The Top 6 LinkedIn Mistakes People Make

blog.commlabindia.com

The Top 10 Very Useful or Necessary Things For Anyone Over Age 30 To Have Or To Know

After age 25-30, depending on marital status and other things, it becomes more and more helpful to have and to know certain things. Some are practical and some make sense from a life planning standpoint. The following are suggested for anyone over age 30, single or married, male or female, “wealthy” or of more “average” means.

1. A “Last Will and Testament” Prepared by an Attorney
Our time on Earth is numbered. We don’t know what our number is. Makes sense to have a will. A “Living will” also makes sense if you want to be sure your wishes regarding how you die or are “kept alive” are honored. Included may also be a “Memorandum.”

2. Adequate Household and Liability Insurance
This includes household contents, autos (it costs VERY little to jump from the standard $5,000 per person medical coverage to $25,000!) as well as business and liability insurance. Make sure any fine art/antique items are appraised and insured on a separate “floater” policy.

3. A Personal Financial Plan For NOW and For The FUTURE
Done by yourself, by using one of many computer and other “kits” sold, or by using a financial planner, it makes good sense to know where you are now, and where you need and want to be in 20-30 years financially.

4. Your Own Personal Physician
M.D. or D.O., as we get past age 30, chances are greater that we will have some problem that might become chronic or acute where having a physician who knows us and our past medical problems or history comes in very handy and could save our life. Taking your chances on E.R. doctors when you get ill or have an emergency is a lot riskier than if you have a regular physician who they can call. Additionally, women over age 30 need to get a baseline mammogram and exams for breast cancer “screening.” After about age 35 or 40, men need both prostate and cardiac baseline tests. So having a personal doctor just makes common sense. It’s self-care, and the responsible thing to do, married or single.

5. A Business/Career Plan for the Present and for the Future
You *know* where you are hopefully business or career-wise NOW. Maybe you are happy and satisfied with that and maybe you are not. Regardless, it is helpful to set goals if you want to keep up with the cost of living, and plan ahead for retirement. If you want to work your way up in your job or business and make more money or have a different position or career, then you definitely need to address these issues by yourself, or with a career coach or other qualified expert.

6. Knowledge of Your Parents’ or Closest Relatives’ Medical History and Current Medical Condition
This is important because if you have parents and one or both fall ill or are injured, you may be the one an attorney, the doctors, or the hospital calls upon to provide some needed information. If you have no parents, but a close next of kin relative, knowing their situation will help for the same reasons. You can help them greatly by knowing the basics and having it written down should you need it.

7. A Waterproof/Secure File Cabinet
These can be disguised as furniture these days! They are necessary to keep tax and bank statements, copies of legal papers, and other things in for future access by you or any authorized people. Fire-resistant and “fireproof” cabinets are available now at very reasonable prices through the discount office supply stores. You can also use them to store treasured family mementos, unframed photos, etc.

8. A Personal Computer and Printer
It sounds like *everyone* above age 5 has one these days, but some people over age 30 still do not. The prices now are so low that with time pay plans and sales, everyone can have one. You need to have some helpful software such as personal/business financial software, email access, a word processor(throw away the old typewriter!!) and some educational software to replace the myriad books and reference guides you have that may be outdated, and take up a lot of room and gather dust.

9. A Personal/Business Attorney
For the same reasons it helps to have a personal physician by age 30, having your own attorney who can keep a file for you of your will, home mortgage (they charge $400-700. for a copy if you ever lose yours!) etc. is really very prudent. He or she can also be there for you if you need legal advice around a car accident, a business or career problem, or any number of other things that seem to happen more often after age 30.

10. A Safe Deposit Box
Also known as the “metal tax deduction.” They come in all sizes and shapes, and getting one through your personal or business bank is usually the most economical and makes the most sense. Prices for rental for a year are from $15-25. for the smallest size box (long, but not real wide or high) to $100′s for boxes large enough to put oil paintings or other large valuables in. And on each year’s taxes you can deduct the fee. This is one necessity that actually gives you your money BACK, and is very useful. Put the keys in a VERY safe place, as they charge between $10-30 per key to make a duplicate.

