We can’t let David Allen have all the fun! Below are some great tips from students who’ve mastered time management, one of whom has really gotten the hang of the popular Pomodoro technique. It’s centered on a daily routine with intervals of 25 minutes of uninterrupted work — a “pomodoro” — and 5 minutes on break. A kitchen timer, like the one pictured here, is a must have. Download a 30-page guide for free. 

Jason Shore of William Jewell College:

• I keep all my important tasks on Producteev, and star them with the appropriate level. When using the pomodoro technique, I’ll begin with taking on my tasks that have the highest importance and then work my way down. I’ll normally have tabs open for my pomodoro timer and my Producteev tasks. 
• After about a month, it will feel more natural. Make sure to stick with it, as you do more “pomodoros” (25 minutes of uninterrupted work), you’ll get better at it. You’ll become so focused that your mind doesn’t wander until you hear your timer ding. I use tomato timer while using the pomodoro technique on the web, and Pomodroido while using it on my phone. 
• Project out your tasks, so your unplanned/urgent list is rather small. Normally, I’ll have about 2-3 times as many scheduled to-do’s as unplanned or urgent tasks. A lot of the time, I try to knock out any urgent task ASAP, and they never make it to my to-do list. 
• Keep distractions to a minimum. In today’s world with numerous distractions (my weakness is Twitter), it’s hard to stay focused on the task at hand. 
• Also, if the default times (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of break) seem too long or short for the task at hand, adjust them to better fit. Depending on my deadline, I’ll adjust the time. Normally, I’ll just increase it, or skip a break.

Jessica Danger Hansen of Oregon State:

• Take a 5-7 minute break after 30 minutes of diligent work, actively imagine yourself on vacation or simply spending time doing something you love and the leisurely/fun activities you would be doing, and then resume working for another solid half an hour, repeat! Mini mental vacations like that reset your brain and allow you to concentrate better and be more productive when you are working.
• Set an alarm on your cell phone/pda/computer to go off at the time you decide to resume working, that way you can totally zone out without having to worry about knowing when to get back to work.
• Pulling long days with studying [or working] 7/8 hours at a time definitely requires little breaks like this to let your mind reset and be able to continue to function at maximum potential.

Whether using as a crutch when it’s hard to focus or going all out in a Pomodoro frenzy, it’s worth a look. Try the Pomodoro Technique with your daily digest and let us know what you think!

Photo Credit: Alex Hung

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Some young couples who are facing various health problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for inability to get or keep an hard-on is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common potentially serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your doc if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The very much great point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real preparation. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post Really Good Community Tips on Time Management, inc the Pomodoro Technique appeared first on NY French Geek.

11 Motivational Quotes for 2011

The State of the Freelancer (graphic)

Working from Home: Facts vs. Fiction (graphic)

3 Unconventional Ways to Find Ideas

9 Mindful Rituals to Make Your Day Better

8 Ways to Get Smarter Every Week

4 Timeless Thoughts on the Most Optimistic of Seasons

10 Solutions to Real Life’s Most Annoying Problems

12 Steps to Make a Dream a Reality

Train Yourself for Success

Bookmark this for later

Photo credit: salendron

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Some young couples who are facing different health problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for failure to get or keep an erection is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common potentially serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your physician if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The highly important point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real drug. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post Staff picks on #productivity: Quotes, Ideas, Graphics & Tips appeared first on NY French Geek.

Untold hours of productivity are lost every month due to simple misunderstandings and communication breakdowns. For some reason, many people seem to have a tough time organizing their thoughts and communicating their desires to their co-workers and employees.

I’m constantly amazed at the number of people who seem to have forgotten the basics of composing a written thought. Even some college grads have no grasp on how to speak/write in a way that moves a project forward.

If you are looking for a way to increase productivity and decrease stress, learning to communicate effectively can be the first step towards smoother workflows, faster turnaround times, and fatter bottom lines. Here are a handful of tips that will get you started.

