Category: Organization

Time management: full of energy for the day

Some people seem to have inexhaustible reserves. As if you can tap into a secret source of energy that never runs dry. It would be nice, but humans are also subject to certain laws. One of them is: You can only consume what you have previously put in. A banal but crucial rule can be derived from this: Fill up with more energy than you give off!

What, it doesn’t work for you of all people? Then analyze your situation: write down your energy balance on a two-column list. Write what gives you energy in the left column and what drains you of energy in the right column. Then you determine how you can eliminate the energy thieves and make more use of the energy suppliers. If you are still missing some ideas, then read on…

Time management tip no. 1: Use energy suppliers correctly

You absorb energy with food, recover during sleep and when you relax. Important: As always in life, balance is important. A lot of food does not automatically mean a lot of energy, because everything that the body cannot use it turns into love handles. The more you weigh, the more energy it takes to move. Balance energy intake and consumption, stay slim and use your energy effectively. The same applies to relaxation: not enough sleep and relaxation make you tired, too much lethargy.

Time management tip no. 2: Limit energy consumption

If you can hardly catch your breath in the hectic everyday life, you waste more energy than you can refuel. Only three things help:

• Simplify in all areas of life!
• Set priorities!
• Limit yourself to the essentials!

Treat yourself to short breaks from time to time – a secret weapon of energetic people. You don’t consume energy continuously, but skilfully switch between tension and relaxation.

Christmas is just around the corner – how do you avoid time stress?

Christmas is around the corner? Then think about it in good time

If you want to do everything at the last minute again, don’t be surprised if you get stressed and hectic. In other words, now is the time to choose and buy or order gifts at your leisure so that they arrive on time. And if you don’t know what you could give as a present, then simply ask the person what they would be happy about. And now it’s also time to start planning the holidays and the turn of the year.

For a relaxed Christmas: plan ahead

Do you think there is still enough time before Christmas to do everything you need to do? Then I tell you: the clock is ticking, and faster than you think. If you don’t face facts now, you will soon feel the consequences. The good restaurants are fully booked, printers also need their lead time and you even have to take care of the (student) Santa Claus for the children in good time. Otherwise all the anticipation will go down the drain and you will have to deal with stress, hectic and anger.

Keep the balance even at Christmas

Namely between wanting and being able. Because many people are programmed to always do more than they can actually do. And that also applies with all regularity to the time before Christmas. Mainly because, in addition to your normal work, you have to cushion the additional workload of the Christmas season.

And that’s where the balance gets thrown off balance very quickly. So make sure you don’t get caught up in the hustle and bustle and get infected by the stress. Plan in good time, don’t set appointments that are too tight and involve your partner or family.

Seating: How to make sure the right people are seated next to each other

In general: At banquets, receptions and official celebrations where there is a menu, there are fixed rules for seating: the highest-ranking seat is to the right of the host. Invite as a (married) couple, sit across from each other. The most senior woman sits to the right of the host, the most senior male to the right of the hostess. The farther away a guest sits from you, the lower their rank.

When working out a seating arrangement, you should always keep in mind the goal that everyone present has a pleasant evening with pleasant conversations. So: who gets along with whom, which guests have similar interests?

Seat your guests in such a way that two women and two men sit next to each other. This solution has even proven itself in diplomatic practice because it contributes to better communication. If the men delve into a topic that is not exciting for everyone – football and stocks are notorious – those women who do not want to participate quickly find other material. No one is annoyed, and every lady has a table gentleman, as the classic seating plan envisages.

Separating married couples is an optional provision when it comes to seating arrangements. If you need to organize an invitation and place cards around the table, you should at least consider a good British dining rule: don’t seat married couples next to each other! When spouses are not sitting next to each other, it is easier for them to get to know the other guests. And this seating arrangement has another advantage: afterwards you have something to talk about at home.

You can avoid time-consuming searches by guests for their seats with a placement board. And this is what it could look like: The shape of a table is indicated on a panel wrapped in leather or linen – size: 40 x 60 cm. Plug-in devices for small name tags measuring 2 x 6 cm are incorporated around the table sketch. These can be quickly repositioned if necessary, for example in the event of cancellations at short notice. The placement board is positioned in front of the event room so that it is clearly visible.

