We all only have so many hours in the day to do everything we want to do. Have you ever said, “Where did the day go, I didn’t get anything done”? Here are 8 tips on how to get more done in a day and maybe you can push that snooze button one more time.
1. When you can, multi-task to save time. For instance, put in a batch of wash while you cook breakfast or read to a child. Have a cake baking in the oven while you write a letter. When multi-tasking do things that don’t take all your attention at the same time like talking to someone on the phone and trying to write a report.
When doing errands write a list and write numbers by them in the order you will do them, this will save time as you won’t be going from one end of town to the other and back again.
2. Write a “to do” list every night of what you want to do the next day. This way you have started to organize your day before you are in the thick of things and you can’t even remember what you wanted to do. Structure your day so you can do the things that take the most energy when you are most productive. For morning people you’ll get a lot done in the morning, for evening people your most productive will be at night.
3. Set a limit on how much time you will search the web (set a timer) or watch television. Watching television can be a time to multi-task by folding clothes or working on a craft project so you are doing two things you want or need to do at the same time. Take control of your time; setting a timer can help you do this.
4. If you are in charge of a meeting whether at school, work, or church start and stop on time. People will soon realize they will miss out if they are late as you will have a reputation of starting on time. Have an agenda for the meeting and stick to it. This gives structure so the objectives are met and with everyone knowing the goals the meeting is more efficient.
5. Learn to say no. You are the best person to know what you can and cannot do in a day. By not over extending yourself you will get more done and will be much happier. This is critical in taking control of your time.
6. Get the amount of hours of sleep every night that your body needs. If you are getting up tired you may not be getting enough sleep, only you can determine this. Being rested helps you to be more effective by preventing errors and having to do something over which will cost you more time. Also you’ll have more energy so you can get more done.
7. Get organized and keep organized. By clearing clutter you will save time by not having to search for things you need. It also eliminates the stress of needing to purchase something you can’t find and getting late fees at the library or movie rentals.
8. Delegate tasks to others at home and at work. You don’t have to do everything yourself.
Now that you have more hours in the day to do what you want to do, are you going to sleep in or are you so energized you can take on a new task, spend more time with your family or have some quiet time for yourself? The choice is yours.
I have a friend who avoided going home after work because it was just too depressing. Her home was cluttered and disorganized in every room. She had fast food wrappers everywhere. Drinks had spilled on the couch and carpet that made a sticky mess. She couldn’t find her DVD’s because they were scattered everywhere. She had late fees galore on both DVD’s and library books because she couldn’t find them under all the clutter. She didn’t know how to declutter her home or her life. If this sounds familiar to you here are 10 Tips on how to declutter your home and your life.
1. Some people think they are just lazy and that is why they can’t organize. As a professional organizer I have worked with hundreds of people and no one I have met is lazy, that may be an avoidance tactic. We are busy people and have a lot of demands on our time.
2. They don’t know what they want and haven’t taken the time to think about what they want their home to look like.
3. You may want to keep everything you now have in your home. In each room eliminate 30 of the stuff (depending on how much you have). If this is too hard to do get rid of 20 items in each room, again depending on how much there is to get rid of.
4. You tell yourself you don’t know where to start? Here are some suggestions of where to start: Chose the room that bothers you the most. Start in your bedroom as that room can be a place of sanctuary for you. Start on the front porch or in the entry way as that is the place visitors and guests see first. When you are in a room start organizing from the inside out, do the flat services after you have done the closet, drawers, armoire, cupboards etc.
5. Have you ever said there just isn’t enough time in the day to declutter my home? The solution is to start slow and take baby steps. Set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes and see how much you can get done in that length of time. You will be surprised how much you can get done by taking one small bite at a time. If you are in a good rhythm, reset your timer and keep on clearing clutter.
6. You blame other people in your home for keeping the clutter around. (Only because it is often true). Start with your things first and when they see you are serious and are making changes they will be more likely to come on board and will be willing to declutter their space. Negotiate with your family and share with them your goals on how you want your home to look and feel.
7. What is the use to organize, it will just get unorganized? Do you ever feel this way? And it is true unless you have some systems in place to help you and your family keep it organized. Have a home for everything and after using something put it back where it belongs immediately after using it. When you see something out of place pick it up then and put it away, or in a drawer straighten things up before they get out of hand and a jumbled mess.
8. Do your children undo everything you do? Give them responsibilities and teach them how to declutter by putting things away, reward them and praise them for jobs they do.
9. You are holding on to things because you may need it someday. It is all just stuff; consider is it worth the cost to replace it IF at some future time you need it compared to what it is costing in clutter living in your home.
