Do you long for that sense of accomplishment, the feeling you get after a perfect day when nothing else needs doing? If you want more fulfilment in daily life, three habits help you take control.

Put first things first

At the heart of it, the answer is simply to put first things first. We are often pulled between what we would like to do and what we ought to do, and we struggle to use our time well. Trouble begins when what we do fails to match what we hope to achieve, because we have not made room for what matters most. To get the best from your day, learn to put first things first. The enemy of the best is the merely good.

Say no to urgency

When you are trying to finish something important, find a corner that belongs to you and no one else, and focus on what counts. If someone arrives asking for your attention, you already know the answer, and it is no. That way you are not only taking action, you are getting results that carry you toward a satisfying day.

Nurture self awareness

We rarely stop to register the present moment or what is happening around us. That keeps us cut off from our own core. If you cannot explain why you keep repeating a habit that harms you, put it down in a journal. If you criticise someone for a fault and then spot it in yourself, record that as well.

Being carefree, at peace, happy or confident, whichever way you want to describe it, is a choice. It means taking charge of your emotions and seeing that you can feel well without anything around you changing. Only your outlook has to shift. You can decide to feel good whatever anyone else does or says.

Letting go

The moment we release our fears, doubts and regrets, along with everything that no longer serves us, we return to how we once were. We go back to ourselves, to a kind of innocence, because that is where our true nature lies.

Caring without clinging

This does not mean you should stop caring. Caring means something matters, and it is perfectly fine to want what you want. The trouble starts when you become so attached that things must turn out one particular way to count as a success. Then you have set yourself up for disappointment.

Why it is hard

We are conditioned not to be carefree. Nine things may be going well and one may not, yet all our attention goes to the one that is not. That is the human tendency. We also carry fear, worry, guilt, resentment and old anger into the present, and most of what we brood about is not happening now. We simply spend our precious energy filling ourselves with anxiety over it.

Take a lesson from a child

We spend much of our lives chasing happiness, looking for meaning and balance without knowing where to search. It is wise to pause and think about what matters most. Watch a child at play and you will see what living in the present looks like. Learning that lesson sets you free.

Many young people want to add to their qualifications and their exposure by studying abroad. Universities there take in plenty of students, but your application needs something extra so that it does not go unnoticed. Applicants often stumble over the same few things, and the habits below help you avoid them. If you land on a waiting list, send a short email to confirm that you still want the place. Being proactive can help, but otherwise do not fret. Simply be yourself.

Choose your colleges with care

Many colleges offer the course you want, so shortlisting is a must. Weigh each college on its ranking, its fees, its timetable, what the course covers and where it is. Once you know what each shortlisted university requires, you can start building a strong case for it.

Give the essay your best

The essays are the basis of your admission, so they should be well written, edited and vivid. Take your time, write several drafts, and ask friends to help you tighten them. Write them yourself. You are the one who will take the course, and the readers can tell when something is padded or false, so be honest.

Manage your time online

Keep up with everything that happens online while your application is under way, and do not miss a detail. If there are online discussions, join in. Answer the college promptly if a conversation has begun. Also tidy what you share on social networking sites, because they are a common way for universities to gauge your personality.

Reach out

If you have a doubt, contact the admissions office. Help desks exist for that reason. You could also speak to the alumni of the university to get a truer picture of life on campus.

Do not overdo it

Show what you can do, but do not go overboard trying to impress. Before you attach anything extra, ask whether it will be accepted. You do not want a clever move to backfire.

Think of the feeling when a friend or your spouse keeps you waiting. If you dislike it, remember it when you are the one who is late. Keeping people waiting can damage your relationship with them.

What lateness says

When someone is left waiting, it suggests they do not matter, or that you do not care. That is an unpleasant feeling. There are people you should never keep waiting, such as the interviewer at a job interview or a spouse who is waiting for you at the end of the day.

The message you send

Many people count their time as a form of wealth. It is valuable, and they spend it only on what and whom they cherish. Asking someone to meet you is asking them to spend some of that wealth on you. Being late then quietly says that the other person’s hours are worth less than your own.

But I am paying them

You may tell yourself that you pay your staff well, so a late arrival at a meeting is excused. The point is that you pay people for the work they produce, not for the time they spend waiting for you.