Work organisation: How to keep your appointments under control

The organization of work is a thing in itself. To learn how to master them better, follow these tips:

First strategy: Always plan in writing

An ancient rule that has not lost its validity even in times of smartphones, laptops and tablets. Unfortunately, your brain cares whether you write something by hand or just type on a keyboard with your fingers. Scientists discovered that writing by hand activates different regions of the brain, which makes it much easier to remember what you have written.

The brain, on the other hand, can do much less with typed information. The main thing, however, is that planning becomes second nature to you and a habit of it. Then it will be much easier for you after a while. You can also use this suggestion for your spontaneous ideas or notes. Because once written down, you always have them at hand, otherwise they will be gone from your memory forever.

Second strategy: coordinate daily and weekly planning

Both planning variants have advantages. The advantage of weekly planning: you schedule certain appointments in the way that is best for you (e.g. tricky tasks in your high-performance time). This not only applies to professional goals, but also to your personal priorities. You avoid stress and time pressure because you can devote yourself to your tasks in peace.

This is not so easy with the daily planning, because you usually only have the acute and urgent tasks in mind that you have either set yourself or that have been forced on you by others. But that increases the pressure and regularly leads to mistakes that you have to compensate for later, which takes a lot of time. A coordination between daily and weekly schedule offers you the best solution and time saving.

Third strategy: reduce effort

A problem that often occurs with many of our contemporaries: The planned time for, for example, the e-mail check is far exceeded. Why? Because first the emails are read in order to then process them “properly” later. My suggestion: do what you can do immediately. Because a plan shouldn’t just be on paper, it should help you to complete your tasks efficiently.

So what can be done immediately (within about five minutes), you also work on immediately. This will help you stick to your plan and become more productive. Anything that cannot be done in five minutes can be resubmitted (if you are dependent on the work of others) or set a new deadline for completion. Feed the tray with the rest.

Get out of the comfort zone – this is how you do it!

This is often only possible with considerable effort, courage and a willingness to take risks. And who likes doing that? The following ideas show how it can still succeed…

First idea: perseverance is rewarded

self management
means that you are able to set and achieve goals yourself. It is particularly important to have a high level of stamina, because you should not throw in the towel at the slightest difficulty. Whereby: With the best will in the world, it is not always easy not to let yourself be dissuaded from the goal you have chosen, despite the obstacles that arise, and to consistently head towards the goal.

But it can be done. Especially if you not only show perseverance, but also a high degree of flexibility. So be focused on your important projects, but don’t be too stubborn. And then another great danger lurks for you: distractions of all kinds. Allow yourself to get bogged down, your schedule becomes wasteful and you also lose the desire to continue. But if you concentrate fully on your goal, you will achieve it.

Second idea: change your behavior

I might also add: another won’t do it for you. While it’s always easy to blame other people or circumstances – the government, the environment, the economy, the weather – but in reality it’s always up to you. Only when you change, you get a big step closer to your goals. The Austrian-American philosopher and communication scientist Paul Watzlawick said: “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. If you want something else, you have to do something else!”

In other words, if you want to achieve something new, you have to get out of your comfort zone and change your previous behavior. It’s difficult, but it’s the only way to gain new experiences and calmly face the obstacles that come your way.

Third idea: Don’t get discouraged

You all choose your goals for good reasons. Either the benefits are just too great not to tackle them, or the downsides too immense to leave things as they are. And because that is the case, you should also stand by the project you have made. Don’t let notorious whiners, complainers or know-it-alls have their say and, above all, don’t make yourself dependent on their opinion. You can safely do without their advice, because they only want to spoil your goals.

Why? Because they themselves have had bad experiences of one kind or another and now they think they know best what is good for them and what is not. Do not expect any support from these contemporaries. Listen to their suggestions – even if you have to – but then go your way anyway. After all, no one can take responsibility for your actions from you. Go through with your concept and should the obstacles on the way get too big, then adapt your plan and your behavior to the new circumstances.

How to optimize your work organization

1. Tip for a better work organization: Procrastinate less

Getting things done at the last minute should always be the exception, never the rule. Even if there are some “specialists” who think they can get going particularly well with this variant. If you like to procrastinate, you often only complete tasks shortly before the end of the day and under considerable time pressure and self-inflicted stress. You can avoid this with a clever work organization by planning the things you don’t like doing in good time.

