I’ve got a little post about dating on the Digital Nomads site. It’s not one of my usual topics, but it does relate to working better and more efficiently. Really. Check it out:

Date more to work less

Be sure to leave some juicy comments, so I can feel loved.

Instead of asking or demanding for what you want, simply state your goal and ask, “How can we make this happen?”

Here are some examples:

Instead of:

“Can you give me a raise?”

Ask this:

“I’d like a raise. How can we make this happen?”

Instead of:

“Can I be your boyfriend”

Ask this:

“I want to be your boyfriend. How can we make this happen?

Instead of:

“Can you sell it to me for less?”

Ask this:

“I’d like the price to be lower. How can we make this happen?”

Why the rephrasing? It lowers the chances of a flat-out rejection. At the same time, you increase the possibility of collaboration on reaching your stated goal; if the other person can’t give you want you want now, it’s easier to negotiate how you can get it later.

Asking “How can we make it happen?” shows guts and diplomacy without seeming demanding.

Try it the next time you want something from someone else.

I’m going through a bit of a blog crisis, so I’ve been looking more closely at the About page on this site. The word “we” is all over the place. Which is weird, because I’ve been going solo for awhile.

I do wish I had a team of magic elves maintaining and pumping out content on this site. But since it’s just me, I’d be lying if I keep using “we”.

So it’s time to put the “I” back into this old blog. I know I’ve been inconsistent in the past, so I’m now making it my official position.

I’ll be posting a new About page this week—proudly written in the first person. There’ll be a few other changes, too. ;-)

If you own a solo blog, tell me: do you use “I” or “we” when writing?

I’m now rested (fairly so, at least) and back in the swing of things. I’m working on refocusing the site, and posts will now be more frequent.

Also, I now have a little stint on Dell’s Digital Nomads blog. Check out a few things I’ve written recently:

• 12 essential services for the digital nomad
• Baggu: The perfect on-the-go bag
• How to lost 10 pounds of junk in one day
• Set office hours—even if you don’t have to
• Even more ways to divorce your laptop

Thanks for your patience. ;-)

Hey everyone, I meant to post this earlier, but had trouble with my Internet access:

I’m taking a much needed vacation and will be out for the rest of the month on a Southern adventure in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia–yikes!

I know I haven’t been posting much lately, but I promise I haven’t totally checked out! After reading Merlin Mann’s recent posts on the dismal state of productivity blogs, I got a bit embarrassed about the lack of focus on LifeClever. I’m doing some blog soul searching and hope to come back recharged and in full force.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me.

Lately, all I do at lunch is talk about work. And by talking, I mean bitching. So instead of a nice leisurely lunch filled with lively conversation about politics, film, or just the weather, it’s another trap to fill my head with work stress.

So here’s my new rule for lunch: stop the shop talk.

That means no complaining about clients. No agonizing over schedules. And absolutely no discussion about anything else work-related. Lunch is not the time to reflect about work. It’s the time to eat, rest, and relax. Remember, lunch should be a micro-vacation.

I know I haven’t been blogging as much as folks would like. Thanks to everyone for bearing with me, as I try to balance my blogging duties with my working duties.