The Genius Shortcut to remember them all is “?”. When you have logged yourself into Twitter, regardless of on which page you are, just press ? See what happens…you will get the overview I am providing you below

To be honest, I am not using this interface myself, because I was not a fan of the Twitter interface before. A lot has changed in the last 12 months and I might reconsider if I hadn’t discovered HootSuite. If you want to know more about HootSuite, read this. Back to Twitter now. A lot of people have been asking me to tell them these Twitter Shortcuts, so time to share the Twitter Shortcuts with you. There are 3 categories : Actions, Navigation and Timelines. Of course, I’ll share a couple of extra hidden Twitter Shortcuts too

Actions
f : favorite
r : reply
t : retweet
m : direct message
n : new Tweet
enter : toggle details pane

Navigation
? : overview of the Twitter Shortcuts
j : next Tweet
k : previous Tweet
space : page down
/ : search
. : refresh Tweets and back to top

Timelines
g h : home
g r : replies / mentions
g p : profile
g f : favorites
g m : messages
g u : go to user

Hidden (= not mentioned on the overview)

Enter : to drill down into or close a selected tweet
Escape : to cancel a compose window, dismiss the help window
Shift+Space : to page up
. : to go to the top of the page

Have fun with Twitter! And if you need another hand, just find me and dare to ask : @bertverdonck

Well, there is a Genius Shortcut that you can use in most elevators.
Yes, I know! How come so few people actually know about this?

Anyway, the trick is to push the button to close the doors at the same time as the floor you directly want to go to. So, in this example, it is the 14^th floor. Just look at the picture if you are a more visual type

Why does it work? While some elevators require a key, others are configured to get into “Express Mode” when the “close doors”-button and one of the floor-buttons are pressed simultaneously. Most paramedics know this (or should!), so they get faster to the right floor in case of an emergency.

It is a great lifehack that I discovered many years ago at Darknet, but it amazes me that still only a few people know about it…

So, I invite you to give it a try!

Well, there is a Genius Shortcut to create a movie about yourself in no time! How? Just simply go to Pummelvision.com.

What is it? Pummelvision flashes your life before your eyes using photos from Facebook, Flickr, or Tumblr. Of course you need to have an account and some pictures on one of these platforms.

How does it work? Well, in 3 little steps, you’ll create your movie!

1. Decide where Pummelvision can grab photos for you : Facebook, Flickr or Tumblr.  Authorize your account.
2. Decide where Pummelvision can blast the video to : Vimeo or YouTube. Authorize your account.
3. If you want to be notified, type your mail address in the box. Click on the “Make My Video” -button.

That’s it!

Here are a couple of examples of Pummelvision: Justin Ouellette and Jacco Van Giessen. Enjoy and share!

Some people would agree that todays smartphones are too complicated for some users.

So, a French startup Lëkki offers a range of vintage, revamped mobile phones with a twist. You can opt for a hip mix of green, magenta, yellow and black. They launched with Motorala’s starTAC 130. Remember the 90′s?

Now, who would buy a revamped retro mobile phone? Apparently there is a market for people who believe they are becoming slaves of technology or those who want to simplify their (mobile) lives!

On top of that Lëkki also incorporates the concept of sustainable development and recycling by prolonging the life expectancy of a mobile phone by repairing all incoming phones and donating to Action Carbone.

Oh, in case you are curious about the functionalities on the starTAC 130 : you can call and send text messages. That’s it! Well, you do get vibration and it weighs less than 100 grams!

Instead of buying the latest in technology (like my iPhone), think about what you can do with the “oldest” one with a revamped look and basic functionalities. Life could be simple (again)!

We all have our own routines, and habits we take for granted. Some even call it rituals. Some of these might be draining our energy and distracting us from the truly important things in life. Would eliminating them free up time, energy and money?Really? Of course it would! The question is which ones do you consider to let go? Is it your daily Starbuck’s coffee on the way to the office or your afternoon snack? Is it your quest for the perfect car, the latest blockbuster DVD or that extra pair of designer shoes? Is it that after work drink with colleagues or your habit of eating out every day? Can it be your mobile phone upgrade to the next gadget or hype? What about those take-out meals or overrated posh vacations?

Indeed, we can certainly live with less, but what are we prepared to let go? Are all these things really what we were longing for? Let’s be honest here. Some things were bought because we felt the social pressure from our peers, friends, neighbours, etc. So, are you living their lives or your own? Let’s imagine you could choose again. What would you leave out? Probably a lot that you own right now. That’s exactly what we are looking for!

Oh, by the way, I bought a book recently (“Give It Up!” by Mary Carlomagno) about giving up a certain habit for 1 moth. She eliminates unnecessary facets of life, in order to determine what she could live without. You need examples? Think about alcohol, chocolate, television, dining out, elevators or cell phones. Isn’t that a great challenge? I dare you…

Let me finish with a great Buddhist saying (yes, I read it daily, because it hangs on our wall, thanks for asking!) that gives me a lot to think about:

“In the end what matters most is:
How well did you live
How well did you love
How well did you learn to let go”

So, just out of personal curiosity, what are you prepared to let go? And how well did you learn to let it go?

