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It feels good when a goal is achieved.

However, the commitment and patience it takes to stick with a goal and then see it all the way to the end is not trivial. It takes courage, faith and a little goal setting know-how to keep the good feelings coming.

Achieving your goals can provide the energy and the confidence needed to continue setting more goals. Goals help you see where you are today and where you want to be in the future. Goals are the fuel that keeps you moving forward.

Goals can vary in size and effort, but successful goal setting relies on the following six factors. When you combine these simple, yet effective factors and allow them to work together you will find lasting goal setting success:

1. It’s conceivable
   If you can think it, you can likely achieve it. Must goals start with an idea; a vision. Goals are dreams you want to accomplish. When you use your senses to see, hear, smell or touch your goals then they become more tangible; more approachable and more real.

   The first task in goal setting is to clearly visualize what you want to achieve. Spend time considering what you want and then burn this goal into your mind. Once there, the chances of success increase significantly.

2. It has to be believable
   After conceiving a goal, your excitement runs high. You can see the thing you want to gain and with a large dose of enthusiasm you set out to get it. But something terrible can happen along the way – you allow others to tell you that you can’t do it.

   It only takes one or two negative people to put doubt in your mind. An often inaccurate belief system kicks in and you start believing you can’t do it either. Old tapes play in your head; the tapes that say you are not worthy or smart enough to have what you want.

   Learn to replace these lies with the truth. The truth tells you that you are worthy to have whatever you conceive. The truth tells you to believe in your goal because you breathed life into it when you imagined it.

3. It must be achievable
   Successful goal setting is about achievement. The goals you set are intended to be achieved. To do so, be certain to make them achievable. This starts with being realistic.

   Even though you have conceived a goal and you believe in its value (and in yourself), now it’s time to be practical and put together a plan to attain it. The expression, “You can’t an elephant in one bite,” is especially true in the context of goal setting. Make a plan to eat the whole elephant (your goal), but begin by taking small, deliberate and calculated bites.

   See the whole picture first and then put together this plan with the knowledge gained from past experiences. When an obstacle lands in your path, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just as there are some negative people in your life, there are also well-meaning people who care about your success. Reach out to these people and allow them to be a positive, helpful influence.

4. It must be measurable
   Goals need to be specific and measurable so you can gauge your progress and know when a goal has been met. Asking questions like, “When,” “How much,” and “How will I know it has been accomplished?” provide the most common units of measure when assessing goal completion.

   If you are a freelance writer, for example, a measurable goal might be something like, “I want to publish two articles in Vanity Fair and GQ by May 1.”

   This measurable goal has three important parts: (1) It states how many articles; (2) indicates where the articles are to be published and (3) provides a timeline for completion. In this example, the writer will know exactly when the goal is accomplished. Measurable goals not only provide direction; they also give closure so you will know when to move on to the next one.

5. It must be stated with no alternatives
   In war, when lives are at stake, there is no alternative to victory. Seldom is there the same life and death consequence in the business world, but the stakes can feel just as high sometimes.

   When setting a goal, it must be stated with a firm “all-or-nothing” way of thinking. A soft goal isn’t really a goal at all – it’s a hope. You can hope to be successful or you can plan to be successful. Setting goals with no alternatives leads to the success you deserve.

6. It must be something you want to do
   At the end of the day, successful goal setting is about passion. If you have passion for a goal then you are more likely to accomplish it. Your passion gives you the energy to keep moving forward in spite of the negative voices you hear or the obstacles you encounter.

   Generally, people don’t do anything until they are ready. When setting a goal, if your attitude is anything less than passionate, then you have probably set the wrong goal.

   How do you know if you have passion for a goal? The answer is simple: Make a list of the major goals you want to accomplish. The one that jumps off the page and lands right in the middle of your heart is something you may want to do.

   Believe in this one. Make a plan to achieve it. Measure your progress as you go and be resolute that there are no alternatives. When you do, you have mastered the simple factors of successful goal setting.

Since my move to Spain, I’ve realized how freeing it can be to live with few possessions. Before I moved here I lived in Sweden. I did live a simple life in Sweden, but now it’s even simpler, and it feels good.

In Spain I rent a fully furnished apartment, which allows me to basically only own a laptop, clothes and a few other items. My happiness has greatly improved from consuming less and realizing that I do not need a lot of stuff to be happy.

When you consume, ask yourself, why are you consuming? What hole are you artificially trying to fill by purchasing more and more things?

I’ve learned a lot in the last few months in keeping my life simple and consuming less. Here are 7 of the strategies that I use to overcome the urge of consumption:

1. Pay with cash
   When you pay with cold hard cash, you’ll be more conscious of your spending. Paying with a debit or credit card is easier, because after all, it’s only a plastic card. I’ve talked with a few people who have drastically cut their spending by eliminating the use of any kind of cards.

   Why do you think banks and everyone else wants you to use these cards? Because it increases consumption, and that’s good for business. But what’s good for business might not be good for you, in the long-run.

2. Leave your wallet
   When I’m out roaming the streets I come across opportunities to buy all the time. Here in Southern Spain we have a lot of restaurants, so the smell of the food is constantly beckoning, wanting me to come and taste the delicious dishes that are available.

   I only take my wallet with me if I really need to. I decide beforehand what I need to buy and if I really need to buy it. I’m mostly spending money on food, rent and other necessities. If I bring my wallet everywhere I go, it’s too easy for me to go into a zombie-like state and start buying.

