Time Management and Goals

I have been having conversations with people lately about Goal Setting and Time Management.  Everyone says they don't have enough time to set goals or to accomplish tasks, but the truth is unless you set the goals you will NEVER find the time to complete them.  You see you can't really manage time, you can only manage you.

Do you really know what you spend your time on each day?  Have you ever taken the time to really look at what you do?  How long does it take you to make and eat your breakfast each day?  Do you read the paper while you eat?  How long does that take?  Do you sit and wait for the coffee to perc or do you do other things while it is percolating?  What about lunch?  Do you eat on the go?  Eat at your desk?  Go out for lunch?  Again, how long does it take? 

Have you ever sat down to watch ONE program and found yourself still sitting on the couch 3 hours later?  That's because you didn't have a goal, something else you wanted to accomplish that night.  If you had, you would have made a decision about whether or not you would even watch the one program, or would you work on a task towards completing your goal.

Do you have a goal you want to achieve?  Other than, "I want to be rich and retire."  Do you know the exact amount you want to make, the exact amount you would need to retire comfortably, taking into account inflation and what activities you want to do when you retire.  Have you written your goal down?  Have you begun your yearly, monthly, weekly, daily plan on how you are going to accomplish it?  Studies have shown that if you WRITE down your goal and put it somewhere where you will see it every day, you have a better chance of achieving it.  If you write it down and set out a plan on how you will achieve it, you are well on your way.

Think about it....A multi-millionaire has the same number of hours in the day as you do, they just do different things with it.  You will probably not find them sitting on the couch in their living room watching hour after hour of TV.  You will probably find them getting together with people who can help them with their goals.

What do you want to accomplish?  Start today by taking a look at how you spend your time and see where you can make some time to work on YOUR GOALS.  If you would like a time log to record your time for the next week,  send me an email (franlwatson (at) gmail.com) with the subject line "TIME LOG" and I will send you a copy. 

It takes time and effort to achieve a goal, but it is always worth it.  Start small, reward yourself for accomplishing tasks, but START.

Have a great day!!!

Fran Watson
BANABU

Missing....

I MISS THESE THINGS

 

Go back now...........

Close your eyes.....And go back....
Before the Internet or the MAC,
Before semi automatics and crack
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo
 

Way back........

 
I'm talking bout hide and go seek at dusk.
Sitting on the porch, Hot bread and butter.
The Good Humour man,
Red light, Green light.

Chocolate milk,

Lunch tickets,
Penny candy in a brown paper bag.

Playing Pinball in the corner store.

Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch

Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all!

Mother May I?

Red Rover and Roly Poly

Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds,

Jolly Ranchers, Banana Splits
Wax Lips and Mustaches

Running through the sprinkler

The smell of the sun and lickin' salty lips....

Wait......

Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons, Fat Albert,

Road Runner, He-Man, The Three Stooges, and Bugs,

Or back further, listening to Superman on the radio

Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar,
Playin sling shot.

When around the corner seemed far away,

And going downtown seemed like going somewhere.

Bedtime, Climbing trees,

An ice cream cone on a warm summer night
Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe butter pecan
A lemon coke from the fountain at the corner drug store

A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers,

Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians,
Sittin on the curb,

Jumpin down the steps,

Jumpin on the bed.
Pillow fights

Runnin till you were out of breath

Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt

Being tired from playin'.... Remember that?

I ain't finished just yet...

Eating Kool-aid powder with sugar

........Remember when...

When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyers) and the only time you wore

them at school, was for "gym."

When it took five minutes for the TV to warm up, if you even had one.
When nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got there.
When nobody owned a purebred dog

When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a miracle.

When milk went up one cent and everyone talked about it for weeks?

When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.

When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.

When your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday.

When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time. And, you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot!

When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.

When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not

even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your

parents.

When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed ... and did!

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.  Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.

Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!!!

Didn't that feel good.. Just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!

There's nothing like the good old days! They were good then, and they're good now when we think about

them.

Share some of these thoughts with a friend who can relate, then share it with someone that missed out on them.

 

Sometimes I think our life would be so much better if we could go back to these days.  There is so much anger and killing in our world.  People have not learned good ways to deal with their unhappiness other than lashing out at others.  Many people don't have the words to recognize and/or express how they feel so they react in anger.

 

To simpler and happier times in your life

All the best

 

Fran Watson

Being Mindful

1. Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”

2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

3. Do less. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do. But you’re busy and you can’t possibly do less, right? You can. I’ve done it, and so have many busy people. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s important, and letting go of what’s not. Read more: TheLazy Manifesto: Do Less.

4. Put space between things. Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

5. Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing. Just sit in silence. Become aware of your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with the silence and stillness. It’ll do you a world of good — and just takes 5 minutes!

6. Stop worrying about the future – focus on the present. Become more aware of your thinking — are you constantly worrying about the future? Learn to recognize when you’re doing this, and then practice bringing yourself back to the present. Just focus on what you’re doing, right now. Enjoy the present moment.

7. When you’re talking to someone, be present. How many of us have spent time with someone but have been thinking about what we need to do in the future? Or thinking about what we want to say next, instead of really listening to that person? Instead, focus on being present, on really listening, on really enjoying your time with that person.

