What is Mesothelioma ? Mesothelioma Law Firm

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium –– a thin layer of tissue that covers most of our internal organs. In most cases, the tissue surrounding the lungs is affected. However, cases have been reported in which other body organs are affected with this condition. This form of cancer is very aggressive and often proves fatal if it is malignant Mesothelioma.

Know the Risk Factors

Although several materials can possibly cause this disease, mesothelioma is primarily attributed to exposure to asbestos as reported by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the CDC. Furthermore, Asbestos has been classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a human carcinogen.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing malignant Mesothelioma. The latency period for the disease is reported to be around 20 to 40 years. So exposure to asbestos can go unnoticed for decades. Hence, mesothelioma cases are diagnosed years after the first exposure to asbestos occurs. In a study conducted by the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), annual multiple-cause-of-death records were analyzed for the period from 1999 to 2005. It was found that a total of 18,068 deaths were reported because of malignant Mesothelioma.

Who should be concerned?

Asbestos is imported into the United States and was even mined in the country during the 20th century. In the US, the use of asbestos peaked in 1973 when it amounted to 803,000 metric tons before declining to 1,700 metric tons in 2007. Industrial workers employed in settings such as manufacturing, construction and shipbuilding prior to 1980s are the ones who are at most risk, as federal safety regulation was not in place at the that time. Exposure continues to occur today because of the demolition of buildings in which asbestos was used during construction.

Steps to Take in Case Of Asbestos-Exposure Related Mesothelioma

After taking into consideration several research findings, exposure to asbestos has been singled out as the main cause of Mesothelioma in most cases. This exposure affects individuals differently. Several factors are involved, including concentration, frequency and duration of exposure as well as the shape, size and chemical makeup of the fibers that determine your chances of contracting Mesothelioma.

It is natural to feel concerned about Mesothelioma if you have experienced chronic exposure to asbestos. Doctors recommend that such people should get regular CT scans or chest x-rays. They must also get lung function tests as these tests can detect problems caused by asbestos fibers. If any problems are detected, you should obtain a professional Mesothelioma diagnosis. In the unfortunate event of being diagnosed with Mesothelioma, you have the grounds for filing a lawsuit. A Mesothelioma law suit can help you claim compensation for the additional costs borne in dealing with this disease as well as for the resulting emotional distress and trauma.

Mesothelioma cases by State

Jurisdiction	2016 Filing	% of 2016 Filing	2015 Filing	% of 2015 Filing
Madison County, IL	619	28.90%	563	25.77%
New York, NY	184	8.59%	193	8.83%
Baltimore City, MD	182	8.50%	233	10.66%
St. Louis, MO	133	6.21%	108	4.94%
Philadelphia, PA	90	4.20%	93	4.26%
Wayne, MI	86	4.01%	125	5.72%
New Castle, DE	74	3.45%	71	3.25%
Cook County, IL	73	3.41%	95	4.35%
Los Angeles, CA	57	2.66%	39	1.78%
Kanawha, WV	55	2.57%	55	2.52%
Allegheny, PA	50	2.33%	33	1.51%
Middlesex, NJ	46	2.15%	35	1.60%
St Clair, IL	30	1.40%	57	2.61%

Madison County, IL, accounts for the most number of total asbestos and mesothelioma filings in 2016. There is an upward trend (10% increase) in total filings (both asbestos and mesothelioma) in this county from 2015 to 2016. Other jurisdictions which show the same trend for the 2015-16 period are: Los Angeles, CA, Allegheny, PA, and St. Louis, MO. However, two of Illinois’s counties show a downward trend – Cook County shows a 23% and St. Clair County shows a 47% decrease in total filings.

*Statistics are taken from KCIC’s report titled “Asbestos Litigation: 2015 Year in Review”.

Why choose a Mesothelioma Law firm

The dangers associated with asbestos exposure have been known to the Asbestos manufacturers for decades. Victims of the disease rightly feel that they should have been warned about these dangers and so undue hardships both for the victims and their families could have been avoided. Treatment plans are often tailored to the patient's needs so the medical expenses incurred because of the disease vary from person to person and are often considerable.

