There's only one way to know if your advertising copy is any good. It's the same way that your customer knows it—it sells!

We are not all born copywriters, but we are all born customers. As a natural born customer, you can recognize good copy…

Step outside yourself and read the copy fresh: does it reach out and connect with you, does it hold your interest, does it promise something real that you really want, does it convince you?

“It has been said that advertising space without good copy is like the wooden Indian in
front of a cigar store:  It locates the store but it doesn't say anything.” Thus began an article about advertising copy written in the year the Titanic went down. What else did this sage of sales have to say in 1912?

“Good advertising copy does three things: 
         First:    Attracts attention. 
         Second:  Interests the reader. 
         Third:   Convinces the reader.
 
“The first mission of an advertisement… is to attract attention.  The attention of the reader may be secured by pictures, trade marks, striking headlines… Copy must be terse, clear cut, and to the point. It must consist of short, crisp sentences. Long words should be avoided where possible.  This is a busy world.  Few people have time for long-winded descriptions and explanations.” (Churchill, for one, agrees: "Short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.")

Then and now, you know if the copy pulls you in. Even if it’s your product—even if it’s your copy—you know. Now for gaining and keeping interest…

“To make your advertising interesting, you must not only set forth the merits and quality of the article advertised, but you must make clear how it will benefit the purchaser. For example, if you are advertising a moving picture machine for use in the home… Point out the great benefit to be derived from the ownership of such a machine. 

“Tell how it will entertain the whole family and their friends both young and old.  How it will help to keep the boys at home in the evenings… In selling an automobile the important thing to advertise is… the pleasure that the car affords; the joy and healthfulness of riding through the country… how it makes it convenient to call on distant friends, etc. etc.

“To tell what the article advertised will do for the purchaser in the way of entertainment, education, comfort, convenience, etc., is really of more importance than the thing itself.”

These words may have been written over 100 years ago but it's hard to express it any better today, which is why you’re reading them here.

Next, the bottom line—convincing the reader. That bottom line is right where it has been all along, because it is not drawn in the sand of fashion; it has nothing (and everything) to do with hemlines and bumpers. The bottom line is drawn in the unchanging human heart.

“A salesman must first sell to himself before he can sell it to others… The advertisement that brings the best results is the one that is written by the man who honestly believes in the goods that he is selling.”

Does that conviction come through? You’ll know when it does, because it’s more contagious than influenza. Ted Nicholas, "The Guru of Direct Mail Marketing," is as savvy today as the wise man of 1912. "Certain words produce amazing results, as if by magic. All you desire in life, including everlasting wealth, can be yours depending on the words with which you express yourself.  As with all the great truths, once known, they seem so simple."

Complimentary English lesson of the day! What is an oxymoron?

oxymoron- as defined at dictionary.com. Noun : conjoining contradictory terms (as in "deafening silence")

Can silence be deafening??? Can time be managed???

I can't think of a program that I have ever done that didn't include the oxymoron "time management" as a common problem identified by the participants attending. Since most of my work is with sales people or sales managers I thought I might take a moment and address the issue of time management as it relates specifically to those functions. There are many strategies we can use to get control of the time we have, here are a couple of ideas that might help you.

First, let's define the problem and identify that "time management" is really a symptom of the inability to manage and set priorities. No one yet (to my knowledge, call me if you know the secret!) has found a way to manage time. We cannot control the hands on the clock or when the sun rises and sets. We can only manage and control what we do with our time. So, the real issue is not managing time but managing what we do with the time we have, making sure that we spend it on the most important priorities.

Second, you must understand and be willing to accept the fact that there will never be a day when you get everything done (except of course the day you die!). Until you are willing to accept that reality that you will be constantly frustrated by your inability to get everything done. More important, however, is that thinking you can get everything done will cause you to make promises of delivery (goods, services, favors or other deliverables) that are unrealistic. Let's make sure we are thinking correctly about the problem or we're doomed to repeat it.

If you understand that you can't get everything done, then you must decide what needs to get done and what can be put off (for later, or forever!). Everyday you need to make a list of what needs to get done and then take a minute and prioritize your list. For many sales people a good way to prioritize is getting into the habit of identifying and doing things that have the "highest likelihood of making you money or losing you money". These tasks are often referred to as "money tasks", and are often the most stressful tasks on the list (see post "clean out your locker", 9/24). Particularly, if you are a commissioned based sales person, this will have a great impact on your earning potential and keep you focused on the right tasks. I'm confident that using the "money call" rule will make you more money, try it!

In the following months we'll add some other priority management techniques that will help you get better control of your time. For now, set your priorities on doing the things that affect your "pocket book" and I'll bet you'll feel better about how you use your time!

Time management is the process of working to succeed.  When we are working to succeed, we are reaching our goals.  Sometimes it is difficult when time are constantly changing and problems get in our way, so it is important to decide which plan works for you as well as understanding that life has its ups and downs.  When we are planning to reach goals, we have sit down and really ponder on what is needed to reach this goal or set of goals.  Some of us prefer to set short-term goals, reach that goal, and then go for a long-term goal.  Most of us prefer to set short and long-term goals in the same time management scheme in an effort to reach both goals accordingly.  This is always wise, since you do not want to start over with another time management scheme once you reach your short-term goal.  One of the best tools provided to me in time management or rather business planning, was role-playing.  When we are setting goals for our self and searching for a solution to make the goal work, it often helps to play out the parts as you come to a decision.  If you see this works, then it is obviously part of the solution required to reach your goals.  However, if you see that there are issues, then you need to re-evaluate to find a solution that is more fitting.  Time management is essential, since it demands the person (s) to plan, act on those plans, and stay focused on those goals with motivation in play.  You must also keep reality in view, since if you neglect the realness of the world, you will not be prepared when things go wrong.

