5 Ways To Get More Work Done At Home

When you work in an office you generally get paid for your time.

If you work at home either you’re working for yourself, or you’re working on some venture of your own outside work hours.

So if you dick around and don’t get anything done, you achieve nothing.  Not even a paycheck.

Most homes are full of distractions.  Most people like distractions more than work.

Another hard day at the office

This is why most people don’t achieve much at home.

Follow the 5 simple methods below and you will achieve more.

Stick To An Hourly Schedule

Work for 1 hour on 1 task, then move onto something different, even if it’s a related task.  This gives you impetus to do as much as you can in an hour and minimises time wasting.

Turn The Internet Connection Off

Stops you mindlessly surfing the web and disguising it as research.  Do what you can without the web, then hit the net after.

Buy A Plain Pad & Pencil

Plot out bigger picture ideas away from the computer.  A plain pad and pencil will help to free your mind and get creative.

Take A Break

It’s easy to get tunnel vision at home.  Take 5 minutes every hour or so to get some fresh air, cup of tea or brief change of scenery.

Get Rid Of The Remote Control

Without this you are far less likely to turn on the TV.  Not that you should even consider turning the TV on.  Unless there’s football showing of course ;-)

Go From Hater To Good Vibes Creator In 5 Minutes

Why do we get so attached to being pissed with people? So pleased that something is going to jar us for the rest of our days?

How often have you heard people say…

‘I won’t ever speak to him again’.

Go From Hater To Good Vibes Creator In 5 Minutes
Laters haters

‘I can’t even think about her without wanting to tear my hair out’.

‘I think about that idiot every day, I’ll never get over what he did to me’.

Ultimately, no matter how badly we’ve been insulted, offended or mistreated, taking solace in the fact will just prolong the misery.

But there can be a strange pleasure in holding a grudge – somehow it gives us a feeling that they we are fighting back, not taking things lying down.

Fine, but what do we actually stand to gain from it?

If we’re strong enough, thick skinned enough or got other cool stuff of our own going on to not let it bother us, we let it go, move on and perhaps even get some benefit from the situation.

Like handing in a crucial report or finishing a big presentation, letting go of past angers or festering ill takes a weight off your mind, leaving you free to focus and concentrate on getting the positive stuff done.

Plus you never burn your bridges – the idiot who offended you yesterday maybe the guy who offers you a major opportunity tomorrow…so long as you’re still speaking to him.

Quality Quinoa Recipes – Super Food, Super Fast

Don’t you love the predictably of food marketing?

Find a healthy, plentiful and relatively untapped food like Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and there’s only ever going to be one label for it – ‘super food’.

What exactly qualifies entry into the now bulging super food category is anyone’s guess, so whether quinoa is in fact a super food, a wonder crop or the master grain, is a question we’ll leave for another day.

Instead, we’re going to focus on:

What quinoa is and where it comes from
Why it’s nutritionally beneficial for us
How to create quality quinoa recipes that will taste great, impress your friends  and won’t cause you stress in the kitchen.
Then the introductions are over and get onto the main event - how to cook and eat the stuff.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a grain like crop that has been eaten the Andean region of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador in South America for over 5000 years.

Alongside its more commonly known compadres, maize and potatoes, it was an essential part of the Inca diet.  So much so, that the Incas believed quinoa was a gift from the Gods and called it ‘the mother grain’.

quinoa recipes
Raw white quinoa seeds

Quinoa seeds are the most commonly eaten part of the plant and come in 3 colours – brown, red and white (more on that later).

They look like cous cous and are cooked in a similar way, by boiling or steaming for between 8-20 minutes, depending on the colour.

You can also eat the leaves, but it’s rare to find them outside the Andes.

A gift from the Gods eh, that’s some recommendation! How does this heavenly gift taste?
If you follow the recipes below, then quinoa is amazing.  If you don’t, it’s disgusting.

Joking of course.  Quinoa is great to cook with – it has a distinctive light, nutty taste, a fluffy texture and a nice al dente bite to it.  Plus it soaks up flavours easily, so it’s great to mix with other foods and dressings.

The white seeds are lighter in flavour and take less time to cook, the brown are nuttier and the black the nuttiest still.  The difference in taste between the 3 is quite subtle, but it’s there.

Crudely speaking, quinoa is similar to cous cous, but for me it’s a more flavoursome, tasty and versatile option than the cous cous available in my local stores.

Sounds good, what makes it a healthy choice?
Firstly it’s both high in protein and it’s a complete protein – which is unusual amongst plantfoods.  Grains like rice or wheat don’t contain the amino acid lysine, but quinoa does, making it complete.

It’s also high in magnesium, phosphorous, calcium and manganese, very low in sodium and cholesterol and is a complex carbohydrate.

Plus it’s gluten free and usually good for people with food allergies

For full nutritional information,  check out this info which comes from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, so you can trust it (we hope)!

Where can I buy it and do I have to take out a bank load to afford it?

You’ll find it in any decent health food store and also in an increasing number of supermarkets.

