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Mar 09

How to develop effective time management skills

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

Time management and organization can make or break your success in everything you try to do in life, and on the long run it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.
 
You see, if you try and look back in retrospect you will come to realize that the times when you have been the most productive, were the times when you were most organized. This is perhaps the most important thing when it comes to making that huge step forward, and start doing things the right way.
 

What is time management?

 
As for the phrase, if you search in dictionary you will find probably something like this:
 
“It is the process of exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities all for the sake of improving efficiency and productivity.”
 
The truth is, it’s more than that. Time management-clock
 
Time management is a process, chain of techniques if you will, that not only make sure that we are on our best when it comes to spending our time, but also gives us the opportunity to know we are doing the best we can, and taking all we can actually take.
 
Despite all that, it also gives you the pleasure to enjoy planning and deciding what is the best thing for you to do, when, and how much. Effective time management can do all of this for you.
 
Pure determination can only lead you half the way. Just imagine whether the highly driven for success athletes can go all the way just by desire. Or even just ordinary people that really need to do something challenging.
 
Can they succeed in doing what they want?
 
Maybe they can, but it will be more daunting than ever, and the conclusion will result in losing a great amount of time, which instead could have been used for something entirely different.
 

Time management in practice

 
Today we see time management as an essential tool used by everyone in order to achieve the desired results. Big corporations are trying this tool on their employees, institutions hire experts, and people seeking help from devoted personal trainers, etc.
 
The truth is this tool is most helpful lying in your hands.
 
You see, the thing is that nobody knows your limits as much as you do, and not a person on earth can tell what is more or less important to you than yourself. Yes that’s right. You are the most suitable for the task.
 
Experts can show you techniques, or teach you some tricks, but you, yourself, must do the rest. This is what i essentially realized, and want to write about today.
 
I will delightfully try to point to some important hints and tips on how to organize your time, and display some effective time management techniques that will show you step by step. But even my friend back me up on this one when I say that you are the one that have to do the rest.
 
Time management is nothing else but a personal undergoing action in order for YOU to be efficient and successful.
 

5 essential techniques for doing effective time management

 
At the very start on this one I must tell you that doing good, efficient and effective time management is actually a matter of knowing a couple of basic principles.
 
I will start by mentioning them in an order that will most likely make your approach easier. Also I will give some explanations.
 
 

1. Know your goals in life


  Time management-clock2
Knowing your goals, and deciding what you truly want from your live, is the first thing you should cover when starting with this.
 
Why?
 
Well, for one thing, time management is going to help you go where you want to and achieve things you desire, but how on earth can you go somewhere and achieve something when you don’t even have a clear goal.
 
You must set your course, and then follow it. So just try and think for a second what is that you truly want from life.
 
It’s not as easy as it seems. But take your time slowly because once you figure it out, all the rest will come more quickly. Write it down if you like. This will also benefit you a great deal. That way you will know latter for sure whether you are doing the desired progress or not.
 
But believe me, you will. Keep in mind that when you are doing this you should be rational and know your limits as well. Try and push yourself, but also be objective and you will see how it goes.
 
So just take your time with this one, and once you are all ready and set just go to the next step.
 

2. Be rational in deciding about the amount of time you want to spent

 
This is maybe as important as the first step. Ok maybe a bit less, but what I want to say is that it isalso playing a crucial part as well. Ever asked yourself why people always end up failing their previously constructed plans? Well as far as I know, one of the things to blame is the massive optimism when it comes to deciding how much time we are about to spent.
 
You see giving yourself to much obligations, and cutting on free time, or activities that you really enjoy doing just for the fun of it, can result in quick failure of the whole idea. I mean come on, Is it even fair to stress your body or mind so much that it comes to the point of non-productiveness? Or just stop enjoying whatever that you really enjoy?
 
Of course it is not. Not just that it’s not good for you, but it will sabotage the whole thing you are trying to achieve.
 

3. Wasting precious time

 
I know that this one is not a new thing for you guys, and since you are here looking to learn some stuff on how to improve your lifestyle and productivity in life you all probably know this. But I must mention it again, because it’s really important. The thing is, you are trying to make more of your day, and that’s why you are doing time management at the first place.
 