1. Use clear, concise sentences.

Your goal, whether speaking aloud or composing an email, should be to make yourself instantly and completely understood. To that end, you should avoid using big words, steer clear of run-on sentences, and avoid any unclear phrasing.

You don’t need to use fancy vocab, Latin phrases, corporate buzzwords, or business acronyms to impress your colleagues…and nine times out of ten, using words like that won’t make you any friends. If a smaller, shorter word will do, then by all means, use that instead of whatever $ 5 word you just looked up in your thesaurus.

Avoid long sentences with multiple clauses and herds of commas. The longer a sentence is, the more confusing it becomes. Always keep that in mind when writing directions or project details for a colleague.

And for the love of God, make sure your phrasing is clear. There’s nothing worse than getting an email from a co-worker that’s so vaguely worded you have no idea what you’re supposed to do with it. If you aren’t sure that an email is clearly worded, step away from your computer for five minutes, and then look it over with a fresh perspective.

2. Keep a written record

Sometimes communicating effectively involves reminding people of what they’ve already told you, and when. Having a written record of all conversations related to a current or past account can be very helpful.

This is easy with email: just make sure never to delete old emails, and use filters for effortless organization. For meetings/calls, make sure you keep clean, easy to read notes that also include the time and date. Audio recording is also an option.

3. Make every comment actionable

Inevitably, there is a time in every person’s career where they get together with a group of colleagues to discuss a project or proposal, and give feedback as a group. It’s important that when you give feedback on a project, you give actionable directions…particularly you are at the top of the foodchain. Otherwise, the project can stagnate and people on your team can lose momentum.

It’s the difference between

“Someone needs to speak with our design team about using a new font.”

and

“Marcy, could you touch base with Jim in Design about our font preferences?”

This ties in with my next point…

4. Make all criticism constructive

“Constructive criticism” is one of those feel-good buzzwords we learn to loathe after high school English class. Nevertheless, learning to give helpful feedback to a colleague will not only improve your interpersonal relations, but also will help to improve the quality of your work.

Constructive criticism is more than just a nicer way of talking to people. By giving clear, focused feedback instead of vague, general notes, people you speak with can really learn to improve their methods and practices in the future.

It’s the difference between:

“This website is a disgrace.”

and

“I see a number of issues here, including the dark green background that makes the text hard to read, and punctuation issues in the first two paragraphs.”

5. Make sure you’re using the right word

Take a moment and review this list of commonly misused words and phrases.

See anything on there that relates to you? If so, you’re not alone.

So consider this: if you’ve been using the wrong words in your personal and business communications, how can you expect anyone to know what you really want? Spell check, grammar check, and the dictionary are your friends.

When in doubt, use them. If you aren’t in doubt, use them anyway.

Conclusion

Communication can be daunting. Many people are afraid of public speaking, for example, showing a link between fear of speech and ineffective communication. However, if you make a conscious effort to put some of these basic principles into practice, I’m sure you will see results very quickly.

So the next time you are crafting an email or preparing for a status meeting with your team, make sure that you are doing your utmost to communicate clearly and effectively. When everyone can understand what you are trying to say, you will find that your working life goes a lot more smoothly.

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Some young couples who are facing different soundness problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for inability to get or keep an erection is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common potentially serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your physician if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The extremely important point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real drug. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post Enhancing Productivity By Communicating Effectively – 5 easy tips from Stepcase Lifehack appeared first on NY French Geek.

The Mis-Education of the Doodle 

10 Quotes to Inspire Creativity

How to Channel Creativity at Any Time

5 Tips to Decorate Your Office

The Best Ways to Tweak Your Search When Google Doesn’t Give You What You Want

Top Office Productivity Killers: How to Avoid Them

Is Your To-Do List a Blank Stare?

Are You Wasting Hours of Your Workday?

Using Stress Productively

6 Fundamentals of an Optimistic Life

So get to doodling, decorating and doing things that keep you productive!

