Do you feel like there’s just not enough hours in each day? Do you struggle with a heavy load and never able to accomplish everything that needs to be done? If you find yourself worn out from being rushed all the time, try these free time management tips to get yourself back on track again:

TIME MANAGEMENT TIP #1: Drop half your work load. You’re probably thinking that isn’t possible, but it is. The truth is that you can most likely stop doing half of what you do every day and nobody would be any worse of because of it. Overloading yourself, whether at work or at home, creates a vicious cycle of never having enough time because you have way too much to do.

TIME MANAGEMENT TIP #2: Get a planner…and use it. Whether a paper planner or digital, this could be your best friend in a few weeks. As soon as you have an appointment, make note of it in your planner. You’ll use your planner to stay focused and on task and should never be late for another appointment again.

TIME MANAGEMENT TIP #3: Turn off the phone. The telephone is, next to the Internet, one of the biggest time wasters ever. When you’re ready to start working on an important project or task, turn off the ringer on your telephone. When you finish the task, you can turn the ringer back on again. This will prevent interruptions that could cause you to become sidetracked.

TIME MANAGEMENT TIP #4: Let someone else do it. In addition to dropping half your work load, start doling out responsibilities to others. At home, put your children in charge of household chores, like laundry or dirty dishes. At work, form a team and hand out task sheets for everyone to pull together and get the job done.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Putting things off until the last minute is never conducive to a peaceful mind. Instead, you end up with a headache, anxiety attack and heartburn, not to mention a TO DO list that’s a mile long because you’ve been putting it off all week long. If you’re tired of the stress produced by your procrastination, try these 7 simple steps to stop your procrastination today.

1. Write a daily TO DO list. If you aren’t already writing a TO DO list every day, start now. Not everyone likes TO DO lists, but they help you see what needs to be done. They also give you a visual of what you’ve already completed.
2. Condense your TO DO list. Lots of people make the mistake of making a TO DO list that is a mile long. Don’t make this mistake. If your TO DO list contains more than 20 tasks, condense it down to about 10 tasks or so.
3. Forget about what isn’t important. When condensing your TO DO list, cross off any tasks that are small or meaningless. Your TO DO list should never include things like brushing your teeth or making your bed. Those are considered everyday tasks and do not belong on your list.
4. Delegate. There will always be some tasks that you don’t have to do yourself. Dole out more responsibility to your family and ease some of your own load.
5. Treat yourself for a job well done. If you worked really hard at completing a task then received no recognition for it, you probably subconsciously thought it must have not been very important. These negative self-messages generate laziness that makes you want to procrastinate later. Start treating yourself for completing a major task on your list.
6. Take a look over your shoulder. When you’re working on a large task, it’s always important to stop for a minute and check your progress. This will always motivate you to keep working hard.
7. Live like there’s no tomorrow. Another biggie is telling yourself that you can just do it tomorrow. What if you didn’t have a tomorrow? What would you get done today? Live like this every day.

Popularity: 8% [?]

How many times have you watched someone else set a goal, then achieve it? It’s inspiring, isn’t it? Now just think about how you could inspire others by setting and achieving your goal.

Goal setting is something that is very easy to do. A lot of people make a big deal about it though, and end up talking themselves out of actually going for what they want. Here are some simple steps you can take towards achieving your goal and inspiring others:

STEP 1: Be reasonable. One of the biggest reasons why so many people fail to reach their goal is because they set unreasonable expectations for themselves. Set a reasonable goal to ensure maximum performance capability.

STEP 2: Plan for mistakes. If you’ll be honest with yourself, you will admit that mistakes are bound to happen. Instead of doing a clean-up every time you mess up, plan now for those mistakes: how they might be prevented, what to do when it happens, how to work around it.

STEP 3: Be consistent. Have you ever noticed that “successful” people tend to be hard workers? They hardly ever take a day off work, and when they do it’s usually because they’re extremely ill and are forced to take time off. There is something to be said for consistency.