Disasters such as storms, computer failures, family illness, personal sickness, and so on can happen any time.  There is no sense in believing that you are absent from reality.  It is always wise to include elements of your time management scheme in accordance with disaster, by thinking critical on the different issues that may arise.  For example, if you plan a solution ahead of a computer failure, you will have the tools to continue working while your issue is addressed.  Time solution is more than just planning then, it is a solution for planning here, now, and then.  When you begin your planning, you should start by analyzing now.  Now is in the present and you can see the elements that are needed to achieve your goals?  If you know you need a computer to start a business in the next five-years, you should begin setting up a budget for the computer in demand.  It is always wise when setting up budgets to open savings or money market accounts that does not take money from you, rather increases your savings by offering a nice interest on your savings.  This can help you to reach the goal sooner.  Computers are relatively cheaper nowadays, so you will not have to put much focus on this area, unless you intend to purchase a mainframe coupled with another system.  Mainframes are expensive pieces of equipment.  Next, you can search to find out more information about what is needed to start up a new business.  It depends on the type of business you are achieving to reach, but most require desks, computers, pens, paper, cabinets, chairs, and so on.  Be sure you add these expenses to your budgeting account.  You may also want to include other essentials for starting a business, such as insurance policies, health insurance, and disaster recovery coverage and so on.  Open separate accounts for your current financial obligations so that your savings will accumulate and your savings will not be affected.  Try to avoid purchasing something that is not needed throughout the course of your time management planning, since this can only delay your progress.  If you intend to open a business in five or ten years, make sure you keep this in sight while you work to the main goal laid out in your time management scheme.  Time management is working to succeed.  If you want to succeed then you must work hard every day to meet your goals.

In the busy world of today, it is more and more important that individuals learn how to properly manage their times in order to maintain a healthy balance between work, personal lives, and family. It is beginning to feel as though there are just not enough hours in any day for all of the required jobs to get done, let alone the time to unwind for the sake of personal health. Fortunately, there are a lot of books and resources that have been developed in order to assist a person in handling their time accordingly. Here are some classes and resources I found while doing some research on the Internet, and what they offer in terms of time management hints.

The Seven Habit of Highly Effective People, a book by Stephen Covey. In this book, Covey offers some time management strategies as well as categorizing the different strategies available today. In another book, he also proposes a new category of fourth generation time management, which a difference in the matter of urgency and the importance of planning. The first generation is classified as go with the flow, and individuals practicing this method keep lists which are used as reminders, and any unaccomplished items are added to the list of the next day. The second generation plans and prepares for their needs, using appointment books, calendars, electronic devices. IT is about goal setting and preparation. The third generation spends time in prioritizing and preparing for different areas of time management.

Software: There are several software programs developed to keep track of time management that can be vital assistants to the small business owner and the large business employee alike. Track-It Light Time Tracking Software is available through Dovico. It is not expensive, and allows a variety of time entry, the ability to keep track of multiple projects, and does not take up a lot of your computer’s resources because of its light format. Responsive Time Logger Time Tracking Software has an interface which allows a user to jump from project to project and also allows you to manage your time from a Palm device.

Courses: There are hundreds of courses available to help train people to manage their time better, and they are available both online and through educational institutes as well as through government programs as might be found at an employment agency or retraining office. Many businesses will also offer their employees training sessions on utilizing time efficiently. These courses are a great opportunity to lessen the stress in your life and harmonize your experiences by helping you to more effectively balance the different areas of your life.

There are several different ways in which the individual can learn to better manage his or her time. For some, reading a book might be enough to set them on a stress free path where deadlines are always met and personal lives are perfectly balanced. It may be better for most individuals, however, to take advantage of as many different resources as possible.

Time management is a way for people to design as well as activate their time with maximum efficiency. When you become more proficient with time management, you will be able to accomplish daily tasks with ease and you will feel better about yourself. Time management static noise and trouble normatively arise not only considering you have too much to do, but rather, resulting from the way you manage your time. The modern life offers a lot of distractions out there that make possible you to divert your attention to odds and ends that are more fun to do.

You can find many advantages to managing your own time. You can actually gain time, lower avoidance, eliminate cramming as well as reduce your anxiety. So as to manage your time successfully, having an awareness of what your goals are will assist you when it plays a part in prioritizing your activities.

The central thing about it is that there are steps that can be taken to organize your life and handle it more effectively. You can kick off by creating a schedule or a task list. Be sure to include deadlines that the tasks must be completed by. Be sure to accurately allot enough time for each job or incident. You will need to consider as well as invite things such as driving time, set, breaks etc.

When faced with burdensome tasks and challenges you should try as well as make sure you make those once you are greatest alert. If you will improve and upgrade your attention as well as alertness levels, you are able to focus your attention more expressly, therefore making it easier to accomplish the operation.

You should think about creating time that is exclusively your own. Formulate the alarm, so that you get up a half an hour earlier or go to bed a half-hour later than ordinary. Involve when you are thinking about your schedule alone time with your spouse or friends.

Prioritize what you need to accomplish during the day. Focus your attention on the operation or events with the superior rewards. If you see odds and ends getting done, you will feel better about yourself, leaving you to do more.

Taking on more than you have time for can put a principal damper on your time management as well as leave you feeling drained. You should put a lot of effort in learning how to refuse and saying "no". If you know that you do not have the extra time, do not volunteer for an additional committee. Sometimes, throughout your life, you will need to turn down invitations to events that you do not have enough time to attend.

It is a know fact that we all suffer from procrastination. If you are able to overcome procrastination, managing your time will turn into much easier. The entier team of people is familiar with the lifelong saying, "don't put off till tomorrow, what we can do in these days".


Although it is easy to get into a rut as well as slack off from daily tasks, there is hope. You can manage your time as well as accomplish the things you want, with little effort. Just be sure to follow the simple steps to time management as well as remember to take it one day at a time.

