With reporting that Daniel Craig turned down a contract to return as James Bond for two more movies, the talk of who will next play the famous spy with a license to kill has ratcheted up.

From unnamed sources revealing actors having secret meetings with Bond producers to fans forming petitions to get their favorites the job, there's no shortage of "news" on who could be 007.

Note: Craig hasn't come out and said that he's not coming back as Bond, nor has the studio that releases the movies, Sony, commented on Craig's status.

Here are nine actors who have gone on record and said that they want to play James Bond and why their talents would work for the iconic role. And we took an opinion in the matter.

SEE ALSO: The best movies and TV shows coming to Amazon, iTunes, Hulu, and more in June

1. Tom Hiddleston

He's got the look — though he might be a bit slim, especially compared to Craig — and the accent, and now he's reportedly talking with producers about playing Bond.

Tom Hiddleston has not been shy about taking over the role if he were asked, and it seems that might be already underway. Part of a large franchise playing Loki in the Marvel movies, Hiddleston has also shown that he can play characters of this world. He's received high marks starring as former British soldier Jonathan Pine in the AMC miniseries "The Night Manager."

Why he would be a good Bond: Hiddleston has proved he shines in the franchise setting — not just the on-camera commitment, but also the publicity song-and-dance. No doubt he would be a much more outgoing Bond than Craig.

2. Idris Elba

If the Bond franchise really wants to get with the times, then producers will give serious consideration to Elba.

Whether it's playing the strategic drug dealer "Stringer" Bell in "The Wire" or the genius detective in "Luther," Elba, who has been coy about the Bond talk, has a knack for playing tough guys with a subtle, cool manner that would fit perfectly in the Bond role.

Why he would be a good Bond: Not counting how historic it would be if a black actor got the role, there are just some men who have the right look in a tux, and Elba has it. We would totally spend the next five-plus years watching Elba chase down baddies around the world.

3. Priyanka Chopra

Speaking of historic casting ...

"Quantico" star Priyanka Chopra is not looking for a coveted Bond-girl role if asked. She wants the brass ring.

"F--- that — I wanna be Bond," she told Complex.

Casting a female in a franchise that's been extremely chauvinistic for decades would be a huge move.

Why she would be a good Bond: Chopra has proven on "Quantico" that she isn't shy to take the lead and play a tough, strong-willed character, a trait an actress would need to play the first-ever female Bond.

When you're in the hot seat, there's a good chance that your interviewer will turn the tables at some point and ask, "Do you have any questions for me?"

When you have the floor, you'll want to take full advantage of the opportunity to show that you've done your homework and determine if the job is a good fit.

But it's imperative that you put just as much thought into what you ask as you do your responses to their questions. That's because your queries may reflect your knowledge of the company, work ethic, level of professionalism, and interest in the role.

"In the first interview, you'll want to be sure to ask the right questions. Ask about the job and company; not questions that can come off as self-serving and give the impression you may not be a team player or be willing to give 100%," says Amy Hoover, president of the job board Talent Zoo.

She continued: "The sole purpose of the interview is to determine if you are a good fit for the company, and if it's a good fit for you. All the other issues and concerns should be addressed during negotiations after the job offer has been made."

Here are 20 questions you'll want to avoid during the first job interview, as they may do more harm than good:

SEE ALSO: 28 brilliant questions to ask at the end of every job interview

DON'T MISS: 24 tricky job-interview questions the best companies in America are asking

What does your company do?

Questions like this will make you look unprepared. To avoid that, never ask anything that can easily be answered with a Google search.

What will my salary be?

Hold off on the money talk.

"Candidates have to walk a thin line between gathering information they need about a company and assuming they are going to get the position," says Jesse Siegal, a senior managing director at The Execu|Search Group staffing firm.

Asking about money too early in the process sends the message that you're arrogant and rude.

Will I have to work long hours?

This says, "I'm lazy."

In February 2012, my son Henry was born.

Shortly after, I found myself hooked up to machines in the ICU.

I had been losing weight and feeling ill for a few months. When I applied for life insurance and was denied, the blood test results were alarming: I had undiagnosed juvenile diabetes — and at 30 years old, my organs were shutting down.

The doctors said I was 24 hours away from slipping into a coma or possibly dying.

Lying in a hospital bed gives you time to think (there are few other alternative activities). In fact, I did nothing but think… about my life, my family, my business, and the kind of impact I wanted to make.

I realized that I needed to change my everyday lifestyle. I didn’t want to miss watching my son grow up. And I wanted to grow my business, too.

Over the course of a few months, I made six major “upgrades” to my life. These things not only made me healthier, they also made me more productive at work, so I can spend more time with my family.

All my changes paid off. In less than a year, I was making $117,000 a month, triple what I had been making at the start of 2012.

This post is about the upgrades I made, the reasons I made them, and the effect they had on my life.

These six tactics can also help you increase your productivity and, in turn, your revenue.

But before we get into upgrades, let me explain why these work.

Decision fatigue costs you money

All the changes I’m going to share with you help cut down on something called “decision fatigue.”

