Time Management is Important – But Don’t Schedule Tasks to Time Anymore

Time Management usually involves scheduling activities to time. This however has been the straw on the camel’s back for many people.

This is one of the worst things that people attempt in time management that have only the very best of intentions wanting to get more organized and productive.

Trying to schedule activities for our time management does not last does it? There are too many distractions and changes in mood, preference, suitability, and importance of tasks and projects and responsibilities.

Then we beat ourselves up about it, feeling guilty, and become even less motivated and thus less successful and more overwhelmed than before! Yes?

Consider not scheduling your activities to time.

Top tip: It actually usually works much better to just wing it by jotting a few things down on paper you want to get done, than to try scheduling many activities/tasks to time. You will also enjoy your time more whilst being much more effective too.

So what can you do instead of scheduling activities to time and beyond just jotting down a few tasks per time?

My Localization Breakthrough

In my coaching I show clients to ‘localize’ their activities, before ‘scheduling’ them.

Doing similar activities in one place in one go, and combining activities for time management leverage.

Alternatively said: ‘keep your socks in one place!, and set up personalized cock-pits’.

Similar activities (like putting on your left sock and your right sock) should be done at one time. It’s amazing how people understand this for socks, but miss it for things like phone calls, or going through mail, or shopping.

Do similar activities together in one time management ‘mini-day’, arrange to do all the weeks shopping (including clothes, food, electrical items, presents, etc) on the same visit to the shops.

Ok, the cock-pit analogy. Well the visual is that of an airplane cock-pit, with hundreds of lights, buttons, dials, and knobs, to give the pilot efficient control and access to all he might need, even when things get a little rough.

We perhaps do not need all areas of our life arranged so intricately for effective time management, but in general, work out ways to save time, or make best use of time, by having things where you need them.

Do you have an envelope opener next to where you open your mail?
Do you have a clutter free desk draw for those things you often want access to whilst at your desk? Like headset for computer conversation, telephone, current frequently referred to books, stationery case.

Some of my clients initially feel this is pedantic. Consider that being tightly efficient with the locations and proximity of items and tools you use regularly can actually get you working on tasks nearly twice as fast. This means a massive increase in time management efficiency.

Every room should be so arranged: the bathroom should be ready for efficient use, and you could take it that much further by having speakers in there so you can listen to talking CDs to learn something whilst you shave and wash in the morning. Now that’s my kind of time management vision.

The kitchen too could have speakers. I’ve got worksheets for vocal exercises and physical exercises that I often do whilst I cook!

Personalise your environment, be aware of optimizing your time management by arranging things just how you like and want them.

What’s the worse area (cock-pit) you’ve got set up right now?

How much time would it take to get a couple of key areas better organized?

What’s the best areas right now?

How can you localize activities and tasks for your time management?

Spending genuine hard-nose thinking time on this, and being open to the possibilities can and will significantly enhance your time management.

Nathan Shaw
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/todays-great-time-management-mistake-12164.html

If you are planning to take on a home improvement project, the plumbing involved is probably something that is causing you to worry. Whenever you make major alterations to a property plumbing is usually involved and needs to be done properly. It is easy to gloss over the importance of plumbing in your home improvement projects, making sure it is done well can save you time, money and stress in the long run.

You should consider where plumbing will be involved in your project before you start and make sure you plan for it in advance. Usually home improvements that involve a kitchen or bathroom will involve a degree of plumbing work. Depending on the scope you may feel capable of tackling the project yourself, or you may want to play it safe and employ a professional. You should get a quote and ensure your plumber is available before you begin your project.

Plumbing is an area that most homeowners are not shy about admitting they don’t have a clue about. Many avoid the issue, being happy to pay someone else to tackle the problem for them, but there is actually a surprising amount the homeowner can do for themselves. There are whole range of books and websites available with diagrams and detailed instructions to guide you through simple or even fairly complicated plumbing tasks. The types of tasks that can easily be undertaken using an online plumbing guide or handbook include installing a new faucet or drain tap. If you want to replace long lengths of pipe, on the other hand, you may be best to find someone with plumbing experience. Perhaps you have a friend who would be willing to help out which will reduce the overall cost of your home improvement project.

Producing a detailed plan with timelines for your project and the plumbing activities involved, will help you to identify what you can do yourself and what you need to involve a professional to help out with. Your time line will be a good way to keep track of what needs to be done, how it will be done, and by whom.

