7 Best Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills

 Time management is a challenge that a lot of people struggle with. In our modern-day society, we are bombarded with an assortment of distractions that take up our time. In all my working experience operating in corporate office environments but especially now as a virtual assistant and freelancer, I've learned that time management is crucial. Being self-employed means that there is a lot more emphasis on managing our time correctly to provide efficient and reliable service to clients. Time is precious, and it is the one commodity that we cannot gain more of. Once it is used up, it is gone forever, so we should spend it wisely.

Perhaps you are someone who is also juggling your day, feeling overwhelmed by all the responsibilities you are required to perform. Maybe you battle with procrastination, forever putting off stressful tasks and running out of time to complete them all. I would like you to know that you are not alone. Many of the people I know and have met in my career, feel or have felt the same. I too have faced these same setbacks previously in my life. Fortunately, I have found better work techniques to improve, and even solve these dilemmas. Here I would like to share this advice with you, in the hope that these steps will assist you in doing the same.

1. Planning

One of the best methods, planning forms a very important part of time management. There are various ways in which we can do this. You could make use of a diary, either a paper one or even go digital. I have often used my email application calendar to ensure I have scheduled enough time in my day for each task as well as to ensure all my appointments are never missed. Set a timer or automated reminders if you need to, as this will ensure you always stay on track. Make sure to also create a to-do list to keep track of all the tasks you need to accomplish. I cannot begin to tell you how this alone has saved me many times in my career. You may be like me and have a great memory, but we are only human and life can be overwhelming. There is always the possibility of forgetting one or more important things which we tell ourselves we will remember, but this isn't always the case.

2. Prioritise

The next important step to planning is to prioritize all your work and responsibilities. Start by sorting out everything on your to-do list or your schedule in order of importance. By focusing on the most urgent of these first, you will be able to manage your time better by completing the bigger and more important ones. Smaller tasks require less time and will be more manageable once you are ready to take them on and not to mention less stressful. One of the handy and effective ways is to sort out your schedule into what is required daily, weekly, and monthly. Each day, focus on your daily duties, thereafter you can begin on the weekly one and plan time for accomplishing your monthly tasks as time allows.

3. Multitasking

Coming from a corporate background, I have seen and experienced that there are numerous companies today that expect staff to multitask. Some even list this as a required skill for job vacancies they advertise. Trying to do too much all at once only slows us down, as the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time. It also takes time away from tasks you can be attentive to. Where you could be concentrating all your energy and quality of work on a task and giving it your best, your attention will be divided. In turn, this will slow you down, as you will continually stop and start something as you continuously change focus to and from other things. For your mental health, ensure you avoid this as it is damaging to your productivity. Stay focused on one thing at a time, complete your current task, and then move on to the next.

4. Resources, apps, and programs

In an age of technology, we have a large selection of tools to assist us with improving our quality of work, as well as providing many automation tools to make our lives easier. There are a large number of resources online, apps, and programs we can use to choose from – including time management apps, to-do list software, project management software, communication apps, social media automation tools, and so on. These will increase your productivity and help you be more efficient.

5. Rest breaks

While it may be necessary to stay focused on our work at hand, it is also particularly so to take short breaks regularly. Once you complete a task, repay yourself with a tea break. You could take a walk outside, stretch your legs and get some fresh air. This works wonders to rejuvenate you for the next job you need to do. Also, sitting down for too long can be harmful to our health. This includes eye strain from staring too long at a computer screen, which could induce a headache. If you take a few minutes out for yourself to recharge in between your busy schedule, the quality of your work will be good, plus you will be more energized and motivated to take on the rest of your daily schedule.

6. Schedule email and phone response time

Emails and phone distractions can be time-consuming. Periodically throughout the day, we have a collection of emails, text messages, and calls coming through to us. Continuously bringing to a halt what we are working on to attend to these and return to our task, is just as detrimental as multitasking. Scheduling time slots in your day for responding to emails and phone texts puts more emphasis on the tasks you are working on and lessens any interruptions. Unless it is an emergency or urgent work-related matter, take care to limit switching your focus.

