#on average i've been making each phone last about 5 years or so so this is a very momentous occasion hehee

[still-gathering-roses]

izzy new phone time!!!!

[geometricalien]

AkaFuri A/B/O AU where Seijūrō & Kōki had a one-night stand & it ends with Kōki getting pregnant with non-identical twins.

(Despite their brief, short meeting, they left a strong impression on each other - and they both regret not exchanging phone numbers that night)

A few years later, they're reunited when Seijūrō felt a bump & spotted 2 little boys resembling him & the young man he had a one-night stand with a few years ago. Said young man runs after the 2 boys, panting & chiding them for running off until he sees Seijūrō.

Time stops, & for a moment, it feels like Kōki & Seijūrō are the only 2 people in the whole universe until the noises made by the 2 boys bring them back to reality.

The 2 men reacquainted themselves, with Kōki claiming Seijūrō as a friend he hadn't seen in a long time. Seijūrō, being the person he is, plays along (and he quickly figures out the 2 boys are his offspring - but he wants to make sure, so he swiftly & subtly picks up 2 locks of hair from each boys without them noticing).

They catch up on each other's life, and eventually, exchange contact infos.

By the time Seijūrō is home, he makes a phone call to Midorima's lab, requesting a DNA test - and he provides the 2 locks of hair when someone from the lab arrives.

Seijūrō makes frequent meetups with Kōki just so he can get to know him better (and look at his face - and vice versa). After their, like, 4th or 7th or 10th meet-up, Kōki finally gathers the courage to invite Seijūrō to the Furihata residence & blurts out the question: "Want to come to my place the next time we meet?"

(There's a lot I want to tell about this AU, but I'm in a rush right now, so I can't say much.

However, Kōki & Seijūrō's sons are the precise carbon copy of themselves, with their personalities swapped. So basically, the older twin inherits Seijūrō's good looks & sharp gaze, but has Kōki's timid personality. The younger twin inherits Kōki's plain, average looks but has Seijūrō's confident & assertive personality. Also, I keep referring them as "the 2 boys" because I still haven't come up with names for them lol

Also, Kōki's originally 4 people household are now a 6 people household - the 2 boys, their dad Kōki, their uncle Kōki's big bro & their grandparents Kōki & his big bro's parents)

(And because you said you're not a fan of the "oops, we have a baby now" trope, feel free to ignore this if this isn't your cup of tea)

Oooooo interesting, please tell me more! I love these two boys already 💓

(Nah nah man, baby fic is VERY different from kid fic. The difference being- "shit- you're... and that's mine... are you sure? Damn, well, I can't not be involved in the life of my child/let's just. Try to make it work. For the baby" versus "wow... long time since I last saw you, what? 3 years? 5? How have you been... [cue the internal angst of] is that someone else's child, oh my God I've missed out on so much, does this child even know about me? Do they think I didn't want to be a part of their life?, Why didn't [insert character name] tell me?, do they... not want me to be involved at all... can I fit into this family? Would I be welcomed?" One thing to know about me: above all I LOVE ANGST)

[ai-suru-hito-yo]

I Was Born To Love You

My first Queen fic! Woo!

Pairing: '90s!Brian May x fem!reader

Summary: It's the eve of your little sister's wedding. You've been running around ragged, planning and setting up. You're exhausted, and Brian finally convinces you to take a break and come have a celebratory drink at the pub.

Warnings: brief mentions of sex, past SugarDaddy!Brian, mentions of death, age difference, possibly terrible writing. This is based on a dream I had last night. I woke up at 3 am and had to write it.

Author's notes: It's so fluffy, I swear to God, call your dentist now, it may rot your teeth. And for the sake of this story, let's pretend Chrissie did leave Brian in the 80's, but Anita (though I LOVE HER) was never in the picture.

This was it. The big day was right around the corner. Your sister was getting married the next day, and you could not possibly be more happy for her. As both her sister and her Maid of Honor, you had been running yourself ragged organizing and planning and helping to make sure everything was perfect for her big day. It was finally the night before, and you were exhausted. Your boyfriend was currently trying to convince you to take a much needed break.

Ugh, you hated that word. "Boyfriend"? You were both grown adults, thank you very much. He, in fact, was quite a bit older than you, which made the term, "boyfriend" seem all the more ridiculous. But what other term was there?

Your relationship had not started out on quite such a...romantic path as it was on now. You had met Brian May just a couple of years after the tragic and heartbreaking loss of Freddie Mercury. You had been working as an assistant to one of the producers of We Will Rock You, and had caught Brian's eye immediately. He invited you out for a drink after a meeting one day, and the two of you had hit it off immediately, despite having a 20 year age difference. Brian gave you his phone number and asked you not to hesitate to call the next time you had a night free.

It had taken a further month after that night before you felt brave enough to make that call. Was it a joke? There's no way this world-famous, wealthy, talented, kind-hearted, legendary, beautiful rock-star could be interested in somebody as plain and simple and "average Joe" as you. You made the call anyway, pulling on your big girl panties and taking the risk. Brian invited you along for dinner and more drinks, an invitation which you gladly accepted, and you ended up spending that night in his bed. It was the next morning, after another round of amazing sex, that Brian made a proposition, one which you found you could not refuse. More world-rocking sex and "night-time" companionship in exchange for wining, dining, and anything else your heart desired, even financial compensation.

It had been three years now, and somewhere around two years ago, your relationship had changed. Shifted. Wining and dining became dates walking through the moonlit garden of Brian's country home, gazing at the stars, or visits to any and every museum you could find (you adored museums). Occasional companionship became listening to Brian break down over missing his father and Freddie, and holding him as he continued to feel hopeless about the future. Anything your heart desired shifted to longing looks from hazel eyes, and a beautiful smile framed by dark bouncing curls. Sex soon turned to love-making, and you found yourselves staying in bed together afterwards, holding each other as you slept, and trading lazy kisses in the morning.

When you introduced Brian to your parents, he was introduced as your boyfriend (oh, that word again). Your mother was very wary of your age difference and of Brian's rockstar lifestyle. Your dad and sister, on the other hand, were huge fans and completely starstruck. Eventually, they all saw how happy you made each other and how serious you were about your relationship, and so Brian May the famous rockstar soon became Brian, your kind, sweet, doting boyfriend (?)

The soft sound of Brian's sweet voice pulled you from your musings, and you shook your head a little to clear it and focus on what he was saying.

"Y/N, my love, you need a break. The rehearsal and dinner went swimmingly, if I may say so," Brian lifted your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles softly, then reached out his free hand to rest against your jaw, long fingers tangling into your soft hair. "There's nothing more you can do tonight. The church is ready, the reception venue is ready. Come on, darling. Let the caterers finish setting up, and let's go grab a drink, eh? We can go to that pub we went to last week. It was quiet, and it's big enough we can invite everyone along!"

You turned your head to kiss Brian's palm where it rested against your face, and nodded. You knew he preferred this particular pub because no one there recognized him. Or if they did, they had the courtesy not to act like it.

"Yes, alright. Let me make sure everyone knows where we're going, and I'll meet you outside in 5 minutes." You kissed Brian quickly and moved over to where the rest of the wedding party were gathered in conversation.

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When you arrived at the pub, Brian quickly hopped out of the car and came around to open your door as you checked your makeup in your compact mirror. Deeming it acceptable for a quiet night of drinks, you got out of the car. Brian pushed the door shut, and stopped you with a hand on your hip.

"You look beautiful, as always," he said once you turned to look at him. You blushed, and ducked your head. You still had trouble at times with how freely and openly he would compliment you. "I think this dress is my favorite."

You had worn a simple, strappy dress for the evening, light blue with a pattern of roses. It was mostly backless and flowy, as it was early summer and quite warm, even for mid June.

