Quick Quote
"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it." ~Olin Miller
A technique to overcome procrastination (1 hour of productive time)
1. Take 2 subjects/projects/areas of work which are very different, including one which you have been resisting. We will call them project A and B
2. Get a kitchen timer or stopwatch or use your mobile timer
3. Use the following sequence to work on your projects:
• Project A (5 minutes exactly)
• Project B (5 minutes exactly)
• Project A (10 minutes exactly)
• Project B (10 minutes exactly)
• Project A (15 minutes exactly)
• Project B (15 minutes exactly)
Tips to make this method work:
• Do not allow yourself to get distracted by anything else. If you do get distracted, just restart the timer from the time at the beginning of the distraction
• Be strict about stopping when the time is up - it is easier to restart something which is incomplete than to start something new
• Start the next project immediately without a gap
• Make sure the projects are quite distinct from each other
• Give yourself limited targets for each time burst (break your project down into bite-sized, manageable chunks)
• Be prepared to have unfinished work lying around. Use a plastic folder to keep it in if it's paperwork. This will give you an incentive to finish it!
PS I like having time to focus on one thing so I was seriously sceptical about this approach, but believe me, it works! Just give it a try...
If you like this, then you will like my course: http://www.balancedmum.com/Time-To-Achieve.pdf
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Holiday heaven....or hell?
“Those that say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for a holiday trip” ~ unknown
Top ten tips for an enjoyable holiday
1. If possible, get your parents or other family to join you on holiday so that you can have some time off on your own and as a couple
2. In the week before you go away on holiday, don't put clothes away that you intend to take with you. Start piles for each member of the family which can then be quickly piled into suitcases
3. Use plastic bags as "drawers" when you pack to keep things organised, and have a light and dark washing bag to fill up during the holiday (extra tip - have dark and light washing bags in your washing basket so stuff gets sorted as it goes in!)
4. Create an electronic "to take" list for holidays with additional sub-lists for self catering or camping - just print it off each time and make any subtle changes required and similarly, create an electronic "to do" list as well which reminds you to take the bin out, sort out the pets, cancel the cleaner etc.
5. Buy a couple of new Cds, books or Dvds (or save from Christmas) for the journey and make sure you have a rainy day kit with a few fun things to bring out if necessary
6. For very young children, a drink is a good idea for flights at take off and descent, and for older children lollipops are always popular, as they can find it hard to swallow on demand
7. Book your kids into some activities (in your home town or when away) to buy yourself some "me time"
8. Discuss with all members of your family what they would like to get out of their holiday, and the key activity/visit they would like to do. Make sure everyone gets their number 1 request, assuming their request is practical (imaginations need to be tempered sometimes!)
9. Although the priority is to relax, kids especially still need some routine so make sure you still have enough structure to each day to keep things calm, even if it is only regular meal times.
10. Try and see the fun in every situation, relax and take loads of photos to keep you going through the winter months!
Thanks to Fiona from Manic Mums for the topic idea.
Do you have any tips which you would like to add? Please let us know so that others can benefit too...
Top ten tips for an enjoyable holiday
1. If possible, get your parents or other family to join you on holiday so that you can have some time off on your own and as a couple
2. In the week before you go away on holiday, don't put clothes away that you intend to take with you. Start piles for each member of the family which can then be quickly piled into suitcases
3. Use plastic bags as "drawers" when you pack to keep things organised, and have a light and dark washing bag to fill up during the holiday (extra tip - have dark and light washing bags in your washing basket so stuff gets sorted as it goes in!)
4. Create an electronic "to take" list for holidays with additional sub-lists for self catering or camping - just print it off each time and make any subtle changes required and similarly, create an electronic "to do" list as well which reminds you to take the bin out, sort out the pets, cancel the cleaner etc.
5. Buy a couple of new Cds, books or Dvds (or save from Christmas) for the journey and make sure you have a rainy day kit with a few fun things to bring out if necessary
6. For very young children, a drink is a good idea for flights at take off and descent, and for older children lollipops are always popular, as they can find it hard to swallow on demand
7. Book your kids into some activities (in your home town or when away) to buy yourself some "me time"
8. Discuss with all members of your family what they would like to get out of their holiday, and the key activity/visit they would like to do. Make sure everyone gets their number 1 request, assuming their request is practical (imaginations need to be tempered sometimes!)
9. Although the priority is to relax, kids especially still need some routine so make sure you still have enough structure to each day to keep things calm, even if it is only regular meal times.
10. Try and see the fun in every situation, relax and take loads of photos to keep you going through the winter months!
Thanks to Fiona from Manic Mums for the topic idea.
Do you have any tips which you would like to add? Please let us know so that others can benefit too...
New course for you - Time to Achieve!
o Feel that you need more hours in your day
o Wish that you were more organised
o Have a list of “mustn’t forgets” and “should be doings” whizzing round your head
o Waste time searching for everyday items or documents
o Find yourself bogged down by everyday trivia
o Wish you had more balance in your life
o Have things in your life that you’d like to achieve but don’t get around to?
Would you like to:
o Understand how you currently spend your time
o Decide what your priorities are and what you’d like to achieve
o Develop systems to organise your “stuff” and become free of clutter
o Learn techniques to organise your time and get things under control
o Discover how to overcome procrastination and get things done?
Achieve all this and more by booking onto the next Edinburgh course over 3 Sunday evenings 6:30pm – 9pm: September 5th, 12th & 26th for just £127 (including a FREE 31 day document diary)
Don’t procrastinate! Book now whilst there are still spaces left, by emailing anna@balancedMum.com or phoning 07764 235394
For more details visit http://www.balancedmum.com/Time-To-Achieve.pdf . Also check out the free “stuff” on www.BalancedMum.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