If you feel that you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma and have also been exposed to asbestos fibers during their lives, you will typically be eligible for filing a lawsuit and claim compensation for any treatment related expenses, as well as for the pain and suffering caused by this disease. The litigation process involved is quite complex. So it is better to hire the services of a Mesothelioma law firm that has the time as well as the resources to tackle investigations specific to your case.

Source:  http://www.excite.com/education/lawyers/mesothelioma-law-firm

How to Select a Mesothelioma Attorney?

Best tips to select a Mesothelioma lawyer for you

Choosing the right mesothelioma attorney is very important as it is not easy to trace the asbestos exposure and also identifying the company responsible for the exposed asbestos environment. You need to consider a few key points while choosing a mesothelioma lawyer which are:

1. Basic Know-how: Ensure that the attorney offers personal service. Most of the mesothelioma lawyers refer clients to other law firms for a good fee and they will have almost nothing to do with you later. Find a lawyer that will help you out with the whole legal process and the one that has the experience as well as the resources which are essential to handle the case
2. Mesothelioma Experience: Keep the practical considerations in mind that include the lawyer’s area of expertise, the amount of fees charged by them and time-duration of case completion, look for a firm that focuses primarily or exclusively on litigating mesothelioma cases, know the prior experience and reputation of the attorney and how good their communications skills are
3. Responsive: You should be pretty comfortable with the appointed mesothelioma attorney as he will be the person who will help you with the whole legal process and get you compensation by winning the case. The attorney should be caring enough to respond to your calls regularly and satisfactorily. It can be frustrating for the mesothelioma victims when the lawyer won’t answer your phone calls. Some are really responsive while others may respond till you have signed a representation agreement
4. Results Speak: It is a good idea to look up the history of the best mesothelioma lawyers shortlisted by you. Sometimes the biggest cases are settled while sometime the mesothelioma law firms have a reputation in selecting only those cases that have the higher chance of getting settled and the defendants know they are likely to be outgunned in trial. It is crucial for your lawyer to walk you through the details of your case, explain the strong and weak points and be totally honest about the possibilities for compensation gain and also build a timeline
5. Trust your Instincts: No matter how good a mesothelioma attorney would look on paper, if you don’t feel he is the right person to appoint try finding someone else with whom you have a better understanding and working relationship. Choosing the right lawyer can help you in getting the right settlement so this selection process is worth every second of yours.

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Sites For Free Online Education

Best of all, many high quality sites are completely free. From history to coding, excellent free education awaits on the following 25 sites.

 1. Coursera

Coursera.org is a website that partners with universities and organizations around the world. This brings a wide variety of topics and perspectives to one searchable database. Coursera is a powerful tool for free online education, and includes courses from many top universities, museums and trusts. This gives the site an extremely wide range of in-depth courses. Coursera is extremely useful if you’re looking to study many different topics, or want courses from different schools and groups.

2. Khan Academy

Partnering with many post secondary schools, Khan Academy offers a useable, well organized interface. Also curating many courses from around the web, Khan Academy offers impressive depth on many different subjects. Among the more well known educational sites, Khan Academy is also incredibly useable, which may make it easier to keep learning goals.

3. Open Culture Online Courses

If you are struggling to find exactly the material you are looking for, try Open Culture’s listing of free online education courses. The page highlights 1000 lectures, videos and podcasts from universities around the world. The site features a lot of material found only on universities private sites, all in easy to browse categories. This means you can find hundreds of university courses, without having to visit and search each university’s own site. Open Culture’s list features courses from England, Australia, Wales and many state universities around the United States. A very helpful resource for finding many courses in one area of study.

4. Udemy 

Udemy’s free courses are similar in concept to Coursera’s but additionally allows users to build custom courses from lessons. Working with many top professors and schools, the site mixes the customizable platform of other sites with a heavy emphasis on top quality content. This is another site however, that mixes free and paid content.

5. Academic Earth

Another site with courses from many different schools is Academic  Earth. Much like the three sites above, Academic Earth brings together top notch courses from many different sources, and focuses on offering a wide variety of subjects. Academic Earth lists courses by subject and school, so it might be easier to find what you’re looking for.

6. edX

Another great option for free online education is edX. Also bringing together courses from many different schools, the site has impressive, quality information for everyone. edX covers a great range of topics.

