Tips to Make Your Mornings Easier and More Productive

Are mornings the the most difficult part of your day? Some of us find it tough to get going in the mornings no matter how much sleep we have had.

If you are a Mum and you need to get children dressed, fed and out the door with backpacks and school books, mornings can be very grueling. Now even if you aren’t a morning person, there are some strategies that you can engage that will help you feel motivated and looking forward to the day, as opposed to dreading it.

Try the following tips to help you cope with those challenging early mornings:

1. Get to bed on time the night before to ensure you are getting enough sleep. Of course, sometimes even if you have had your required sleep, you will still feel weary in the morning when you wake, but that may be due to the actual quality of sleep you are getting. This could be the very reasson why you can’t get up with a smile on your face in the mornings. So get to bed on time for a week and monitor yourself in the mornings to determine if you feel any different.

2. Try waking up earlier, I know its the last thing you want to do but this might give you a little more time in the mornings to get organised. If you’re trying to squeeze every possible moment of sleep into your schedule, when you do get up you have to madly rush around, which is too stressful first thing in the morning. Much better to wake up and allow yourself a very quiet, calm moments before your feet hit the floor! Enjoy the sunrise while you have a leisurely cup of coffee, before the rush begins.

3. Preparation. Get organised for the morning the night before. Do whatever you can the night before to make your mornings easily and less stressful.Make sure your keys are in the usual spot, make the lunches and organise the backpacks, and have everyone’s clothes laid out. That way when you wake in the morning there is much less to be stressed about!

4. Turn some music on. My music teacher always taught me to make sure I had music in the house with my children. Nice relaxing music in the morning can be a beautiful way to start your day. It can ease you gently into the day whilst keeping you calm, even if you are busy! Enjoying these first few moments that you’re awake can make a massive difference to your entire day.

5. Meditate. Meditation is great for calming your life down or slowing your life down. It allows you to center yourself and go back to a state of peacefulness which in turn can carry you throughout your day. I would recommend though that you mediate in an upright position so you’re not tempted to fall back asleep.

6. Try to develop a positive mindset. If you have a tendency to be grumpy in the morning, make a conscious decision to start your day in a positive way. Try to imagine the wonderful things that may come your way today. If you have something not so pleasant that you have to face then try to focus on all other aspects of your day which are positive.

7. Be thankful. Start your day by giving thanks for everything you have in your life. Being grateful sets the tone for the day.

If mornings just arent your thing, try to make them easier on yourself and others by remembering to use these strategies and I think you will be surprised at the difference they will make!.

By

MaryAnn Roche.

Tags: Meditation, motivation, reduce stress, rest, Time Management

6 Simple Ways to Overcome Boredom

Looking for ways to overcome boredom?

Everyone at one time or another has experienced some degree of boredom. Children are usually the quickest to say “I’m bored,” but as adults, we experience our share, too.

Don’t you sometimes wonder why you feel bored? It may be a feeling of laziness, exhaustion, or even a lack of mental stimulation.

Whatever the case may be, we all want to keep our mind and body at its peak. We also want to be an active player in our own lives. When we’re feeling bored, neither of these needs is being met.

However, with a bit of creativity, there’s no reason why you ever need to experience boredom!

Here are some simple suggestions to help you conquer boredom and liven things up:

1. Read.

This sounds rather obvious, doesn’t it? Well, it is! But it’s often the simplest ideas that are the most powerful. 


* Reading is a wonderful activity for the mind that can transport you into another time, place or situation. With so many genres to choose from, reading can be most interesting and even intoxicating.

* If you’ve never been an avid reader, it’s possible that you simply haven’t found the right book. Experiment until you find the one that gets you hooked. You can also explore audio books and podcasts to keep your mind busy.

2. Sing.

You may not sound like Whitney Houston, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying music. Play some of your favorite tunes and sing at the top of your lungs!

* Music provides fun, relieves stress, and can help you forget that the word “bored” was ever in your vocabulary!

3. Cook.

Get in the kitchen and try some new recipes. Remember, this isn’t about perfection. It doesn’t make a difference if you’re a four star chef or can’t cook worth a dime. This is about keeping the boredom at bay, while being an active player in your life.

* Try a new recipe each week to add some interest to your dinner menus.

4. Adopt a pet.

Animals are wonderful companions. They’re loving, non-judgmental, and provide us with unconditional love. Animals also keep us feeling active and young. Most importantly, though, they keep us busy.

* If you have a pet as a constant companion, you’ll never feel alone and you’ll make many wonderful memories together.

5. Cultivate your mind.

Boredom is something we allow and hold control over. By actively using our mind, boredom won’t be a concern again. Try expanding and cultivating your mind by taking a day trip to a museum, going to an art exhibit, or seeing a play.