Every time you make a decision, whether it’s who to hire or what to eat for breakfast, you use the part of your brain that controls willpower. And, like a muscle, your willpower gets tired if you use it over and over again during the day.

A great example of this is a study of 1,100 Israeli parole board decisions over the course of a year.

As summed up by the New York Times, “Prisoners who appeared early in the morning received parole about 70% of the time, while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10% of the time.”

The difference wasn’t the crimes (the cases were all fraud and assaults). It was the timing that the cases were heard.

In the morning, when the judges’ decision-making ability was fresh, they made more favorable decisions. But in the afternoon, they were more likely to deny parole since they had been making decisions all day.

When I read this, I thought about all the decisions I was making during the day. I decided to save my willpower and focus for the things that were really important to me and my business.

My goal was to eliminate as many unimportant or routine decisions as possible. I found six ways to do this.

SEE ALSO: How I built a 6-figure business while working full time and raising a family

Upgrade 1: Set up a “Battle Station”

When I started out, my “office” was a lawn chair in my living room and a $450 laptop. But I had dreams of a dedicated space designed for maximum productivity.

And as my business grew and I started adding team members, I knew I needed a more efficient workstation. One screen just wasn’t enough. Plus, I needed a more comfortable and productive setup.

So when the time came to upgrade, I did a lot of research and ended up with what I call my “Battle Station.”

With this setup, I have the most reliable tools and the most comfortable setting so I can work without getting distracted or tired.

I’d like to walk you through each of the elements and why they are so crucial to productivity.

1. 3-monitor set up
This allows me to see everything at once. I have my schedule on one monitor, team communications on another, and I can toggle between important docs on the third without having to constantly flip back and forth between tabs and windows.

2. A height-adjustable walking desk
We’ve heard that sitting all day long isn’t healthy. And sometimes I think best when I’m on my feet, so my sitting/standing treadmill desk gives me the best of both worlds.

Anytime I’m feeling sluggish or want to brainstorm ideas, I get up and start walking — while I also continue to work.

Although the original cost of my particular desk is pretty high, I found mine at an estate sale for $350. So if you don’t want to make a huge investment, try to find something secondhand. Stores like IKEA also have cheaper sit/stand desks.

3. Headset
One of the tools that literally changed my whole day is my headset. What I love about this one is the ability to walk around my 4-story brownstone, out the front door, and down the block, and still have perfect reception. I’m on the phone most hours, so this is ideal for me.

4. Anti-fatigue mat
Because I stand most of the day, a friend recommended that I invest in an anti-fatigue mat. This is a mat that reduces the strain on your heels and arches.

I was skeptical at first, but I gave it a shot, and it made a huge difference. Now I have less back and leg pain and more energy.

5. Wireless mouse
My wrist used to get fatigued, until I discovered this ergonomic mouse. It puts less pressure on my hand and wrist, so I can work longer without any pain.

6. Wireless solar keyboard
Mine never needs a battery change, and it’s super thin and light.

Getting my “Battle Station” together took a few weeks. And for the specific products that I chose, it cost me around $2,000. (It would have cost more, but I got such a great deal on the standing desk.)

The investment quickly paid for itself. I found myself accomplishing three times as much every day, which allowed me to take on more clients and make more money.

But that’s just the physical equipment setup. The more important piece of the productivity puzzle is what I do to keep my mind running at its peak all day long.

Upgrade #2: Don’t care about fashion

I’d rather use my brainpower on my work rather than worrying if I look good. So I wear the same thing every day.

Above is what my closet looks like.

I have the same $15 polo shirt in 10 different colors and the same dress shirt in 4 different colors.

This makes getting dressed in the morning more or less automatic — just pick the next shirt in line. And that means one less decision during my day. Call the fashion police on me; I’m too busy making money.

Upgrade #3: Automate your exercise

Until a few years ago, the longest I’d ever exercised consistently was 2-3 weeks. I’d read that working out can make you more productive at the office, but it’s hard to commit to it.

Plus it involves many decisions: making the time, picking out workout clothes, driving to the gym, doing each exercise…

I chose to take most of the exercise decisions out of my hands and hire a personal trainer. This also gave me accountability.

My trainer comes 3 times a week and forces me to work out — no excuses. Because of him, I’ve gone from being a guy who hit the gym once in a while to someone who rarely misses a session.

Not only does the exercise help me start my day off right, but, since I have a trainer, all I have to do is show up and follow directions. No decisions necessary.

That makes me more productive at work, plus I have more energy and look better.

We've all been there: You wake up psyched to take on the workday, and by the time you go to sleep you feel like you've been totally unproductive.

What happened?

Maybe it's not a question of what you did, but of when you did it.

As in, you drank coffee before you needed it and ended up crashing later, or you spent the whole morning answering emails so you had no energy left to work on the really important stuff in the afternoon.

To help make sure that never happens again, we checked out the scientific research on the best time of day to do pretty much everything. Read and start crafting the perfect schedule.

SEE ALSO: 5-minute morning routines that can make your whole day better

Exercise: before breakfast

Looking to shed some pounds?

Sleep in your exercise gear, make a date with a workout buddy, register for a pricey gym membership — do whatever it takes to get yourself up and moving in the morning.

