by Dominic Tay
Being distracted is a deadly sin that most people commit. According to a study conducted in April 2006 by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is estimated that “distractions are a contributing factor in 8 out of every 10 police-reported traffic crashes, or an estimated 4 million crashes per year.”1
Being distracted is so easy nowadays. A common scenario is this…
You reach home and you told yourself you had to study for your test or you had to complete your work assignment. But the moment you open the door and you see the television being switched on to your favorite channel, you stop in your steps and immediately, your eyes get fixed on the television box as if you were under a spell.
Probably, you didn’t even notice that you left your house keys right at the door. You slammed the door shut, and just like in a trance, you move towards the sofa. You sit down and hours passed by.
By the time the TV program ends, you find yourself getting ’stuck’ again. You’re running out of time and anxiousness builds up. You feel frustrated. It is not the first time you got distracted away from your work and what’s worse? You might have to stay up late in order to complete your assignment or study for your test. Awwww…
Most often than not, people get distracted in their lives. And based on the biographies of successful people, we all know that having focused is one of the greatest and invaluable traits that we can possess.
In order to experience success in your career and whatever you’re doing, you must develop a strong focus. Always ask yourself what your main objectives are in your career, your home business and learn to focus on them. You’ll find yourself generating results you never thought you could.
It is always useful to have a 3 by 5 index card in front of you listing down all the main objectives that you want to meet for the day or for a particular period of time.
In fact, if you’re a writer, it is recommended for you to have this card being placed in front of you so that for whatever stories that you are writing, you can remain focused and not get out of point.
Be able to remain focused is a learned skill. As you may already realize, if you are doing things that you are truly interested and passionate about, remaining focused is not difficult. The challenge comes when you are doing something you have no interest in.
Again, it will be very useful to have all your objectives written down on a card or a paper and keep it in front of you all the time. If you’re an office worker, you might consider getting Post-It! notes where you can write down all the objectives you had to do for the day or a time-frame that you have set for yourself, and stick in at the side of your monitor screen.
Remember, being distracted will kill you and your success. Learn to develop focus and you’ll find yourself facing lesser stress. And in case you’re wondering how you can fully apply what you’ve learned in this post, here we go…
Practical Action Steps
Now, here are the actions that you might want to take if you find yourself constantly being distracted away from what they are supposed to do:
1. Get Post-It! notes or 3 x 5 index cards
2. List down all your objectives to be met or all your tasks to be completed
3. Set a time-frame for each of the tasks to be completed
4. Keep the notes or card in your view ALWAYS
5. Constantly check back at the note/card and make sure that you are doing activities that are truly necessary for you to complete the tasks
Once again, I’ll have to repeat that distraction can kill your success. Go ahead and follow the 5 steps and you’ll be dazzled with your increased productivity.
Start today, as what the Chinese Philosopher Lao Zi says, “A Journey of A Thousand Mile Begins With One Step”.
Being a personal development blogger for the past few years, Dominic Tay has written over 60 articles in the area of self help which benefited over 3,000 people worldwide. Currently his blog, “A Blog on Success, Marketing and Public Speaking” at http://www.dominictay.com/blog, is ranked the 1st Personal Development Blog in Google, Singapore.
Article Source: Distraction Is The Biggest Killer Of Success
by Kell
Procrastination is an inner battle between a habit of ease and a discipline of action. Procrastination tends to reduce the quality of the work produced, and increase your stress. If time is money then procrastination can be an expensive habit.
You know that you have something to do yet somehow you manage to convince yourself to do it later. Does this sound familiar?
The first step in dealing with procrastination is to understand why you put off doing what you have to do.
Psychologists have come up with a number of reasons for why we procrastinate. One of the main reasons is a fear of failure.
When you think about it, nobody likes to fail. Therefore, it is a natural thing to put of doing those tasks that we fear.
However the hallmark of a successful person is being able to confront your fear of failure. Even the most confident people can procrastinate because they fear failure.
But what do you think will happen if you continue to put off this task that you fear?…..You guessed right…you are more likely to fail.
To overcome your fear of failure, there are three things you can do:
1. Confront your fear. When I say this, what I mean is to work out what you fear and what things will help you to get over it. For example, is your fear due to a lack of confidence, or are you anxious of being judged by others. What things do you need that will help you to get over your fear? Whatever it is that you fear, break it down into more manageable bite-sized chunks.