Plumbing activities can involve anything from replacing a faucet to installing new pipes and most tasks are not as tricky as you may have been led to believe, as long as you have the correct information coupled with the confidence to do them properly. Thorough research on the tasks required will let you make an informed decision whether you can tackle the job yourself. Although not always difficult, plumbing does take a great deal of time so if feel you wouldn’t have the patience then your best option is to call in a professional.

Some people may find little reward in plumbing as no one can see the results of your efforts, but good quality plumbing will allow your home to function well without leaks or endless repairs. For those that feel comfortable trying their hand at plumbing, they may find it easier than they expect. For those that don’t there is no shame in calling the plumber!

Johnathan Bakers
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/plumbing-is-often-neglected-in-home-improvement-plans-111396.html

Duration : 34 sec

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During holidays and vacations people generally travel far and wide to have a grand holiday trip with their family. Visiting to a new place is always a nice experience indeed and it completely makes refresh one’s mind which is filled with worries and caring. There is a popular saying that all work and no play make jack a dull boy. So, within a period of interval one must have some entertaining activities with friends and family during Holidays and Vacations. However, how to spend the holiday days depend on the choice of the person. The travel lovers will definitely opt to go outing. The persons who cannot spend much money plan to stay at home with the dear ones and celebrate the holidays inviting friends and guests.

Not only the gown ups and adults school going children also need holidays and vacations. And such is the time when they can spend more time doing their hobbies. The teenage students can join for vocational courses during school vacations. Also they can help to the household work. Most of the families who live far from their native place, pay visit to their parents and grand parents during vacations to give time and affection. These activities strengthen the bond of a family in spite of they live far from each other.

The bookworms can fulfill their desire to read books one after another during long vacations. So, there are various ways to opt how you want to spend your holidays and vacations. Whatever you do it will be naturally a pleasing one and will definitely give a good result. Fun filled recreational activities will drive and lead you to join and do the works with full energy and fresh mind. Also the days you spend together with your near and dear ones will turn into sweet memories as the days go on. So, every time look forward for the nice and splendid holidays together.

Peter Fleming
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/how-to-have-maximum-fun-during-holidays-and-vacations-685940.html

Need tips on cheerleading fundraising? Well, if you have a cheerleading team that needs to go on a special trip or needs to have new uniforms, then cheerleading fundraising ideas are a major concern for you. Fundraising can be a great way to get what your team needs and it can be a profitable experience too.

A cheerleader fundraiser can be a fun event to come up with many fun and profitable ideas. The ideas may include putting together a cookbook that contains tasty recipes from teachers, students, and parents. If you need a nice place to sell the cookbook then the games, which the cheerleaders attend, can be the best place. You can also sell the books among the parents or go about door-to-door selling in your community. Another good idea is to have the cheerleaders teach cheerleading classes for a day and charge the students who take the lessons. If you hold the training classes at your school’s gym, then the up-front cost will also come down – this is a hit cheerleading fundraising idea.

What More Can Be Done?

There are more cheerleading fundraising ideas that can be very lucrative for you. You can always hold a raffle and you will not believe the incredible revenue it can bring. This cheerleading fundraiser will help you to sell the tickets and the prize will take up half of whatever has been collected in the funds. Even then, the fund that you have will suffice for a clean profit. The PTA fundraising if requested will be happy to help your cheerleading team.

Among the list of the cheerleading fundraising ideas, you also have the option of getting started with a game between your team and another team. There will be ample opportunity for you to have fun and at the same time collect the funds that you have been intending to. People have a general liking for sports and this idea is wonderful as there will be no up front cost. You could also have a rummage sale. Just get from your community stuff that they do not require. Chances are people will be generous when it comes to donating for a proper cause. You would really end up with a good stock of things to sell and make a respectable sum.

Advertise Well – Getting The Word Out

You need the right kind of publicity for your cheerleading fundraising activities. More and more people should know about it. Another fundraising idea is to request the business establishments of your city for letting your cheerleaders work at their establishments for a day and get a share of their profits. You can target the fast food services to work and earn for your fundraising.

Always explain the donors about the purpose of the fund being collected and it is essential to be really polite while collecting funds. Be in the proper uniform, be pleasant, and keep track of what you are collecting and from whom. This is required later when you have to thank the ones who have helped with generous donations. Now good luck with your cheerleading fundraising!

