by Paula Eder
Time management tips can be lifesavers in these transitional times. Your productive time habits provide essential traction, moving you forward on uneven ground. Every wise time choice frees more of your energy to develop your skills to greet upcoming challenges.

Wouldn’t you like to create a list of New Years Resolutions that builds on your successes last year? And what if it also reinforced all the time choices that make you feel like you are riding the perfect wave?

Here’s where you can start to put together a list New Years Resolutions you look forward to reviewing. No more guilt-inducing “should do” lists - just friendly coaching from yourself to get you where you really want to go!

Take advantage of this time to conduct a self-affirming assessment of your best time choices and your current strengths, as you prepare for this approaching year. By training your focus on your effective time choices in times of change, and cataloging your strengths that support your good time habits, you provide yourself with these three important benefits:

1. You establish a realistic basis for self-confidence when coping with sudden change.

2. You can use this self-confidence to support you as you create additional productive time habits.

3. You clearly identify which values and activities to prioritize when the rhythms of your life are disrupted.

There is a sound basis for this practice. It is well documented that in times of stress and unfamiliarity, people automatically revert to more rigid behaviors. By establishing your healthiest priorities in advance, in writing, you provide yourself with a customized “instruction manual” for crisis times.

Because these are times when others also operate under stress, it’s doubly important to chart an independent course. You will be able to avoid the snares of urgency, irritability and oversight, easing your relationships with others when they need your clear thinking the most.

This exercise helps you the most if you take the time to write down your answers so that you can refer to them later. Make a list of all your time choices for each category.

Transitional effectiveness list:

1. Time choices that maintain your health:

2. Time choices that maintain an adequate sleep schedule:

3. Time choices that maintain your fitness:

4. Time choices that maintain your support system of friends and family:

5. Time choices that allow you to flex, to meet unexpected challenges:

6. Time choices that maintain healthy eating:

7. Time choices that enable you to review and update your support systems, such as insurance, financial planning, and emergency preparedness:

8. Time choices that support your sense of well-being:

Time habits that build your effectiveness in times of transition are your anchor. By maintaining your fitness and connectedness to those you care about, you optimize your ability to exercise the focus, alertness, humor, and resilience to thrive and grow no matter what!

What is your next step to build your transition effectiveness?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management tips help you develop your grounding. And gratitude is always a choice that enriches your time and your life - always. Gratitude is anything but sentimental or irrelevant. On the contrary, gratitude is grounded in the rock-hard realities of life. You make the best of what is. You take the full measure of your gifts, knowing anything you now possess can be taken away, except your commitment to do your best.

Here are 3 new time management techniques, grounded in gratitude:

Technique Number One: Assess your strengths, using gratitude.

Resentment saps your incentive by focusing on what you don’t have. Gratitude opens your heart. If you accentuate the positive and are grateful, you respond to challenges more fully aware of what resources you can draw upon.

Now, and anytime you feel overwhelmed, take a few moments to list what you are grateful for. List everything you have going for you. Take special notice of any of the ways your choices have contributed to using your time effectively. Notice how this replaces a scarcity mentality with an abundance reality. Your decisions around time will always be stronger when you anchor yourself with gratitude and a thorough assessment of your assets.

Technique Number Two: Create a gratitude scenario to work towards.

Whatever your current situation, envision a successful outcome entirely within your control. It may be a triumph over difficult odds, won through your patience and persistence. It may be a triumph of spirit in the face of forces beyond your control, derived from your dedication to grow and learn. Either way, it is your triumph.

Notice how a realistic gratitude scenario overcomes a fear-based “what if?” fantasy. Your capacity to make your best time choices builds from your actual strengths now, not from fear of the unknown future. And your gratitude links you to all your best decisions, as well as to all the people who have helped you throughout your life.

Technique Number Three: Choose your allies with gratitude.

If you feel you need a major turnaround to make the best use of your time, envision yourself joining the ranks of all those who have shared inspirational stories with you, in person or in interviews and books. You can be as successful, and grow to where you increasingly give thanks for what you have been given, and for what you can give yourself and others.