Fair exceptions

Some things lie beyond your control: a real emergency, an accident, a natural disaster. Even so, being on time is usually within your reach. Wake earlier, plan the event ahead, allow for traffic, and leave home in good time.

Stress on both sides

No one enjoys being kept waiting, though few admit it. Some people take offence when you are late. They may not take you seriously, they may think you are disrespectful, and worst of all, they may turn up late for the next meeting with you. Do yourself and the other person a favour and be on time.

When penicillin was discovered in 1928, it became one of the first antibiotics to defeat infectious disease. Ever since, antibiotics have been essential for preventing deaths that could have been avoided.

The troubling turn

All through the history of life, organisms have changed and adapted. Single celled bacteria do it faster than most, so fast that a majority are now resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. The United Nations rates the problem as a crisis, in the same class as the HIV epidemic.

What scientists tried

Researchers have taken up the challenge. One group at a university in the United States reported a possible weapon against resistant bacteria, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Their answer lay in a specially built molecule, a peptide conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer, or PPMO for short. They believe it can block an enzyme that some bacteria make, one that carries the code for resistance along with several other genes.

The test

In the study the team paired the molecule with meropenem, an ultra broad spectrum antibiotic of the carbapenem family. Together they worked in mice infected with E. coli that carried the resistance enzyme. Testing on people was expected to begin in about three years, so treat the report as an early step and not a finished cure.

What you can do

Resistance grows every time an antibiotic is used where it was not needed. Take one only when a doctor prescribes it, and finish the course as directed.

Big data is a term for the large volume of data that floods a business every day. Banks, governments, schools, hospitals and shops all use it, and it has become a hot topic. The technology helps organisations make use of huge amounts of information, but it has to be handled safely. Analysts usually come from fields such as mathematics, statistics or computer science, and strong maths and analysis skills are needed.

Securing your data

More companies now store and analyse every kind of information, including clickstreams and social media content, to understand their customers better. That raises the question of ownership. The information needs to be classified, and that has proven quite a challenge. The owners of the raw data and the owners of the results both need to be identified, and it matters where the information is stored and who can reach it. Few organisations will build their own big data setup. Most will keep the information in the cloud. Being in the cloud does not remove the organisation’s duty to protect it.

Putting it to work

Using big data to detect fraud is an increasingly attractive option. Older security monitoring systems that collect event records are beginning to overwhelm many IT departments, and big data is seen as a possible way to help. Detecting and preventing threats could be done through analysis that aims to catch them at the earliest stage. Today the logs a system produces are often ignored until something goes wrong. With big data the logs can be pooled and analysed automatically, and the analysis finds patterns that single logs would miss. It also strengthens intrusion detection and prevention tools, such as the open source Snort, which can analyse traffic in real time, inspect protocols and content, and detect a variety of attacks.

The risks that come with it

Big data is tempting and has real advantages, but it carries risks. Like any new technology, it is not yet well understood, and it can bring in unexpected weaknesses. The attack surface of the machines involved may not have been reviewed, and the servers may not be hardened enough. Sign-in and data access from many locations may not be controlled either.

A personal loan is money a lender gives you on the strength of your credit history and your ability to repay it from your income. There is no security or collateral behind it, which is one reason it is so easy to obtain and so expensive to clear. Five points are worth settling before you commit.

Amount

Do not borrow unless there is an emergency or a worthwhile purpose. Work out the sum you actually need, and keep it well within your ability to repay quickly and without strain. Besides your capacity to repay, the lender will look at factors such as your income and your occupation.

Research

Many banks offer personal loans, and their rates differ. Do your homework, compare, and find the lender that offers the best rate before you apply.

Avoid too many loans

Taking several personal loans suggests that you are hungry for credit. Lenders report your financial activity to the credit bureaus, so keeping the number of loans low protects your score.

Term

Terms usually run from one to four years, depending on the lender and on your occupation. Try to keep yours short, ideally one or two years. The term and the interest are linked: the longer you take to repay, the higher the interest will be.

Penalties

There may be charges for late payment, for paying the loan off early, and for processing. Different lenders charge differently, so learn about these costs before you settle on one.