You pushed up on your toes to kiss Brian again, a silent thank you for the compliment. You lingered for a moment, smiling against his lips, before you pulled away, trailing your hand down his arm to his hand. You interlaced your fingers and led him toward the pub.

"I'll get drinks while you get a table?" You nodded, and moved off toward a corner and a comfy-looking booth. You sat down facing the door, just in time for it to open again and to see some familiar faces come through. You waved to your cousin, his wife, and your brother to join you. Your cousin and his wife approached, sitting on the opposite side of the large booth, while your brother, Ethan, approached Brian at the bar.

"Hello, Adam," you greeted. "Hello, Jenisa. Glad you could join us!"

"Of course!" Jenisa answered, pushing her long hair behind her shoulder. "I've been dying for a gin and something all evening, and to catch up with you, but you've kept us all so busy with all the planning and setting up, I barely had a second to say hello!"

You winced slightly. "Sorry about that, J. It's just, Liv's my only sister, and my best friend. I want everything to be perfect."

Jenisa patted your hand on top of the table. "There's no need to apologize, dear! Of course you want the best for her, and we're happy to help."

"Yeah, it's no problem at all, really," Adam chimed in. "Besides, you know she'll be there to repay the favor one day."

You choked on air for a moment, glancing over Adam's shoulder toward the bar. Brian was laughing at something Ethan was saying, shoulders shaking and curls bouncing in that way they always did when he laughed. He truly was breathtaking. You were so distracted by Brian's beautiful smile that you missed the look Adam and Jenisa shared.

"So," Jenisa said, calling your attention back to the table. You looked at her with a dreamy smile still plastered on your face. She grinned. "When's it gonna be your turn?"

You choked on nothing again, eyes widening ever so slightly. You were unsure how to answer that. Marriage was something you had always wanted. You also knew you wanted a family of your own, to be a mother, but it was one of the farthest things from your mind at the moment, which was ironic, considering you were caught up in the middle of wedding planning at the moment. Luckily, you were saved by Brian and Ethan returning to the table with everyone's drinks. Brian set your cider down in front of you before sliding in next to you with his own lager. Your brother slid in next to Adam and Jenisa, distributing their drinks to them.

"Brian bought this round. Cheers, mate!" Ethan tapped his glass against Brian's before taking a long pull.

"Thanks, love," you pressed a quick kiss to Brian's shoulder. "Next round's on me." Brian simply swiped a finger softly down your nose and smiled at you.

You heard the bell above the door ring again, and Liv, your soon-to-be-brother-in-law Michael, and his two brothers entered the pub. You called your sister's name and waved her over. She and the boys took a seat at the next table after greeting everybody and giving Michael their drink orders.

Brian leaned over from his seat next to you to address your sister. "Are you nervous for the big day?"

Your sister giggled and rolled her eyes fondly. "Bri, you've known me for 2 years. When am I not nervous?"

Brian chuckled. "Well, you've no reason to be. I'm sure you'll be a beautiful bride, and you've left everything in the most capable hands I can think of."

Liv leaned around Brian to catch your eye and give you a small but meaningful smile. "Yeah, I know I did. Thanks, Bri. I feel a little less nervous now."

You shifted a little closer to Brian in your seat and intertwined your left arm under his right, taking his hand where it rested on the table and lacing his calloused fingers with your own. He looked down at you and shared a private smile. You felt a little less nervous now, too. Everything would be alright.

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As the evening passed into night, more of your family and friends came and went from the quiet pub, most just stopping in for a drink and a quick congratulations to the bride and groom.

By now you were leaning fully into Brian, who had put his arm around you without breaking your hands apart, so your arm was now crossed over your chest and holding his hand on your shoulder. Honestly, it helped, as you were leaning into Brian so close in hope of stealing some of his body heat. Your dress now seemed like a terrible idea, as you discovered you had chosen a seat directly under an air conditioner vent. Every 20 minutes or so, the system would kick on and blow cold air on you, raising goosebumps on your exposed shoulders and arms. Brian, clothed in all black, seemed to radiate heat, and you were taking full advantage of that.

Another shiver passed through you as you felt the cold air hit your skin again. Brian had noticed the past couple times it happened, and finally spoke up about it, abandoning the conversation he had been involved in with your brother and cousin about what shenanigans they had gotten up to in college.

"Y/N are you okay?" He asked, tilting his head down close to your face. You turned your head, not realizing how close he was, nearly knocking your nose against his. You could feel his warm breath fanning gently over your skin and it felt wonderful.

"Yes, love," you answered with a smile. "I'm great."

"You're shivering. Are you sure you're alright? Do you want to go home?"

You pressed a firm kiss to his lips to silence him. "No, I'm fine. Just keep holding me?"

"Of course, dear. Always."

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You entered the pub's small restroom, turning to close the door, when your way was blocked by somebody leaning against it. You opened the door again and your sister quickly entered behind you, closing and locking the door.

"What do you want, brat? I need to pee."

"I won't stop you," she replied. "I just wanted a moment in private to tell you how much I appreciate everything you're doing for me. I reckon tomorrow we'll be too caught up in everything and then I'll be off on my honeymoon. I don't want to forget to tell you that I love you and appreciate everything you've done for me. You're the best big sister a girl could ever hope for."

She pulled you into a bone-crushing hug, knocking the wind out of you for a moment. You wrapped your arms around her and returned the squeeze as hard as you could.

"Ow! Okay, okay, I feel the love!" Liv stepped back from your embrace and looked at you again before adding, "You know I'll be there to return the favor if you should need me some day."

You pulled her into a gentler embrace before pulling back and pushing her toward the door. "Thank you. Now, get out, I still need to pee."

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When you returned to the table a few minutes later, you were considerably warmer for having gotten up to move around a bit. You noticed Brian had moved over into your unoccupied seat under the vent. He had a funny look on his face, and seemed a little lost in his own world.. The look melted into another gorgeous smile, though, as you sat down again and snuggled back into him.

You soon became engrossed in the conversation your brother was having with Jenisa about cryptozoology, ("Nessie is as real as you and me, sitting here!") content to listen to them arguing from where you were leaned back against Brian's shoulder behind you. You barked out a laugh at another one of Ethan's stupid arguments. Brian tensed behind you for a moment, and you felt more than heard him take a deep breath before leaning down to speak lowly into your ear.

"I have something for you."

Curiosity piqued, you sat up and turned toward him. The nervous look was back again, and you met it with an open look of earnestness. He fumbled in the pocket of his trousers for a moment, before producing a small red box and placing it on the edge of the table directly in front of you. You looked at it, then back at him, then back at the box. Realizing Brian was not about to say another word, you opened the box, before letting out a squeal and quickly shutting it again. You snatched it off the table and held it in your lap, laughing nervously as most of your party turned to look at you.

"Uh, leg cramp. Don't mind me!"

As everyone returned to their conversations, you turned toward Brian more and opened the box again. Inside sat the most beautiful ring you'd ever seen. A simple, thin, white gold band with a small but beautiful cutting of your birthstone. On either side of the stone were small Celtic trinity knots. Your hand covered your mouth as you tried to restrain from gasping. You looked up at Brian, who was watching you closely.

"Brian, I...I dont know what to say."

"Um, I mean, you don't have to say anything? You don't even have to keep it, honestly. I've had it for quite some time now, but I never said anything because I never thought you would accept it. It's just, you mean so much to me and you've helped me so much. I don't think you understand how you helped me after...well, after. Through Rog's fits over trying to finish the last album, and John falling apart. And I know that's a lot of emotional baggage, and you deserve someone young and carefree, but I guess I just got caught up in the moment with weddings on our minds and you look so beautiful tonight, and--what are you doing?"

You took the ring out of the box and examined it again before looking up into beautiful hazel eyes. Eyes you'd be happy to look into for the rest of your days. Well, you thought, at least now I'll have a better word than "boyfriend".

