A well-stocked Netflix queue can go a long way toward pure and utter happiness, but sometimes there's still something missing.

For those moments, it can help to fall back on the wisdom of history's greatest thinkers: Kierkegaard, Socrates, Thoreau, and the Buddha.

Here's what philosophers discovered about happiness long before orange became the new black.

"There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path"— Gautama Buddha, alive around 500 BC.

Similar the mantra that the journey is the destination, the Buddha's take on happiness puts the greatest emphasis on people finding fulfillment in the experience of living, rather than arriving.

There is no ultimate end goal. For the Buddha, we make our happiness along the way.

"Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness"— Bertrand Russell, lived in early 1800s.

It's out of character for someone like Bertrand Russell, a lover of mathematics, science, and logic, to dabble in something so negotiable as happiness. 

But his idea that happiness can be found in the surrender to visceral feelings of love rings true — and contemporary science seems to be on his side. 

"Happiness is the feeling that power increases — that resistance is being overcome"— Friedrich Nietzsche, alive in late-19th century.

For Nietzsche, the famous mustachioed nihilist, happiness is a kind of control one has over their surroundings.

The German philosopher wrote frequently on the impacts that power (and a lack of power) can have on people's lived experiences. When people resist, they take back their agency. That sense of self can then turn into happiness.

With the global automotive supply chain becoming an increasingly tangled mess, American University's Kogod School of Business has created a comprehensive ranking of the cars that are the most 'made in America.'

And for the fourth consecutive year, General Motors brands maintain the lion's share of the top spots, including three cars that tied for number one and 17 other GM vehicles in the top ten (there were many ties).

The study factored in to its rankings several elements like where the company is headquartered (and therefore where the profits wind up), the source of major components like engines and transmissions, and the location of final assembly.

Many of those statistics came from the American Automotive Labeling Act (AALA), which requires that all cars sold in America list the percentage of components made in the USA or Canada on the window sticker. Other factors were assembled by the researchers and combined with the AALA data into something the authors called "more comprehensive than any other study of its kind."

Here are the 14 cars that are the most 'made in America,' ranked by the Kogod School's score. 

SEE ALSO: 50 years ago, a radical idea changed cars forever — here's how it started

5. Honda Accord — 81.00

Where it's assembled: Marysville, Ohio

*The mighty Accord, one of the best selling vehicles of all time, holds an AALA rating of 80%, on par with only the top three spots in the ranking.

But because American Honda Motor Company is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Japanese Honda Motor Company — where all profit from Accord sales end up — the car lost points.

4. (tie) Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban — 82.50

Where it's assembled: Arlington, Texas

4. (tie) Buick LaCrosse — 82.50

Where it's assembled: Kansas City, Missouri.

For the last month, photographs of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala have flooded news feeds, magazines and blogs. It's a major fashion event and who wore what is covered by almost all major publications.

All of these gowns and suits, however, were thoughtfully selected in order to best represent the theme of the Met Costume Gala's exhibit itself: Fashion in an age of technology.  The exhibition includes nearly 200 pieces of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear, dating from the early 1900s to the present.

Here are 14 of the most stunning garments inside the exhibition, titled "Manus x Machina," which runs through August 14.

This gold-embroidered wedding ensemble from House of Chanel stands as the centerpiece of the collection. The pattern on the 20-foot train was hand-painted with gold metallic pigment, machine-printed with rhinestones, and hand-embroidered with pearls and gemstones.

Wedding Ensemble, Karl Lagerfeld (French, born Hamburg, 1938) for House of Chanel (French, founded 1913), autumn/winter 2014–15 haute couture, back view

The wings of the Costume Institute were transformed for this exhibit. The once open space is now separated by white screens onto which close-up images of the gowns are projected. Here, you can see the thousands of sequins sewn into the stunning “L’Eléphant Blanc” Evening Dress by Yves Saint Laurent.

The exhibit focuses on how designers today must reconcile the previously strict line between haute couture (hand-made) and avant-garde ready-to-wear (machine-made). These embroidered dresses by Prada and Louis Vuitton combine artisan craft with new-age technology to create a bold, ultra-feminine look.

Upper Level Gallery: Embroidery.

One of the breakout characters of "Finding Dory," Pixar's latest movie, is Hank an octopus that lost a tentacle (technically making him a septopus). 

