<ul><li>You’re getting away from old routines that keep you in a loop</li><li>You’re moving away from unhealthy relationships (hopefully)</li><li>You’re setting life in motion to experience new positive events</li><li>You will activate new parts of your brain because a new place, new people, and new things to learn will come about</li><li>You open up for unexpected good things, because you set the flow of life in motion instead of being stuck in the same habits</li><li>Your money can become worth a lot more than it is now</li><li>You can connect with like-minded people and finally focus on your true values in life and start a new career.</li></ul>

Moving to another country to start over

If your everyday life and career are at a standstill, you’re in a slow-paced routine carousel doing the same thing day after day, you’re on repeat and it can make you unhappy and unhealthy. Consider this reality when it comes to your current job, your education, where you live, and your relationships. These are common areas to be stuck.

Staying still and being stuck in the old is bad energy

Consider these values and benefits to figure out if it’s worth it for you<ul><li>The energy of the place and the people could match your lifestyle better</li><li>You can afford a much better lifestyle and do more of what you love</li><li>You set things in motion and become unstuck</li><li>You create a change to start over in life and figure things out.</li></ul>In the times we are living in now, It can be a good option to move to a country for the following three main reasons:<ul><li>Live more minimalist and have fewer things</li><li>Use it to reset your life, find your purpose, and focus on your goals</li><li>Live somewhere your money is worth a lot more.</li></ul>

Start over: Is moving to another country worth it?

Consider these ideas if you want to move abroad to start over your life.

Your life may be changing. Maybe even feel out of control. Or you desperately need change. This is all part of the shift of times we are in. Consider these 7 benefits of moving to another country to start over and simplify your life. I just did and got rid of 80% of my belongings.

travel

Travel

Benefits of Moving to Another Country to Start Over

Blue is associated with the positive qualities of trust, efficiency, serenity, coolness, reflection, and calm.The aim is to create a home-like relaxing feel, so airlines tend to use muted colors that feel domestic, natural, and earthy for that reason.

Why plane seats are generally blue

There is a science behind getting the right lighting on board, looking at the mix of colors used on board and how the light will reflect off the thread of the fabric.Once all of the fabrics, textiles, and finishes have been chosen, several color workshops are held on aircraft interior mock-ups to trial the settings across a range of different lighting scenarios, from boarding and when meals are served, to the sleeping hours.

The science behind plane lighting

New technology has revealed ways that aircraft noise could be reduced.Insulating the plane fuselage with a thin membrane can reduce the relentless hum of plane engines and make flying less noisy.

Noise-canceling walls

<ul><li>Fabrics are chosen for their hard-wearing qualities and airlines tend to go with darker fabrics for maintenance reasons.</li><li>Dark-colored seats mask dirt and appear cleaner and longer-lasting than pale hues.</li><li>Patterned fabrics are favored over plain ones for seat covers to mask wear and tear over the years.</li></ul>

The importance of fabric

<ul><li>Large areas on wide-body aircraft that are not used in the lower level have not been converted into seating areas because of the low height and lack of windows.</li><li>All seats need to be certified by aviation authorities, which differs depending on the route it's traveling.</li><li>All seats are required to withstand a 16g dynamic force.</li></ul>

There's plenty of unused space

Ever wonder why nearly all planes have blue seats?

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

The real reason why most plane seats are blue – and other curious facts about plane cabins

Travelling alone requires some special attention to safety. Whether you're a beginner or experienced, everyone can benefit from some solid solo travel safety tips.After all, you alone must:<ul><li>prevent problems from arising</li><li>be aware of when they could or do arise</li><li>decide how to manage them if they do arise.</li></ul>When it comes to travel safety, prevention comes first.

Solo Travel

Research is important. Knowledge protects you from the danger of misinformation, unsavoury individuals, and/or naively wandering into an unsafe area. Imagine how you can be taken advantage of if you don't understand the currency. Or the health problems you could face if you don't know the necessary vaccinations for your destination. Or the potential loss of money, documents, and more if you don't know the unsafe areas at your destination. There are many solo travel safety tips to learn before you go.

Safety begins before you leave

If you are new to travel, you likely have a lot to learn. If you've travelled a lot but have never travelled solo, you have different issues to resolve. We have a lot on the site for solo travel newbies. Read <a href="https://solotravelerworld.com/solo-travel-tips-newbies/">First Time Solo Travel: Tips for Newbies</a> and <a href="https://solotravelerworld.com/destinations-first-time-solo-travelers/">Destinations for First-Time Solo Travelers: North America & International</a>.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

We all have different ideas of safety. Some would never consider a country like Pakistan as a destination for safety reasons but others would. Make sure the safety level of your destination meets your personal travel safety needs. This will involve checking the <a href="https://solotravelerworld.com/destinations/">Destinations</a> section of Solo Traveler, guide books, and your government's travel site.

