Lifehack.org describes it as “any hacks, tips and tricks that get things done quickly by automating, increase productivity and organizing.”

Lifehacker.com explains that its website, which is dedicated to publishing life hacks, as “tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you get things done smarter and more efficiently.”

The term originated from a man by the name of Danny O’Brien who studied and polled a group of highly productive computer programmers versus their less fruitful piers.  O’Brien summarized his research in a 2004 presentation called Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks. Sounds like a fun read!  From this point websites and blogs such as the two listed above as well as 43Folders.com and ZenHabits.net emerged – among others – as places to go to learn about such tricks and hacks.

In future posts I am going to focus more on some of these simple ideas I have picked up on.  In the meantime I thought I would provide some links to some of the better posts I have found online.

Top 10 Obscure Google Search Tricks lifehacker.com

Top 42 Exercise Hacks zenhabits.net

Peter Walsh’s Clever Hanger Trick 43folders.com

50 Ways to Make Your Home more Organized, More Attractive, and More Efficient lifehack.org