But while making your effort to save, and use as much time as you can rationally, you probably waste some time that you are not aware of. Now this may be a shock to some, but studies and statistics have shown that all of us are actually spending time on people that force us into doing that.
 
What i am trying to say to you? Well it’s simple. Just think about all that people in your life that you are not quite fond of. You must have some, everybody has some ;)
 
The thing is there are some people as I said that always want to take a portion of your time, usually for some favor. Or there are some that just don’t have something to do, and try to waste your time every time they are facing loneliness or boredom. Of course maybe some of them are not even aware that they are smashing your productivity and the worst part is, we are not aware too. And make no mistake, this can be a big problem not only for your schedule, but your productivity in general.
 
So whatever the reasons are, the thing one must do is limit the time you waste with those kind of folks. But how to do that if we are not even aware of them?
 
Well for start just think in retrospect which people in your live have taken your precious time, smashed your productivity, and even drain your energy. Yes that’s right, energy. Even if we are not aware of, we can tell for sure when we feel full of it, or when we actually don’t have it. And one thing that I learned is that some people can take more of your energy just by talking to you, than you can spend in entire day.
 
Yeah, I know many of you are now agreeing with me on this one. So once you know for sure which are these people, just avoid them, or if that is not an option (I say this because nowadays we all sometimes must be with people we do not quite like) just try to say NO to them if you sense they are wasting your time, or just learn how to ignore them, and not attach emotionally to what they are saying.
 
By saying NO to people you do not want to be with, you are for sure gaining a lot of time to add up to your daily schedule.
 
Time management - sleepy girl

4. Expand your productivity by expanding your day

 
Now this is simple logic, the more time you have, the more productive you are. But I’m not saying about expanding your wake hours, but instead expanding your DAY.
 
You see, centuries ago people knew that they are most productive during the day. They felt full of energy on sunrise, and probably figured it out that there is no reason for one to be awake in the middle of the night. Today, the number of people who are still getting up early and going to bed couple of hours after getting dark is greatly reduced, of course, the reasons for that are well know and pretty much obvious.
 
Anyway nowadays scientists have proven that we are full of energy during sunlight, and it is best for us to go to bed early in the night. Now I’m not talking about going to bed in nine o’clock pm., but it’s certainly dull to be awake at three o’clock in the middle of the night, if you absolutely don’t have to.
 
Start implementing this and you will soon feel the difference.
 

5. Give yourself a treat

 
Well, with all others stuff mentioned it leaves me with only one more to wrap this up. Your schedule or time management if you like, must consist also with something you are fond of doing. Something that gives you energy to last the day, or something that just by the thought of it makes you feel good.
 
Whether this is hanging with your family, spending time with your kids, seeing your friends, walking your dog before you go to bed, swimming in the pool, playing hoops backyard, or maybe curl up and watch a movie or read a book, it doesn’t really matter. What matter is that you put this “activity” on the end of your day.
 
That way you will have something to hold up to, and every time your schedule is wearing you down, you will have the upper hand on the situation just by knowing that there is something that waits you after all your hard day.
 
That’s it. It is all that I consider being important when it comes to managing your time, and all that really makes a difference.
 
So go on, and try to implement these things to your everyday life, and then by managing your time you can really change your productivity, and improve your lifestyle too.
 
Have you ever tried managing your time and have something to share with us about that? Are you a fan of an effective time management? We will love to hear your experience on this matter.
 
 
 
 

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Mar 07

5 reasons why you should forget the scale

Categories:

Articles, Fitness and Diet

by Slavko

You can hear people say that the scale is their best friend. Some claim that it is in fact your worst enemy.
So let me ask you something. What is your opinion? How often do you climb on the scale?
 
Many people going through some weight loss program are now probably thinking “well, every day” or “couple of times per day”. But looking more objectively on this matter may result in realizing just how stupid that is.
 