2. Draw up a pros and cons list for doing the task. The advantage of drawing up a pros and cons list is that it will take the emotion out of the task that you have been avoiding. By looking at the task objectively, you take out the emotional influence that is increasing your stress.
3. Plan your work and work your plan. Lets face it, if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. For example, I feared public speaking but had to lecture at university, so rather than leave it to chance; I wrote an action plan of the things that I could do to become a better speaker. This reduced my fear and gave me confidence.
These three strategies can help to get things done when you fear failure.
Kell works with elite athletes, business professionals, managers and office workers with goal setting, stress and time management. If you would like more strategies to beat procrastination click here.I’d like to invite you to our free time management course
Article Source: Do you procrastinate because you fear failure — here are three tips to beat procrastination.
by Dorlon Peckham
Wherever you are at this very moment in your life is a direct result of time-energy consequences.
Time-energy consequences take place with or without your consent.
If time-energy consequences take place with your consent, you realize you are making choices.
If time-energy consequences take place without your consent, you have yet to realize you are making choices.
Time-energy consequences are a direct result of choices made with or without your consent.
Wherever you are at this very moment in your life is a direct result of time-energy consequences.
NOTE: If you do not fully understand the above concepts, please do not read further. Go back and reread the above concepts again until the message is fully understood. You do not have to agree with the content, but the concepts should be fully understood before continuing with the discussion.
Time-Energy Consequences Realization:
Realizing these concepts for the first time can be horrifying! Yes, the reality is you are personally responsible for time-energy consequences. The aversion to personal responsibility in our society has reached epidemic proportions so if this is new to you, be assured, you have plenty of company.
Time-Energy Consequences Ouch Factor:
What was your “ouch factor” upon hearing the above concepts? The “ouch factor” is the percentage of blame you have placed on people, places and things for the situations or moods you currently find yourself experiencing.
Who are you blaming if you are not living the life you want? What are you blaming if you are not living the life you want? Make a list of people, places and things which you believe have created the difficulties and/or challenges in your life. At the end of this discussion, look at this list again.
Time-Energy Consequences and Choices:
When you have come to realize you have 100% control over your choices but have 0% control over the results of your choices you have arrived. “Arrived where?” you may be asking. You have arrived at the exact place you are supposed to be at regarding time-energy consequences. This landing spot may or may not be to your liking. The good news is you do not have to stay here. The bad news is, you might. This information may sound harsh but don’t you deserve the truth? Once you understand and accept time-energy consequences is the moment you can begin the magical journey toward building the life you want. Not one second before.
If you continue to choose to blame, you can be guaranteed the result will be “business as usual.” In addition, if you are still blaming people, places or things you better get ready for a long, arduous journey.
Time-Energy Consequences Solution:
Presenting a problem without a solution would be unfair. The solution is called energy management. Consistently managing your energy levels is “the golden key” in reinventing yourself and your life. Energy management provides an opportunity for you to become WHOLE and healed. WHOLENESS and healing are a life-long process and are at the foundation of energy management. Managing high quality, balanced energy levels is not something which is ever fully completed. It is a thoughtful, lifelong process. This is why it is called managing energy. A person must consistently discover, develop and maintain high quality, balanced energy. When this becomes the main focus of your life, everything else will begin to fall into place.
Time-Energy Consequences Management:
Think of managing high quality, balanced energy levels as your nutritional intake. If you only eat once a week you will starve. Most people eat two to three times a day. Many people never consider managing his or her energy levels from this standpoint. If you do not consistently maintain high quality balanced energy levels within your own being, possibilities and potential will be starved out of existence.
Energy management is your starting point…
Now look at the list you created earlier in this discussion. Are you still blaming? If so, get some help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help.
Time-Energy Management Promise:
Everything you need is within reach! So reach — your life depends on it…
Dorlon Peckham is a foremost authority on Time Management illusions. He teaches others how to release the overwhelm associated with trying to manage time while offering proven strategies on managing their energy instead. His step by step guide has helped countless numbers of people find more time, more money, and more prosperity in general. He is the creator of the brand “Pearl Planner”. To receive a FREE instant step by step ‘Pearl Planner” guide, go to : The Pearl Planner
Article Source: Time-Energy Consequences
by
‘Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.’ Jim Rohn
In other words, you have just as much of life’s most precious commodity as Bill Gates!