"Which finger do I put this on?"

FIN

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Mmkay, there it is. If you'd like a visual reference to the dress and the ring, there are links embedded. However, if you'd rather not interrupt the flow, there are descriptions. The example ring has a sapphire because that's my birthstone.

I have possible ideas for more if this is well received. Let me know what you think!

[dzpenumbra]

8/30/22

Today kinda just blew right by. I had a panic attack in a dream last night, it woke me up and everything. It was pretty silly. I was in a van with Jerry Seinfeld and Joe Rogan, Joe was filming me playing guitar in the back of the van. I wasn't playing very well. He was posting it on Twitter or something, with some comment about like "pullin out the deep cuts" or something. It was stupid, really, I haven't watched any Joe Rogan anything in years, same with Seinfeld. But the concept just pumped my system full of adrenaline enough to wake me up.

I guess it's the concept of having an unfathomable amount of eyes on me. It's been a VERY long time since anyone really gave a fuck what I'm doing creatively, so that's probably what it's about. Rogan/Seinfeld representing legendary status of fame. And having some noodling on acoustic guitar, improvising, not even good shit, shared with an audience of millions... The largest crowd I've ever played music in front of was probably like... 30 people? The largest I've streamed for was like... 100-something? Those are pretty big numbers for just like everyday shit. I did do a play in college in front of a half-full theater too... But those were all different times, a lifetime ago, really. An child's play compared to millions.

I think this dream was my way of sorta demonstrating that any creative exposure or growth would have to be a steady build for me, with lots of social practice in between to work my way up to it. A massive explosion of exposure for me - someone who hasn't seen a human face in over 2 weeks, regularly goes days without human contact at all outside of throwing comments into the void of Twitch chatrooms - that would cause a shock to the system that's hard to communicate. Take the stage-fright of the average person, then put them in extreme isolation for almost 5 years, then throw them on a stage with an audience of thousands. That's what joining NoPixel whitelist was like when I got in last winter and I couldn't even make a phone call in the goddamn video game I was so anxious.

So the dream was helping confirm this issue, a feedback loop I'm kinda stuck in. Everyone in my life has been "too busy" to make time for me. It started years ago, but escalated into conflict the second I brought up the topic directly. My brother who lives 5 minutes away would refuse to come over and visit, making a pile of excuses every time. My friends up north visited me 1 time in 10 years, while I used to drive up 1.5 hours each way every weekend to babysit their daughter. My friend in Florida refused to come hang out in my streams, even though he was also a streamer; he refused to retweet my tweets or recommend my stream to his gaming friends too. So, while I still had people in my life back then, every single one of them was a one-way relationship. The second I started asking for the support and... friendship... I needed, it went immediately into conflict. All of those bridges are burned now except for one.

When your social network is "too busy" to have room for you, you simply do not get social interaction. I found that where I used to regularly play League of Legends, Starcraft and Minecraft (MP) with friends, I started playing Diablo III, Minecraft (SP) and Rimworld. I shifted into single player games automatically due to social drought. It's very hard to get used to being completely alone, but once you do get used to it, it's also really hard to go back.

That's kinda the point I'm trying to get to, but my thoughts are very scattered and fragmented tonight. I learned that pretty early, when you're away from people for long enough (like 3 days alone in the woods) social interaction suddenly gets very overwhelming. Back at the beginning, it was simply "holy fuck, another person, let me tell you my life story!" But after I started to get a LOT of very negative responses to that, and subsequently developed PTSD responses around it... well, I think you can see where I'm going. The nervousness and sensory overwhelm become something amorphous and powerful, almost Lovecraftian; hard to define and conceptualize but intuitively something that represents a big threat. The higher the stakes of the interaction - a date, a job interview, a potential client, a potential new best friend - the more devastating the loss will be when I inevitably upset them. Somehow... I hate how I don't even know all the details of my trauma responses, it's kinda ridiculous, right? They even sound stupid to me now, but when I experience them in the moment they are SO damn convincing.

So... in some ways I'm more afraid of success than I am of failure. I'm afraid of people. I see what they do to each other, how they treat each other. It makes me very sad, very scared. But reading journals on here helps me feel grounded, so thank you all for posting these. It reminds me there are good, honest people out there and that the bad ones I'm seeing are just the most dramatic examples.

The weird part is, once I get acclimated to social interactions and feel like I'm understood and supported... the confidence comes flooding back. HA! Fuck it, I'll share what that reminded me of. So I was being a complete dork and watching a YouTube video on things cats love with my cat this morning over coffee. I was having coffee, she wasn't, just wanted to clarify that. The guy who did the video had this thing at the beginning where he was talking about "cat mojo". He defined "mojo" being "ultimate confidence". "Confidence that's born of knowing that I own territory, that I'm safe in my territory and that I can secure food in that territory." He said it makes them feel whole. And I can relate. When I'm completely alone for days, living under someone else's roof, that someone else pays for, who doesn't want to pay for it, while I struggle to get a single commission or make a single sale... my mojo is just fucking gone. And I need that mojo in order to make the sales, to entertain a room, to be confident enough to believe in my work. My mojo ran completely dry yesterday. I committed to changing paths. I still don't want to, but I have accepted that I might have to in order to escape the cycle of having my legs continually swept out from under me every 2 months (at most).

I talked to my mom about this a little today, but she didn't seem to get much of it, but she got some. I think the problem is that she thinks everything in life revolves around money, and that the reason my art/music/poetry/streaming isn't a financial success is not because I don't have supportive friends, not because I am a crappy salesman, but because I'm "not creating enough value for the consumer." Corporate talk, right?

Actually, maybe the problem is that since a VERY young age, I taught myself not to use money as a motivational tool. I taught myself to use passion for motivation. I was taught of the corruptive and manipulative powers of money. How people can use their earning of money to excuse things, like being a bad person and not bettering themselves. I learned that people can use "I work very hard" as a substitute for parenting, and get away with it, too. So... this is obviously a conflict, and a point she can't really understand.

I don't really want to rehash this, to be honest, I've had that butting of heads with her thousands of times. I'm just touching on it because it came up today. But we also managed to connect on nostalgia and remind her that I am in fact a very sensitive person (many say "oversensitive" as though it doesn't mean "hypersensitive" and as though it's a... bad thing?... Another weird one to me...) who should be treated delicately, especially when I'm vulnerable or overwhelmed. I think those points got through a bit, which reassures me a bit.

I stopped smoking weed for the past few days, which is weird in this ritual of journaling in bed before going to sleep because it really was the only thing in a long time that helped me sleep all the way through the night. I stopped smoking because I'm already very paranoid and panicky and I really just didn't think amplifying it would yield good results. Again... the fear of fear feedback loop. I'm tempted to go smoke just to prove myself wrong and have a great night's sleep, I have been sleeping like shit the past few days. "Fear, her ugly face is pokin through the clouds again. Gotta stare her in the eyes and tell her this time she won't win." I wrote that ages, lifetimes ago. Maybe I need to actively engage with her a bit more, rather than just tremble and piss myself every time Doom pokes his head over the horizon.