7. Limit distractions and interruptions

If you would like to improve your time management, it is both important and necessary to work in a quiet environment, free from distractions and interruptions. As a virtual assistant, you are often communicating with various clients over the phone or online and may be working on several projects that require a lot of attention. A dedicated space or separate office will be essential to cultivating this type of working environment. Another successful method is to use noise-cancelling headphones, if necessary. I found this technique especially useful if there may still be distracting background noise outside, for example, as it takes away any diverted focus from this disruption and places it all into your work.

There are various strategies and methods available online, and most of them embody the guidance outlined here. However, I am certain once you have implemented all of the above advice, you will see a noticeable improvement in your time management skills. It is never too late to make better use of the time available to us, so start applying these steps today.

Adventures Abroad - Don't Give Up on Your Dreams

 Ever since I was a child, I had a deep longing to explore. As I got older, my knowledge and awareness of the world around me expanded. I learned of spectacular, amazing, exciting countries and locations. My eyes were opened to a wide world of opportunities. So much to see, would I ever be able to see it all?

Ireland, one of the first countries I discovered through a film I watched, captured my heart. Being a fervent fan of all things historical and mythological, the wealth of folklore and rich history astounded me to the core. Europe in general interested me, but not as much as this beautiful land.

I had just become a teenager when my high school history teacher taught us about heritage. We were given an assignment on family trees and instructed to do some research on our family history to be included in our project. Needless to say, I was incredibly thrilled to uncover that some of my ancestors had migrated from the gorgeous, green lands of Ireland. Ultimately, this inspired me even more. My first destination was set in my heart. It became my wish, my dream, my goal.

As the years went by, I did not for one moment let go of this vision. Although life brought me a multitude of distractions and many peaks and valleys in my journey, my desire to travel abroad remained strong.

Many years later, both my brother and sister along with their respective families, emigrated to Ireland in search of better opportunities. How I wished this could have been me! Their tales and photographs of all the wonderful places they visited in their adventures reignited my life-long hope to do the same. So many years passed, and still, I had not found the means or opportunity to make this a reality.

Finally, after several years of waiting for my opportunity to arrive, I was blessed with the means to travel abroad. A generous, awesome gift and just in time for my birthday too. What better way would be than to celebrate with my family after so long, and in a different country? The time finally came when I was jetting off to a marvelous, magical place. My whole being was filled with pure joy, thrill, and wonder as I realized it was all finally happening for real. 

Though I saw so many phenomenal places and had not seen all there is to see, it is but a small fraction of the possibilities out there to experience. The castles, ruins, monuments, ancient locations, and stunning landscapes I explored are forever etched in my mind. I left a piece of my heart in Ireland, but I remember it with gladness and I know I will be back someday. This was an adventure I will never forget, the first of many more yet to come.

You may feel that your dream or goal may never come to pass, but do not give up! You never know what the future may bring or when your moment will arrive. So keep dreaming, keep on believing, and most importantly of all, keep working towards what you want to achieve. With enough perseverance, positivity, and patience, you will get there. 

      

The Importance of Self-Worth

At the beginning of last year, we lost a friend who took his own life due to depression. I would have wanted to post this and explore more into this subject with him in the deep discussions we used to have, before that dark day came. Yet life can be so unpredictable and none of us could have realised what events were about to unfold before it was too late. This, in addition to me beating myself up for not being present enough, only fuelled my dwindling desire to continue with anything I loved. And so, procrastination took a firm hold once again – something I never had an issue with in the past but mysteriously developed several years ago, something I believed had been conquered already.

I began this post a long time ago, it was to be my next one before my life went through the changes and trials that followed the passing of my friend, which caused my posts here to cease. To add to getting overwhelmed in the busyness of life, I was now also dealing with this loss (and that of an almost life-long friend two months later), along with the seemingly never-ending battle with overcoming procrastination all over again. My constant mission with self-development and improvement with this which I was learning – seemed to halt at that point, just when I thought it was all about to end. I am glad to say that I have overcome this a while back now and have figured out the reasons why it occurred, along with solutions in getting over it at last. But more on that later in an upcoming post which I have also been working on!