Without assertiveness, though, you often sacrifice your valuable time to others’ demands. Take charge of your time and your life right now by using these 5 assertiveness training tips for setting effective boundaries.
Assertiveness Keeps Your Time Wealth in Your Hands
Assertiveness skills are an absolutely essential and often overlooked tool. You can develop clear priorities and create a great to-do list, but if you’re not assertive, others can and will override your time choices. It’s no different from the kid set upon by the bully for his lunch money: you must safeguard your time wealth without needlessly antagonizing those who place demands upon you.
Establishing and maintaining your boundaries prevents others from begging, borrowing, and bullying you to give away your time. It may feel impossible now, but with practice and determination, you will make it second nature.
These 5 Tips Help You Establish Assertive Boundaries to Protect Your Time:
Assertiveness Training Tip #1: You, and only you, make the choices. No matter how strong the personalities of those around you, they simply cannot take time that you don’t give. When you truly take this in, you acquire much more power. Don’t fall into the trap of judging yourself for times when you didn’t set a limit. If you didn’t possess the skills and overview to set boundaries without serious repercussions earlier, it’s simply a matter of learning those assertiveness skills now.
Assertiveness Training Tip #2: Set the stage to assert your boundaries. Make a point of discussing things in words that are easy for others to hear, and do so at a time when they are most likely to be receptive. Maintain a pleasant and relaxed attitude. Remind yourself of your right and your responsibility to prioritize how you use your time.
Assertiveness Training Tip #3: Provide a context. People are much more likely to support you when they understand that your goal is not to punish or manipulate them, but to reach goals you deeply value.
Assertiveness Training Tip #4: Forget fruitlessly attempting to control others’ responses. Making assertive time choices calmly and compassionately and accepting others’ right to their feelings is the key to staying in charge of your time.
Assertiveness Training Tip #5: Maintain your boundaries. Rarely are significant boundaries that you set “one-shot deals”. Expect to be actively reinforcing your new boundaries for some time to come. Each success builds on the ones before. Don’t be concerned by the occasional slip-up. The overall track record is ultimately what matters the most.The longer you safeguard them, the less people will test your resolve.
You’ll soon enjoy one of life’s great discoveries: protecting your time actually feels like finding time.
What is your next step to develop successful time strategies?
Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, has coached clients for 35+ years to become more effective by aligning values with time choices. For free weekly time tips & an award-winning monthly Ezine, visit http://www.findingtime.net/ezine.html And for even more time thoughts and techniques, visit our blog at http://www.thetimefinder.com
Article Source: Find Time to Set Effective Boundaries Using 5 Essential Assertiveness Training Techniques
by jonkelly
The difficulty of certain tasks often provokes a desire to delay or otherwise waste time before getting down to business.This impulse to procrastinate can affect people’s lives as an occasional temptation or as a nearly irresistible habit, depending on the temperament of the individual.
In three particular areas of activity, namely college, business and home life, procrastination can have an especially detrimental effect. A closer look at the underlying factors for procrastination in each of these settings can help illuminate some of the influences in the decision to procrastinate.
For many students, procrastination emerges as a significant problem during the first years of college. The college procrastinator is frequently an individual who, for one of several possible reasons, did not learn effective time management strategies during high school. Often accustomed to high school assignments that are strictly short term or that have been broken down into a series of smaller assignments by the high school teachers, the college procrastinator is at a loss to adjust to college’s long term assignments.
In some cases, the college procrastinator underestimates the difficulty of a term paper or end-of-semester project because the professor does not constantly remind the class about the upcoming deadline. For this reason, the difficulties faced by
the college procrastinator can be seen as a failure to adjust from a structured, regulated learning environment into an environment where independent time management skills are necessary. Once the need for discipline and organization has been recognized, a few simple tools, such as a day planner, can help the college procrastinator organize a self-structured series of goals and deadlines for long-term assignments.