[ecotone99]

[Sf] let's go

PROLOGUE I don't know how it happened. Only that it was a slow process. First the weak, the young and old, the Ill and poor. They were the first to show signs. They slept more and more which wasn't that noticeable because they sleep all the time anyway. However we noticed the problem when they stopped waking up. Then the average people and even the well off started sleeping. This went on for the next six months. No one could figure out how to wake them up or to stop people from falling asleep. At the end of the first year all the people who were still awake moved everyone else to a central city. The sleepers were put in pods that kept them alive providing them with nutrients and other basic needs. The pods monitored them and recorded data in hopes of finding some answers. Every one else was also give a pod in preparation for the worst. Luckily the city runs itself so all we had to do was research and by the end the computers were doing that too. By the end of the second year I was the only one awake. Which I question every day. Why me? Of the millions in the pods why am I awake? CHAPTER 1 : AWAKE I started recording this as a precaution, in the case that I do become a sleeper or if someone wakes up I can fill them in on what happened. This camera is powered by solar panels with a backup plasma battery so I never really need to worry about it dying. ..... Dying that's something that you forget about when you have an entire world that just fell asleep. For two years now I haven't thought about death. Sleeping seemed so much more likely. The fear of going to sleep and not waking up. The ever present possibility of a necessity becoming a prison. That seems more real. Every day I do the same thing. I wake up it gets a little later daily, two years ago I woke up at nine am, a year later it was ten today eleven. After awake up I check the pods, I know the alarm will sound if anything happens. High pitched if a system failed. Low pitched if someone wakes, but I check away. Then I eat, the auto farm produces enough to feed everyone but I carbon freeze the rest for reserves. After breakfast I play pokemon go. It's dumb but it passes the time I carry two phones and play against myself, valor verses mystic, I take the gyms and hit the pokestops one day and the next I switch to the other phone. I helps me feel like it's the good old days. Not to mention it helps me stay active. I come back for lunch around two and after lunch I conduct my research. I'm not a scientist but you pick up a few things when there are ten people awake in the world and the other nine are fading fast so I learned everything I could and now I do the research while they sleep. Five o'clock is quitting time I eat dinner and shower then bed by seven. Then repeat over and over. When I'm lying in my bunk trying to sleep but being too afraid to let it happen, I often think of the days before. They seem like a dream now so surreal that it couldn't be the truth. That life had to be nothing more that a dream. CHAPTER 2 : DREAM I was a handyman before. Nothing special, not a man of science or a politician. Just someone to call when you needed a carpenter or a plumber. My dad always said that's something that will always be needed. They may have computers for everything else but they can't duplicate the human touch. The craftsmanship. So I followed his words. I served in the army first though. The draft for the war with Russia had just kicked off when I turned eighteen and sure enough three months later I was at Fort Benning, Georgia for basic training and infantry school. I served two tours in Siberia as forward forces against the attack on Alaska. When the sleep started taking people I thought it was the Russians attempting some kind of biological attack. But when most of Russia fell asleep I knew I must be wrong. I'd give anything to be back on that battlefield now. At least then I had allies around me and a clear objective. Now the gun shots are silent, the battle cries are only echoes in my head and the died are only sleeping. So it's my job to them wake up. I've had to become a scientist and put down my hammer spending hours researching book after book to find an answer that's never been found. Now instead of fighting with a rifle my fight is one of the mind. CHAPTER 3 : MIND I've been completely alone for about two months now. I have a routine which makes me feel safe. However I can feel my mind slipping. Talking to sleepers, talking to myself, Talking to walls. Desperate for something to talk back. To help me focus I've begun to play my recording back each night. Not to mention pokemon go actually really helps. I pretend that the other phone is someone else and I'll look at some of the other phones, if they have it I use them too. As a "guest appearance". CHAPTER 4 : APPEARANCE There is a lure! A pokemon lure! I didn't place it but it's there. I opened the app and there it was twenty five minutes left on a pokestop maybe 7 miles away. Someone else is here. Not me and not a sleeper but another person who is awake! They know I'm here and that I play pokemon go. So they've probably been watching me for some time now. Do I go to it and see what they want? Do I start building defenses and prepare for them to attack? If I get captured or killed there will be no one to protect the sleepers but this lure could be an olive branch and I have been extremely lonely. That settles it I'll go. I am taking a rifle and sidearm though, just in case. *The man moves out of view as he turns the camera around and straps it to his helmet* let's go see if it's friend or foe. CHAPTER 5: FRIEND OR FOE *The man rides his bike check the phone every few minutes to make sure he's heading the right way, once he gets close he drops his bike. He pulls up his rifle and starts moving forward, slowly moving his head back and forth between buildings scanning for danger* OKAY I'M HERE! What do you want? *A second voice answers from the shadows *"I'll answer with another question. What do you want?" I want to know who you are and why you've been watching me. "Is that all you want? How boring." Answer me and show yourself. " I am the reason your friends are asleep and I have been watching to understand why you are not yet asleep. I wanted to place the 'lure' to see how you would react. I will answer nothing else at this time. Goodbye" wait! I have more questions. *silence* Damn, what the hell just happened. *biking back as fast as he can the man arrives to the pods and does his checks* no harm has come to the pods so why draw me out? Was that really the voice of who ever was responsible for all the sleepers. If so how. A virus? A poison? What could it be? And who are they? Most importantly what happens next? CHAPTER 6: NEXT For the last five days I've rode back to the pokestop where the voice was but nothing else has happened. I'm more paranoid than ever now. I've built fortifications all around the area, trip wires that trigger alarms, and pit falls. However if they really have been watching they'll know exactly where to step. Other than to check the stop I don't leave camp. No more casual pokemon go. Who ever that was they definitely have pushed me closer to insanity. CHAPTER 7: INSANITY Its been a month since the event. A week since I checked the site. I have been hearing voices from the pods. The sleepers I think they are trying to tell me something. .... maybe if I close my eyes I can focus on the words. Yes I hear them. They know the secrets. They say they'll tell me. *the man sits quietly for a few minutes eyes closed face still. He then falls forward dropping the camera. As he lays there asleep foot steps are hear from behind the camera.* "finally the last one falls"

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[sending-the-message]

I found a notebook in an abandoned house, and now I've got a headache that won't go away by toomuchfog

I’m what you would call “between homes” right now. Without getting into details, let’s just say that my life hasn’t exactly panned out the way I’d like it to, and I’ve been drifting across this great country of ours for the better part of two years.

A few months ago, I found a notebook. It’s lonely being a wandering hermit. I love books, though, and I’ll read whatever I can get my hands on. I’ve been staying in abandoned houses for the most part -- in this economy, they aren’t hard to come across. I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve been living the high life, but I’m usually able to find a roof to put over my head and a couch to sleep on.

You’d be surprised what people leave behind. Electronics don’t work without power, but people leave behind entire collections of books. I was staying at this one house, up in Washington, I think it was, and I found an entire private home library all about living off the land and such. I think that’s the house where I found the notebook. I just sort of grabbed it along with a few other books about camping and roughing it -- I figure if I can get my hands on a sleeping bag and a good tent, I can set up camp in the woods instead of in people’s abandoned living rooms.

The notebook is freaking me out. That’s why I’m posting it here. I’ve read and re-read it a dozen times or so, and it’s honestly starting to scare me.

I’ve transcribed the notebook here. I censored certain parts of it -- I don’t want anyone coming after me or anything. I don’t think the contents of this notebook are particularly dangerous, but I don’t want to take any chances. The guy’s handwriting deteriorates towards the end and is downright atrocious in places, but I think I’ve copied it correctly for the most part. I’ve been having some trouble with my hands cramping lately -- just a side-effect of living on the road. I was able to soak them in warm water a few nights ago, and that seemed to help. Hell, maybe I’m getting arthritis or something.

Shoot, I’ve been rambling. Like I said, I found the notebook somewhere in Washington. I can’t remember the name of the town where I was staying or anything like that. I just remember that every house looked like it had been abandoned, and there was no sign of anyone. It really freaked me out. I didn’t stay for more than a night, and even that felt like it was too long.

[DATE REDACTED]

5:15 - 6:03 a.m. -- So far, four large vehicles have passed. Cannot tell what they are. Think they are vans or trucks. Cannot make out license plates. They keep their lights off. Cannot tell who is driving or how many people are inside each vehicle.

7:26 a.m. -- Vans. They’re definitely vans. Have only seen one since the sun came up. It’s a white van with a red and blue logo on the side. Logo is of a large satellite dish. The words SATELLITE REPAIR COMPANY are printed below it in black letters. Cannot find logo anywhere on internet.

