Go Slow to Manage Time Effectively

Go Slow

Are you always in a hurry? Are you always running short of time? Are you working quickly to get things done? If so, you are not in control of your time. There are ways to be the master of time:

• Plan ahead
• Be an early riser
• Doing the first thing first

When you manage time effectively, you are mindful, you get peace of mind and you go slow to get things done. You are not literally doing a thing at a snail pace. You are paying full attention and work diligently but you are not under pressure or running short of time to get things done. You enjoy the process of doing it. There is a difference between working mindfully and working quickly and not paying full attention to what you do.

There are delightful ways to go slow in life:

  

• Eat slowly: When you eat you don’t watch TV or read a newspaper. You sit down to savor and enjoy your food.  You chew each mouthful and taste the food before swallowing it. Actually, proper digestion starts with the saliva.
• Read slowly: Read to understand and learn from it. When you read quickly you have to reread to know what it is all about. 
• Love slowly: Love is not at first sight. It takes time to get to know and understand each other more and better.
• Exercise slowly: You get the most benefits out of a slow jog. You enjoy the fresh air and take in more oxygen. You look and see more along the way.
• Drive slowly: To drive slowly is to drive defensively. You anticipate and are on the alert at places where there are likely to cause accidents. You pick up at a reasonable speed when it is safe to do so.    
• Work slowly: An organized person has already planned ahead to do first thing first. There is time for him to take deserving breaks and he is in full control of the time to accomplish the tasks of the day without working under stress.
• Live slowly: When you go for a sightseeing trip you don’t rush about but you take your time to feast your eyes with the breathtaking scenes. Go slow in life to appreciate nature and the environment around you.

  

When you are in full control of your time, you go slow and enjoy what you do.

Be Successful and Happy in the Journey of Life

Success is not a destination. It is an ongoing journey. The most important thing is to enjoy the journey and find success along the way. How do you find happiness and success travelling along the long and winding road? The journey is not smooth going but full of potholes and going uphill and downhill. Here are the ways to hit the road and face challenges in the journey of life:

·        Set goals: You start your car engine and you know where you are going. Likewise, you plan your journey in life, so that you know where you want to go. Your goals are meaningful to you. You do what you like and you know you are capable of getting what you want. You  focus in the direction where you are going and there is no u-turn or sidetracking

·        Reaching greater height: As soon as you have reached a milestone in your life, you set new targets and move on to conquer uncharted territories. Life goes on.

·        Keep fit and healthy: To be successful and happy is to be healthy and fit. Good health promotes energy and stamina and lets you perform at your best.

·        Optimistic: To think positive is to be hopeful about the future.  You are eager to do the required tasks to reach your ultimate goals every day.

·        Go slow: Take the time to appreciate what you do, enjoy the process of doing something you like. Go slow to marvel nature and its wonders  

·        Determination: As an example, you are inspired by great writers and you aspire to be one, it is necessary to write every day constantly and persistently. You can only be a better writer by writing more and more over time

·        Solve problems creatively: Life is full of problems and obstacles. These are the essence of life or else it would be very dull. The most important thing is to look for solutions to problems you encounter along the way. Solving problems is a wonderful way to boost your confidence.

·        Companionship: The journey of life is made interesting and delightful when there is someone to accompany you. You share life through thick and thin with your partner and care for each other. 

The best way to live life is to live each day fully as it comes. There is no thinking about the past or worrying about the future.   

How to be a Successful Executive

  

Success at work is about performance and how valuable you are in the eyes of your employer. Here are the things that you can do to be ahead and stay ahead of the competition. 

• Set goals: Having a goal is to focus your attention and direct your energy in getting the right things done. There is room at the top to achieve your career goals so that you are able to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. 

·        Plan and organize: Getting things done smoothly can be achieved with proper planning and organization. On a daily basis always prepare a to-do list in advance to execute your daily tasks.

• High EQ and people skills: Know your mood and be able to control your negative emotions such as anger, resentment and hatred. Understand the feelings of others and know the right time to approach them and get things done. 

• Continuous learning: Be well-informed to stay up-to-date. Get connected with the right people to understand the current topics. Catch up with the latest events that are happening around you and find out how these events are impacting you.  