Whereas the college procrastinator might put off a difficult assignment by playing computer games or socializing, the business procrastinator is often more subtle in his or her strategy. Rather than engaging in meaningless amusements, which might be punished if discovered, the business procrastinator often wastes time on activities that are in fact part or his or her job description but that are not the most important tasks at the moment.
In some instances, a lack of confidence in the ability to successfully complete difficult assignments compels the business procrastinator to pursue easy, straightforward minor tasks. In other situations, an inability to distinguish between high- and low-priority assignments causes the business procrastinator to perceive that the simple tasks are just as important as the complicated ones, leaving the business procrastinator no reason to pursue the more difficult tasks.
To remedy this circumstance, the business procrastinator first must learn to recognize which tasks have the most potential to impact the success of the business itself and to affect the course of business in the long term. Once this has been
accomplished, the business procrastinator can break down long-term, complicated tasks into a series of manageable deadlines so that they are not quite so overwhelming.
Rather than being unable to face a deadline, the home-life procrastinator is often uncomfortable with the never-ending nature of daily home-related tasks. Yard work, home repairs, cleaning and meal preparation can all assume the uninspiring role of routine inconveniences in a person’s life.
As unfinished chores accumulate over time, the home-life procrastinator begins to feel the pressure of house work intruding on the joys of everyday life. To counter this situation, a specific time should be set aside each week to schedule a reasonable number of weekly chores. By naming which tasks should be accomplished on which day, the home-life procrastinator can gain control over the amount of work. And by limiting certain tasks to certain days, the procrastinator can stop feeling guilty about any unfinished chores provided that he or she has accomplished the chores set aside for the present day.
Jon Kelly is a published author who writes articles, that includes ideas about studying techniques, psychology and procrastination. To get more ideas about procrastination. Please visit:http://www.theprocrastinationsite.com
Article Source: A Few Profiles In Procrastination Psychology Demonstrating Organizational Strategy
by Dorlon Peckham
Time to make positive changes in your life? Has life somehow got in the way of your good intensions? Oftentimes we get caught in “the doom loop.” The doom loop is analogous to a recycling bin. Old behaviors and habits get recycled back into our lives and we cannot believe things simply will not change.
Time and energy are our two considerations for this discussion.
Time management leads us to believe we are doing something with our lives because we are busy. The question we must consistently ask ourselves is, “Busy doing what?” Lists are made. We cross tasks off one-by-one. At the end of our daze, we make more lists. When life goes flat, we are caught in the doom loop.
Time plus energy can equal positive changes.
Time is a factor, but not in the sense of managing time. Time cannot be managed. Time manages us. Energy management is a new way of thinking and living. The formula is time plus energy equals all of your life’s possibilities and potential.
Time to check your energy. How is it? Great? Good? Okay? Not so good? Bad? Toxic? Caught in the doom loop? Energy management can take you places you may not have considered. Managing your energy levels is possible regardless of your current situation.
Please consider the five possible ways of using your time and energy:
1. Investing your time and energy
2. Spending your time and energy
3. Wasting your time and energy
4. Losing your time and energy
5. Having your time and energy stolen
Time and energy INVESTING: Investing your time and energy always starts with you. There is just one question to ask yourself regarding any situation: “Am I getting the highest return from my investments of my time and energy? Within the answer is the solution. If you are tired, what are you doing to turn this around? Investing your time and energy in your health will give you great returns. Do you need more education? Investing your time and energy in education also pays high returns. Do you struggle with addictions? Investing your time and energy in getting the help you need pays enormous returns. The good news is everything you need is within reach. By first investing your time and energy in yourself your world becomes bigger not smaller.
Time and energy SPENDING: Spending your time and energy indicates there is an output without input to get something temporary. A parent says, “I spent the weekend with the kids. “What did you do?” “I don’t know? I never saw them.”
Time and energy WASTING: Wasting time and energy has to do with burning up time and energy and accomplishing nothing. This comes in the form of complaining, blaming, judging, criticizing, whining, gossiping, etc.
Time and energy LOST: Losing time and energy has to do with being lost through uncontrolled addictions and behaviors. NEWSBREAK: Programs and people will be waiting for you if you become honest, willing and open… These people have invested their time and energy in getting themselves well and are waiting to assist others.