3. Realize what is important
   What do you really value in life? Examples from my own life would be relationships, doing what I love, and having fun. Yours might be completely different, but almost all human beings want to be happy and find passion in their life.

   We’ve been taught to consume and to buy. We’ve been programmed to believe that having a lot of nice stuff automatically equals success. But there’s something that has been left out, and that is the fact that success does not equal happiness. This is assuming that material wealth equals success.

   When you’re looking at that new phone, computer or car, do you really need it? If you already have one at home, use that, because there are more important things you can spend your money on.

4. Acknowledge the urge
   Whenever I feel the urge to buy something, I become aware of it and accept it. The only time you can get caught up in the urge to consume is when you’re unaware of its influence over you.

   When you shine the light on your need to purchase, you’re instantly conscious about your choices. You can go ahead and buy something, but you will be doing it consciously, while knowing the consequences.

5. Explore the deeper meaning
   Why do we consume? What are we trying to do? We all know people who never seem to stop hoarding and consuming. They fill up their houses with stuff. After a while, they need a bigger house to store all of their stuff in.

   It’s a never-ending cycle. What is the deeper meaning of your desire to consume? I know I want a nice phone, a car and a house, but I realize that they will not make me happy. They are merely preferences, not necessities.

6. Think strategically
   Now, just realizing that you do not need something will probably not help you fight the urge, which is why I like to think strategically and think about the costs of buying something. If you want to buy a car, it’s not just the car you’re buying. It’s the future fuel cost, repairs and everything else that comes with it.

   Minimizing your life will allow you to spend less, work less and have more free time to do what you want. We all work so we can finally realize our dreams. I have a radical thought: why not work less and spend less so you can do it now?

   If you want to buy a big house, then of course you have to work, but is that house really necessary for your happiness? Happiness does not come from external things. You might be happy for a moment, but it will pass. True happiness comes from the inside.

7. Ask
   I’ve found asking the right questions to be really powerful. I have gotten so good at it that I am able to fool myself into not buying something. I might look at something I want to buy and think “maybe I’ll buy it later”, which of course means that I’ll forget and never buy it. An excellent strategy, wouldn’t you say?

   Other questions I use are “Do I really need this?” and “How often am I going to use this?”

   I’ve noticed that I often want to buy things that I am probably not going to use more than a few times a month or even less. The only reason I want them is because they are pretty and they make me look good.

Increasing Your Happiness
For me, being a minimalist doesn’t mean relinquishing all of your material possessions, it simply means decluttering my life and realizing what truly makes me happy.

I don’t have to consume. I don’t have to look for happiness. I can do what I want to do right now. Most people can go after their dreams and passions, but they choose not to by making excuses and blaming something outside of them.

Don’t give away your power by whining, pointing and blaming. Take control of your life and start going after the things that matter to you. You may not succeed right away, but it’s a start.

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it’s not a habit that many people form.

But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every day, and forming the habit isn’t hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don’t often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don’t drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated — and that isn’t good for our health.

I’ve made drinking water a daily habit, although I will admit that a couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now I don’t drink anything but water, except for a cup of coffee in the morning and once in awhile a beer with dinner. I love it.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

1. Weight loss
   Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn’t have any calories. But it’s also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.
2. Heart healthy
   Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
3. Energy
   Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired — even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated — and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
4. Headache cure
   Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it’s simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
5. Healthy skin
   Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.
6. Digestive problems
   Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
7. Cleansing
   Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.
8. Cancer risk
   Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.
9. Better exercise
   Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

How to form the water habit
So you’re convinced that water is healthier, but you’d like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

• How much water?
  This is a debatable question. What’s clear is that the old recommendation of “eight 8-ounce glasses a day” isn’t right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person’s body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It’s also not good to just drink when you’re thirsty — you’re already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.
• Carry a bottle
  A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it’s empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking.
• Set a reminder
  Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don’t forget to drink water.
• Substitute water
  If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions.
• Filter
  Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It’ll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.
• Exercise
  Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It’s not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you’re going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.
• Track it
  It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it — it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you’re staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

Dear Lifehacker,
I’d love to get rid of cable and stream all my favorite TV shows right from the internet. What do I need to know before I take the plunge?

Signed,
Ready to Cut the Coaxial

Photo by sociotard.

Join the club! Some of us at Lifehacker HQ have already left or are ready to leave the cable company for 24/7 live TV streaming, too. We get this question all the time, and we’ve examined ditching the monthly bill in favor of watching programs online occasionally in the past, and we’ve also looked at ways to get your TV fix with apps like Boxee and Hulu, plus there are cool set-top devices like Roku and TiVo, but this is a good opportunity to get exhaustive. There are so many great options for catching a show here or there, but can you rely on them to replicate the cable TV experience? Well, yes and no.

If you’re going to unplug from the cable company, prepare to exercise some patience when it comes to watching your favorite shows as soon as they air—it can take anywhere from a day to a week for them to appear online. Also, be ready to do some digging around to find who’s streaming special events, sports, and other programming outside of the drama/sitcom variety. Let’s take a look at ways to find certain types of programming without relying on your cable company.

