The Simple Life - How to Live It

By Justin Lukasavige

Often times I meet with people who claim they are too busy to maintain their finances, search for a better career or even clean their own home. While I agree that paying a cleaning service $60 per month is a great idea if you could better use that time with family or make more money during that hour, you really do need to carve out the time to take charge of your life.

Take balancing your checkbook for example. In its simplest form, balancing a checkbook consumes minutes each day. If you use Quicken or Money it may take even less. The problem usually lies in the amount of time required to initially set up any system. So how do you find the time?

That just happens to be an easy answer; you don't find the time. You cannot make the time either. We all have the exact same 168 hours available each week. Making more time is impossible. The answer to this question lies in prioritizing.

Is it more important to watch a movie or TV when you come home from work, or to take a walk with your family or even develop your household budget for the first time? What about getting out of the rut you have been in for the past seven years and find a career you are passionate about? It all comes down to prioritizing.

Make a list of everything you want to do during your week. Make sure to include not only work on your finances, resume, job searches, cleaning, working, eating and driving, but also family time, exercise and personal development.

At the top of the list put the most important thing in your life and begin to work backwards. No time left at the end of the day for TV? You either have to reprioritize and put TV higher (hopefully not at the cost of something more important) or you don't get to watch TV.

It has literally been months since I have seen even thirty seconds worth of TV. I cannot tell you what is happening on the latest reality TV show, but I can tell you that I am passionate about what I do for a living. I also know exactly where every dollar of my family's income goes. Set your priorities straight and the rest will follow.

Justin Lukasavige is a Life Coach, and owner of Lukas Coaching. You can view more free articles, download free books, and become a member of the Reader's Group at no cost by visiting http://www.lukascoaching.com Career & Life Coaching

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Lukasavige

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Top Tips For Living a Happy Life

By Paul Mcindoe

We all want to be happy in life but the daily grind, everyday worries and even the weather can get you down and cause you to lose track of what it's all about. However there are many things you can do to brighten up your days.

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of life.

Make more time for your friends and family:
Spending time with the people you care about can make you feel great and help you put things into perspective. Reminiscing about great times in the past or discussing future plans can really give you a boost.

Seize the Day:
The general feeling in the UK is that we work too hard and don't spend enough time doing other things. If you've always wanted to do a particular thing like write a novel or join your local theatre company then now is the time.

Look After Your Health:
Eat well, exercise and take care of your mind and body. There's nothing wrong with letting your hair down every once in a while and you'll enjoy these times even more if they are the exception rather than the rule.

Don't Get Stuck in a Rut:
It's easy to get bogged down and caught in a cycle of working, watching TV and sleeping, for example, but you don't have to settle for anything you don't want to.

Travel:
Seeing new places, experiencing new things and meeting new people can really help to broaden your horizons and give you a new happier perspective on life.

Set Yourself Goals:
No matter how difficult or unachievable you think they are, setting yourself targets in life and reaching them can give you an enormous confidence boost and also improve your overall happiness.

Think About Others:
Donating money to those less fortunate than you or spending time with them can be an incredibly positive experience that helps you really appreciate everything you have in your own life.

Concentrate on the Present:
It may sound corny but living for today is one of the best ways to reduce worry and anxiety from your life and can make you happier as a result. Worrying about what may happen is wasted energy as none of us can predict the future.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone:
Every once in a while you might want to do something that would normally terrify you. Why? This can build up your self confidence and prove to yourself that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it.

Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself:
Everyone makes mistakes; some more frequently than others. But punishing yourself for being human is not the way to go. View every mistake as a learning experience and look forward with a positive attitude.

Peace of mind can be just as important as happiness for many people and having savings in the bank or arranging a home insurance quote to ensure you're protected against unexpected events can give you less to worry about.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Mcindoe

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Friday Night in a Box

By Steven Milbrandt

More Time is a paradox. Time is a constant. You cannot make more of it because it just is. Substituting what you do with your time is possible and advised because children grow and priorities change. One significant distinction is to prioritize time spend as a family. How this can be accomplished because of the "busy" schedules of modern life is often the question. The answer is not complicated, but will require lifestyle shifts and a person must be committed to make these changes and stick to them.

