SMART

What does it mean to be smart? 

It used to mean you could ace an IQ test or score well on the S.A.T. (Scholastic Aptitude Test). Smart people were the ones who were good at math and spelling and had huge memories. In many schools kids were separated by their scores. The smart kids got more attention and more privileges that the “slower” ones.

In business we have traditionally defined smart as the ability to solve problems and understand things quickly. In fact quickness has been widely accepted as a trait of intellect.

Yet many of the world’s great discoveries came not through quickness but through sustained laborious thinking and creativity. Thomas Edison is said to have been “a drudge” before his invention of the light bulb. He reportedly tried thousands of times to create it with no success.

There are at least seven multiple intelligences, all of which are possessed by everyone, except in different proportions. Your main smarts may be my lesser ones and vice versa.

1

    Here are the Seven Multiple Intelligences

·         Verbal -the ability to use words

·         Visual -the ability to see things in your mind

·         Physical -the ability to use your body well

·         Musical -the ability to understand and use music

·         Mathematical & logical -the ability to apply logic to systems and numbers

·         Introspective -the ability to understand thoughts and feelings in yourself

·         Interpersonal -the ability to relate well to others, people smarts.

Think about which are your strongest kinds of intellect.

·         Verbal: good at explaining things, likes writing and reading, places more importance on things which are written or verbalized, likes word pictures, puns, creative phrasing, new words, enjoys expanding vocabulary.

·         Visual: Uses charts & symbols to get a point across, sees things clearly in the mind, can sense what something will look like, likes pictures and demonstrations to help understand things.

·         Physical: learns best by doing, wants to get a hands on contact with the subject, feels a need to move while learning, pastimes involve activity or handiwork.

·         Musical: Remembers tunes and lyrics easily, uses music as a frame of reference, has a natural sense of timing or rhythm, enjoys sounds of all types, is easily distracted by sounds, notices the cadence of things.

·         Mathematical & Logical: Likes to put things in order, arranges things logically, looks for patterns and relationships between things, good at analysis, calculation, planning. Needs for things to make sense. Speaks in sequences; first …, second…, then third.

·         Introspective: enjoys quiet time to be alone in thought, understands his own motives and reasons for doing things, likes to daydream about new ideas and explore his own feelings and thoughts. Reflective, thoughtful.

·         Interpersonal: People smart, good with others, can mediate arguments, knows what to do to connect with someone else, sensitive to others, likes contact with people, teams, committees, social events.

For some, success can come pretty naturally, but for others, it's something they struggle with every single day. Either way, it's important to remember that willpower can play just as big of a role in how much a person prospers as natural ability does. Some of the most successful people to have ever lived were not the smartest or the richest, but the people who had the most perseverance. Luckily, these habits are ones you can strive to practice every day to become the most successful version of yourself.

1. Wake up early. After all, Benjamin Franklin did say "early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
2. Have a morning routine. Whether it's working out, making breakfast, or doing the crossword, it's good to start your day off with structure.
3. Plan your entire day. Creating and maintaining a daily schedule will make sure you stay as productive as possible.
4. Don't procrastinate! Waiting to complete tasks can lead to unnecessary stress and cause you to lose focus.
5. Make time for personal projects. Work is important but so are the projects that you're personally passionate about.
6. Read and/or watch the news. This will help you remain well-informed so that you can connect with others.
7. Make time for physical activity. A healthy mind equals a healthy body and vice versa.
8. Make lists. This is the easiest way to stay organized while making sure you're fulfilling all your responsibilities.
9. Focus on the positive. Nothing good can come from dwelling on the negative.
10. Review your short-term and long-term goals regularly. By doing this, you can prioritize your goals to become more efficient and productive.
11. Have a mentor that you can observe and consult as often as possible. No woman is an island.
12. Keep a notebook or journal handy. This is a great way to help you track your progress with projects and goals.
13. Be open to feedback and constructive criticism. Looking at your work from a different point of view could help you notice flaws you wouldn't have otherwise.
14. Don't overthink things. Your gut instinct is probably right, so why fight it?
15. Step back and reflect on your day as a whole. It's important to try different things but also understand what routines and habits work best for you.