Time and energy STOLEN: Having your time and energy stolen has to do with hopeless people, places and things which rob the life force from you. Chances are you personally cannot end world hunger. You cannot get the Chinese out of Tibet. You personally cannot bring our troops home from Iraq. Now consider what you can do? Plenty!
Investing your time and energy in yourself (first) is where it all begins. In a world of complex choices, we need something very simple to make sense of it all. Your one, simple, most important choice becomes; investing your time and energy in what will bring you the highest returns — this is you!
Stop wasting time and energy on time management. Time will make significant shifts once a person becomes WHOLE and healed though investing his or her time and energy in what mattersmost.
If things are unpleasant in your life right now, use these poisonous circumstances as motivation to get your energy moving in the right direction. The time is now!
Dorlon Peckham is a foremost authority on Time Management illusions. He teaches others how to release the overwhelm associated with trying to manage time while offering proven strategies on managing their energy instead. His step by step guide has helped countless numbers of people find more time, more money, and more prosperity in general. He is the creator of the brand “Pearl Planner”. To receive a FREE instant step by step ‘Pearl Planner” guide, go to : The Pearl Planner
Article Source: Time and Energy Uses
by Maureen Thomson
1. Be Creative. Don’t think you are? Think again! Let’s face it, if you’ve sustained a healthy relationship with each other, you’ve already figured out a number of creative solutions to problems. Be still and think about it. The ideas will flow. Talk to other recently married couples. If all else fails, get a group of friends together and brainstorm!
2. Incorporate your joint interests into your ceremony. Outdoor enthusiasts? Include a reading that speaks of nature. Share a passion for dancing? Tango up the aisle after you’re “hitched”.Add in an ethnic tradition!
3. Include your children. If this is not your first time down the aisle and you have kids who are old enough to participate, then by all means, make them part of the ceremony.
4. Choose an alternative location. Church weddings are not for everyone. Consider locations such as parks, museums, bed and breakfasts, even a private home. If size is a problem, keep you ceremony guest list small and invite the rest to a party later.
5. Feeling really brave? Throw a surprise wedding! Invite guests to a luncheon or dinner; promise them a surprise. When everyone arrives, announce that they’ve been gathered to witness your wedding vows! (Make sure you arrange for the officiant to be on the scene.) While this is very unorthodox, it’s a whole lot of fun and takes the pre-wedding pressure off.
6. Consider a winter wedding–even outdoors. You can keep it brief, and winter can be such a beautiful time of the year. (This does not work if you have older guests.)
7. Pick a theme for your wedding. Go beyond simply choosing coordinated colors for your bridal party. Whether you love country western, have an affinity for butterflies or the work of William Shakespeare, revolve your ceremony around a single theme and people will talk about it for years.
8. Plan your ceremony around an untraditional holiday. Sure, Christmas weddings are beautiful, but how about a Halloween event where all the guests arrive in costume? St. Paddy’s Day, complete with pale green dresses and shamrocks at every table. Groundhog Day? Well, we haven’t seen that one yet, but if you do wed on this day, please share your creative ideas with us. We’ll pass them on!
9. Use your ceremony to honor special people in your life. Have your maid of honor do a reading; hand roses to your mom and new mother-in-law as you walk down the aisle; ask Uncle Fred to offer your final blessing; include a prayer of thanks to your parents.
10. Do not expect a “perfect” ceremony. Children may cry; your bridesmaid’s hair may be dyed blue; your grandmother may flub the reading. That’s okay. Don’t aim for perfection–aim for memorable.
11. You are allowed to have fun. Do not…I repeat DO NOT let anyone convince you that a stodgy, stuffy, stale wedding ceremony is for you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime day, so don’t be afraid to bend the rules. Do what you like and have a blast!
Article Source: Eleven Commandments for a Memorable Wedding Ceremony
by David Schaefer
Do you manage your time or waste it little by little?
Most of us have very little concept of just how much time we fritter away. For instance, take a quick survey of how much time during the average week that you watch TV, surf the Internet, or any other time-consuming activity that may not directly contribute accomplishing your most desired goals.
If you find yourself thinking you don’t have enough time to finish what must be done, much less time to productively contribute the goals you want to accomplish, you may be overdue for a realistic time evaluation.