Watch TV Online

You can watch most of your favorite network shows by simply streaming them directly from the networks’ web sites. They’re often available a few hours after they air, and regularly have additional goodies like behind-the-scenes footage or teasers for upcoming episodes. In addition to official network sites, more and more useful tools are popping up every day to help you get your TV fix online.

• Clicker – Bookmark this site to help you figure out where your favorite shows are airing around the internet. It combs through what’s available on Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming video sites, and is searchable by show or topic.
• Hulu – This video streaming service offers the five most recent episodes of dozens of many of the most-watched shows on television. Episodes are available for 30 days after their air date, so this is a great way to catch up on any shows you’ve missed. It’s also full of full seasons of older TV shows
• CBS – Episodes from lots of current programming, as well as some oldies but goodies (MacGyver!)
• NBC – Check out new episodes of current primetime, daytime, and late night programming, and some original online-only series like Office parody show Ctrl.
• ABC – Episodes of current shows, including daytime programming and archives of specials like the American Music Awards
• FOX – Full-length episodes of many popular shows, including Family Guy and Glee.
• Netflix – Best for catching episodes of your favorite shows from last season or from the last decade. While Netflix doesn’t typically offer recently aired episodes of popular shows, it’s perfect for streaming episodes from previous seasons, or for getting your “Murder She Wrote” groove on. There’s a monthly fee to subscribe to Netflix but once you’re signed up, you can stream an unlimited amount of shows.
• iTunes – You can pick up new episodes of shows on iTunes hours after they air on television, but be prepared to pay for the privilege. They’ll usually set you back $1.99 per episode, or upwards of $30 per season. On the other hand, buying through iTunes means you can drop the shows on your iPod and watch them on the fly.
• Amazon Video On Demand – Like iTunes, you’ll pay for most of the television shows you get from this site. The upside is, you can watch programs on your computer or convert them to a format that’s playable on a mobile device.
• Gawker.TV – Okay, so our association aside (Gawker.TV is the all-video site of our blog network’s namesake, Gawker), Gawker.TV was the go-to online destination we fired up every day during the recent Late Night debacle for comprehensive coverage of all the drama—and we didn’t have to stay up all night to keep up with the latest. Gawker.TV isn’t the only site out there that posts clips and synopses from shows and news events, but it’s got a quick turnaround and can really fill a gap you miss when you don’t have access to the regular cable lineup.

If you’re nuts for Psych, The Daily Show, or other cable TV shows, Hulu’s got you covered. Some programs take a week to turn up on the web site, though, so you’ll have to exercise some patience and avoid spoilers for a few days. On the other hand, Hulu has a bunch of nice features that let you organize, queue, and search shows. There’s a desktop app that works with standard Apple or Windows Media Center Remotes. If you’re sporting Windows 7 on your computer, don’t forget to check out the Hulu Integration app for Windows Media Center.

Watch Movies Online

• Hulu – Unlike television shows, current popular movies generally will take a while to turn up on Hulu. If you like to channel surf for movies until something catches your eye, then this is a great place to start. There are zillions of flicks to choose from and they’re all searchable by name or genre.
• Netflix – Although much of the Watch Instantly movies at Netflix are titles that date back six months to a decade or more, there are a few newer movies if you hunt around a bit, and they’ve been improving their Watch Instantly service regularly. With unlimited streaming for subscribers and a handy queue feature to remind you of what movies you want to watch, this is a great substitution for paid movie channels from your cable company.
• iTunes – As with television shows, you’ll pay per movie at iTunes. Buy a flick for about $15 or rent it for 24 hours for about $3 ($4 if you want it in HD). Most movies are available at iTunes the same day as the DVD becomes available in stores.
• Amazon Video On Demand -  Like iTunes, Amazon’s offers lots of newly-released movies for purchase or rent. You’ll find lots of independent and niche films here, as well as the option of pre-ordering flicks a few weeks before they become available.

Watch Sports Online

Watching professional sports without cable is a tougher nut to crack and, depending on the event, you may have no choice but to head to your local sports bar. Even with cable, however, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to access your favorite team’s game. Fortunately, professional sports associations are getting in on the online action and streaming some or all of their televised games via paid subscriber network.

• MLB.TV – Baseball fans can watch every regular season game live or on demand, and more than 150 spring training games with no blackouts. Viewers also get access to game day audio, game archives, and real-time stats.
• NFL Network – Though this is actually the National Football League’s official cable channel, its website has a ton of post-game video footage for fans to check out. Due to licensing and TV restrictions, finding a legal way to live stream NFL football is next to impossible unless you live outside the US, but at least you can listen live to every game of the season with an NFL Field Pass.
• NHL Game Center Live – Watch up to 40 live hockey games, including some of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a subscription to this service. It streams live in HD (when available) and includes DVR functionality so you pause, rewind, and fast forward during games.
• NBA All Access – Basketball fans can choose from two types of season passes: unlimited for access to all teams, or a league pass to follow only seven teams. Watch three games at once, and control the live action with full DVR controls.

Yes, subscriptions that let you watch professional sports still cost you some coin, but a one-time fee of $50 – $150 per season to catch your favorite games is better than paying $50 or more a month all year for cable. Of course, some events, like the Olympics, will have several viewing options to choose from.

Set-Top Boxes and Gadgets

Set-top devices like Roku and TiVo let you stream movies and some television shows directly from Netflix, Blockbuster, and similar subscription services. They’re great options for scratching that movie itch, and perfect for times when you feel like browsing viewing options until something strikes your fancy.