Smart living

Great Ideas

1. Add shelves above doorways.

2. Banish room-darkening shadows with additional light fixtures.

3. Put glass shelves across deep-set windows.

4. Use a chest or an ottoman with storage inside as a coffee table.

5. Put low bookcases along a sofa back: they'll double as a sofa table.

6. Keep the flooring throughout a small space the same for visual continuity.

7. Line a room with a shelf high up on the wall.

8. Keep window treatments simple.

9. Run a low bookcase underneath windows.

10. Stretch your space to the outdoors by making a patio or deck comfortable and welcoming.

11. Place a large bucket for magazines next to your favourite chair.

12. Line a hallway with bookshelves.

13. Use a wicker hamper as both an end table and storage space for blankets.

14. Buy a coffee table with a drawer for remotes.

15. Carve out shallow display space between wall studs.

16. Use fewer, larger pieces of furniture and accessories to reduce visual clutter.

17. Choose sofas and chairs with plain or textured upholstery rather than vibrant prints.

18. Install shelves around a window.

19. Add window seats with lids.

20. Run shelves up to the ceiling.

21. Buy a magazine rack or stack magazines in flat-bottom baskets underneath a console or coffee table.

22. Take advantage of wasted space with corner bookcases.

23. Think monochromatic.

24. Eliminate obstructions: the further you can see into and through a space, the larger it'll seem.

25. Arrange furnishings to avoid blocking views of windows and doors.

IT ALWAYS seems like we can never be too rich, too thin, or have enough space. It’s a sad fact that most of us live in tiny apartments with barely enough room to move, let alone swing the proverbial cat. But there are ways to bring order and style into an apartment, and make your tiny home seem much larger. A little thought, some money and voila! You can have yourself an airy inviting home instead of a dark, uninviting cubby hole.
But before you begin getting rid of your heavy furniture in favour of light cane or making other such extravagant gestures, take some time to think about what exactly you want to achieve in terms of space. In other words, do some space budgeting, and allocate space to the most important activities in your life. Now, if you don’t have enough space, you’re all set to create some. And no, you don’t need a magic wand. All you need is some help from modern furniture designers, who are creating a range of fold-up, pull-out, multipurpose space-savers.

Multipurpose furniture. Once you have a general idea of how much space you want and to what end, you can start moving furniture or buying new pieces and getting rid of unsuitable stuff. People often get furniture disproportionate to the space available to them. The first thumb rule, then, is to avoid this mismatch. You might like carved four-posters but if your bedroom isn't large enough, just forget about them.

It’s also important that most pieces of furniture serve a purpose–ideally, multiple purposes. For instance, a trunk that can hold clothing and blankets can also serve as a coffee table or even a seat. Naveen Siromoni, a Delhi-based graphic designer, was quick to realise the value of multipurpose furniture. He got a divan converted into a long bench of sorts. "I used part of the wood to make the back, and created a hollow belly which I use to store linen that would otherwise need a separate cupboard or a shelf," he says.

More multi-function furniture ideas: A narrow breakfast bar could be ideal in a small kitchen. And, between mealtimes, when it is not being used, it can double as a display unit for cookbooks and other cooking paraphernalia.

And don’t forget that standard piece of furniture in most bachelor pads–a sofa-cum-bed. In fact, if you want a touch of the Orient–and the convenience of a sofa-cum-bed, opt for a futon.

Set up storage counters. To get the most out of your space, consider the storage value of your furniture. For instance, if you’re in the market for a side table, consider buying a chest instead. The latter takes up almost the same floor space, but can hold a far sight more. If you are in the market for a coffee table, look for one that comes with drawers or shelves underneath. Benches are versatile, and come with plenty of storage space underneath, but look for one that has enclosed space. You can store a lot in that space, while the room will look far less cluttered. If you cannot find a bench that gives you sufficient space, do what Siromoni did and convert an existing piece into a bench.

When buying bookcases, look for those that come with enclosed storage spaces in the bottom half rather than those with only open display shelves. The enclosed space below will give you storage options for things you don't necessarily want to flaunt. Ditto for worktables. So, if you need space for files and office supplies, look for a desk with plenty of drawers, rather than a simple table.

If you do have only a regular table–with no drawers or cabinets below–there are still possibilities. Stack old suitcases, hatboxes or even small wooden crates under the table. They will not look terribly like it’s always moving day, and you can use the boxes to store anything from family photos and videos to computer disks, books and magazines.

Delhi-based architect Vikram Varma has another great tip: "Space can be created in a small dining room by going in for a small dining table with leaves." The table can double as a kitchen table, and when there are guests, the leaves can be opened up to create a much larger dining table. This means you open the leaves only when you need the extra table room. And, if you want, invest in folding chairs that can be stacked in a closet or under the stairs, and you have an almost detachable dining room that does not come in your way when not in use.

Apart from furniture, you can increase storage space by enclosing shelves and cupboards behind doors. Which is what Siromoni did. He blocked a door in his 7 ft x 5 ft kitchen "because the door made the kitchen look more like a corridor," and used the space to accommodate a pull-out wall unit with multiple adjustable shelves. "It neatly hides all those jars, namkeen packets and other itsy bitsy things that create clutter, and makes for a great functional larder," he says.