Photo credit: Ian Lott

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Some young couples who are facing various soundness problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for failure to get or keep an hard-on is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common potentially serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your doctor if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The so important point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real drug. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post Staff picks: 10 links & tips for #productivity appeared first on NY French Geek.

20 Tips for a Positive New Year

Written by Guideposts.org – 8 Comments
Categories: self improvement

 

 

1. Stay positive.
You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.

2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement:
My purpose is_______________________.

3. Take a morning walk of gratitude.
I call it a “thank you walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are…
…think optimistically about where you are going.

5. Eat…
…breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

6. Remember that…
…adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome.

7. Focus on…
…learning, loving, growing and serving.

8. Believe that everything happens for a reason.
Expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone…
…and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E’s.
Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember…
…there’s no substitute for hard work.

13. Zoom focus.
Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

14. Implement the NoComplainingRule.
Complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.

15. Read more books than you did in 2010.
I happen to know of a few good ones!

16. Get more sleep.
You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.

17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.”
Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.

Today I accomplished____________.

19. Smile and laugh more.
They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride.
You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

This Post was originally written by Jon Gordon @ Guideposts

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Some young couples who are facing different health problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for inability to get or keep an erection is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common perhaps serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your physician if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The much important point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real preparation. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post 20 Tips for a Positive New Year appeared first on NY French Geek.

Getting what you want out of life isn’t always easy. You can spend weeks, months or even years working on your goals. That’s a lot of effort and planning just to get from point A to point B. Worse still are the people who do nothing but wait around hoping that what they want will just appear in front of them.

There’s a better way to get what you want, just ask for it. The old adage that the fastest route between two points is a straight line applies here. Asking for what you want is easier and works faster than any plan you could come up with. 

My Story of Asking for What I Want
Sometimes asking for what you want can really surprise you. After I graduated college, I got a full time job and began my career. About a year into the job I had an opportunity to travel through Southeast Asia. This travel was not for work, it would have been a personal trip for 30 days! I was in a bind. Traveling through Asia had always been a dream of mine. However, I knew I couldn’t just quit the job I tried so hard to obtain.

I tried to think through my situation. I realize that most jobs in America only allow two weeks of vacation per year. In fact, I don’t think I had seen anyone where I worked take any time off whatsoever. But I wanted both a job and travel so I racked my brain figuring out a plan to make it work. I realized I had only one option: to ask for what I want.

I had no doubt in my mind that I would get a “no”. No one expects their employer to allow that much time off just to travel. But to my surprise, I got the OK. The only stipulation was that I would be put into a different position when I got back. I was completely satisfied with the arrangement. A few months later, I was in a plane half way over the Pacific on my way to Thailand. And the best part was, I felt reassured that I had a position when I got back.

The biggest reason most people don’t try asking for what they want is fear. They fear rejection or they fear that they’ll ask in the wrong way or say something stupid. Asking someone for something you want can be a scary thing to do, but it’s a lot better than waiting for it to just happen. And with a few tips, you can make your experience a lot better.

Here are a handful of things I did to help get the response I was looking for.

Be Assertive
There’s something about combining confidence with control that gets attention. People really respond positively to it. You’re probably going to be nervous asking, but that’s normal. Relax as best as you can and be confident. If you ask in an assertive, polite way, you’re more likely to get what you want.

Know what you want
The more specific a request you make, the easier it will be for both you and the person you’re asking. If you appear indecisive and unsure in what you want, your request will come off as weak. Part of success in asking for what you want is showing the person how much you really want it. Show this by being specific in what you want. Plus, being specific is just polite to the person you’re asking in case they have to work around your request.

Be Flexible
Being specific in what you want is important, but so is being flexible. When I asked for my time off to travel, I had to accept the different position when I came back. If I had been rigid in my demands, I wouldn’t have succeeded. It wasn’t ideal for me, but it was acceptable in order to get what I wanted. If you’re prepared to compromise, you’ll succeed too.

