Achieving Objectives Made Easy & Time Management Skills

I started the beginning of 2008 with the publication of a book on time management and goal setting called "Achieving Objectives Made Easy". This book has been a long time in the making.

The main reason it took so long is that whilst writing it I was also involved with the release of a book on Depression with a co-author in The Netherlands. We already found a publisher who seemed more then willing to publish us. The date of publication was even set on November last year. In august 2007 we learned that this publisher (one of the Dutch major publishers on scientific works) had decided not to go along with our project. As this was a breach in confidence and of the prior agreement we had had, we appointed a lawyer to settle things. This eventually lead to a financial settlement but unfortunately not to a book. :-(

Anyway, to make a long story short, I decided then and there that this would be the last time I let my dreams and hopes be jeopardized by being dependent on others.

So I registered my own publishing company.

This has proven to be an interesting journey in itself. And I still learn new stuff all the time.

So here it is. Our first baby.

The Benefits of Meditation and Prayer in Everyday Life

Is your daily routine so busy and full of activities that it’s causing you stress and agitation? We’ve all heard of the health risks associated with too much stress, but how can you reduce that stress and find peace in your life?

To achieve a sense of peace, you can turn to the gift of prayer and meditation.

There are many benefits to meditation and prayer:

1.    Stress reduction. Both meditation and prayer are wonderful for reducing stress. You'll find that it helps you learn how to get away from the worries of life to a more peaceful state of mind.

•    Just 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference by bringing peace and relaxation to your body and mind. A few minutes each day isn’t much, considering that the positive effects will last hours.

2.    Improved health. Many studies have proven that prayer and meditation foster vibrant health. Usually these health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and decreased risk of heart disease, occur because of the lowered stress levels.

•    Physical problems are often a symptom of turmoil on the inside and prayer and meditation can help to overcome that turmoil.

3.    Better control over your thoughts. Having negative thoughts from time to time is part of being human. Many people who are stressed don't believe they’re able to control what they think. The stress mounts, tempers flair, and before long arguments ensue.

However, by bringing prayer and meditation into your life, it’s possible to control your thoughts and stop negative thinking as soon as it happens. This helps keep your mind at peace.

4.    Happiness. Both peace of mind and happiness are true benefits of meditation and prayer. Everyone is seeking happiness in their lives, and when you’re able to find peace of mind through prayer and meditation, you’re also welcoming happiness into your life.

By spending some time in personal reflection, you’ll gain a greater wisdom of your mission in this life, and you’ll be better able to appreciate all that you’ve been given, both good and bad. Meditation and prayer help banish those negative thoughts that threaten your peace of mind.

5.    Better concentration. As you pray and meditate, you welcome peace and tranquility into your mind, which then affects how you live your life. When you alleviate the stresses in your life, you’re better able to concentrate on the things that are important, such as family or work.

•    Continued prayer and meditation will help you expand your focus to multiple areas of your life.

Although prayer and meditation can provide peace in your life, it can be hard to make the time at first, but it’s easier than you think. Simply find a quiet place in your home and allow yourself to relax and feel at peace for 10-15 minutes. You deserve those 15 minutes of peace each day!

While there are plenty of positive benefits of prayer and meditation, it may take practice and perseverance to achieve them. Over time you’ll begin to experience this wonderful gift in your own life and you’ll be thankful that you did!

The Effect of Interruptions on Performance

We all know that interruptions can take a chunk of productive time out of our day, but many don't realize how much time they actually consume.  Sure, you might only spend five minutes on the phone, or talking to a co-worker, but then it takes you another minute to get back to your desk, get comfortable, get yourself concentrating and back on track.  Even if it's not a lot of extra time, all those little interruptions can add up to a big loss of productivity throughout the day.

Does your work have a policy on answering phones and emails?  If you are not required to pick up the phone right away or respond to emails immediately, don't.  By not answering, you'll save that little bit of time it took to check your email and scan your box, or the time it took to refocus after a call.

In addition to refocusing, you'll likely add another task to your already full to-do list and you'll be thinking about that instead of the task at hand.  While it may seem like it's just a little extra time here and there, all those little bits of time can add up to a huge loss.

If you have the option, save phone calls and emails until certain parts of the day.  Set aside chunks of time to answer all your voicemails and emails at once.  This will keep you brain focused on what you're doing.  Plus if you're calling into your voicemail less, or using form emails you can quickly copy and paste, you'll save even more time by doing these things two of three times instead of twenty.

Once you get the phone and email interruptions under control, you can then start on ìstop byî interruptions.  Unlike phone and email, you can't just ignore a co-worker who stops by your office to chat, and hope they will go away.  This may make them harder to deal with, but it's still possible to cut down on the distraction. 

The easiest way to do this is to shut your door.  This way, you don't have to be rude, but people still know that you're trying to concentrate and want to be left alone.  It also helps cut out conversations and other noise coming from outside the office that could steal your attention.

Another way to cut down on distractions is to remove them from your office space.  Everyone has the picture of their loved ones on their desk, but many times ìpersonalizingî your area can go too far.  Soon the stress balls, posters, and other clutter can go from cute to just plain annoying.  These things not only give you a smaller work area, they can also distract your attention just long enough to derail a hot streak.

Don't expect to be able to do this all at once and suddenly be more productive.  It takes time to develop new habits and to make a real difference; you may have to develop lots of new habits.  Try closing your door one day, then cutting down on answering emails once you've gotten used to that.  Soon you'll find you have lots of extra time to get everything done you need to.