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The ‘To-Do’ List

Ah, the humble To-Do list. With all the high-tech, whiz-bang productivity applications, mobile gadgets, office tools, and genuine Corinthian leather day planners out there to spend our money and attention on, in the end the single most productive tool we can use boils down to a list of crap we need to do.

Time planner, memory tool and checklist all rolled into one and all you need is a biro and scrap of paper. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your list…

Always aim to construct your list either first thing in the morning or last [...]

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Too Busy? Just say ‘NO’

No. Such a small simple word, two letters one syllable. So why is it so difficult for some of us to say? Is it the finality of the word, the negativity it represents or the abruptness in how it sounds? Yes it’s all of these things, because to a lot of us saying ‘no’ feels like we’re refusing the person rather than refusing their request.

It could be that you’ve helped organise the Christmas do in the past, but now have other responsibilities and don’t have the time; or you may have offered to take on a little but are being [...]

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Beating Procrastination

Do you often find yourself putting off important tasks? Doing everything and anything to delay essential work, by finding trivial chores that ‘must be completed’ beforehand? Waiting all day until you’re in the ‘right mood’ to get down to work?  Don’t worry you’re not alone; procrastination is far more common than you think. However, some people are so chronically affected that it hinders them from achieving things they’re capable of and disrupts their careers.

Try controlling this irritating habit by attempting to recognise when you start procrastinating; understand why it happens; and take active steps to better manage your time.

The reason [...]

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The unmanagable manager contd….

Poor Sarah, over-managed and undermined, so what do you do when you find yourself in a position where your manager needs managing…..

We all have one, it could even be you; that super organised friend. Everything is colour coded and labeled, Christmas shopping completed by mid-April, holiday luggage packed and outfits picked three weeks in advance.

As a highly disorganised individual I often envy those who have everything meticulously planned and on time. It’s undoubtedly a less stressful way of life.

When it does become a problem though, is when this super organisation is imposed upon others. Its fine to offer some [...]

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The Unmanagable Manager

Sarah and Pamela work in the advertising department of an investment bank. Pamela is new to management and Sarah is the first person to be placed under her supervision.

Pamela is desperate to make a good impression, making checklists, monitoring Sarah’s progress and reporting to senior management.  As a result she has almost become over-organised, and now expects Sarah to work to the same pattern, going as far as to plan three one-to-one progress meetings a week to ‘see where we’re at’.

Sarah’s starting to see this as a bit of a nuisance;

She feels over-managed and undermined. [...]

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Build your Self Confidence

Confidence? Faking it perhaps…….

Ever been surprised by someone when they admit they’d like to build on their self confidence? Because to you he seems the most confident man in town….. hit with the ladies, main man on the pitch, the joker of the group, and he has the audacity to claim he needs a confidence boost?!!

The truth is no matter how confident or self assured people may seem, not one person is 100% comfortable in themselves, and everyone could do with improving their self esteem. Here are a few brief tips to help you do so;

Focus your attention outward; [...]

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Effective Stress Management

Unfinished proposals; piles of messages needing attention; daughter’s communion approaching; Eircom needs paying; veins pulsating; stress ball down to its last threads……sound familiar? Stop. Take a breather. It’s only natural to feel stressed out and under pressure from time to time. Life seems to demand so much more from us these days; trying to juggle family life along with a busy work schedule it’s no wonder we get frazzled.

Here are a few tips to help you cope with the inevitable pressures and stresses of life;

Make a to-do list and do your best to stick by it.  Managing time and prioritizing [...]

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