• Boxee Box – Whether you build your own cheap but powerful Boxee box or buy the pre-built Boxee Box once it’s available, Boxee integrates a lot of the online TV sources listed above into one TV- and remote-friendly interface.
• TiVo – The granddaddy of DVRs, a TiVo device is great for streaming programs from Netflix, Blockbuster, and Amazon Video On Demand. It connects to your home’s TV antenna so you can watch free network programming, and the HD TiVo units will even pick up your local high-definition channels. The drawback is that on top of the price of the device ($200 and up), you’ll need a monthly $12 subscription to access TiVo’s best features.
• Roku – This nifty little device streams a batch of different free internet channels like Blip.tv, Twit.tv, and even your Flickr photostream. You can also use it to access your Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand Accounts, making it a great alternative to a TiVo or other DVR. A new Roku will set you back anywhere from $80 – $120, depending on the model you choose.
• AppleTV – This somewhat limited device lets you easily stream your iTunes media library right to your television. The $229 device will also stream content from YouTube, Flickr, and MobileMe. If you’re willing to hack your AppleTV, you can put Boxee Media Center on it for some added functionality like view torrents fresh off the net.
• PlayOn – If you’ve got an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, this software download lets you wirelessly stream internet video content from Hulu, Netflix, and more right to your game box. It’ll also pick up content from ESPN.com and CBS.com, or grab a free plugin to stream programming from The Weather Channel, Adult Swim, The Food Network, and more. PlayOn has a 14-day free trial, then you’ll have to pop for $40 to keep it.

The Antenna Option

Finally, though you probably already know this, you can watch your home teams, local news, and, yes, even LOST without cable. In fact, these are the easiest types of shows to get because they’re free and just require a TV antenna to capture. If you have an HD-ready TV, you can even pick up high-def channels. Not sure what kind of antenna gives you the most bang for your geographical buck? AntennaWeb will help you figure out which antenna works best for your house based on where you live, and even tell you which way to point it. But you’re here to watch TV online, so let’s get to it.

So, Coax, here’s a few ways to get you started on the road to cable-free living. We’d love to hear more ideas from readers who’ve axed their cable, and we’ll update this post as tips roll in.

Love,
Lifehacker

We all have some characteristics that hold us back from the life we truly want to live. Motivational gurus constantly claim to have the answers and aren’t shy about telling us to do this and that.

If you’re reading this, then it’s quite possible that those things haven’t worked for you. The problem isn’t that these motivational teachers aren’t good, because most of them are. The problem is that most of us walk around with unresolved core issues and beliefs that are keeping us stuck.

I’ve gone through many of these characteristics myself. I have by no means overcome them, but I have progressively minimized the impact they have in my life. This is not a contest, there is no rush. As long as you’re taking small steps to improving yourself and getting closer to your goal, all is well.

1. Following the Rules
   We all have this reflex to follow the rules. As we grew up, our parents, friends and teachers kept telling us to follow the rules. If you broke a rule, you were bad. I’m not talking about robbing banks or stealing kittens, I’m talking about breaking the rules that truly make a difference in your life.

   Can’t quit your job because it’s “impossible” and even “irresponsible”? Rules impose a lot of can’ts and should’s into your life. Why are you accepting them? Just because everyone else is following the rules and saying farewell to their dreams doesn’t mean you have to. You are responsible for your life.

2. Definition of Success
   What’s your definition of success? Have you even thought about it? Allowing society to define your definitions can be dangerous and often leads to a broken and unfulfilled life.

   When will you be successful? Who says you have to wait for anything? Why can’t you be and feel successful right now? My definition of success is following my heart and doing what I love. It’s tough to do. I know, because a few months ago I was in that boat. I was afraid, but I did it anyway, and the payoff has been amazing.

3. Letting Fear Enslave You
   Humans are hardwired to feel fear. It’s there to tell us something, both physically and spiritually. If you’re afraid to do something, try doing it anyway. There will never be a perfect opportunity to do anything, so if you’ve been putting off pursuing your passion, start now.

   What can you do today that will take you one step closer? Even if it just means writing down your goals and visualizing what you want, start now. The importance is taking action. When I started pursuing my passion and started my blog, I was constantly afraid, but I did it anyway.

   I realized something interesting when I did this: the fear went away as I kept going forward. You won’t always have a clear path in front of you. Hell, you will almost never have a clear path in front of you. With each step you take, you gain just enough clarity to take the next one. That’s what happened to me, and I’m more than happy with it.

4. Being Greedy
   I was a professional poker player for almost five years. During that time I realized the choke-hold that money had on me. However, greed doesn’t only apply to money; you can get greedy about anything.

   The simple point is this: don’t let money or anything else get in your way. The things that truly matter in your life cannot be bought, such as doing what you love, being in fulfilling relationships and being happy for no reason at all. Greed sneaks up on you though, so you constantly have to be aware of what is happening.

   Don’t fall into the same trap I did. I started out playing poker to pay for my travels, but I ended up back home playing to make more money for no reason at all.

5. Destroying Your Body
   There’s delicious food all around us. At any given moment, we can eat a pizza, hamburger or even buy some candy. These foods will ultimately lead to the destruction of your body. Being healthy requires eating healthy foods and moving your body (a.k.a exercise).

