Tag: Making

  • 7 Essential Productivity Apps for Your MacBook

    7 Essential Productivity Apps for Your MacBook


    We spend an already alarming amount of time on our trusty computers, whether for personal projects, school, or work. According to a study released in January 2020 by Hootsuite and We Are Social, the average internet user spends 6 hours and 43 minutes per day online. After a year, the number has risen to 7 hours, or slightly more than two days out of the week.

    Two complete days of video conferencing, emails, downloading, sports, and social media equals a lot of work. We are becoming increasingly dependent on our devices as we explore new ways to communicate, learn, and work from home. And, as long as the new standard is interactive, we’ll continue to spend a significant portion of our lives—and a significant number of hours—online.

    There are several ways to mentally equip yourself if you want to make the most of your time and remain productive. A big part of the trick is how smart you use your computer.

    You may be familiar with Apple’s practical and high-performance approach to its devices if you own a MacBook. The MacBook is a prime example of Apple’s range of products, with a system that seems to be made for efficiency and speed, responsiveness, and a sleek, classic style at its heart.

    There’s always a lot more you can do with your MacBook to increase your productivity. Using the collaboration capabilities of the Apple ecosystem to your advantage. Adding a couple of applications to your experience will also help you make fast and painless repairs.

    Though there are several choices, we’ve picked a few of the best productivity applications for Mac.

    1. Bear

    There are several note-taking applications that are better than others. Give Bear a shot if you prefer a simple, clutter-free interface and want something more advanced than the built-in Notes app. Its straightforward features allow fast note-taking on the go, which is ideal for capturing eureka moments. It has a variety of themes to choose from and in-line styling choices. Users may refer to notes by using cross-note connections, which are brilliant. A cross-device syncing feature is included in the premium edition.

    2. Things

    Things is a great task management app, particularly if you follow the Getting Things Done (GTD) process. Things is a well-designed app with a strong and intuitive interface. Things promises a lot just by looking at it. It has subtle animations and an amazing dark mode feature. It goes a step further than to-do lists by allowing you to create assignments for your goals, use tags to more easily identify your activities, and display your calendar events all at once.

    3. Magnet

    Magnet is a productivity tool that organizes your workspace into clean, clutter-free windows. Magnet is an easy, no-delay solution for window management on Apple devices. Magnet can snap windows to almost any arrangement that works for you, whether it’s a vertical tile or a three-way split screen, and it’s enabled through keyboard shortcuts or the menu bar. It removes the need to switch between apps and provides additional customization options.

    4. Airmail

    Airmail is a mail client that consolidates accounts, making going through your mail a breeze. It is simple to use, fast, and efficient. It also allows you to make tasks and notes directly from your emails.

    5. Alfred

    Productivity is at your fingertips with this all-in-one assistant. This powerful admin tool saves time and effort (especially for repetitive tasks) by streamlining the workflow. To fill in the gaps, Alfred is open. Use hotkeys to scan your computer and background, Snippets and Clipboard History to save hours of typing, and Powerpack to import or build workflows. Alfred intelligently channels your power and assists you in getting the most out of your device—you can even use it to browse your iTunes library!

    6. Focus

    Focus is the best way to ensure your efficiency. This witty app lets you complete one task at a time, free of distractions. Learn about its distinguishing characteristics, such as Focus Sessions, which are close to the Pomodoro technique. Its straightforward, user-friendly nature complements the company’s overall philosophy of holding your focus where it belongs: on the content.

    7. Ulysses

    If you enjoy writing, you’ll need a similarly powerful tool to get you started. Ulysses is a user-friendly and highly customizable writing app with features such as a markup-based text editor, keyboard navigation, and a tidy, clutter-free interface that will keep you focused on your writing. Another fantastic feature of this app is that it allows you to set writing targets, such as word and character counts, so you can keep track of your success.

    These effective tools will certainly boost efficiency, but keep in mind that working smart still entails working at your best. Check out the following hints to remain productive:

    Break down your objectives into manageable chunks. Recognize the big picture of your objectives, but also the little steps you’ll need to take to get there.
    One job at a time should be your main focus. Try not to get distracted when you’re working and give each job the attention it deserves.

    Working in a safe setting is beneficial to your health. Not only your screen, but also your physical work environment, has a significant impact on your productivity. A better atmosphere is one that has plenty of natural light and ventilation, as well as enough space.