11:56 a.m. -- SATELLITE REPAIR COMPANY van is parked across the street. Has been there for over an hour. No one has gotten in or out of the van.

12:45 p.m. -- Developed a headache at approximately 12:10 p.m. Took [MEDICATION REDACTED] at 12:12 p.m. Headache has not improved, has only gotten worse. Cannot take more pills. Need to lie down. Van has not moved. No one has gotten in or out of van.

3:28 p.m. -- Woke up approximately 15 minutes ago. Headache gone. Van gone.

6:02 p.m. -- TV is not working properly. Static keeps cutting through Channel [REDACTED]. Ate dinner.

[DATE REDACTED]

3:33 a.m. -- Woke up approximately 30 minutes ago with violent stomach cramps. Attempted to take [MEDICATION REDACTED], was unable to keep it down. Vomited.

4:58 a.m. -- Abdominal cramping has subsided. Vomiting has stopped. Am unable to fall back asleep. Van is again parked across the street. Am unable to read license plate or see van’s occupants.

5:30 a.m. -- Am experiencing more abdominal cramping. Have consumed Saltines and ginger ale. So far, have been able to keep it down. Van is still parked across the street. Same van as yesterday.

11:46 a.m. -- Have watched van all morning. Van has not moved. No one has gotten in or out of van. Can see license plate number [REDACTED]. Have done Google search on SATELLITE REPAIR COMPANY and [REDACTED LICENSE PLATE NUMBER]. No results.

1:59 p.m. -- Man has gotten out of rear passenger’s side door of van. Am unable to see into van. Man is approximately 5’10”, 175 lbs, 30-40 years old. Caucasian. Dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Wearing dark gray coveralls and workboots. Appears to be wearing a mask. The lower half of his face is obscured. His mouth and nose are covered. There appears to be a tube connecting the mask on his face to a backpack-like apparatus. Most likely a respirator of some sort. Why would he be wearing a respirator? Man paced back and forth briefly before opening rear passenger’s side door and climbing back into van.

2:15 p.m. -- Am developing headache. Have taken [MEDICATION REDACTED].

2:46 p.m. -- [MEDICATION REDACTED] is not working. Headache growing worse.

3:15 p.m. -- head hurts so much. Can’t stay near window anymore. Need to lie down.

7:19 p.m. -- Woke up on floor next to bed. Cannot remember how I got here. I could’ve sworn I closed the curtains and lay down in my bed.

7:32 p.m. -- TV isn’t working.

8:57 p.m. -- Decided to ask [NEIGHBOR’S NAME REDACTED] about the van. Assumed that [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] has been having problems with his TV. Went to [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] and asked about TV problems. [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] has not been having trouble with TV and has not called any repair service. However, [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] has noticed the van. [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] saw the van’s driver and described an “average-looking Hispanic or Latino man.” [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] could not recall height, weight, or age. Described the man as having dark brown or black hair and brown eyes. Stated that man was wearing gray coveralls and that he appeared to be wearing a respirator. Man briefly exited the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Damn, I wish [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] was more observant.

[DATE REDACTED]

3:57 a.m. -- I don’t remember going to bed last night. I don’t remember anything that happened after speaking with [NEIGHBOR REDACTED]. I woke up on my couch. The TV was on, displaying bluish-white static. Am experiencing mild abdominal cramping and minor pain in hands and fingers.

4:36 a.m. -- I don’t remember writing that last journal entry. I woke up in my bed feeling perfectly fine. I looked out the window. There are no vans or suspicious persons about.

5:09 a.m. -- Woke up to the sound of someone moving around in my backyard. I checked out the window and saw a man digging through my garbage cans. I armed myself and went outside to check. When I got out there, the man was gone. The garbage cans were disturbed, one was overturned. I cannot tell if anything important is missing. Thank God I shred all my junk mail.

7:48 a.m. -- Am experiencing severe abdominal cramping. Have vomited twice. Have attempted to take [MEDICATION REDACTED], am unable to keep it down. Am considering calling a doctor.

10:58 a.m. -- Woke up in the bathtub. Was covered in vomit. Showered and cleaned the tub, felt perfectly fine. Ate saltines, ginger ale, and hard-boiled eggs.

12:09 p.m. -- The van is back. Armed myself and went to investigate. All windows are tinted, even the windshield. Was unable to see inside. Knocked on windows and tried to open door. No luck. Was unable to gain access to the van or determine who/what is inside of it.

2:32 p.m. -- Van still parked outside.

3:00 p.m. -- Am experiencing pain in hands. Am having trouble moving fingers and holding small objects. [UNINTELLIGIBLE]

5:47 p.m. -- Fell asleep in chair by window. Had nightmare about my fingers fusing together, turning my hands into lobster claws. Had trouble getting out of chair. It felt like the chair was stuck to the backs of my legs. Finally managed to get out of chair. Went to kitchen, consumed saltines, ginger ale, and hard-boiled eggs. Unable to stomach anything else.

5:57 p.m. -- Developing headache. Took [MEDICATION REDACTED].

6:14 p.m. -- Headache getting worse. Seeing spots on edges of vision. Feeling dizzy and nauseous. Unable to stand up. [UNINTELLIGIBLE] Experiencing abdominal cramping.

9:46 p.m. -- Woke up in bed. Left leg is swollen. There is no pain, but the leg is bruised and swollen to twice its normal size. Am unable to move it. Hands feel numb. Am having trouble moving fingers.

10:10 p.m. -- Left leg still swollen and bruised. Am unable to move it. Managed to drag self to window. Van no longer parked outside. Saw [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] taking his garbage out. Sight of [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] filled me with anger. I’ve always liked [NEIGHBOR REDACTED]. He’s a good man, very friendly and always helpful. I have no reason to hate him. I know I have no reason to hate him. Seeing him filled me with rage. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and choke the life out of him. If my left leg hadn’t been so swollen and immobile, I think I would’ve run outside and killed him where he stood. God help me, I wanted to hurt him.

[DATE REDACTED]

1:17 a.m. -- Woke up with pain in left leg. Left leg still swollen and bruised. My foot is now facing the opposite direction. I am unable to move it. Have tried calling 911. Phones are not working. Am unable to put any weight on left leg. Right leg twitches and jitters, but refuses to cooperate or do what I tell it. Re-read yesterday’s entries. I have no memory of them. Am scared.

4:58 a.m. -- head hurts so bad. Seeing spots and stars in peripheral vision. Am afraid to go to sleep. Had nightmare about hands becoming lobster claws again, but this time, I killed [NEIGHBOR REDACTED]. In the dream, my legs were large fleshy tentacles and I slithered across the street. [UNINTELLIGIBLE] smashed lobster claw hands against [NEIGHBOR REDACTED]’s face. Ripped his eyes out and ate them. Woke up covered with sweat. Need help. Can’t move legs.