That's because research suggests exercising in the a.m. — specifically, before breakfast — is most helpful for losing weight. As Business Insider's Erin Brodwin reports, the reason early morning workouts seem to accelerate weight loss and boost energy levels may be that they set up the body for an all-day fat burn.

Drink coffee: after 9:30 a.m.

If your M.O. is downing a cup o' Joe as soon as you wake up, or as soon as you get into the office, you might consider tweaking your routine.

Business Insider UK's Dina Spector highlights an interview with a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate, who says the best time to drink coffee is after 9:30 a.m.

That's because the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates energy, generally peaks between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., so you don't need the boost right then.

Do focused work: during your 'biological prime time'

Your "biological prime time," a term coined by Sam Carpenter, author of "Work The System," refers to the hours of the day when you have the most energy. Everyone's BPT is different.

To find your BPT, take a tip from Chris Bailey, author of "The Productivity Project." Bailey started by cutting out all caffeine and alcohol from his diet, eating as little sugar as possible, and waking up without an alarm. Each day for three weeks, he kept a log in which he recorded his hourly energy levels.

The experiment taught him that his BPTs were between 10 a.m. and noon, and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Once you find yours, you can reconfigure your day (as much as you can, within the constraints of your job) so that you work on your highest-impact and most meaningful tasks during those hours.

Whether you're a small business owner or the COO of Facebook, self-doubt can creep up and hold you back.

It's even become a full-blown syndrome dubbed Impostor Syndrome; and it can make the best of us wonder if our fantastic abilities and contributions are real or if we've been faking it the whole time.

Learning how to evaporate that self-doubt will allow you to keep having your best traits shine, and boost your success and leadership in the process.

Here's how some incredibly successful people overcame their feelings of self-doubt, and you can too:

SEE ALSO: 13 things to say when you get fired that you won't regret

Keep it about the work

Even President Barack Obama admits to battling moments of deep uncertainty in the course of his career.

In a candid interview with Humans of New York, President Obama talked about how he tries to get out of his own way and focuses on the important work at hand in order to cope with self-doubt, and you can too:

"If you're worrying about yourself — if you're thinking: 'Am I succeeding? Am I in the right position? Am I being appreciated?' — then you're going to end up feeling frustrated and stuck. But if you can keep it about the work, you'll always have a path. There's always something to be done."

Trust your own voice

Ursula Burns, the first African-American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, found that staying true to her own individual vision and voice is her way of tackling self-doubt when she felt out of place:

"I realized I was more convincing to myself and to the people who were listening when I actually said what I thought, versus what I thought people wanted to hear me say."

If you present your best ideas and provide value instead of fitting into a mold, you can feel confident that you aren't fooling anyone and that you do deserve every bit of success that comes your way.

Bye-bye, comfort zone

Leadership expert Brian Tracy once wrote, "You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you're trying something new."

He's right — think about the first time you rode a bike, it was scary right? But now biking is probably a breeze. The same goes for anything in life — once you embrace that self-doubt as a feeling of progress that will go away eventually, you can take baby steps out of your comfort zone to tackle it.

Not since Walt Disney has there been a figure in the animation world who has transcended the medium like John Lasseter and the studio he oversees, Pixar.

Yes, Jeffrey Katzenberg and DreamWorks Animation had their time, but for over 20 years, Lasseter's Pixar has consistently put out box-office hits (the company has earned close to $10 billion worldwide) and created stories that affect us on an emotional level that we can't wait to experience again and again.

From the "you've got a friend" tale of the "Toy Story" movies to a commentary on how we need to protect our planet in the multilayered "WALL-E," Pixar movies are much more than kids movies or cartoons. Which is exactly how ol' Walt went about it.

As we get ready for Pixar's latest, the sequel "Finding Dory" (out June 17), we've taken on the gargantuan task of ranking all 16 Pixar releases — scroll down to find out the best.

SEE ALSO: 18 movies that never got a sequel but deserve one

16. 'Cars 2' (2011)

Taking Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) away from Radiator Springs and going international (plus making Mater a spy) didn't grab critics. This sequel became the first "rotten" Pixar movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Deservedly.

15. 'A Bug’s Life' (1998)

In the second movie ever released by Pixar, an ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) sets out to find others to help save his colony against grasshoppers and ends up recruiting a unique group of allies.

Though the movie was successful at the box office, with the release of DreamWorks' "Antz" a month earlier, you're more likely to remember the Lasseter-Katzenberg feud than the films. 

14. 'The Good Dinosaur' (2015)

Perhaps one of the more serious stories in the Pixar inventory, this coming-of-age tale about an Apatosaurus and his human friend Spot trying to return home didn't catch on nearly as much as Pixar's other release in 2015, "Inside Out."

Burnout may have been at play here, but mostly Pixar challenged its core audience with a darker story than they were used to.

Admit it: After playing an amazing game like 'The Witcher 3," you probably fantasize about what it would be like to step into the shoes of your favorite character.

Freya Willia, who works as a teacher, feels the same way. Except, instead of waiting for that feeling to wear off, she actually creates incredible costumes of video game icons.

