Archive for August, 2007

by Cheryl A. Clausen
How are those piles impacting your time management? Some people are naturally neat and tidy while others are comfortable with a far more relaxed environment. It really isn’t a matter of cleanliness, or your comfort level for tidiness it’s a matter of efficiency. Even though you may not realize it, disorganization can be the source of your time management struggles.

You can be organized without having to be all that neat, and it will improve your time management. You live in a world that is driven to chaos. Every day you have email coming in, real mail coming in, and voice mail coming in. You could spend your entire day just dealing with the onslaught of this information, but then you’d really never get anything done. So how do you survive? What do you do? You may want to start with a quick sort system.

Quick sorting is a good time management survival technique. Create folders within your email inbox that allow you to quick sort your emails. Select no more than two time blocks each day to do this sorting. There are several ways you may want to set up your folders, and you’ll probably have to try a couple to see what works best for you. When you regularly get email from specific people set up a folder with their name. You may also want folders for needs action today, needs action this week, needs action next week, or even related to projects. This allows you to quickly put your emails where you can look at them later, and gets you to immediately delete the junk. As you’re looking at the emails you need you to respond to today if you can do so in less than 2 minutes just deal with it rather than moving it into a folder. You can use the same concept with your real mail only having folders, boxes, or whatever where these items go. There are always things you want to save because you think you may be able to use them at some point, but you don’t know exactly when. For these items be selective about what you choose to keep, and then store them by topic so you can find them when you actually want them later. Repeat this process as you listen to your voice mail, writing down the pertinent information from those you want to respond to and then putting those messages in the proper storage spot related to when you will return the call.

So you’ve got all these piles or folders, now what? Each and every day your focus should be on doing the things that will make that day a success. Prioritize your email, mail, and voice mail and work it in after and around the really important stuff. If you find that the same email, mail, or voice mail comes up more than 3 times without you having done anything about it; how important can it really be? Is it something you really don’t have to do and could just throw away, is it something you can delegate to someone else, or is it something you just want to store? It’s your time, you are the only one who can choose the best way to spend it.

Once you get rid of all the unnecessary clutter you’ll begin to realize just how much stress disorganization was really causing you. When you aren’t organized you have a lot of unnecessary stress because you aren’t really sure what’s pressing, and what’s not, and it looks like the work is absolutely endless. When you force yourself to get organized and prioritize you begin to feel more in control, and more product because you are.

Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. Looking for success? find Success here.

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by Cheryl A. Clausen
Wrong, you’ll never become effective at managing your time if you think you are the only one who can do anything correctly. The ugly truth is most people can do many of the things you’re doing now better than you can. You may even recognize this, but you still don’t let them because: you feel threatened, you don’t want to take the time to show someone else how, or you don’t want to spend the money. Until you recognize the value of allowing someone else to do the things that aren’t a strength for you, you’ll remain resistant to the idea.

When you’re focused on the things you’re really good at you already effectively using your time in those areas. If a certain task or type of work isn’t a strength for you why are you doing it? Why not do the things you’re really good at, that you enjoy and obtain satisfaction and fulfillment from? If someone else did the things that are just plain tedious or that you aren’t all that good at how much time would that free up for you to focus on productivity, and how much money could you be making during that productive time? Would your increased productivity cover the cost of using someone else for the other things?

In time management you know you have to start right to end right. Take the time to provide written and oral instructions for what you want done, so the other person can do it on their own after 2-3 times. Even though it takes time to write the instructions initially there’s a big pay-off for you. These written instructions make it possible for anyone to do the task at hand, and that means you have more options for people to outsource this task to. Written instructions also increase the likelihood of the work being done correctly each and every time.

Follow-up and feedback increase your time management effectiveness. Follow-up with the person your working with to make sure they clearly understood each detail and they were able to successfully complete each step of the task. Use the feedback you get to improve and clarify your written instructions. After a couple of trials you have a reproducible procedure that others can use, and you can use in a real pinch when you have to do it yourself.

Set your ego aside and allow others to improve on your ideas. Recognize that when someone improves on your original idea it increases your opportunity to have even more time for the important things without worrying about the little things getting done. The more you can focus your time and energies on what you’re good at the more efficient you’ll become at managing your time.

Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. Looking for success? find Success here.