The fix it now mentality, a sort of "family night in a box" approach - just add water, let stand for thirty minutes, stir and serve (to borrow a cooking metaphor) is perhaps too simplistic, but as with cooking, if you make the right changes and follow a prescribed series of steps, you will see the desired results. More time with family and better, more quality time will be the results. "Family night in a box" is the possible and you can find time where you thought none existed.

First, family time can be built around one specific event among family members. For example, surfing has been used as a means to bring board enthusiasts together. It is through surfing that, because surfing is a male dominated sport, all involved have found a way to do something positive while spending time with their dads in particular. Many surfers say their fathers have either introduced them to the sport or have been a huge influence by being heavily involved. The first point here underscores a fundamental truth about time spent together as a family. It must be a specific time that you set aside to spend with your spouse and children. Regular Family Time helps us to remember that we are part of a special family unit; that we are loyal to each other, that we love and support each other; and that we want to celebrate each others birthdays and special events together.

However, it must also be remembered that everyone is an individual and we all have our own ways of doing things, goals and aspirations. Not only that but everyone you meet in your life you give a gift to. You either leave them wanting to be more like you or you show them a person they never want to be. Therefore treat everyone as the individual they are and respect these differences while endeavouring to develop and maintain a cohesive family time that is meaningful to all involved.

To better understand the apparent lack of family time today, it is important to consider some underlying reasons for this. Social, economic and technological change has altered the way in which families spend time together. Important changes include increases in maternal employment, part-time employment and the number of people living alone. The changes during this period have lead to a number of modifications of the traditional structure and nature of marriage. Marriage is still regarded as an important institution in certain parts of the world such as Vietnamese society. There, despite the influences of westernisation and western ideas few couples in Vietnam cohabitant before marriage. There are arguments on both sides of that debate, and that is beyond the scope of this article. It is merely pointed out that certain cultures have not yet adopted the free spirit attitudes typical of Europe and, to a lesser degree, North America. It is this have now, do quickly, and pack every possible thing into each hour and minute that has lead people to feel extreme stress and anxiety.

The speed at which most of the world progresses is at best troublesome and at worst alarming. Some have called this diminishing social capital. Social capital can be understood quite simply as networks of social relations characterized by norms of trust and reciprocity. The essence of social capital is quality social relations. So the question by extension than is how to build more social capital into our relationships with those closest to us - in short, the family unit?

Fortunately, this downward societal trend can be reversed, but it takes understanding and effort. "Family night in a box" as I have been calling it, begins with recognition that such a time is needed and entirely essential to both preserve and maintain the family structure in whatever form it takes. Family today does not necessarily mean a mother, father, 2.2 children and a pet. It might mean single mothers with five children struggling to make the bi-weekly cheque stretch far enough so as many possible needs are met. It might be a widower with two young boys or perhaps two people living together outside of marriage that are helping and leaning from each other along the way.

Family time must be nurtured regardless of what the family unit may look like. Here are some important things to consider with respect to how this can be accomplished. The ideas below, it should be pointed out, are not listed in order of importance. They are offered as a general guide. Take from these ideas what works for you and leave the rest. If you do some of these things you will at least be on your way to the "family night in a box" solution that was spoken about earlier. Here are some suggestions for developing a family time where perhaps none exists, or strengthening one that does. Some ideas are:

1. Set aside time each week. If you can, make it the same time from week to week. Children benefit from routine and will anticipate the time

2. Talk with your kids about limiting their activities outside activities to a predefined and reasonable number. By doing this they chose the one or two things they enjoy most, still maintain their independence and autonomy and can also divide time for family activities.

3. As a parent, put limits on your own activities so that you will have more of your own time to devote to your family.

4. Build a snowman. Winter activities are a great way to create a family together time. Memories that last a lifetime are made up of such spur of the moment fun times.