Depression can be a heart-breaking condition, and the feelings of low self-esteem which often go with it, can be an exceedingly difficult thing to handle. It is even worse when you feel like you are all alone and swallowed up in all your struggles, stress or circumstances. I am sure most of us, if not all, have gone (or are going) through this at some point in our lives. I know some who are still battling.

My earliest recollection of this troubling me was when I was in school. The problems I faced growing up was made up of a variety of obstacles, including (in no particular order): my parents getting divorced at a young age, being bullied at school, experiencing abuse, various forms of rejection, loneliness, moving around a lot and so on. Looking back now I can see how all these issues all knock our self-esteem and can make us feel worthless, useless, unwanted or unloved. All it takes is one ordeal such as these to push us into despair and feeling terrible about ourselves. The good news, however, is that we can master our emotions and insecurities. It just takes some working through, a healthy perspective and the right awareness.

For all that I have endured though, I am both grateful and thankful to have eventually managed to conquer them all. Some took much longer than others, but in the end, it is all worth it because each and every circumstance we go through in life is a lesson to learn from. To gain wisdom and insight. To grow. To evolve.

Amongst the things I have learnt in defeating depression and an unhappy or low disposition, a key ingredient in the recipe of success is learning how to love, accept and respect yourself. By saying this, I do not mean in a vain or unhealthy way. What I mean is in a manner which you realise this truth: that you are indeed valuable no matter what you or anyone may lead you to believe; you are a beautiful and magnificent creation, you are unique, special, important, gifted, talented and one-of-a-kind. There is, has never been, and will never be another exceptional being like you. Once we realise this, our journey begins to a healthier self-image, feeling respect and worth for ourselves and honouring the life we have been gifted with. We have this one chance to make the most of it.

In the next post, I will be speaking more on this to show you some very enlightening viewpoints which we can use to bring light into what is a seemingly dark valley of shadows on the road of life. It is not an easy road to travel on the way to a improved sense of self-worth, but we can get there. Anything is possible for us if we have some faith, focus on the positives and blessings in our life, as well as have motivation to move in the right direction.

Life Lessons on Time

It has been nearly two years of not writing here on my blog, and I must say how I have missed it! So much has happened since the last post, good and bad, yet unfortunately I seem to have let the bad stuff and the busyness of life get the better of me by allowing my inspiration to cease in all the craziness. That is changing now, as I have been on a journey through this period of rediscovering myself, growing and learning a lot, as well as getting back to goal and intention setting for the way ahead of me. There is so much to write about and share, I have my work cut out for me now! Yet no complaints, all smiles and happy thoughts as I write this because I know through all the stuff that has happened, even though I have been through some tough situations, I have no regrets because it is all working for my good and taught me some valuable lessons I needed so desperately to learn. Now that I am back to writing again, I look forward to continuing sharing all the lessons and inspirations of life I am learning along the way!

Where do I begin? There have been some major events that have taken place, and significant lessons learned as a result. I think these things are of vital importance for not just me, but for us all to take note of. One of the main things that has stood out for me the last year and a half, is of the frailty and uncertainty of life. Last year two of my close friends and a family member passed away, followed this year by two more friends in the last few months. It has been a real eye-opener that time is promised to none of us. This I know, but is as always a good reminder! It has been tough to deal with so much people leaving this world; because like me, there have been some friends of mine also who have lost people in their lives also through this same period of time.

The lesson in all of this for me has been to make sure I focus my attention on the people who really matter and are present in my life, the things I care about and love, and to start seriously working towards my goals and dreams – because these are what has real significance. Too often we get swept away by life’s issues, work, tiredness and being busy with everything that comes along day by day. And then, before we realise it, days / months / years have passed and we have not achieved what we have set out for, or spent time with our families or friends we have wanted so desperately to do for so long.