If you don’t yet know or have the aforementioned items or bits of information, it’s not too late to acquire them now! Become a bit more responsible by accumulating and checking off each of the things on this list. You’ll feel more accomplished knowing you’ve taken care of this list and the items and information are at your disposal whenever you need them.

Author: Dennis R. Tesdell

6 Steps for Cultivating Your Self-Esteem

Your self-esteem is probably the most important part of your personality. It precedes and predicts your performance in almost everything you do. It is the energy source or the reactor core of your personality, and how much self-esteem you have determines your levels of vitality, enthusiasm and personal magnetism. People with high self-esteem are more positive, more likable and more effective in every part of their lives.
Everything that you do or say or think will affect your self-esteem. Your job, therefore, is to keep your self-esteem high and positive on a continuing basis.
Probably the best definition of self-esteem is this: the level to which you respect and value yourself as an important, worthwhile person. People with high self-esteem feel terrific about themselves and their lives. When you feel really good about yourself, you tend to be the very best person you can possibly be.
To perform at your best and to feel terrific about yourself, you should be in a perpetual state of self-esteem building and maintenance. Just as you take responsibility for your level of physical fitness, you need to take complete responsibility for the content and quality of your mind.
I have developed a simple formula that contains all the critical elements of self-esteem building, and you can use it on a regular basis to assure maximum performance.
This formula is comprised of six basic elements. They are: goals, standards, success experiences, comparison with others, recognition, and rewards. Let’s take them one at a time.
How much you like and respect yourself is directly affected by your goals. The very act of setting big, challenging goals for yourself and making written plans of action to achieve them actually raises your self-esteem, which causes you to feel much better about yourself.
Self-esteem is a condition you experience when you are moving step-by-step toward the accomplishment of something that is important to you. For that reason, it’s really important to have clear goals for each part of your life and to continually work toward achieving those goals. Each progressive step causes your self-esteem to go up and makes you feel more positive and effective in everything else you do.
The second element in self-esteem building is having clear standards and values to which you are committed. Men and women with high self-esteem are very clear about what they believe in. The higher your values and ideals are, and the more committed you are to living your life consistent with those values and ideals, the more you will like and respect yourself, and the higher your self-esteem will be.
Lasting self-esteem comes only when your goals and your values are congruent–that is, when they fit into each other like a hand into a glove. Much of the stress that people experience comes from believing one thing and trying to do another. But when your goals and values are in harmony with each other, you feel a wonderful surge of energy and well-being, and that’s when you start to make real progress.
Many people tell me that they are unhappy with their job because they can’t seem to achieve success no matter how hard they try. I always ask them if they are doing what they really care about and believe in. In many cases, people realize that they are not happy with their job because it is the wrong kind of work for them. Once they change jobs and start doing something that they really enjoy, something that is more consistent with their innermost convictions, they start to make real progress and get a lot of satisfaction out of their work.
The third element in self-esteem building involves having success experiences. Once you have set your goals and standards, it is important that you make them measurable so that you can keep score of your small and large successes along the way. The very act of setting up a goal, breaking it down into smaller parts, and then completing those parts makes you feel like a winner and causes your self-esteem to go up. But remember that you can’t hit a target you can’t see. You can’t feel like a winner unless you clearly lay out the standards by which you are going to measure your success and then achieve those standards.
The fourth element of self-esteem is comparison with others. The more you know about how well the others in your field are doing, and the more favorably you compare with them, the more you will feel like a winner, and the higher your self-esteem will be.
Successful people continually compare themselves with other successful people. They think about them and read about them and study their performances, and then they work to surpass them one step at a time. Eventually, successful people reach the point where they compete only with themselves and with their past accomplishments. But this comes after they have moved to the top and left many of their competitors behind.
The next element for self-esteem is recognition of your accomplishments by people whom you respect. To feel really great about yourself, you need the recognition of people you look up to and admire, such as your boss, your coworkers, your spouse and people in your social circle. Whenever you are recognized and praised for any accomplishment by someone whose opinion you hold in high regard, your self-esteem goes up, along with your eagerness and enthusiasm to do even better on the job.
The final element of self-esteem involves rewards that are consistent with your accomplishments. You may work in a field where you receive financial bonuses, status symbols–larger offices, bigger cars–or even plaques and trophies for superior achievement. All of those symbols can have an incredible impact on raising your self-esteem and causing you to feel terrific about yourself.
If, however, your existing situation does not offer the tangible or intangible rewards that are necessary for you to build and maintain your self-esteem, you must create rewards for yourself. One of the smartest things you can do is to design a system for giving yourself rewards for both small and large accomplishments as you move progressively toward your goals. For example, people who do telephone prospecting will often treat themselves to a cup of coffee after every 10 calls. After 25 calls, they will reward themselves with a walk around the building or the block. After 50 calls, they will go out to lunch. Each of those rewards serves as an incentive that motivates them to repeat the performance. The end result is success, enthusiasm, and high self-esteem.
Whether or not your current environment provides the six elements of self-esteem building–goals, standards, success experiences, comparison with others, recognition, and rewards–you need to establish your own structure and take full responsibility for building yourself up on a regular basis.
The only real way for you to absolutely know that you are a valuable and worthwhile person is for you to make the effort, overcome the obstacles and pay the price to bring these elements into your life. When you have that foundation, you will experience a form of mental fitness and unshakable optimism that will sustain you through failure and propel you to success.
Author: Brian Tracy