5. Protect your Family Time by eliminating any distractions like the phone, TV, radio, video games, or the computer.

6. Have a candlelight dinner every once in a while as a family. Such an atmosphere is not only calming, but can lead to great discussions and is a different experience from the usual dinner.

7. Make brunch for your bunch every Sunday. Set aide a day to break the regular routine and do things a little different.

8. Find a "Reading Tree" and claim it as your own to sit under with your children to read.

9. Friday night being the end of the workweek is one of the best times to focus on family. Have a games not or a family fun night of some type. Grab some fast food or make a quick healthy snack with vegetables and salad or perhaps crackers, cheese and soup and spend Friday night together.

10. Sledding. What could be more fun than zipping down the hill on a sled? Young kids may need an adult to go with them, but older ones just need a ride to the nearest park. This is another winter activity that you can do together as a family.

If you start to practice some or all of the above activities, "family night in a box", the quick and simple family time will become you reality. You can do it if you paradoxically "make the time". Make changes to your schedule and alter your plans. Soon what was a deliberate choice on your part will become a habit and you will never look back. Family time is essential. Make it a priority. Start today.

For more information, please visit the Marketplace section of http://www.learnherenow.com You will find additional articles on this website. Please check out our sister site at http://www.stevenmilbrandt.com Thank you. It is hoped you find this article both helpful and informative.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Milbrandt

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

How's Your Inner Game?

By Lorraine Hamilton

Although by the time you are reading this it may all be over for him, I have just watched Andy Murray complete an extraordinary comeback in his 4th round match at Wimbledon against Richard Gasquet. Two sets and a service break down in the third it looked all but over for Murray, yet he dug deep and came back to win the match. Not only did it provide me with some of the most exciting tennis I have seen in many years, but also I was utterly transfixed watching the 'Inner Game' of the two men. This was in many ways much more a psychological battle than a physical one.

And it got me thinking again!

How much attention do we pay to our own Inner Game of Business? We have within us the power to become our business' greatest asset, or its downfall and it can be a simple case of how we talk to ourselves.

Our minds are incredibly powerful and ultimately obedient and once you understand how to feed and nurture them, great things grow. Wasn't it Henry Ford who famously said, 'Whether you believe you can or cannot, you are right.'

Your beliefs dictate your behaviour or action, and your behaviour or action dictates your success. Therefore what you believe about yourself and your business are directly related to your success.

So here are 5 ideas I want to share with you to Boost Your Inner Game:
Believe You Can, And You Will
You have a choice, you can either get your mind to work for you or against you. If you spend your time telling yourself why you won't succeed you will feed your negative inner voice or the 'devil on your shoulder'. Your negative inner voice is completely obedient and will agree with you wholeheartedly whilst bringing forward more evidence from your memory of reasons that you will not succeed. However, your positive inner voice or the 'angel' is equally as obedient and will generate the evidence to support your positive statements.

Give it a try! Tell yourself today is a rotten day - how does your negative inner voice react? Does it provide you with reasons that today will be rotten? It's too hot/cold? Sales are going to be down? Working for yourself is an uphill struggle?

Now tell yourself this is a great day - watch how your angel springs into action to support your new decision with examples of why today is great and filled with opportunity.

Excuses Are Not An Option
Most of suffer, at one time or another, with 'excusitis'. We can make excuses about our lack of success about pretty much anything - intelligence, health, upbringing, luck, age. The truth is that excusitis is, as coined by David J. Schwartz, the 'failure disease'. Challenge your excuses by taking a step back and looking to see if your excuse really is an obstacle that cannot be overcome in some way.

Feel The Fear, And Do It Anyway
Following on from the last point, our excuses are often developed to protect us from something that we fear. Fear is an opportunity to learn something new and is almost always cured by - ACTION. The thought of the fear is generally a lot more frightening than the actual fear itself and acting on it will reduce the fear. Continuing to act on it will remove it completely.

