Month: January 2023

New Year, Who Dis?

January 30, 2023

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Now that 2023 is here, what are your goals for the year? If you’re not sure where to start, or are scared to set goals you can’t keep, just remember that 2023 offers a clean slate. It’s a brand new year, and you can become a brand new you. Setting and accomplishing a goal releases dopamine, which can improve attention, memory, and motivation (Gino and Staats, 2016). Even achieving a small goal can result in a positive feedback loop that makes you more motivated to work harder going forward (Gino and Staats, 2016).

Set a few realistic and attainable resolutions. It will help you feel accomplished and motivate you to work harder. It’ll also get you closer to your goals!

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here is a list of 50 goals. Pick and choose ones that work for you. Or, use them as a starting point to create your own goals.

  1. Drink more water
  2. Get more sleep
  3. Learn to cook
  4. Cook more meals at home
  5. Learn a new skill
  6. Learn to play an instrument
  7. Get more exercise
  8. Learn genealogy
  9. Declutter your room/home
  10. Meditate
  11. Take up journaling
  12. Read more
  13. Take time to visit a family member (zoom, call, in person)
  14. Volunteer somewhere
  15. Take a hike
  16. Plan a road trip
  17. Take care of your skin
  18. Learn more about a historical event
  19. Visit a local museum
  20. Create time without screens
  21. Learn more about you
  22. Write thank you notes and mail them
  23. Start a gratitude journal
  24. Get a makeover
  25. Eat more fruits/veggies
  26. Meal prep
  27. Make a new friend
  28. Visit a senior center
  29. Zone into your creative side
  30. Think before speaking
  31. Get more organized
  32. Listen to podcasts
  33. Update your resume
  34. Do something you’ve put off
  35. Take time for yourself
  36. Eat less sugar
  37. Do random acts of kindness
  38. Recycle
  39. Start saving more money
  40. Go to a restaurant you’ve never been
  41. Remove toxic people from your life
  42. Write down your goals
  43. Complain less
  44. Wake up earlier
  45. Go to bed earlier
  46. Be on time
  47. Watch less tv
  48. Learn a new language
  49. Get outside more
  50. Make an emergency kit

Gino F and Staats B. (2016 March 22). Your Desire to Get Things Done Can Undermine Your Effectiveness. https://hbr.org/2016/03/your-desire-to-get-things-done-can-undermine-your-effectiveness#:~:text=Your%20brain%20releases%20dopamine%20when,to%20work%20harder%20going%20forward

Top image by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

Why #Hashtag?

January 30, 2023

The short answer for using a hashtag is for others to be able to find your content. Without using hashtags, it is much more difficult to be found. Let’s say you open a restaurant in an area that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. How would you spread the word? Without advertising, it would be difficult to earn business if you are relying on “being discovered” or even “word of mouth.” Using hashtags allows people searching those hashtags to be able to find you.

How do you know which hashtags to use? That is always the question! There are websites/apps that can help you based on your niche, but a bit of research is all you really need. A good rule of thumb is to use several hashtags related to what you are doing. Say you post a picture of a trail clean-up in Big Cottonwood Canyon for Earth Day. You could use: #bigcottonwoodcanyon #trailcleanup #litterbug #hiking #serviceproject #earthday

Those are specific and someone looking for pictures of the event could probably find them with those. Some of those hashtags have a lot of pictures, so they could also be lost in the posts.

How do people find you with hashtags? Most platforms have areas where you can search using hashtags. For example, if I am on Instagram, I can go to the searchbar and type in a word. Maybe I am looking for stuff at the U. So I type in “#universityofutah and it will pull up anything that was posted with that hashtag. Sometimes people will use hashtags even though it has nothing to do with the hashtag. Not everything will be related or relevant.

Since this post is about hashtags, we will leave off locations and other ways of searching but will cover it another time.

Top image by Jan Baborák on Unsplash

Photography 101

January 30, 2023

Most people these days have cell phones with cameras that take decent pictures. Common questions people ask are:

  • How do we utilize our cell phones to take something worth keeping?
  • Do I need a DSLR to take a good picture?

Bottom line, you can take great pictures with your cell phone. Here are a few tips:

  1. Read the manual. We know. No one reads the manual. But knowing your camera and the functions is incredibly beneficial when using it correctly.
  2. Understand lighting. It sounds silly, but go outside and put your arm out. Look at how the light is on your arm. Watch for shadows. See when the light is “harsh” vs when it is “soft”. Take pictures of your arm and look at the difference. Take a mirror or use your cell phone camera. Stand in one place with the mirror/cell phone in front of you (cell phone pointing at you as if you’re taking a selfie) and turn around in a circle slowly. Look at how the light is on your face in regards to the sun.
  3. Rule of thirds. When you take a picture, line it up so that you could cut your picture in 3 and the “focal point” of your picture would be in one of those sections. For example, if you take a picture of a road as your main subject, line it up so the road is on the left, centered, or on the right but in one of the 3 areas.
  4. BONUS: You can use a cell phone tripod or set your phone on something and do a “timed shot”. This will help the exposure if you do not have a steady hand, if it is a bit darker, or if your cell phone does not have image stability. If you have taken a picture and notice it is blurry, this can help.

*Did you know that we also do prints at Print and Mail? Check out printing.utah.edu or email or call for more info.

Top image by Maksym Tymchyk on Unsplash

10 Free Things to Do in SLC

January 30, 2023

Whether or not you are local to SLC, there are probably a lot of things you haven’t done, or at least haven’t done for a long time. If you have family in town and want to impress, or you have kids who are bored and need to get out, or if you just want to do something new, here is a quick list of some free things to do in SLC.

  1. Clark Planetarium https://slco.org/clark-planetarium/
  2. Wheeler Farm https://slco.org/wheeler-farm/
  3. Temple Square https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/feature/templesquare?lang=eng
  4. Gateway https://atthegateway.com
  5. Gardner Village https://www.gardnervillage.com
  6. Liberty Park https://www.slc.gov/parks/parks-division/liberty-park/
  7. The GSL https://www.utah.com/destinations/state-parks/great-salt-lake-state-park/
  8. City Creek Park https://www.slc.gov/parks/parks-division/city-creek-park/
  9. Ensign Peak https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/ensign-peak-trail-and-overlook?u=m
  10. Pioneer Memorial Museum http://www.dupinternational.org/dyn_page.php?pageID=11
  11. SLC library https://services.slcpl.org
  12. Utah Olympic Park https://utaholympiclegacy.org/location/utah-olympic-park/
  13. Utah State Capitol Building https://utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/
  14. Sugar House Park https://www.sugarhousepark.org/