Managing money well comes down to one rule. Spend less than you earn over a long period and invest the difference. What trips people up are the big errors, and they are easy to make when work and life keep you busy with the here and now.

The page lists the errors to put right: having no emergency fund, never writing a will, carrying too little insurance, not saving, waiting to invest, not making the most of your career, and overspending. Ignore these and you will be scrambling later in life. Avoid them and you set yourself up for freedom in your later years.

Carrying debt

If you do not clear your credit cards each month, or you pay only the minimum, you end up paying for the same purchases several times over. Cards are known for their fees, interest and hidden rules in the fine print, and once you fall behind it is hard to catch up.

Relying on a single income

A second source of income gives you a backup if something happens to your main job. Treat it as a chance to widen your interests, perhaps with a small venture or another line of work on the side. More than one source also leaves more money to invest and save.

Overspending on housing

It is easy to picture the apartment with the river view or the trendy neighbourhood. Many people give in and spend more than thirty percent of their income on rent. That money could be invested, and instead you are left scrambling to cover your costs.

Overspending on children

A baby makes you willing to do almost anything for safety and happiness, and that can mean the finest nursery furniture and designer clothes. Check your spending before it vanishes into toys, gadgets and accessories. Do not let emotion decide your purchases, for the baby or for yourself.

Inflating your standard of living

At any age it is tempting to want what others seem to have. Keeping up with the neighbours is not sustainable and does not bring lasting happiness. Another trap is expecting to live now the way your parents do. They spent decades building their wealth. You will get there too, if you keep expectations in check and do not spend beyond your means today.

Taking a job in another city is a serious decision. It is an exciting time of life and an overwhelming one, with a great deal to juggle in a time frame that never feels long enough. That is why the thinking should happen before you say yes to the offer, not after. Four questions deserve an honest answer.

Is the company worth moving for?

Be completely sure the employer justifies a change of city. Look into its history and into how it treats its people. The most reliable picture comes from those who work there, so after your latest interview ask whether you may speak with the colleagues you would join.

What will life cost there?

Negotiation is a key part of any interview, and you cannot do it well without knowing where you will live. Research rents and neighbourhoods, fuel prices, local taxes and where residents spend most of their money. Cheaper rent can be handed straight back at the petrol pump. With real figures you can work out what you must earn each month to cover the cost of living, plus the other expenses you already expect.

Will you be happy in the new place?

This worry may look small next to the need for a job, but it deserves some thought. Do not rely on the official city website, which will only say good things. Read what ordinary people say about the city online.

How serious are you about the job?

Ask yourself whether the work will be worth the moving costs, the stress and the months of settling in afterwards. The salary may look better, yet the work itself could wear you down. If it is not a role you truly love, keep looking at other opportunities.

Most of us have tried to reason with someone who simply will not be reasoned with. It is frustrating, maddening and sometimes a little frightening. The five skills below help you stay steady, so that you walk away from the conversation with your dignity intact.

Remember that it is about them

When someone lectures you, hands out advice you never asked for, or blames and attacks, they are often describing themselves. Before you react, imagine the same words aimed at the speaker. Do they fit better there? You can even turn the question around and ask whether the person has lived through what they describe, or felt the way they say you should feel.

Ask to be heard without being advised

Sometimes you do want to share something, just not to receive a fix. Say so at the start. Tell the person you would like to tell a story or describe an experience, and that you are not looking for advice. Ask whether they can simply listen while you unload a little. That one sentence heads off a good deal of irritation.

Listen like you mean it

Work out what the person is saying and what they seem to feel underneath the words. Then say it back to them, so they know you understood. Acknowledging what someone has said removes much of the friction from a conversation. You do not have to agree. You only have to grasp where the other person stands.

Give them some room

Perhaps a colleague wants to talk through personal troubles yet again, and you have neither the time nor the energy, with your own work waiting. Answer kindly. Say that you would like to hear more, but that you must get back to your task.

Speak your own truth

Do not be afraid of your feelings, or of saying what is true for you as it arises. Many people get emotionally hijacked because they dread feeling something uncomfortable. They want to get along, so they bottle it up, and the pressure comes out later in a worse form.