Think BIG
Set yourself big goals and stay focused on them, don't get bogged down in the petty details. Use positive language at every opportunity, to yourself, to your colleagues, your friends, customers, suppliers. Remember you are better than you think you are. Concentrate on your assets and victories. Practice 'Big Picture Thinking', stretch your vision as far as you can. It is possible. Remember to ask yourself, 'What's more important, X or Y?' whenever you need to get a clear perspective on something.

Snatch Victory From The Jaws Of Defeat
How do you do it? Persistence. Tenacity. Never giving up. The difference between those who fall and those who keep getting up is their attitude to 'failure'. Those who keep getting up recognise that they are in a learning process and take everything they can from every experience to learn and propel them forwards. Those who do not get up again believe they have failed.

Think about this. Have you succeeded in your ultimate goal yet? If not, then you are still learning how to achieve it. If you haven't done it before, how are you going to get there unless you learn how? What if we lacked such persistence as babies? We would never walk.

Ask anyone who you deem to be a success and ask them if it has been plain-sailing. Most successful people have overcome many obstacles to get to where they are and it is their attitude towards these obstacles that makes them stronger each time.

Andy Murray certainly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat yesterday.

Going back to Andy Murray's defeat of Richard Gasquet, he could easily have 'settled' for going out in straight sets, that was certainly on the cards, however he chose to believe that he could do it and overcame every obstacle that his opponent put in his way to win. Some of the shots that both men returned would have been deemed impossible in normal circumstances, but with the mental attitude and self-belief that they were exhibiting, the impossible was possible.

And it can be for you too.

Lorraine Hamilton is a Client Attraction Coach and knows first-hand how to build a successful, thriving company.

After years as a successful project engineer, Lorraine works exclusively with small business owners who want proven strategies to double or triple their revenue, remove unnecessary costs and not lose their mind while they grow their businesses.

Please contact her at lorraine@servicebusinessboost.com or visithttp://www.servicebusinessboost.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorraine_Hamilton

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Emoticons and E-mail Shorthand

Emoticons and E-mail Shorthand Smileys are tiny pictures made from ordinary ASCII characters that are meant to be looked at with the head tilted to the left.

Smileys came about when e-mail correspondents felt the need to convey emotional content such as sarcasm, laughter and other feelings as part of their messages.

Without smileys, simple statements could easily be misinterpreted:
You're an idiot! :-)

Sometime during 1981, Scott Fahlman, who is now a Principle Research Scientist in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, devised a scheme for encoding and conveying one's feelings as small text "glyphs" to overcome this frustration.

Scott was the first to use smileys in electronic mail and in posts to BBS message boards and Internet newsgroups, as well as in personal e-mail.

The Emoticons
:-) – Humor
:-) (-: – Masking theatrical comments
:-T – Keeping a straight face (tight-lipped)
:-D – Said with a smile
:-> – Alternate happy face
:-) :-) :-) – Loud guffaw
:*) – Clowning around
:-? – Licking lips
%-} – Silly
:/) – Not funny
:-" – Pursing lips
:-r – Bleahhh (sticking tongue out)
:-f – Smirks
:-p – Smirks
:-1 – Smirks
:-, – Smirks
:-| – Disgusted
:-J – Tongue-in-cheek comments
:-! – Foot in mouth
:-$ – Put your money where your mouth is
:-D – Talks too much
:-I – Chewing on bone
%&$%& – You know what that means...
:-P – Shouting
:-y – Shouting
:-o – Shouting
:-( – Unhappy
:-c – Real unhappy
(:-& – Anger
(:^( – Broken nose
(:<) – Blabber mouth
?-( – Black eye
%-) – Broken glasses
:-b – Tongue stuck out
:-p – Left-handed tongue stuck out
> –-> –-(@ – A rose
||*( – Handshake offered
||*) – Handshake accepted
:-x – Kiss kiss
o= – A burning candle to start a flame
~= – Flaming message
-= – A doused candle to end a flame
|-<> – Kissy face
[] – Hug
(-_-) – Secret smile
'-) – Wink
;-) – Say no more; nudge, nudge
:-* – Oops! (Covering mouth with hand)
:-# – Censored
:-8 – Talking out both sides of your mouth
>:> – Leer
:-X – Not saying a word
(:-... – Heart-breaking message...
:-o – "Oh, noooooo!" (a la Mr. Bill)
#:-o – Same as previous
... –-... – S.O.S.
:-< – Forlorn
|-( – Late night messages
(:-$ – Ill
(:-( – Sad
%- – Hung over
:~/ – All mixed up
#-) – Another all-night partier
:-'| – With a cold
%+{ – Loser in a fight
( ) – You're kidding!
<:-O – Eeek!
:-C – Unbelieving (jaw dropped)
:-(*) – About to vomit

