Strategies to Avoid Wasting Time - The Benefits of Multitasking

In Today's World

It seems that more and more we run around just trying to catch our breath. Life just sometimes seems way too packed for comfort. There is a better way to live but it takes some thinking.

In this article I'm going to give you some strategies to avoid wasting time by utilizing the benefits of multitasking.

I Learned a Long Time Ago

That multitasking is best done by pairing tasks that need my attention with tasks that don't. One of the best instances I can think of is doing laundry while cooking because cooking requires my focus and attention (unless I really want burned food) and laundry doesn't require any more attention than just hearing the alarms and then going out and switching it or laying it out until I can fold it later.

There Are Only Two Pretty Simple Parts to This Strategy:

First, think about your high focus tasks of the day and then your lower focus tasks of the day.

Second, see which of these you can pair.

If You Can Master Those Two Steps

Then you can really reap the benefits of multitasking which include:

· More time for your family and friends-Who doesn't want more time for those we love. The relationship with our spouse needs to be cultivated no matter what's going on...and sometimes especially because of what's going on. And don't forget the extra time you'd have with kids who will be gone way too soon.

· More time for hobbies-It's important to keep growing mentally and hobbies are one of the ways we continue growing. And they're great at reducing stress too. Hobbies are especially welcomed for we women who are conditioned to come home from working 8 hours and start cooking, after that the kids need help with homework, then it's time to oversee bathing then it's bedtime for them, and then it's housework for us. Hobbies are things we do for ourselves even if they do ultimately benefit the family.

· Less stress-Multitasking, when done right, automatically reduces stress by allowing you to get more done in less time. Beware! Done wrong, however, and it can add to your stress level.

· Getting more done-It's really rewarding to get more things done during the day and not wonder where your time went and how you didn't accomplish this or that.

Setting a good example for your kids-We all want to set a good example for our kids. They are, after all, a reflection of us and our values. Whether they consider you Super Mom or Stupid Mom you impact them. If you give them an early exposure to multitasking then they'll have a head start on being a time conscious adult.

Are you ready to begin managing your time better? Download my free ebook about Time Management for some wonderful ideas.

7 Ruthless Time Management Tips For Mobile Marketing Professionals

It is no secret that how you manage your 168 hours per week will influence your income. Some people wonder why they never manage to accomplish their goals. Others have found a way of skillfully navigating through the day making the most out of it. As you might guess their bank accounts are swelling each day. How can you eliminate time bandits while remaining cool?

1) Do an honest time audit.

You may not have realized it, but you could be having many time-wasting activities in your average day. The only way to find out is to be self-conscious. Do a time check on all your activities. For instance, how much time do you spend on social media sites? How about emails and personal phones? You need an accurate picture to help you cut down on time stealers.

2) Have time management goals.

The best way to slash time wasters is to change habits. Focus on things that matter while ignoring distractions. For example, have a goal of spending no more than 30 minutes on social media sites. Decide that for the next 7 days your phones will be off for 3 hours each day. During this time you work without leaving your station for more than 5 minutes.

3) Employ time management tools.

You could use a simple 'to do list'. You may go for software programs that suit you. Some are very useful and remind you of events in advance. Whatever you choose, it is preferable to plan your day each morning or the previous night. At the end of the day use your tools to review how much you achieved.

4) Determine your priorities each morning.

Not all task have equal priority. I mostly find that the most important activities are also the most difficult. As human beings we mostly move away from pain to pleasure and will most likely start with the easy things. To avoid this and have the most out of your day, start with the most difficult tasks. As a mobile marketer, think of writing first thing in the morning.

5) Delegate or outsource non-core activities.

It does matter the size of your business, there is something that is of low return. For instance, why should you go to the post office? Why should you be the one buying the printer cartridge or papers? These are low return activities a family member or neighborhood child can do for you. You can batch all activities and have someone come in for one hour per week to do them. Online, there are thousands of people who can write articles, maintain your website or answer your emails at far lower than minimum US wages.

6) Never ever waste time waiting.

Always carry something to read or listens to whenever you leave home. Balance your checkbook while waiting for the doctor's appointment. Listen to mobile marketing audio while at the airport transit lounge. Plan your next marketing campaign as you wait for your client. Technology makes it easy to work from wherever you are. Take advantage of it.

7) Stick to routines.

Answers all emails at once at a specific time. Write a report at 9 am every day. Write one page of your next New York bestseller book every day before going to bed. Good habits are important to your success in every area of your life not just mobile marketing.