I love it when people are enthusiastic about the task at hand. It’s inspiring and it will get done much faster and more efficiently. And of course, I know that it is never easy for people who are discontent. The thing is, when they are discontent about something, we can talk about it, we can get to the core or the reason of this attitude. I love to have discussions on that, because it builds a common trust and understanding.

Where I do have an issue with are people who are discontent for the sake of it. When you start a discussion with them, nothing is good. “We’ll never get it done” or “It won’t work” are quotes they are frequently using. On top of that, they don’t have any interest in what they do each day or what the team is trying to achieve. They will never change and they are proud of it. Any reasonable discussion is waived or avoided. They never smile, in the best case they are indifferent. In most cases they are demoralizing the other members of your team.

My advice : Get them out! Move them off the team or they will destroy your team. Why would you cope with them if they are only there to get the money at the end of the month? Why invest time in them if they are not willing to do anything with a good attitude? It might seem harsh, but I think it is the only way to make your team more successful. Remove the “bad” apple from the basket…

What’s the alternative? Let them sit there and let them destroy your team? I don’t think so! Rather get them out. Move on with your team and get things done…

Source Picture: http://bit.ly/CejO

Then PocketMod is probably for you!

What is the PocketMod? It is a small book with guides on each page in which you arrange stuff. You combine several templates with a unique folding style, enabling a normal piece of paper to become your ultimate Personal Organizer.

3 Easy steps to create your own PocketMod:

1. Select a page widget from the list (calendars, notes, formulas, contacts, blanks…)
2. Customize each widget and drag it to the right page.
3. Print your PocketMod and fold it according to this style:

If you need more visual aid on how to do it, here is a YouTube video for you:

To be honest, I sometimes hesitate about what to do next. Why? On the one hand it is rather tempting to turn my back on everything and start all over again. I am dreaming of a simple life on a sailboat and exploring the world, traveling all over the place or residing on a tropical island, away from civilization. Not the way Tom Hanks lives in Cast Away, but rather a modest beach shack in Samoa or Tonga, like “Big Z” in Surf’s Up.

Palms line Lalomanu Beach in Western Samoa. Photo:lonelyplanetimages.com

On the other hand, it’s probably easier to follow the hurdle and give in to the world of excess. And it’s probably true that a century ago it really was easier to step away from civilization and live in the woods or in some remote location. On top of that, in our modern society, it becomes harder to say “NO!” to all these great restaurants, luxury shops, new cars, gadget hypes, second homes, etc. The need for more is winning more supporters everyday. Even in remote locations they are dreaming of our western lifestyle.

Is it really possible to choose for less and to simplify our lives?

Yes, it is possible! Although I admit I sometimes even like the excess and luxury, it is a conscientious choice to choose less. For me it’s about Living Simply and Less is More. I know we can change in different ways and that one of my goals is to Slow Down. It is also clear to me that choosing less is not about plunging into poverty. What I am really longing for is a better quality of life. Remember, eat the chocolate first

I want to focus more on the fun in life, rather than on being inspired by the “More is Better” way of life. I deliberately choose simplicity and more meaning in life instead. And you know, saying “no” to some of the excess, means saying “yes” to other opportunities that have more and lasting value. Or to put it in the words of John C. Maxwell: “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good, so you can say ‘yes’ to the best”!

- Henry David Thoreau -

What if I would invite you to a “Walden”-vacation, where you recreate Thoreau’s world famous 19th century retreat? You’d have to survive without your mobile, computer, internet, tv, car, Twitter and to make it worse also without electricity or indoor plumbing (sic!). Of course, you’d be carrying your own luggage, preferably a backpack. The planned excursions include starting a camp fire, sleeping in a tent, enjoying the beautiful scenery around you, getting closer to nature, creating friendships for life, contemplating on your life, setting up an action plan and doing nothing. Also enjoying the silence is an all-time favorite!

Would you sign up? Thoreau did. And he enjoyed it. When I walked my camino to Spain, I enjoyed it too! I came a lot closer to nature those days.

Anyway, all this to tell you that Thoreau longed to simplify his life, free himself from distraction and find more meaning in life. He believed that by changing his environment, he would change something inside of him. A couple of weeks ago I changed my environment also. And it worked! More flow, more results and I started 2010 as a happy camper

As you know, we sold our house and we’ll change our environment again. I am looking forward to it!

So, are you ready to simplify your life? What are your next steps to change your environment?

It’s wintertime. Fun with snow and ice. Yeah! Unless you need to use your car and it is covered in ice and/or snow. Ice scraping!

Of course, when you don’t need stuff, you give it away or sell it or place it somewhere else. I have placed my ice scraper so well, that I don’t recall where it is. Yes, very handy in these winter conditions.

So, I came up with a Genius Shortcut for this situation. What happens if you don’t have an ice scraper? I took out an old cd, which happens to be one of my Windows 95 licenses. I don’t use it anymore, so I started to use it as an ice scraper. I must confess, it worked perfectly well! Of course, I used it upside down, so if it gets scratched, it’s only on the printed side, but it didn’t.

The cd (and you can use any (old) cd or dvd) is still usable if I want to. On top of that, I invented a new word : the ICD Scraper (eye-sea-dee scraper), it’s simply a cd that is being used as an ice scraper.

So, enjoy ice scraping next time with an ICD Scraper instead

image source : http://ow.ly/SA90