E-mail Shorthand2U2 – To You, Too AAMOF – As A Matter Of Fact
AFAIK – As Far As I Know
AFAIC – As Far As I'm Concerned
AFAICT – As Far As I Can Tell
AFK – Away From Keyboard
ASAP – As Soon As Possible
BAK – Back At Keyboard
BBL – Be Back Later
BITMT – But In The Meantime
BOT – Back On Topic
BRB – Be Right Back
BTW – By the way
C4N – Ciao For Now
CRS – Can't Remember "Stuff"
CU – See You
CUL(8R) – See You Later
CWOT – Complete Waste Of Time
CYA – See Ya
DIY – Do It Yourself
EOD – End Of Discussion
EZ – Easy
F2F – Face To Face
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
FBOW – For Better Or Worse
FOAF – Friend Of A Friend
FOCL – Falling Off Chair Laughing
FWIW – For What It's Worth
FYA – For Your Amusement
FYI – For Your Information
/ga – Go Ahead
GAL – Get A Life
GBTW – Get Back To Work
GFC – Going For Coffee
GFETE – Grinning From Ear To Ear
GMTA – Great minds think alike
GR&D – Grinning, Running & Ducking
GTG – Got To Go
GTGTTBR – Got To Go To The Bathroom
GTRM – Going To Read Mail
HAND – Have A Nice Day
HHOK – Ha Ha Only Kidding
HTH – Hope This Helps
IAC – In Any Case
IAE – In Any Event
IC – I See
IDGI – I Don't Get It
IMCO – In My Considered Opinion
IMHO – In my humble opinion
IMNSHO – in My Not So Humble Opinion
IMO – In My Opinion
IMPE – In My Personal Experience
IMVHO – In My Very Humble Opinion
IOW – In Other Words
IRL – In Real Life
ISP – Internet Service Provider
IYKWIM – If You Know What I Mean
JIC – Just In Case
J/K – Just kidding
KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid
L8TR – Later
LD – Later dude
LOL – Laughing Out Loud
LTNS – Long Time No See
MorF – Male or Female, or person who asks that question
MTCW – My Two Cents Worth
NRN – No Reply Necessary
ONNA – Oh No, Not Again!
OTOH – On The Other Hand
OTTOMH – Off the top of my head
OIC – Oh I See
OTF – On The Floor
OLL – Online Love
PLS – Please
PU – That Stinks!
REHI – Hello Again (re-Hi!)
ROFL – Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROTF – Rolling On The Floor
ROTFL – Rolling On The Floor Laughing
RSN – Real Soon Now
RTDox – Read The Documentation/Directions
RTFM – Read The Frickin' Manual
RUOK – Are You OK?
SNAFU – Situation Normal; All Fouled Up
SO – Significant Other
SOL – Smiling Out Loud (or Sh*t Out of Luck)
TANSTAAFL – There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TAFN – That's All For Now
TEOTWAWKI – The End Of The World As We Know It
THX – Thanks
TIA – Thanks In Advance
TLK2UL8R – Talk to you later
TMK – To My Knowledge
TOS – Terms Of Service
TPTB – The Powers That Be
TSWC – Tell Someone Who Cares
TTBOMK – To The Best Of My Knowledge
TTFN – Ta-Ta For Now
TTYL(8R) – Talk To You Later
TWIMC – To Whom It May Concern
Txs – Thanks
URL – Web Page Address
w/b – Welcome Back
w/o – Without
WRT – With Regard To
WTG – Way To Go
WU? – What's Up?
WWW – World Wide Web
WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get
Y2K – Year 2000
YGIAGAM – Your Guess Is As Good As Mine
YGWYPF – You Get What You Pay For
YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary
ZZZ – Sleeping