Choose Your Destination Carefully.

Your government likely has information on the travel documents you require for travel as well as any warnings for your destination. Buy travel insurance before you go. It keeps life simple and safe to buy insurance. Read Going Alone? A Complete Guide to Travel Insurance for Solo Travelers or Best Travel Insurance for Senior Solo Travelers.

Government Guidelines and Insurance

The first stop for most travellers in a new destination is their hotel or hostel. Arrive in the mid-afternoon so that you can really see what kind of area you're staying in. A safe area will always look better in daylight. An unsafe area is more obviously so in daylight. But there are more very practical reasons to arrive during daylight. You will be able to find your accommodation more easily and if you don't like it, you will have time to make other arrangements.

Arrive In Daytime

Your arrival in any new country, especially one where you don't know the language or the local transit system, is important. Research how you'll get from the airport to your hotel or hostel and give yourself lots of time. You will need it as you learn how their system works. If your flight arrives late in the day, you may want to avoid the transit system and splurge on a taxi to be on the safe side.

Know How You Will Get to Your First Accommodation

Even those who do not like maps are advised to look at one and get the lay of the land. For example, if you were to look at a map of Toronto you'd note that the lake is south no matter where you are in the city and the CN Tower stands high near the lake. If you get turned around looking for the tower. If you can't see it, ask someone which way the lake is. Not everyone knows north and south but locals know where the lake is. The same logic can be applied in New York City and many other cities based on major landmarks.

Study Maps

<ul><li>Masks: N95 or Ecan95 mask is recommended</li><li>Vaccinations and proof: If you have been double vaccinated, ensure that you have the paperwork to prove it</li><li>Pre-departure: Face masks and a ticket for a same-day flight are required to enter the airport</li><li>Airports require face masks along with all requirements for destination countries</li><li>France and Germany’s requirements: Proof of approved vaccination within appropriate time frames and attestation to the absence of COVID-19 symptoms</li><li>Upon return: Antigen tests are not accepted</li></ul>

Safe Travel During The Pandemic

When buying products for travel, try to buy ones that will increase the safety of yourself and your things<ul><li>Antitheft day pack</li><li>Extra place to stash cash</li><li>Pickpocket-proof clothing</li><li>Face masks</li><li>Basic Band-Aids or more colorful bandages</li><li>Acetaminophen</li><li>Benadryl® Itch Relief Spray</li><li>Any medications recommended by the travel clinic</li><li>The right wallet</li><li>RFID-blocking products</li><li>A doorstop</li><li>Whistle</li><li>VPN on all your devices</li></ul>

Travel Safety Gear to Pack

<ul><li>Use debit cards wisely</li><li>Carry a spare credit card</li><li>Keep emergency cash hidden</li><li>Don’t take unnecessary documents with you</li><li>Have multiple copies of your documents</li><li>Use a VPN.</li></ul>Basic apps for your phone:<ul><li>Flashlight </li><li>Compass</li><li>Google Maps</li><li>Weather</li></ul>

Your Money, Docs And Phone

<ul><li>Trust your intuition and leave if it doesn’t feel right.</li><li>Familiarize yourself with the common con games of your destination.</li><li>Stay alert and stay sober - it’s best to stay sober as you travel.</li><li>Walk with confidence - blend in as well as possible.</li><li>Be polite - being impolite can get you into trouble.</li><li>Know when and how to make a lot of noise and attract attention to yourself and the person bothering you.</li><li>Pack right - use a distinctive mark on your luggage other than a name and address tag.</li><li>Keep your luggage tags with your flight ticket.</li><li>Where you are staying is personal information.</li></ul>

On The Road: Safety Tips

Is solo travel safe? Yes, if you know how. Here are 50+ updated solo travel safety tips for planning and enjoying a great trip alone.

education

Learning & Education

Solo Travel Safety: Tips for Those Traveling Alone

Investors may find a thousand reasons to tell you no, but take heart: Your background probably isn’t one of them. A 2020 Pitchbook survey found only 15 percent of investors value background, which is less than half of what it was the year before.Even better, the same study showed that where the value in executive branch pedigree waned, the value in profitability saw an 8 percent increase.statistics show that there’s a new trend venture capitalists are valuing, and understanding what VCs are looking for can help minimize the effects of imposter syndrome among entrepreneurs.