I stand firmly on the belief that the scale is your worst enemy when it comes to weight loss, shaping your body the way you like and improving your lifestyle in general.
And here is why :
 

  1. Unreal expectation

    The Scale
     
    Seriously, what did you thought? That somehow, overnight you will see such changes as if someone threw a spell on you? Even though the fat burning process is on its highest somewhere in the night (That is if you’ve incorporated strength training in your program), chances are that it will NOT reflect on the immediate measuring the day after.
     
    It all happens on molecular level, so it’s downright stupid to expect that your body made couple of days progress during just one night.

    2.  

  2. Gives you the wrong impression

     
    How come? Well if you are one of those who take every chance to hop in on the scale, then you probably get all the mixed signals all of the time. The days you thought you made the biggest progress, are not showing as well as you thought on the scale, and vice versa. And measuring yourself all the time just doesn’t gives you the feeling of progress since it’s always so little at a given time.

    3.  

  3. Kills your motivation

     
    As I mentioned in the one above, you can surely tell what will happen as a result of that wrong impression. And if you guessed questioning your progress, or loosing motivation, than you are right.
     
    You see, making tremendous effort to stick to your diet, your exercise schedule, new acquired healthy habits… All of that is not easy at all, and the last thing you need is to question whether you are doing well or not.
     
    That alone can demotivate you in a way that you will soon lose confidence in what you are doing, and certainly lose your determination more quickly as a result of that.

    4.  

  4. Simple mathematics


     
    I’ve seen many people exercising a lot while hoping to lose some weight. And the interesting thing about many of them is going on the scale after doing couple of days strength exercises.
     
    What is wrong here? Can you guess it? Well I know I can. If you are doing some strength or bodybuilding exercises then hopefully your muscle mass will in turn increase.
     
    So the next time when you go to the scale you not only get the picture that you are not doing some progress, but you also see some set back- you’ve gained some pounds. And while this is a good thing if you are doing those types of exercises, many will simply get plain confused.

    5.  

  5. You focus on the wrong thing

     
    Tell me something. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it in order for you to fit into your favorite jeans? Or is it because you want to be fit, therefore more energetic and younger? Or you just want to look good, plain simple as that?
     
    Well no matter which one of this you choose, neither one of them is in any way connected with the scale and the way it measures the progress.
     
    If any of the above are your reasons, than other things are more important. For example whether you’ve built some muscles and gave your body more form; whether you defined your muscle mass in a way that you are now looking fitter; whether you are losing fat on certain areas, therefore being able to fit into that jeans of yours, or finally wear that tight blouse.
     
    I’m speaking through my head now, but all I want to say is that your progress was never centered on numbers.

 
Count more on things like looking into the mirror, explore things with touch. You will for sure have better understanding that way, and stop the obsession with the numbers.
 
Can you share your thoughts about this? You are addicted to the scale, or you measure your progress otherwise?
 
 
 
 

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Mar 05

Organizing your life

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

All of us have different goals in life. But that’s really OK. Each and every one is different in terms of likes, dislikes; each and every one has different priorities and perspectives on life. But regardless what we want, one thing that is common is the way in which we pursue that.

 

Some of us seem to always get what we went after, but some simply cannot find the right way. I say cannot find the right way, simply because that’s what it is. It is not that they don’t want to, or don’t try enough, but simply cannot figure out a way or approach towards their goal.

 

Now, I’m not going to pretend to be smarty-pants, and know the answer to this one, but there is one thing that can help a lot when trying to attain your goals. I’m also pretty sure that you will back me up on this one, because you must have read it or heard it before, and many of you probably felt the benefits of it to.

 

Organization.

 

Yes, plain simple as that. Organizing your life is a key step in your pursuit for improved lifestyle.

 

With organizing your life you will achieve the much needed consistency, keeping your will power steady, and making sure that you are paving the right path. It is a virtue if you will, and a damn good one. And what is most important, nowadays it’s a necessity.