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Creatives! You Can Be Organized!

By Marcia Francois

Creative people need different ways to organise themselves because traditional methods won't work too well for them.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to organising; in fact, I believe that since each person is unique, each person's organising system should also be different.

Let's look at four areas to organise yourself for success:
1. Attitude
There's a myth going around that creative people can't work in a structured environment. On the contrary, having a bit of structure in your life actually enables you to be even more creative and to do better work.

A few weeks ago, a client emailed to tell me how she's been energized and has been creating beautiful things again.

What was the difference in her life? We'd worked on organising her office space and within the order, she could be creative once again.

Stop telling yourself that you can't be organised; rather tell yourself that you organise yourself in non-traditional ways. And that's perfectly in order.

2. Schedule
Traditionally, we've all been told to work according to the clock. I'm telling you to work with your energy cycles; don't try to battle them.

If you know that you go through a bit of a slump around lunch time, maybe that's when you want to run errands or exercise to give yourself an energy boost.

If you design websites and you know that you're most creative at midnight, then design your websites at midnight ;) Who says you have to start working at 8am?

3. To-do list
Scrap the to-do list. Yes, you read that correctly. The to-do list may set you up for failure especially when you feel you're not getting things done.

Rather use an Eat the Frog list. This list helps you be more flexible so you only need to get the most important things done. My clients are always a bit shocked when I tell them, "the less you have on your list, the better it is". Just make sure those are important things on your list.

4. Workspace
When you can find your equipment and supplies easily, your valuable energy is used for actual creativity and not wasted on looking for things.

It's so important to have your workspace set up according to your organising style. Are you a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? Are you a paper or electronic person? Maybe the reason you can't seem to get your papers organised is because you're actually an electronic person.

I've had clients with very messy offices whose computers are perfectly organised, and vice versa. It's so important to play to your strengths.

If you join in on the Virtual Organising Seminar, we'll definitely be uncovering your unique organising style.

My challenge to you
Check your attitude and tell yourself you can get more productive once you organise according to your style.

Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy professionals who want to make the most of their time. You'll get simple, practical organising and time management secrets to help you work less and enjoy life more! Visit http://takechargesolutions.org for your free Organising Success Pack.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Francois

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Easy Tips For Organizing Electronic Files

By Lynn Cressy

When it comes to organization, electronic files have to be dealt with like everything else. There are ways to keep these organized and save time as well. It will help to eliminate some of the time spent searching for the file that you need. Wasting time searching for an electronic file defeats the purpose of doing the task electronically in the first place and causes you more headache than if you had done it by hand.

Organizing electronic files can be done rather simply with techniques that involve little effort on your part. Time is all that you need to do this and it will, in turn, save you time later on since many areas of our lives are driven by the use of electronics.

The basics of organizing electronic files remains the same no matter what type of system you are using. The first thing you should remember is that computers do not organize information the way our minds do. It will be arranged by the application source or format that was used to create the file in question.

Second is remembering that we can use a name for the file that contains as many as 225 characters and can use a search on the computer to find them. This makes naming files properly a must. This will save time that is often wasted doing things that you have already done.

The third step is to use keywords to keep the files that you need in order. This makes it easy to find them in the search options. This will allow you to change them later if you need to.

Directories are the next step. Put files into designated directories that you made for each of them. Sub directories can be made for each program that you utilize during the time you are on your computer. If something is for work, you may designate one directory entitled "work" and another entitled "personal" if something is of a personal nature. The fewer directories the less you have to search. General directories that are broken into sub categories will save time.

