10 Lifechangers You Can Learn in 10 Minutes

If you find yourself with an unexpected ten minutes or so to spare, how do you normally spend it? Do you automatically gravitate towards Facebook, Twitter or a favourite news website or make a quick phone call home? We’re not saying you should stop these activities completely, but we would like to point out that you could be spending those ten minutes far more productively.

Here are 10 new skills you can learn in 10 minutes.

1. Master some Gmail keyboard shortcuts. These particular ones will need to be activated in the settings menu before using.

Press Shift along with:

• C to compose a new message
• R to reply to email sender only
• A to reply to all
• J and K to move up and down through the messages in your inbox
• Tab+Enter to send a message

2. Learn CPR from this Vinny Jones video

3. Learn 6 ways to tie a tie

4. And 6 ways to fold a pocket square

5. How to remember which side of your car the petrol pump should be on. Most dashboards have a handy arrow, which many people completely fail to notice.

6. Make contact with one person you met at a networking event but didn’t follow up

7. Use LastPass or a similar app to generate some really secure passwords

8. Revisit your Facebook friends list and remove people you’re not really interested in being friends with. We (well, those of us who use Facebook!) all have a least a few who we accepted out of obligation or added out of sheer nosiness.

9. Use a mug and a microwave to make a delicious chocolate cake

10. Declutter one area of your home or office, using our top tips

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

cushion the impact’s Nth Law of Productivity

It’s the Holy Grail of modern life; the one thing most of us are seeking (after a winning lottery ticket, perhaps), but few of us actually perfect. Even those of us who consider ourselves to be productivity experts can always find room for improvement; yes, we are included in that!

With lives increasingly busy and stressful, we all need to find ways to better use every precious minute. But how?

Try following our Laws of Productivity to get yourself off to a flying start.

Remember, we are always happy to provide individual productivity coaching – just get in touch

5 Steps to Achieving a Perfectly Productive Life

1. Routine – It’s not just for newborn babies and the obsessive; routine is essential for everyone who wants to achieve. No matter how big or small your personal or professional goals, you’ll do considerably better when working to a routine. Whether that involves going to bed and getting up at a particular time or having set break times during your working day, find one that suits you and stick to it.

2. Pursue the impossible – That huge project that you’ve always wanted to do but never quite got round to…can you really not do it or do you just not want to make the effort? Always wanted to write a book? Dream of launching your ideas into the relevant market? Work at it! We can’t guarantee your dreams will come true but we can tell you that they definitely won’t if you don’t try. Set aside a period of time each day to do a little dream-chasing.

3. Do what Zammo couldn’t – Just say no! No matter how good you are at your job and how fantastic your ideas are, they are not infinite. Get out of the habit of accepting every request for help; say no and focus on the important tasks. Don’t get distracted – harness your energies and achieve your best. 

4. Skip that meeting –  unless it is absolutely necessary. Could an email or a quick telephone call do the job just as well? If so, don’t waste valuable time sitting in a meeting room. Have a look at our earlier blog for some tips on efficient meetings

5. Ignore all of the above – Unless it’s actually working for you. We can tell you what works for us and we can tell you what makes our clients more productive. We cannot (nor can anyone else, for that matter) give you a 100% guarantee that a routine, refusing those unexpected “opportunities” or getting out of the habit of meetings will work wonders for your productivity. But they are very likely to, so we would highly recommend that you give them a try.

Let us know what works for you, we’re always keen to hear your thoughts.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

Celebrate Your Furry Friends This National Pet Month

The 25^th annual National Pet Month is now in full swing, giving us the perfect opportunity to do a little something for all those pets who need a little help or a new home. Getting involved doesn’t need to mean giving a pet a new home yourself (Susan’s already adopted two cats last week!), it means doing your bit to help support the various pet charities that benefit from the event. As well as raising money for related charities, National Pet Month is also about raising awareness of good pet care. Whether you currently have a pet or not, it’s well worth getting involved.

Local and National Events:

There are plenty of events organised throughout the UK in honour of National Pet Month’s silver anniversary; there’s also a really handy interactive map to help you find what’s local to you.

If you’re based in London, the two events listed at the time of writing are:

27^th April – Mayhew Animal Home Spring Fair

27^th April –  Twickenham Vets 10 Mile Run

Looking further afield, you can also donate £2 and submit an entry to the “I Love My Pet” drawing competition, brush up your skills by attending a free online pet webinar  or enter the Facebook and Twitter photo competitions. To enter on Twitter, just tag your photo with #modernmutts or #modernmogs.