Be prepared for a “no”
Asking for what you want isn’t a silver bullet for success. Oftentimes, you’ll receive a “no” and you have to be prepared for that. Years after my travels through Southeast Asia, I thought I would ask for similar time off from a new employer. I asked for a month off to travel and got a “no”. However, they did spend several days in consideration so I think it was pretty close to being accepted. I had to settle for a regular two week trip instead. I didn’t get what I wanted, but nothing bad happened to me by asking.

People want to help you
Before you ask for what you want, realize that people want to help you. It is rare for someone to respond negatively to a well-thought out polite request. Most people get a good feeling by helping another person out. Plus, they’ll probably remember a time when they were in a similar position. If you keep this in mind, you’ll be more confident. And that will get you one step closer to getting that “yes”.

Remember, if you don’t ask you won’t receive.

 

Written on 1/13/2011 by Steve Bloom.

Photo Credit: danielle_blue

 

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Some young couples who are facing different health problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for inability to get or keep an erection is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common perhaps serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your doc if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The extremely significant point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real drug. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

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Staring Out Over the Bridge

Difficult choices. Photo courtesy of Kristaps B.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity. Follow him on Twitter here.

When you were a kid and wanted to do something your parents or teachers didn’t like, you may have heard the question, “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?” The idea is that it’s not good to do something stupid, even if everyone else is doing it. The logic is think for yourself instead of following the crowd.

It’s good advice, regardless of the motivations of the authority figure giving it to you. But one day, you grow up and suddenly the tables are turned. People start expecting you to behave very much like they do. If you disagree and don’t conform to their expectations, some of them get confused or irritated. It’s almost as if they are asking: “Hey, everyone else is jumping off the bridge. Why aren’t you?”

Every day, you’ll encounter the bridge in countless decisions and conversations—but the choice of whether to jump or not is completely up to you. How can you back away and make your own choices? 

Try this:

1. Ask why. A powerful, annoying question, why is frequently used by three-year-olds but usually abandoned by adults. Support the why revolution. Start asking why of everyone, including yourself.

2. Clarify. What’s it all about? What do you really want to do, and how can you make that the priority?

3. Simplify. That’s what minimalism is all about—letting go and living the dream. But the best part of simplicity has nothing to do with how many socks you own; it lies in being clear about your intentions and motivations.

4. Do … more. That’s right, do more, not less. When you don’t know your core passions and are staring out over the bridge, it’s good to back off and strip everything down. But when you’re crafting a remarkable life, why wouldn’t you want more of it?

Here are a few options for step four: learn a language. Write a book. Take a trip. Learn to walk on hot coals. Enroll in trapeze school. Volunteer.

Or do something else—it’s a big world out there. The main question is: How can you wake up tomorrow and live the life you want, while also connecting with the world around you?

Most of us don’t really want the simplest possible life. We want a life that is free from clutter, yes—but we need to connect our lives with a greater purpose. We don’t need to own things we don’t use, but we should spend freely on meaningful experiences. We should invest in ourselves and invest in others.

Take a hard look at the life before you. Are you staring out over the bridge? Take a step back. Decide for yourself what’s best.

The rest is entirely up to you.

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Some young couples who are facing different soundness problem, these individuals can buy remedies from the Web without any problem. Unconditionally, one of the wonderful place where buyers can purchase medicines is Internet. One of the best treatment for failure to get or keep an hard-on is Viagra. Today sundry articles were published about viagra substitute. You may have heard about “where to buy viagra“. Various companies describe it as “how to get viagra“. Sure, for a lot of guys, bringing up the problem in the first place is the toughest step. The most common perhaps serious side effects of such medications like Viagra is headache. Contact your doctor if you have any dangerous side effect that does not go away. The highly important point make sure that when you buy medicines like Viagra online, you get real preparation. Some of the web-sites offer really hazardous fakes.

The post 4 Tips for Making Wise Choices & Deciding What’s Best for You appeared first on NY French Geek.