In an interview with Tech Insider, Willia explained that the first costume she made was Zelda's dress from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." Willia studied painting in school, but said that she took up an interest in sewing during her final semester.

Not too long after she completed this costume, her roommate was in a terrible accident that left him paralyzed. For the next nine months, he was in intense physical therapy and rehabilitation.

"He was one of my really good friends and I needed to do something to just kind of keep myself sane," she said.

Willia kept busy by devoting nearly every moment of her free time to researching and crafting an incredibly detailed costume of Commander Shepard from the popular sci-fi video game "Mass Effect."

"I worked on the [Commander Shepard] costume for two or three hours every day — and not all of it was just building stuff," she said.

"I didn’t know anything about vaccuum forming or heat forming plastic, I didn’t know anything about electronics, I didn’t know anything about custom printing fabric, I didn’t know anything about how to make all of those parts wearable so that you could move in them — I would say half the time I was building the costume, I was just on the internet researching things."

The costume is made mostly of  "vac-formed styrene and carbon fiber vinyl." Willia documented her process in an online blog and on her Facebook page, posting various versions of her costumes every step of the way and sharing tips and tricks she had learned as she continued to experiment with different methods and materials.

As far as hobbies go, creating intricate costumes by hand is far from the cheapest option. When she's deep into making a costume, Willia spends "Five or six hundred dollars per month on art supplies" in order to bring her creations to life.

It’s conventional wisdom by now that Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement. Recent studies have shown that many Baby Boomers might have to live on a mere $7,000 to $9,000 a year during their golden years, based on their current savings (not including Social Security).

If that’s not discouraging enough, financial planners say Americans are making plenty of other retirement missteps. Here are 19 other mistakes you could be making while planning for retirement.

SEE ALSO: 5 dumb decisions that put you at risk of going broke in retirement

1. Planning to stay in the family home

About three in five retirees decided to stay in their home for their golden years, according to a TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies survey. But that may not be the smartest decision says James Bryan, principal of Cahill Financial Advisors. Rising upkeep costs, renovations and property taxes could make the house too expensive to manage.  The house also may not be suitable for aging in place. “People don't want to let go because they feel like they are betraying the memories,” he says.

Related: The Retirement Cost That 80% of Americans Aren’t Ready For

Solution: Add up the money you’ve spent on your home over the last five years and divide by 5 to get a snapshot of your annual costs. Then, increase that number by 2-5 percent to account for inflation. If it’s too costly for you to handle, consider downsizing or moving to a senior community.

2. Counting on working in retirement

About seven in 10 Millennials, more than half of Generation Xers and over a third of Baby Boomers expect to work during their golden years, according to a recent survey from Scottrade. But there’s a good chance that that won’t happen, according to the TransAmerica survey. Three of five recent retirees said they were forced to stop working sooner than planned because of job issues, health concerns or family responsibilities.

Solution: Plan your second or third career while you’re still on your first. Learn a new skill or a new language and don’t hesitate to take a few online courses – just for the fun of it.

Related: How to Retire Comfortably While You’re Still in Debt

3. Banking on an inheritance

Only about 11 percent of people in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 received an inheritance. And the windfall for many wasn’t big enough to offset a lack of retirement savings. The median inheritance was $11,340, according to a studyfrom Ohio State University’s Center for Human Resource Research. “Your rich aunt might leave it all to charity,” says David Schneider of Schneider Wealth Strategies. “Your parents may not have as much as you think or could spend their money down on long-term care expenses.”

Solution: Talk with your parents about their estate planning and how it might affect your personal finances. Otherwise, save as if you won’t receive any inheritance. If you do get one, create a savings plan for it. The Ohio State study found that adults who get a windfall end up spending, losing or donating half of it.

Maybe it's because a journalist, but the way I know I'm in a good conversation is that I unconsciously start to reach for my notepad, because everything we're discussing fascinates me so.

On the one hand, I want to take notes on what we're talking about — maybe they're telling me about an awesome vacation they took or maybe I'm telling them about my relationship with my family.

But on the other hand, I want to record those subtle strategies they're using to guide the interaction. How did I wind up gripping my chair in suspense? Or, how did they get me to open up like that?

I imagine I'm not the only one who's had these questions. So I turned to some Quorathreads for insight into the most common behaviors that make someone a pleasure to talk to.

Read on to find out what those excellent conversationalists do — and how you can start emulating them.

SEE ALSO: 10 ways to get better at small talk

1. They learn what you care about — and let you talk about it

Quora user Rajesh Setty says it's important to allow your conversation partner to reveal what interests them.

"You will be tempted to interrupt and share what you care about every now and then," he says. "The trick is to hold off and focus on the other person first. You will get your chance."

In fact, recent research suggests that talking about yourself is inherently pleasurable; it stimulates the same reward centers in the brain that are lit up by sex, cocaine, and good food. So it makes sense that people would feel positively about a conversation in which they held the spotlight.

2. They show their emotions

Max Lukominskyi writes:

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of emotions during the dialogue. While talking, accompany your words with corresponding gesture and feelings. Meanwhile, as a listener show your reaction and let your partner know how you feel about what she says.