 

Organizing your life

With organizing your life you are closer to the success

 

Just take a look on someone who is successful in life. Or let’s not try to define success, but rather let’s say someone who is enjoying life, and finding a way to what he or she wants. The first picture you will get is of a person who is determined in what he is going after, and most of all a person who is organized, probably possess an effective time management skills and knows what to do in order to achieve his dream.

 

This alone reflects success, and imposes believe upon the others that no matter the current condition, that person will somehow get where he wants. Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever known just by evaluating someone’s lifestyle that you are looking at a person who is more likely to have whatever he wants? I know I have, and chances are you have experienced that too.

 

So the question isn’t whether or not we need some organizational structure, but rather how to organize our life, ourselves, and use it to its full potential. And that’s what we are here for. We are going to show you through series of posts about organizing your life many helpful hints about how to take your organization to the next level, and really squeeze all the good stuff out of it.

 

You see, throughout the internet you can find many helpful things regarding this topic, but going through all that material alone can be daunting. So one must read and read, again and again, in order to find something even remotely helpful. That’s why we are here to present you with the best information possible, without you even having to leave this site. It’s a passion of ours to read and talk about healthier, happier and more success oriented lifestyle, so we will be more than glad to share many helpful material that we are about to compose about this and many other subjects to come.

 

Organizing your life is one of the key factors towards fulfilling your goals, and living the life you want. Whether we are talking about career, self-improvement, time management, family or many other areas of life, organizing them can change your lifestyle from scratch.

 

The first of the series of post about organizing your life will follow this week.

 

Till than enjoy being awesome ;)
 
 
 
 

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Mar 02

Movie vs. book: Which one do you prefer ?

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

I wrote about this one on couple of forums some time ago, and each and every time an interesting discussion developed between the members. I myself have always been fan of the two, and learned to appreciate each of them by what they have to offer in terms of entertainment, as well as in terms of provoking powerful emotions, carrying a strong message, challenging you in a way so mysterious, yet so seductive. So what will you go with?
A movie or a book ? Which one do you prefer ?
 
Although it is always quite interesting to take a side on this one just for the sake of the argument, one can clearly see the extraordinary in both sides of the fence. You are a movie fanatic, and never quite had the time to catch up on your reading? Or you are quite the literate kind of fella, and short with movie titles? Well either way, it’s your loss.
 

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos


 
Now first let us be clear with something; when I say movie, and try to compare with the realm of the written word, you are probably guessing that I’m not talking about some packed with action and tech effects blockbuster. No, god forbid. I’m rather talking about something that can at the least provoke some second thought.
 

Movie

 
So, you have your movie which is packed with great acting (the one that stays remembered), clever shooting, top notch directing, lines that literally leave you without words and all of that brings certain chemistry on the screen, captivates you in a way and engages you further on in giving some thought. It can provoke some deep emotion, raise some rather serious questions, and feed your intellectual as well as your curious nature. When you add the great story behind all of this, that’s it; you are hooked. Entertainment always comes as a great plus, and you’ve learned to love the thing.
 

Book

 
Now on the other hand you have a book. Now I’m not talking about a book that is the foundation upon which this movie was made, but a completely different thing (I’ve never quite understood the comparison between a book and a movie that share the same story- I mean, there cannot be any comparison whatsoever. The thing is that the both are good only when you take them as a separate thing, and the sharing of the story just ruins the whole idea. Ok, I must admit with some exceptions to this of course).

Oh yes, the book. Well, here you have pages and pages of lines and words that are open to interpretation, and of course most of all fantasy. With a book in your hands you have the freedom to go from one place to another in expanding you imagination, and that’s not even the extend of it. The written word can uplift your imagination to the point where new thoughts and ideas are rushing through, and you are enlightened in a way. Now the same goes here as with the movies- forget about the cheap lame publishing that goes for the low and cheap of emotions. We are talking about quality work here people.
 

Or both

 
It is always interesting how with only one reading you can embed the whole thing in your head for years and years to come. The emotions it provokes, and the ideas it forms in your head can be that powerful indeed. On the other hand, you have to see a movie like couple of times throughout the years in order to truly squeeze all the juices. Ok, sometimes maybe not, but my point is that a book can be more of a something you remember longer, when on the other hand a movie can make you far more engaged and provoke you more in a certain way when it comes to the shorter time frame. It can act as a quick injection that delivers the effects right away, as opposed to the book which is more of a slower, harder to digest kind of thing.
 