For Nontech Entrepreneurs 

In a world where everyone seems to have a million-dollar idea, finding support and investors who believe in yours, even in the tech world, can be challenging. Another factor that may seem like a barrier? Coming from a nontraditional background outside the FAANG realm — meaning, without experience at the tech behemoths Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet’s Google.A nontraditional work background filled with diverse experiences should be celebrated when entering the startup world.

Having A Non-Traditional Background

It's important to understand how to leverage your unique skills when it comes to acquiring VC funding as a founder with a nontraditional background. When planning your pitches, start with these steps:<ul><li>Embrace your ability to think like a buyer</li><li>Speak multiple industry languages</li><li>Flex your skills from past experience</li></ul>

What VCs Look For

Having a nontraditional background can be the secret to creating value in tech and attracting funding. The key is to understand how to leverage your unique skills.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

career

Career

How to Leverage a Nontech Background (and Fight Imposter Syndrome)

The ability to work from home has profoundly changed the way we travel. Lenient office policies mean workers can travel at any time during busy workweeks, as long as they do the work required. That makes it easier for people to travel more often and for a more extended time. The untethering of work and leisure is permanent and affects the entire construct of travel.

Work from home changed how we travel

The ability to travel will affect your own experiences on the road. People intent on fitting work into their journeys will travel twice as often as those who want time to unplug. 75% will add extra time to their vacation. When you can work from anywhere, you can go to many other places for leisure travel. You can organise your work around your family instead of your family around your job. This benefits hotels and destinations as there are fewer peak periods.

You’ll Take More Trips

Business travel is still a thing, but it is also changing. Travel is emerging as a way to de-commoditise your work experience. Gathering a team in a fun way is becoming increasingly popular. The hope is that vacation vibes can spill into business travel in the same way as business has spilt into leisure trips. Some call this a push for the great reconnection. Salesforce.com Inc.'s Marc Benioff is hinting at building a ranch-style resort for employees to spend time team-building or spend a holiday with their families.

Business Travel Will Have to Be More Fun

Remote workers present a whole new market for the travel industry, and accommodations providers have started to meet their needs. Home rentals have the upper hand for laptop luggers. Companies like Landing charge users to access a global portfolio of monthlong rental options. Hotels are creating a membership program that provides fixed nightly rates and food discounts when digital nomads commit to a month-long stay. Other hotels are fitting out indoor-outdoor workstations.

Your Hotel May Look a Little Different

A possible downside of blended travel is that people will not truly disconnect. The pressure of being always on may follow us wherever we find ourselves. Getting a reservation whenever you want is also more difficult as the demand is so high.

You May Not Get as Much R&R

remotework

Remote Work

How Working From Home Will Permanently Change the Way We Travel

When you spend hours at your desk every day, even the smallest features of your workspace – such as the position of your monitor or the height of your chair– can greatly affect your productivity and even your health.
With a few adjustments you can improve your working environment and keep your desk from killing you.

Your workspace matters

<ul>
<li>The best kind of light you can have in your office is natural light. It helps our bodies maintain our internal "clocks" or circadian rhythms which affects our sleep and energy. </li>
<li>Poor lighting, whether it's dim lighting or harsh lighting from overhead fluorescent lights, can cause eye strain, stress, and fatigue.</li>
<li>Don't sit with your back to a window unless you can shade it.</li>
<li>Don't sit facing a window because that will make reading a monitor difficult. </li>
<li>If you use a task lamp at your desk, position it so the bottom of the lampshade is at about the height of your chin when it's on.</li>
</ul>

Optimal Workspace Lighting

<ul>
<li>Indoor plants prevent fatigue during attention-demanding work. </li>
<li>Even just having a window view of live greenery can be restorative and keep us focused.</li>
<li>A peace lily plant requires little sunlight to survive and you only have to water it when the soil is dried out and is also great for cleaning the air.</li>
<li>Cacti and aloe plants are other low-maintenance plants to consider.</li>
</ul>

Office Plants

Cornell University researchers found that by increasing office temperature from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20° to 25° Celsius), workers' typing errors fell by 44 percent, and they were able to type 150 percent more.
If you can't control the temperature in your office, there's always the "wear a sweater" option or getting a small fan if your workspace is too warm.

Workspace Temperature

It's hard to drown all that out when you're trying to work. 
A good pair of noise-canceling headphones could help. Pair it with soothing background music from Jazz and Rain, your favorite video game soundtrack playlist on YouTube, or coffeehouse-like background music. The latter taps into research that suggests ambient noise can increase creativity.