10. You can’t decide what to get rid of? As you look at every item ask yourself how long it has been since you used it, do you ever use it, does it light you up, could someone else make better use of it? By asking yourself these questions it will be easier to part with the stuff that is just taking up space in your home and creating clutter.
By using these simple steps to declutter your home you will be able to keep organized. Life happens and things get unorganized, but keep your goals in mind and use the systems you put in place to keep organized.
The information presented here is designed to provide a benefit to anyone who must answer questions during the dreaded job interview. The main point presented here is that the key to a successful job interview is preparation. The following discussion expounds on this key point.
While some tough job interview questions take us off guard, others we can see coming a mile away. How we answer job interview questions will make the difference between getting and not getting the job. We all have questions that we’d rather not be asked during an interview. But how can one prepare completely for a tough interview?
The answer to this question really comes down to intense preparatory work. In a nutshell, do your homework. Make sure that you know your resume thoroughly and expect questions to come from your work history. Also, expect questions about the company you want to work for and the type of future you want in that company, and finally, expect questions about you. You should use several large lists of questions in preparation for the interview. Below, you will find a list of tough job interview questions, which should be helpful in preparation for the job interview.
While the questions below are pretty standard and can be expected at most job interviews, you should also create your own questions. In creating your questions in preparation for an interview, you really need to sit down and think through what you would ask if you were the interviewer. Remember that the person interviewing you has a job to do as well. If you can provide a good answer to most of the questions below, and to the questions you have created, you have increased the probability of obtaining the job you are seeking.
Obviously during a job interview, regardless of your personality, you need to be congenial and polite. Try not to appear nervous as well. Most importantly, try to appear confident in yourself but not to the point of appearing cocky. Remember, the interviewer is not only trying to select the best candidate for the job, they also want to be sure that you will be compatible with other employees you will be working with. Also, remember that the interviewer is trying their best to find any red flags that may be present in your past work history.
The following is a list of questions you can expect at most job interviews. You most likely will not be asked all of these questions, but you can expect some of them. Many of these questions come from About.com, and some were created by our staff.
Job Interview Questions: Work History
What is the name of the company you worked for and what titles or positions did you hold?
In a nutshell, describe what you did at your previous company.
When were your employed by this company?
What were your expectations for your previous job and to what extent were they met?
What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
What were your responsibilities?
What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
Which was most and least rewarding?
What was the biggest accomplishment and failure in this position?
Why are you leaving your current job?
Why were you fired?
What was the most enjoyable aspect of your previous job?
Job Interview Questions: About Your Supervisors and Co-Workers.
What was it like working for your supervisor?
What do you expect from a supervisor?
Who was your best boss and who was the worst?
What is the ideal co-worker?
What is the ideal boss?
Job Interview Questions: About You
What is your greatest weakness?
What is your greatest strength?
In terms of your current or last position, describe a typical work week for yourself.
Do you take work home with you?
How many hours do you normally work per week including work completed at home?
How would you describe the pace at which you work?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
In terms of your career, what motivates you to move upward and attain further success?
What are your salary expectations?
What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
Tell me about yourself.
What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
What has been your greatest accomplishments in your life?
What are you passionate about?
What are your pet peeves?
What do people most often criticize about you?
When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?
If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
Give some examples of teamwork.
Were you responsible for any major projects at your last position, and if so, please describe in a nutshell the project you were responsible for.
What type of work environment do you prefer?
How do you evaluate success?
Have you ever given a work related presentation to a group of people greater then 10, and if so, how did that work out?
If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it?
Describe a difficult work situation or project and how you overcame it.
Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it.
What have you been doing since your last job?
Job Interview Questions: About the New Job and the Company
What interests you about this job?
Why do you want this job?
What applicable attributes or experience do you have?
Are you overqualified for this job?
What can you do for this company?
What do you know about this company?
Why do you want to work here?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
What can you contribute to this company?
Are you willing to travel?
Is there anything I haven’t told you about the job or company that you would like to know?
How do you plan to move up within our company?
What is the highest level you wish to be promoted within our company?
Why should we select you for this job?
Job Interview Questions: The Future
What are you looking for in your next job?
What are your career goals for the next five years and ten years?
How do you plan to achieve those goals?
How long would you like to stay with our company and why?
What are your salary requirements - both short-term and long-term?
What will you do if you don’t get this position?
Once again, the key to a successful job interview is preparation. When you are completely prepared, you will tend to be less nervous. Of course, it is highly likely you will be presented with a question or two that you did not expect. This is why preparation also entails having the knowledge base that you can expect the interviewer will tap into.