You can also set up an event of your own by registering with National Pet Month and taking advantage of the free resources they will provide.

Top Tips for Responsible Pet Care:

Seeing as one of the main aims of National Pet Month is to promote responsible pet care, it seemed like a good time to share some top tips:

• Think carefully before getting a pet and consider it’s specific needs
• Make sure your pet is sociable and well trained
• Provide your pet with a balanced and nutritious diet
• Provide suitable bedding and housing
• Always clean up after your pet and worm regulrly
• Speak to your vet to learn how to prevent disease in your pet
• Neuter your pet as soon as is appropriate
• Groom your pet regularly
• Control your pet carefully and make sure it is micro-chipped or can be easily identified otherwise
• Purchase pet insurance to cover yourself against nasty shocks when the vet bills come in

If you take part in a National Pet Month event or organise one yourself, we’d love to hear more. Leave us a comment and tell us how you got involved!

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

Online Time Management Course Starting 12th February

January 1 – Stop working late

January 31 – Still working late

January 1 – Stop working weekends

February 1 – Still working weekends

January 1 – Set plans for the year

February 1 – Still no plans for the year

 One month into 2014, how are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Have you set yourself up nicely for a fantastic year, or had you forgotten that you ever made them?

Regardless of how well (or not) you are doing with making the changes you promised to yourself, we have a treat in store for you on Wednesday 12th. We will teach you everything you need to make 2014 your year. Those goals are achievable and there is enough time!

Invest 1 hour per week for 4 weeks, Gain 1 hour a day for the rest of the year.

February 28 – Finish work on time

March 1 – No more working weekends

Our next There Is Enough Time: Increased Productivity in 2014 online course starts at 10am on Wednesday 12th February.

You will

• Improve your  time management skills
• Increase your productivity
• Waste less time
• Move towards your goals
• Control your Inbox
• Stop procrastinating
• Delegate dedicatedly
• Meet magnificently
• Say No!
• Use the telephone more efficiently
• Organise.
• More time to spend on what you really love – your family, friends, hobbies and more

It’s easier than you may think too.

• 4 x 1 hour interactive webinars
• Exercises and activities
• Follow up tips by email
• Recorded sessions so you can listen again or catch up wherever and whenever you like

If you want to be the next person to say “I have been educated with numerous improvements of which can do nothing but make life easier for you and your life and who doesn’t  want that?” like previous attendee Heidi Clements, sign up now.

Don’t delay! Sign up here!

Online Time Management Course Starting Next Week

January 1 – Stop working late

January 31 – Still working late

January 1 – Stop working weekends

February 1 – Still working weekends

January 1 – Set plans for the year

February 1 – Still no plans for the year

 One month into 2014, how are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Have you set yourself up nicely for a fantastic year, or had you forgotten that you ever made them?

Regardless of how well (or not) you are doing with making the changes you promised to yourself, we have a treat in store for you on Wednesday 12th. We will teach you everything you need to make 2014 your year. Those goals are achievable and there is enough time!

Invest 1 hour per week for 4 weeks, Gain 1 hour a day for the rest of the year.

February 28 – Finish work on time

March 1 – No more working weekends

Our next There Is Enough Time: Increased Productivity in 2014 online course starts at 10am on Wednesday 12th February.

You will

• Improve your  time management skills
• Increase your productivity
• Waste less time
• Move towards your goals
• Control your Inbox
• Stop procrastinating
• Delegate dedicatedly
• Meet magnificently
• Say No!
• Use the telephone more efficiently
• Organise.
• More time to spend on what you really love – your family, friends, hobbies and more

It’s easier than you may think too.

• 4 x 1 hour interactive webinars
• Exercises and activities
• Follow up tips by email
• Recorded sessions so you can listen again or catch up wherever and whenever you like

If you want to be the next person to say “I have been educated with numerous improvements of which can do nothing but make life easier for you and your life and who doesn’t  want that?” like previous attendee Heidi Clements, sign up now.

Don’t delay! Sign up here! 

Early Bird Discount until 23.30 TOMORROW!

Spam Texts – What They Are and How to Stop Them

In the not so distant past, all junk mail was delivered by the postman and was easily discarded once you found it on the mat.  When email became widespread, so did the practice of sending spam messages; basically, junk email. As our communication habits evolve, so do those of spammers, who have now progressed to sending huge numbers of unsolicited text messages. In this guide, we will explain the different types of spam texts and how you can stop receiving them.

