you prefer email, set up free email accounts for your kids and send them notes and postcards.

Taken from ivillage.co.uk  Written by Marybeth Bond

Equal Pay Day Tips for Working Women

Ladies, today we celebrate a great milestone. As of April 12, 2011, we have officially caught up to what our male counterparts earned in 2010. It only took us an extra 102 days! Personally, I'm feeling as empowered as a vintage Virginia Slims ad, but a lot of people are asking why, in the year 2011, such a large wage gap - 77 cents for women compared to each $1 earned by men - still exists.

Well, I'm here to tell you it's definitely not about sexism! Women of America, you're doing the same work but making less than your male counterparts because you just don't have their workplace savvy. Luckily there's a lot of research out there about what women can do to improve their standing in the professional world, and I've compiled a handy guide for you. Whether you're just starting your career or already pressed firmly against that glass ceiling, there's something here for everyone.

Don't choose a profession that is female-dominated. The wages tend to be depressed already. I mean, caring for children? Teaching? Girly stuff. You need to pick a man-tested, man-approved field if you want to rake in a decent salary.

But if you're one of the few women in a male-dominated profession, as there will probably be some limits to your advancement because you may be seen as "unsociable and difficult to work with." A 2004 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found "successful women were characterized as more selfish, manipulative and untrustworthy - your typical constellation of 'bitchy' characteristics," according to one researcher.

Get educated. We all know that advanced degrees are one way to ensure you'll earn an advanced salary.

But don't expect that fancy book-learning to correlate with higher pay. According to a White House report released last month, in 2009 women earned about 75 percent as much as their male counterparts at all levels of education.

Be sure to negotiate. How will you earn more money if you don't ask for it?

But don't negotiate too hard, lest you be seen as a total harpy. "People found that to be way too aggressive," economist Linda Babcock told NPR in February. "She was successful in getting the money, but people did not like her. They thought she was too demanding. And this can have real consequences for a woman's career."

Be more cutthroat. The working world rewards go-getters and alphas, and nice gals finish last. Toughen up and maybe you'll get that corner office!

But don't, like, be a ball-busting bitch once you get there. Studies have shown that employees, both male and female, are wary of working for high-achieving women. And since only 20 percent of professional leaders are women, you've got to represent your whole gender. Do us all a favor and don't make all of your employees hate you.

Maintain your appearance, especially if you are over the age of 30. Put on some lipstick and a nice pair of heels. Just because you're one of the boys doesn't mean you should wear what they do.

Use your natural nurturing skills to your advantage. Conservative author Christina Hoff Sommers has written that "a practical, responsible femininity could be a force for good in the world beyond the family, through charitable works and more enlightened politics and government."

But don't expect to actually raise a child and keep your career on track. Breast pumps and salary bumps are mutually exclusive. Research shows that, regardless of performance, women with children are seen as less competent and less committed to work. They're also less likely to be promoted. And in one survey, participants said they would offer working mothers wages an average of $13,000 lower than wages for fathers.

Get comfortable on the golf course. Know your way around a humidor. Suggest a post-work happy hour at the local strip club. The real deals all happen outside the workplace, you know.

But don't be too uptight about it when those outside-the-workplace meetings happen in places that still explicitly ban you.

Congratulations! If you've followed these easy tips, you are now a successful, self-determined, professional woman! Your friends always said you were the Miranda, and now you've got the salary to prove it. You are challenged and fulfilled at work! You probably make more than most men you know!

Taken from good.is  Written by Ann Friedman