College years cannot be forgotten easily. Why? Because it is one of the hardest and the toughest stage in a person’s life. It entails lots of preparations and adjustments.

College life is full of challenges. College students are faced of mountainous confrontations and obstacles that must be faced. These students must work hard to prove not only to themselves but to other people that they are worthy of getting into college and finishing successfully.

To do and accomplish all the challenges and dares that are facing the college students, proper time management is necessary. College student should know how to manage time properly and how to consume time for worthy things. 

The ability to manage and schedule time wisely makes college life easier. Missing important deadlines and appointments may cause difficulty and complications to both the academic and social life of the student. These things can also result to guilt, anxiety, stress, frustrations and other negative feelings.

The following are some of the tips for college students on how to manage time their time successfully.

•  Learn how to prioritize. Prioritization is one of the most important aspects of time management. Proper prioritization of engagements and responsibilities is very necessary. There are too many college students that are ignorant and do not know how to set prioritization. This can often lead to procrastinations.

•  Make use of ‘to do list’. This does not necessarily mean making a schedule. This is only listing the things that are important to be done. List things according to their importance. 

•  Stop being a perfectionist. Nothing is perfect. God created no perfect things and individuals. When you try to be perfect, you are only setting your self up for defeat. Many difficult and hard tasks lead to avoidance and procrastinations.

•  Set goals. Setting goal is good in managing the time of college students. You should set goals that are not only attainable but should also be challenging.

•  Try to combine several activities. Trying to combine many several activities in one sitting. Example of these are the following:

when watching a sit-com, try to compute your bills in between commercials; when taking a shower, list in your mind the things that are needed to be done; while you are commuting on the way to school, listen to taped notes. These things can save you some of your time that could have been set aside for other things.

•  Survey your personal time. Making personal time survey help in estimating how much time is consumed and spent in many typical activities. This is very important if you are wanting to manage your time properly. Do these by tracking the time you spent for a day or a week. This gives you an idea on how much time you are consuming in different activities and things. This will also allow you to realize and identify the time wasters.

•  Make a daily schedule to be followed. There are many different styles of time schedules that you can use. Try to make use of the time schedule that can fit into your personality. The common styles of time scheduling are through engagement books, cards, a piece of poster board tacked to a wall and many other styles. Once you are know what style to use, construct it soon. Put in the time schedule all the things that are necessary, including your personal needs.

•  Take some notes and review them before the end of the day. This will help identify the things that you have done properly and the things that you have failed to do. This can help you develop proper time management skills.

•  You should learn how to say no. There is nothing wrong in saying no in some instances and cases. For example, somebody invited you to watch a movie at a time when you have got something to do. Leave out the movie and prioritize your task. You can do that later on.

Learning proper time management for college students is very important. Learning these things early on will prepare them for the life that lay ahead of them. These will be their tool in achieving the life they are dreaming of.

The application of time management skills has tended, in the past, to be thought of as something that is for business life only. In reality, though, time management is something from which we can all benefit in our personal lives as well, and in the art of marrying our working lives with our home and social lives.

Those benefits show in a number of ways, including health, well being and satisfaction with our lives overall. Manage your time well, and you can feel in control of your life, rather than letting events control you. There is no single "method" of time management, either in business or personal life. However, there are various time management tips and techniques, practices and theories, which it is worth knowing about.

Acquiring time management skills is something we can set about doing in a methodical way. Really, we all practice time management whether we know it or not. It is more a matter of whether we do it well or badly. The following tips are for improving time management skills, building on those that you will naturally have. Even primitive man used time management, it was just a lot simpler in those days. Time had to be allocated for hunting, and that time had to be used to the fullest effect possible to survive.

Here are just a few time management tips:

1. Before learning any techniques to help you manage your time, have a clear idea of what you are setting out to achieve. Give yourself the opportunity to get your life in some sort of order so that you can both enjoy it to the full and succeed to the full. If you just apply time management to areas of your life that do not really matter to you, then you will not be progressing at a personal level.

2. Get your priorities clear in your mind, so that they are a natural part of you. This will need to become a habit to be very effective, and you will need to apply prioritizing over a number of time spans. Your long term success will probably depend on your being able to prioritize what you need to do to achieve that success. However, to use your time well on a particular day, you need to start the day with a clear idea of your priorities. that also applies to the week, the month and the year. Your priorities for the shorter period must always feed positively into the priorities in the next longer period, and so on, so that each time period is mapped out with priorities that lead to your ultimate success.

3. When assessing priorities, be ruthless with parts of your life that are not contributing to your longer term goals. Removing the areas of your life where you are wasting time, will free up more time for you to apply to reaching your goals.

4. Always be sure to build your health and enjoyment into any plans. Time for relaxation and exercise are critical to your long term achievements; always make time for proper meals, and keep to a healthy but enjoyable diet. Time management is not an exercise in being macho with your business life; it is an opportunity to build a balanced life for yourself and your family.

5. Once you have set your priorities for any period, write them down and refer to them from time to time, updating them if necessary. Should you appear to be failing, examine why, and reset and reinforce your goals and priorities. It is too easy to slip back into bad habits that inhibit your progress.

6. Be sure to keep a diary and use it to plan out each day, week, month. There are all sorts of electronic gizmos, online planners, software etc to act as aids to your time management. Personally, I think a good old fashioned diary is just as good, if not better. About 18 months ago I reverted to using a traditional diary to plan my working time. That forces me to get away from the computer, even for a few minutes, and think what my priorities are, and what I need to be reminded about.
 
If you can become better at time management, you will find your life more satisfying and less stressful, as well as being able to achieve greater things. For millions of people, life just sweeps them along in a torrent of activity, or inactivity, over which they have little or no control. That can be very stressful, unhealthy, inefficient, and demoralising over the long term. There is nothing quite like controlling your own destiny to reduce stress and aid success.