   It isn’t easy. I know I have phases where I eat amazingly healthy, then I fall into a rut where I eat unhealthy foods here and there. The important thing is to relax. Don’t get mad at yourself just because you couldn’t follow a specific way of eating.

   If you want to have a pizza once a month or even once week, that’s fine. The important thing is eating healthy most of the time.

6. Having Fuzzy Goals
   Without clear goals you’re going nowhere. And it’s not just about setting goals, it’s about setting the right goals. This all comes back to your definition of success. What matters to you? What do you really want from life?

   I used to love money (and I still do to some extent), but I realized that I don’t need a lot of money to do what I want. Within a year of this realization, I sold most of my stuff and moved from Sweden to Spain with my girlfriend.

   You do not have to wait for the perfect circumstances. You can do what you want, but you have to realize it first. If your first reaction is to come up with excuses as I say this, then you have some stuff to work through, and that’s okay.

7. Being Comfortable
   When you have enough, it feels easy to just maintain what you have. By now, I think you’ll know where that will lead you. Imagine the elderly people that are sitting on their death beds right now regretting their life. Sure, they were comfortable, but did they truly LIVE?

   For all you know, you could die tomorrow. For some people it takes a near-death experience to realize that you have to live in the now and take responsibility for your life. Let’s make it easy for ourselves and jump over that nonsense. Let’s just start following our passion and purpose right now.

The world needs you to do what you love. There are people out there waiting for you. I am here to remind you that you can do what you love. Sure, you might fail a few times along the way. You might not know what you want, but so what? You’ll never live a fulfilling life without getting off your ass and facing your fears.

Finance is a huge part of our lives yet it remains something that many people struggle with. Today, more than ever before, people are getting into financial difficulties and debt.

The recession has been going on for a few years now and people’s houses are still being repossessed. People are still losing their jobs. Worst of all, they’re losing their freedom and independence.

What’s saddest about people getting into debt is the ties it causes. It you’re in debt you’re often forced to stay in a job or an area you don’t like in order to repay the debt. There’s an incredible freedom that comes from being free of debt. Only when you’re debt free can you actually live the life you want and be the master of your own destiny.

So here are my tips on how you can avoid getting into debt, simplified and repackaged in a way that I hope makes you see the true value of living within your means.

• Never borrow money to buy unnecessary toys
  Living within your means brings happiness and freedom that expensive new gadgets don’t. If you can’t afford to buy the car or TV of your dreams then don’t buy it. Get what you can pay for in cash now and be happy with it. If you really need to buy a car to get from A to B then buy one you can easily afford.

  Don’t be tricked into finance plans that offer “18 months interest free”. If you can’t afford to buy the item for cash now you may not be able to in 18 months either. If you buy something on those crazy “free credit” terms, you’ll be paying over the odds for it and you won’t be free anymore. You’ll be tied down to making those repayments until they’re paid off. Much better to save up, pay cash and live free.

  Maybe you’re worried about what people will think about your unfashionable car or clunky TV? Don’t be. Anyone who judges you by that isn’t worth worrying about anyway.

• Non-Essentials
  Little things like clothes, skincare, & toiletries add up. Just get what you need. I’m sure that many of us in developed countries have many more clothes than we can actually wear. That’s why I’ve classified clothes as non-essentials here. How many pairs of jeans and t-shirts does one person actually need? I’d be prepared to bet that it’s not as many as you’ve already got, especially if you’re female. Sorry girls!

  I’ve just spent a year without buying any new clothes, apart from some new sports socks when my old ones had gone to holes and a pair of shoes for a wedding. It wasn’t as if I was going to be naked. I had more than enough clothes to see me through the year and I think I even managed to look quite nice most of the time too.

  It was great not to bother going to shops and shopping centers and also good at the end of the year to evaluate what I actually needed clothes-wise and spend a few hours clothes shopping. If you can’t cut down your clothes shopping to once a year try shopping for clothes only twice a year, maybe when the sales are on.

  Or have a clothes and accessories swap party. Invite about 10 friends of varying sizes and tell them to bring the clothes and accessories they never wear. You’ll be laughing over each others’ disaster buys and amazed to see how good your unflattering trousers look on someone else. This is a cheap, fun night in and a great way to bond with friends.

  When it comes to skincare and toiletries get cheaper brands. The pricier ones aren’t worth it, you’re just paying for the expensive advertising campaigns and the supermodels who promote them. Now why would you want to do that?

  So you really need something?

  Do you really need it? Really? Truly? It’s amazing how many things I think I need and write on my list but never get round to buying because I don’t go to the shops very often. If you go shopping every week, apart from to the grocery store or food market, then you’re probably spending more than you need to just by being in the shopping mall. Avoid shopping malls like the plague, especially if you have kids with you.

  But let’s say you’ve convinced me there’s something you really need, your bike’s broken beyond repair and you really need a new one to get to work. Please, never buy anything, new or used, without taking the time to ask these two questions:
  What’s the best price you can do for me? Can you do a better deal for cash? You’ll probably get one discount this way but you might even get two price cuts.

  If you can wait until the annual sales, you might get a better deal. Or put a search on Ebay, go to garage sales and tell your friends and colleagues you’re in the market for a new bike to see if anything comes up.