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by Stanford Brown
Speed reading is not a big incomprehensible subject. It’s all about using a few simple techniques to kick your reading ability into high gear. We all have the ability to speed read. Choice is yours.

Your starting position is essential. You should sit up straight, grip the book down with your left hand, and use your right hand to do the pacing. The eyes are drawn to movement. Speed reading methods put that motion on the material being read.

You should already be an able reader before you try to speed read. Speed reading will not help you if you have problems in understanding the meaning of the words. In fact, it may be fruitless for you to try to rush through things that you can’t comprehend. You should have the basics down already first.

Before you start speed reading, you should do a survey of the data first and foremost to get a general idea of what you will be undertaking and of the type of writing. The self-pacing methods below used in speed reading can help in increasing focus and understanding. They can also help in breaking the habit of reading and reading again.

The Hand Technique

The first technique is to simply place your right hand on the page and slowly move it straight down the page, drawing your eyes down as you read. Keep an equal, gradual motion, as if your right hand has its own free will. Your eyes may not be exactly where your hand is, but this simple movement will allow you to go faster. Don’t start, read a little, stop, read a little, start, read a little. Keep the movement slow and easy. Only do it once per page. If you are “left-handed,” use your left hand as the dominant pacing hand.

The Finger Technique

Lift your fingers and make two even bounces on each line. Each time you bounce, you are ought to be making a fixation of about sets of 3-4 words. This should be done with a balance arm muscle and not just wiggling the wrist.

The Card Technique

The next method is to utilize a card or a folded-up piece of paper on top of the line of print to block the words after you read them. Move it down the page slowly and evenly, and try to read the lines before you cover the words up. This helps break the habit of reading a line of text over and over again. It helps you pay more attention the first time. Be sure to push the card down quicker than you think you can go. Slide the card down once per page.

The Sweep Technique

Another tactic is to use your hand to help draw your eyes across the page. Slightly cup your right hand. Keep your fingers together. With a very loose and fluid motion, sweep your fingers from left to right, underlining the line with the tip of your tallest finger from about an inch in and an inch out on each line. Use your whole arm to move, balancing on your arm muscle. Imagine that you are dusting off dirt from the page.

Give them all a try and see which works best for you. You’ll be speed reading instantly!

Lava Rock Publishing is dedicated to providing superior electronic educational materials. This article includes excerpts from the digital book The Speed Reading Monster Course. Instantly download your copy of this course in its entirety at http://www.lavarockpublishing.com/digitalebooks/speedreadingmonstercourse and you will START SPEED READING INSTANTLY!

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by Stanford Brown
Speed reading is often though of as a magical ability that some people were lucky enough to be born with. Let’s face it. Those who know read fast, and retain what they read, excel in both work and school. You can have that skill and so can your friends, associates, and children. If you implement the following tips, you will instantly read faster than you ever thought was possible and you’ll even get through the “big books” fast.

* Once you start reading, don’t stop! Read the text straight through. If you have any question after you have completed reading the material, go back and reread the relevant sections.

* Reread the marked sections of the text (the items you indicated that you didn’t quite understand).

* Write a small summary at the beginning of the chapter — consisting about 3-4 sentences. If you ever need to return to the text, the information is much more easily found with summary markings.

* Read once. You can’t read everything all at once (and wouldn’t want to). If it’s important, read it now. If it’s not, let it wait.

* Read the title and the first paragraph more carefully than the other parts of the section.

* If there is a summary at the end of a chapter, read it.

* Get a grasp of how the material is organized.

* If you need more background, seek another source.

* A paper and a pen at hand while reading are helpful. Make sure to have both beside you before beginning to read.

* Use the cursor on computer as a pointer when you read text on the screen. The cursor will then act as a finger, and your eyes will most likely follow for moving object.

* Use a guide (pencil, finger, ruler, etc.) to stop regression.

* Train yourself to bypass your automatic response to mentally speak each word. Instead, read words and phrases at a time, using only the peripheral vision.

* When you are reading, it is often useful to highlight, underline, and annotate the text as you go on. This emphasizes information in the mind, and helps you to recall important details after reading the material.

* Underline relevant information in a section as if you were preparing brief notes from which you could study.

* Underline all definitions of terminology.

* Mark or label examples that represent main ideas.