STEP 4: Help others. Reaching your own goal is highly rewarding. Even more so, helping others get closer to their own goal can be as equally rewarding. Lend a helping hand to others when you can.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Setting goals is an important part of climbing the ladder of success. If you don’t have a vision for where you want to be one day, how will you ever get there? The actual process of setting goals for yourself is easy. Let’s take a look at how to do it…

First, dream a little dream. Goals come from the dreams that are deep within your heart and mind. What dreams do you have for yourself? Can you imagine yourself in the future? What do you see? Dreams are at the core of every goal.

Next, be precise. When you set a goal, you want to be as specific as possible. Don’t make generalized plans. Drill down deep so your goal will be clear and targeted. When you do this, there will be absolutely no questions about what you want or how to get it.

Third, give yourself a deadline. A goal with no deadline is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You’ll never get where you want to go. When setting your deadline, make sure you give yourself enough time to complete your goal, but not so much time that you actually lose sight of your goal.

Finally, track your progress. One of the second biggest reasons why so many people give up on their goals is because they don’t see their own progress. Create a “ladder” that you can use to keep track of where you’re going, as well as how far you’ve come. You’ll be surprised at how motivating this can be.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Are you concerned about overindulging on holiday party foods? Do you want to ensure you get the proper nutrition during the holidays? The holidays are notoriously blamed for weight gain.

Most who celebrate holidays with feast-filled gatherings neglect to increase exercise as well. This simple oversight can lead to adding a large amount of excess weight in a very short amount of time. As we all know, celebrating the holidays is hardly accomplished without eating. This year you can make smarter decisions about what to put in your mouth, though.

Here is a list of twelve healthy foods you can snack on during the holidays that won’t put on the pounds.

1. Fresh vegetables with low-fat dip
2. Marinated, grilled chicken breast (boneless, skinless) fingers
3. Nuts & seeds
4. Whole-grain cereals
5. Low-fat mozzarella sticks
6. Salsa
7. Reduced-fat & whole-grain crackers
8. Fresh fruit kabobs
9. Kettle’s potato chips (just a handful or two)
10. Granola bars
11. Rice cake with peanut butter
12. Yogurt

Of course, family gatherings aren’t always filled with healthy foods. As such, you should remember to plan ahead for every social event. Volunteer to bring party foods along. This way you can be sure that there will be healthy foods available for you to snack on.

It is possible to maintain healthy eating habits during the holidays. You have to be proactive in doing this for yourself, though.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Does your diet fail every year because of Christmas? Holidays in the United States are almost always relegated to as the time when everyone puts on a few pounds. This year though, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are four pain-free ways you can stay on your diet this Christmas:

1.    Drink lots of water. Just as with any diet, drinking more water is essential any time, but especially so during the holidays. Your body can become dehydrated without you even realizing it. Rather than pouring a glass of wine or sugar-filled drinks, opt for a bottle of cold water instead.

2.    Have a pep talk with yourself. All too often, diets are thrown out the window during Christmas because you know how much food you’re going to be around. You think that you might as well forget about your diet because there’s no way you’ll be able to stay on it while you celebrate. You’re wrong. Half the battle of sticking to a diet is having a made up mind that you’re going to be successful this time. Remind yourself of this every time you reach for another potato chip or slice of pecan pie.

3.    Exercise often. Getting exercise during Christmas is actually not nearly as impossible as you might think. Simple things make a big difference, like parking far when you shop and walking a ways to get to the store. Instead of riding the escalator in the mall, take the stairs.

4.    Eat half as much. Cutting down on your portions can dramatically reduce your chances of falling off the diet wagon. Grab a small saucer instead of a full-sized plate. Get a cup of punch that is half-full, if you must drink punch, rather than full to the top. These tiny steps are doable by anyone and can make a huge difference.

Popularity: 7% [?]