Then refrain from making lame excuses or compromises and implement your plan. Get used to this practice and you will be rewarded with more peace and serenity and less stress. Another advantage: You start the day relaxed and work more independently than under someone else’s direction.

2nd tip for better work organization: The policy of small steps

Big projects often seem overwhelming: you don’t know where to start. Here’s a simple but ingenious trick: Break down a large task into several smaller ones. Those that can be done quickly and easily. This results in small successes that give courage. And then it’s only a matter of time before you reach your goal. So take a small first step and your tendency to procrastinate will give way to better work organisation.

3. Tip for a better organization of work: slow down the hectic pace

If you want to do as much as possible in the shortest possible time, you quickly fall into a hectic rush. Because it is not easy to complete tasks and projects in such a way that there is no time pressure. If you don’t master this art, you jump from task to task, change priorities frequently, get interrupted and get bogged down. It is obvious and inevitable that you will not “get smashed”.

As a result, you push a mountain of unfinished business in front of you and in the evening you ask yourself why you got so little done. Therefore, practice the art of slowing down the rush and coordinating the time available with your activities. This is definitely how you optimize your work organization!

Time management: brush off productivity vampires

1. Time management tip: Take responsibility

If you, as a good time manager, want to use your valuable resources of time and energy efficiently, you must take responsibility for your actions and not leave it to the circumstances or other people. Although this is easier, it has fatal consequences, because you lose the opportunity to learn from mistakes, to critically examine your actions and then to change them.

However, if you take responsibility for yourself, you can take the initiative and act instead of just reacting. In this way you will find more time for yourself and reduce pressure and hectic. You no longer allow excuses, no longer distract from yourself and no longer use external factors to justify your actions. This is what self-controlled time management looks like!

2. Time Management Tip: Don’t let others dictate your time

This does not mean that you should ignore your boss. It’s about how YOU use your time. For example, if you check your email first thing in the morning, answer some, put others off to deal with later, you’re just reacting. You do what others think is important. Does it make you more productive? Not at all. Because the e-mails can also wait until you find the right time for them.

You only become more productive when you start taking action. Optimize your time management! This means that you focus on the most important things first thing in the morning. If you carefully analyze the way you work, you will quickly find out whether you react habitually (to the wishes of others) or act independently.

3. Time management tip: Be proactive

Proactive means deciding in advance how you want to proceed. For optimal time management, think about which task you want to concentrate on in the morning. This includes blocking disruptions as far as possible during this time and avoiding interruptions. You can do this by closing your door and telling others that you do not want to be disturbed. Only in this way will you be able to become more productive and not get distracted.

Do you love perfectionism?

How about some imperfection instead of perfectionism?

The supposedly perfect life that’s so easily attainable is a dangerous delusion because you’ll never make it happen. They bind energy that you can use more sensibly elsewhere.

Instead, encourage your strengths and own your weaknesses. Life has rough edges. Only if you accept them will you get along better with yourself and your environment. Exaggerated accuracy makes you ill in the long run. Lower your expectations of yourself and save yourself a lot of time. Rule: As good as necessary. Not better.

Everything has two sides – even perfectionism

Do you often think: “If I don’t do everything right, I’m a failure”? Get rid of that opinion as soon as possible. You are a lovely person and endowed with skills that only you are particularly good at. Oh, you also have a dark side? Of course, they are part of it! Are you excellent at organising, but always taking on too much? Are you obsessively pursuing something, but often only realize too late that it’s not worth it?

Just accept the imperfections. That’s what makes you lovable. Stand by it and make it clear to others as well. What else do you have to offer the world if you are who everyone wants you to be?

Forsake perfectionism

Just ask for help, answer a question with “I don’t know”. This relaxes your subconscious immensely and the inner pressure eases considerably. You don’t have to be better, faster, more effective every day. Switch to enjoy and don’t chase the impossible. Even in aerospace, technicians and designers assume that no important system works perfectly – which is why many are duplicated.

Business tips organization

Hoteliers invest a lot of money and time in the design of their own websites in order to present themselves as effectively as possible to potential guests and to make the advantages of their hotel known. The annoyance is great, however, when it is found that you only appear in Internet search engines from page 4 or 5 and as a result there is hardly any access to your own domain. We have put together tips for you on how to optimize your homepage so that it is at the top of the search engine rankings.