Research backs him up: One study found that people who suppress their emotions are often perceived as less likable than those who express their feelings.

3. They find something they have in common with you

Brian Blose recommends that you "find ways to transition conversations to areas of mutual interest."

Blose says he often starts out by asking what his conversation partner does for a living; other times he mentions a new restaurant he visited.

"You might have to try a few topics before you find something you have in common."

Psychological research helps explain why this strategy might work — according to the similarity-attraction effect, we tend to gravitate toward people who are just like us, and especially when we share similar attitudes and values.

If there’s one fault to be found in most self-help books, it’s that they fail to address the source of the problem.

The majority are collections of affirmations and prescriptions (Wake up earlier! Be confident!) that avoid the harder work of self-improvement.

And it’s no wonder that they do. What enforces our less-desirable behavior is a cocktail of weak habits, anxieties, illusions, insecurities, and beyond; things that need to be grappled with if we are to have any hope of growing past them.

It is no wonder that self-help books avoid this crucial step.

Our ingrained prejudices and flaws are complex and entirely unique to us.

No book could hope to predict or tackle them, which is why it often pays to write a self-help book in the purest sense: A book just for ourselves.

This is exactly what Marcus Aurelius did, philosopher and the last of Rome’s Five Good Emperors.

His book Meditations is not a diary or memoir as much as an address to himself, a work filled with insight and conviction meant to guide him on his way to becoming a better person.

Although it was intended exclusively for its author, Meditations retains an honesty and philosophy that we can learn from even today.

What we can learn from Marcus Aurelius:

SEE ALSO: A psychologist breaks down the four necessary virtues to be truly successful in life

Do not obsess over praise

Marcus Aurelius writes in Book 12 of Meditations: “It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.”

The author talks much about the dangers of praise, and you can tell by his interest that he has tempted by the promises of praise for much of his life. But praise, he reminds himself, is a doomed object not worthy of his, or anyone’s, preoccupation.

What purpose, for instance, is there in wanting to be remembered in posterity, to please a future mass of people you will never meet? “You might as well be upset at not being a hero to your great-grandfather,” he argues. He is wary of praise in any form, in this lifetime as well. Praise is fickle, and it is not worth very much, to see this just look at who is doing the praising: “You want praise from people who kick themselves every fifteen minutes, the approval of people who despise themselves.” The crowd is not worth your fidelity and effort; they will not expend theirs on you. How much wiser it is to depend on one’s own values, and how much healthier for the spirit it is.

Embrace the responsibilities of your station

Marcus Aurelius’ beliefs are heavily reliant on Stoic philosophy. Much of what he reminds himself is to be at peace with the contingencies that the world throws at you, however distressing or difficult. “Remember: you shouldn’t be surprised that a fig tree produces figs, nor the world what it produces,” he says, “A good doctor isn’t surprised when his patients have fever, or a helmsman when the wind blows against him.”

This can be a helpful doctrine for executives and leaders, who often have to deal with the most frustrating contingencies and errors. They might find calm in remembering that it is for these very hectic moments that their talents are needed.

Have a philosophy

To Aurelius, philosophy is a tool for life. “Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too — ready to understand heaven and earth,” for “nothing on earth succeeds by ignoring heaven.”

In another part of Meditations, Aurelius reflects that philosophy is the default that we sometimes betray; it’s the guide that keeps us on a natural and proper track in life.

This past January, I impulsively signed up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon, a race that notoriously sells out in a matter of hours. This year was no different – it took only 52 minutes for the registration to close and for me to immediately rethink my $90 commitment to run 13.1 miles. 

Throughout my four months of training, one of which I was injured, I learned a lot about my body and brain.

These are the main things I wish I knew beforehand.

Not stretching can be detrimental to your training.

Before I signed up for a 10-week training program through the New York Road Runner's Organization, I spent a month just getting used to running. While I vaguely stretched before runs, I didn't take the time to listen to my body.  

After the first few weeks, I started to feel pain in my hip. I assumed my muscles were just getting used to the new mileage, but the pain worsened to the point where I could barely walk. 

Eventually, after 7 weeks of physical therapy, not running, and diligent daily stretching and foam rolling, I started back up slowly. This experience taught me the significance of stretching beyond just intense training. My new habits not only helped me run longer distances pain-free, but also to feel better in general. 

The right gear is crucial.

Another cause of my injury was not buying new shoes right away. I spent about 6 weeks running in shoes that had far surpassed their lifespan before I bought new ones. I went to Paragon Sports, where a sales person watched me run on a treadmill and fit me with a pair specifically for how I run. This made a huge difference almost immediately.

During training, I also used a FlipBelt to hold my phone and keys, a foam roller, a nice pair of headphones, and a Road ID bracelet for safety when running at night.

Don’t rely entirely on apps for data about your runs.

I needed a way to track my runs, so I started using Nike+Running. The app gives you voice notifications during your workouts with your pace and mileage. For the most part it worked fine, but on occasion the app would stop tracking me mid-run.

So I decided to try my friend's Garmin watch. Right away I noticed that the mileage and pace that the Nike app reported was completely different than the watch. Because of this, I felt like I never had accurate knowledge of my progress.