Consider what words of encouragement you would like to offer someone else who looks to you for guidance. How would you like to pass along the good news about how enormous the moment can be, when your heart is full and when you are doing your best?

Give yourself this message, and write it down. Review it at the end of the day. And give thanks to yourself that you care enough about yourself to make the best of this moment, and all moments to come.

Now, ask yourself: How can you start strengthening your sense of gratitude today to enhance your effectiveness and start finding more time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Time Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Louisa Chan
Everyone gets the exact same amount of time in a day. It is one thing you cannot buy or earn. So how can you manage time? You can not. You can only manage your use of time.

As single moms, you handle two persons’ work in the same 24-hour day. How are you going to fit more into the same amount of time especially with limited resources? Here are some tips for you:

Tip 1 - Get it all out on Paper - Write down everything you need to get done this week. They do not have to be in any order and if you can group them together in categories, that will be great. For example: work, household (bills, bank, rent, groceries), children (child care, school work, PTA), self care (hair cut, exercise, massage, personal development, taking walks).

Tip 2 - What Matters Most - From the earlier list, choose only those that matters most (only the urgent and important). Do not include anything that does not support your healthy happy, stress free lifestyle. With limited time you will have to let something go if you want to add something into your life. Be very careful of your choices, there isn’t enough room for everything.

Tip 3 - Do versus Outsource - Out of the what-matters-most list, decide what has to be done by you and what can be outsourced to others. Some of the routine maintenance work can be done by others while new projects and tasks that require creativity will be best done by you.

Tip 4 - Prioritization - Do you keep putting off the more important tasks, while you go accomplish the not-so-important activities? Align your values and goals with your activities. What things are you doing in your life that is not supportive of the life you want?

Tip 5 - Activity versus Productivity - Are you often very busy but not really doing anything productive? Pareto principle rule applies here. Find the vital 20% of things you do on a daily basis that produces 80% of your key results. Free up 80% of the time. We are often consumed by what is urgent and unimportant which does not get us anywhere.

Tip 6 - A Flexible Plan - Have the end game in mind. Decide what needs to be done by when, what resources are required and work backwards. Yet do leave enough room for surprises and contingencies Are you able to switch and adapt should something unplanned happen in your week? Having a plan is good, being able to adapt is better.

Tip 7 - Quality Time - Since you only have limited amount of time, make sure you think creative, healthy, happy thoughts, feel love and compassion, do good and show kindness. One genuine act of love and kindness will accomplish much more than a life time of idle thoughts and empty chatter.

Apply these tips and you will be more discipline with your use of time. If you can be in a community with other single moms and share lessons learnt applying these tips, you will be spending quality time building up yourself and others. Find a community in your area and get supported.

Louisa Chan is a Certified Professional Coach who partners you for your success. You can claim a free strategy session with Louisa and an audio on tips for living the stress-free lifestyle. For more tips and a support group for single mothers that you can join from home, contact Coach Louisa.

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management tips are about so much more than time. They serve as life rafts to carry you back to solid ground after hordes of demands drag you offshore.

So don’t be discouraged by the prospect of holiday cleanup, even in the face of possible post-holiday blues. You can transform this time into an opportunity to catch your breath, relive some pleasant memories, and prepare to make next year’s festivities work even better for you.

How do you restore yourself as you transition back to daily life?

First, start by affirming you are worth treating yourself well during every step of the process. If this requires assertiveness, ingenuity or the assistance of friends or family, call them in!

Second, approach this transition as a project in its own right. Provide yourself with well-scheduled time, adequate supplies and considerate planning for your needs.

Third, cultivate a receptive attitude. If you have difficulty rallying yourself, then coax yourself forward with a promised reward. And remember to deliver on your promise.

Finally, utilize these suggestions to prepare for next year’s events as you put closure on this year’s cycle of activities. You can shed stress and exhaustion by using these quick and easy tips to simplify and organize as you go. Then you can recharge your batteries and face this New Year with renewed enthusiasm!