How Homeowners Can Navigate Choppy Waters With Ease!
The purpose of flood insurance is to protect property owners and renters against losses from floods—losses that a typical homeowner’s policy does not cover. Whether you have a condo or a house, whether you’re a builder or a renter, here’s information to help you know who is eligible for this insurance, where to obtain it, and how the program works.
Flood insurance is available only in communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Homeowners, builders, and communities want to preserve and protect their property. What measures exist to help them?
Why Have Flood Insurance?
You may not think you live near enough to water to be at risk, but dams and levees do break, drainage systems can become overloaded and back up, and hurricanes can veer off path.
Protecting your home and belongings with flood insurance is far less costly than cleaning up after the fact. Nor can you depend upon Presidential Disaster Declaration aid. Even if such a declaration is made for your area, it can be a long time before the money arrives.
The National Flood Insurance Program
Over time, the US government realized that the measures in place to discourage unwise land development or to decrease losses from floods simply didn’t work. Therefore, in 1968, Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program to protect property owners against the possibility of loss.
How Does It Work?
A community must agree to adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance that is designed to reduce future flood risks in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). When a community follows or agrees to follow these laws, the federal government will make flood insurance available to every property owner in that community.
Each property owner must then follow all of FEMA’s and NFIP’s requirements whether or not he or she purchases flood insurance. One of the requirements is properly installed flood vents.
How Do You Define Community?
A community is any State, area, or political subdivision; any Indian tribe, authorized tribal organization, or Alaska native village; or authorized native organization with the authority to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinance for the area under its jurisdiction.
Community participation in the NFIP is voluntary, although some states require participation as part of their floodplain management program. Each community in an identified flood-prone area must assess its flood hazard and determine whether flood insurance and floodplain management would benefit its residents and economy.
How are Flood Hazard Areas Determined?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) produces maps that identify various flood hazard areas, such as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), a high-risk area that stands a 1% chance of occurring in any year. The government believes that this high-risk standard is a reasonable compromise between the need for floodplain development and the need for building restrictions aimed at minimizing loss of life and property.
Development can take place in the SFHA as long as it complies with local floodplain management ordinances that meet the minimum federal requirements. Flood insurance is required for insurable structures within high-risk areas.
What Kind of Requirements Are There?
When a community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, every property owner in that community has to follow all of FEMA’s code requirements as set out in its floodplain management ordinance. That’s true whether or not the property owner buys flood insurance. These code requirements include but aren’t limited to foundation openings (also called “flood vents”) and first flood elevation height requirements.
What Types of Structures Can Be Insured?
If you are in a community that participates in the NFIP, nearly every type of walled and roofed building that is mostly above-ground and not entirely over water can be insured. This includes mobiles homes and traveler trailers without wheels that are anchored to permanent foundations. Separate coverage is available for the contents of these buildings.
What isn’t insurable under the NFIP?
Buildings entirely over water or principally below ground, gas and liquid storage tanks, animals, birds, fish, aircraft, wharves, piers, bulkheads, growing crops, shrubbery, land, livestock, roads, machinery, motor vehicles, equipment in the open. Most contents and finishing materials located in a basement or in enclosures below the lowest elevated floor of an elevated building are not covered.
How To Find Out If You Can Buy Flood Insurance
Property owners and renters can see if their community participates in the NFIP by contacting a community official or insurance agent or by visiting http://www.fema.gov/fema/csb.
How to Obtain A Flood Insurance Policy
If your local insurance agent does not sell flood insurance, call the NFIP at 1-888-379-9531 or visit www.floodsmart.gov.
How Much Flood Insurance Coverage Is Available?
The NFIP Flood Insurance Manual provides coverage limits under the Residential Condominium Building Association Policy. Under its regular program, property owners can buy up to $250,000 per single-family dwelling or other residential building and up to $500,000 for a non-residential building. Coverage is available up to $100,000 for residential building contents and up to $500,000 for non-residential contents.
When To Buy Flood Insurance?
There is typically a 30-day waiting period for flood insurance to go into effect. Remember that hurricane season is flood season, so obtain your insurance well ahead of time.
Tips to Remember
1 - Everyone lives in a flood zone.
2 - Most homeowners’ policies don’t cover flood damage.
3 - No matter what your flood risk is, you can buy flood insurance if your community participates in the NFIP.
4 - Don’t wait for federal disaster assistance to help you.
5 - Keep your home compliant with federal regulations.
6 - There’s usually a 30-day waiting period before your policy takes effect.
7 - Buy a separate policy to protect your contents.