It’s not particularly expensive, though does cost a little more than white rice or cous cous.

If it’s so great why don’t more people eat it?

Good question, my guess would be that it’s just not that well known.

It’s never really been cultivated in the U.S., there’s a small amount grown in Canada, but most comes from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.  I think as a result it’s never received the marketing attention that other grains or cereals have.

Its popularity is growing and in my experience of cooking it for family and friends, it’s one of those foods that as soon as people try it, they love and start cooking with it.

Those food marketers need to get more creative with their product lines as well as their slogans…

Here’s a great, 30-minute quinoa, kale and spinach salad recipe to get you started on the quinoa trail.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll post a series of delicious, fast and simple-to-make quinoa creations.

And before you know it, you’ll be convinced that quinoa really is God’s gift…

The Lemon Detox Day 8 – Flying High

Woke up this morning feeling on top of the world.  Headache’s vanished, got loads of energy and ready to take on the world.

The last two days of toxic release seem to be a thing of the past.  So now I’m clean, and free, flying like a bird in the sky…

And clearly delirious from lack of food, so lets get serious.

Let’s talk about some things that it’s NOT a good idea to do on the fast.

1.  Don’t watch, listen or read about cooking or food.

Sounds obvious, but if you’re anything like me and love your food, you will inevitably spend some time each doing exactly this.

You may not notice that you do in the normal course of events – I know I didn’t – but once you can’t eat anything, you become very aware as soon as any sort of food crosses your radar, even if it’s only virtual.  And it doesn’t help the fast.

2.  Don’t go food shopping, into restaurants or get into conversations with family and friends about what they ate last night.

Again, obvious, but again you’d be surprised how hard it is to avoid all three of the above. And if someone starts blabbing about a meal you’re particularly partial to, or you go into your local Deli which has that cheese/bread/wine you would kill for on special offer, it can be tough.

The guy in the flat two doors down my corridor cooks a mean curry, and the smell brightens up the whole corridor.  Unless your fasting, in which case it makes the corridor very dangerous.

3.  Don’t fantasise about food and what you’ll eat when you finish.

It’s a waste of time and just adds fuel to the fire of your cravings.  If you are hungry and craving some food, try to analyse why it is you’re craving that food.

Are you really hungry or is just an emotional reaction – is it because you’re bored, stressed or want a break from your work or a reward?

Or is it because your regular routine demands that you usually eat at that time?

Whatever it is, by dissecting your thoughts and the reasons behind them you’re a lot less likely to be ruled by them in the future.

I’m sure there are loads more things you shouldn’t do, like getting hammered or visiting brothels, but let’s not focus too heavily on the shouldn’t do’s.

Tomorrow we’ll look at some things that you should do, get the positivity back on the penultimate day.  Which shouldn’t be too hard now should it…

Don’t miss out on Day 9 – What’s The Point Of All This?, where you will learn the secret formula of detox success!

Lemon Detox Day 5 – Listen to Obi Wan Kenobi

May the force be with you.  One of the classic philosophical statements of the 20th century, or just some tosh from Star Wars that Obi Wan said?

Well as many of history’s greatest scholars and sages have been at pains to point out, there is a universal life force that runs through everything.

Call it Chi, call it the Universal Consciousness, call it The Force, call it whatever you like, but getting in touch with it is generally considered to be a good thing.  Just ask Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad or David Icke.

By Day 5 of the lemon detox I feel like I’m more in tune with this life force than usual.

My mind is sharper, colours seem  brighter and bolder.

Everything feels crisper, more alive somehow.  Sounds weird but it’s true.

If you’ve ever had anything like a near death experience, you’ll know the feeling of ultra sensation that immediately follows.  That’s how I feel right about now.

Why is this?  Who knows.

Does everyone feel like this on the detox?  You’d have to ask them.

For me it’s certainly real and I put it down to being physically internally cleaner than I could ever usually imagine, plus being  mentally free of the usual routines and structures that eating inevitably brings.

The usual stop start pattern of work/eat, effort/reward disappears.  And for me this is unintentionally liberating.

Some may say I’m just delirious and talking shit because I haven’t eaten any solid food in 5 days.

If that’s what you’re thinking, I’ve got one thing to say to you -  the force is strong in this one.

Now go and get your light sabre so we can settle this the spiritual way.

Quinoa, Kale & Spinach Salad

This simple, tasty dish combines the nutty taste and texture of quinoa with deep, vibrant vegetables and a tangy citrus edge.

Ingredients

Naturally, the vegetables should all be fresh and bursting with life.

The olive oil, white wine vinegar and any other condiments should be good quality – you’ll get out of the dish what you put into it!