7. Alison

Unlike the previous sites on this lists, Alison is a free education site offering certification in some areas. Alison offers courses mainly in business, technology, and health, but also includes language learning courses. A great option if users need certification for their learning, Alison also offers school curriculum courses.

8. iTunesU Free Courses

A very convenient place for free online education is iTunesU, because it integrates seamlessly with your iPod, or any app-ready Apple mobile device. On iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, users download the iTunesU app. Desktop users can access  iTunesU on the upper right hand corner of the iTunes Store. iTunesU is also convenient because the store is categorized much like iTunes. Users can search learning materials in many different ways, including genre and topic. However, courses are often a mix of free podcasts or videos, and paid content. ITunesU does include courses on a pretty wide scope of topics, but does not integrate with Android, Google or Windows mobile devices.

9. Stanford Online

Your hub for all the online offerings from Stanford University, Stanford Online offers self-paced and session based courses. While Coursera features some courses from Stanford, many classes are only available via other hosts. Some courses require iTunes, but most are completed in your web browser. Stanford Online is a great site for high quality courses, though the topics are somewhat limited compared to sites partnered with more than one school.

10. Harvard Extension

Like Stanford Online, Harvard Extension features free online education courses from Harvard only. This is another excellent source for top notch course material, though the course variety is less rich than multi-school sites. Additionally, Harvard Extension allows you to search for courses by professional certificate. This makes it much easier if your online education goal includes certification.

11. Open Yale Courses

Open Yale Courses echoes Harvard Extension and Stanford Online, in that it offers only courses from Yale. While the site is similarly limited to topics taught at the school, Open Yale Courses offers a lot of videos of actual campus lectures. The availability of videos makes the site a great option if you’re looking for quality courses, but learn better by watching than by reading.

12. UC Berkeley Class Central

Much like the other schools on this list, UC Berkeley has a variety of free online education options. The school has slightly fewer courses than the schools above, but includes some supplementary lectures, webcasts and RSS Feeds, making it easy to keep up with the topics you choose.

13. MIT OpenCourseWare

Similarly, MIT offers a variety of free courses. The school has a comparable number of courses to the schools above, plus includes very in-depth course materials on the subjects available. MIT also offers free RSS feeds, a convenient way to continue learning.

14. Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative

Carnegie Mellon’s free online education site is comparable with the other school’s on this list, however, Open Learning Initiative also covers a smaller range of topics. But for the topics that are covered impressive, in-depth material is available.

15. Codecademy

Codecademy is a website dedicated specifically to teaching coding.  Where other coding sites follow an example/practice session workflow, Codecademy includes a live practice window. This means you can practice coding while still viewing the lesson material. The courses at Codecademy are well written and easy to follow and the website is organized very nicely. Codecademy features a centralized dashboard where you can monitor your progress, plus organizes lessons into complete modules. This lets you learn an entire language without needing to pick the next course manually.

16. Code

Code is another website focused on coding and app writing. A site with high quality courses, Code also features learning options for kids. In addition to kid friendly courses, Code offers free online education classes on a wide variety of technology topics. These classes include app writing, robotics and Javascript. Most of the courses are also geared in a such a way that they can be useful in a classroom setting. This makes Code a great resource for harder to find coding topics, as well as various learning settings.

17. University of London Podcasts

The podcast page on the University of London website is another great source for free education. While the courses are limited to podcasts, the site features podcasts from it’s own campus, as well as eleven universities in and around London. This gives learners a wide base of topics and lectures, but still ensures in-depth material.

18. University of Oxford Podcasts

Similar to the University of London, the University of Oxford features many different podcasts. Most are public lecture series or lectures from visiting professors, with several different recordings available. The advantage to this particular site is that podcasts are organized into series, making it easy to subscribe to multiple lectures on one topic. Another good site for thoroughly in-depth lectures.

19. BBC Podcasts

For the more casual learner, the BBC offers a wide variety of podcasts on many different topics. Most podcasts are updated weekly, and focus on everything from finance, to sports, to current events. Through the World Service line of podcasts, there are also many in different languages. The focus of these podcasts are less in-depth and theory based, which may be more accessible to the average person.

20. TED-Ed

Another great destination for more general learning is TED-Ed. From the same people that brought you the all encompassing, motivational web series, comes a site chocked full of educational videos. Most include impressive animation, and all are ten minutes long or less. Not only is TED-Ed an excellent site for the curious, it also includes supplemental materials and quizzes on the videos. This makes the site extremely useful in formal education settings, as well as in entertaining ways to brush up on new discoveries and topics.