In the film, Hank can change colors to blend in with his surroundings. He's based off of a real creature, the mimic octopus, and it’s even more awesome in real life.

Hank can change colors and blend in with his surroundings.

And so can real mimic octopi! Watch how this one completely disappears on the sea floor:

True to its name, the octopus mimics other creatures, like lion-fish (middle photos) and sea snakes (bottom photos).

Source: M. Norman, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B (2001)

There's a new Xbox One! It's prettier. It's smaller. It's got a new gamepad. It's called the Xbox One S.

Here it is!

But this is much more than just a pretty new face. Here's everything we know about the new Xbox One S, coming in August 2016.

SEE ALSO: 15 Apple inventions that show how the company is crafting the future

1. It's smaller and more attractive than the original Xbox One.

The Xbox One S is a 40% reduction in size over the (admittedly very large) original Xbox One. The console also just looks better than its predecessor.

It's compact. It's got a sweet design with tiny holes covering half of the front face. It's got a sharp black and white color scheme. Aesthetics are all perspective, of course — maybe you prefer the look of the original Xbox One to the Xbox One S. You're wrong, but you're welcome to believe that!

Just look how much better this thing looks:

2. And yes, it can be stood up vertically as well:

For years, central banks have been considered the only game in town when it came to global markets.

Now, Deutsche Bank analysts have unveiled a set of charts that show how Britain's potential Brexit — the UK leaving the European Union — is moving markets around the world. 

For the past few weeks, investors have been glued to the UK's referendum on its EU membership because the result is currently too close to call.

It has been a topsy-turvy campaign and, with just a few days to go, "Remain" surged to a 7-point lead over the rival "Leave" camp, according to a poll for the Telegraph.

But the Leave camp, which had been trailing Remain for months, had briefly taken the lead in the polls last week. According to the Telegraph poll, Leave had a one-point lead over Remain in the same survey on June 13. 

Analysts at Deutsche Bank have documented how the volatility in the betting markets and across different polls has translated into huge market moves on a global scale. It shows that investors think a Brexit would resonate across the global economy. 

Here is what Deutsche Bank has to say (emphasis ours):

"The June 23rd UK referendum has been the dominant theme for markets, with shifts in opinion polls and betting odds leading to sharp swings in asset prices.

"Markets went from pricing very little to pricing about 50-50 odds as Leave gained momentum. The subsequent partial reversal in polls has led to some unwind of this risk premium.

"The outcome of the referendum remains too close to call."

Here is what that uncertainty is doing to global markets:

European stocks have closely tracked betting odds.

When Brexit started leading in the polls, global stocks dived.

Investors fled to less risky assets, such as the German 10-year government bond, pushing the yield below 0% for the first time ever.

A 20-year-old photographer from Sydney, Australia, is making his mark on a relatively nascent art form: aerial drone photography. 

Gabriel Scanu learned how to use a DSLR camera when he was 12, but picked up drone photography after his father, a cinematographer himself, purchased a drone for work and the two experimented with it together, he said in an interview. 

To capture an interesting shot, Scanu said that he likes to look for a "busy scene," someplace with diversity in the landscape, like crowds of people or other natural moving elements. 

To keep up with Scanu's work, you can follow his mesmerizing feed on Instagram: @gabscanu, check out his website at gabrielscanu.com or follow his adventures on Snapchat: gabscan.

As for what's next, Scanu told Business Insider in an email that he is looking to launch a limited collection of prints, starting with an exhibition in Sydney and potentially one in Los Angeles to follow.

For a taste of some of his work, scroll on: 

SEE ALSO: How drones are turning everyday citizens into superheroes

Durdle Door, Dorset, England

Arundel, West Sussex, England

Caves Beach, New South Wales, Australia

Housing can be a major money suck. Take San Francisco, where the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is about $3,500 a month. Prices in my home base, New York City, are just as egregious: $3,300 for a one-bed.

A handful of professionals seem to have figured out a creative solution to this real-estate conundrum: Rather than settling into overpriced apartments, they're moving into trucks, sailboats, and tiny homes. They seem to be onto something brilliant — besides saving up to 90% of their income, living tiny means a less cluttered (and more minimalist) lifestyle, an alluring prospect in today's fast-paced world.