* Circle and box special vocabulary words and transitional words and phrases.

* Number important or sequential ideas.

* Jot down paraphrases, questions, and summaries in available spaces within the text.

It may seem overwhelming to implement all of these strategies at once. Pick one, and master it. Then, choose another one. Immediately, you’ll notice a change in your reading and comprehension abilities; and before you know it, you’ll have an arsenal of speed reading strategies to get you through any book fast.

Lava Rock Publishing is dedicated to providing superior electronic educational materials. This article includes excerpts from the digital book The Speed Reading Monster Course. Instantly download your copy of this course in its entirety at http://www.lavarockpublishing.com/digitalebooks/speedreadingmonstercourse and you will START SPEED READING INSTANTLY!

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by Stanford Brown
How many times have you promised yourself to read more but just never found enough time?

If only you could do it quickly and more efficiently.

Effective and efficient readers learn to use many styles of reading for different purposes, which include skimming, scanning, and critical reading. Before reading, you need to identify the purpose why you will be doing such activity: Are you looking for background information on a topic you know a little bit about already? Are you looking for specific details and facts that you can marshal in support of an argument? Are you trying to see how an author approaches his topic rhetorically?

It is crucial to know your purpose in reading as it helps focus your attention on important aspects of the text. Before turning those pages, take a moment first to reflect and clarify what your goal really is.

There are many ways to familiarize your self with the background of the text, and gain a useful overview of its content and structure before actually absorbing and digesting the text. Seek information about the context of the reading, its purpose, and its general content. Look for an abstract or an author’s or editor’s note that may precede the article itself. Read any background information that is available to you about the author, the occasion of the writing, its intended audience, and more useful information.

After viewing the title and noting general ideas that are accessible to you as a reader, you can continue to browse pages and scan paragraphs in order to get the gist of what material the text covers and how that material is arranged. As soon as you finished looking over the text as a whole, read the introductory paragraph or section, noticing that some authors will provide an overview of their message as well as an explicit statement of their thesis or main point in the opening portion of the text. Considering the background information, the messages conveyed by the title, note or abstract, and the information from the opening paragraph or section, you should be able to proceed with a good hunch of the reading material’s direction.

In order to become aware of your reading situation, ask yourself questions like:

* What do I want (or need) to know and learn?

* In which context do I want (or need) this?

* Which texts could suit these needs?

* What made me choose this text?

* How deeply an understanding of the text do I need?

* How much time have I got?

* How do I want to proceed?

Take a minute or two to write down the answers these questions. This will help you focus and the most important ideas of the text, and they will also help you pace yourself. Like runners and swimmers, to be an effective speed reader, you should pace yourself and set goals. Determine how many pages you will read in 5 minutes.When you prepare before you read, you will read fast and comprehend more than you thought possible. Keep a log of your reading times and you will immediately notice huge improvements. Instant success!

Lava Rock Publishing is dedicated to providing superior electronic educational materials. This article includes excerpts from the digital book The Speed Reading Monster Course. Instantly download your copy of this course in its entirety at http://www.lavarockpublishing.com/digitalebooks/speedreadingmonstercourse and you will START SPEED READING INSTANTLY!

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by Kale Jones
The advantages associated with speed reading tools includes a wide range of training and techniques that allows an individual to improve their overall reading skills. On the market, there are plenty of videotapes, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, books, and computer software to consider when one is ready to invest in the ability to read their favorite books and other publications much faster than before. Not only does the rate at which text is read improve, but also the accuracy in comprehension, which becomes very convenient within the job and educational scene.

Usually, the main aim of a speed reading tool is to enhance reading skills in three main ways. First, one will learn how to increase the number of words they are able to read in each block of text. Second, reducing the length of time spent reading each block is worked on. Lastly, many speed reading programs will address the issue of reducing the number of times the eyes skip back to a sentence they have already read. Overall, many different techniques are used in order to come to a faster reading speed.

Who Benefits?

Anyone may benefit from increasing the rate at which they tackle information. Avid readers are able to complete their favorite books or publications on their “wish” list without spending an excessive amount of time. The 1,000+ biography you’ve always wanted to read, but thought would take up too much time becomes an attainable goal. Students who need to take in a large volume of text to study for a test will benefit in an increased rate of reading, as well as improved comprehension. Those who are required to read a lot while on the job will become much more productive in regards to their career responsibilities.