3 Major Ways the Law of Attraction Can Improve Your Life

law of attraction to attract specific person is it possible to attract a specific person into your life using the law of attraction?

The Law of Attraction (hereafter referred to as LoA for brevity) is one of the most popular topics in personal development, and there is no end in sight to the growing popularity of what its proponents call an unfailing Universal Law. If LoA exists, then like gravity, ignoring it would be foolish and counterproductive if leading an abundant, prosperous life is your goal.

While this article cannot fully explain LoA in this short space, it will provide you powerful reasons why you should investigate LoA further, and learn to put it into practice in your life. After three years of studying, applying, and teaching the LoA, I’ve concluded that LoA is an actual law that forms the basis of nearly every spiritual and scientific principle of our universe.

Here are three major shifts that you can experience which will greatly assist you in feeling empowered, creative, focused, accomplished, and provide an overall sense of wellbeing, prosperity, peace, and abundance.

First, a thorough understanding of the LoA gives you the imperative, the willingness, the motivation, and the understanding to put your own happiness first – to nurture it and make it real, palpable, and appreciated. We all want to be happy, to feel good. In fact, every one of the innumerable decisions we make throughout our lives is based on the belief that whatever we actually choose will make us feel better than the alternatives. Happiness is free, it costs nothing, and it feels great, reasons enough for anyone and everyone to make a conscious decision to be happy, regardless of circumstances, yet few of us do it; happiness itself remains elusive to billions of people.

The LoA reveals that the vibration or energy of happiness is a CAUSE, not an effect, and that expressing the energy of happiness is a prerequisite to prosperity and abundance, and not the other way around as most people assume.

You cannot wait until you are rich, thin, loved, and pampered to allow yourself to feel happiness. ‘Happiness energy’ or joyful expression is actually creative energy and its expression is the first step in the creative process (and therefore must come BEFORE you experience outward signs or manifestations of prosperity). Once you understand this, you have a fantastic reason to make happiness a personal priority. It’s not selfishness, it’s your gift to the world, because without happiness, you really have little of true value to offer anyone. LoA gives you the ‘excuse’ or imperative to put your happiness first and really cultivate it, and never again allow anyone to tempt you into feeling inappropriate for feeling wonderful. Happiness and prosperity are not things you need to apologize for.

The second major reason is that an understanding of LoA removes doubt and confusion about why things happen in your life, and therefore restores your belief in fairness and integrity in all things.

Most people raised in traditional religions have internal conflicts between their beliefs in a benevolent, all powerful, all knowing God, and the outward appearance of that same God letting horrible things happen to good people, with seemingly no justifiable explanation for the paradox. How do we explain a benevolent God allowing (or causing) natural disasters create, or allowing the horrors and atrocities that humans perpetrate on one another? LoA provides a well reasoned and solid explanation of why things manifest in both our personal experience, and collectively for mankind, without requiring the need for a Supreme Being to make an infinite number of daily decisions about what will and won’t happen to us.