It looks brilliant on paper — from a safe distance — but I wanted to know what it's really like to make a lifestyle change of this magnitude. So I moved into a van. Specifically, a taxicab converted into a "rolling room," which I found on Airbnb for $50 a night ($39 plus the cleaning and service fees).

I only spent two nights "living tiny" before I happily moved back into my overpriced Manhattan apartment — but two nights was more than enough time to answer all of my questions.

Here's how it went and what I learned:

SEE ALSO: From living in a van to commuting 700 miles: 12 people who go to extreme measures to save money on housing

I knew that my level of preparation could make or break the experience, so I packed diligently — yet lightly. I made sure that each item I brought would serve a specific purpose. Among the things that made the cut were: work clothes, a few toiletries, two washcloths, an extra blanket, portable speakers, a laptop, a book, and melatonin to help me sleep.

Two last-minute additions — toilet paper and hand sanitizer — were game-changers. We (I brought my roommate along) also bought two bottles of water on the way, which we figured we would use to brush our teeth and wash our faces.

We made the easy commute from Manhattan to Long Island City, Queens, where we found our home for the next two nights parked on this dead-end street.

Everyone's path to success is different.

For some, it's mostly linear. Others encounter more twists, turns, and bumps along the way.

While some like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson were already dominating the business world at 25, others like Larry Ellison and Mark Cuban took a little longer to hit their stride and saw their mid-20s as transformative years.

To illustrate how no two paths to success are alike, we've highlighted what 25 highly successful people were doing at age 25.

Vivian Giang and Max Nisen contributed to earlier versions of this post.

SEE ALSO: Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and 24 other successful people share their best career advice for people in their 20s

DON'T MISS: 15 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

Donald Trump took over his father's real-estate-development company.

Trump, a Republican presidential nominee hopeful, billionaire real-estate mogul, and animated TV personality, grew up wealthy. But as he told Forbes, his father wanted him to learn the value of money.

As a kid, his dad would take him to construction sites and have him and his brother pick up empty soda bottles to redeem for cash. He says that he didn't make much, but it taught him to work for his money.

At 25, the young real-estate developer was given control of his father's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son, which he later renamed the Trump Organization, according to Bio. He soon became involved in large, profitable building projects in Manhattan.

Steve Jobs took his company public and became a millionaire.

By the end of its first day of trading in December 1980, Apple Computer had a market value of $1.2 billion, making its cofounders very rich men. Jobs, one of the three cofounders, was 25.

He later told biographer Walter Isaacson that he made a pledge at that time to never let money ruin his life.

Hillary Clinton had just graduated from Yale Law School.

At 23, Clinton, now a Democratic presidential nominee hopeful, began dating fellow Yale Law student Bill Clinton. She ended up staying at school an extra year to be with her boyfriend, and received her law degree in 1973, just before turning 25. Her boyfriend proposed marriage after graduation, but she declined.

That same year, Clinton began working at the Yale Child Study Center. Her first scholarly article, "Children Under the Law," was published in the Harvard Educational Review in late 1973, when she was 25.

After moving to Arkansas in 1975, Clinton agreed to marry Bill. She'd go on to become the first lady of Arkansas, the first lady of the US, a US Senator, and Secretary of State.

Most people think there's nothing more to Southern cuisine than fried chicken and barbecue.

However, lowcountry meals are so much more than that: they're unpretentious, flavorful, and will make you feel right at home. They're the reason Southern hospitality is a thing.

Although mimicked across the country, the authentic culinary experience of the South cannot be recreated, and the area reigns champion to some of America's favorite foods.

We've rounded up the top 25 things you need to try when you're down South.

Oysters Rockefeller — half-shell oysters broiled with a layer of bread crumbs, herbs, and butter — are a must-try. Get them at their birthplace: New Orleans' Antoine Restaurant.

In attempt to "hush the puppies," Southerners originally fried morsels of cornmeal and fed them to their dogs. Now, hushpuppies are a common side dish, especially to fried seafood platters.

Of course, no trip to the South is complete without some barbecue. Memphis BBQ in Atlanta, Georgia, makes the ultimate barbecue platter, which comes with smoked sausage, pork ribs, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread.

Someone asked me the other day how many countries I had been to and after thinking for a few minutes, I realized that it was 22.