9:06 a.m. -- Heard [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] knocking on my door at approximately 7:00 a.m. Sound filled me with rage. I started screaming at [NEIGHBOR REDACTED], threatening to kill him. Was able to press my hand over my mouth to stifle the noise. I don’t think [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] heard, as he went away and has not come back. After [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] left, I discovered that I had shoved my entire hand into my mouth, up to the wrist. My fingertips were scraping against my tonsils, but this did not activate my gag reflex at all. When I finally pulled my hand out of my mouth, it was covered in blackish-brown sludge.

need to call police need doctor so much pain oh dear god so much pain go away [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] go away because i want to kill you want you dead want to rip your eyes out and eat them want to tear your tongue out want to bite your fingers off want to kill you want you dead dead dead want blood everywhere want it need it [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] run run run run run [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] run run run [UNINTELLIGIBLE] mother of god someone please help me pain everywhere legs can’t feel legs legs won’t cooperate won’t move hands lobster claws nowhere is safe nothing is safe oh god mother of god god almighty cramping so bad want to vomit can’t vomit teeth falling out my god my teeth are falling out they’re here now they’re pounding on the door it’s not [NEIGHBOR REDACTED] it’s the van men the van men are here something in the air there is something in the air they know they’ve done something to the air [UNINTELLIGIBLE] don’t let them in can’t let them in door won’t hold them forever [UNINTELLIGIBLE] what have they done oh dear god what have they done to me

The notebook ends here. I’m having trouble remembering the house I took it from. Like I said, I didn’t read it until I’d hitchhiked at least two to three hours away. I wasn’t in the house for long, just a night. This whole thing is probably someone’s creative writing exercise, right? I mean, it can’t be serious. I feel fine. I mean, I had a minor headache this morning, but it wasn’t anything serious. It wasn’t a migraine like the ones described in this notebook. I haven’t been sleeping well or eating particularly healthily. That’s probably it. I can’t remember the last time I had a piece of fresh fruit or a vegetable. That’s probably it. I’m sure that once I get some decent food in me and a good night’s sleep in a warm dry bed, I’ll feel better. This notebook’s probably a hoax. Some poor dope knew that he’d be evicted, so he left a prank behind for potential squatters.

I wish this headache would go away, though.

[yourlazybelievercollection-blog]

Exactly how I've Reframed My Believing On Effective weight loss As well as Begun (Lastly!) Slimming down.

Dr. Paul Rivas, author from the great-named book The Cheater's Diet (HCI), has actually created a swift fat loss strategy that relies upon 4 crucial elements: recurring tiny dishes, liquids, fish and thread. The AHA states that this diet shows the existing suggestions from the American Center Organization." There were actually no specific recommendations regarding booze in some of the diet regimens. Just what I saw in on my own is actually that until I reached a crucial bottom of understanding about diet science I could not drop weight despite the amount of supposed self-discipline I brought to that. As a recommendation factor, I have a great deal of this trait phoned discipline. In our study the overall effect from diet concerned 2 or 3 times larger than the overall impact of exercising and I think that merely associates with what's true in the United States, that diet plan is quite, incredibly negative, physical activity is actually likewise poor yet diet plan is even much worse. I went on a diet regimen and also worked out and also lost around 20 kilo's then reached a sticking point where exactly what I was performing really did not lose the last handful of kilo's. She says the even today if she strays off healthy consuming, she can incredibly effortlessly put on weight. Remember that a low-carb diet plan has to be greater in fat, to create that delighting. Once you quit eating, your body system gets its own power coming from the sugar in your bloodstream and also liver, thanks to your final dish. The only trouble is that once he blows up this 'œpizza diet' he might get the body weight back yet I see his aspect though. This comes a couple of full weeks after our experts assembled our fifth annual The majority of Popular Diets from the Year list, showcasing 25 brand names as well as products that our viewers favored very most in 2012. A medical body weight loss facility was the resource from 40 obese topics, 22 men and 19 ladies, common grow older 38, common physical body mass mark 36.5, ordinary weight 108.6 kg (239 lb). Nevertheless, he simply adhered to a vegan diet plan just before 6. After 6 he ate whatever he wanted within moderation. Hey Emma, Thanks a ton for the feedback.i have improved my fatty tissue consumption currently and also hoping for changes in my body weight. Consuming skills carries out not place an emphasis on food choice besides to offer foods that consist of the 4 food groups. I was actually 164 at my Weight Watchers conference, so I was2 off creating it WW official, but that doesn't matter. Grazers that eat little dishes throughout the day may additionally would like to reevaluate their program. If you want to make your own foods, you can discover an on the web nutritional personal digital assistant like fitday, or even my physical fitness buddy, and input the components to figure out the number of carbs there are each serving. JESSICA LONGBOTTOM: And also making certain people to remove body weight in the long-term, is still an issue facing wellness experts. Motivated by Mediterranean lifestyle, this diet plan placed 4.7/ 5 for exactly how healthy and balanced this is actually - which might be since that's reduced in red pork, sweets and also saturated fat. After 10 years, average effective weight loss of the teams was 25%, 16%, and also 14%, specifically. One declared to have actually dropped weight making use of the strategy (she was the smallest yet still by no means thin by my criteria) as well as an additional asserted she goned on the program yet I viewed her at Intended lately (after concerning 9 months) and she is still as fatty tissue as consistently. Our team do not ensure that the observing plan is going to work with you, yet our company do feel whatever your results, the influence on your total health are going to be extremely good. Diet regimens as our team right now understand all of them - weight loss regimes - merely really ended up being usual coming from the 19th century onwards. Pros feature: Great for those along with hectic schedules; adjustable; scam foods allow for a well-thought-out diet plan. If they are actually, you reside in usual ketosis - much like the ketosis from non-diabetic folks who follow a rigorous low-carb diet plan. That suggests that no snack of food items, regardless of exactly how harmless seeming, despite if it was actually an entire snack, or a fifty percent bite, or even a meager crumb, ought to go unrecorded, since surely that is going to be that a person snack that will take all your weight-loss initiatives down. Veggie shakes are actually a healthy means instead of buying drinks which might have unstated components.

And the occasions I refer to right here are often a matter of genes, way of living, as well as physical body weight. Nope, certainly not that, either, although I carried out comply with a gluten-free diet for a number of months presuming possibly this will help. I organize after I shed all my body weight to boost the carbohydrates from veggies approximately 100gr-130gr and see exactly how my body system reacts in relations to food cravings as well as yearnings. Whatever kind of diet you comply with, you'll find a ton of things making within this one! Maybe only certainly not holding a 15kg dead weight with me all over I go is part of that. My better half and also I have goned on the diet plan for 2 months, and each people have lost much more than 13 pounds as well as alot of inches and also we have not performed even one shake and our company haven't been ONE HUNDRED% compliant - as well as we haven't been actually starving even the moment. Right now I am actually observing on the August calender as well as eating every pair of hrs featuring protein shakes. About Weblog - Bariatric Cookery is actually the UK's very first and also simply specialized food items and also free recipe website to help those which have undergone bariatric surgical procedure to attain enduring weight-loss success. Leaning to cook fresh dishes and also the potential to recognize food labels are abilities we all need to have. I am actually really hoping the ketogenic diet plan assists improve cognitive functioning as well as lessen seizures. If www.alegesanatatea-blog.ro start exercising on Atkins, it can also explain why weight loss may decrease or slow. Remember: you can't cut your appetite, but you can lower this through eating a little bit of much less and also healthy and balanced food as well as beverage water, check out her dishes's video there really good! Unbaise researches have still concluded that this's under researched, and that is actually most likely to only make weight reduction because of its own caffeine, which is not added in this label. Thus our future software application selves may find a have to carry a number of our thoughts back in to natural form only to keep up the problem and also the understanding. Typically lots of people aren't sure how to manage annoying social circumstances that will prompt anxiety and how you can experience sadness or even anxiety without resorting to meals for convenience. However, dependable accessibility to minerals as well as vitamins can perhaps indicate minimized food cravings amounts as well as reduced cravings, consequently promoting fat burning. Therapeutic swift: limiting kilojoule intake to approximately 25 percent of what you should preserve your body system weight for a duration of weeks, normally 8-16. For individuals who've fought with their weight for a long times, complying with the Atkins Diet plan is usually the first time they've really felt responsible of their impulses-- and in general, from their body system. I have possessed an excellent 20kg effortless weight reduction with low carb higher 'healthy' fat deposits diet regimen, and it's a way of life currently. Nonetheless, I'm presently under Doctor's purchases to shed as well as cut carbohydrates body weight in order to lower my blood pressure as well as blood sugar. Respectful Treatment: Acknowledge our predispositions, and job to end weight discrimination, weight preconception, and body weight bias. Note that the diet plan totally does away with sweets and also carbohydrates, which the body system retail stores excess in the form of excess fat.