Both of these technologies also failed me during the actual race. My phone told me I was a half-a-mile ahead of the race's mile markers and the watch suddenly reset halfway through.

If I were to do another race, I would consider investing in a nicer watch that I could trust to be accurate.

If you play golf often, you probably know how awkward it can be if you don't have a foursome to play with.

A game of golf usually takes several hours, and it's much more enjoyable when you're paired with people you have something in common with.

To solve this, Peter Kratsios created GolfMatch, an app that uses an algorithm to match players with one another based on factors like age, location, skill level, and game interest.

"There were times where I would be matched with people who were 30 to 40 years older than me and had nothing in common with me," Kratsios said to Business Insider.

Similar to a dating app, GolfMatch's system uses behavioral data to find the best matches for you to play a round of golf with. It filters through other users with factors like location, handicap, age, courses you regularly play, and the styles that you most enjoy.

SEE ALSO: This guy's stash of airline memorabilia shows how much flight attendant uniforms have changed from the 1950s until today

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"Nowadays you have mobile applications that allow for social experiences in so many areas, whether it's dating or food, and we wanted to do the same for golf," Kratsios said.

According to Kratsios, three of the most commonly expressed frustrations with golf are that it's expensive, time-consuming, and inaccessible. On GolfMatch, people can join groups catered to their specific interests. 

Examples of groups include "Cheap Golf," which focuses on the best discounted rates around, or "Buy and Sell," where users can purchase or sell golf equipment. 

The company plans to add filters into its tech that can also track which groups users are involved in to recommend matches.

Users will often organize events directly through groups before connecting in person. These groups essentially allow golfers to create their own community of players.

"I'm communicating with people all day through the groups feature," Kratsios told us.

At this point, you'll still have to call the golf course directly to set up a tee time. 

One of the biggest roadblocks to success is the fear of failure.

Fear of failure is worse than failure itself because it condemns you to a life of unrealized potential.

A successful response to failure is all in your approach.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers found that success in the face of failure comes from focusing on results (what you hope to achieve), rather than trying not to fail.

While it's tempting to try and avoid failure, people who do this fail far more often than those who optimistically focus on their goals.

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." — Winston Churchill

This sounds rather easy and intuitive, but it's very hard to do when the consequences of failure are severe. The researchers also found that positive feedback increased people's chances of success because it fueled the same optimism you experience when focusing solely on your goals.

The people who make history — true innovators — take things a step further and see failure as a mere stepping stone to success. Thomas Edison is a great example. It took him 1,000 tries to develop a light bulb that actually worked. When someone asked him how it felt to fail 1,000 times, he said, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

That attitude is what separates the successes from the failures. Thomas Edison isn't the only one. J. K. Rowling's manuscript for Harry Potter was only accepted after 12 publishers denied it, and even then she was only paid a nominal advance.

Oprah Winfrey lost her job as a Baltimore news anchor for becoming too emotionally involved in her stories, a quality that became her trademark. Henry Ford lost his financial backers twice before he was able to produce a workable prototype of an automobile. The list goes on and on.

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." — Henry Ford

So, what separates the people who let their failures derail them from those who use failure to their advantage? Some of it comes down to what you do, and the rest comes down to what you think.

The actions you take in the face of failure are critical to your ability to recover from it, and they have huge implications for how others view you and your mistakes. There are five actions you must take when you fail that will enable you to succeed in the future and allow others to see you positively in spite of your failure.

SEE ALSO: 5 things everyone training for a race like the Ironman should be sure to do

1. Break the bad news yourself.

If you've made a mistake, don't cross your fingers and hope no one will notice, because someone is going to — it's inevitable. When someone else points out your failure, that one failure turns into two. If you stay quiet, people are going to wonder why you didn't say something, and they're likely to attribute this to either cowardice or ignorance.

2. Offer an explanation, but don't make excuses.

Owning your mistakes can actually enhance your image. It shows confidence, accountability, and integrity. Just be sure to stick to the facts. "We lost the account because I missed the deadline" is a reason. "We lost the account because my dog was sick all weekend and that made me miss the deadline" is an excuse.

3. Have a plan for fixing things.

Owning up to a mistake is one thing, but you can't end it there. What you do next is critical. Instead of standing there, waiting for someone else to clean up your mess, offer your own solutions. It's even better if you can tell your boss (or whomever) the specific steps you've already taken to get things back on track.

Stay bullish on America.

There are reasons to become discouraged about the economy, such as Friday's jobs report. 

It showed that employers added just 38,000 jobs, the lowest in six years. And even after restoring the one-time hit from a big Verizon strike, the number was still quite low. 

Of course, that triggered a lot of bearish talk on the state of the US economy.

But in a timely report on Friday, Joseph Quinlan, chief market strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's US Trust division, discussed 10 reasons to remain optimistic even though a lot is going wrong.

"For investors, don’t buy the coming election-related hype that America is in decline," he wrote.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. Stay long the United States."

Here are 10 reasons why you should:

America has the largest and most productive in economy in the world

The US accounts for one-sixth of global gross domestic product on a purchasing power parity basis, even though it has just 4.5% of the global population. And among developed economies, the US economy is one of only a few where GDP is up from precrisis levels. 