Time management techniques will be what set you apart from many of your competitors.  By employing smart time management techniques you will be more efficient, more effective, and more profitable.   Without proper management of time, a lot of hours fall into quicksand and you never get them back. 

The essential truism when discussing time management techniques is that time is more valuable than money.  Use the following tips to help you use the time that you have wisely.

Top 10 Time Management Techniques

Decide what your billing time minimum will be.  This is the single most important time management technique so think about your minimum carefully.  Factor in your travel time to and from clients and the average number of clients you will serve per day.

Set up regular client appointments four to eight weeks in advance. Scheduling with geography in mind and trying to avoid commuting in heavy traffic jams are two closely related time management techniques.

Put networking events on your calendar a month in advance. By using this time management technique you can coordinate your schedule with your clients' schedules efficiently.

Log every minute that you work. Log billable hours as well as your administrative, training, marketing and selling times. When you treat yourself as an internal client you'll be much more efficient with that non-billable time. 

Create a schedule or task list for every day.  An easy time management technique is to use Outlook to track what needs to be done on a daily calendar.

Make the most of your driving time. Using this time for listening to audio books or CDs on technical or business training is an excellent time management technique. 

Keep copies of what you need to read with you.  By doing this you can make the most of your down time.

Schedule time for internal, operational requirements.  A critical aspect of time management is making sure everything that needs to get done, does in fact get done. Schedule time for billing, accounts payable, banking, updating your marketing plan, etc...

Schedule one day per quarter for professional development. This is an often overlooked time management technique but one that is very important for your personal and business growth. 

Schedule one weekend per year to review your business plan.  Your business plan should be a living and breathing document that is kept relevant and referred to often.

The Bottom Line On Time Management Techniques

You can't afford to not implement the time management techniques listed.  Your time is one of your most precious assets so treat it with respect.  By using time management techniques your effectiveness and efficiently will vastly improve and so will your business. 

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Are you the type of person who feels that there are not enough hours in the day for you to complete all of your daily tasks and duties? This article gives free tips on how to manage your time in a more constructive and successful way.

Set a to do list

I am one of the people who would have answered the above question with a definite yes. I often used to feel under pressure and uptight, I worried that I did not have enough time to do what I wanted and needed to do.

I now set myself a to do list which helps me to plan my time better. I have a priority list, which is the tasks which are the most important for me to complete. I will concentrate on working through these jobs first and always try to ensure that they are completed before the day ends.

If I manage to work through all of these tasks, I then start on my second list. This is a list of other important tasks which need to be completed as soon as possible but which do not particularly have to be finished today.

I then have my final list which is work that needs to be completed, however there is no immediate rush to finish them.

If at the end of the day I have certain tasks left on any of the lists, they then are added to the lists of the following day. This is a simple formula which has worked for me and which helps me to sleep better at night.

Take a break

In the past when I used to struggle to work through my tasks, I would start to panic and would not allow myself a break. This I have come to realise is a big mistake. My brain and that of most people has a certain concentration span. If I just continue to work, the quality of this work will soon drop as my brain becomes tired and weary. It is as if it is punishing me for not rewarding it with a rest.

I now make sure that I have regular breaks and I will usually take an hour for lunch. This helps me to return to my tasks fresh and alert. My brain is also happier which helps me to think clearer and quicker.

Do not rush

I would always rush each task, eager to start on the next one. What I found was that this would lead me to making lots of silly errors. I would then have to go back and amend these mistakes which ultimately would cost me valuable time. I now work at a speed I am comfortable with. I still make errors which of course is part of life, however there are now far fewer of these.

Do not beat yourself up

I am my own worst critic. I would often go to bed and would be unable to sleep as I was thinking about all of my unfinished business. I would feel guilty and even ashamed of myself. The next morning after this lack of sleep, I would be tired, which would affect my ability to work well.

This of course was like a vicious circle, which was making things a whole lot worse. I now am attempting to be a lot easier on myself and realise that all I can do each day, is to try my best. If I am unable to complete a task or tasks that is fine, I will do it in the morning.

I hope the above advice helps you to plan your day more effectively and leads you to more positive and successful results.

As a Life Coach, and after coaching many different clients, I have come to realize that to effectively manage time, we need to first realize that time itself cannot be managed! We all get seven days a week and 168 hours within those seven days. This cannot be increased or changed in any way. However, what we can change, improve and manage is ourselves. In essence then, true time management now becomes management of ourselves – “self management!”

So being aware of this, we now know that it's not the amount of time we have that's important; it’s how effectively we use that time that makes the difference. Successful people have exactly the same amount of time in the day as each of us. The only difference is they use their time differently – more effectively.

You might say “I don’t have the time to commit to learning some time management skills”. I hear this a lot during life coaching sessions, but the fact is if this were true, do you really think you have the time not to?

Time management principles and techniques are usually quite simple to learn. They do not require deep thinking, a high I.Q or lots of preparation. In fact if you were to put the search term “Time Management Resources” into a search engine you will get dozens of websites offering help, advice, tips and suggestions on how to manage and prioritize your time.

To sum time management up I would say you need to ask yourself two questions:

1. Do I physically have enough time to do the tasks that are required of me? We only have so much time. Sometimes it’s not always physically possible to fit everything in. If this is the case then you need to prioritize and drop some of the low priority task/activities to claim some time back.

2. Do I fully optimize and use my time effectively? If the answer is NO then you might want to learn and implement some time management principles and techniques.

Below is a list of some time management (self management) techniques and tips that I use during life coaching. You may find a couple of them helpful yourself. They are in no particular order.

• Figure out when (what time of the day?) you work most efficiently.

• Establish your priorities for what you want to get done. Identify the tasks and activities that are the highest priority and eliminate those of low priority.

• Allow more time than you think you will need. This makes your schedule flexible and allows for the unexpected.

• Get into the habit of using your odd five minutes here and there more productively. Don’t just dismiss it as only five minutes – they add up throughout the week!