[trendingnewsb]

I've Read over 100 Productivity Books and Summarized the 15 Most Important Tips

Ten years ago, nearly to the day, I was given a promotion from starting-level engineer to upper management. Honestly, as exciting as the promotion was, I was incredibly overwhelmed. I felt that I didn’t have enough time to do everything that I needed/wanted to do and I began to feel that I was in over my head. Something had to give.

I’d heard of productivity books being helpful, so I decided to give it a try. I was hoping that the books would teach me how to get more done in less time. Not only did they help me achieve that goal, but other aspects of my performance as well.

After reading 100 productivity books, I have found that there are 15 key elements to staying productive and being efficient. I have compiled a list of my findings to help you to be as productive as you can be.

1. Don’t wait for others to set your deadlines, set them for yourself

While growing up with our structured school system, students are used to being given deadlines and working to meet them. This causes a problem when we suddenly don’t have a deadline to work towards. We tend to get lazy because there is no sense of urgency. This is why overachievers in school tend to be average in the real world, as they don’t have deadlines to work towards once no one sets it for them.

Successful people don’t wait, they set deadlines for their personal goals. While meeting external deadlines (those that are given to you) helps you to survive and meet the bare minimum, internal deadlines (those that you give yourself) make you push through your boundaries. The key is to be proactive, not passive.

2. Keep track of your time like you do your bank account

We like to think that we know ourselves well. But when asked to recall, we can’t remember what we did at this time on this day last week. Time is the most valuable resource we have. We need to track it like we do our bank accounts, because as the old saying goes, time is money. You can always earn more money, but you can never get back wasted time.

Keep a time-sheet to record how much time you spend on tasks. Even everyday/personal tasks. You’ll be surprised to see how much time you waste on certain things.

3. Don’t focus on your weaknesses, work on your strengths instead

It’s common practice to improve your weaknesses. But that shouldn’t be your primary focus.  The most important thing is to first improve your strengths.  Having a strength means that you already have a foundation for it (otherwise it wouldn’t be a strength) and acquired the basic skills.  You should already have a solid idea of what to improve.  The difference is that this growth will be exponential versus improving anything else.

Weaknesses cause limitations because you’re starting from the ground up. Everything is so new and it can be difficult to identify what works.  But once you find those weak points, you can utilize your strengths (which you’ve improved) to help turn these weaknesses into an asset.

4. Rank tasks by importance, not the order you received them

Every task does not hold the same weight of importance as others might. Always ask yourself: What needs to be done right away? Regularly rank your tasks, and get the vital ones out of the way.

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that because a task came earlier, it is more important than the following tasks. Some tasks have a leveraging effect, so even if they arise later than other tasks, it should be prioritized to be finished right away.

Example: You are planning to brush up on your presentation skills, so you read 20 self-improvement books to reach your goal. Then you decide to read books on speed reading. The best move would have been to read the speed reading books first, to make reading your self-improvement books quicker and more effective.

5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew

“You can’t eat the whole pizza at once.” Now while this statement may come off as a challenge (I’m sure some of you could scarf down a whole pizza with no issue) the point is that we think we can handle enormous tasks on our own. Taking on too much at once can be discouraging, and will ultimately lessen your motivation.

The solution: break down big tasks into smaller, digestible tasks to create order and relieve some of the stress.

6. Smart people know when to delegate

Don’t feel obligated to do every little thing yourself. Doing more doesn’t mean doing better. In fact, if you have too much on your plate you are very likely to make careless mistakes because you’re trying to do too much at once. Recognize which tasks can be passed on to others so that you can focus on more challenging and important tasks.

7. Use your brain for thinking, not remembering

Information is unlimited, it’s impossible to remember everything. There’s a popular saying, “You have already forgotten more than you already know.” Meaning, there is just too much information to retain it all through memory alone. There’s a variety of tools that we can use to organize our thoughts and ideas for us, such as: computers, notebooks, our phones, etc.

8. Review your productivity at the end of the day

At the end of your day, take the time to reflect what you have accomplished, and what could be improved.

Ask yourself these questions:

What have I done well?

What have I done poorly?

Why did some things not work out as planned?

How can I do better tomorrow?

When we don’t reflect, we rely only on natural growth. Successful people concentrate on deliberate practice, where they actively identify and focus on things to improve. Even if you feel that you’ve done a job well done, still consider what could be done in terms of improvement. There is always something!

9. Sometimes cutting tasks is better than adding them

Make it a practice to regularly clear out what isn’t useful to you. This can be manual tasks, physical items, or even relationships. Think about it, physical clutter doesn’t only take up space, but it inhibits our performance as well because we have the physical impression of overload. I know that I personally need to have an organized work space, or I just can’t concentrate.

Just like we need to de-clutter our surroundings, we need to do the same with our digital space, only making room for what it important and deleting the rest. Your device will work more efficiently, and you don’t have to sift through endless folders and files to find whatever you’re trying to access. Less is more.

10. Estimate time for your task

Sometimes this is something that we slack off on, going into a project without considering how much time it is going to take us. To help with this, follow the 2 minute rule. If it can be completed within two minutes, get it out of the way first.

Neglecting to estimate your time can cause you to waste time; because you do not have a real goal in mind or deadline you are trying to meet. If you don’t set a standard, then you won’t know which aspects need to be improved upon and tweaked for efficiency when the task is repeated.

Example: You are making an avocado salad. Before beginning, how long do you think it is going to take? 30 minutes? 15? 3? When we consider the task at hand and the time needed to complete it, we start planning on how to do it more efficiently.

11. Stretch your creativity no matter what your job is

We need a bit of creativity for every task that we complete, no matter how mundane it may seem. Creativity is not always a naturally given talent, but a muscle that can be trained. Perhaps you’re not the Renaissance man (or woman) of the century, but you can drum up some out-of-the-box ideas along with the best of them. We need a bit of creativity in order to step up our efficiency.

This could relate to tasks such as time management or production procedures. You need to exercise your creativity to make an already existing practice even better.

12. Know when to stop as tasks tend to devalue overtime

When the productivity of a project beings to diminish, you need to know when it’s time to call it quits. Tasks tend to devalue overtime. The longer a task is taking, the less likely it is to be successful. When it starts to seem that progress is declining, it’s time to cut your losses and reevaluate your game plan.

Example: When a business realizes that they are losing more and more money each month, they need to change their strategy.

13. Always assume that you don’t know as much as you may think you know

Because the truth is, most people don’t know much. There’s an endless supply of information relating to just about anything. Never be overly satisfied, always know that there is room for improvement. Just because you have a good thing, it doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be better. Always continue to strive for more and look for new insights. You’re really only the best if you look for new ways to grow. And most importantly, don’t allow yourself to be secretly arrogant. Or outwardly arrogant. Stay humble. You will gain much more respect from your peers and your followers this way.

14. Identify your instant gratification and ditch it

You might think that you don’t have an instant gratification trigger, but everyone has one. This is something that you don’t really need to work for, but fills you with enough confidence and feeling of productivity that you don’t feel you need to do anymore. What is yours? Identify yours, and overcome it.

Example: Your boss is always very complimentary, nearly to the point of being coddled. Since you’re always hearing that you’re doing a good job, you feel like you don’t need to do more. But in order to improve, you should strive to do more to get to the next level of excellence.

15. Start with the big picture, work down to the details

Identify the ultimate goal at hand, and start from the beginning. Then, break down every task in sequential order that needs to be achieved in order to reach this ultimate goal. Double check your tasks at hand, ask yourself how it fits into the big picture and if it is really necessary. Could you time be better spent on a different task? Don’t just work mindlessly. Always consider the big picture and the moves you are making towards it.