Here you come into the game. With a book you must engage yourself furthermore by giving some second thought, and in turn you get more thought provoked and after all satisfied, wanting for more at the end. The movie can act the same way, but it is more easily digested, and the time span of the emotions it awakes can be rather small. It can in turn be more powerful packed with all that music, and scenography that the book can never serve. In terms of aesthetics it can be the jewel, and bring you some new views which are always great.
On the other hand the book can supply you with the best of words, make you became more literate, gives you the upper hand on forming your ideas and thoughts more thoroughly. That’s way I cannot distance myself from one at the dispense of another.
 
Have you ever thought about that? What do you like more; a movie or a book? Which one tends to bring you more in terms of ideas, powerful lasting emotions and leave your intellectual as well as curious nature more satisfied?
 
 
 
 

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Feb 28

The little pieces add up to your understanding of success

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

It’s a known practice for many, if not all of us to keep a close track on our progress in many aspects of life. However, the ones that we really focus on are not necessarily the most important ones when it comes to deciding priorities in life in general.
 
We all focus on finances, career, but somewhere along the way they know to hypnotize us per say, and make us forget about all the other aspects of life that we should be focusing on.
 
It is a picture that is most of all forced upon us by society, mass media, corporate way of thinking. And even though hard to believe, they somehow succeeded in embedding this picture in the minds of people for generations to come. And not trying to fight that mindset is what pushes us towards fully embracing it.
 
It is good to advance in these aspects of life, make no mistake about that; but we should be more selective when deciding our priorities. It plays a big part on the long run. Eventually over time we tap into some higher awareness and figure it all out, but doing that sooner can result in more versatile, yet fulfilled lifestyle and life in general.
 

Changing the focus for a better perspective

 
But how to actually change that mindset for good, and learn to appreciate it and therefore strive towards more important things in life? How to find that satisfaction in something that’s been off the radar for so long? How to start tilting towards more important things in life while ditching the addiction to society restrains?
 
Well the way I see it, we should start changing our priorities by simply focusing on smaller things in life. Start to appreciate the things you almost always put in the basket labeled ‘not important’ or just try to acknowledge them day by day in order to gain a better perspective.
 
Go and reminisce in retrospect about the things that you thought were not that important, and try to recognize them as success. Glimpse back for one month, maybe even more, and try to find something that is worth mentioning that you simply didn’t notice back then. You will come to realize that you’ve done a lot, and never even gave yourself the credit for that. You or maybe society decided that those things were not that important.
 
But here they are wrong. It’s the little things that sometimes make the progress, it’s the success in multiple aspects of life, some even though considered not important, that makes the big picture. And by acknowledging and doing so chances are you will start to appreciate things in life you never looked upon that way, and in a way have new found respect for yourself. That alone will in turn change you so much, that you will start to see yourself as very successful in life.
 
Start appreciate smaller scale success (at least what you now think that is), and you will learn how to impose the picture of success upon you, and see yourself in a different light. Than you will not only start to see things from a better perspective, but also have this believe that you can do whatever that is that you want.
 
Here is an exercise for you to do right away even today. Before you go to bed this night, try and think about five things that you did today which are worth mentioning. And you should not limit yourself for nothing. Anything and everything that you can recognize as being good. Everything that made your life better in any way.
 
Appreciate your healthy habits, your getting up early and going for some run, planning of the weak ahead, organizing your life,going out, meeting someone, playing on the piano just for yourself, finishing that book, seeing the progress you’ve made on the scale, solving the Rubik’s cube… Literally anything that pops on your mind. This way you will at least for a second shift your focus from the things you found important so far, and learn to search for every little thing in life that can make even the mildest of difference. It is a refresh worth taking. Over time you will learn to appreciate everything more, and hopefully have a more objective view on your goals, and at the end feel more successful in general.
 
 
 
 

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