    Pause for a moment to catch your breath. Avoiding burnout is a part of productivity. Make time to relax in between tasks.

    There’s no foolproof way to increase your efficiency, but with a little commitment and the right resources, you’ll be one step closer to meeting that deadline, achieving that target, and spending more time on the things that matter to you.

  • Boosting Your ROI in Stock Market Investing

    Boosting Your ROI in Stock Market Investing


    Everyone wants a high return on their investment in stock market trading. First let’s consider the basics and the ways to earn the most on your investments.

    Return on Investment

    Usually referred to as ROI, the Return on Investment in stock market investing is the profit earned from selling a security or other asset divided by the amount of the original investment. With stocks, your ROI is expressed as an APR (annual percentage rate).

    Your ROI is all the income you make on the stock, which also includes profit earned from selling the stock. When the sales price plus any other income is higher than the price you purchased the stock for, your ROI is positive.

    When the sale price plus any other income is lower than the price you bought the stock for, you have a negative ROI (which is obviously what you want to avoid). In fact, as a trader in the stock market, your goal is a high ROI, not just a positive one. To achieve a substantial ROI, consider the following methods to boost your current stock investing efforts.

    Know What You Are Purchasing

    To ensure a high ROI in stock market investing, garner as much information as you can about the company you want to invest your money in. A bit of basic analysis to find out if the stock is worth the asking price can go a long way. Rather than gambling, you can also ask other people to do this research for you if you don’t have the time to do it yourself. Reliable research resources include the websites of major brokerage firms, mutual fund companies and finance publications. There are also paid newsletter that offer this information.

    A Bull Market Is Not The Same As Smart Investing

    When you earn a high ROI in stock market investing, there are many reasons for it. One of the possible reasons is your wise investment strategy. Another reason can simply be the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time so you wind up making money with minimal effort. We may feel smarter when the market is soaring so we get tempted to take on riskier positions and trade more frequently, which may not be the wisest decision.

    Deactivate Active Trading

    You may feel tempted to trade frequently when you are gaining. With online stock trading, investment is a mouse click away which can make you even more impulsive. Remember that it is difficult to make money by beating the stock market consistently. In stock market trading, it is better to have a buy and hold strategy to ensure a high ROI.

    Take Note of The Tax Man

    Pay attention to tax ramifications when trading stocks. Frequent trading can become extremely costly, especially when major income taxes are triggered by profits. By buying and holding for a period of at least one year, you would qualify for a lower capital gains rate. Your financial advisor should be able to consult with you on this.

  • Leadership tip: Can Toastmasters serve as your cue?

    Leadership tip: Can Toastmasters serve as your cue?


    James Clear explores how our environment affects our habits in his best-selling book Atomic Habits. If we want to read more books, placing books in various parts of our house can serve as a sign to our minds to read; similarly, placing notebooks and pens throughout the room might serve as a sign to write.

    If you want to improve your leadership and communication skills, you’ll need to start with a habit. Toastmasters might be a good place to start.

    While we may have always been told that communication and leadership are necessary abilities, we may not have always had the opportunity to put them into practice. Furthermore, these are talents that we improve through practicing. We may fumble and fall at first, making the initial step terrifying and frightening. This is where the environmental cue becomes even more important. You are permitted to go blank and forget your lines at weekly Toastmasters club meetings as long as you strive to take that first step.

    This has prompted me to explore with speechcraft and other aspects of communication. With butterflies, boxes, and glasses, I’ve presented speeches. As part of my lecture, I set up the keyboard and played Mozart for the crowd. I’ve put on a magic hat and done tricks that I completely forgot about halfway through. Some of them were successful, while others were not.

    When I found myself in a situation where there were leaders, I decided to improve on my leadership qualities by joining the club executive committee. I had the opportunity to reflect on my strengths and limitations as a communicator and leader in between leadership responsibilities, meetings, and actions. When I had the opportunity to serve as the division editor for Nepal in 2019/20, my relationship with material grew even stronger. Many doors unlocked themselves on this journey, and it was a nudge to open them, both personally and professionally.