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I've Read over 100 Productivity Books and Summarized the 15 Most Important Tips

Ten years ago, nearly to the day, I was given a promotion from starting-level engineer to upper management. Honestly, as exciting as the promotion was, I was incredibly overwhelmed. I felt that I didn’t have enough time to do everything that I needed/wanted to do and I began to feel that I was in over my head. Something had to give.

I’d heard of productivity books being helpful, so I decided to give it a try. I was hoping that the books would teach me how to get more done in less time. Not only did they help me achieve that goal, but other aspects of my performance as well.

After reading 100 productivity books, I have found that there are 15 key elements to staying productive and being efficient. I have compiled a list of my findings to help you to be as productive as you can be.

1. Don’t wait for others to set your deadlines, set them for yourself

While growing up with our structured school system, students are used to being given deadlines and working to meet them. This causes a problem when we suddenly don’t have a deadline to work towards. We tend to get lazy because there is no sense of urgency. This is why overachievers in school tend to be average in the real world, as they don’t have deadlines to work towards once no one sets it for them.

Successful people don’t wait, they set deadlines for their personal goals. While meeting external deadlines (those that are given to you) helps you to survive and meet the bare minimum, internal deadlines (those that you give yourself) make you push through your boundaries. The key is to be proactive, not passive.

2. Keep track of your time like you do your bank account

We like to think that we know ourselves well. But when asked to recall, we can’t remember what we did at this time on this day last week. Time is the most valuable resource we have. We need to track it like we do our bank accounts, because as the old saying goes, time is money. You can always earn more money, but you can never get back wasted time.

Keep a time-sheet to record how much time you spend on tasks. Even everyday/personal tasks. You’ll be surprised to see how much time you waste on certain things.

3. Don’t focus on your weaknesses, work on your strengths instead

It’s common practice to improve your weaknesses. But that shouldn’t be your primary focus.  The most important thing is to first improve your strengths.  Having a strength means that you already have a foundation for it (otherwise it wouldn’t be a strength) and acquired the basic skills.  You should already have a solid idea of what to improve.  The difference is that this growth will be exponential versus improving anything else.

Weaknesses cause limitations because you’re starting from the ground up. Everything is so new and it can be difficult to identify what works.  But once you find those weak points, you can utilize your strengths (which you’ve improved) to help turn these weaknesses into an asset.

4. Rank tasks by importance, not the order you received them

Every task does not hold the same weight of importance as others might. Always ask yourself: What needs to be done right away? Regularly rank your tasks, and get the vital ones out of the way.

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that because a task came earlier, it is more important than the following tasks. Some tasks have a leveraging effect, so even if they arise later than other tasks, it should be prioritized to be finished right away.

Example: You are planning to brush up on your presentation skills, so you read 20 self-improvement books to reach your goal. Then you decide to read books on speed reading. The best move would have been to read the speed reading books first, to make reading your self-improvement books quicker and more effective.

5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew

“You can’t eat the whole pizza at once.” Now while this statement may come off as a challenge (I’m sure some of you could scarf down a whole pizza with no issue) the point is that we think we can handle enormous tasks on our own. Taking on too much at once can be discouraging, and will ultimately lessen your motivation.

The solution: break down big tasks into smaller, digestible tasks to create order and relieve some of the stress.

6. Smart people know when to delegate

Don’t feel obligated to do every little thing yourself. Doing more doesn’t mean doing better. In fact, if you have too much on your plate you are very likely to make careless mistakes because you’re trying to do too much at once. Recognize which tasks can be passed on to others so that you can focus on more challenging and important tasks.

7. Use your brain for thinking, not remembering

Information is unlimited, it’s impossible to remember everything. There’s a popular saying, “You have already forgotten more than you already know.” Meaning, there is just too much information to retain it all through memory alone. There’s a variety of tools that we can use to organize our thoughts and ideas for us, such as: computers, notebooks, our phones, etc.

8. Review your productivity at the end of the day

At the end of your day, take the time to reflect what you have accomplished, and what could be improved.

Ask yourself these questions:

What have I done well?

What have I done poorly?

Why did some things not work out as planned?

How can I do better tomorrow?

When we don’t reflect, we rely only on natural growth. Successful people concentrate on deliberate practice, where they actively identify and focus on things to improve. Even if you feel that you’ve done a job well done, still consider what could be done in terms of improvement. There is always something!

9. Sometimes cutting tasks is better than adding them

Make it a practice to regularly clear out what isn’t useful to you. This can be manual tasks, physical items, or even relationships. Think about it, physical clutter doesn’t only take up space, but it inhibits our performance as well because we have the physical impression of overload. I know that I personally need to have an organized work space, or I just can’t concentrate.

Just like we need to de-clutter our surroundings, we need to do the same with our digital space, only making room for what it important and deleting the rest. Your device will work more efficiently, and you don’t have to sift through endless folders and files to find whatever you’re trying to access. Less is more.

10. Estimate time for your task

Sometimes this is something that we slack off on, going into a project without considering how much time it is going to take us. To help with this, follow the 2 minute rule. If it can be completed within two minutes, get it out of the way first.

Neglecting to estimate your time can cause you to waste time; because you do not have a real goal in mind or deadline you are trying to meet. If you don’t set a standard, then you won’t know which aspects need to be improved upon and tweaked for efficiency when the task is repeated.

Example: You are making an avocado salad. Before beginning, how long do you think it is going to take? 30 minutes? 15? 3? When we consider the task at hand and the time needed to complete it, we start planning on how to do it more efficiently.

11. Stretch your creativity no matter what your job is

We need a bit of creativity for every task that we complete, no matter how mundane it may seem. Creativity is not always a naturally given talent, but a muscle that can be trained. Perhaps you’re not the Renaissance man (or woman) of the century, but you can drum up some out-of-the-box ideas along with the best of them. We need a bit of creativity in order to step up our efficiency.

This could relate to tasks such as time management or production procedures. You need to exercise your creativity to make an already existing practice even better.

12. Know when to stop as tasks tend to devalue overtime

When the productivity of a project beings to diminish, you need to know when it’s time to call it quits. Tasks tend to devalue overtime. The longer a task is taking, the less likely it is to be successful. When it starts to seem that progress is declining, it’s time to cut your losses and reevaluate your game plan.

Example: When a business realizes that they are losing more and more money each month, they need to change their strategy.

13. Always assume that you don’t know as much as you may think you know

Because the truth is, most people don’t know much. There’s an endless supply of information relating to just about anything. Never be overly satisfied, always know that there is room for improvement. Just because you have a good thing, it doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be better. Always continue to strive for more and look for new insights. You’re really only the best if you look for new ways to grow. And most importantly, don’t allow yourself to be secretly arrogant. Or outwardly arrogant. Stay humble. You will gain much more respect from your peers and your followers this way.

14. Identify your instant gratification and ditch it

You might think that you don’t have an instant gratification trigger, but everyone has one. This is something that you don’t really need to work for, but fills you with enough confidence and feeling of productivity that you don’t feel you need to do anymore. What is yours? Identify yours, and overcome it.

Example: Your boss is always very complimentary, nearly to the point of being coddled. Since you’re always hearing that you’re doing a good job, you feel like you don’t need to do more. But in order to improve, you should strive to do more to get to the next level of excellence.

15. Start with the big picture, work down to the details

Identify the ultimate goal at hand, and start from the beginning. Then, break down every task in sequential order that needs to be achieved in order to reach this ultimate goal. Double check your tasks at hand, ask yourself how it fits into the big picture and if it is really necessary. Could you time be better spent on a different task? Don’t just work mindlessly. Always consider the big picture and the moves you are making towards it.

The post I’ve Read over 100 Productivity Books and Summarized the 15 Most Important Tips appeared first on Lifehack.

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2tP3CLi via Viral News HQ