Next are the folders. You can create different folders to keep your files in. The names of these folders should be something that helps you to remember the content of them.

Now that you know what to do with all the new files you create, it is time to put old files in the appropriate place which may take some time. You want to make sure you have the correct file in the correct place. This is simple; you move the files you still need to relevant folders and directories. Then you take the files that you no longer need and back them up to a flash drive, CD or even an online backup service. Once the file is backed up you can now delete them from the computer and you still have the backup copy if you need it in the future.

For ideas on keeping your home and office organized, download a free copy of the ebook "The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home". Download it free here: Organizing Tips.

Lynn Cressy has a love for decorating and shopping for home decor. She owns a home decor web site and writes articles on home decorating and organizing your home and your life. http://www.lynnshomedecor.com/f/Opt-in_Pages.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Cressy

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Home Organization Tips For Busy Moms

By Jill Borash

Getting and keeping your home organized can save you time, stress and headaches. It does not have to be hard but it does require a bit of planning. And getting your kids involved in getting your home organized can not only help you but teach them valuable lessons as well. The trick is to make it fun both for you and for them.

Let's start with the basics: Set aside some home organizing time every day. Many different home organization tips books encourage this one. Keeping your home organized is going to require some specific dedicated time every day. Use this time to organize mail or to focus on a specific home organization project.

And while you are working on your home organization project, have your kids either working on their own home organizing project or have them help you with yours. This helps teach them good life lessons about staying organized and gives you some helping hands with your organizing projects as well.

Use some creativity to keep it fun and interesting for both you and your kids. Let's face it, most home organization tips and tricks are boring and dull. But you can make it fun if you just use a little imagination. Some ways that you can make home organization fun is by making it a game. Make it a contest to see who can get their room cleaned up and organized the quickest. Make sure there is a reward at the end that makes it worth it for your kids. To "test" how organized your kids' rooms are, ask them who can find you a pen or a specific kind of toy first.

For younger kids, you can incorporate imaginative play into home organization. Make getting and keeping their toys organized a way to teach them and have fun at the same time. So explain the noises that each of the toy animals makes as you put them in a specific drawer and explain that all of the animals "live" together in that drawer. Then do the same thing with the toy cars, etc.

As a working mom, one of the best home organization tips I ever learned was to plan out the meals for the week. This saves me so much time and headaches throughout the week. Every lunch and dinner is planned and sometimes even partially prepared by Sunday night. The part I like the most about this one is that it allows me to spend more time with my daughter because I am not trying to figure out what I need to make right before mealtime and whether or not I have the ingredients.

Need more free help getting your home organized? Get more free home organization tips at http://www.YourHomeIsOrganized.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Borash

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Efficiency and Organization

By Laura Wright

Working from home is a dream for many consumers today. The flexibility, control, and lower costs involved often means a greater amount of productivity in a smaller time frame. One of the challenges for the home worker is simple office organization.

When a home business is disorganized or cluttered it can make working sheer torture. Misplaced paperwork, products, or missing receipts can quickly cause frustration. Many home business owners have even hired relatively needless employees because they didn't consider the efficiency they can regain just by a deliberate arrangement of office space and assigned places for their supplies. Organization not only makes your job easier, it can save you much time, money, and effort.

Look at the overall picture when you start to organize your office space. How is your furniture placed? Is there adequate room for movement? If it is a smaller space, could it do with less furniture? How are your supplies currently placed? Is the trash can within reach of the desk? Is the telephone placed where the computer can be accessed if needed?

If you are manufacturing a product, are the items needed for assembly placed for easy access? For example, if you are making beaded jewelry and accessories, are all items needed placed near one another? Do you have lidded containers to separate and manage your beads? Are all necessary tools in one carrier?