Yet it does not negate the belief in a Supreme Being. Instead, it provides a neat, simple, logical, consistent ideology that allows for a supreme being to exist, but it removes the seemingly ‘arbitrary’ decisions about what that being will and won’t allow or cause to happen to use on a day to day basis.

The energy that we emanate powerfully draws everything that comes into our experience was drawn to us by us (though usually with conscious awareness of having done so).

Once we understand that ‘thoughts are things’ of great significance and power, and understand that LoA itself is the ‘manager’ of every particle of energy in the universe, bringing together (or keeping apart), people, events, and institutions based on the fundamental principle that ‘like energy attracts like energy’, then we can stop scratching our heads about why bad things happen to good people, and focus on managing our energy, vibration, or signal that we radiate. This is elegantly simple, practical, and once understood, works to our great advantage.

LoA creates a fair, rational, consistent basis for all events of your life, and removes the illusion of being able to blame anyone else for events that happen to us. The upside of not being able to lay blame at someone else’s feet is that we also get to assume FULL control over our lives, and have the means by which to express this control. The exploration and acceptance of LoA is proportional to the degree to which people are willing to shoulder responsibility for their lives and stop blaming others (or supreme beings).

The third major benefit of a solid understanding of LoA is it provides a better, gentler way to effect change in the world by expressing the energy of allowance, of love, and fanning those positive flames of creative energy to bring about change in the yourself, and in the world.

With a clear, guilt-free, shame-free conscience you can stop struggling or fighting against (resisting) any circumstance, situation, person, law, or event that is bothersome, thus reducing your stress and opening the floodgates of both mental and physical wellbeing.

Though it does not serve us, from a young age we are conditioned to fight against, push back, resist, or repel unwanted events, people, or things, and sometime we actually succeed in it, temporarily. But we pay a heavy personal price for doing so. LoA reveals that anything that you resist is actually leaving an energy imprint on you. When you resist, you are aligning your energy with that which you resist, becoming a vibrational match to it, and radiating similar energy, you unknowingly feed energy into the unwanted, making it more powerful. Struggle against anything is the emission of the vibration of ‘struggle’ and LoA demands (without judgment)that more struggle is what you will experience.

LoA teaches the cultivation of the energy of ‘allow’ – which is the energy of healing, peace, and love. Dropping resistance is incredibly liberating and energizing. Surrender opens the channel to wellbeing, allowing in healing energy that you had been keeping at bay, which can lead to remarkable changes and breakthroughs.

So these are three extremely powerful ways that a personal, full understanding of LoA can positively impact your life, and improve the world as a result. Though these ideas may at first glance fly in the face of some ideas you have cherished since you were old enough to recognize your reflection in a mirror, I hope that the potential benefits encourage you to investigate the Law of Attraction to help you become the fully conscious, magnificent, powerful creator that you came here to be.

Author: Ryan A. Harris

The old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is truer than ever in today’s organizations. But how do you know whom to know? Here are three types of networks it pays to have:

Personal support. Form relationships with people who help you get back on track during a bad day. These may be friends or colleagues with whom you can just be yourself.
Purpose. Include in your network bosses and customers who validate your work, and family members and other stakeholders who remind you that your work has a broader meaning.
Work/life balance. Seek out people who will hold you accountable for activities that improve your physical health, mental engagement, or spiritual well-being.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

Having the right network is crucial to getting ahead in today’s organizations. But far too many people waste valuable time investing in fruitless connections. Here are three steps to build a more productive network:

Analyze. Identify the people in your network and what you get out of interacting with them. Remember you’re looking for quality, not quantity.
De-layer. Most likely not everyone in your network helps you. Make some hard decisions to back away from redundant or energy-sapping relationships.
Diversify. Build your network out with different kinds of people. Focus on energizers who will help you achieve your goals.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

In our increasingly globalized world, it is essential to know how to collaborate with people from different cultures. But it’s not enough to take a class or read a book. Here are three tips for building your global savvy with culturally-diverse colleagues:

Be aware of your actions. Be cognizant of how people receive and interpret your behavior. Recognize that you have a different worldview and therefore a different approach to getting work done.
Prototype instead of stereotype. It goes without saying that stereotyping can be offensive and ineffective. Develop prototypes instead. Research the culture you’ll be working with to understand typical responses or approaches, but remember there is nuance.
Be curious. The best way to learn is to ask questions. Invite your counterpart out for coffee or lunch and ask what it means to be a successful leader in his country.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