8. Eat slowly and savor your food. Food can be crammed down our throats in a rush, but where’s the joy in that? Savor each bite, slowly, and really get the most out of your food. Interestingly, you’ll eat less this way, and digest your food better as well.

9. Live slowly and savor your life. Just as you would savor your food by eating it more slowly, do everything this way — slow down and savor each and every moment.

10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as drudgery, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11. Keep practicing. When you get frustrated, just take a deep breath. When you ask yourself, “What should I do now, Self?”, the answer is “keep practicing”.

“When you drive around the city and come to a red light or a stop sign, you can just sit back and make use of these twenty or thirty seconds to relax — to breathe in, breathe out, and enjoy arriving in the present moment. There are many things like that we can do.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

BANABU!

 

Fran Watson

Resilience

"To become resilient, it is important to take care of yourself.  Simplify your life.  create balance by streamlining and prioritizing activities.  Make sure there is enough time for faith, fun, and family.  Eliminate unnecessary tasks and give permission to yourself to rest.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Pace yourself.  Learn as much as possible.  Keep a sense of humour.  And remember:  the key to resilience is the acceptance that the only certainty in life is change itself." - Diana M. Amadeo

 

Simplify your life - what are some of the things you can do without?

Streamline and prioritize activities - do you really need to do everything? 

Time for faith, fun and family - do you have a "family night", a time to sit down together to get to know each other better, to play some games or watch tv together?

Eliminate tasks - what can someone else do for you?

Permission to rest - yes, it's ok to take some time to just sit down and relax - not only is it ok, it is necessary for life and health and balance.  Read a book, watch a movie, sit out in the sun.

Ask for help - we are not "superman" or "superwoman", people like to be asked for help, it makes them feel needed.

Pace yourself - don't try to do everything at once.  If you have a large project to do, do one step at a time,  break it into small bites.  As they question goes, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."  It is how you accomplish anything - one small step at a time.

Learn as much as possible - try to learn one new thing each day.  At the end of the year you will have learned 365 new things.  Read a chapter of a book each day.  You will be amazed at how many books you will have completed in a year.  15 minutes per day = 91 hours in a year.

Keep a sense of humour - learn to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake.

Accept that change is inevitable and go with the flow!

 

BANABU - Building A New and Better Universe / Building A New And Better "U"

Fran Watson

 

 

What Makes You Tick?

"What Really Makes You Tick?"

Some questions you should ask to yourself. 

Are you stuck?  Or are you somewhat contented with life the way things are, but think, "what if?" Then maybe it's time to ask yourself some hard questions.

1. What do I really want? - this is the toughest question. 
What would I do if I only had a little time left to live?  What would I do if I had all the money I wanted/needed and could do anything at all?

2. Should I really change?  If so, what should I change?  What parts of me do I like and what parts do I want to get rid of or minimize?

3. What's the bright side in all of this?  Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? 

4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?  Truthfully?

5. Have I done enough for myself?  Do you really look after yourself or are you looking after everyone else?  Do you take the time to eat properly, to exercise, to grow mentally, to spend time with friends who make you happy?

6. Am I happy at where I am today?  If not, then how can I change what is happening?

7. How much could I have?  How much do I want?  How much am I willing to work for it?

9. What motivates me?  What makes me so happy that time flies by, that hours seem like minutes?  What makes my heart race, my face smile and my insides fill with joy?  People, places, things??

So, What Really Makes You Tick?  This is not an easy question to answer, but when you get to the point where you can answer it, everything will begin to fall into place and you will know where it is you are going and how to get there.

Why not leave a comment below once you discover what makes you tick?  Let's see all the different answers that come up.

To ticking!!

Fran Watson

P.S.  What makes me tick is sharing what I learn with others.  One of the things I have done for the past 11 years is public speaking with Toastmasters.  Click here to find out more.

Your 7 Day Program to Self-Development

"A Better You" Your 7 day program to self-development

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose:  Are you wandering through life with little direction -hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity?

Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.  This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values:  What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values.

Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2012 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.  The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dream of.

3. Know your needs:  Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically.

Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions:  You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life.

Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out:  Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence.

Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths:  What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others:  When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being.

When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them. 

Self-development is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

To your success

Fran
P.S.  Check out  this Ultimate Success Program

Life has a way of getting in the way

Have you ever noticed that?

You have good intentions, you have a goal in mind, but something gets in the way.  You lose focus, your goal seems to have drifted off into the clouds.  Why? 

Because you didn't have a plan.

Your goal is in the clouds because you didn't determine the steps needed to reach it and so it began to slip away.

Has this happened to you recently?  It happened to me. 

I started this year full of expectations and ideas of things I wanted to accomplish, and here it is 3 months later and this is the first blog post I have made in 3 months.  It doesn't mean that I haven't been busy pursuing some of my goals, because I have.  I have been doing workshops on Time Management and Communication and Conflict Resolution.  I have been giving presentations at my Toastmasters Clubs, but, my goal to post weekly updates on my blog.... well, I didn't set an action plan in place and here I am.

Today I am determining to do better.  I am going to write down in my Day Timer a schedule for my blogs - for this blog - BANABU, for my Job Search Tips, my Marketing Tips and Diet Tips.  I am also going to weekly ensure that my webpage is updated.

This time next week there should, make that will, be another post, so help keep me on track.  Check in with me...comment on my blog. 

Till next time

Fran
http://www.franwatson.ca/bio.html