When you are organizing your office space, you should go digital as much as possible. Digital documents are just as professional and can be transmitted more efficiently than print documents. Digitized documents are easily stored on compact discs, DVDs, or portable flash drives. Routine paperwork can be stored in template form and only printed out as you need it. Customer files can be digitized and stored with the help of a scanner. You can store original paperwork in an airtight plastic container in your closet or even your garage. A good spreadsheet program will assist you in creating order forms, records, and any inventory management you may need.

Instead of using a traditional planner that you must correct with liquid paper and pen, consider a desktop calendar on your computer. Entries and important events can simply be deleted or reentered. Many programs will offer auditory and visual alerts for important events. Even removing a simple desk blotter can free up space for desktop organizers or create more room for your keyboard and mouse.

If you have pictures or figures on your desk, you can purchase "floating" shelves and install them above the desk. You can place your personal items on the shelves as opposed to your desk.

Receipts are needed for tax purposes and their collection can seem daunting. A year's worth of receipts may take up a fair amount of space that could be used for other things. Consider purchasing a messenger bag at your local discount store if you collect your receipts. These can be suspended from a closet rod by a sturdy hanger and you can slip receipts into this. A messenger bag is the perfect size for plain brown mailing envelopes. These are used to separate them by month or by deduction. If you don't have spare closet space, consider slipping the bag beneath your desk or even under your bed.

You will need an adequate wastebasket for your office. Many advertised for typical home offices are good for occasional use, but if you are working at home, you will need a receptacle that is large enough for daily use. A compact shredder can also help reduce the size of your waste and some people recycle the shredded paper in the preparation for their own mulch.

Recycling unneeded paper, plastic, and glass is another good way to responsibly dispose of your office trash and is easier than you imagine. Separate containers for waste can be stored under your desk or in a closet. This allows you more time in your work area and less time traveling to other parts of the home. It will also reduce the amount of waste in your garbage can.

Filing cabinets can be tedious to have in a small office. Before you invest in these cabinets, be certain you need them. Is it mandatory for your organization or are you just looking for storage space? If storage is more your need than what a filing cabinet may offer, consider installing a large bookshelf.

Plastic organizing containers can be purchased in a variety of colors and sizes and most will fit on a wide bookshelf. Instead of having a standard cabinet that may have four drawers, a tall bookshelf may have six levels of shelves where you can place multiple organizers. If you use a large bookshelf, please ensure that is securely fastened to the wall to prevent tipping over.

Organizing your home office is an exercise well worth the effort and time involved. Having a well arranged space will help you fulfill your duties faster and make the overall work easier.

Laura Wright is a multi-published professional writer. She has held a variety of positions in the writing field. She currently instructs two web courses and maintains several web domains. She also works as a freelance provider and novelist. Her primary web site is: http://www.laurawrites.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Wright

For more information and support for creating more time for yourself and what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Why are most Glow-in-the-Dark items are green, and why do they glow?

A phenomenon named phosphorescence is responsible for the light most Glow-in-the-Dark items emit.

Phosphorescence occurs when light absorbed by an object is slowly released and can be observed even after the light is removed. If not tampered with, the light the object emits is dim, and is always pale blue in color.

Chemists had a bright idea to spark interest in this phenomenon and to make it visually stimulating. They discovered that when they mixed fluorescent dye with the phosphorescent material, the object emitted a glowing, brighter green, or sometimes red, light.

The reason for this transformation is that fluorescent compounds absorb the light and rapidly emit it, giving the compounds a glowing appearance. This phenomenon occurs only in the constant presence of the original light source.

The phosphorescent material absorbs the light, and slowly emits a pale blue light, that in turn is absorbed by fluorescent dye. The light now emitted is green or red light, depending on the type of dye used.

The most commonly used phosphorescent material used is zinc sulfide mixed with copper, and the green fluorescent dye most likely is sodium fluorescein. The most likely source or red fluorescent dye is rhodamine. Paired together, the phosphorescent material and the fluorescent material produce a ghostly, glowing green or red light, and hours of enjoyment for young and for old alike.

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