A timer can be a great tool for staying focused, whether you're researching, writing, cleaning out the closet, or doing your taxes. Set it for an amount of time between 25-55 minutes, and do nothing but work until time's up. Then set the timer for a break of 5 - 10 minutes (the longer your work session, the longer the break).
A good old fashioned kitchen timer is great for this, but, if you're like the How-To Team, you have no idea where your kitchen timer is, or are in no mood to buy one. If you're working from home and are in earshot of the kitchen, another possibility is to use the timer on your oven.
But, if those options aren't appealing and you will be working in front of (or near) a computer, there are a bunch of online timers to choose from. Each of these is free and requires no downloading, just an Internet connection. Take a look and go with your favorite:
What will you, or have you, done today to bring yourself a little closer to your goal? Every step matters, even the smallest. Will you keep track of your calories today? Take the stairs instead of the elevator? Bring in lunch instead of eating out? Do some research on your goal?
One of my jobs is to produce and write material for panel discussions. One of these panels was on the subject of slowing the global spread of diabetes, and to prepare for the event I was interviewing a panelist who approached the issue not as an MD or scientist, but as an expert on business, management and policy.
I started asking the same questions I had asked the other panelists, going over all the huge challenges facing those who want to slow the epidemic-like spread of diabetes around the world. But the woman stopped me, saying, essentially: If all we do in this discussion is talk about the problems, it will sound like every other panel discussion on the subject, and no one will learn anything.
What's the alternative? I asked.
She told me we should use a technique she uses with the corporate leaders she advises: Imagine it is several years in the future. You are looking at the headline of a newspaper or something else reporting on the status of your project. And the report is as positive as you could have ever imagined. It describes a very specific result that is the best success possible for the project.
From WebMD comes some great advice from Susan J. Bartlett, Ph.D., an associate director of clinical psychology at Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, on how to get through the holidays without leaving your fitness goals in shambles. I'd recommend reading the whole article, but here are some highlights:
From Earthlink and Bankrate come ten different ways to save up to $500 a year. So theoretically, if you do all ten you could save up to $5000. Not all of them are available to everyone, though; for example, if you live in an apartment you can't save money by mowing the lawn yourself. But here are two that almost everyone can do:
As I write this, there's a nice quote on the front page about how the belief in a thing makes it happen. It's inspiring. But what does it mean? Does it mean that, as in a child's story, wishing really hard and believing in magic will make your dream come true?