The US is a global leader in manufactured goods ...

Manufacturing output totaled $2.2 trillion in nominal terms in 2015, up 26% from the troughs of 2009. Additionally, as the chart shows, manufacturing employment has been on the rise since the recession. This has been propelled by moderate wage growth, technology, and cheap energy costs. 

Multinational manufacturers are in a position to meet the needs of developing nations.  

... and one of the largest exporters in the world

What the US exports in a month is greater than what most countries export in a year, Quinlan said. China leads in global exports, but is not that far ahead of the US. 

"Long-term, no one is better leveraged to global growth than many small, medium and large cap U.S. firms," he wrote. 

Even if a film doesn't sell many tickets at the box office, it can still go on to become a beloved cult classic.

In fact, many of Hollywood's greatest films were financial flops, and it took years for audiences to embrace them.

From "The Wizard of Oz" to "The Big Lebowski," here are 17 classic films that originally bombed in theaters.

"Donnie Darko" (2001)

"Donnie Darko" may have helped launch the career of Jake Gyllenhaal, but it was a huge flop when it came out in theaters.

The indie film, which cost an estimated $6 million to make, debuted to $110,494 on its opening weekend. It didn't help that the film — which features a plane crash — opened not long after the Sept. 11 attacks. The movie wasn't released internationally for another year.

Theatrically, "Donnie Darko" went on to make $1.2 million. After its DVD release in 2002, it played as a midnight movie for over two years at New York's Pioneer Theater and became enough of a cult classic to release a "director's cut."

"Heathers" (1988)

"Heathers," a film about two teens who attempt to murder the members of their high school's popular clique, was pretty provocative for its impressionable teenage audience.

With a budget of $3 million, it barely made half that at the box office.

But thanks to the rising stardom of its protagonist, Winona Ryder, and screenwriter Daniel Waters' brilliant one-liners ("Dear diary, my teen angst bullshit has a body count"), "Heathers" is a cult classic today.

"Fight Club" (1999)

When "Fight Club" first hit theaters in 1999, it didn't just perform poorly — the film made just $37 million domestically— it also received very mixed reviews.

Entertainment Weekly gave it a "D," calling it a "dumb and brutal shock show." Rosie O'Donnell hated it so much that she went as far to ruin the film's twist ending on national television.

It wasn't until the DVD release that the film took off (it sold over 6 million copies) allowing a wider audience to catch the hidden details that made it a dark classic.

Despite a seemingly endless stream of articles warning of the perils associated with overworking, many people still choose to forgo vacations. In fact, a 2015 survey from Glassdoor found that US employees only use half (51%) of their eligible paid vacation time.

"Some people are simply workaholics. Many employees feel they are already too behind in their work and they fear falling even further behind if they take their vacation," explains Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage.""Some are worried about their boss's perception, especially when no one else is taking their vacation. And some employees in a highly competitive industry are even fearful it can cost them their job either because it will reflect poorly on their work ethic or it will leave an opening for a colleague to prove themselves while they're away."

But no matter how worried you are, or how much you love your work, not taking regular vacations is a proven recipe for burnout that can lead to major health issues and end up requiring an even longer break away from work, he says. "The list of stress-related health issues caused by an endless work schedule is enormous, including sleepless nights, stomach issues, irritability, backaches, and tension headaches."

A 2015 study from University College in London found that overworking can lead to a 33% higher risk of having a stroke, and a 13% increased risk of a heart attack. 

And beyond the numerous documented impacts on your health, forgoing vacations can lead to reduced productivity, dampened creativity, and more careless mistakes at work.

Taking vacations, however, can help you return to work refreshed and reenergized and thus better able to cope with challenges and day-to-day stressors.

"Unplugging from work, even just for a day or two, can help you maintain a better overall perspective on life, help strengthen your personal relationships, and boost your happiness levels which will all support a healthier, happier person showing up at work," says Kerr. 

"Since creativity is fed by new experiences and serendipitous encounters, taking regular vacations can lead to powerful insights and new ideas that you can bring back to the workplace. And although some people worry about their job security when they go away, the reverse can also be true: If you're a valuable commodity at work, then going away can serve as a great reminder to your boss and colleagues of just how sorely you're missed when you're not around to handle things."

Here are 12 signs you desperately need a vacation from work:

SEE ALSO: 5 steps for returning to an almost-empty email inbox after a vacation

1. You begin to look like your passport photo

"It's an old joke with a lot of truth to it," says Kerr. "Any signs of chronic stress that might be signaling impending burnout are obvious red flags: irritability with colleagues, finding it difficult to concentrate on routine tasks, chronic tension headaches, back strain, stomach issues, or more serious health concerns."

2. You're having trouble sleeping

Whether you're having trouble falling asleep or waking up at 3:00 every morning, sleep issues can be a symptom of overwork and stress, or it can be a signal that you're too focused on your work at the expense of everything else, he explains.

3. When you begin missing important events in your personal life

If you find yourself having missed too many family dinners, school concerts, or family outings, it could be a clue that you need to reconnect with your family during some much needed vacation time, says Kerr.