Jessi McCafferty
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/cheerleading-fundraising-fun-and-profitable-at-the-same-time-685563.html

The first time when I had sung the National Anthem composed by Rabindranath Tagore, the rhythm and the tune touched my heart and magnified the love for Bangladesh. I started reading his short stories and poems, which he created for children gave me real pleasure. His power of simplification and showing the beauty of truth within little things for extensive exemplification for which my inquisitiveness feelings make him my favorite author. The Tagore’s were of a cultured and wealthy family. Rabindranath Tagore was born in 7th May 1861 and died in 7th August 1941. His father, Devendranath, was one of the leaders of the Brahma Samaj. The poet’s early life was spent in an atmosphere of religion and arts, literature, music and paintings. As an author, the trend of his life was early contemplated. He was brought up and taught on three languages- Sanskrit, Bengali and English.

Tagore’s literary life outspread over sixty years, and he reminds one of Victor Hugo in the copiousness and variety of his work: over one thousand poems; nearly two dozen plays and play-lets; eight novels; eight or more volumes of short stories; more than two thousands songs, of which he wrote both the words and the music; and a mass of prose on literary, social, religious, political, and other topics. In addition to his English translations of some of his literary works; his paintings; his travels and lecture-tours in Asia, America, and Europe; and his activities as an educationist, as a social and religious reformer, and as a politician- and there we have, judged by quantity alone, the life work of a Nipple. Suffice it to say that his genius was no more than the capacity for taking infinite pains; but to note the element of steel and concrete that went to his making, and thus to dispose of the legend, that has grown in some quarters in recent years, of Tagore the pale-lily poet of ladies’ table.

In 1901 he founded his school, the Santiniketan, at Bolpur as a protest against the existing evil system of education. The school was a great success and transfigured Viswabharati. On revisiting England in 1911 he brought with him the English Gitanjali, and it’s publication in 1912 and the award of the Nobel Prize for literature the following year made him world-famous. This was the first award of that prize to an Asiatic. The rest of Tagore’s life was spent at Santiniketan, except for several travels and lecture-tours in which he carried his message of human unity to all the important countries of Asia, America and Europe.
Tagore was a proud and ardent patriot. His most intense period of political activity was in the years following 1905, when the agitation against the partition of Bengal was at its highest speed. He renounced his knighthood in 1919 as protest against the Amritsar affair in a letter to the Viceroy, which is among the great documents of freedom. His patriotic poems and songs, particularly the latter, have passed into the common heritage of his country; the song “Bharata-bhagya-vidata” is now sung all over India and “Amar sonar Bangla” in Bangladesh as the national anthem. In this respect I would like to discuss a few of his books which have stirred my heart towards having an unbounded pleasure of spiritual as well as real cultural life.

HOIMONTI

It is a remarkable short story where Tagore has tried to reflect a contrast between the two families comprising of conservatism and modernism. Hoimonti was educated in modern system of education where her father had influenced her by proper knowledge, culture, heritage and means to retaliate the real life situation. But as ill luck would have it, she was married with Opu, a son of conservative family. This family believed in superstitions and social customs. Opu’s father and mother had prejudice, which would influence Hoimonti tremendously. In the last Hoimonti was faded and her father-in-law was looking for another bride for his son.

BOLAI

This story is about a boy who doesn’t have a mother and was brought up by his aunt. He developed the character, which is different from his age group. He has an uncommon fondness towards the plants and trees. Bolai would not tolerate if anybody would weed out any plants and trees. He thought that every plant has a unique life, which is unknown to everybody. He showed all his love and sympathy even for the tree which grew in an unsuitable place. In the last his most favourite tree was cut down when his father took to Shimla for higher studies. Bolai’s aunt was shocked at the demolition of the tree, which she thought was the personification of Bolai.

SHESHER KABITA

It is a famous novel created by Tagore. The actress of the story is Labonno and the actor is Amit. The contrast and love affairs of them have been reflected in a significant manner. The book has the greatest literary value in the world. The real love an affair with high world literature has been vividly reflected here where the two craving personalities are eagerest to know each other. They were devoid of greed, jealousy, allusion and bad temperament and they know how to tackle the social confliction and criticism of social critics.