Office Sound

<ul>
<li>Red is energizing and warming, stimulates our pulses, and can be perceived as aggressive</li>
<li>Blue can stimulate thought and aid in concentration and communication, but some might see it as cold and unemotional</li>
<li>Yellow is stimulating and lifts spirits, but the wrong tone of it can make you feel anxious</li>
<li>Green is a reassuring, balancing color, but, depending on how it's used, can be perceived as bland</li>
<li>Violet encourages contemplation, but too much of it could bring about too much introspection</li>
</ul>

Workspace Colors

<ul>
<li>Orange is stimulating and fun, but too much of it can be overwhelming</li>
<li>Pink is soothing but too much can be draining</li>
<li>Gray is neutral, psychologically, and can be depressing unless the right tone is used</li>
<li>Black is serious and sophisticated, but can be heavy</li>
<li>White gives a heightened perception of space but can be a strain to look at</li>
<li>Brown is a serious color, but warmer than black and is solid and supportive</li>
</ul>

Your desk should ideally let you type on a keyboard with your arms and hands roughly parallel to the floor, your feet flat on the floor, and your legs fitting comfortably under the desk when sitting (you should be able to comfortably cross your legs under the surface).

The Ideal Desk Height

Here's what to look for in an ergonomic office chair:<ul><li>Lumbar support: The curve in the back of the chair should support your lower spine, following the natural curve of your lower back.</li><li>Seat depth: Chairs that fit your body will allow you to sit comfortably with your lower back against the lumbar support while also leaving an inch or two between the back of your knees and the seat.</li><li>Chair height: You should be able to adjust the height of the chair so your feet are flat on the floor or on a footrest.</li><li>Armrests: Armrests should be at the proper height so your shoulders aren't hunched and you can keep your arms parallel to the floor.</li><li>Recline-ability: Reclining in your chair, at about 135 degrees, may be better for your spine than sitting straight up at a 90 degree angle.</li></ul>

Ergonomic Chairs

<ul><li>Keep your monitor or laptop screen between 20 and 40 inches in front of you. You do not you want to be forced to lean forward.</li><li>Make sure the top line of the screen is at or below your eye level. </li><li>Don't tilt the monitor more than 10 to 20 degrees. More than that and objects on the screen might be difficult to read.</li><li>Place the monitor perpendicular to windows. This will help avoid eye-straining glare.</li></ul>

Proper Monitor Placement

Remember to take breaks for your eyes.
<ul>
<li>Look at something 20 feet away</li>
<li>for 20 seconds</li>
<li>every 20 minutes to protect your eyes.</li>
</ul>

The 20-20-20 rule

The keyboard should:<ul><li>be close enough to your body so you can hold your elbows comfortably by your sides.</li><li>be low enough that your arms are roughly parallel to the floor and your wrists are flat or angled downwards.</li></ul>Make sure the mouse is a comfortable size for your hands. If it's too big or too small, you might end up bending your wrist in awkward positions.

Keyboard and Mouse

<ul>
<li>Keep only the things you use daily within reach. </li>
<li>Store everything else off of your desk. </li>
<li>Try limiting personal decorations to just 3 items or less.</li>
<li>Hide supplies and tools strategically behind your monitor or under your desk. </li>
<li>Clear cable clutter with ties and other tools.</li>
</ul>

Organize Your Desk

When you spend hours at your desk every day, even the smallest features of your workspace-such as the position of your monitor or the height of your chair-can greatly affect your productivity and even your health. Here's what science says about the best way to set up...

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

timemanagement

Time Management

Productivity and Ergonomics: The Best Way to Organize Your Desk

When someone on your team asks for a raise (assuming they're deserving), but you don't have the budget to increase their pay, can you give someone a promotion to keep up their morale? Just saying "no" to a pay raise or lying to them and saying it could happen in a few months will likely not end well. Instead, redirect the conversation toward the real cause. If you can fix that, you will have a greater impact.

Feeling undercompensated

The best way to find out why someone wants a raise is to ask them. Questions that can help to uncover the issue.<ul><li>What's your least favourite part about your job?</li><li>What's one thing we could do to improve how our team works?</li><li>How do you experience your workload? Do you feel overworked or underworked?</li></ul> Ensure that you are actively listening. Rephrase the message to confirm you understand it.

Get to the root cause

You may be unable to increase their financial compensation, but you can instead focus on providing them with career growth. Studies show that growth is a significant perk people want at work, even more than money. <ul><li>Introduce them to a mentor further along in a similar career.</li><li>Buy them a book or course that will help to develop them.</li><li>Empower them to take on a project to solve an important problem.</li></ul>

Give them new projects to work on

If you are transparent about your company's financial situation, when raises are considered, and your limitations, your employee looking for a raise will be more willing to wait. Transparency creates a deeper level of trust between employers and employees. However, a lack of transparency could lead to a toxic culture that causes people to leave.