Trader Joe’s customers are some of the most dedicated around. So they have strong opinions about their favorites of the grocery chain’s products.

Every year, Trader Joe’s releases a list of customers’ favorite products, based on shoppers’ votes.

Here are the most popular products in each category, from bakery to snacks, as determined by the company’s seventh annual Customer Choice Awards.

Favorite overall: Speculoos Cookie Butter

Cookie butter beat out options like Mandarin Orange Chicken and Joe's Diner Mac 'n Cheese to snag the No. 1 spot.

Price: $3.69

Favorite bakery: Sourdough Bread

Sourdough triumphed over year-round options like the Soft Pretzel Stick and Ciabatta Rolls and the seasonal Almond Kringle and Chocolate Babka.

Price: $2.99 - $3.49

Favorite beverage: Spiced Cider

Even the infamous Two Buck Chuck lost to the seasonal beverage. 

Price: $2.99

When Apple first released its Health app in fall 2014, many women were frustrated that it didn't include a period tracker.

While Apple has since addressed concerns by adding a period tracker in a new edition, the initial omission speaks to a larger problem: it can be difficult to find apps that specifically address women's health needs.

Here are five apps that every woman should have to keep her health in check.

Track your period and understand your reproductive health with Clue.

Clue, an app from Danish entrepreneur Ida Tin, is aimed at women looking to get pregnant, but it's also helpful to women looking for a basic period tracker.

The app predicts when your period will arrive, tracks your premenstrual symptoms, reminds you when you're about to ovulate, and allows you to record your energy, pain, and bleeding levels during your cycle. And unlike some other period trackers on the market, the app is devoid of stereotypical pink or floral accents. 

Price: Free

Remember to take your birth control with myPill.

myPill's primary function is to remind women of when to take their birth control. The reminders will come regardless of whether your phone is connected to WiFi. And despite its name, the app works with all types of birth control, including the patch and rings.

myPill also tracks how protected your sex has been based on your birth control habits, and keeps track of how many pills you have left in a pack.

Price: Free, with options to further customize based on your birth control for $2.99 or $4.99.

Learn how to do a self breast check with CHECK YOURSELF!

Nonprofit Keep A Breast Foundation launched CHECK YOURSELF! to teach and encourage women to conduct monthly self-check breast exams. The app includes tutorials on how to properly conduct a self-examination and allows you to schedule a reminder to assure you conduct a self-check up every month (in addition to your regular breast check at your doctor's office.)

Price: Free

Today you bought a T-shirt, a snack from a convenience store, and purchased a bottle of water. It seems simple and straightforward — you gave someone money, and you received the items you asked for.

As these documentaries prove, there are entire worlds of complexity in the most basic activities. Water is scarce, not plentiful. Fast food is dangerous, not a satisfying snack. And clothing, even a cheap shirt from the mall, has a devastating human cost. 

Six illuminating documentaries, all streaming on Netflix, will challenge how you think about water, clothing, food, and more. 

"Bottled Life: Nestlé's Business with Water"

The business of bottled water is strange on its face: water is everywhere. Why should we have to pay for it? But sadly, water's abundance is a myth. As "Bottled Life" reveals, more children in the developing world die from drinking contaminated water than from conflict, traffic accidents, or HIV.

With clean water a matter of life or death for millions, Swiss company Nestlé, is the worldwide leader in selling bottled water to the global poor, making millions as people across the globe exhaust their few resources for mere sips of water.

Rethink water, poverty, and the surprising international consequences of something as simple as bottled water in this documentary. 

Watch the trailer | Watch the film  

"Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Medicine"

Life has a soundtrack. We listen to music while we drive to work, when we celebrate birthdays and weddings, and when we want to reflect on an old relationship. Will you ever forget your favorite songs? "Alive Inside" investigates music therapy for Alzheimer's patients.

The basic reasoning is inspiring: our most precious memories are tied to music and listening to specific songs. And even decades later they will help the elderly in their fight to hold on to their memories. Rethink your playlist as you're idly listening to Spotify or Apple Music. Without realizing it, the music you're hearing is making memories that will last a lifetime. 

Watch the trailer | Watch the film 

"Food Inc."

Do you know where your food comes from? The above image is from a chicken production plant and illustrates the problem at the core of the answer to that question. The shift away from localizing our food and towards mass producing it is destroying our diets by making cheap, unhealthy food plentiful and easily accessible while making healthier foods an out-of-reach luxury.

While a dollar won't get you what it used to, you can still get quite a few fun and practical things with four quarters.

We surfed the internet and did some exploring in New York City to find the best ways to spend your dollar bill.

Here are 29 options: 

SEE ALSO: Look how much cheaper everything used to be

A new razor every month with the Dollar Shave Club

Subscription startup Dollar Shave Club will give you two stainless-steel blades and five cartridges per month for just $1.

Business Insider tried the service — check out our review.

A slice of pizza in NYC

A meal will cost you a fortune anywhere else in New York City, but not at the dollar-pizza joints.

Head to 2 Bros Pizza or 99¢ Fresh Pizza for an inexpensive slice. 

A song from iTunes