Considering I recently turned 25, I’d say that’s not too shabby so before heading out to a few more countries this year, I’ve made a list of where I’ve been and included some of my favorite memories.

England

London was my home for a few months in 2008 and has remained one of my favorite global cities. While many of my fellow study abroad peers overlooked the rest of England, I made a point to explore towns near and far. Some of my favorites include Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton Beach, Canterbury, and the Cotswolds. The one perk of rainy weather in England is how beautiful the countryside is when the sun comes out.

Scotland

Although my expectations for Edinburgh were low, I couldn’t have been more impressed with the city. It’s not everyday that you lay eyes on a castle built upon volcanic rock. I’m also a huge Harry Potter fan so drinking coffee as I overlooked the castle (the inspiration of Hogwarts and Harry Potter in general), was one of my favorite travel moments. I also went on a tour through the highlands in hopes of seeing the legendary lock ness monster named Nessie. She never showed.

Wales

One of my weekends was spent driving through South Wales. While many of the other students found the country on the boring side, I found the small towns and green green grass charming. Highlights included Cardiff, Swansea, Brecons Beacon National Park, the ruins of Tintern Abbey and taking a tour underground in a real mine.

Ranch vs. Ketchup: It can sometimes be a tough call picking the right condiments to top your fries or burger.

But which one will get you the most nutrition relative to the number of calories and fat it contains? We sought to find out what condiment ranked the best.

To compile this ranking, we tried to assess condiments you'd commonly find on the tables of a restaurant (not including salt, pepper, butter — more along the sauce variety), so apologies if your go-to is left off the list. And to keep things comparable, we looked at everything in increments of one tablespoon (though, for some condiments that may be way too much or not even close to enough). We also went off the USDA's nutrition facts, unless a brand name was clearly identified, so there may be some variability between products.

Check out where your favorites ended up. 

SEE ALSO: Not all leafy greens are created equal — here's the definitive ranking of the best ones for you

DON'T MISS: RANKED: These are the healthiest grains for you

No. 12. Mayonnaise

You knew this creamy, fat-filled goodness made out of egg yolks and oil couldn't go far up on the list. With 10 grams of fat, mayonnaise isn't the best choice of condiments. 

Calories per tablespoon: 94

No. 11. Ranch

As tempting as it may be to dip your veggies (or fried cheese curds) in ranch, it just barely does better than its cousin, mayonnaise. At 8 grams of fat per tablespoon, you may be better off skipping the dip. 

Calories per tablespoon: 73

No. 10. Tartar sauce

The classic seafood condiment tartar sauce continues the trend that creamy sauces belong towards the bottom of the list. But, it has less than half the calories per tablespoon as ranch and a quarter the fat content of mayonnaise. 

Calories per tablespoon: 31

The physical and psychological rigors of combat are intense, and militaries have the challenge preparing their soldiers for the worst of what they may face on the battlefield.

The world's militaries require their personnel to go through grueling training to equip them for life in the field, and to make sure that soldiers who might not have prior combat experience are still in a state of readiness.

Here are photos from around the world of some of the toughest training imaginable.

SEE ALSO: These 17 photos show how the US military trains for amphibious warfare

In mainland China, paramilitary policeman face an intense regimen. Here, the policemen take part in a training session in muddy water.

Later in the training, the paramilitary police also have to crawl under fire obstacles ...

... and hone their hand-to-hand combat skills.

The American middle class is shrinking, and consequently, the lower- and upper-income tiers are gaining share.

In a May 2016 report, the Pew Research Center found that between 2000 and 2014, the share of upper-income adults increased in 172 of the 229 US metro areas it analyzed.

The report also highlighted the 10 areas with the largest upper-income populations, which were mostly in the northeast region or on the California coast.

"Midland, Texas, the exception to this rule, leads the metropolitan ranking of upper-income areas,"Pew reported. "Some 37% of the adult population in Midland was upper income in 2014, thanks to a prospering oil economy."

Pew defined upper-income households as those with an income that is more than double the US median household income. Incomes are adjusted for household size and for the cost of living in the area relative to the national average cost of living. "That means the incomes of households in relatively expensive areas, such as New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, are adjusted downward," Pew explained in its methodology.

Note that New York City didn't crack the top 10. In addition to Pew adjusting incomes for the cost of living, it's important to recognize that New York City, with a population of about 8.5 million, makes up less than half of the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area, which has a population of about 19.8 million.

