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Posts Tagged ‘tips’
Praise for A New Leaf from Susan H.
“The challenge was to relocate a business that had been open for 20 years. I don’t know how I would have done it without Cathy’s help. It wasn’t what she did, but how she did it that really impressed me. I was instantly drawn to Cathy – she was very pleasant, warm and easy to talk to. Cathy has a good heart; she was very understanding, patient and respectful. Best of all, she kept the process fun and lighthearted, yet she really made me focus and stick to the task at hand. Everything is neat, beautifully organized and yet still accessible. I love the end result! Cathy really can help you turn over a new leaf – with dignity, pride and care.” -Susan H.
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Eat That Frog–Part 2
Have you heard the expression “Eat That Frog” before? It’s the phrase that Brian Tracy uses “as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day.”
Many of us procrastinate when it comes getting started on tasks we don’t really want to do.
I’d like to share some information from EAT THAT FROG! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (ISBN 978-1-57675-422-1)–one of my favourite productivity books.
In our September issue, I shared the first seven ways on Brian’s list. Here are the next seven!
8. “The Law of Three: Identify the three things you do in your work that account for 90 percent of your contribution, and focus on getting them done before anything else. You will then have more time for your family and personal life.
9. Prepare thoroughly before you begin: Have everything you need at hand before you start. Assemble all the papers, information, tools, work materials, and numbers you might require so that you can get started and keep going.
10. Take it one oil [drum] at a time: You can accomplish the biggest and most complicated project if you just complete it one step at a time.
11. Upgrade your key skills: The more knowledgeable and skilled you become at your key tasks, the faster you start them and the sooner you get them done.
12. Leverage your [particular] talents: Determine exactly what it is that you are very good at doing, or could be very good at, and throw your whole heart into doing those specific things very, very well.
13. Identify your key constraints: Determine the bottlenecks or [obstacles], internal or external, that set the speed at which you achieve your most important goals, and focus on alleviating them.
14. Put the pressure on yourself: Imagine that you have to leave town for a month, and work as if you had to get all your major tasks completed before you left.”
Stay tuned to the next edition for the last seven ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster!
Take action and EAT THAT FROG!
Wise words from Paul J. Meyer
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer
Jane’s Nutrition Tips for Back to School!
JANE’S NUTRITION TIPS
Back to School – Back on Track
Even for those of us who aren’t heading to class this September, the busy back-to-school rush is underway. Rather than get caught up in the seasonal frenzy, take some time to mindfully prepare with these healthy and helpful back-to-school tips.
Learn to Delegate
You can’t do everything, so trusting others with responsibility is one of the most important ways to boost productivity. Have your children help out in the kitchen, share the grocery shopping and cooking with your partner and if possible, the rest of the family.
Plan Ahead
Start your weekly meal plan on the weekend
Set aside 15 minutes to review your kitchen – the pantry, the refrigerator and the freezer. Identify the meals you can make from the ingredients on hand. Then create a grocery list for the family favourite recipes. After grocery shopping, commit to one to two hours of meal preparation, such as peeling and dicing veggies, cooking breakfast bars, making double the family favourite recipe, and then freezing portion sizes for easy access during the busy week.
Strategize
Envisioning your meal plan for just 10 minutes a day can keep you on track and reduce your chance of diverting to take out or fast food.
No-cook Meals
Remember no-cook meals can be just as satisfying and nutritious as cooking a full course meal. Try spinach greens, sliced red onion, diced cucumber and sliced chicken breast (made on the weekend) with a small amount of dressing, topped with almonds or walnuts for a tasty and nutritious meal to take to work or to have for supper on an eventful evening.
Keep on Track
Find out the best routine for you (and your family). If you observe things getting off track, include the meal planning on your priority to-do list, and then the simple satisfaction of checking tasks off your to-do list should keep you motivated and on track.
Recipe
This is one of my favourite recipes, Morning Glory Breakfast Bars, to make ahead of time for a quick breakfast, afternoon snack or healthy dessert option from Dairy Farmers of Canada – Dairy Goodness Website.
Need More Tips for Your Kids?
For more tips to keep your kid’s nutrition on track – check out my YouTube Channel Video Healthy Eating Tips for the Family.