As this holiday season approaches, more and more people become unhappy. The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping turns once content people into hardened, cold Scrooges. This year don’t let gloom and melancholy rule you. Here are five ways you can find true happiness…

1. Expect to be happy. If this sounds too simple that’s because it is simple. Happiness isn’t something that falls into your lap. Happiness is a state of mind. When you wake up every morning expecting to be happy, chances are you will be happy.
2. Follow your bliss. All too often people do things they think are expected of them, rather than things they are passionate about. Rather than following the norms, do something for once that you’ve been wanting to do.
3. Be present. Do you waste a lot of time thinking about what might have been? Do you fret over what could happen next month? Stop giving so much time and energy to the past and the future. Simply be present in today.
4. Give thanks. Did you know that people who express their gratitude often are less likely to be depressed? Saying a simple,  “I appreciate you,” or, “Thank you,” can open up a whole new realm of happiness that you’ve never experienced.
5. Call upon a Higher power. While there are numerous denominations and religious affiliations available today, the one thing they all have in common is faith in a Higher power. Spend time meditating, praying, or singing—or whatever you do—to call upon that Higher power that you believe in.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Have you ever noticed how successful people always seem to be working? They rarely stop for anything. Most people dream and desire to become successful, but don’t have a clear definition of what success means to them.

WordWeb defines success as an attainment that is successful. What does success mean to you? Before you can say you are ready for success in your life, you have to get a clear picture in your mind of what success looks like.

Hard work and dedication are essential to any type of success. You must be willing to sacrifice sometimes, in order to get what you want. Success comes only by putting your hand to the plow and continuously moving, no matter the cost.

Define success
The first thing you have to do is define what success means to you. Think about your life in five or ten years from now. How do you see yourself? Where are you? What are you doing? How does it feel to be “successful?”

When you can get a clear mental picture of how you envision success for yourself, you’ll be able to learn how to get there from where you are right now. This is extremely important for setting achievable goals that will plunge you even closer towards success.

Go for it
Once you know what success means to you, it’s time to start planning. The best way to do so is to create a long-term goal then set short-term goals. These mini goals will provide the pathway to reaching your ultimate life goal.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Personal success is of utmost important to everyone. Here are some of the best quotes on success. Take them and use them to motivate yourself to keep pushing towards your goals.

“Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can.”
- Henry Drummond

“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.”
- Henry Ward Beecher

“Any coward can fight a battle when he’s sure of winning; but give me the man who has the pluck to fight when he’s sure of losing.”
- George Eliot

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
- Henry Ford

“Victory belongs to the most persevering.”
- Napoleon

“Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. Courage is what counts.”
-Sir Winston Churchill

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
- Albert Einstein

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
- Woody Allen

“Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it.”
- Elbert Hubbard

Popularity: 5% [?]

Happiness seems to be the single thread that ties many people together because everyone seeks happiness at some point in their life. Happiness is not elusive, yet it seems that many people have trouble knowing what happiness truly is, or how to find it for themselves.

Happiness is defined as a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Let’s break down this definition to get a clearer picture of exactly what happiness is…

Firstly, take note that happiness is defined by your emotions. Let that thought soak in for a minute. Now read it again: Happiness is defined by your emotions. That means you can choose to be happy, or not. Happiness is clearly and solely dependent upon your attitude and thoughts.

Your emotions, ranging from contentment to joy, is what defines that feeling of happiness you can experience. Contentment is simply being happy with your lot in life. If you are crippled, but can accept your handicap as the way it was meant to be, you will experience happiness every day. But if you look at your handicap as a negative attribute that hinders you from living your life to its fullest, then you’ll be miserable every single day.

Your attitude defines your happiness…or unhappiness.

The secret of happiness doesn’t lie in having all the things you think you need. Many people say that if they just had a couple more thousand dollars, or a bigger house, or a better job, then their life would be better and they’d be happier.
The truth is, no matter how much physical possessions you own, those things can never define your happiness. You must reach deep within yourself and become content with your life as it is. That is when you’ll learn the true secret of happiness.

Popularity: 5% [?]