• Accomplish one or two important tasks rather than lots unimportant ones.

• Keep a calendar/diary. Mark all your important dates/tasks.

• Keep a list of "Things to Do" and mark them off as completed.

• Every day make a list of what you have to do tomorrow.

• When possible do the unpleasant tasks first.

• Tidiness makes your life easier and reduces stress.

• Allow time to relax, recharge and do nothing.

• Leave time in your schedule for un-planned activities.

• Know your strengths, skills and weakness.

• Ask yourself, "What am I doing that someone else could do for me?" Delegate!

• Don’t be scared to ask for help

• Bin things straight away to reduce the clutter (junk mail, newspapers and spam email etc).

• Divide large overwhelming tasks into smaller chunks, and attack them one at a time.

• Complete at least one task each day that you don't like to do, but know you should.

• Realize that all your email checking, surfing the internet and other procrastinations add up to hours of lost time each week (sometime even each day!)

• Watch less T.V. If you watch T.V for three hours a day from the age of five years old, by the time you are fifty five the amount of T.V you will have watched will be the equivalent to watching non-stop 24 hours a day for six years and three months. If you cut this down by just one hour a day, so then only watch two hours of T.V, you will have gained back over two years worth of time.

Think back to your elementary school era, to your first day in a new school year. Regardless of what happened the semester before, you had a chance for a fresh start.  There were no time management issues following you.  You were dressed in your best clothes, with new supplies, and you walked into a well-laid-out, neat classroom, ready to have a productive year.  A desk was assigned where you carefully placed your supplies.  Books were passed out, and you added those to the desk contents. You were in control, with no distracting clutter anywhere.

Now jump two months into the school year.  Take a look at some of those desks again.  Which one most closely resembled yours?
 
Were you the one whose desk still had all the books stacked inside, large textbooks on the bottom, smaller ones on the top, pencils right at the edge inside of the desk for easy access?

Were you the one who appeared to own more books and papers than anyone else in the class because your desk was overflowing?  There were books falling on the floor all the time, wrinkled papers sticking out, no pencil or crayons to be found without a major overhaul.

Move ahead a few years to present day.  When you walk into your office in the morning, what is your first reaction? Is it excitement about the prospects for the day or dread at having to cope with all the daily demands while operating in disorganization?

Unfortunately you do not often have the opportunity to make a fresh start each year as children do.  Instead you tend to keep on accumulating more and more year after year without the chance to clear out your space at the end of a term.

You might begin to resemble the child with the overflowing desk.  As he pulls out a book, several other items crash to the floor.  Now the class has to wait while he gets his things together.  He is using up valuable time, and he is also causing others to lose valuable time.

A similar scenario occurs in everyday work situations.  Are you being as effective as you can, or are you bogged down because of all the clutter around you?  Have you ever held up a project because you misplaced information or overlooked a deadline?

The first point of entry into your workday is usually the desk.  You will never be an efficient time manager if you do not have control of the paper and clutter surrounding you. 

Even if your personal area is organized, you are directly affected by the disorganization of colleagues.  When they do not have appropriate systems, they end up interrupting you to ask for a report or to question a date.  They might show up late for meetings or not follow through on an important project.  Their lack of organization leads to numerous inefficiencies, and then to stress and subsequent illnesses.  All of these can have a direct impact on you and those around you.

Consider setting aside time once or twice a year to stop, catch up or reorganize, and give yourself a fresh start.  Your attitude on entering a clear, well-laid-out space will add a positive slant to each day and more hours of productive output.  It is also a great lesson for children.

Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However,  80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although  the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.

Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.

Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.

Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.

Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.

The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.

The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.

The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.

The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.

The career aspect involves school and work.

The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.

The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.

Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do list for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.

Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.

A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.

One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often.

A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.

Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.
 
Each and everyone of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.

Learning to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.

Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.

Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.

Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.

Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.

Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.

These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.

As the say personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.

From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.

In the highest flights of their meditation, the realized souls proclaimed, “Kalaya Tasmaiah Namah!” meaning thereby, “Time, please accept our salutations!”

Time is “all time” great! It is fleeting! You can never catch it!

Time and tide tarry for none!

You know the good old saying, “If wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, something is lost and if time is lost, everything is lost!”

What is time management? The time concept of the spiritualists is different. The time concept of the materialists is different!

How many all-time great definitions can be given about time?

“A stitch in time saves nine!” What nine? I do not know.
“Do right things at the right time!” No doubt about it. One should not do the right things at the wrong time or wrong things at the right time!

You have 24 hours in a day. I too have that many hours only. Then how is that you are a better organized person than me? How is that, you always looked a stress free, relaxed personality, though handling various complex situations and take important decisions?

That is because, you have better time management concept. You do everything systematically! I am always confused about priorities. What to handle when! The golden rule is never to postpone things for tomorrow, what you can do today. I would like to go even further. Tomorrow never comes; today will be too late; do it just now!

To say it poetically about time management:

“One thing at a time, and that done well,
Is a very good rule as many can tell,
So, if you want to gain your way,
Work while you work and play while you play!
That is the way, to be happy and gay!”

Right things happen at the right time and sometimes, wrong things happen at the right time. But when you stay away with this golden rule of managing your time well, you are definitely going to experience lots and lots of stress.

Stress does not come on its own. It always travels via various careers such as tensions, frustrations, anxiety and others.
So, manage your time today so that you don’t look for stress management counselor tomorrow.

With so much to do and only so many hours in a day, here are three powerful changes you can make RIGHT NOW to free up time, eliminate distractions and get more done (particularly the things that are important to you) each day.

Close Your Email Program
Yes, I said it. Close your email program. I know this may border on heresy for some of you, but think about it. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but email is one area where many of us have become slaves to, "You've got mail!" That phrase, or it's "ding" counterpart can rip us away from just about anything we're doing when we're within earshot of the computer. Unless you're waiting on a specific email to arrive, close your email program and open it only one or two times a day. The USPS only delivers mail to your home once a day, right? So why must you be able to receive email every waking minute of the day? Since when is "just because you can" reason to do something, particularly when it can be such an interruption and fritter away your time without you really noticing?