When one starts having so many people pass away in a short space of time, one cannot help but sit up and take notice of life in all its beauty and value. Not just have I realised life's improbability, I also became conscious of my own mortality and the reminder of my near-death experience I had many years ago. This has resulted in me finally gaining the last bit of motivation I so desperately needed at last to continue working at achieving my dreams and goals. These events have been a wake-up call to me, after getting distracted by life and procrastinating way too much – a personal goal and improvement I thought I had completely overcome after working so hard on myself with this. Thankfully, things are now back on track and I have begun to focus my attention to where it needs to go. Positive and exciting changes, improvements and processes are ahead as I have begun my journey to accomplishing what I need to.

I was reading an inspirational piece the other day, which had the same theme which made me sit up and take notice. It’s amazing how by some Divine Plan all these messages and signs come to us, if we are open and attentive enough to see and hear them! The author was saying that anyone who ever accomplished anything great in life (for example: Albert Einstein, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, to name but a few) had the exact same number of hours in their day as we do. That today we have more ways to solve more problems and get more done in a single day than have ever existed before. He went on to say that our “lack of time” is not a time problem, but a priorities issue. How profound! We need to refocus our awareness on who and what matters in our lives, and stop chasing those which do not serve our purpose. Be grateful for each day, for life, for your blessings. Our time here is limited. We are only assured of today – no, we are only assured of right now. It is all we have. So, let us make the most of it, before we end up living in regret. There is a lesson in this for us all.

The Freedom of Forgiveness

We have all been there. Be it a fall-out with friend or family member, someone who used you, perhaps a lie or deception. There could be any or many ways someone can cause us pain. Whatever the issue was that caused us harm, we are all faced with the decision in the end: forgive or hold on. What I have learned in my own life is that sometimes the best thing you can do is to let go of what is hurting you, because by holding on it causes you even more damage.

But why is it so difficult for a lot of us to forgive and let go? Here are three reasons this could be (and the ways to overcome them):

1. Resentment

We feel victimised, wronged, and makes us hold a grudge against the other person. Perhaps you are waiting for the other person to apologise to you, to make things right, or to explain themselves. Whatever the reason, holding onto old past hurts have a negative impact on your health and well-being. Bearing a grudge is one of the unhealthiest things you can do to yourself, and causes a lot of unnecessary stress. Keeping these ill feelings towards someone, to the pain, the disappointment or staying angry; hardens your heart and only hurts only you. It is not worth it, what the other person did to you is not worth it, to keep yourself in a prison of unforgiveness.

By not letting go, a lot of harmful, negative factors come into your life from retaining resentment: Carrying over bitterness and anger into other relationships, feeling disconnected with other people, depression and anxiety, not being able to enjoy life because you constantly remember the past, feeling that your life lacks meaning or purpose or that you're at odds with your spiritual beliefs, mental and emotional stress leading to physical stress manifesting, tension with the other person or people when you are around them, general unhappiness and frustration too. By letting this happen, we give away our power, our right to happiness, our freedom.

Do not let yourself get to this stage, and if you are there already, work on getting back on track to concentrating on your own peace of mind and happy space. Whatever happened, or if there may have been a reason for it or not, is not important. What is though, is your ability to let go of what happened so to move on with your life and focus on the things and people who do not let you down. And if there is a chance of reconciling the relationship, one must take it because sometimes people do make mistakes or are too focused on their own lives. Relationships are precious, value them and make them count wherever and whenever you can.

2. Retaliation

We want to hurt them back or pay for what they did to us, or even those we love. Feelings of anger, frustration and even thoughts of revenge may pop up in your mind. They hurt us, so now they must pay, they have to feel our pain and what they put us through to understand how we feel too. It seems unfair that we need to bear this burden, yet they walk away with apparently no conscience or feelings of remorse. This is a deadly trap to let ourselves fall into!