21. LessonPaths

LessonPaths is another great tool for those looking for a more usable and convenient way to access learning material. On this site, users create link playlists of their favorite learning materials from other sites. Users then rank these collections, making it easy to find many different high quality, accessible sources on a given topic.

22. Memrise

Another impressive free online education site offering ease of use and convenience is Memrise. Available both on desktop and as an app, Memrise is a particularly powerful tool if you are studying a language. The site encompasses many other topics as well, though some of the course material is user generated content. Part of what makes Memrise speacial is their integration of games into the learning materials, mixing learning with entertainment.

23. National Geographic Kids

The kids site for National Geographic is another site that makes free online education applicable for younger users. For those looking for kid friendly education, a large variety of games, puzzles, videos and photos keeps kids interested on this site. National Geographic Kids doesn’t organize learning into courses, making materials available by topic and medium instead. This makes National Geographic Kids a good option for those looking for a more casual learning environment.

24. Fun Brain

Fun Brain is another good option for kids who want to learn online, but focuses on games and fun puzzles. Particularly focused on math and reading, Fun Brain’s game based approach can be valuable if the child in question struggles to pay attention. Fun Brain offers rewards and challenges as well, and is another site aimed at a casual learning experience for kids K-8.

25. Whyville

Similar to the sites for kids free online education is Whyville a destination for preteen online learning. The site includes a variety of social features, with a focus on learning materials geared for young teens. Whyville also mixes in educational games, to make the site a well rounded option for kids too old for simple games, but too young for heavy reading based material.

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Best Screenshot Apps for Android

The two-button combo for screenshots is easy but what if our smartphone has a fragile lock or volume button, we wouldn’t want the buttons to break, would we? Along with that, we sometimes need editing tools for doodling, arrows, boxes etc.. to point out something in screenshots before we can post them on social networks. There are a number of screenshot apps on the Google Play Store that not only allow you to take screenshots with ease, they also bring some cool additional features.
We tried many apps on the Play Store and here are the best screenshot apps for Android (in no particular order):
Note: Most of the screenshot apps on Android come with various triggers to take screenshots. Not every trigger will work on all smartphones due to access or hardware limitations. 

Best Screenshot Apps for Android

Screenshot Easy

Screenshot Easy is a very popular Android app for taking screenshots with ease. The app has a very simple UI, which works well with Android’s Material Design UI guidelines. There are various triggers in the app, which lets you take a screenshot. You can choose to take a screenshot through an overlay button, which keeps floating or using a button in the notification center or by shaking your device. The app also lets you set your hardware camera button to take screenshots and that’s if your smartphone has a hardware camera button. If the app is running in the background and you take a screenshot the conventional way, it detects that and opens the screenshot in the app for your editing needs.

 

When it comes to the editing features, it lets you crop your screenshots, ZIP it or print it. You can also change existing colors in a screenshot to the one you like. There are options to show date & time on screenshots and save the images in PNG or JPG format. Other features of the app include themes, support for locale & tasker plugins. Moreover, the app is available for free on the Play Store.
Install: (Free)
Compatibility: Android 4.0 and up.

Screenshot Ultimate

Screenshot Ultimate is not the best looking Android app out there but if you want a ton of features in a screenshot app, Screenshot Ultimate won’t disappoint you. It has the most number of triggers to take a screenshot and you might find some of them to be really convoluted. You can take screenshots through an overlay button, notification bar button, shaking your device, power connect/disconnect and more. There are advanced triggers like audio trigger (blow into your device’s mic to take screenshot), interval (set time period to automatically take screenshots), cronjob (set when to take a screenshot in a specific app), proximity (put finger on proximity sensor to take screenshots), intent (tasker & locale support) and more.



Along with the various triggers, the app lets you make adjustments to your screenshots, change formats and more. There are also editing features like draw, crop, add text, rotate, mirror, effects and more. It also lets you share images directly to Imgur. The good news is Screenshot Ultimate is available for free on the Play Store.
Install: (Free)
Compatibility: Android 2.1 and up.

