Lifehack

Finding Vs. Making Your Place In The World

Some people seem to naturally find their place in the world. As kids their “talents” become apparent, they get really good at their talents. They study, train and ultimately get a great job or start a company doing their thing. If this is you, congratulations. And you don’t really need to read this post.

But if you, like me, grew up on the island of misfit toys, you might want to keep reading. Those of us, who can’t find our place in the world, have to make our place in the world.

Meet my friend Dushka Zapata. She is a successful marketing and PR executive, turned communications coach and public speaker. And for years she was also a writer. In a sea of thosands of other writers. Not now. She made a new place in the world for herself. She designed a new category of writer by combining her unique point of view with a new platform – Quora. Today, Dushka is an “amateur social writer” who built her career not with books, but by responding to directly to people’s questions on Quora. For free.

Traditional writers can hide from their readers behind keyboards while getting paid to publish books. Dushka is the opposite. Almost everything she writes is in response to a question someone cares about. And everything she writes is available for free. And she makes herself available to her readers almost daily.

Today Dushka’s name has become synonymous with “amateur social writer” and in some ways with Quora itself. Her work has been viewed almost 52 million times on Quora alone and she’s a best selling author. By way of comparison, Hilary Clinton’s Quora posts have 31 million Quora views.

More importantly Dushka has been able to make a difference to millions, by parlaying what she loves to do, into a new category --- she created.

Personal Category Design: Position Yourself or Be Positioned

When companies do this it’s called “category design”. It’s a management discipline that helps companies create more than a new product, but a whole new market category. Historically, the innovators who successfully design a new product, company and category are the big winners.

Category design on the personal level is about making your place in the world --- connecting what makes you unique to a problem people care about and then positioning you as the solution.

Category design is different than “personal branding”. Branding preaches making your name known -- the more people hear or see your brand the better. Category design is about owning a niche, based on solving a problem of importance.

Personal category design is about taking advantage of the exponential value of your different versus the incremental value of your better to achieve a unique position of in your field. Imagine being so respected in your field that other people who do similar things are compared to you. Because you are the category king.

In some ways category design is the life hack.

Pablo Picasso was “just” another painter. Until he explained to the world that what he was doing was a new style of paining called cubism. Cubism was different. It required different skills to paint and a different paradigm to appreciate. He taught the world to think the way he did. And as a result, Pablo changed the definition of what a painting is. He was the category designer of cubism. When cubism took off, it took Pablo with it. He became the cubist category king.

A company’s value largely depends on three factors. First is the potential for it’s category. Second, the position of the company in that category, because the category king takes most of the economics. And the third factor is performance -- proof that the category king can deliver on its promises to the category.

A version of that formula applies to people. Over time many successful people “own” the category king position in their market – however big or small the category.

All of us at some point in life face the decision to either make ourselves fit the world or make the world fit us. So whether you’re an aspiring accountant, cook or a wanna-be Evan Spiegel (founder of Snap Chat) here are some questions to consider when designing your own personal category.

1) What problem do I solve?

New categories emerge when a new problem gets defined (Henry Ford with “horseless carriage”) or an existing problem gets re-imagined (Travis Kalanick Uber founder with “smartphone-powered, personal transportation”).

The bigger and more urgent the problem, the more time and money people will put into solving it. Becoming a category king in many ways is a function of becoming known for solving a problem that matters.

2) What makes you different, NOT better

When you position yourself as better, you are moving into someone else’s territory, always fighting for attention and having to prove that you’re better than someone. When two people say, “I’m the best,” by definition one of them is lying.

The minute you say your better than X, what people are left thinking about is X - NOT you. For years Pepsi made a multi-billion dollar fuck up by running ads comparing themselves to Coke with a campaign called, “The Pepsi Challenge” proclaiming that Pepsi is better than Coke. All this effort did was reinforce to the world that Coke is the category king of soda. After decades of cola category wars Coke controls 42% of the space with Pepsi's 30%, according to Beverage Digest.

When you position yourself as different, you aren’t climbing someone else’s ladder -- you’re building your own and putting yourself on the top rung. It’s not an easier path. In fact, being different can be a challenging path. But ultimately it puts you in a more advantageous position than if you constantly fight for better. You get to own your own category.

3) Develop Your Point of View

Here’s where you put yourself under the microscope, figure out who you are and develop your story. Putting yourself through a POV exercise can be incredibly clarifying. How do you define who you are and what you want to mean to the world? How do you want people to see you? How do you want to describe the problem you solve? Write it down, perfect your story and hone it until it sounds like a tight, conversational, presentation -- so that if you had two minutes to position yourself, you could go through your POV and anyone would “get” you.