And now you’re thinking, “Take time to do a time evaluation? I know, if you don’t have enough time now, you certainly don’t have time to do an evaluation of your time. It’s ironic, but that is precisely when you need to take stock of your time management. Consider it an investment to gain better use of your time and to accelerate the achievement of your important goals.
Let’s look at an example of a typical time consuming indulgence. How often do you watch your favorite television shows or DVDs. Say you watch 3 one-hour shows each evening Monday through Friday, and over the weekend you view 3 to 6 hours of sports, a DVD, or some other entertaining show. If that’s the case, you have consumed 18 to 21 hours each week. That is a significant amount of time out of anyone’s week. Of course, there will also be other activities that don’t directly contribute to successfully achieving the things you really would like to accomplish.
If you are really serious about evaluating your time to see where it all goes, consider the following exercise. Track your time each day for a week in 30 or 60 minute increments. To do this right, you will have to commit to accurately documenting your activities.
Be honest as you note where your time is spent. This can be tricky, as you will certainly surprise yourself along the way. You may find it hard to admit just how much time is clearly nonproductive. It is just human nature to bounce from one activity to another without a lot of forethought.
Of course, we all have unexpected, but important things come up that require attention. Mark those down as necessary tasks.
If you adhere to this time evaluation exercise for at least one typical week, you will then learn how you are realistically spending your waking hours. You will soon develop a new perspective about your time priorities.
With this knowledge in hand, you can now plan how you want to more productively use your future time. That is, how you will best use your time for greater efficiency, more successful results of your goals, and even how you want to respond to unexpected events or tasks.
David Schaefer is a success coach and writes on the topics of personal and career development. He offers an outstanding FREE AUDIO CD about Breakthrough Success at http://DiscoverMillionDollarDesire.com — Also visit http://DiscoverMillionDollarDesire.com/blog
Article Source: Time Management Is Essential for Success
by Todd Frenzy
Top 3 Facts you have to know before you start leveling a Priest in WOW- a Quick Guide.
1. At low levels there is no point to specing shadow:
It is true that the shadow tree is the “best” specc on paper, because it enables your little priest to DPS, which is highly important when leveling a priest (you can’t heal mobs to death, you know….).
However, most players (especially new players) don’t realize that when leveling a priest, you will not see that many items that are good for priest DPS, such as +shadow spells damage.
Therefore, it is essential to not rely on your shadow DPS to kill mobs, until you are high enough to take the Shadow Form Talent, and respect shadow.
Which brings us to fact number 2:
2. Wands are your best friend.
That’s right. Your main DPS when leveling a priest should come from a wand, and you should start using it as soon as you are being targeted and you start suffering pushbacks on your spells.
Therefore, when leveling a priest Start the pull with a Direct DPS spell (for instance, mind blast), when it lands immediately cast Damage over time spells (Such as shadow word pain) and then Heal Over Time Yourself (Yes! Even though you’re not even hurt yet!) and then start using the wand to finish the job.
Healing yourself that early on in the fight might seem odd, but that’s all related to Fact number 3:
3. Remember the “5 Seconds Rule”.
The 5 seconds rule in WOW applies to casters, and related to gaining mana regeneration from spirit. That rule basically means you will start regenerating mana only 5 seconds from the moment you FINISHED casting a certain spell.
Because priests stack spirit (And so should you!) and because when leveling a priest you can take the Spirit Tap Talent as soon as level 10 (and you should, even though it’s the only Shadow you should take until you are able to take Shadow Form) you can significantly increase the amount of mana you can regenerate as soon as a mob is dead provided you didn’t cast ANY spell during the last 5 seconds of the fight, and provided you don’t have to heal yourself immediately after for the next mob.
That’s why you should start healing yourself early, and regenerate mana like crazy every time you kill a mob, and get ready for the next one.
Keep in mind these 3 Rules, buy a decent Want every few levels, and make sure you have the Spirit Tap Talent, Then the Wand Specialization Talent, and lastly, the Improved Renew Talent.
If you enjoyed this article feel free to visit http://www.wow-guides-now.com for more information and wow tips.
Article Source: Top 3 Facts you have to know before you start leveling a Priest in WOW- a Quick Guide.