• Housing
  Sometimes renting can be cheaper than buying, especially if house prices aren’t increasing. Don’t be pressurized into buying a house or buying a more expensive house than you can easily afford the mortgage repayments on. You’re not buying a better house, you’re buying worry and financial pressure.
• Grocery Shopping
  Forget silly food coupons, just make sure you bulk buy and buy the supermarkets own brands. With most items (basmati rice, virgin olive oil, canned tomatoes, pasta, etc.) some of the cheaper brands taste just as good as the more expensive brands to me. There are only a few things I’m fussy about – I have to have the more expensive brand of mayonnaise – but for most things you’ll probably find the no name brands are just as good. Pick and choose your products carefully.
• Be Patient
  For example, go to the movies on cheap Tuesdays or wait for the DVD to come out to the $1 RedBox. Most things have promotions at certain times of the year or on certain days, you’ve just got to wait for them.
• Banish takeouts
  I love eating out. I don’t do it as often as I’d like but it’s a real treat for me to go to a cafe or restaurant and eat a meal someone else has cooked and will clear away for me too. I just don’t get the idea of takeouts though. Most of them don’t taste as good as the food you’d make at home and it’s not that hard to wash up a chopping board and a couple of saucepans. Most healthy food is quick to make at home too (things like stir-fry and omelets) or can be prepared in bulk so you can freeze some to reheat on another day (curries and soups.)

  I know often you may want to socialize without feeling you need to kill yourself with cooking and shopping. Try having a curry night and asking everyone to bring along one dish. Or just a potluck and see what happens. Or a fun sushi night where everyone knuckles down and learns how to make their own sushi.

Start making these life changes to stay out of debt and save money today. There’s no time like the present. Like any addict you’ll suffer a bit at first, but when you get used to spending less you’ll be glad you did. Leave your credit cards at home and reassess how to cut down your spending and what you’ll do when you’ve controlled your spending and earned your own freedom.

What will you do when you’re out of debt and in control of your finances? Keep your prize on the goal and you’ll get there in the end.

After spending 25 years in the FBI as a special agent in the area of counterintelligence (catching spies), you learn a thing or two about dealing with people. You learn that what motivates people is not your words but your body language. You can’t get someone to trust you just because you say so, you have to demonstrate it.

Actions are powerful but they have to be timely. You have to move to action at the right time to let others know you are in charge and that you care. Similarly you have to be an effective communicator, not just of the obvious but of the nuanced. And of course you have to be able to observe, because nothing can be achieved without the ability to observe, decode, and interpret.

That is what I learned and those lessons apply to any business person wishing to get ahead. These four areas, when mastered, allow the average person to compete at the highest levels, they allow you to be exceptional.

1. Observation
   Observaton is important to every profession. Observe the world around you for clues and trends. Note the body language of your customers and clients; they will let you know, in real time, how they feel about you and your product. Body language, after all, is our primary means of communication.
2. Communicate effectively
   This means both verbally and nonverbally. Trust, empathy, and leadership is communicated nonverbally not verbally. Learn to use your body language to garner respect and loyalty so that you can communicate more effectively.
3. Comfort for your clients and customers is supremely important.
   There is a “comfort dividend,” only now recognized, and it is repaid by having customers and clients who want to visit more frequently, stay longer, and increase face time with you.
4. Move to action
   Nothing makes a customer or client feel more attended to than your movement to action. Anything small from walking over to greet them to making a key phone call, lets them know you care. Even if you fail they will know that you tried.

Fans of Ubisoft’s long-running Prince of Persia videogame series have been anticipating a movie adaptation for many, many years. Hollywood’s hit-and-miss (mostly miss) track record with game franchises has surely tempered those expectations. However, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films have blockbuster-style plans for the property… but can they pull it off? Well, here’s what we know thus far.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has a great looking cast, led by Jake Gyllenhaal, and a charismatic director with blockbuster chops in the form of Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

The studio wants you to know that this flick comes from the team who brought you the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy… and they’re not just name dropping. Disney and Bruckheimer have quite similar aspirations for the flick. Persia, like Pirates, is an epic action-adventure in an exotic setting. We hesitate to draw too many parallels between the films, but they’re likely to be similar in tone. Prince of Persia aims squarely for family fare territory, but with a heavy dose of peril. It’ll be rated PG-13 — the MPAA has cited “intense sequences of violence and action” in their rating — so expect the level of those things to be on par with what you saw in Pirates. Is that a good thing? We think so.

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, the film follows a rogue prince named Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) who reluctantly joins forces with mysterious Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), and together they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time — a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Click on the image above to watch our Prince of Persia video preview.

First announced back in 2004, the film’s development was spurred by a meeting between Disney, Bruckheimer and Persia videogame creator Jordan Mechner. Mechner pulled choice footage from the Sands of Time game and meticulously pieced together a video pitch intended to convey his vision for the tone of the movie. It worked. The project was given the green light and began coming together in earnest in May 2008 when Gyllenhaal and Arteron were cast.

Gyllenhaal, of Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain fame, is taking his first stab at action heroics. He’s taking that seriously, and comes with a respect for the source material. He told us on the set, “I feel a responsibility because I think the Prince in the videogames… he has a personality… I mean you know his story but you don’t really. As an actor, just putting that type of expression onto a character — you get to sort of make a new path with the character as opposed to being nervous that you’re going to screw up something that’s already there. So that to me I like. I think it’s fun. I have played a lot of real people in my life but actually there’s equal pressure in playing real people and games [characters], which is sort of strange.”