Mary Wilhite is a Mobile Marketing Specialist, also known as the Mobile Marketing Queen. Teaching small businesses, entrepreneurs, and internet marketers how to attract better customers with mobile marketing devices. Get more of her mobile marketing tips, tricks, and strategies today. Just click here http://marywilhiteblog.com/

How to Become Better at Multi-Tasking

One of the Main Things

I get asked by people is how to become better at multi-tasking. This is actually one of the simpler time management techniques to put into action and in this article I'm going to outline the steps needed for you...yes, even you...to become a champion multi-tasker.

First of All, What Is Multi-tasking?

It's simply doing more than one thing at a time. Now, I'd never been good at that until I got a little older and realized what I was doing wrong. When I was younger and tried to multi-task I tried to do two or more things that shouldn't have been paired together. They were two things that both needed my full attention...for instance, trying to read and watch kids. Now, You may be able to do that, but I couldn't...especially not at the beach.

When I Finally Realized What I Was Doing Wrong

And what I needed to do in order to do it right I made some changes and, as a result, I've been a very successful multi-tasker ever since...and you can too.

As a result, I get much more done, my stress level has decreased, and my day runs smoother. So are you ready to learn how to become better at multi-tasking? Here are the steps:

First,

Write down all you need to do that day...everything.

Pick up dry cleaning

Lunch with sisters

Pick up stuff to bake cupcakes

Bake cupcakes

Fix dinner

Pick up kid from school

Practice choir songs

Laundry

Kid's soccer practice

Read research for class

Help kid study for spelling test

Second,

Figure out which of these you could pair together. Successful pairings would be high focus tasks with lower focus tasks. The rest can fit in wherever and whenever. So, here's how I'd pair them based on my typical day:

I'd pick up dry cleaning before lunch (it's close to where I'd be having lunch). Then meet sisters. Sisters need to do some shopping so we all do ours together.

Then, I'd pick up my child so they could help with baking cupcakes (quality time together).

The cupcakes would be in the oven while dinner is cooking (I'm already in the kitchen).

I'd also have laundry washing while I'm cooking and my child doing their homework in the kitchen with me so I can help them study for their test.

All day in the vehicle I'd be practicing my choir songs while I'm driving.

I'd put clothes in the dryer on my way out to soccer practice.

While my child is at soccer practice I'd be in the car reading my research paper (they should be practicing...not wondering what I'm doing).

When I got home from soccer practice, I'd run the clothes just 10 more minutes to dewrinkle (they've been sitting there for an hour or so) and then go ahead and put them up...after all, I've been sitting and could use standing up for a while.

If You'll Notice

These are all things which can naturally be done together...singing in the vehicle, sisters shopping together, kid baking with us and then doing homework while we're cooking, etc.

If you'll take the time to think of multi-tasking in this way you'll get so much more done in less time and with less stress.

Are you ready to begin managing your time better? Download my free ebook about Time Management for some wonderful ideas. Also visit me at There Must Be A Better Way

The Roots of Procrastination

Procrastination is a life-ruiner. But it doesn't have to be that way. Recovery is a well kept secret.

If you have ever truly entered into the dark heart of procrastination you will know that time management training, action plans and reward schemes are not the answer. Sometimes painful, even devastating consequences, are not strong enough to take on the power of procrastination. For it is a veritable superpower in the battle to get stuff done.

Procrastination is an enigma too. It resides within yet it feels like an invisible, outside force that physically bears down on the afflicted to keep them from the tasks they themselves have elected to do. This is the hardest part to fathom - it is not just the distasteful or the difficult task that is put off - but also the long dreamed of one. The mind divides and turns on itself.

Of course people do procrastinate what is disagreeable to them, what serves another but not them, what appears complex and burdensome. This kind of procrastination can have serious consequences but it has shallow roots. It is amenable to reform through strategies, training and reward or the simple revocation of the task as a goal - I no longer wish to do this! This kind of procrastination is objectively and emotionally logical.

No, the procrastination of which I speak - though it may also share those characteristics - springs from a deep underground source. Undoubtedly it has a logic but the rationale is hidden. That source is a place where to strike out and write the essay, complete the paperwork, set the wheels in motion is as impossible as if one were indeed being held down. The lucky ones will be visited by the spirit of productivity just in time but will be hurt and saddened by the inferior outcomes and the anxiety-soaked weeks that preceded action. The unlucky ones will watch their hopes and dreams, even the mundane chores that make up a life, slip away. In time, the promises to start tomorrow will cease to be given as they reluctantly conclude that some people just aren't meant to have a life. At its darkest, procrastination is an emotional suicide.