How do we determine if we have any of these bad feelings still left undealt with? By talking excessively about the event or the person responsible, by bad-mouthing them, how it or what they did still bothers you, and by letting it get to you bringing bitterness or hatred into your heart. Do not hold onto those miserable feelings inside and allow them to interfere with your life. Forgive and truly let it go. Do this for yourself. When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge — or embrace forgiveness and move forward. But if you don't practice forgiveness, you will be the one who pays the most. Whether or not the person is a friend, family member, colleague, etc. who you want or need to keep in your life, they could be oblivious to your hurt and continue living out their lives. So, in saying this, if you hold onto unforgiveness, you see that this does not affect the other person in any way. This is for you, and you alone.

Keep this in mind also, what you say and what you do matters. When you show kindness to others, your words and actions have a positive ripple effect which spreads out to affect many people. The same thing happens when you are impatient, intolerant or indifferent to others. By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Remember that the Law of Attraction or laws of Karma, works in that what we do or allow to happen to others, all comes back to us (in abundance). We have not to worry about this part, allow the natural course of action which God has structured into the Universe, to naturally run its course.

3. Rejection

We put our guard up, a defence mechanism against getting hurt all over again. Perhaps a new friendship or partner comes into our lives, yet we cannot find the strength to get close to them because of the way we were hurt in the past. Or perhaps we are so afraid of going through the same problems all over again that caused us hurt before. This is a very difficult thing to deal with, because the world is full of people out there with no regard for others. Myself, family and friends continue to get hurt often by thinking the next person will be different, but this is not so in many cases. A friend told me the other day, we should not let those who hurt us stop the ones that won’t, to come into our lives. He was so correct and inspiring by saying this. Fortunately, not all people are the same, and we should not let the ones that caused us harm get in the way of those who mean us well and are truly there for us. Let go of the ones that cause you drama, or aren’t really there for you. Life is too precious to waste on those that are self-serving or say they are there for you but aren’t. There are plenty of true friends and people out there who will not reject you, so focus on these one and forget about the rest. No need to worry about or overthink the situation, they will get what they deserve when it comes to their fate and the Karma which comes back. All we have to do is concentrate on ourselves (our own peace and happiness) and those who are truly there.

Although forgiveness can be very difficult, it is necessary. You need to set yourself free. There is a favourite quote of mine from author Lewis B. Smedes: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realize that prisoner was you.” So, how we do this? Certain clashes you have with others are inevitable. No two people are the same, and at some point there will be a difference of some sort. These things are unavoidable, especially when it comes to miscommunication, people letting you down, or any other small human error. These things are petty in the grand scheme of things, and could easily be forgiven. We are all human and make mistakes or take each other in the wrong way from time to time. Miscommunication is one of the biggest culprits, but never a reason to break up a relationship / friendship because of it. Such is life, as they say, and we all need to learn to own up for our own misgivings where due.

We are not perfect. We must forgive ourselves too. We did what we could at the time to the best of our knowledge what was right. We may have spoken some truth or made a decision that others did not like, but standing up for oneself and speaking out is not wrong. Learn to forgive and let go, in order to set yourself free from those burdens which hold us back. Be free to live your life without any care for the past and move on in the confidence that you don’t need to revisit any old thoughts, hurts or previous toxic relationships that kept you back in your life. Remember to live in the now, to make the most of your life and stay in your happy space all the coming days ahead.

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Remember this: Forgiveness is never about the other person, but yourself. It is about how we have let go of the hurt, how we no longer feel the effects of what happened to us, and how we have let it go and left it behind us in the past – where it belongs. Forgiving someone does not mean that you have to be friends with them again, it just means you have let everything go and not let the past experience and pain affect you anymore. When you can look back at an event or someone who caused you the pain without it affecting you (even when you are around that person) then you know that you have healed, you have forgiven, and you have moved on with your life. 

Let us strive to get to this point, for our own well-being and happiness. Be strong. Be uplifted and rise above the past. Let peace and love radiate from you, a light for all others to see.