7 Easy Time Tips Guaranteed to Help You Clean Up After Holidays

Time Tip #1: Strategize the ideal workspace to serve as cleanup headquarters, and outfit it for your ease and comfort.

Whether you set up a card table or clear off your dining area, make sure you create an environment where you can comfortably stand or sit. Ensure that it is well lit and pleasant. The extra minutes you take to make your space as relaxing or as stimulating as you like will help you focus, not resentfully rush through important tasks. Along with paper to make lists, include a calendar to review recent events, as well as a calendar to jot ideas for the upcoming year.

Time Tip #2: Store holiday items in the sequence you’ll want to retrieve them next year, referring to last year’s holiday activity calendar.

Highlight recurring events on a calendar you dedicate to planning holidays. Then visualize the optimal sequence for packing away things associated with your celebrations. When seasonal decorations are stored in the sequence in which you use them, you can easily put your hands on what you need. For example, store boxes of Halloween costumes and decorations, clearly labeled, in front of Christmas ornaments.

Time Tip #3: Collect sufficient packing materials and containers.

Avoid the aggravation of running out of supplies mid-project. Before starting, gather tissue paper, suitable storage containers and boxes the right size for packing away your prized holiday decorations. Inexpensive designed-to-fit storage containers can be most helpful.

For example, storage boxes with dividers store fragile decorations safely, so you needn’t take time packing each item individually. You can find such containers in any big department store, or visit websites. This is a small investment to avoid a buildup of frustration or resentment.

Time Tip #4: Line up help with the same care you’d plan a social occasion.

As mentioned, don’t hesitate to enlist one or more companions to help out, unless you prefer wrapping and storing decorations alone, as you reminisce. Notify your assistants in advance how long you estimate the cleanup will take. Then agree upon a schedule that works for all of you. Family, friends, or even a local teenager seeking a small job can shorten your task and make it more enjoyable. If others do join you, stock adequate snacks and supplies for them as well as for you.

Time Tip #5: If possible, clean up or repack after each holiday you celebrate.

If you can box up your just-used decorations before bringing out those for the upcoming festivities, you can avoid a confusing jumble.

Time Tip #6: During your cleanup for each holiday, make a note of any decorations you need to replace.

Jot down broken or missing items as you go along. Also create a list of new decorations you would like to feature for next year’s celebration. Clip these lists to your holiday calendar and mark a date to shop for what you need. If you like post-holiday sales, you can store your new items along with those you pack away, avoiding next year’s holiday crush. In either case, make sure you put your holiday planning calendar somewhere where it’s easy to remember and quick to retrieve.

Time Tip #7: Assess Your Success.

Take a look around you. How has this experience differed from other post-holiday cleanups? Identify every improvement and thank everyone who has contributed to them, especially yourself. You’re in an excellent position now to brainstorm how to apply your insights to other upcoming demands. You have converted what can be a dreary ordeal into a far more satisfying use of your time. And that is a gift that will carry you well through the rest of the year.

What is your next step to make the most of your post-holiday time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management techniques are only as powerful as you are realistic. Even the best time management techniques will never provide you with the level of control you might like to exercise over your time, because life is always bigger than your plans. So your best strategy is to cultivate openness to change.

Most time management models are static, and people often construct their plans upon illusions of life’s predictability. So you might encounter resistance from many quarters if you approach planning differently, and base your time management upon a world in constant transition. Voices inside you and outside you may present arguments like these:

“Change is unpredictable. Why even think about it?”

“Unpredictability can generate stress. Best to stick with what you know.”

“Change brings losses along with any gains. So avoid change to avoid getting hurt!”

“Change requires added focus and work. Tiring to even consider!”

“Change reveals the limits of your control. How frustrating is that?”

Of course, it’s human nature to resent new and shifting demands. Fortunately, it’s also human nature to thrive when such challenges are embraced.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin

5 Benefits of Embracing Life’s Constant Changes

Benefit #1: The more you accept change as a constant, the more prepared you become. The more prepared you are, the more productive you are. Remember this “mantra” to help you embrace change management as a way of life: “The more you plan for change, the less you need to change your plans.”