And yet, there is a way to overcome it, to reach down to the deepest roots and pull them out for good. A little-known group of simple (yes, simple!) techniques called energy or meridian therapies have sprung up over the last 20 to 30 years and they penetrate the unconscious by calling the problem to mind while tapping or holding points on the face and hands. Problems do not have to be relived, or endlessly discussed - they just dissolve. Of course, just as becoming a procrastinator was a process, so it is a process to 'unbecome' one. Shallow roots may be pulled in just one or a handful of sessions but deep ones will take a number of sessions to eradicate. There are now many of these EFT, TFT or TAT practitioners around the world. Many work over the 'phone or by skype.

I urge anyone who sees themselves in this article to get help now. If you sit on it for another year the only thing that will change is that you have lost another year and you will be one year more regretful. Your life is waiting for you and it is a beautiful place.

Eimear Mc Allister is a lawyer and a meridian practitioner who specialises in helping people overcome procrastination. When she worked for the Law Society advising and inspecting solicitors, she saw up close how devastating procrastination can be for all concerned and resolved to help people overcome it. Her unique combination of investigative skills gained at the Bar, intuition and energy methods make her a superpower worthy to take on procrastination. Find her at http://www.freedomfromprocrastination.com/. Give her your take on procrastination or ask about her services. She is based in the UK and works in person and by Skype.

Controlling Time Like A Super Hero

I'm not sure if any of you ever watched the show "Heroes" when it was airing but I absolutely fell in love with the character Hiro Nakamura. All the characters found that they were developing special abilities like super heroes and Hiro's ability was that he was able to control time and teleport.

I have good news for you today!

You also have the ability to control time (well... your perception of time) and I'm going to share my secret with you.

Have you ever had those days when time just flew by and you looked up at the clock and realized that work was almost over? Don't you just love that feeling?

There's a really easy formula for making that happen for yourself during every single work day!

I know it sounds really crazy and you may be sitting there thinking - "Ya, right this guy is a total kook", but by putting this short visualization activity in practice you can really change your perception of time throughout your day.

I usually do this when I'm driving to work, but you can take your time and do it before you leave or even in your office or car.

Imagine yourself going about your day doing everything you might do in a normal day of work, but see yourself doing it in very slow motion.

Next, imagine everyone else moving around you in fast forward like on a video tape sped up super fast.

There are just a couple distinctions I would like to point out also.

First, make sure that the picture you are imagining is in first person view, watching your slow motion actions as if you were looking out from your own eyes (like Wolfenstein 3D).

Second, when you are doing this visualization it really helps to clearly imagine all of your senses input. In your mind really hear, smell, touch, taste, and see everything you would if you were in that moment.

If you find that it is difficult for you to visualize this with your eyes open please do not do this exercise while you are driving!

It's really fun to see the results of this exercise of controlling time and it really works well. It's an old trick from the science of neuro-linguistic programming that I have continued to use over the years. I hope you find that it works really well for you also! Have fun with it and always enjoy yourself in everything you do!

Jon Gentry lives in Texas with his loving family where he practices and teaches martial arts. He has worked as a fitness trainer and a fitness consultant and uses martial arts as a tool for self discovery and personal development. He has a passion for life and sharing his philosophy with others.

3 Tips on How to Prioritize Your Work Load

There are many ideas on who, what, when, why, and how you should prioritize. It should go without saying that what works for one person may not work for you...so you should definitely try different methods and find out what works best for you.

Too, what works this week may not work next week. So any take-a-way should also include the understanding about the need to remain somewhat flexible and have a few different methods in place from which you can choose.

With that said, I'd like give you my 3 tips on how to prioritize your work load. It's the same system that works for me the vast majority of the time.

Tip #1-By Order of Importance

Obviously some things are of greater importance than others. For instance, in my case, I may have 4 tasks to accomplish on my to do list today such as:

Write 5 articles-This really is a priority task.

Record for 2 hours-This is also a priority task.

Answer coaching client's questions-This, too, is a high priority task.

Answer personal emails-This may have to get pushed aside if time is running short in my day.

Tip #2-By Deadline

It would seem logical that something with a deadline, by default, needs to be handled quickly. I remember when I was applying to college that there seemed so many deadlines for this and that it about drove me crazy.