An Example of Speed Reading Program Techniques

Many speed reading programs aim to curb reading aloud. It is quite common to see readers repeating what they read to themselves. Some people pronounce the words out loud or vocalize the text in an effort to feel the words. In varying degrees, everyone is known to read aloud at some point, but when you wish to increase the rate at which you cover text, it is suggested to curb your habit of moving your lips when following text or saying the words (if even under your breath). Even repeating words in your head will slow down the entire reading process. In order to break the habit, speed reading programs aid to make you more conscious of this tendency.

A suggested exercise to help put an end to moving your lips when reading includes placing your finger or a long (but harmless) object, such as a pencil into your mouth. When reading, keep the object steady, which curbs the urge to move the lips. Over time, you may successfully reverse your habit. Some people have also broken their habit of vocalizing word by humming when reading text.

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by Matthew Roberts.
You probably have decided to change your attitude towards the effective use of your time. Still, you are short of accomplishing your tasks. You begin to wonder whether you have made the right decision or not. Do not lose hope and opt to go back to your old habits. You are making the correct decision. Overcoming the oppressive procrastination habit begins with a resolute choice to change. The road ahead is laden with stumbling blocks that will be extremely trying especially for someone who is used to taking the easy way out. Acknowledge the fact that it is not going to be a smooth ride to success. Knowing what you are dealing with can spell all the difference.

Here are some helpful tips to achieve your goals through an effective time management:

1. Plan. It is your best defense against reverting to your old habits. Be specific about what you need to accomplish for a particular period. Write them all down and classify them according to the level of priority. You need to accomplish first the tasks which bear the highest priority. This way, you are able to spend much of your strength and energy on the most arduous tasks when you still have them. Later you will discover that the most difficult part is done and it becomes extremely easy for you to finish the rest of it.

2. Practice. You need to continually develop the habit of knowing the difference between effective time management and dawdling. Planning is the easier part of the whole process. It is very effortless to jot down goals and objectives but to actually accomplish them is the test of genuine desire to change. Be wary of potential disruptions. You have to be clever enough to spot even the most minute schedule interruptions. Shake them off at once and get on with the program. It is only through good practice that you can master the art of time management. The rule is not to be impenetrable, that is too impractical. Rather, you need to know the means to effectively put into practice what you have set to do whether you will achieve it or not.

3. Pat. Reward yourself whenever you have successfully accomplished any set goal. Do not be too hard on yourself. The point is to adapt a better understanding on the proper use of time. If you do achieve some of your goals, do give yourself a pat on the back. The fact that you have done well is already a reward in itself but you can go beyond that and indulge once in a while.

Life is short to be wasted on worthless activities. Take charge of your life by taking control of your time.

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by Karen Jack
Finding work-life balance in today’s fast-paced world is not a simple task. Spending more time at work than at home means you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, if you’re facing challenges in your personal life, then concentrating on your job can be difficult. Whether the problem is too much or too little focus on work, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, it can result in stress.

How work invades your personal life.

There was a time when employees simply worked a nine to five job Monday to Friday, however, times have changed and the boundaries have blurred for many workers. The reasons for this is that people feel pressured to work longer hours to protect their jobs, also if you work for an international company you may have to be on call around the clock. We now all have the ability to work almost anywhere, from home or even whilst on holiday. If you have already experienced some of these challenges then you already know how easy it is for work to invade your personal life.

Working overtime.

Sometimes working overtime is important. It’s a choice you can make to adjust to a new job, or to pay the bills. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won’t be able to avoid it, but you can certainly learn to manage it. If you decide to work overtime for financial reasons or to climb the career ladder, remember to do so in moderation. Learn to say no if you are too tired, or when its affecting your health or your home life.

It isn’t easy to juggle the demands of a career and personal life, in fact for most people it’s an ongoing challenge to reduce stress and maintain harmony in the key areas of their lives. Prioritise the tasks you need to accomplish, then do them in the order of importance. Be realistic in planning your schedule and focus on the things you know you can achieve. Develop ways to work more efficiently at home and at work. Consolidating or combining jobs may be more time effective. Most importantly try and look on the bright side of things, life, as they say, is too short.