Benefit #2: Expecting change keeps you alert and interested. Resistance generates stress and inflexibility. But your effectiveness increases when you engage with curiosity. And so does your creativity.

Benefit #3: Genuinely accepting the inevitability of loss and change lessens the pain of it. By taking in more fully that what surrounds us is in constant transition, you might find yourself experiencing a new level of gratitude for what exists in your life right now. Accepting life’s constant evolution also helps you focus on creating gains from new developments.

Benefit #4: You develop new strengths when you focus and work to welcome change. Intensive times of growth can foster positive turning points in your life, because the challenges fully engage you.

Benefit #5: Truly accepting the limits of your control helps you train your focus on what you can change. And that’s where all your power lies!

You may be are surrounded by temptations to pursue routines that turn into ruts. Extend compassion towards yourself for the all-too-human desire to “freeze” life into perfect patterns.

But also recall that climbing the learning curve offers the best views. Those who excel not only accept life’s ongoing changes - they capitalize on those changes. You can do this, too, by grounding yourself in the present moment and always breaking down imposing challenges into small, workable steps.

Notice which friends routinely discourage you from expanding your horizons, and which friends encourage your taking reasonable risks to grow. Develop a community of support for yourself, and you will attract more opportunities to revitalize your life, both personally and professionally.

What is your next step in making the most of your time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management tips help you cultivate your power over your life, once you start exploring boundaries. Maintaining time boundaries powerfully reinforces your time management strategies. Until you set successful boundaries, you can’t protect even the best schedule.

When you successfully maintain your time boundaries you may feel like you are saying “no” more often than “yes.” But the reality is that each time your “no” supports a time boundary, you are actually saying “yes” to the things that are most important to you!

If you say yes to everything, your day will be overflowing - but not necessarily with the things that you value. It will be filled with a mishmash of crisis demands, interruptions, distractions, and other people’s needs. Your own goals might be pushed out of reach. And however frantically you rush to catch up, you may not be able to retrieve what really matters. What happens to your time and your temper when this occurs? And what happens to your relationships with coworkers, friends, and family?

On the other hand, when you exercise your power to choose and maintain your time boundaries, you let go of needless stress and frustration. Your “no” in the moment creates the possibility of many “yesses” as you apply your energies toward the things you value and the dreams you want to achieve!

To create a supportive environment to set boundaries for your upcoming day, try this short visualization:

How to Cultivate Your Garden of Time: A Short Visualization
Picture yourself tending your garden. As any gardener knows, if the weeds are left to their own devices they will choke out the plants that you are trying to nurture. Now envision the day ahead of you as a landscape you are cultivating. Where are the activities that create meaning and flow in your life? Those are the gardens of intentionality. They provide color, clear pathways, and refreshing shade. Where are the weeds and thickets that interfere with your progress? These are the areas where you must do your spadework. Creating and maintaining time boundaries is a lot like weeding. It gives your dreams a chance to flourish! In the same way that you leave space around your favorite flowers so they can thrive, do your best to leave open space in your schedule to ensure that your most significant activities have breathing space.

Establishing new boundaries, like weeding, can begin anywhere, and needs to be maintained. You may start with the “time weeds” that are easiest to pull, or the ones that threaten your favorite activities. Follow your intuition, and take a few moments to appreciate how helpful each new boundary is. Every success will help you reclaim more territory.

As you exercise your skills to create and maintain boundaries, you will experience a shift of power. The more you look to yourself to make your day work, the more confidence you feel. The less you rely on others to salvage your battered plans, the less pressure you feel to give into others’ demands. You create an upward spiral of personal effectiveness!

Your relationships also benefit. The more you rely on yourself, the less other people will frustrate you, and the less you will attempt to control others. You enjoy more ease and appreciation, and others respond to your new openness. The happier you are with the garden of your day, the more you will enjoy inviting others in.

So, what additional time tools do you need to cultivate your dreams and make the most of your time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Time Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Roy Chan
If you are looking to buy the next big thing, then I recommend you not to buy this report.