What I do is take all my tasks that have deadlines and then go ahead and schedule them on a calendar for certain days so that they all get done before the deadline.

I am...ashamedly...sometimes a procrastinator on those tasks which, yes they have a deadline, but I'm still just not keen on doing them. For example, recently 2 of my grandchildren were doing a fundraiser by selling the magazines (yes, I hear the groans). I put that off for 2 weeks and finally thought to look at the deadline. It was for that very day.

Phew! I made it...barely. I ordered 2 magazines from each of them so now they'll each get a Spongebob Squarepants shirt.

Tip #3-By Greatest Impact

I have many tasks that I can choose from each and every day. The trick is to choose the tasks which will have the greatest impact on my life or my work in general. For instance, I don't want to waste time on tasks that won't provide a decent return for my time spent.

Watching TV, surfing the internet, reading the newspaper, spending a lot of time chatting on the phone...these are all big time-wasters in my mind and if you're serious about time management you absolutely must get these time suckers under control.

I hope these 3 tips on how to prioritize your work load have been, and will be, helpful to you.

By the way, do you want to learn more about time management? If so, then download my brand new free ebook about Time Management. Or, visit me at Must Be A Better Way

The Skill of Relaxed Efficiency

Stress is a plague in today's society.

The side effects of stress are many;

It weakens our body which then causes illness, owing to stress, people generate significantly less and when stressed, people are less creative, the list goes on and on.

Problems due to stress cost society vast amounts of dollars each and every year.

On the bright side this is a excellent chance for anybody who can lower their levels of stress and produce at a higher level, continuously year in year out. Those people will be the most valued assets in a firm.

Thinking of the long run

On the horizon their doesn't look like any end to the stress; firms and firms keep expecting more for no more, which means we must work harder, generate more and better results.

Which means if we are to solve the situation we can't turn to the outer world, we will need to look inside ourselves and make a change.

While I mastered the 80/20 Rule

Many of us focus on jobs that actually don't have much of an influence on our future.

20 % of the activities we perform account for 80 Per-cent of the results we deliver.

A different way of putting it, is that if you have a list of Ten actions, Two of them will have a greater affect on your future compared to other Eight assembled.

When I looked over my time-table it was really obvious.

I worked back then as a sales manager with Five sales agents beneath me, my task list was the following:

1. Making sales phone calls
2. Coach Sales representatives
3. Sitting in conferences with my managers
4. Prepare advertising and sales strategies
5. Answer and reply to messages
6. Write standardised offers
7. Create campaign banners
And some other insignificant tasks.

When I looked through this list I saw that Eighty percent of the benefit I created for my company came from;

coaching sales agents and making my own sales calls.

Many of the others were trivial or easy to delegate.

Once I started concentrating on those 2 jobs my statistics and value increased which in turn rapidly got me a promotion.

Tips on how to focus your efforts

Not too long ago I was shown a great way of lowering stress, this guide can help you, through getting thoughts, deals and commitments out of your mind and on to paper, a place you know you will be able to go back and review it often so you know you won't forget it.

By not having to hold everything in the mind you can observe it and judge what are the 20 % most important actions and will also be in the position to concentrate single-mindedly on those tasks without having to keep in mind many other thoughts and ideas.

Step 1 - Precisely what is using plenty of your focus and energy?

Put on paper a long list of everything you are thinking about and stressing about.

Step 2 - What would be considered a positive end result to this situation?

To each and every point listed write and visualize what a perfect solution would be and record it.

Step 3 - How important is it that this task is finished?

By responding to this question you learn if this task is something you need and should do or if it really isn't that important and can be eliminated.

Step 4 - What action could you take to move the project towards that goal?

Once you know that the idea is an important one write down what the next action you can take to move the goal towards its perfect solution.

Step 5 - Decide when you are going to do the action

Write it down in your calendar.

Let go and relax

D o you feel how much you can relax now that you don't have to remember all your ideas? Now that you know that they will be done? Now that you know how they will be solved?

This exercise has helped people all over the world get their ideas in writing, find actionable steps to take on them and start moving towards their achievement. It is a great cure to procrastination and a great way to increase your productivity and decrease stress.

Daniel M. Wood is a personal development coach and trainer. He has a background in Psychology, Sales, marketing and sports. Through his work with students around the world he has created the course "The Time Management Expert Course" that has helped hundreds of people decrease stress, increase their motivation and become a lot more efficient.

The course teaches you how to get control over your life and make room to be both spontaneous and relaxed.

Check out the course and see how it can help you.