Best practices are alluring. If other companies have already determined the best way to do something, why not just do what they did? But before you run off to collect best practices from the leader in your industry, ask these three questions:

What are the downsides? Implementing a practice that worked elsewhere isn’t necessarily a slam dunk. Think through the potential disadvantages and figure out how to mitigate them.
Is success truly attributable to the benchmark practice? There are many reasons a company succeeds. It is unlikely that emulating one practice of an industry leader will give your company the same success.
Are the conditions similar at your organization? For best practices to be transferrable, businesses need to have key similarities: strategy, business model, and workforce.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

What’s the alternative to making decisions?

Allowing someone else, or circumstances, to make them for you.

And that is giving up control of your life. That’s giving up all power to your life to other people or circumstance. And that will make you miserable.

It reminds me of walking through a wonderful food buffet where you could have anything you want — 0 calories! — and allowing someone else to decide what you took on your plate. Unacceptable!

So when faced with decision anxiety, is the alternative — giving up all control to others or circumstance — the preferred method? Definitely not. No matter how difficult the decision, making it yourself gives you some modicum of control.

On the flip side, of course, it also gives you the responsibility, and therefore you can’t blame anyone else.

Let’s consider that. Does it make you feel better to blame someone else? For example, you have a really bad haircut, and you decide it’s the hairstylist fault because she talked you into it. Ok, so now you’ve correctly affixed the blame — do you still have a bad haircut? So what did it accomplish? Nothing.

Instead, consider this: You have a bad haircut because you thought this was the style that you wanted, but now you see that it’s not for you. You still have the haircut, but since you’ve accepted your part in it, it empowers you — instead of making you a victim to it.

Being a victim to a decision emasculates you. Being a participator in a decision empowers you.

To reduce anxiety for your decisions, keep this in mind:

1. Stop looking for a prediction of the future.
There’s a difference in making a decision and looking for a prediction. There is likely to be a risk in most any decision more complicated than deciding on a type of dessert. Things change, people change, ideas change, desires change. The decision is made on what you know, what you believe, what direction you want to go in. The future cannot be predicted. Don’t let that stop you.

2. Be as informed as possible before making a decision.
Do what you need to do, but try to be realistic about it. For example, if you tried to read every article on decision anxiety, you’d be 100 years old before you finished — not much help, there, huh. So if you find yourself procrastinating, give yourself a time limit –”I will read 50 different articles, and talk to 10 people, and decide by 5:00 pm on Thursday.”

3. Realize that very few things are set in stone.
Maybe you have lots of things you want to do in your life, and you just seem to make a decision on what to do or how to do them all. This is “analysis-paralysis”. Instead, remind yourself that focusing on one thing right now doesn’t mean that you’re giving up others. It simply means that you have decided to get started on one project, with the realization that you can do the others at any time you choose.

4. Remind yourself of successful decisions.
One of my clients didn’t believe that she could make any good decisions until we started her keeping a list of the many good decisions she made every day. Sure some were small, but throughout her life, she began to realize that she had made many more good decisions than bad ones.

Easier decision making is really about valuing yourself and your own opinions. Believe in your ability, and trust your instincts. Appreciate your input into your decisions, and understand and accept that every single decision you make might not be perfect. Learn from it, expect the best from yourself, and you’ll get the best.

Author: Kathy Gates

Executing on major initiatives requires teams that are large, diverse, and virtual. Yet, as team size grows and the group disperses, team performance diminishes. You can build collaboration within complex teams in three ways:

Train employees in the right skills. Most people don’t collaborate by nature. They need the right skills: appreciating others, engaging in purposeful conversations, and productively solving conflicts.
Help employees get to know each other. People who know each other socially are more likely to collaborate. Invest time in networking and social events to build a sense of community.
Model collaborative behavior. Employees emulate what they see at the top. Leaders should visibly work together and even fill in for each other on occasion.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

You can’t just create the culture you want in your organization. Culture is not a goal, but the outcome of a collective set of behaviors. Instead of mandating behavior, influence it to shape your company’s culture with these three steps:

Convey your vision. Define your aspirations. What are the most critical behaviors that characterize the culture you want to create?
Demonstrate how new behaviors can help the business. Nothing reinforces behaviors more than success. Work with your team to apply your ideal behaviors to a specific project that needs improving.
Integrate the behaviors into HR processes. People tend to do what’s measured and rewarded. Use the desired behaviors as criteria for hiring and promoting.