Let Those Calls Go to Voice Mail
Why is the urge to answer a ringing phone so overwhelming? Maybe for the same reason we say "dial" when few, if any, of us have a telephone with a dial: habit. Combined with Caller ID, voice mail is a powerful, yet grossly underused, tool for reducing interruptions and taking charge of your time.

Yes, I hear those of you who say, "What if it is an emergency?" First let me say I am not suggesting that you let ALL calls go to voice mail, just calls that come in while you are engaged in getting something important done! Having said that, I realize emergencies rarely happen at a convenient time, so create a plan for reaching you with said emergencies. For example, I have "trained" my children to call my cell phone instead of the house phone if there is an emergency. They know they are ONLY allowed to call my cell phone in two situations: when they KNOW I am not home or in an emergency. In effect, my cell phone serves as the "hot line" that is always answered. This, coupled with the fact that I do not make public my cell phone number, allows me to let my calls on the other phones go to voice mail without worry.

Categorize and Prioritize Your To-Do List
For most of us, simply creating a to-do list is not enough. Ticking off items on an arbitrary to-do list might help you get more done each day by helping you stay "on task", but the real question is are you getting the "right" things done each day to create the life you want to live?

Take the time to create a to-do list, yes, but then take it one step further: categorize and prioritize that list! Identify those items that are goal-related - those are important! From this list of goal-related items, create your "Must-Do" list for the day. Do these things; THEN do the rest of the things on your to-do list. This way, at the end of each day, you'll be that much closer to achieving the goals you've set for yourself because they have been the focus and direction of your day.

Let me also suggest that you close the email program and let those calls go to voice mail while you create these lists each day. Without interruptions, you'll need less time to get more done. Planned and enforced distraction-free periods of your day to plan and work will accelerate the speed at which you achieve more, leaving more time for play.

It's great that you have decided to build your self-confidence. However, there are a few obstacles that can keep you from achieving your goal. Most of the time, these obstacles are so obvious that they do not seem like obstacles at all, and all you can see is that your resolve to be self-confident is not taking ou anywhere.

Therefore, it is important to become aware of these seemingly harmless obstacles that have all the power to stop you in your path. Let's have a look at what could be the reasons that you are not moving ahead in top gear.

Are you undisciplined?

Some people simply have the talent to waste a lot of time without realizing it. They lack the self-discipline to stop their actions that waste time. Imagine a situation wherein you have a list of tasks to be completed successfully as a part of your confidence building program. However, the moment you enter your home you involuntarily grab the remote and start channel surfing on the idiot box.

It's only after an hour that you realize that you have been vegetating in front of the t.V in the time you had scheduled to do other tasks. You realize that you have already disturbed your schedule. In a self-development program, it's you and only you who has the power to change yourself. Nobody will come to monitor your actions and progress. You have to keep a watch on your inner graph and see to it that it goes up! Avoid temptations and stick to your schedule.

Are you lazy and keep procrastinating? Procrastination is one of the greatest and most silent killers of confidence.

It does not let you complete your jobs and tasks in time; things keep mounting and finally you get overwhelmed by all the many things that have piled up and need your attention. The very basics of building confidence start with listing little things that are doable. You gain more confidence to take on greater tasks and responsibilities by successfully completing the lighter tasks at hand.

However not being prompt and delaying

Important things till they become urgent makes you miss the opportunity of working on your confidence and puts you in danger of falling back again into your earlier cycle, thereby wasting all the effort and energy you had put in to becoming aware of your low confidence trap and getting out of it.

Does your old self keep pulling you back?

Assume. Assume. Assume is the technique here. Assume that you are a different person with habits you wanted to inculcate. Imagine the way you would like to be. Imagine a self-confident you taking things in your stride. Then try to bring into your daily actions the way you have imagined yourself to be. "I dream by painting. Then I paint my dream" was the technique what the great painter Vincent Van Gogh followed.

Your assumed self will make people.

React to you in a different way, according to your new self. This will establish your new self to the world and will help you keep up the new self before it becomes a habit - a second nature! If you behave indecisively and helplessly, you will invoke proportionate reactions from people around you, thereby reinforcing your previous self.

This throws you back again.

Remember that you cannot get ahead if you keep looking back. Realize this and stop sliding back.

Don't copy self-confidence. Do not try to become like someone else.

One of the greatest mistakes that people make when trying to increase their low self-confidence is falling in love with an image of their icon who may be a sport star or a film star or any celebrity and then they try to be like them. This is one of the greatest mistakes that people can commit when trying in increase
their self-confidence.

You have to be yourself at all costs.

Getting inspired is wonderful but merely aping these guys won't take you anywhere. There is no need for any two people in this universe to be exactly the same. The challenge is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else!

Is there a change you want to make in your life but you're stuck and stymied by it?

Perhaps you're at that point in midlife where you long to find something entirely different to do with the rest of your life but you're not taking action to discover what that might be. Maybe you already know what you want to do in the next chapter of your life but you're not doing it. You might want to exercise more or eat healthier foods.

Whatever the change is, it's one you've not (yet) been able to make.

Sometimes change comes easily and naturally; we explore, experiment, learn, improvise, adapt. Sometimes change is difficult; we try and try and try to change -- and we fail. When that happens, we may blame and criticize ourselves or just give up or tell ourselves we don't really care anyway. We begin to feel hopeless, helpless, and powerless.

It's Not Just You

In his book, "Change or Die" Alan Deutschman cites studies showing that even when patients are faced with death if they don't make changes (such as stop smoking, exercise, eat healthier) only ONE in TEN is able to make the necessary changes. That's when the choice is change or die!