KABULIWALA

The main characters of this story are a girl named Mini and Rahmat the Kabuliwala. Kabuliwala is from Afghanistan; he sells things from door to door. Once she was introduced to Mini, the talkative girl who was five years old. The man has left his daughter who is of Mini’s age back home. Mini and Kabuliwala developed a very good friendship. Kabuliwala used to bring dry fruits for Mini as present and showed the patience of listening to Mini. They used to tease each other about “going to in-laws house”. For some reason the man has to go to prison for eight years. After coming from jail he wanted to meet Mini. But, at that time Mini’s marriage ceremony was going on. In the past eight years she has forgotten her friend
Kabuliwala. She was not friendly like her childhood and was feeling shy seeing him. Kabuliwala could feel the distance the time has passed between them and his daughter.

POSTMASTER

It is a short story by Rabindranath regarding a postmaster. The postmaster was transferred to a village post office of India. Here he met a girl named Ratan with whom he would always continue conversation hours after hours. One day the postmaster fell ill, Ratan has looked after him and in this way a close relationship was developed between them. When the postmaster was transferred to the town again the girl became shocked and she asked him to take her with him but the postmaster was not in a position to take her. Rattan lived with the sheer pain of the lovely memory; she had spent with the postmaster.

I like Rabindranath’s book because I come to learn many things about the land, people and nature. We learn the problems, religion, culture and heritage of Bengali life. His books sometimes really create thrill, intuition and excitement for the readers by reflecting the social conflicts and contrast between conservative and modern educated people. Furthermore, his poetry ingrained in common life has been vividly contemplated in a significant manner, which stir my heart to a great extent.

Kh. Atiar Rahman
http://www.articlesbase.com/k-12-education-articles/rabindranath-tagore-my-favourite-author-683023.html

Duration : 7 min 15 sec

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Are you yearning for a greater sense of happiness in your life but feel weighed down by problems? If so, try adopting an attitude of lightheartedness and watch how quickly it can inject an element of fun and whimsy into your life.

Here are three simple ways to do it:

1) Play.

Most of us tend to take life so seriously. Sure, life can definitely be serious at times, and there are certainly things that we should take seriously – but we also don’t need to be so serious ALL the time! Instead, try your best to have more fun as often as you can. Either spend time doing things you enjoy, or simply make your regular activities more fun. Not sure that your regular activities can be fun? Nearly any task or chore can be lightened up a bit – even mundane chores around the house. Take, for example, house work or yard work. Who says you have to grudgingly perform those tasks? Why not put on some funky music and dance around while you do them? Why not listen to a stand-up comedy routine on CD and laugh while you do them? All it takes is a shift in perspective to make something fun and lighthearted.

2) Get inspired.

If you’re used to directing most of your focus toward lack or negativity, it can be helpful to start lifting your perspective to a higher place. One way to do that is to purposely concentrate on things that inspire you. You can read uplifting books or watch inspirational movies; or even buy a book of motivational quotes and read a few each day. You can also choose to be inspired by the things you see in your daily travels. For example, rather than rushing distractedly to and from appointments, take a few minutes to pause and gaze around. Notice how the sunshine plays on the trees and flowers, making them glow with beauty. Rather than getting annoyed at your children when they play with their dinner, marvel at their creativity and sense of humor. Take a walk during your lunch hour and breathe deeply of the fresh air, smile at strangers and make an effort to remember what a miracle life is. No matter how you do it, let your heart and mind soar to a place of joy and inspiration, and you’ll automatically feel more lighthearted, and happy!

3) Unload your worries.

It’s difficult to feel lighthearted and happy when you’re besieged by stress and worry. Rather than carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders (or in your heart), write your problems and worries on a sheet of paper and place it in a box or drawer. Affirm that for the next few hours, you’re not going to think about those things. Then shift your attention to things that make you feel better, like spending time with loved ones or engaging in favorite hobbies. When worrisome thoughts pop back into your mind, firmly set them aside again and remind yourself that you’re not going to focus on them right now. It may sound overly simple but it really works! With enough practice you eventually reach a point of knowing that worrying and obsessing isn’t helping matters, so you decide not to do it for awhile – and you instantly feel more lighthearted and happy.