Read on to see which other metro areas joined Midland in the top 10. We included the share of the population that qualifies as upper-income in each metro, along with the median household income of the upper class (also from Pew).

SEE ALSO: The 13 best big US cities to live in if you want to get rich

Trenton

Residents who are upper-income: 28%

Median household income of upper class: $180,110

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward

Share of upper class: 28%

Median household income of upper class: $185,290

Norwich-New London

Share of upper class: 29%

Median household income of upper class: $164,030

Last week, we broke down the best and worst leaders in "Game of Thrones." 

Now let's talk about who you'd actually want to work for if you were somehow magically transported into the show. 

The answer for me is obvious: Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island. 

Here's why, out of all the characters in Westeros and Essos, Lady Mormont is an ideal boss. 

Warning: "Game of Thrones" spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: We ranked the Game of Thrones characters by leadership skills — No. 1 may surprise you

She's not 'nice'

Come on, this is "Game of Thrones."It's an understatement to say that being nice usually doesn't get you very far.

Lyanna, despite being an adorable 10-year-old, is not "sweet." She doesn't sugarcoat. She demands answers. She calls people out on their nonsense. 

Having a nice boss is overrated, especially in a cutthroat world like the North. You want someone who's going to look out for your best interests and get stuff done. 

She gets the facts right

During her negotiation session with Davos and the Starks, Lyanna isn't afraid to ask questions. She cross-examines her guests and relies on her maester for additional information. Good leaders make sure they're well-informed before making a major decision, like revolting against the evil Warden of the North.  

She's always looking out for her team

When Lyanna's interrogating Sansa and Jon in "The Broken Man," her priorities become clear.

She's first and foremost looking out for her own people. She's not going to sacrifice her army on some fool's errand for every displaced Stark with a sob story.

Before she signs on for anything, she wants to make sure that the venture will be worthwhile for Bear Island. She's got the best interests of her soldiers — all 62 of them — in mind. 

Even the sunniest mornings can quickly go south if your coffee is all wrong.

Perhaps that's why the engineering behind some of the world's most high-tech thermoses is so sophisticated — coffee is so valuable that it demands innovation.

If you're in the market for a way to store your morning joe (and so much more), these mugs will help bring you into the 21st century.

SEE ALSO: 13 breath-taking images shot by a 20-year-old aerial drone photographer

Golchi thermos

Currently available on Kickstarter, the Golchi thermos uses steel vacuum-sealed walls to keep liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. 

The most innovative feature is its modular design, as Golchi can transform into four different container shapes.

The first is a 2-in-1 design with separate top and bottom compartments. The other three offer varying volumes for storing a liquid. No matter its shape, the thermos also always has room for snacks like granola or trail mix at the bottom.

Pre-order it on Kickstarter for $32.

Ember thermos

Ember can keep your coffee at exactly the temperature you prefer — no more ice cubes diluting your scalding-hot drink.

All you have to do is set your desired temperature using a dial on the 12-ounce thermos. The device can also heat up cold coffee thanks to its rechargeable battery. Ember estimates a normal charge will last approximately two hours; however, the mug also comes with a portable charging coaster, so you can keep Ember on your desk at work without worrying your coffee will ever cool down.

The new product will be available in September, but you can pre-order it for $149. 

Zojirushi thermos

Two Tech Insider reporters have already raved about the Zojirushi thermos, and not without reason. 

The stainless steel mug comes with an easy lid for sipping, which also detaches for cleaning. Plus, the mug stays locked like a vault during spills.

The folks at the review site The Sweethome judged it the best thermos you can buy two years in a row. 

Buy it here for $32.

"Game of Thrones" completely outdid itself in the jaw-dropping climax of Sunday's episode, "Battle of the Bastards."

As part of its"Anatomy of a Scene" series, HBO released a visual effects breakdown of the epic clash between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton, revealing how the brutal and brilliant war sequence came to life.

Keep reading to see the incredible amount of digital and real-life manpower it took to create the biggest battle we've seen yet on "Game of Thrones."

500 extras were used in Sunday’s massive "Battle of the Bastards."

The epic scope of the battle was achieved using a mix of practical and digital effects.

Although some of the shots in the battle were digitally manipulated, this was not. Actor Kit Harrington actually stood in front of 40 galloping horses.