Home Life.

Allow yourself some down time at home, even if it’s just an hour here and there, devote that hour to yourself. Do something relaxing like taking a bath or reading, have some fun with adult toys. Remember, if you’re too tired, you won’t be able to concentrate at work, by learning to relax you’ll cope better with the demands of maintaining a good work-life balance.

Karen Jack is a popular writer, her main areas of interest are relationships, lifestyles, Adult Toys, health and music. To find more comments and links relating to this very popular topic please go to http://www.bondara.co.uk

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by Cheryl A. Clausen
How often do you hear that innocent little request throughout your day? Depending on who you are your reaction will be very different. If you’re a people person you’ll welcome the interruption and be more than willing to put everything else aside to focus on the other person. If you’re a task person you’ll be annoyed by this intruder and would love to snap, “no”, but etiquette keeps you from doing so. These are the extremes and you may fall somewhere in the middle, but generally at different times and under certain circumstances you’ve probably been at one of those extremes. So how should you respond to such an innocent request?

If you want to improve your time management you have to be prepared to deal with these interruptions in a productive manner. It begins with knowing what’s important and focusing on that first. What’s the most important thing for you to accomplish today and what’s the most important thing right now. In most cases you know the requestor well enough to know if a moment is truly a quick interaction or if a moment is a two hour event. Using that background information in conjunction with your focus on what’s important right now you can determine if you should fulfill the request now, or ask to set aside time later.

Don’t use time management as an excuse to be rude, but do use it as a way to increase your productivity and the productivity of those around you. Be respectful and kind to the other person, but hold your ground. If based on your assessment of where your focus needs to be; now isn’t the time to honor the request just let the other person know that while you’re anxious to honor their request you just can’t do it now, but that you’d like to schedule a time later so you can devote your full attention to their needs. When you start doing this you’ll be surprised how often you’ll find the other person will respond that their request really isn’t a big deal and there really isn’t a need to schedule a time later; just reinforcing the request was a time waster rather than anything productive.

Train those around you to have better time management skills. In the world of work it’s your job to train your interrupters to be less needy. Some people think that coming to you with every little thing represents their commitment to you and their respect for your knowledge. While this may be gratifying to your ego it doesn’t help the other person to develop and reach their potential. When you meet at the agreed upon time to handle their request think of ways to help them to resolve this on their own next time. That way they’re growing and developing, and you can increase your own personal productivity so you have time to grow and develop yourself.

Time management isn’t all about work. When it’s play time play, when it’s work time work, but realize that multi-tasking is a myth that just means you take more time doing everything than you would if you just focused on one thing. Identify what’s most important and focus on that so you can get your productive work done faster and have time for play.

Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. Looking for success? find Success here.

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by Cheryl A. Clausen
How many little 15 minute intervals between other things do you think you have throughout the day? For this time management tip I challenge you to count how many you have throughout the course of just one average day. Think about it, how often do you look at the clock and think I have 15 minutes before I have to leave for work or 15 minutes until lunch? What are you doing with all those little 15 minute intervals and what could you be doing?

The idea is to get more value from the little time intervals so you can free up bigger blocks of time. When you free up bigger blocks of time you can use this time management tip to get you the time you want for the fun things in life. Now you aren’t trying to build a time prison for yourself rather your building a time savings account to cash out later for something you’d really enjoy.

A sound time management tip that never changes is to focus on the most important things first. At the start of each and every day you should already know what 1-3 things would make that day a success for you. Diligently focus on those things until they are done ignoring everything else that would keep you from staying on task.

Save up all your odd tasks to use during the little intervals. These little intervals could also be referred to as odd lot time intervals because they crop up here and there throughout your day. You never know when you’re going to have to wait in traffic or wait in line, but you can be prepared to use that time so you have time for fun later. Have a list of tasks and the materials you need to work through these little time wasters whenever you have an odd lot of time.

When you add up all the 15 minutes and all the odd jobs its surprising what you can get done in just these odd time lots. As you discipline yourself to use these little odd time lots keep in mind the specific reward you want and keep adding to your time tally until you have banked enough time for it. You’ll find this time management tip is doubly rewarding because you get lots of stuff done that you have to do plus you get to have the fun you’ve been denying yourself up until now.

Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. Looking for success? find Success here.

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