Not only the name of “The Short Cut” is misleading, but also are the images which create an added suspense to the site. This induces some curiosity for the readers to wonder what sort of “Short Cut” is about.

After a quick read of the “Short Cut”, I figured that it’s nothing to do with the look and feel of the report at ALL. It’s just marketing. If the salespage was not presented in this fashion, it would be the most factual, as interpreted a boring report I have ever read.

Let me explain:

The report is really nothing about “Short Cut”, but the plain fact of online marketing. It teaches all about the fundamentals of any business! The Short Cut is not anything new, nothing at all. It’s about pushing you to realize why you have not achieved the success ALL the internet marketing products have promised you. It talks about the usual discipline-side of things. To many, it’s the boring stuff!

The author James Yii was an engineer student (which explains why the report was written in such a factual manner) and struggled as an internet marketer. Through a few years of hard work, he has documented what he deems to be the short cut to internet marketing.

The author just put it in his own words and devised a pressure plan for you to work through it. The author makes the report into video format and upsells them for $47.

For someone who may learn better via visuals, it maybe a viable option.

For those who needs way to get over the hump, it maybe a good read. However, if you have already got the discipline, you will not learn anything new.

Overall, it’s a 3 out of 5 report. The good thing about the report is that it’s backed by many guru markers e.g. Eric Rocketfeller of Affiliate Conspiracy guy and Chris Freville.

If you already have a solid internet marketing plan, don’t buy this product. However, if you are still a bit lost in this internet marketing, it provides some good reminder as to why you have not succeeded in internet marketing yet.

My last parting words:

After reading the report, I was quite surprised, because I would not think this report can be sold as a separate product of its own, as it really does not offer anything new under the sun. However, it does summarize some of the common ways to earn money online. It does not tell you how to do any of it, but it presents an 10,000 feet view on how you should approach the business.

Roy Chan has been providing online business advices since 2004. For a complete review on “the Short Cut”, please visit:http://www.truewebreviews.com/the-short-cut-review

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management requires making tough decisions every day. You alone must decide what balance to strike between work and home. You maintain this balance with a boundary. It may be strong or it may be flexible. The most successful boundaries are those that match your values and that you communicate clearly.

What happens if you create a strong boundary between work and home? It all depends upon factors like your temperament, your communication skills, and the strength of your support system. Explore these advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages to Drawing Strong Boundaries Between Work and Home:

Advantage #1: Fewer Interruptions

If you discourage emergency calls from home or work, your schedule is less likely to be disrupted by others’ urgency. Constantly reacting to urgency can lead to rash decisions that undermine your effectiveness and erode others’ trust.

Advantage #2: Promoting Competence in Others

Encouraging those who are qualified to handle emergencies on their own promotes their confidence and competence. Helping prepare them to grow into such responsibilities demonstrates trust and can lead to further closeness.

Advantage #3: Capacity to Focus on One Thing at a Time

Strong boundaries reduce outside distraction and encourage focus, flow, and personal productivity both at work and at home. Recent studies indicate that 2 or more hours per day of productivity are sacrificed to daily distractions in the U.S. workforce.

Disadvantages to Drawing Strong Boundaries Between Work and Home:

Disadvantage #1: Untended Problems Might Escalate

If demands that arise at home or work can’t be successfully delegated, those problems can escalate, consuming even more time. In the same way that effective delegation builds trust, persistent failure can introduce more stressors and undermine productivity.

Disadvantage #2: Reduced Personal Flexibility

If you can easily transition from work to home activities, maintaining rigid distinctions can discourage creative solutions that enrich both areas of your life. You need to determine if this you would experience this as a loss of autonomy.

Disadvantage #3: Fewer Opportunities for Informal Sharing and Delegation of Responsibilities

Some people create flexible partnerships in which responsibilities are shared and differing strengths are pooled, to everyone’s benefit. Regimenting roles and maintaining strict boundaries deprives both parties from cooperative enterprises.

Which Option Will Work the Best for You?