So, if you've been unsuccessful in making changes in your life, you're not alone. No need to beat yourself up; you're just being human! Numerous studies and our own personal experiences tell us that facts, fear, "shoulds" and "ought to's" don't help people change.

What does help? In his research, Deutschman uncovered a number of situations (with heart disease patients, career criminals, factory workers) where change seemed hopeless yet it happened. From this he identified three critical keys that will help you make important, positive changes in your life: relate, repeat, and reframe.

Three Critical Keys to Change

RELATE

"Build a new relationship that will inspire you and give you hope," Deutschman recommends.

Find a person (or community) who believes you can and will change. They "sell" you on yourself so you believe that you have the ability to change. They persuade you they'll be your partner in the change and that their methods will work for you.

Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 Step programs do this. They offer a community of people who believe you can change using their methods; they know it worked for them so it can work for you. This inspiration and hope has helped many, many people to change.

Depending on the kind of change you wish to make teachers, coaches, personal trainers, nutritionists, naturopaths, and many others all could play this role.

REPEAT

Deutschman says, "The new relationship helps you learn, practice, and master the new habits and skills you will need."

Making a change requires new ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. It can take a lot of repetition to master and integrate these new ways of being. Your person or community "trains" you, providing guidance, encouragement, and direction until your new behavior becomes automatic and natural.

REFRAME

"The new relationship helps you learn new ways of thinking about your situation and your life," notes Deutschman.

Over time, as you continue to relate and repeat, you see the world in a different way, a way you couldn't see before, a way that supports you in making the change a permanent one.

Experiences with the Three Keys

Have you had experiences that fit with these three keys? Times when relate, repeat, and reframe gave you new hope, new skills, and new thinking to make an important change in your life? And also times when you didn't have these keys in place and the change didn't happen?

I certainly have. As I've thought about this in the last few weeks, I've revisited numerous examples in my own life.

I've tried four or five times to learn to play the piano. I've never gotten close to the level of playing I wanted. I've criticized myself as lacking discipline and persistence.

But maybe I just haven't found the right (for me) teacher and method of instruction that would give me the belief I could succeed, the encouragement and guidance as I learned new skills, and the new view of myself as a piano player.

Here's an example of success I've had with the three keys. When I wanted to change how I was living my life, I chose Cathy Hawk to help me. She was my coach, mentor and teacher to learn to live "lights on."

She completely believed I could make this change, inspiring me and giving me hope. She guided and encouraged me again and again along my bumpy path as I learned new, dramatically different skills for navigating my life. Eventually I had a new view of myself and my life that allows me to live with much more joy, ease, passion, and purpose.

It's fun for me to see that these three keys also apply to my own work with clients. When the fit between us is right, I'm able to inspire them, give them hope, and help them believe they can create lives filled with pleasure, passion and purpose. I teach, guide, and mentor them as they practice new ways of living. They develop new ways of thinking about themselves and their lives. With these three keys to change in place, they are able to make the life changes they want to make.

In Your Life

Do you have a change you'd like to make and, so far, have had difficulty making? Here's what I suggest.

1) Identify what you want to change, something you'd like to be or feel or do differently in your life.

Be very clear and specific about what you want. Of course, if it's something you're "lights on" about (a vision, dream, or desire that energizes and enlivens you), that's a significant boost to the process of change.

2) Find a relationship that will inspire you and give you hope.

This relationship is the foundation upon which your successful change will be built so pay close attention to who you choose. You want an individual or a community with people, methods, approaches, and strategies that light you up, that you're energized and enlivened by, that you're drawn to.

3) Give yourself permission and the time to learn, practice, and master (with guidance, direction, support from your new relationship) the new skills that will enable you to make the change you want to make.

4) Allow your view of yourself, your situation, and your life to be changed as well.

Yes, some changes can be difficult to make and that doesn't mean it's hopeless. When you're having difficulty making a change you'd like to make, try using the three crucial keys to change: relate, repeat, reframe. Your new hope, new skills, and new ways of thinking will allow you to make significant, important changes in your life.

A man's true wealth is the good he does in this world.

-- Mohammed

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

-- Eden Phillpotts

I think that wherever your journey takes you, there are new gods waiting there, with divine patience -- and laughter.

-- Susan M. Watkins

Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.

-- Leo Aikman

The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the dower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms--this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.

-- Albert Einstein

If you can control a man's thinking, you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it for himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.

-- Carter G. Woodson

Fear is more fatal than hate.

-- Canon P. A. Sheehan

Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself.

-- Plato

Short is the road that leads from fear to hate.

-- Italian Proverb

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.

-- Pamela Vaull Starr

I believe . . . that living on the edge, living in and through your fear, is the summit of life, and that people who refuse to take that dare condemn themselves to a life of living death.

-- John H. Johnson

I learned . . . that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes to us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.

-- Brenda Ueland

I am always with all beings; I abandon no one. And however great your inner darkness, you are never separate from me.

Let your thoughts flow past you, calmly; keep me near, at every moment; trust me with your life, because I am you, more than you yourself are.

-- Bhagavad Gita

All wisdom is plagiarism; only stupidity is original.

-- Hugh Kerr

If the mind is happy, not only the body but the whole world will be happy. So one must find out how to become happy oneself. Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the whole world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.

-- Ramana Maharshi

In this age of defending and demanding rights, we are often faced with the question of who holds us back more than anyone else . . . and in all honesty we must admit we are the ones. We narrow our vision and develop hopeless attitudes to defeat us. And yet, we are the ones who speed us on as well. Our good attitudes keep us moving and active and able to do everything without reacting to the smallest incident as a barrier in our way. We are willing to work, to initiate and set in motion the good of life, and do it by not stepping on others. We keep a constant vigil over our thoughts and actions. In this way we follow our ‘lo qui si,’ star, and reach up that we may lift others up with us.

-- Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn't permanent.