Source: Harvard Business Review – Management Tips of the Day

Productivity—both at home and at work—depends on multiple factors, not the least of which are time management and organization. Compiling to-do lists and wrangling the email in your Inbox are two basic time-management skills that promote productivity and organization.

In this article, productivity professional and expert organizer Sally McGhee examines—and dispels—common mistaken beliefs about obstacles to productivity, lends advice on how to organize your Inbox, and offers time-management tips.

1. There’s too much information coming at me too fast.

Belief: My email is overwhelming me. I can’t keep up with it.

Reality: The volume of email isn’t the issue. How you process and organize the volume is the issue, and if you’re not careful, the quantity of data might drive you rather than vice versa. If you flex your organizational muscle, though, you can get a handle on the ever-increasing influx of data and information and transform this belief. For starters, learn four ways you can take control of your email Inbox. When you do, you can reduce the number of messages in your Inbox by as much as 80 percent.

2. I have to keep everything.

Belief: I have to keep everything. You just never know when you might need it!

Reality: On average, you can throw away 50 percent of stored information—with no ramifications. But if you’re a “keeper” (you know who you are), there’s nothing quite as satisfying as laying your hands on that file that no one else can find. Locating it justifies all of your filing and storing efforts. You might recognize yourself in one of these statements:

I got badly burned when I couldn’t lay my hands on an important document. Now, I’m afraid to let go of information.
I want to be able to justify the decisions I make, so I keep everything.
If my system crashes, I want backup information.
I felt so good when no one else could find “that document.” As a result, I decided to keep everything so I could continue being helpful.

At some point you made a decision about keeping all your information. That decision has been driving you ever since, but it may not be appropriate in your current situation.

The truth is that most people use only 15 percent of what they file, and this makes filing the other 85 percent ineffective. By clarifying what is useful and letting go of the rest, you can develop a streamlined, functional filing system, make it easier to find what you do keep, and save valuable time and energy that you can direct to more meaningful tasks. Learn nine tips to help you manage your files better.

3. Organization cramps my freedom and creativity.

Belief: Being organized blocks my creativity, and there’s nothing spontaneous about it.

Reality: Organization actually fosters and supports creativity and spontaneity. For instance, the non-stop flood of reminders spinning around your head can disrupt your creativity—reminders such as:

Call Kevin for his birthday.
Review the Profit & Loss spreadsheet.
Review Microsoft PowerPoint slide deck.
Decide on a Valentine’s Day present.

Imagine if you could clear your mind of all these lists and transfer them to Microsoft Outlook. You can do this by creating an Outlook task for each item. Storing your tasks in Outlook can create space for new ideas and creative thinking. You can create a task out of any Outlook item, such as an email message, contact, calendar item, or note. Those items then appear in Tasks. Create a task inOutlook 2010, Outlook 2007, or Outlook 2003. Then, organize your tasks in the task list so you are at your most productive.

Create a task list to see all the commitments you have.

Of course, a task-laden or otherwise booked calendar curbs your spontaneity, which can be frustrating. However, if you preplan, you can block out large chunks of time in which you have no organized events or commitments, and you’ll have more freedom to do something on the spur of the moment.

A booked calendar leaves no time to be spontaneous, which can be frustrating. However, if you pre-plan, you can block out large chunks of time with no organized events, and you’ll have more freedom to do something on the spur of the moment.

To get control of all the “stuff” in your life, set up a system for storing reference information, turning action information into tasks, and scheduling tasks on your calendar. After you’ve set up your reference system, you’ll find that it supports your creativity and spontaneity. The best result is that you can close your system, knowing that everything is taken care of so you can relax and let go!

4. There’s not enough time in the day!

Belief: I just don’t have the time to do all the things I want.

Reality: Time is not the issue. The issue is deciding what you can do given the time you have.