Do you find yourself nodding strongly about the pros or cons? Your initial response provides you with valuable information about your intuitive grasp of how each set of options would affect you. Jot down what comes to mind. Now, temporarily set aside your immediate reaction so that you can weigh the practical considerations. Take all the time you need to sort out the specifics. What can wait? What needs to be delegated? Answering these questions helps you prioritize and clarify lines of responsibility.

Jot down whom will be affected by the new boundaries. Discuss who will do what, and when, with everyone involved. For example:

* Under what circumstances will you take work home?

* If you do not work for yourself, what back-up support will your employer provide during a family emergency, such as your mother falling and breaking her hip?

* Are you willing to accept added responsibilities at work if you can fulfill them at home?

* Who can flex the most in an emergency, you or your partner?

Now, examine both sets of considerations together. What are your final conclusions after reviewing your first, gut response, along with your answers to the pragmatic questions?

Putting New Boundaries Into Play

Now is the ideal time to sort out how you will implement each new boundary. Here are some guidelines to consider:

* You and those close to you benefit by clarifying your roles before commitments are made. After you have weighed pros and cons, consult with everyone who will be affected. Encourage them to explore their areas of enthusiasm and misgiving on their own, and then to bridge back to you.

* Identify what conflicts might suddenly arise. This will help you weigh the implications of each boundary, and its long-range effect upon you.

* Developing contingency plans lessens the possibility of straining relations in the heat of the moment. It is always wise to write down your consensus. Provide everyone with a copy of what has been agreed to.

* Schedule regular times to review and revise your agreements as needed. Although some terms may not be negotiable, everyone benefits from updating commitments that are flexible. Such responsiveness helps maintain morale and ensure willing participation.

Are the results worth the effort of weighing and discussing each consideration? Certainly. Your reward is heightened productivity, improved communications and effective backup plans. Ultimately, your boundaries direct your energies and shape your life. Put these skills to work, and you will automatically maintain more positive control over your time.

What is your next step to create more effective boundaries, so that you can find more time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Paula Eder
Time management tips boost your self-confidence when you use them to harness thoughts to effectively manage your time. Your first step is re-channeling energy that is funneled into self-critical messages.

Critical messages sap your energy, confidence, and creativity. Because they distract you, they can sabotage your best work, creating a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy. Fortunately, they can only interfere if you allow them to.

So, how do you start building self-confidence through overcoming your Inner Critic? Begin with practicing these 3 Tips to quiet those critical messages. You will experience the delicious pleasure of tapping your inner power as you move throughout your day!

3 Tips to Conquer the Inner Critic

Time Tip #1: Slow down and recognize the voice of the Inner Critic.

Catching the voice of the Inner Critic “in the act” is a vitally important accomplishment. Like diagnosing a cancer in its early stages, zeroing in on your critical voice before it sabotages you provides you with time and power to neutralize it quickly. You may have become so used to these messages that they form a toxic backdrop to your life. It is crucial to slow down and develop the capacity to recognize this voice when it appears. Practice writing down the critical messages that you give yourself. You will slowly come to recognize the tone and the themes of this voice. The critical voice is not very creative, nor is it very interesting. You will probably quickly come to recognize its patterns and cadences. Then the trick is to spot it in the moment!

Time Tip #2: Once you recognize your Inner Critic’s voice, simply name it.

This may sound obvious, but it is very important. Tell yourself calmly, “Oh, there is my critical voice talking.” Naming it is a quiet step toward separating yourself from this voice. In naming it, you are building self-confidence by subtly claiming your own power to isolate faultfinding and reject it. Your inner critical messages hold power only when you believe them and react to them. Recognizing and naming the source helps you to see that the messages you are giving yourself are tainted and not to be taken to heart.

Time Tip #3: Do not be reactive to or try to argue with your Inner Critic.

If you treat your Inner Critic as if it were rational, you are setting yourself up for endless struggles. This voice is by definition critical and negative; it cannot be argued out of its opinion. Counter critical messages with clear, grounded, factual information. Do it respectfully and calmly - getting angry or being reactive involves giving away some of your power. You might say to yourself: “iI hear that you think I am really looking very foolish right now. The fact is that your perspective is off base and I am enjoying dancing. If I listen to you, I will stop enjoying what I am doing - so I am choosing not to listen to your opinion. That is what it is - your opinion.”