Actors in roles like this sometimes talk a big game, but Gyllenhaal seems to actually knows his stuff. “I played the game a lot more when I was really young — I know the game in its entire version,” he said. “I went online when I first started researching stuff for the role because what was really important was not, for me personally, to bring some sort of realism into a world that is not always fully based on reality. Often you can just hide in all that stuff so easily. To look at what was a real Persian prince would look like, and then who the Prince of Persia is in the videogame.”

Remember those “dark forces” that Gyllenhaal’s Dastan comes up against? They’re chiefly personified in the wicked Nizam, played by Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley. Nizam plots to kill his brother King Shahrman, and then aspires to pin the murder on Dastan, clearing the way for his own ascension to the throne. If you think that sounds a lot like Vizier, the main bad guy in Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time game, you’d be right. While it’s not a straight-up adaptation, the movie was clearly inspired by the eponymous game.

In an interview Kingsley told IGN, “I really liked the character. Because of my years in Shakespeare, I really enjoy mining into the character, digging into the character to find out why he is what he is. How he became. So in my portrayal of the uncle, Nizam, I was able — very happily and enjoyably with Mike Newell — to go into the script and speculate, ‘I see why he is this way. I see why his behavior is that way. I see how he’s motivated and what drives him.’ So Mike Newell, being the lovely director he is, turned a plot-driven piece into a character-driven piece. It was very, very appealing to me and then it becomes, honestly, like any other film that one is enjoying making. You didn’t feel the crushing weight of franchise, of Jerry Bruckheimer who really let us go, let us get on with it. We just got on with the job of telling a straight story with Mike Newell. It became a character-driven piece, which was tremendously enjoyable for me.”

Every good action-adventure needs a lovely leading lady, right? Prince of Persia has that covered. Gemma Arteron, who played Bond girl Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace, more than fits the bill. “It’s a real full-on action role,” Arteron says of her character. “Although she’s a high priestess so she’s not your typical kind of gun-wielding [heroine]. She’s very spiritual, so it’s an interesting take to have someone that’s action-driven but that has got religious beliefs. It’s an interesting character.”

Spider-Man 2’s Doc Ock, Alfred Molina, also figures into the cast. He’s playing a good guy this time around, however. Molina stars as Sheik Amar, the young prince’s mentor.

The cast worked on the 100-plus day production under the direction of Potter IV helmer Newell. He shot the movie on location in Morocco and at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, UK.

- Walt Disney Pictures

We visited the set on day 57 of the shoot, and what we witnessed was impressive. The sets filled Pinewood’s fabled 007 sound-stage and pretty much every stage surrounding it — PoP was one of the largest productions ever undertaken in the UK. The ancient fictional city of Alamut was created there in meticulous detail, each stage filled with tonnes of sand, hundreds of extras, scores of horses and even a donkey for good measure. And yet production wasn’t just limited to Britain, with the shoot also hitting the Moroccan cities of Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Erfoud, in raging heat and at altitudes of up to 9,000 feet.

Newell worked from a script by Doug Miro & Carlo Bernard, Boaz Yakin, and game creator Mechner. Mechner, to his credit, seems to know where to draw the line when it comes to faithfulness to the source material. Addressing the differences between the game and film, he told us, “There are no sand monsters in the movie. For the game, turning everybody in the world into sand monsters was really useful because it created an inexhaustible supply of enemies. But that’s a story that’s meant to be played with a controller in your hand, and a movie is meant to be shared by an audience. So we didn’t want to make a movie about fighting monsters.”

“The movie is mostly based on the Sands of the Time [game],” Mechner continues. “But rather than try to do a literal retelling of the game, what I pitched to Jerry in 2004 were the characters and elements reconfigured into a story that makes a great movie. If you’ve played the game, you won’t know what happens in the movie. It’s a different story. But you’ll recognize characters and situations. I think it’s very true to the spirit of the game.”

- Walt Disney Pictures

The trailer, which you can watch here, seems to confirm Mechner’s assertions. It even raises the mouth-watering possibility that a movie based on a videogame might actually turn out great. There are the customary sweeping Arabian vistas and armies of scimitar-wielding villains — the sense of scope (and the $200m plus production budget) is clear. Also highlighted is the relationship between Dastan and Princess Tamina (complete with playful, romantically-charged banter). Gamers will also have noticed the Assassin’s Creed homage in the vid. Behold…

Once you’ve seen the trailer and want to go deeper, don’t miss our special edition of Rewind Theater with analysis by Mechner.

If Sands of Time is as successful as Disney hopes, you can expect a string of sequels in the coming years. They’re certainly sparing no expense with the hype. Merchandising tie-ins have already been announced; there’s a prequel comic, and McFarlane Toys is making action figures.

We’re big fans of the Prince of Persia videogames and were naturally skeptical of the franchise’s translation to the silver screen. But take heart gamers, all signs point to this one kicking ass.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opens in North American movie theaters on May 28.

Things didn’t go so well, huh, champ? We’ve talked a lot about love, but now it’s time for our resident love doctor to talk about what happens when romance goes south. Here are the steps to breaking up… online.