When it comes right down to it, feeling happy is a choice you make from moment to moment. Happiness won’t make all of your challenges vanish, but choosing to focus more on the lighter side of life can definitely make you feel better – and who knows, it might even give you the mental and emotional distance you need to come up with creative solutions that you would have missed if you’d been too busy worrying!

iain legg
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/lighthearted-happiness-357847.html

Simply put, audio books are books that are transformed into audio format. Modern man is more productive than his predecessors. Ironically, modern technology has made him work more instead of work less. With increased productivity, the modern man now seems to have less time for leisure.

One of the leisure activities that has suffered the most is reading. Busy individuals simply do not have the time to enjoy a good book or even an informative magazine.

Fortunately for those who enjoy a good story every now or then or who value the knowledge that books bring, modern technology has made it possible for books to be digested easier and faster. This is done by transforming books into audio books. The traditional way of producing audio books is by letting someone read a book, usually an abridged version, then recording the reading.

Nowadays though, thanks to the wonders of computers, audio files can be produced synthetically. Full orchestration, sound effects and professional actors can be used.

Many have predicted that audio books will become a sensational hit in the years to come. That’s why it seems that everybody want to ride the bandwagon. More and more companies are offering audio books, usually as downloadable digital audio files posted on websites such as First-Class-Audiobooks.

The popularity of audio books was caused partly of the popularity of portable audio and video players such as the iPod. Because they are usually found under the mp3 format, audio books can be downloaded into these personal audio players and played back at the convenience of the users.

For most individuals listening is a natural and pleasurable activity. Listening is a passive activity and as such, you can perform it while doing other things such as resting, cooking, and driving or even while working out. With audio books, they could finish a whole book while performing other chores. This will save them a big amount of time. Audio books will enable individuals to be real multitaskers.

How did audiobooks come about? The roots of audio books can be traced to education. To make learning easier for individuals, educators have put their materials into audio format. Individuals trying to learn a new language for example can do so even while they are doing other activities.

Nowadays though, the audiobook format is not limited to educational materials. Almost everything that is published, from books to magazines, newspapers, etc have been transformed into audiobook format.

The types of audio books that are usually rented are fiction books which are usually just listened to once. Educational materials are better off purchased outright so you can keep them for reference.

To find an audio book download site is easy. Within minutes of signing up you will be listening to your favorite book.

Bill Urell
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/whay-bother-with-audiobooks-89087.html

Summer Camp is an exciting thing for parents; as their child is going to learn loads of new thing in the camp. However it could be a nightmare for the child if he or she is not ready for camp. Following are the ten excellent ways to get your child ready for the next summer camp.

# Go through books available in association with camp. These books must be read by both parents and children. After you both finish reading discuss the summer camp experience with your kid and mention some of the issues that were raised in book.

# Talk to people who have gone through such summer camps to get some useful information. You get information of such families from camp director. Get your children talk to other child may in person, email or over phone. Take a chance to ask questions and talk about various concerns.

# Get familiar with camp surroundings. Check out where your child is going to sleep, swim and eat. Also check out daily routine and plan sheet of the activities. Know the evening activities and do visit the camp if permitted.

# Teach your child to take care of themselves. Practice camp is very much necessary. Send your child to spend a long weekend at your relative or friends place, teach them how to pack and unpack and how to make bed, how to set dinning table and more things. Do not call them when they are at your friends place, discuss it later about how they felt without parents’ involvement in any activity.

# Problem solving with your child is very important. Think about defensive issues, “What if? You drop baseball glove or feel sick.” Give your child different ways where they would have to solve the difficulty at camp. It is dissimilar than at home.

# Do a role-play with your child on how they are going to respond to the camp situations. Walk in the moon light with a flashlight on.

# Communication at most of the camp is generally through letter writing only. Assist your child learn letter writing and practice. Also find out the camp policy on making phone calls.

# Homesickness feelings are common when it comes to adjusting to any fresh environment. Homesick feelings are more common during meals time, free time and also at night. They generally don’t last very long after the child gets well-known and engrossed in camp life.

# You also need to get ready for separation. Parents usually feel anxious about sending their child to summer camp or any other day camp especially if it is for the first time. This is a normal feel; however remember that you have got a safe camp for your kid where he/she will be well cared. Camp is obviously a positive growing experience.

# The camp manager is presented for concerns. Always call them in case of any questions or clarification.

shijina
http://www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/ten-excellent-ways-to-get-your-child-ready-for-summer-camp-475996.html