    Toastmasters’ philosophy is vast, but if I had to summarize it based on my personal experience, I would say it is the opportunity to try new things. There are a plethora of cues in Toastmasters’ Pathways education program. The ability to think quickly on your feet, the agility to detect compliments and recommendations, and the versatility to build various speeches all become transferable abilities. The teachings become inseparable as you figure out what works and what doesn’t for you. You take it with you wherever you go, at home, at work, and everywhere else.

    Toastmasters has a long and illustrious history, with over 95 years of experience. You might want to dive in for the pearl, or you might want to dive in for a swim, depending on your ambitions, but the most essential thing you’ll find here is an environment in which to grow yourself. Can Toastmasters help you with all of these things and more? You are the only one who can tell.

  • How Does Hindsight Bias Influence Investing Decisions?

    How Does Hindsight Bias Influence Investing Decisions?


    Since its top of 1881 in 2016, the Nepal Stock Exchange has been on a downward trend. The market dropped to as low as 1100, a drop of nearly 40% from its peak. Many investors lost a lot of money as a result of the devastating market meltdown.

    If we ask investors right now if they thought the market was going to tumble after 2016, many will say yes. However, at the peak, investors were more bullish on the market. The massive quantity of everyday turnover demonstrates this. The daily transaction amount was between 1.5 and 2 billion rupees.

    So, how does an investor’s opinion of the same event change? This is a psychological phenomena known as ‘Hindsight bias.’

    The tendency of people to perceive events as more predictable than they actually are is referred to as hindsight bias. In other words, it makes the past appear less predictable than it was. Things always appear more evident after they have occurred.

    Decision making is difficult prior to the occurrence due to a lack of information and foresight. However, looking at the available results after the event, the outcome appears more predictable.

    During the bullish era in our market, investors were uninformed of the oncoming market disaster. As a result, many people were highly involved in stocks. Some people predicted that the market would crash. However, no one was certain at the moment.

    However, after the market fall, investors believe that they were forewarned that the market would drop. With more information regarding the market crash becomes accessible, investors appear to be more sure about the event’s predictability.

    Why is hindsight bias dangerous in investing?

    Consider the following scenario: You are considering purchasing a stock called ABC. However, you do not purchase it for some reason. The price of ABC stock then skyrockets. What are your thoughts?

    The answer is that you are stupid. You kick yourself for squandering the opportunity. You are remorseful for not purchasing the stock when you realized it was a winner. You tell yourself, ‘I knew the stock would soar.’ This is what we mean by hindsight bias.

    So, what makes it dangerous? This is because you have made a promise to yourself that you would not make the same mistake again. You are more confident in your decision-making abilities, and you vow to seize the next opportunity. This is the danger that hindsight bias can cause. The next time might not be the same as the previous.

    Let’s have a look at another scenario: You consider purchasing a stock called ABC. However, you do not purchase it for some reason. The price of ABC stock then plummets. Now consider if you would have felt the same way in the first situation.

    No, it does not. You congratulate yourself on making a wise decision not to buy ABC stock. You knew the stock would decline, which is why you didn’t buy it in the first place.

    Why is the response different in these two cases? In an ideal world, the answer in both cirplusstances would be the same. In both cirplusstances, you made the same decision not to acquire stock ABC prior to the rise or fall in its price. However, after the event occurs, such as a price rise or decline, you change your reaction in accordance with the nature of the occurrence.

    This is risky because it gives you the impression that you knew it all along, giving you a false sense of security in your judgment. This can lead to overconfidence in your financial abilities and reckless decisions.

    How do you prevent falling into the Hindsight Bias trap?

    Several behavioral experts have recommended producing a list of everything that was considered when making the decision. This could be a good plan. We will know what our thought process was at the time of decision making if we make a record of the reasoning behind our decisions. We cannot change our statements after the event has occurred. This will aid us in making an accurate assessment of our abilities.

    Investors may not consider hindsight bias as a concern. However, it may lead you to make decisions based on your perspective rather than facts.

    In conclusion

    In our daily lives, we experience hindsight bias. Whether it’s investing, gaming, exams, or anything else, the outcome makes us feel much more confident in our abilities. If Real Madrid beats Sevilla, we’ll tell ourselves and others that we knew Madrid was going to win. Similarly, if the stock/real estate price is rising, ‘I knew it’ comes into play.