Breaking up is hard to do, so the song goes, but it can be particularly painful in the digital world. If you find yourself separating from someone you’d created a digital identity with, follow these steps to keep your dignity (and assets) in tact:

1) Change Your Relationship Status If you don’t do it, they will, which makes the preemptive relationship status change the way to go. Holding on to a fake “in a relationship with” could make you look desperate to your ex or any friends who know the truth. Better to cut the cord and move on, sadness and all. If you’re not yet ready to move on and meet others (or don’t want to provoke an online war with your ex), just remove the “in a relationship with” part but don’t actually add “Single” or “Looking for Random Play.” (Yet.)

2) Yank Some Pictures Some people remove all online signs of their relationship, including Facebook photos of the two of them in happier times. If you’re both comfortable with the reminders of your time together, then no harm done (though it may make some future partners wary about why you continue to hold on to and display photos of your ex). If your ex would feel better with no photos online, then by all means respect her or his wishes. Whenever you have a choice, try to choose kindness.

3) To Unfriend or Not to Unfriend Might their feelings get hurt if you unfriend them? Yes, but such is life and love. It’s fine to unfriend someone as long as you don’t do it in a cruel way, like by sending them an evil message telling them that you’re unfriending them due to their bad breath or the way they took nearly an hour to make it through their angel hair pasta. Before unfriending, though, consider whether you might want to date or be friends again in the future. If so, unfriending could be a wrong turn. Is it really that terrible that they might read your status updates or wall posts? Wait, really?

4) Limit Their Access Let’s say you decide to stay Facebook friends but you want some boundaries. Change your privacy settings to either put them on limited profile or to modify their access for specific parts of your profile. You can limit their visibility by altering what they can or cannot see (such as placing an “Everyone but” limitation on new photos).

5) Change Your Passwords I don’t care how much you trust the person. If you shared your passwords while you were together (for some, it’s a sign of intimacy or trust), change your passwords. People sometimes do rash things in fits of jealousy, sadness, depression or revenge. As a sex and relationships columnist, I’ve heard all sorts of stories involving people breaking into each other’s email accounts, bank accounts, Facebooks and more. There’s nothing wrong with protecting yourself and your assets.

6) Save Things You Want Before your ex takes photos you want off of their Facebook (or god forbid their MySpace, if they still have one), copy any photos you want to your computer just in case it gets awkward to ask for them later. Even if you don’t think you’ll want them later on, you might – even if only for the memories. If seeing the photos makes you sad, transfer them to a folder on your hard drive. Still looking at them too often? Save them to an external hard drive. Still peeking? Have a friend babysit your external hard drive until you’re able to move on.

7) Consider Blocking Them Hopefully you’ll never need to block someone, but there are always those few key creepy people. Maybe it makes you feel gross to imagine that they have any sort of access to your life or that you ever kissed them or allowed them to insert Part A into Part B (and not in a cool gadget sort of way). If that’s the case, why stop at unfriending? Block them and move on, as long as you’re okay with not being able to see their profile either (which is what Facebook blocking entails). On Gmail and many other email systems, you can also set up rules to have their emails diverted into a separate folder in case you want to be able to receive emails from them but don’t want their constant emails reminding you of what went wrong when you’re trying to get work done

I have always loved watching the Olympics because I get a little rush watching humans surpass their own perceived limitations and achieve accomplishments that seemed impossible.

Athletes are well known for being quite respectful of their bodies. After all, their bodies are what rely on as their secret weapon when it comes to winning gold. In addition to a constant regimen of mental training, most professional athletes physically train 8-10 hours a day for up to 11 months each year! They just don’t stop and it’s their diet that allows them to have the energy and stamina to work out at these levels.

There’s a lot that non-athletes can learn from the Olympics and there is a lot we can learn from their diet.

To celebrate this joyous occasion, I suggest we take a look at the eating habits that help athletes push their bodies to these limits. Obviously, the idea is not to eat as many calories as athletes, unless you are going to work out for 8 consecutive hours everyday, but the idea is to learn from their eating habits.

• Eat Breakfast — Everyday!
  Athletes won’t roll out of bed and start exercising for two strenuous hours without having eaten a solid breakfast that contains a substantial amount of protein. If you don’t have a ton of time in the morning, you’re not alone. We’re all busy. Here are 5 Quick Breakfast Ideas (one for each weekday).
• Eat Several, Proportioned Meals
  Athletes eat all day long to maintain their energy levels (you won’t see them eat one huge meal in the hopes of having enough energy for the day).
• Keep Snacks Nearby
  Athletes are notorious for carrying sports bags filled with snacks that are at arm’s length when they need to satisfy their hunger. They plan their snacks in advance to always have them on hand. Here are some simple snack ideas if you want to ad a little variety.




• Eat Protein (and it doesn’t have to be meat!)
  Athletes eat protein with each meal! Even vegan athletes know they need vegetarian protein with each meal to keep their energy high and also to preserve their muscle mass. Need ideas on what vegetables have protein? Here you go.
• Grab a Banana
  Athletes know that fruits are an essential part of their diet. The banana is THE fruit that every athlete knows is essential to their diet.
• Liquefy
  Athletes don’t spend their entire day pounding soda drinks. When it comes to refueling their bodies, athletes know that water is essential. If they drink sports drinks, athletes know they’ll have trained enough to burn off the added calories.

Athletes not only train at levels that are incomprehensible to most of us, but they also eat very differently. I think most of us know that our bodies are essentially a result of what we put in them so consider altering just one component of your diet today. Maybe it’s a banana instead of a bag of Chex Mix, etc.