Moving up. If you have no lower wall space–and limited floor space–your best storage option is to put up shelves. The bathroom is one place that is usually very pokey; so how do you manage to make enough room for your toiletries and towels? Shelves over the WC can hold your soaps and shampoos; a specially made unit can be fitted to the wall to hold towels and toilet paper. You can also put up shelves over the bath or in the shower area, but make sure these are narrow, so that you don’t bump into them and bring all your stuff crashing down.

Even wardrobes are moving up these days. Mahindra Chawla, a Mumbai-based architect, is a staunch advocate of wardrobes. "They can be equipped with a system where the clothes hanger in your wardrobe is vertically adjustable. For this, you need to construct a wardrobe that is taller than the average cupboard," he says. The system, he says, allows you to push up the hanger shelf after use. And this allows you to have many more shelves in the wardrobe. When you want to add or remove clothes from the hanger, all you need to do is pull the rod (attached to the hanger) downwards. The hanger then moves out and down, allowing you to conveniently hang up your clothes.

"One can also create a loft, or make creative use of an existing one. If you can make the loft accessible using a pull down ladder, it can double as a play area for children as well," says Varma, who’s done exactly this in his flat.

Hang it all. You don’t have to limit yourself to shelves. You can actually create more space by hanging up your decorative pieces; try mounting some of your treasures on board and hanging them above head level. Over-the-window shelves too make a room look interesting.

In the kitchen, counter-tops are today too small to hold the range of gadgets–from hand-blenders to microwaves–that have become essential. The solution: apart from multi-purpose shelves, hang up your pots and pans from hooks on the walls. That should give your kitchen that popular European ‘rustic chic’ look.

Mumbai-based interior designer Hittu recommends that you hang utensils in as high a spot as you can reach. "Or even higher, where you may have to use a footstool to get them down. This gives the room a more airy look than if you hang them at eye level," she says. Hittu’s other space-saving tips: "You can also have pull out ironing boards, work tables and even beds if it comes to a crunch."

On the wall. A wall unit or entertainment unit is a good option, as it gives you ample storage and display space. To make the best of these units, fit them with adjustable shelves, which can be moved to fit specific items. The idea is to rearrange the shelf positions so that some shelves can be narrower (say 8 inches high), and some taller (10-12 inches high) to accommodate miscellaneous items.

Wall-mounted TV sets also save a lot of floor space. In fact, Chawla also suggests wall-mounted European WCs to save space. "Apart from being convenient for cleaning purposes, the flush tank, which is usually about 5-6 inches in size, can be concealed within the wall, especially in older buildings where the wall thickness is about 10 inches." What’s more, he adds, if bathroom space is at a premium, the flush tank can be placed in the bathroom loft and the flush button fixed behind the WC.

Break and build. Hooks, shelves and storage cupboards are all very well, but the best way to make more room is to rebuild parts of your apartment. Corridors that don’t serve much purpose, odd-shaped rooms that just waste space and even extra bathrooms can be knocked down and rebuilt to better purpose. Which is what Mumbai-based Bhavi Jhaveri did. She needed an extra bedroom in her small one-bedroom flat. She got this by converting the extra bathroom into a kitchen, and the original kitchen into a bedroom. Then she went a step further and broke down the wall separating the hall from the balcony, which gave her a much larger room. So Jhaveri now has a two-bedroom flat with a large hall.

When Satish Nadkarni’s son got married, the Nadkarni family was forced to rebuild a part of the flat to provide a separate room for the newly-wed couple. "We were thinking of a separate room for the couple. Since we had a big kitchen, we decided to partition it to create a bedroom." And so his one-bedroom flat came to have an extra bedroom that took up three-fourths of the original kitchen area.

"Since we did not have too much space to work with, we decided to create a 21-inch wardrobe partition between the bedroom and the kitchen," says Nadkarni. On the bedroom side, the wardrobe has a mirror with a pull-out seating arrangement that acts as a convenient dresser. On the kitchen side, there is a hollow space in which a kitchen rack sits snugly.

Space-saving options are aplenty. If you can’t improvise on your own, ask an interior designer to help. It may cost, but that advice will be invaluable. Interior design magazines will also sometimes have great ideas. Soak in those ideas and get to work: you’ll be home with room to spare.

Useful Links

Home renovation

http://ohmyapt.apartmentratings.com/savi...

http://www.unique-home-decor-ideas.com/h...

http://thesmarterwallet.com/2009/organiz

http://www.ehow.com/how_4834319_room-app...

Tiny Houses

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