As you can see, the key to dealing with self-critical messages is to recognize them, name them, and then respond from a very grounded, factual, adult place within yourself. Give them a voice, but not a vote. In this way you retain your power, and move forward to make the very most of your time!

Now, ask yourself: What is your next step to start building self-confidence and finding more time?

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Tips, visitFinding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com

by Michael Silva
Mankind’s effort to manage time more effectively has been evolving for thousands of years. It began in earnest with the invention of the sundial by the Egyptians around 1500 BCE.

The types of time management techniques often employed today are wide ranging and varied in both their approach and tools used. Most business people have graduated from traditional desk top calendars and wrist watches to some type of digital tool for their day to day time management.

Other more personal methods of practicing good time management involve various ways of prioritizing and organizing goals. These include identifying and eliminating time wasting habits, prioritizing and organizing short and long term goals and delegating tasks or portions of them to others.

Some of the more structured methods used for time management include the Pareto Analysis and the Posec Method.

The Pareto Analysis theorizes that 80 percent of all problems result from 20 percent of all causes. The 80/20 rule as it is now known can be applied to almost any situation:

80% of customer complaints focus on 20% of a companies products or services.

80% of schedule delays are caused from 20% of the possible reasons for the delays.

20% of a companies products or services account for 80% of their profit.

20% of any given sales-force produces 80% of generated revenues.

When applied to time management this means that if you can identify and modify only 20 percent of the root causes of problems within your current time management system, you should be able to fix 80 percent of those problems.

A good example of this would be to identify two 15 minute periods of time during a normal day when you feel that you are being the least productive.

By changing the way these 2 small periods of time are currently used the productivity of those periods can be increased by up to 80 percent.

The Posec method of time management is one that stresses the following… Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing.

Prioritize your time and define your life by goals.
Organize tasks you have to accomplish regularly to be successful.

Streamline things that must be done even though you might not enjoy doing them.

Economize tasks you should do or even enjoy doing but that are not top priority.

Contribute by being aware of the few remaining things that make a difference.

When applied to time management this method gives the practioner clear guidance in the area of prioritizing goals. If followed properly this method should encourage movement upward within an organization.

There are two other time management methods worth mentioning, The Eisenhower method and a process called Time Boxing.

The Eisenhower method involves the evaluating of tasks using the following criteria, Important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent.

Tasks in the unimportant/not urgent category are dropped completely.

Tasks in the important/urgent category are done immediately and personally.

Tasks in the unimportant/urgent category are delegated to someone else.

Tasks in important/not urgent category are assigned an end date and are done personally.

This method is said to have been used by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The Time Boxing method involves the breaking up of large projects into smaller more manageable segments.

These shorter segments give you a limited amount of time to accomplish a result. If the task is not completed within the alloted time it is assigned another “time box” on another day and put aside. You are now free to move to the next task that has been assigned its own time box.

This method allows you to manage large tasks in several ways including:

Spread your work day across key areas

Prioritize more effectively

Divide up a daunting problem

Deliver incremental results

Have increased focus

Increase motivation

Improve your effectiveness and efficiency

Ability to revisit problems

Defeat analysis paralysis

If the above structured methods of time management just won’t work but you are in need of some type plan there are some basic guidelines you can follow. Try sitting down and setting short, medium and long term goals for both yourself and anyone that is working with you on a daily basis.

Short term goals will be those can be done within a day or two. Medium term goals would be those that will take between a week to a couple of months to complete. Long term goals might take anywhere between a few months to several years to complete.

After you decide on what the goals will be you are going to need a detailed plan regarding how you are going to achieve those goals and a time frame on when
they will be completed.

Michael Silva is the manager and administrator of the Breezeworld B2B Networking Portal as well as the publisher of several blogs including his newest offering The BizPreneur. You can check it out here:http://contactb2b.net/www.breezeworld.tv

Article Source: PLJMagazine.com