As you know, managing your time with Olympian skill doesn’t create more hours in the day. We all have the same 24 hours, so the issue isn’t managing time—it’s managing what you can do with the time you have. You can’t do everything, but you can do anything, as long as it fits into your calendar.

If you keep your to-do lists in multiple locations—in email, on a paper calendar, in a notepad, in an Excel spreadsheet, in addition to in your head—you might want to leverage Outlook to consolidate, centralize, and prioritize these lists. Start by creating tasks, as described in step 3. When you create a task, you can set reminders, set the task to recur at a chosen interval, track its status, and more, so you always know what to do and when to do it. Tasks also appear in the To-Do Bar in Outlook, together with other Outlook items, such as email or contacts, that have been flagged for follow-up. The To-Do Bar appears in all views of Outlook:

Outlook 2010 To-Do Bar with tasks listed

Learn six ways to streamline your tasks in Outlook.

5. It takes too much time to become productive.

Belief: I don’t have the time to set up a system. I’ve got too much to do.

Reality: You can save one to two hours a day by implementing a system to manage your information—a significant return on the initial time investment.

According to some statistics, workers typically spend two to three hours a day in email and 60 minutes a day finding and filing information. After setting up an information-management system, they still spend one to two hours a day in email but spend just 10 minutes a day finding and filing information—a savings of nearly two hours a day, or almost 12 weeks a year!

Take a moment and consider the time you spend:

Finding and filing information.
Writing a to-do list and then rewriting it a week later on another list, and then another.
Opening an email, reading it, closing it, and then coming back to the same email to read it again tomorrow.
Going to the store and realizing you don’t know, for example, the model of the hardware you need to pick up.

These are just a few examples of how we waste time by not having a way to coordinate scheduling, allocate resources, consolidate communication, and store and access information. Take the time to set up your system. You can’t afford not to.

Source: Microsoft at Work

Never get around to straightening up your office? Never seem to have enough time for simple things such as preparing a meal or taking a break? To maximize your time, learn what you can do in small increments. What can you do with can you do with 15 minutes? Spend these small blocks of time intentionally on things that will make a difference.

1. Declutter Your Car
Are you early for a meeting and want to get something done? Declutter your car! Gather up all the recyclables, including plastic bottles, soda cans and paper, and put them in a bag. Put all trash in another bag. Use a damp cloth or disposable wipe to clean all surfaces. Group any remaining things that you need to remove from your car later, such as clothes and newly purchased items. When you leave your car, take all the trash and recycling with you. Remove the other items as soon as you get a chance. If you’re picking up clients for a meeting, they’ll appreciate the serene setting you’ve just created in your car.

2. Take a Break
Are you tired? Do you long to take an actual break? When you discover a pocket of time in your day, do it! Calm down. Re-center yourself. Get a cup of tea at the corner coffee shop. Sink your teeth into the first chapter of a new book. (Set a timer, so you don’t get swept away.) Browse the newspaper or a magazine. The point is to take a satisfying break that refuels you for the remainder of the day. One entrepreneur uses breaks as an opportunity to walk outside and say, “Thank you,” to keep her in a state of optimism and gratitude, even when work gets trying.

3. Do Nothing
How many times a week do you long for free time to do absolutely nothing? The key is to notice when this time actually arrives, and to fill it with… nothing. Rather than viewing every opening in your day as an opportunity to cram something in, practice doing nothing. Close your office door. Become aware of your breathing. Bring mindfulness to your current thoughts, the sounds around you, your environment. If you bring one moment of rich stillness to each day, you’ll notice more energy, greater clarity and decreased stress. You’ll be able to return to even the busiest of work days with ease and grace, addressing what comes your way consciously, without negative reactions.

4. Turn Your Mood Around
Suppose you need to get work done, but you’re in a funk. First, rate the level of your bad mood on a scale of 1-10 (1 being “minor,” 10 being “can hardly stand it”). Then ask, “What specifically led to this mood?” Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep, or you argued with your boss this morning. Pinpoint the facts of what happened. Then figure out if you’re making up anything about the incident that has very little to do with the facts. For example, “My boss doesn’t like me.” Then ask yourself, “What’s a more rational way of thinking about this?” Now rate your mood again. The number will probably be lower. Then get moving–work your way further out of the funk.