Screenshot Snap

While the Screenshot Snap app doesn’t really bring any intuitive methods to take a screenshot, it makes up with its diverse editing features. The app detects a screenshot being taken and loads it up on the app. You can then edit the screenshot on the go and share it quickly. You can doodle on an image with the pencil or paintbrush tool and you can also insert arrows, boxes, text and more.



The app brings you the option to save images in PNG or JPG, increase or decrease image quality. Screenshot Snap is available in a free version but it is limited when it comes to features and the ads can be a little annoying. The paid version of the app brings some cool stamps, blur tool, cloud uploading and removes ads.
Install: (Free, Paid $0.99)
Compatibility: Android 4.0 and up.

Perfect Screen Shot

Perfect Screen Shot is another cool screenshot app, which stands out due to its unique features. The app feels smooth in operation and it embodies Android’s Material Design UI, if that’s a deal breaker for you. While the app does not take screenshots for you, it detects when one is taken and opens the app with the screenshot right in front. It lets you frame your screenshots inside a device’s frame and you can edit the colors, background and more. There are various options to edit the frames and you can add glare, shadows & blur to the images. You can get frames of various devices ranging from Nexus devices such as Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X to Galaxy S6 Edge, One M9, Moto G and more.



The free “Classic” version of the app is pretty limited when it comes to the number of frames and editing features. The paid “Ultra” version brings you 3D frames, various editing options like background color, custom background images, optional blur and more.  You can also choose to edit your screenshots without a frame, if frames are not really your thing. The app also lets you import screenshots from any cloud storage services that you use like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox etc.. To sum it up, Perfect Screen Shot is a cooler way to share screenshots and those screenshots certainly do look better inside a device frame.
Install: (Free Classic, Paid Ultra $1.99)
Compatibility: Android 4.0.3 and up.

Capture Screenshot

Capture Screenshot is very similar to Screenshot Easy but Capture Screenshot is a great screenshot app in its own right. The app is fast and is designed beautifully, so full marks to the developers on that front. It brings you various triggers like overlay button, notification shade button and shake to capture. Once you click the “Start Service” button, the app starts running in the background and detects whatever screenshots you take.



Once a screenshot is taken, Capture Screenshot lets you crop, draw, rotate, invert, add text and more. It also brings a number of filters like Boost, Grayscale, Gamma, Hue, Vignette etc.. There’s ability to save screenshots in PNG or JPG image formats. Along with that, the app brings you themes and you can choose the color you like for the app to give it a personalized look. While the free version of Capture Screenshot packs in most of the features, the “Pro” version removes ads and brings more filters.
Install (Free, Pro version $3)
Compatibility: Android 2.3 and up.

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10 Lists to Keep If I Want to Be Successful

The human mind is truly incredible, and we should all strive towards creating a tenacious memory we can rely on. Many lucrative professions or hobbies require such a trait—actors, musicians, artists and entertainers in general do countless drills, just so the required information can be embedded in the memory with certainty. Clearly numerous doors that lead to a successful future are unlocked if one has a great memory. Although beneficial, it is not an essential ingredient within the success formula—what you lack in memory can always be compensated with diligence.

Keeping track of crucial elements in your life through list-making is still an unrivaled tactic for counterbalancing feeble recollection. By utilizing constant reminders, we can have significantly greater organization, we won’t be under the impression we have forgotten something, and we will have a clear insight into which task has a stamp of immediacy attached to it. Here are ten suggested lists that warrant implementation, in order to track achievements and nurture ambition.

1. List of Goals

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
—Zig Ziglar

Goals and ambition is what drives us and motivates us, but we need to ask ourselves what is it that we want in order to feel truly accomplished. Your list of goals should consists of all the items that you deem are necessary to truly respect yourself. It can be financial stability, a place you can call your own, starting your family, being independent, etc. People have different criteria when it comes to goals, and this list in particular is ever-growing; it changes as you mature, but it always feels great when you cross something out of it. Without such a list, you lose direction of where your life is heading, and we all need some inner guidance to focus on—a good reason to get up in the morning.

2. List of Tasks

“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.”
—Theodore Isaac Rubin

Tasks are actually milestones on the road to goal completion, and these lists have a tendency to become quite copious. New tasks emerge on a daily basis, regardless of whether you are an employee, a student, or a freelancer. Despite the fact that they are arduous, we always have some sense of achievement once the task is complete, or when a certain problem is solved. By avoiding to make such lists and lists of our daily tasks, they’ll simply pile up and eventually become a hindrance.