Your category makes your career

Category designers start out as struggling pirates, dreamers and/or innovators. The ones that design their own personal category achieve the deep-rooted satisfaction that comes making their very own place in the world.

Lifehacks

• For bad hangovers- eat salt crackers topped with a little bit of honey on it. The fructose in the honey will remove alcohol from your body.
• For concentration - chew a gum or peppermint because it stimulates brain activity.
• For soft lips- Grate small amount of beetroot and add that to rose water. All this mixture on lips every night.
• For dry skin- Mix oats and water and apply it in dry areas. Follow thus religiously for nice results.
• For puffy eyes- dip a spoon on cold water and press it against your eyes.
• If you forgot your glasses and unable to read, make a ring shape with your fingers and look through like a telescope. This will focus your image better by preventing falling of unnecessary light on your retina.
• For white teeth - gently rub banana peels it'll absorb all the dirt.
• Easy way to burn 100 calories- 40 jumping jacks, 30 crunches, 20 squats and 10 pushups.
• For a quick cure for sore throat - a little bit of honey, vinegar lemon juice,cinnamon all mixed in hot water. It'll fix your throat within an hour.
• To remove stains - hand sanitizer for clothes, toothpaste for walls, and milk on furniture.
• Looking for something - scan your eyes from right to left because our brain is not used to reading that way.
• For shaving legs and arms- use hair conditioner because it's gonna be rift at the end than using shaving creams.

Lifehacks

Less debt

A study looked at 14,000 consumers who kept a balance on their credit cards. In order to see if it could help people spend less. They gave the consumers two rules:

1. “Don’t swipe the small stuff. Use cash when it’s under $20.”
2. “Credit keeps charging. It adds approximately 20 percent to the total.”

The results showed that when people were reminded to pay with cash they had less debt on their credit cards six months later.[1]

Pay less

People are willing to spend twice as much for the same item when they use a credit card rather than cash.[2]

Value what you buy more

Research finds that we value the items we pay for with cash more than when we pay with credit card.[3]

Footnotes

[1] Paying With Cash Really Does Make You Spend Less

[2] Do Payment Mechanisms Change the Way Consumers Perceive Products? | Journal of Consumer Research | Oxford Academic

[3] Why We Value Purchases More When We Pay With Cash

Lifehacks

Laugh often

When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.

Einstein had a very good way to make people laugh. To him, it was a serious business, indeed. He made people think while making them smile with almost all of his work.

My lesson learned is to not take myself so seriously. And laugh often.

Keep pushing

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.

Einstein was often frustrated with the state of his times and felt that the world would require a substantially new manner of thinking to survive. But that did not mean he was without hope. He knew that rules of the game as much as the next guy and an important rule was always to keep pushing.

My lesson learned is to keep going despite indifference, and even when I feel discouraged with my work.

A simple life

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

A focus on simplicity was one of Einstein’s main tenets and though his skill in physics was renown, he believed everything that can be counted did not necessarily count and that everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.

My lesson learned is to always think and live as simply as possible with balance in life.

Stand up for your beliefs

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

Albert felt that the world was dangerous not because evil people but because of people who recognize the evil, yet do nothing about it. His characterization of the age was that world leadership had developed a perfection of means yet had a significant confusion of ends.

My lesson learned is to be passionate about helping others and sharing the light.

Never quit

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.

Einstein believed in being a giver, as he felt only a life lived for others was a life worthwhile. His characterization of the age was that world leadership had developed a perfection of means yet had a significant confusion of ends. He felt that you never failed if you never quit.

My lesson learned is to always share more than you receive and never give up.

 Tell your story

I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.

Einstein’s view of a person’s life was that the true sign of intelligence was not knowledge but imagination and he believed that the only source of knowledge was experience. He loved telling stories to influence.

My lesson learned is to practice curiosity and imagination as often as possible and learn continuously.

A top priority: Live a Happy Life ... File Under Things to Learn, Yes?

Humble personality

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

While having a strong will, Einstein was very humble and attributed his talent to his passionate curiosity and imagination. He felt both were more important than knowledge.

My lesson learned is to always tamp down on my ego and be as humble as possible.

Live your passion

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.

Einstein was a very observant person and noted that as he got more and more famous, the more and more stupid he also became. That, he said, was a very common phenomenon. But he loved to share his passions.

My lesson learned is to wear your enthusiasm and passion everywhere.

Go all in

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

 Einstein didn’t think he was that smart, it’s just that he had the skill of persistence to stay with problems longer. He always went all in on everything he did.

He maintained a strong belief on the necessity of eliminating biases to be able to look for what is and not for what they should be. Always stated that problems required a new level of consciousness beyond the one that created the problem … he was a big proponent of change.

My lesson learned is to constantly look for ways to adapt to the changes going on and always go all in without fear of failure.