• Creative: Work better by thinking of smart ways to do things. Your unique ideas will get you ahead of others.
  .
• A trusted and valued employee: What can you contribute? Can you reduce expenses, boost revenue, increase productivity or promote a better image of the establishment? Provide value and get things done and deliver more than expected on time. Build yourself into a trusted brand.    

• Positive self-image: When you dress smartly and appropriately, you tell others that you care about yourself and it is an indication of how you get things done. Always wear a smile and greet people to acknowledge their presence.

• Do more: Productivity is about more efficient and effective in getting things done in less time. People with multi-skilled are highly sought after by employers. It is because you can take on more jobs normally done by more than one person. Take courses or attend classes to acquire other essential skills.

• Peak Performance: To perform at your best is to focus and mindful at work. You take deserving breaks instead of working non-stop to avoid unnecessary stress. You exercise regularly and eat nutritiously to boost your energy.

• Problem-solving: Your job is also measured by how creative you are in solving problems. The best approach is to take proactive action and preventive measures to avoid getting into troubles in the first place.

To be successful is to get the right things done relentlessly and continuously. It is your performance that counts.  

Effective Personal Budget for Financial Freedom

It is not a bad thing when the budget for a country is in deficit, like the recent Malaysia budget for 2011. The additional fund is needed to boost the economy, increase productivity, attract foreign investment and provide more employment opportunities for the people. Ultimately the aim for Malaysia is to be a higher-income nation in 2020.  A personal budget is a different story. We cannot afford a budget deficit. We must budget for a surplus. Consider the following points to design a personal budget for financial freedom.

·         Expenses should be less than income: You cannot incur debt to cover your monthly expenditures. Debt attracts interest and it will snowball beyond your means to settle. Your expenses should be lower than your take-home pay.

·         Effective use of surplus fund: You budget for a surplus so that you can build up an emergency fund to meet unexpected outlay; In addition, you can save up to buy a big-ticket item. Most importantly the surplus fund is to be saved and invested for your children’s education and your retirement needs     

·         Explore other sources of income: It is prudent to look for additional sources of a fund should you need more money to cover a shortfall in your budget. Turn your hobbies, such as photography, into a lucrative source of income or use your language skills to run tuition classes. 

·         Stretch your dollar: Shop according to your shopping list only and take advantage of coupons. Shop for an item especially when it is on promotion.

·         Reduce unnecessary expenses: Look at your monthly expenditures and trim your expense budget.

·         Save for a bigger down payment for your car and home: Saving more for a down payment means paying less in monthly installments and getting a shorter loan period.

·         Save for a big-ticket item: It is better to buy in cash instead of incurring interest to buy a big-ticket item.

·         Loan repayments are part of your monthly budget: Your budget is inclusive of your housing and car loan repayments. If you cannot factor into your budget you are not in a position to obtain a loan 

·         Identify wants and needs: There is a difference between wants and needs. You can budget for your needs but not your wants. There is no way to satisfy wants with limited income.

·         Use credit cards wisely: Credit cards are not for getting credit. Use credit cards to reduce your expenses and purchase of big-ticket items in instalments without interest.   

Financial freedom is about living without debt. It is about investing your surplus fund to grow your wealth. Ultimately when you retire, you can depend on your passive income such as rental income and dividends to live a carefree and easy life.

Related article: Personal Budget for Financial Freedom

7 Advantages of Delaying your Retirement

Americans are short of the retirement fund 

According to Newsweek, Americans are short of the retirement fund and there is a need to save more. How do you go about boosting your retirement fund? One beneficial way is to continue working and delaying your retirement: There are several advantages of working more years:

1. .Happy at work: When you enjoy what you do and you like your work, why not do more of it? It is particularly true when the job does not give you stress or pressure. Just indulge in it.

2. More money for your retirement: In Malaysia, your employer contributes 12% of your salary and you also contribute 11 % (8% in 2010 or maintain at 11% if you wish) to the Employees Provident Fund. It means when you continue to work you continue to save and your employer also helps you save further. Just think of the compound  interest that is working on your fund

3. Allow your investment more time to grow further: When you are in a capacity to earn you don’t dip into your savings and investment. It means your money will continue to grow while you continue to work.