In the event you have larger tasks that need more than a day, a week or a month before they can be completed, then break those tasks into smaller daily assignments, and put them on the list as well. As long as you monitor larger tasks while completing minor daily milestones, you will have a greater grip on progression and continuous source of motivation. List and sticky notes are actually quite potent tools for increase in productivity, especially while we are working from home.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that you should also have a list of personal tasks, or tasks you do for the sake of self-fulfillment. These are related to your personal goals, and governing passions—writing a book, painting, crafting etc. These tasks will define you and offer a much greater sense of achievement, so give it your all to create something you can be proud of.

3. List of Contacts

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.”
—Aristotle

It would be delusional to assume you can make it all on your own; however, at the same time, a flawed partnership can result in disastrous outcome as well. It is extremely difficult to find compatible allies and contacts, since friends and family—in other words, people close to you—may not be the best choice for a business partner. If you want to enter into a partnership with someone, make sure the person shares the same vision. Tread lightly and try to ascertain your potential partner’s level of reliability.

Throughout life, we come across skillful, capable and talented people, whose competence might be needed in the future, depending on your line of work of course. Do not be hesitant to offer a helping hand when they are in need, since you can gain a valuable contact. The point being: make a special list of all important contacts, like reliable programmers, handymen, lawyers, etc. Remember not to only reach out when you are in need. You need to maintain a healthy and natural relationship and be there for those people if they require your assistance. Truth be told, it can be arduous to forge strong friendship bonds, but having important acquaintances and becoming an important acquaintance is very much possible.

Without such a list, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to possible future complications; moreover, make sure this list is well-kept since once you lose a contact like this one, it can be somewhat troublesome to recover such data. Just be sure you have recovery data tools at your disposal to mitigate the damage if something were to happen to your phone.

4. List of Expenses

“A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.”
—Jonathan Swift

This may be a quite mundane piece of advice, yet it is very often neglected. As we all know, there are two types of expenses: those that are necessary, (bills, taxes, food) and those expenditures used for indulging some personal cravings. There is a degree of restraint that the majority of us lack in order to approach the matter with a satisfying level of prudence. To say it bluntly, we treat our wants like our needs, and necessities and primary obligations are pushed in the background. Of course, this may sound a bit exaggerated, but the truth is the pressure of a consumer’s culture eventually becomes overwhelming, resulting in a purchase we shouldn’t be able to afford at the time. This kind of behavior can be avoided by utilizing lists, and turning them into an omnipresent reminder of what is truly important.

By making lists of all the monthly expenses we are obligated to pay, we’ll have a clear overview with how much resources are there at our disposal. On the other hand, without this list filled with meticulous calculations, we are prone to believing that we have more freedom to engage in a shopping spree, ultimately causing our bills to pile up; thus, we end up a step closer to a financial suicide. Handling finances properly, or the fact that we prioritize the costs of living, is a responsibility that signifies maturity. Success is commonly measured by the amount of wealth and without adequate spending tactics, you prevent its accumulation.

5. List of Useful Tools

“If you’re the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it.”
—Vin Diesel

Today’s society vastly depends on the use of technology—we exchange information, conduct calculations, measure time, etc. This level of reliability also suggests liability. If something were to happen to our cell phone or personal computer, it would be a sizable setback that could harm our capabilities severely. As mentioned, losing contacts can truly be troublesome. It is even worse however, to have your life’s work lost and compromised.

Useful tools are not only limited to recovering damage; they also encompass tools that make your job easier. With efficiency and a greater level of competence, you are a step closer toward success. Using the right apps and tools can make up for our lack of skills in a particular area, or simply help us manage our work in a more timely manner. Keeping a list of useful tools will come in handy whenever you are faced with more common problems, like finding a good restaurant for a business dinner, driving through unfamiliar terrain, task management, learning, and there are even tools capable of helping you recover stolen property.

Even though the list is not as crucial as the ones mentioned so far, it is undeniable that having it can save you a lot of time if the need for it ever arises. The Internet is a vast sea of both useful and useless tools, and by filtering out those that are irrelevant, you won’t have to conduct countless searches when you are in need of adequate tools for problem solving.