Summer is a great time to gather your crew, tuck a napkin in your shirt and share some fun meals — and there’s no better food to enjoy together than fried chicken. Whether it’s light meat, dark meat, a wing, breast or thigh, we can’t get enough of this finger-licking good treat.

Typically made from from floured or battered broiler chickens (those raised for meat production), fried chicken can be pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried to crispy perfection and seasoned with everything from garlic powder and cayenne to paprika, salt and pepper.

1. BIRDS & BUBBLES (New York City)

From chef Sarah Simmons, Southern comfort food comes to life at Birds & Bubbles in NYC. Order a basket of Buttermilk Chicken, made with fresh Amish chickens from Pennsylvania that have been marinated for 48 hours, to enjoy with chilled champagne or a bottle of rosé.

2. TOWN HALL (San Francisco)

Head to bustling New American eatery Town Hall for an order of Mary’s Fried Chicken, served with buttermilk smashed Yukon potatoes, baby kale salad and bacon red eye gravy from the Southern-inspired menu.

3. THE FRANKLIN ROOM (Chicago)

Housed in an elegant subterranean space, The Franklin Room dishes out comforting, flavorful American fare such as Fried Chicken with sweet potato mash, biscuits and duck gravy.

In 2009, Anna Newell Jones had $23,605 in credit card and student loan debt that she just couldn't figure out how to pay off.

"Money came in and was gone before I knew it. There was nothing left to pay off the giant pile of debt that was haunting me at all times. I was hopeless and out of options," Newell Jones writes in her upcoming book, "The Spender's Guide to Debt-Free Living."

But she found the "trifecta" that got her get out of debt: crush autopilot spending habits, modify priorities, and pare down expenses. 

Here's how Newell Jones, creator of the website And Then We Saved and the trademarked Spending Fast did it:

SEE ALSO: How one woman paid off $23,000 of debt in 15 months

1. She crushed autopilot spending habits by creating a reverse budget.

The first, key choice she made to eliminate her debt was to make what she calls a reverse budget: "a detailed document listing all of your purchases from the last three months."

To create your own reverse budget, start by getting your bank and credit card statements from the last three months. Make a list of categories of where your spending is going and be sure to record everything.

Get the totals for each category, and divide them by three (one for each month) to find the average monthly spending per category.

"What you're looking for are your unskewed, unabridged, undoctored spending habits," writes Newell Jones. "What do you buy when no one is looking? This process will help you narrow down where you money is going and will reveal patterns and problem areas."

Creating a reverse budget will help you figure out "problem areas," which according to Newell Jones, are "unnecessary expenditure that appeared in [her] reverse budget multiple times." After figuring out your problem areas, Newell Jones suggests tackling them by:

Identifying triggers — the people and places that "put you in temptation's way."

Making a diversion plan by having a backup activity for time when you're tempted to go to a place you know will trigger your autopilot spending. For instance, instead of going shopping as she usually did during her lunch break, Newell Jones kept busy at work: She asked for more tasks and organized everything, which kept her engaged. 

Creating a "commitment device" such as a "punishment" for the times you do fall back into your spending habits. Punishment ideas Newell Jones suggests are putting aside money for each slip up and sending an extra payment to your credit card company. 

After creating a reverse budget, Newell Jones could now see patterns that she was unable to recognize before," she writes. "I saw the sad details about where my money was going, and how much I was wasting. The bottom line: I was buying stuff I didn't need with money I didn't have."

2. She modified priorities by making a wants and needs list. 

After figuring out her reverse budget, Newell Jones used it to create a wants and needs list.

According to Newell Jones, needs can be defined as "the fixed expenses you are required to pay each month, as well as the essential items or activities that make you a happy, healthy, and unique individual." 

Everything else is a want.

Every person will have a list, unique to his or her lifestyle. "Only you can deem what's important in your life, and your wants and needs list should be a reflection of your personal priorities and lifestyle needs," writes Newell Jones. 

But even so, it may be hard for those who can't differentiate between the two.

She writes:

Not being able to differentiate between wants and needs is one of the biggest reasons people aren't able to direct more money toward paying down their debt ... It's easy to find things you want, and if you're confusing Wants and Needs, you can easily keep spending money you don't have forever. 