Be more transparent

How to deal with one of your team members feeling undercompensated but giving them a pay increase is not an option. 

Should you give someone a promotion without a raise? In the 9th edition of Ask LH, we discuss what to do when you can't give someone a pay increase.

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

humanresources

Human Resources

Promotion without a Raise? What to Do When Money is an Issue

Naturally, hiking wages is one incentive for retaining workers, but it's hardly the only incentive. Besides reasonable pay, some workers want to feel like they're growing within their jobs. That their current situation will turn into improved future career prospects.
Strong training and upskilling programs are a major draw for job applicants -- 90 percent of survey respondents consider them an important feature in prospective employers. That number jumps to 97 percent for employees in the tech industry.

Lack of training and skill development

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

If Your Employees Aren't Learning, You're at Risk of Losing Them

<ol>
<li>Athletes were often naked in the Olympics held in Ancient Greece, as a tribute to the Gods.</li>
<li>Winners often bite their medal during the awards ceremony, as a nod to early merchants who used to bite the gold to check its authenticity. The ones with lead used to leave teeth marks.</li>
<li>Olympic Gold medals are actually just gold plated silver, and the last pure gold medals were awarded in 1904.</li>
</ol>

Cool Facts! - Olympic Games

<ul><li>Olympics were initially held in Olympia every four years from 776 BCE till 392 AD. </li><li>The games were then abolished by Roman Emperor Theodosius.</li><li>The Olympic games returned after 1500 years in Athens with the formation of the International Olympic Committee in 1896.</li></ul>

Cool Facts! - No Olympics For 1500 Years

<ol><li>The Olympic Rings stand for the five continents, with colours that are found in all competing nations' flags.</li><li>The names of the winners are engraved on the stadium walls.</li><li>The ancient Olympic games only had Gold medals.</li><li>The Olympic Flame is always lit and can withstand almost any calamity or weather condition.</li><li>The Olympics was open for kids until 1997, and since then has an age barrier of 16 years.</li></ol>

Cool Facts! - The Olympic Ring And The Olympic Flame

<ul><li>Olympics for the disabled and differently-abled started in Rome in 1960, and since then has seen many athletes with no hands and no legs win medals.</li><li>The same year Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon(26 miles) barefoot.</li><li>True equality was showcased in the 2012 London Olympics when every sport had female competitors.</li></ul>

Cool Facts! - Paralympics

Let's take a look at some crazy Olympic facts that you might not know. Discover why athletes bite their medals, what the Olympic rings stand for and more today.

sports

Sports

14 Cool Facts About The Olympics That You Might Not Know

<ul><li>Big Tech companies have a few methods and mindsets that result in a 40 percent increase in productivity.</li><li>Hiring great people is just one of the many aspects that companies like Google, Apple, Netflix and Dell employ to achieve billion-dollar turnovers.</li><li>They have the same number of star players as the other companies, but the outcome is dramatically different.</li><li>In a span of 10 years, these techniques compound exponentially and yield 30 times more than other companies.</li></ul>

Star Players In Star Companies

Big companies select and prioritize a few roles that are business critical and assign their top, A-grade talent into them. The rest of their roles do not have many star players.The way a team is constructed from the beginning, and how many star players are stacked together matters a lot, especially for the crucial projects.

Grouping Of Star Players

<ul><li>Many managers replace judgements with processes and try to escape the fallout of bad decisions.</li><li>Companies also follow outdated processes that are not discarded by senior management.</li><li>This result is organizational drag, wasted time and loss of productivity, costing the economy over USD 3 Trillion each year.</li></ul>Example: Expense management is essentially based on distrust, as there are audits, limits, documentation and extensive tracking of employees. This entire process can be simply eliminated and employees can be trusted with managing expenses themselves, like Netflix does.

Organizational Drag

<ul><li>Poor leadership costs many companies more than a billion dollars every year.</li><li>Inspired teams deliver 125 percent more than a satisfied one.</li><li>Big Tech focuses on collective talent, because individual talent usually isn’t enough to turn the tables.</li><li>It does not matter what an individual does if the work is the opposite of how the organization works.</li><li>Simply put, companies that inspire employees perform exceedingly well.</li></ul>

Benefits of Moving to Another Country to Start Over

The real reason why most plane seats are blue – and other curious facts about plane cabins

Solo Travel Safety: Tips for Those Traveling Alone

How to Leverage a Nontech Background (and Fight Imposter Syndrome)

How Working From Home Will Permanently Change the Way We Travel

Luis J.