Never stop questioning

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

His thought was felt that imagination was more valuable than logic, logic could get you from A to B, but imagination could take you everywhere. He was an early believer in trying many new things and not fearing mistakes and felt that someone who never made a mistake never tried new things. His view was any intelligent fool could make things bigger and more complex, but the genius and courage was in heading in the opposite direction.

My lesson learned is to try as many new things as possible in all facets of life.

Save a life

Another surprising statistic- the life you save is most likely the life of someone you love, because 4 out of 5 cardiac arrests occur at home.

So let's learn it in four steps.

Step 1. First check for responsiveness; if someone falls unconscious and stops breathing normally, call emergency number like 911.

Step 2. Place victim on his back on a firm, flat surface. Kneel next to his shoulder.

Step 3. Place the heel of one hand in the center of victim’s chest (below the breastbone, the area where the ribs come together). Place the other hand on top. Lace your fingers together.

Step 4. Keeping elbows straight and your shoulders over your hands, push down two inches hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 pumps a minute (press to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive,” the Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever). Continue until help arrive.

Lifehacks

1. Repurpose last night's leftovers into tomorrow's lunch.

No one likes eating the same thing every day, but that doesn't mean leftover meals have to go to waste. Instead, try something like turning your leftover mashed potatoes into cheesy pancakes, and have a brand new eating experience from the same old foods. It will not only save you money, but it will also reduce your food waste — and save you from finding a moldy container in your fridge later on.

2. Use your hair straightener to iron clothes quickly.

You're looking in the mirror, admiring your perfected eyebrows, and you notice something that throws off your entire outfit: a wrinkly collar. If you have a shirt with a wrinkled hem or floppy collar, use your hair straightener to give it a pressed look in no time. It saves you from having to wrestle with your ironing board, and chances are, your hair straightener is already on from doing your hair.

3. Live by the 3-7-14 shopping rule.

If your closet looks anything like mine, then you too are guilty of buying things you never, ever wear. Save money and closet space with a simple 3-7-14 shopping rule: if you haven't worn it in the three days since you bought it, you probably won't wear it. If you haven't worn it in seven, you never will, so return it within 14 days, because after that, your chances of bringing it back to the store are slim to none.

4. Put your goals in writing — and on display.

You can make all the resolutions you want, but if you really want to achieve your goals, the best thing to do is to put them in writing. Studies show that writing down your goals make you more likely to succeed in doing them. Recording them is the first step in the planning process, so by writing them down, you're actually starting your journey towards accomplishing them. Having your goals displayed somewhere, whether it's on your vanity mirror or on your fridge white board, helps to remind you of your goal, and encourages you to keep working at it.

5. Make a "no screens at bedtime" rule.

One of the best life hacks you can add to your daily life is shutting down your electronics at bed time. Switch your phone to silent and leave it on the charger, power down your tablets, and yes, shut off your TV. Research has shown that the blue lights from electronics can keep you awake at night because it actually suppresses melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Another reason to leave electronics out of your nightly routine? People with televisions in their bedroom are less likely to have sex, according to some studies.

6. Keep your home from getting dry with a DIY humidifier, for your health's sake.

Winter is settling in, and with it comes that dreaded seasonal virus: the flu. One easy life hack to keep you from getting sick this season is to keep your house humid. The flu virus thrives in cold, dry air, but by making a DIY humidifier for your living or office space, you can help keep the flu at bay.

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7. Use a Tic Tac container to store loose bobby pins.

We've all been there: you know you have a million bobby pins, but not one of them can be found. They sail off to the land of lost lip balm and hair ties to live happily ever after, and in the meantime, you're buying them like they're disposable accessories. Keep your bobby pins straight (and easily found) by storing them in an empty Tic Tac container. It's the perfect size for standard bobby pins, and the opening makes it easy to take them out or put them back in. No more searching for loose bobby pins at the bottom of your makeup bag or on your bedroom floor, because with this life hack, they're all (finally) in one place.

8. Use a hot water bottle to relieve period cramps.

From pain killers to yoga, you've probably tried everything when it comes to getting some relief from menstrual cramps, but the most effective hack is also the easiest: a hot water bottle. If you have really bad cramps, rest a hot water bottle (either store bought or a DIY one) on your abdomen. The heat will help get blood flowing to that area, which reduces the cramping. Sometimes, the simplest period hacks are the best answers.

9. Set your phone to airplane mode while charging it.

It's a situation everyone is familiar with: you're supposed to leave in 15 minutes, and you suddenly realize your phone battery is critically low. How are you supposed to Instagram your night out if your phone is dead? If you need to charge your phone quickly, switch it into airplane mode while it's on the charger. This setting, which turns off all radio frequencies, gets your phone to full battery faster than it would on its normal setting.