1/2 red onion – finely diced
2 ripe medium sized good quality tomato – diced
5 kale leaves, stalks cut off at the bottom – very finely chopped
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves – finely chopped
Squeeze of limejuice
1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper

Dressing

1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste – approx 1/4 teaspoon salt, few good grinds pepper

Quinoa

1 cup red or black quinoa
1 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste – approx 1/2 teaspoon salt, few good grinds pepper

Instructions

First cook the quinoa.  In a medium saucepan mix the quinoa with 2 cups of water, and then heat on a medium flame until the water starts to boil.  Turn the heat down very low, stir, put the lid on the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes (depending on your cooker and pot, start checking and tasting after 15 minutes).
Now the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing.  Just put all the ingredients in a jam jar with a lid and shake it well.  Leave it to settle.
Once the quinoa is cooked it should be firm – or al dente – to the taste, with white sprouts now protruding from the slightly fluffy grain.  Have a look at it, taste it and when you’re happy it’s done, take the pan off the heat and add the olive oil and salt & pepper, stirring well.
quinoa salad

This is how the cooked quinoa should look...

You need the quinoa to cool for a while – until it’s lukewarm – before you mix it with the vegetables – spread it out onto a plate so it cools more quickly if need be.
Now take the red onions and put them in a large-ish salad bowl (this the bowl you’ll be serving it in, so make it a nice one!) and mix in the lime juice, white wine vinegar, salt & pepper and mix well.
A couple of minutes later add the tomatoes and mix well.
Then wait a couple more minutes before adding the quinoa and mixing well (I’d suggest using your hands).
Now add the dressing, and again, mix well.
If you have time, you can leave the flavours to develop for 10 minutes or so, but if not it doesn’t matter.
Then add kale & spinach, mix well and serve.

How To Argue Less – Volume One

I like to think of myself as a kind hearted and sharing person.  It’s a nice cosy image and one that I’m rather fond of.

I also like to think that marriage is about being understanding, sharing and not letting petty material issues intrude into one of life’s longest and most precious bonds.

Which is all well and good, until I notice that my wife has taken ‘my’ glass from its rightful place in the kitchen into the bedroom.

This glass is exactly, one hundred per cent the same as all the other glasses in the cupboard, but today it’s mine.  No one else should touch, move it, let alone drink from it, because now it is mine.

Why should I care if my wife drinks from the same glass as me?  We’ve been together for over twelve years, regularly sharing bodily fluids of multiple descriptions and I haven’t keeled over and died from any of them yet.

I know why – because that glass is mine.

Glasses...my precious

So when she does have the nerve, the downright disrespect to pick up this glass – which is essentially exactly the same as all the others – and move it into another room, a distance of some five meters or so, what happens to me (the kind hearted, sharing, non materialistic person I described so beautifully earlier)?

I think ‘where the f*^k is my glass, I bet she’s taken it again’.  Irritated, agitated and deeply opinionated, I stomp into the bedroom.

When I locate the glass in the adjoining bathroom (wasting at least 20 seconds looking for it in the bedroom) there’s two things that are fighting for dominance in my understanding, sharing and non-petty mind

Firstly, there’s the agitation, only this time it’s more acute – ‘she’s put it in the f^%king bathroom again!  She’s already got two of her own f&$king glasses here already’

Secondly, there’s a strange feeling of satisfaction, of being secretly pleased with myself that I was right – ‘I knew it, every time says she won’t do it again, but she always does.  I never do that, I have one glass, my glass and stick to that’.

Now, if she happens to be out, I will stew in my own self imposed vexation for a while.

I’m annoyed that I had to walk all the way to the bathroom and more annoyed that she took ‘my’ glass.

I will then make a mental note to bring it up with her, gently and subtly of course, later on.

At the same time, a few millimetres under the surface of my mind I’m playing out the true nature of the reprimand, imagining the small print of the condescending lecture…

‘I told you you’d do it again, it’s not the point that there more glasses in the cupboard, if you leave it there it’ll get smashed one day, I never do things like etc etc’.

If, on the other hand, she is in the house, then the lectures and admonishment will start right away.

How will she react to these criticisms, so worthy and relevant to me, though completely unexpected, unwarranted and unwanted to her?  Will she accept the dubious legitimacy of my claims, feeling forever sorry to have committed such a heinous crime?

The bookmakers would favour a response filled with some cross words and criticisms of her own.  When backed into a corner she, like most people, will fight.  She will fight fire with fire, hitting back at me for something I do that she doesn’t like, or something that I don’t do that she would like.

And then a perfectly futile and needless argument will follow.

Eventually this will subside and I will go back to doing whatever it was I was doing in the first place, but feeling a lot worse for my troubles.  How much worse will depend on the scale of the argument that followed the initial glass taking misdemeanour.

I will also have the pleasure of knowing that I’ve made my wife feel a lot worse than before too – for, let us remember, no apparent reason.

Plus I will be no further down the road of the task that I was meant to be getting on with.

So by loving my glass I will have achieved 3 things…

Made my day less enjoyable
Made my wife’s day less enjoyable
Made my day less productive

And the mad thing is, I will probably blame my wife for all three of them.

Now let’s see, is my vision blurred, impaired or corrupted?

Then maybe I do need my glasses – the kind that will make me see clearly, not the kind to drink out of ;-)