keeping the community in the know
DID YOU KNOW
A survey looking into parking came up with some interesting results that further question the human male's claim to superior driving abilities.
The women won two of the three categories with men only coming out on top when it came to speed of parking
http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/parking-wars-men-vs-women-1.1021441
Today’s Inspiration of the day
18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work
1. Write out a daily task list and plan your day. There’s nothing like a task list sitting next to you to keep you focused. When you have a list of the things you need to accomplish in a day, having that close to you constantly reminding you of what needs to be done is a great way of keeping on track.
2. Allocate time slots colleagues can interrupt you. In a busy work place, people are moving and talking all the time. If you play a role in a team where others need to interact with you, try allocating a time slot they can interrupt you. Instead of having people stop by your desk every 10 mins and asking you questions, let them know of a time in the day, say between 2-4pm you can be interrupted. At all other times, you can really get some work done.
3. Apply time boxing. In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of time boxing. Instead of working at something till it is done, try working on it for a limited period, say 30 mins. By that time, the task is either completed or you allocate another time slot, perhaps in another day, to pick it up again. This way, you keep your work fresh and engaging throughout the entire working day.
4. Setup filters in your email. If you spend a lot of your time communicating and planning in front of your computer, chances are you deal with emails on a frequent basis. Setting up filters in your email client can be a great way of sorting out what’s important and urgent from personal stuff which can wait. Instead of dealing with a single Inbox with hundreds of unread email, you only need to deal with smaller folders categorised by project, priority and context.
Checking personal emails can be very distracting even with filters setup. This is especially true when your friends send you links to interesting articles, jokes or videos on YouTube. If you’re not careful, you can get side tracked for hours. Instead of checking your personal email as soon as you get in, try starting work straight away. This will build up some momentum as you ease into your work day. You should check your personal email only after you have a few tasks completed or underway. Also, if you don’t want to perpetuate a particular distracting email thread, just don’t reply to it until after work.
6. Set your IM status. If you use Instant Messenger, when you don’t want to be disturbed, make use of the status and set yourself as being away or busy. Your friends and colleagues will honour that. They can either send you an email or look you up later when you aren’t as busy.
8. Use the headphones but leave the music off. Some people prefer to have absolute silence when working. I think that also depends on what kind of work you are doing. If you’re doing some serious planning or something computational, having music blasting in your ears may not be the best thing for keeping focused. Try using headphones or ear plugs to block out the background noise but leave the music off.
10. Find the best time to do repetitive and boring tasks. No matter how much you try to avoid it, you’re going to have to face doing things which are either repetitive or boring. For these tasks, I find it is best to choose a time in the day to work on them. For example, I’m more alert at the start of the day, so it’s better to work on things which require brain power early. Working on boring tasks that can be done via auto-pilot are better left towards the end of the day when I’m usually tired.
11. Bring your lunch and have it at your desk. I’m not suggesting you do this every day, but if you really have to focus and are trying to meet a deadline, having your lunch at your desk really helps. The normal one hour lunch break can really interrupt any momentum you might have built up during the morning. I find when I’m eating lunch at my desk, my lunch breaks are shorter and I can get through a few emails while I’m eating. After I’m done, I’m straight back working on the next task.
*for more click on the link
ALSO FEATURED:
It’s the month of February and for SADD (South Africans Against Drunk Driving) it’s Alcohol Free Feb!!!
I was joined by SADD’s Phillipa Smit who reassures everyone that the message is not necessarily about zero alcohol but more zero irresponsible behaviour. The campaign’s main targets are teens and students, who is probably the hardest to sway. They do talks and presentations at various schools, colleges etc. In Cape Town the City of Cape Town has come on board in support of the awareness campaign helping to promote the message of alcohol free feb.
Now here’s an important question, do you know how many units of alcohol you consuming? According Phillipa Smit, even one glass of wine could contain 2units of alcohol and the safest way to drink is to consume one unit per hour. It’s especially important for people who drive simply because you can be arrested for drunk driving even after two drinks. UNITS!
To find out more, to donate or to sign up visit www.alcofreefeb.co.za
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