* Do something you’ve never done before. Find an activity that brings you new knowledge and skills. You may even discover some new talents you didn’t know you had when you take the initiative to try new things.

6. Take advantage of the Internet.

 The Internet is a pantheon of information, and can be a great “boredom terminator,” but there’s also a lot of mindless drivel. If you decide to spend time online to combat your boredom, use that time wisely.

* Each time you use the computer, attempt to walk away knowing something new. It’ll not only keep you busy, but you’ll expand your mind as well.

No one enjoys being bored….

but thankfully there are countless ways to overcome boredom and get our mind and body active again. Use these tips to get you started, and enjoy a myriad of wonderful benefits in the process.

Tags: boredom, overcome boredom, ways to overcome boredom

How to Avoid Procrastination for Good

Procrastination is an issue a lot of us deal with (or put off dealing with) for as long as possible. Procrastination usually happens when you’re faced with doing something you don’t like to do, don’t know how to do, or fear.

When you procrastinate, it can upset a lot of things in your life. Delaying completing projects can affect your income, relationships, and self-esteem – not to mention your credibility!

In addition, it doesn’t just affect you; it affects everyone else close to you:

* It can irritate your spouse and children and teach your kids to put things off, too.


* Your friends might decide they can no longer trust you to do what you say.


* It causes issues with your boss and co-workers who have to step in and do your work for you (until you get fired)!


* It frustrates anyone who has to wait on you to get something done before they can do their part.

As bad as it seems, however, there are ways you can overcome your procrastination! Even if you’ve been putting some projects off for months, or if it has become a daily habit, you can still get back on track.

Follow these tips to transform yourself into someone who gets things done:

Stop Procrastination Tips

1. Divide and conquer.

Most tasks are composed of several different pieces, which is why you’ll want to divide the task into a series of attainable action steps. Breaking it down this way makes it seem a lot easier.

* Put some easy steps at the beginning that you can accomplish quickly.


* Jump right in and complete those first easy steps. This will give you the confidence to continue, build momentum, and motivate you to get it finished.

2. Get some help.

Don’t let pride get in the way of letting you get something accomplished.

* If your time is short, ask someone to help with some of the tasks for you, especially the easy ones that can be dispatched quickly. This will give you more time to focus on the more difficult portions of the project.


* Form a team and divide up the project. As the saying goes, many hands make light work! Learning to delegate helps make you more successful. If your delayed projects are at home, let your children do the parts of the project they can handle. They’ll learn some valuable life skills, too.


* If you’re unsure of what to do, ask someone who’s done something similar before. They can quickly bring you up to speed. Once it’s no longer a mystery, you’ll find it’s not as much of a challenge as you thought!

3. Make a list.

Write down all the things that you’ve been putting off so you have a concrete listing of exactly what you need to complete.

* Put them in order of their priority. This way you’ll be sure to get the most important ones done first.


* Divide each project into attainable tasks as explained above.


* Post it where you can see it throughout the day.


* Cross off each task as you finish it. Just the action of crossing something off that list makes you feel good and motivates you to get more done.


* Reward yourself after you complete the full project.

4. Start some new habits.

Now that you know some easier ways to get things done, use these same tips each day for every project that comes up.

* Instead of just putting it aside for later, divide your project immediately into attainable smaller tasks, delegate what you can, and do something on it right away.


* Make it a point to do this consciously for a few weeks and it will become a habit. Most experts agree that it takes three weeks to turn a conscious action into a habit.

Bernard Meltzer said: “Hard work is often easy work you didn’t get done at the proper time.” How true! The longer you put off doing a task or project, the harder it’ll be to get it done because more work has piled up, conditions have gotten worse, and others involved are now irritated with you.

Make your work easier and your life more enjoyable by following these tips to overcome your procrastination and avoid it in the future. You’ll be glad you did!

Tags: Procrastinate, Procrastination

What’s Your Read Speed?

Speed Reading Tips

Speed reading strengthens your ability to read any style of writing while still understanding the intended and deeper meaning.

Whether you’re already a fast reader or not, once you start training yourself to speed read, you’ll notice your reading rate and retention will vastly improve over time.

Speed reading is a much sought after skill that enables you to boost your reading speed, while also improving your comprehension.

For example, when speed reading, you’ll be able to skim right over the less vital pieces of information and pick out the sections which are more important far quicker than by using traditional reading techniques.

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Just like anything else, when learning how to read more quickly, you can’t expect to read faster overnight. To learn how to use this skill properly requires time, effort and practice. You’ll need to work at speed reading every day in order to become proficient.

You Can Learn to Speed Read

Here’s a few tips to get your ‘read speed’ up and running……

1. Learn good reading habits.

Work to break yourself of habits that slow your reading down, such as sub-vocalizing words, which is pronouncing words to yourself or moving your lips when reading. Be sure you’re only saying the words in your head.