-- Jean Kerr

For thirty years I used to say, “Do this” and “Give that”; but when I reached the first stage of wisdom, I said, “O God, be mine and do whatever You want.”

-- Abu Yazid Al-Bismati

Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificed on the altar of conformity and popularity.

-- Anonymous

If you want a place in the sun, you must leave the shade of the family tree.

-- Osage Proverb

A man's greatness is measured by his kindness; his education and intellect by his modesty. His ignorance is betrayed by his suspicions and prejudices, and his real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance he has for others.

-- W. J. H. Boetker

"The Secret", which is described as a self-help film, presents the Law of Attraction in a documentary format.  This law is the “secret” that has traveled down through the centuries to reach us all.  This film features short interviews and dramatized experiences of a team composed of personal transformation specialists, feng shui masters, spiritual messengers and moneymaking experts.  As one can see when one watches The Secret, the Law of Attraction is the principle whereby people’s thoughts and feelings attract events of the real world into their lives.  These events range from the workings of the universe to interactions among people in their emotional, physical and professional affairs.  This film also makes the suggestion that there has been a tendency by people in powerful positions to keep this principle hidden from the general public.  The “clues” to this film show men who have “uncovered the Secret…”.

The principles of "The Secret" can be found in the words of some of the greatest writers, thinkers and leaders throughout time such as Plato, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Albert Einstein.  The secret is none other than the law of attraction or the power of positive thinking.

How can all of this relate to the success of your home business?  If you happen to go through the day with negative thoughts in your mind and you anticipate that bad things are going to happen, then they will.  If you approach the same day with positive thoughts and anticipate that good things will happen, then they will be drawn to you.  When you are trying to be successful in your home business, you must keep your mind focused on positive and successful thoughts.  You must simply keep the faith.  This is the philosophy that the twenty-five teachers in "The Secret" say have been successfully applied to every aspect of life – health, finances, career and relationships.  If you think negative thoughts about mounting debt or a job that seems to go nowhere, the teachers in this film say that it will only ensure that you have more debt and many more years of unfulfilling work.  The remedy to this is to picture in your mind what it would feel, look and be like to have checks coming in the mail  to you or to have your very own dream job or even to have your home business be successful beyond all imagining.  You must believe with absolute faith and these things will surely be headed your way.

There is no society on this earth of ours that does not speak of the benefits of positive thinking and visualization.  It is a powerful and controversial concept considering that tens of thousands of thoughts pop into our minds each day.  These thoughts create our daily existence.

In conclusion, using "The Secret" as a guiding light, you must surround yourself with positive thoughts.  These will eventually pervade every aspect of your home business, and very soon you will see that it will grow with continued success.

Here's how phobias work.

There are two parts to your mind - one that thinks, and one that feels.

The thinking part is the conscious, rational mind that you are using now as you read this.

The feeling part is the unconscious, emotional mind. It takes care of automatic tasks like regulating the heart, controlling pain and managing our instincts.

It's the unconscious mind that is programmed to act instinctively in times of danger. It reacts very fast - making you run or fight - rather than allowing your thinking mind to philosophize while you are attacked by a tiger. This has great survival value.

The unconscious mind is also a very fast learner. The same emergency route that can bypass the rational mind in times of danger can also stamp strong emotional experiences (traumatic ones) in the unconscious mind. This makes evolutionary sense - it ensures that we have vivid imprints of the things that threaten us.

And just as we have two minds, so we have two memory systems: one for the facts and one for the emotions that may or may not go with those facts.

Sometimes, when a person experiences a very traumatic event, the highly emotional memory of the event becomes trapped - locked in the emotional brain - in an area called the amygdala which is the emotional storehouse. There is no chance for the rational mind to process it and save it as an ordinary, non-threatening memory in factual storage (in the hippocampus). Like the memory of what you did last weekend.

Instead, the emotional brain holds onto this unprocessed reaction pattern because it thinks it needs it for survival. And it will trigger it whenever you encounter a situation or object that is anything like the original trauma. It doesn't have to be a precise match.

This is pure survival again. You only need to see part of a tiger through the bushes for the fear reaction to kick in again - for the "fight or flight" response to trigger - you don't have to wait until you see the whole tiger or identify it exactly as the tiger that attacked you before. In fact, it probably only has to be something orange and black moving through the bushes. This is why the pattern matching process is necessarily approximate, or sloppy. You err on the side of safety. You don't have to have all the details to know if something is dangerous.

This is the basis of a phobia: a fear response attached to something that was present in the original trauma. The response is terror, shaking, sweating, heart pounding etc. And because of the sloppy pattern-matching it can get stuck to literally anything - animal, mineral or vegetable. It may not even be glued to the thing that caused the trauma. So a child attacked in a pram by a dog may develop a phobia of prams rather than of dogs.

It is because phobias are created in this way, by our natural psycho-neurology, that they are so common. It's the way we are wired. Approximately 10% of people have a phobia. It’s a very human thing. And it's precisely because they are created by the unconscious mind that they seem so irrational. Of course they are - the rational thinking brain hasn't had a chance to go to work on them.

Many traditional phobia treatments, including drugs, attempt to deal with the phobia by calming things down after this response pattern has triggered. They treat the symptoms, not the cause.

To treat the cause, this trapped traumatic memory has to be turned into, and saved as, an ordinary unemotional memory of a past event. The emotional tag, the terror response, needs to be unstuck from that object or situation.

This is exactly what a remarkable therapy called the Fast Phobia Cure does. It allows the phobia sufferer to review the traumatic event or memory from a calm and dissociated, or disconnected, state. The rational mind can then do its work in turning the memory into an ordinary, neutral, non-threatening one. And store it in factual memory where it should have been to start with. This happens very quickly because the mind learns fast. It learns the fear response quickly and it learns (or relearns) the neutral response just as quickly. And when that happens the phobia is gone.