    Even if it hasn’t caused any immediate harm, it can make you overconfident, causing your next bet to be more illogical. Real Madrid won, but the outcome might be different the next time. Past events cannot be utilized to predict the future completely. Information and strategies evolve in tandem with the passage of time.

    As a result, it is preferable to treat each possibility as new and base your judgment on facts. The past appears to be easy to anticipate, yet this is not the case. It is a hallucination that arises following the occurrence of the result. As a result, it is preferable to stick to your investing ideas and tactics.

  • 10 Best Online Data Entry Jobs You Can Do During Lockdown

    10 Best Online Data Entry Jobs You Can Do During Lockdown


    Everyone is looking for online data entry employment during the COVID-19 lockout days. Because they save money and help employees work more efficiently, businesses have resorted to freelance and online workers for assistance. Finances is one area where this favorable position has resulted in growth and flexibility for both individuals and employers.

    Organizations’ decisions during the COVID-19 lockdown can help them save money on infrastructure and operations. Many established jobs now offer greater pay scales online when compared to in-house work.

    Furthermore, due to their limited application in many industries, many internet data entry jobs are now outsourced and contracted. New developments, on the other hand, are now making a lot of job available online and for the right applicants in every area.

    Top Online Data Entry Jobs During COVID-19 Lockdown

    The following is a list of online data entry jobs that pay well and come in large quantities:

    1. PDF to Word Conversion Jobs:

    Good communication and language abilities are required for this type of work. Filling out excel sheets or a word document is a good idea. Furthermore, you must read and convert content from a PDF file to a Word document. There are many other translation doplusents accessible. In the same industry, there are numerous sub-jobs to choose from.

    2. Writing, Editing, and Proofreading Jobs:

    Some of the basic credentials for this type of work are excellent language skills, including but not limited to English. This procedure begins with the, which might lead to proofreading and, finally, editing work. Additionally, academic language skills are ideal for this type of work. In the industry, there are also unique assignments accessible. Focus on narrative formats as well, which have a lot of potential in the film and media industries.

    3. Online Survey Jobs:

    Taking an online survey is a simple and enjoyable method to earn money. This profession comprises filling out a survey after collecting feedback on their products and services. Many websites will compensate you if you complete an online survey. You can earn up to $300 depending on how many studies you complete in a month or week.

    4. Form Filling Jobs:

    The remuneration for this type of work is more than for a regular writing job. Separate chunks of data will be given to you to enter the value from a database into each field in the form. Because any incorrect entry will result in false data, this work needs great attention to detail.

    5. Captcha Entry Jobs:

    Captcha entry jobs allow you to enter captcha image numbers, alphanumeric data, and image texts into a spreadsheet or doplusent. You’ll also have to solve hundreds of captcha images every day. It’s a less complicated and more interesting job than the others on the list.

    6. Payroll Data Entry Operator:

    The majority of this job’s work is outsourced online due to the extensive use of internet recruiting software. Searching for candidates, entering candidate information and allowances, and receiving a list of candidates who have been shortlisted are just a few of the jobs available. The compensation for this work role is low at first (for newcomers), however the industry has a strong rate of growth.

    7. EMail Processor:

    This is a well-paying and creative work opportunity! You concentrate on e-mail delivery every day. Hundreds of e-mails are forwarded to different addresses. You’ll be in charge of tracking down the information and constructing a spreadsheet.

    8. Transcription work: Transcription work entails converting audio to text. You’ll be given a phrase to memorize, which could be an audio file or a live performance. This type of data entry job typically requires additional skills and is conducted by medical experts. You can easily earn $50 each hour of audio transcription, which takes four to five hours depending on the file’s difficulty.

    9. Word Processor:

    This job entails entering data that will be utilized to create mailing labels, letters, and reports, among other things. Strong communication skills, as well as knowledge of punctuation, spelling, and grammar, are required. You may also be expected to use technical and statistical data to create tables, graphs, and charts.

    10. Converting Files:

    Finally, converting files from one format to another is a variation on data input labor in general. Among other things, you’ll be asked to convert an audio file or an image to PDF or Word format.

    With the advancement of digital technology, online data entry jobs with proper pay scales are now available in practically every industry. The majority of it is also available on job boards online. Data entry jobs online are an excellent method to broaden your network, boost your profession, and protect your financial future.

    These online occupations offer several benefits, and we strongly encourage you to explore them, especially during this shutdown period!