5. Make Plans
Do you like to do fun things at night after work, but don’t always get around to the required planning? When a 15-minute window opens, make a dinner reservation or look up the local movie schedule. Then call your friend, colleague or loved one to join you for your planned event. One of the keys to happiness is having something to look forward to. Now you do! Let the fresh enthusiasm for your plans also inspire you to dive into assignments when you return to work.

6. Sprint Clean Your Office
This is the opposite of doing nothing, but sometimes it has to be done! Scan your office. Pick the one area that needs the most attention first. Do you have folders stacked on your desk? Are there three coffee mugs from the past week? Your desk top may be your first target area for action. Remove what doesn’t belong there. Use a tissue to dust. Either file or put papers in your out-box for future organizing. The goal is to pick one area and clear it. Then experience a sense of calm and relief. Eliminating a mess you’ve been putting up with recharges your batteries.

7. Fix Something That’s Broken
You know all those things you think to yourself: “I have to change the light bulb,” “I need to get the latch on that window fixed,” “I have to let IT know about my computer glitches”? Use those 15 minutes to actually do something about them. If you’re handy, take that time to actually fix something simple yourself. For example, if the arm of your chair dangles, find the screw and bolt under the seat and tighten it up yourself. If you can’t (or don’t want to) fix something yourself, take the time to contact someone who can. Prompt your IT person to come assess your computer problems, or see if he or she can do it remotely. Call maintenance to repair your window. Take the first step, so you can stop thinking about it.

8. Walk Around the Block
Your tennis shoes smile at you from behind your office door. Go ahead. Slip them on and take a walk around the block. Or, jump on the treadmill. Clear your mind. Get your body moving. Taking a quick walk is easier than you think. You just have to “make” yourself go out there and do it. Once you discover when you tend to have open 15-minute time slots in your day, make that walk a regular routine. Your heart will thank you. Plus, as endorphins get released, you’ll experience greater joy. Be a role model for the rest of your office by taking excellent care of yourself, and let this newfound energy boost your productivity back on the job.

9. Prep for a Meal
Do you find yourself eating out every day? Do you want to eat healthier, but end up grabbing the quickest and most convenient food at meal times? When you have an extra 15 minutes at night or in the morning, use it to prepare a meal. Slice some sourdough bread and make your favorite sandwich for a bag lunch. Then enjoy more time at noon because you won’t have to run around and wait in line for your food. Or your meal prep might include tossing some meat, spices and vegetables into a slow-cooker or crock pot. Then you can return home from work to a nourishing, warm meal. You can sit down, relax and enjoy your food solo or with your family.

10. Prepare for the Day
Another thing you can prepare for is your day or your week. Do you rush around from one thing to the next, barely able to catch a breath? Use this easy prepare-your-day strategy to be more in charge of your time. Wake up 15 minutes early. During this “found time” visualize your day. Imagine traveling to work, your meetings, and accomplishing results with ease. Then add anything to your calendar you may have forgotten about, and include some reserve time for delays. Start by writing your three most important priorities first in your schedule, then add the things you’d like to get to but which aren’t as important. Time only offers 24 hours in a day to each of us, so use it wisely. Schedule it for what matters most. When you have another 15-minute opening in your day, use it to plan the whole week.

Whether you use these top 10 things you can do in 15 minutes to relax or to get something done, you’ll discover how beneficial these small blocks of time can be. Begin by noticing when you have a free 15 minutes. Then choose your action or non-action! Experience the rewards of greater time management as you intentionally direct each moment of your day.

Author: Sue Brenner

Main source:http://mesacam.wordpress.com/category/management-leadership/

google content ads

fly text

Pages

Leadership

50 Intelligent LinkedIn Tips That Could Change Your Life

3 Steps to Prepare an Effective Presentation

10 Secrets of Successful Leaders

The Top 10 Very Useful or Necessary Things For Anyone Over Age 30 To Have Or To Know

6 Steps for Cultivating Your Self-Esteem

1. There’s too much information coming at me too fast.

2. I have to keep everything.

3. Organization cramps my freedom and creativity.

4. There’s not enough time in the day!

5. It takes too much time to become productive.

Popular Posts