Jane Dummer, RD, is a leading dietitian for the Canadian food and nutrition industry and a long-time resident of Waterloo region. Jane offers services for corporations and media, specializing in agri-food, functional foods and workplace nutrition and wellness. Follow Jane on Twitter @janedummer and subscribe to her Grow with Nutrition Blog.
It’s never too late to eat healthy!
Create Your Own Checklist…Or Use One of Ours!
Do you find yourself forgetting to do something when working on a project or routine task? When tasks occur on a regular basis—whether daily, weekly, monthly or annually—a checklist can be a useful tool to help get your work done.
It’s easy to create your own checklist. Pick one of your projects. Start by jotting down as many points as you can. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect!
“It’s never too late—in fiction or in life—to revise.”
– Nancy Thayer, American Writer
Watch for the introduction of more handy checklists in upcoming editions! Don’t forget to check out all of our handy CHECKLISTS!
Freedom By Process–from Carol Glover!
FREEDOM BY PROCESS
Stuck in a rut? Can’t seem to focus or get productive? Or do you have so much to do you don’t know where to start – so you don’t start. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
Let’s get back to basics: Process. Checklists, plans and templates are what you build when you want to organize your thoughts and your time to be sure you focus your attention on your high value actions. I focus on these tools because many people have no structure to the way they work; they live and work daily in a state of chaos; in reaction mode. This causes everyone to work longer and at more stressful levels than necessary. Tools such as plans, templates and processes allow you the freedom to logically get work done and to have time to look ahead and enjoy the ride.
Here’s an easy way to build a process to form some structure to your time:
1. You must have at least an idea as to what you need to accomplish. Write it down in as few words as possible.
2. Start brainstorming all the things you need to do to accomplish your objective.
3. Put the tasks in a logical order making sure each action is truly necessary.
4. If the tasks are complex you may want to take an extra step and make note of the things you have to do to accomplish each task.
That’s it! Building a process really is that easy. The results happen when you build a process into your schedule: does this process have to be repeated daily, weekly, or monthly? Make time for it. Remember, even though you’ve built a process, it can – and likely will – change. That’s okay. New information comes to light and obstacles are put in the way. Don’t let speed bumps sabotage your whole structure. Being sure of what needs to be done 70% of the time is better than feeling like you’re always fighting fires.
Even the most creative people need structure and direction to accomplish their objectives; it doesn’t have to be complicated.
At FireHorse Consulting, we pride ourselves on providing accessible (and affordable!) business consulting to small businesses and professionals. To do this, we offer personal coaching, workshops, and e-Coaching. This way – you can choose what works best for you and start working to better yourself and your business . . . fast!
Be it developing or editing your business plan, creating a strategic marketing plan or helping you to establish small business management skills to create life-work-balance; we will help you decide what you need, and support you every step of the way.
Carol Glover
Eat That Frog Part 1
Have you heard the expression “Eat That Frog” before? It’s the phrase that Brian Tracy uses “as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day.”
Many of us procrastinate when it comes getting started on tasks we don’t really want to do. I’d like to share some information from EAT THAT FROG! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (ISBN 978-1-57675-422-1)–one of my favourite productivity books.
Here are Brian’s first 7 ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster.
1. “Set the table: Decide exactly what you want. Clarity is essential. Write out your … objectives before you begin.
2. Plan every day in advance: Think on paper. Every minute [spent planning can reduce your actual time spent on action by five or ten minutes].
3. Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything: Twenty percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. Always concentrate your efforts on that top 20 percent.
4. Consider the consequences: Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. Focus on these above all else.
5. Practice creative procrastination: Since you can’t do everything, you must learn to deliberately put off those tasks that are of low value so that you have enough time to do the few things that really count.
6. Use the ABCDE Method continually: Before you begin work on a list of tasks, take a few moments to organize them by value and priority so you can be sure of working on your most important activities.
7. Focus on key result areas: Identify and determine those results that you absolutely, positively have to get to do your [work] well, and work on them all day long.”
Stay tuned to the next edition for more tips!
Take action and EAT THAT FROG!
Wise Words from Aristotle!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
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