10. Use your Hulu account to exercise.

A lot of people make it a resolution to exercise, and while personal trainers and gym memberships can cost a fortune, this hack is probably something you are already paying for. In addition to all the shows and movies Hulu has to offer, a basic subscription gives you access to dozens of exercise videos, including yoga and pilates. Skip the gym sign up, and use your faithful TV to not only bring you hours of entertainment, but also hours of exercise classes in the comfort of your own home.

11. Schedule your day the night before.

It's common practice for people to run through their daily appointments and to-dos in the morning when they get up or when they get to work, but doing it the night before can save time and stress. Before bed, sit down and go over all of your meetings, chores, and priority tasks, and create a schedule for the next day. When you wake up the next morning, there won't be any surprises to your day, and you can hit the ground running. It's another simple life hack that can have dramatic and beneficial effects.

12. Clean up your social media accounts.

More of a life tip than a life hack, but either way, it's time to clean up your social media accounts. Untag those old college photos of you doing keg stands (yes, your future employer could find them), delete any accounts you don't regularly use, and make some cuts on your friends or follow list. Once you get rid of any toxic people or accounts that fill your feeds, you will instantly notice how less annoyed, angry, or even jealous you are.

13. Get rid of cable.

Chances are, you or someone you know has one of the dozens of subscriptions that are now available for streaming television and movies. It's time to say goodbye to your cable box, and the expensive bill it comes with, and use the cheaper entertainment options.

14. Put an end to spam texts.

Remember how annoying it was to get telemarketer calls on your phone? Well, that's nothing compared to the obnoxious spam texts that you get on your phone, telling you someone sexy in your area is waiting to talk, or that you've won a 10-day cruise you definitely did not win. Save yourself the frustration of these persistent texts by forwarding them to 7726, which reports them as spammers, as well as replying "STOP" to any spam text messages you receive from a shortcode. Yes, this actually works, and it is one of the best phone hacks ever.

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15. Use straws to keep necklaces from tangling during travel.

I'm a traveler who likes to accessorize, but bringing my jewelry on trips usually results in tangled or broken necklaces. That is, until I discovered this easy DIY travel hack that uses straws to keep jewelry from getting tangled. Long gone are the days of cursing my necklace chains after a flight, and in their place are neat, protected, and organized jewelry for every vacation.

16. Chill your wine with frozen grapes.

No one likes warm wine that's meant to be chilled, but no one likes watered down wine, either. Instead of cooling your vino with an ice cube that will melt and compromise the taste of your wine, use frozen grapes to do the job. They won't dilute your wine, and they make delicious snacks as well.

17. Use shoe boxes to organize your drawers.

Shoe boxes make the perfect free storage spaces for plenty of things piled in your closet or stacked on shelves, but they're also a great tool for inside your dresser as well. Use empty shoe boxes as drawer organizers to keep your clothes neat and separated. It will save space, and help you save time when it comes to searching for that one t-shirt mixed into a drawer full of tops.

18. Make an ice cube in your water bottle to keep it cold.

Nothing is more satisfying than a perfectly chilled bottle of water to quench your thirst on the go, but after your water bottle sits in your bag for an hour or two, it's bound to get warm. Keep your water colder for longer — and more enjoyable — by making an ice cube in the bottle. Fill your water bottle a third of the way up, lay it on its side, and let if freeze fully in your freezer. When it's done, remove the bottle and finish filling it with water for a perfectly cooled drink that will stay that way for longer.

19. Save all of your $5 bills.

There are dozens of money saving hacks out there, but one of the simplest takes no planning at all. It's as easy as this: every time you have a $5 bill, put it aside for your savings. If you break a $20, get cash back at dinner, or change from the grocery story, save all of the $5 bills. At the end of the year, you will be surprised how much money you were able to save without even realizing it.

20. Pack food for the airport.

I'm the first to admit I enjoy a cocktail at the airport while I wait for my flight, but the food? It's normally overpriced, and not all that great. If you're taking a trip this year, pack a sandwich, fruit, or some other non-liquid based snacks to eat at the terminal. You can use all the money you save by not buying that $12 bagel sandwich on a bloody Mary instead.

21. Make a date jar.

On date nights, my boyfriend and I usually spend no less than 20 minutes debating what we should do before we settle on the same thing: dinner and drinks. This year, though, it's going to be different with a dating hack that will change the game, and you have to try it too. Anytime you think of a fun activity or hear your significant other mention something they want to do or somewhere they want to go, write it on a piece of paper and toss it in a mason jar. When date night comes around, instead of doing the same old thing, pick an idea from the jar instead. It's a cheap and easy way to spice things up, and it helps avoid the cyclical "I don't know, what do you want to do?" conversation.