4. Self- image and self-esteem: Imagine the huge number of jobless people around and you will appreciate yourself more when you are holding a job especially when you should not be competing in the job market. You think highly of yourself and you are confident about what you can do.  

5. Keep the brain young: Be in high spirits and feel good about yourself. You are mindful at work and there is nothing to disturb your peace of mind. Your mind is stimulated while you continue to learn new things in life

6. Stay connected: When you are working, you stay connected with other people relating to your work. They update, enlighten and encourage you. Life is meaningful when you maintain a network of connection. 

7. There is no retirement: In life, you do not retire, you continue to do things you find meaningful to live life fully. When you find your job interesting and you get satisfaction out of it, just continue to do it.

When you can work and you are fit to work there is no reason why you should not work. It is especially so when your services are needed. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you are still a valued employee at a time when you should be retired?

Are you Getting Peace of Mind?

Peace of mind means you are able to live in the moment. You are mindful of what you are doing and not thinking of something else.  There are things in life that contribute to your peace of mind:

• A happy family: Working parents are working outside and the children are left alone at home. They are wondering what the children are up to and they get no peace of mind while at work. It is important to build trust between children and parents. Children must notify their parents about their whereabouts and what they do at home so that parents are on top of things. Peace of mind is counting on your children to behave in your absence.

• A healthy body: A fit and healthy body are more than just getting peace of mind. It is about happiness, feeling good about yourself, robust energy and calmness. In fact, health is the prerequisite for a meaningful life. Exercise regularly, eat nutritious food and sleep well at night are some of the things you can do to sustain a healthy way of life.

• The ability to deal with problems: There will be problems. The most important thing is to take the bull by the horns and attack a problem directly. Outstanding problems are always bugging your mind. Don’t just dwell on the problems and allow them to interrupt your peace of mind.

• Joy at work: The ability to hold a job is good, the ability to be interested in your work is even better but finding happiness at work is the best thing you can have in life. You spend most of the waking hours at work, it is important to get peace of mind at the workplace. Peace of mind is about mindfulness at work and getting mindfulness is about getting harmony at home, being in good health, enjoying your work and able to solve problems creatively. 

• Financially independent: Peace of mind is also about debt-free living and making enough money to live a decent lifestyle. It is also about wanting less in life so that your mind is free from the desire to acquire more material things.

• Positive emotions: You are in full control of your mind. Think positively to promote peace of mind. Be cheerful, hopeful, confident, kind and friendly Fill your heart with love, forgiveness, appreciation and gratitude Peace of mind is about positive thoughts.

• Getting things done: Cross out your to-do list gives you more than just satisfaction after a hard day’s work. It gives you peace of mind knowing that there is no outstanding issue to worry about. You are also confident of  your ability to plan ahead and get things done

Get peace of mind to be mindful and happy.

Are You Learning Continuously?

Have you stopped learning ever since you left school? I hope not because leaning is a beneficial lifelong process. There are many advantages of learning apart from acquiring knowledge and keeping yourself up-to-date. Here are some of them:

• News: Stay ahead of others by knowing and understanding what is going around you and the world. Find out how relevant events can impact your life.

• Technology: Advancements in technology can transform our lives. Learn and be ready to make the necessary changes for the better by adopting new ways of doing things.    

• Economic issues: Look for valuable tips and opportunities in currency issues and business trends. Be on the lookout for a solid investment.

• Books and articles: Gain insights  to make a wise decision and get ahead and stay ahead of the competition

• Professional skills: Update the knowledge in the field of your expertise. Take up courses and attend seminars to keep abreast of developments.

• Mental power: Stimulate your mental faculty: Be open-minded and stay alert and curious about new things and trending events.

• Information and knowledge: The more you learn and know, the easier it is for you to carry out an intelligent conversation with others and exchange ideas.    

• Learning from yourself: Learn from your mistakes and past experience. The most important thing is to apply what you have learnt to improve yourself.

Learning in itself is a fun thing to do. Devote time every day to explore and learn something new.