6. List of Self Improvements

“The minute that you’re not learning I believe you’re dead.”
—Jack Nicholson

Reasonable to assume this one is unavoidable, and it always deserves to be mentioned. It is safe to assume we are all aware of our shortcomings; if not all of them at least some of them. Think about yourself, make a list of all the things you would like to improve or change, then consider how to implement those changes. Despite the fact that those who are close to you do not pressure you into changing or improving, you should always make constant endeavours to do so, for your own sake.

The list of improvements should consist of physical changes, changes spiritual in nature, abandoning bad habits etc. No one expects you to change entirely in a short time period, but making a decision to change one thing on a yearly basis is a viable resolution, quite easy to execute. The list is there simply to remind you which improvement to prioritize, and build up your confidence after each completion. Refusing to change can either result in lack of confidence and depression, or becoming an overconfident and self-absorbed person that no one will tolerate for long; both of these traits are contradictory to your quest for a successful future.

7. List of Creative Ideas

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
—Waldo Emerson

Throughout history, people who made the most significant impact on the world were those with a revolutionary way of thinking, those who dared to challenge the established order and alter the status quo. For an idea to be classified as creative, it needs to be new, it needs to make sense, and it needs to have some sort of use. For example, creating something to help the disabled communicate online, or simply type—that way, people who have lost their limbs could blog or become creative writers, and show the world a piece of their mind. Thus a keyboard in a form of braces could enable them to type using their tongue; however I am not an engineer, so I do not know whether something like this is possible.

Whenever a new idea comes to your mind write it down, then browse the web to see if you indeed have stumbled upon something ground-breaking. Once your list has grown, then you need to start pondering on the subject to see whether it holds closer scrutiny. Ask for a second opinion and see what you would need to realize your idea. In a majority of cases, this is how successful people are created. Rest assured that it is very possible that people won’t be impressed with your creativity as much as you are, but do not allow yourself to be discouraged—after all, perseverance has a crucial role in a career as well. Monitoring your thoughts incites productive thinking and hones your focus; it keeps our mind occupied. Letting your good ideas slide is only a wasted potential that will put your progress in a halt.

8. List of Future Plans

“The future is uncertain but the end is always near.”
―Jim Morrison

We have all heard statements like “Tomorrow is a mystery,” “Live for today,” and “You can’t affect the future.” Personally, I heavily disagree with such a point of view. Although I do agree that, in particular circumstances, making plans for the future is doing Sisyphus work, not planning it at all seems utterly mortifying. I also believe that everyone makes some sort of plan; the problem is this fear of uncertainty that thwarts our will to act.

To make your resolve more adamant, compile a list of your future plans, see what you need in order to make them come true. This one is very similar to the first list—the one with goals; the difference is, it does not have to involve your personal future. Rather, it is list of upcoming important events, important changes in law, or upcoming trends, useful software, etc. It will keep you well-informed and prepared, since staying updated and relevant are essential virtues for lucrative businessmen.

9. List of Contingency Plans

“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.”
—Denzel Washington

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning there is nothing you can do without consequences. Every attempt to be more successful usually has a set of barriers attached to it, or risks. Even though risks are inevitable, being prepared for the aftermath is always a good and necessary thing. When you plan your business incentives, or when you plan to invest in something, make sure you compose a thorough pros and cons list, as well as a list of possible negative scenarios. In the event that positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, you can be more encouraged to proceed further.

Make an effort to be constantly prepared for the backlash of major initiatives, and contain the possible damage. The lack of contingency implies recklessness, and it was adamantly made clear how this approach contradicts advancement. Make leaps of faith only when you have no other options to explore.

10. Bucket List

“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.”
—Harriet Beecher Stowe

Finally, learn to live for the sake of experiencing what life has to offer. It is invigorating, to say the least, and it keeps your regrets at minimum. One of the reasons why we want to be successful is to actually fulfil our dreams or complete our bucket list, to look back on our life during old age with a warm smile rather than a frown. Feel free to put even the impossible things on your bucket list, and find the next best thing using your creativity. Whenever you reach a rough patch in your life, take a look at you bucket list and see what is the most plausible thing to do in order to restore your will power and keep going.

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