2. Time yourself.

When you first begin, time your current reading pace so you’ll have a baseline that you can use for comparisons. Time yourself often when reading to see your growing improvement.


3. Read each and every day.

If you only read when you feel like it, you can’t possibly improve. Work a little bit each day, otherwise you may find yourself having to backtrack and relearn skills all over again.

* Go to the library and grab plenty of books to practice with.

* Take time each day to sit down and practice quickly reading a chapter or two, then test your retention by paraphrasing what you read.

5. Read with your hand.

Moving your hand down the page helps guide your eyes quickly through the material.

6. Avoid re-reading.

Practice taking away understanding of your material the first time you read it.

* You can skim through the information from time to time if needed, but avoid re-reading it in depth if you don’t have to.

7. Read in blocks of words.

Instead of reading words letter by letter or the information word by word, interpret the author’s ideas in blocks of words.

8. Avoid distractions.

Interruptions can interfere with your capability and cause confusion.

* You may want to try reading in the morning or before you go to sleep, when there are likely to be fewer distractions.

9. Practice improving your speed.

Try and force yourself to read a little faster each time you pick up the material. You can do this by skipping over common words like the, to, from, and, etc

Extreme Speed Reading EBook-Click Here!

Improve your Speed Reading Skills

Before you can speed read, you first have to make the commitment to continually refine your skills. Practicing speed reading will help you improve your reading, writing and comprehension. As you strengthen your speed reading skills, you’ll soon find that you enjoy reading and learning new things more than ever!

Increase your read speed now! Use these suggestions – and Kapow!!!!

Tags: read speed, speed read, speed reading, speed reading tips

How to Stay on Task

Do you stay focused or do you have a difficult time staying on task? If you feel as though you’re spending a whole day just trying to get started, while never actually getting anything done, you can do something about it!
 
There are some very simple ways to help you regain your focus and stay on task, no matter what the day brings. In fact, some of these strategies are so simple that you may question whether they really are effective. The truth is, the simplest of strategies often yields the greatest result.

Seven top tips to stay on task

1. Keep a list.

Create a daily task list on paper for your whole day or week. If you think creating a list in your mind is just as effective, think again. The truth is, you’re more likely to waste precious time just trying to remember what’s ahead!


* When you take the time to create a list, you’re giving yourself a visual confirmation of what’s next. When you have a list to refer to, there’s no arguing what comes next and you won’t have any excuse to stray from your plan.

2. Schedule time for meetings and events.

Set up specific times when people can come in and interrupt your work. Let your co-workers know what works for you and strive to stick to it as much as possible.

* For example, it’s often helpful if your co-workers know they need to leave you alone for two or three hours in the morning, but then after that they can come in and ask questions or get advice from you as needed.

3. Refuse to check email every five seconds.

If you interrupt your workday by checking your email too frequently, you can get side tracked just as you are building momentum. Set specific times when you check email. It could be twice a day, or every few hours, but the goal is to eliminate unnecessary distractions.

* You can also send an automated reply that explains when you check email and when the sender should expect a response. I’m sure people can wait a few hours for a response!

4. Budget time for Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging services.

Sure, communicating with your friends and colleagues can make the day go faster, but it distracts you from the task at hand and keeps you from building precious momentum.

* How can you possibly get anything done when you’re immersed in a real-time Twitter conversation? You can’t. So turn it off and go back on when it’s the right time for you.
* Dont get me wrong – I LOVE Twitter and catching up with all my Tweeple there but, work first – Tweet Later! (good name for a product, TweetLater…lol)

5. Use headphones to block out noise.

If you have trouble focusing on your work because of the noise around you, wear a pair of noise-canceling headphones. If you don’t want any sound at all, get some earplugs; it’ll save your sanity!

6. Get a comfortable chair.

Did you know that productivity and comfort go hand-in-hand? It’s true. Having a comfortable chair makes a huge difference in how you think, feel, and perform. If a new chair is out of the budget, get one of those chair cushions. You’ll find that it’s a purchase that pays for itself.

7. Clean up your workspace.

When your desk is clean and organized, it’s much easier to stay focused on the task at hand. Why? Because you don’t have to wade through the stacks and clutter to find what you need.

* Even seeing the piles of junk in your peripheral vision may increase your internal tension! Keep only what you need for your current task and put everything else in its place.

You can stay focused!

Do you think you can implement some of these simple tips in your workflow? I know you can!

You’ll experience a huge difference in your productivity and – more importantly – your happiness, when you apply even just a few of these time-saving techniques. You’ll be able to get more done faster than ever, leaving you with time for more important things, like having fun!

Tags: how to stay focused, stay focused, stay on task