Newell Jones also suggests the following alternatives for when you are stuck in a "gray area," on the things you're not sure you can go without but can't easily label as needs. 

Do it cheaper: Try to find the things you want/need at a cheaper price. Newell Jones kept her gym membership as a need, but opted to ask for a lower rate and was able to save $15 a month, totaling $180 a year. 

Almost anything can be returned: While ideally sticking to your needs lists you might slip and buy a want item — but that doesn't mean you have to keep it, writes Newell Jones. Find out the return policy before you buy an item and remember to save all the receipts. 

Just cancel it: Canceling an order you regret after purchasing can and should be done, especially if it's not a need. "Once I started returning stuff with no remorse, essentially eliminating all the guilt I'd get from a purchase, I decided I would go even further and cancel things before they even arrive," writes Newell Jones. 

3. She pared down expenses by making a debt hit list and payback plan. 

List your debts in order of highest interest rate to the lowest. If two debts have the same interest rate, put the smaller amount on the line above the higher. This will be the order for your debt hit list, according to Newell Jones. 

"The longer you have an outstanding debt with any interest accruing, the higher your final payoff amount will be, which can also mean it will take much longer to eliminate that debt," she writes. "It's best to avoid adding more debt to the stack by taking longer to pay it off."

She continues, "While it would feel nice to list the debts from smallest to biggest — and it would feel deceptively good to pay off the small debts quickly — you'd be screwing yourself over by doing so."

With the needs and wants list and the debt hit list, you can begin your payback plan. Newell Jones suggests using this method:

Address the bills that are due, based on your needs list. Pay off your rent or mortgage, utilities, cell phone, cable, and other services. 

Get out the debt hit list. Pay the minimum amount due for all your debts except for the one at the top. 

Write the check for your top debt. Since this is the biggest debt, Newell Jones suggests paying off all you can afford for each month, so you can wipe it out faster. 

If you're like me, you're always looking for the perfect productivity system. Unfortunately, it doesn't exist.

The problem isn’t with the productivity system — the problem is that none of them can solve a few really important (and related) problems:

1. Procrastination
2. Fear of uncertainty
3. Fear of discomfort

For example, at the top of my to-do list today is "write Zen Habits post" and "write intro to declutter course"… pretty simple, right? Two fairly straightforward tasks. But as I started this post, I went to check and respond to email, sent a message to my wife, checked on my finances, cleaned the kitchen a little. I’m super productive at the little things when I’m putting off the big tasks!

No matter how good the productivity system is, it falls apart when I start procrastinating.

When a task is uncomfortable, I procrastinate, just like most people. When I’m facing a lot of uncertainty with a task, I procrastinate. Like most of us.

Often, we'll work on a new productivity system, try out a new to-do list app, start organizing, or start getting our email inbox to zero, or start reading about a new way to be productive (like you are now) … all as a way to procrastinate on uncertain or uncomfortable tasks.

And it's so much easier to follow the path of distractions and little tasks, than to face a big important but scary task. It’s easy to go to your bank's website to check your balance, check on your favorite blogs and news sites, pop open your favorite social media network, and so on. These have no barrier to entry, and always give you some reward, while difficult tasks give you negative feedback and have obstacles to getting started. Not a fair fight, huh?

So how do we deal with this? A few important methods:

SEE ALSO: 12 items everyone should have on their desk

1. Take a step back

You have to get away from the distractions and little tasks. Step away from the computer, and go outside, go for a walk, take a shower, meditate, or just sit doing nothing for one minute. That’s all it takes. Step back and think about what you should be doing right now, rather than what’s easiest and most tempting.

2. Remember who you're doing this for 

As you step back, think about the person who will benefit from you doing this important task. Is it a coworker, client, customer, loved one? Is it you? How will it make their life better?

Maybe it'll make something easier for them, but maybe it'll solve a real pain point or meet an important need. I’ve found that I procrastinate when I’m focused on my own comfort, but push through procrastination when I’m focused on helping others.

3. Let yourself dive into the discomfort

Clear away distractions, just have what you need to do this one task, and allow yourself to be uncomfortable for a few minutes. Yes, it sucks, but it's actually not that bad once you get started. It's like diving into cold water — just dive in, don’t think about it. Once you're in, relax into the discomfort, and see that it's not as bad as you feared.