There are three main types of text message which can be included under the umbrella of spam texts and each should be dealt with differently. The three types are genuine marketing messages, premium messages and spam texts.

Genuine Marketing Messages

What are they?

These will normally originate from a business you have dealt with in the past. Genuine marketing text messages are easily identifiable as the business name will normally display in your inbox, rather than a phone number. If not, the sender must clearly identify themselves within the body of the text. Although you may not recall dealing with the sender, it is most likely to be a firm which you have given permission to make contact, possibly unknowingly.  It is worth noting that, if a legitimate message does not include the sender’s name and contact details, it is in breach of regulations and can be considered spam.

What to do:

• Reply to the text message with the word STOP. Businesses are legally obliged to take notice of this instruction.
• Should the messages continue, use the business’ website to find their opt-out option or a telephone number you can call to request they remove your details from their database.
• If the messages do not stop, the Information Commissioner can penalise the business for sending spam. Contact details for the Information Commissioner can be found online. Alternatively, you can call 0303 123 1113 or email casework@ico.gsi.gov.uk

 

Premium Messages

What are they?

Premium rate messages, also known as reverse-billed messages, involve you getting charged for receiving the text. These have been on the go for quite a few years now – think of the TV advertisements for subscription services which provide ringtones,  news, weather forecasts, dating services or similar. If you use a subscription SMS service, remember to cancel it as soon as you are finished using it or you could find yourself facing a mobile phone bill which runs into hundreds of pounds.

What to do:

• Talk to your provider about them. They may be able to help. It is worth doing this before taking the second option below.
• Reply to one of the text messages with STOP or STOP ALL. Again, the sender is legally obliged to take notice of this and remove you from their mailing list.
• If the messages keep coming, there is a way of obtaining the sender’s contact details. By entering the telephone number into the Number Checker application on PhonepayPlus’ website, you can get in touch with the firm behind the service and ask them to stop.
• Should that also fail to put an end to the premium rate messages, PhonepayPlus can act as regulator and order the firm to stop contacting you.
• If you are sure you did not sign up for the subscription service, you can apply for a refund of all charges you have incurred.  Keep the messages as they may contain details you need in the future, use the Number Checker to gather as much information as possible and then file a complaint with PhonepayPlus. Complaints must be submitted using this online form or by calling 0800 500 212.

 

Spam Text Messages

What are they?

As the name suggests, these are unsolicited text messages, normally sent by an unidentifiable sender. The most common subjects at the moment are no-win, no-fee personal accident lawyers, PPI reclaims and debt management companies. Spam texts rarely contain useful information as their aim is to get you to reply.

The first rule of ridding yourself of spam texts?  Never reply. Some will include the line “Text STOP to opt-out” or similar, which is included to dupe you into believing they are genuine marketing messages.  Do not reply.

What to do:

As spam texts are often sent from abroad in massive batches of thousands of numbers at a time, it can be difficult to completely rid yourself of them. As they are not legitimate, they are unlikely to abide by regulations and will not stop just because you ask them to, no matter how nicely you do it! What you can do is report the message to the Information Commissioner and to your network provider, who will work to trace the originator and ban the messages.

• Contact details for the Information Commissioner can be found online. Alternatively, you can call 0303 123 1113 or email casework@ico.gsi.gov.uk. Details of recent investigations will be published on the Information Commissioner’s website, so it is worth checking there before submitting your report.
• All major mobile phone networks have a dedicated free service in place for the reporting of spam text messages. All you need to do is forward the message to SPAM (7726). Make sure that the sender’s number is included.

How to minimise your risk of receiving spam in the future:

There are a few simple steps you can follow to minimise your risk of being spammed. Of course, none of them have a guarantee, but they will go a long way towards reducing your chances of receiving unsolicited texts.

• NEVER reply to an unsolicited text message
• Be very careful who you give your mobile phone number to
• Do not add your phone number to any online profiles, including Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites
• Always check privacy policies and opt-outs when signing up for any marketing material
• Report any spam to the Information Commissioner as soon as possible

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

There Is Enough Time – Online Course Starts 10th July 2013

Can you answer “yes” to one or more of the following questions? If so, our time management course could be the solution.

• Do you see photographs of your friends and family more often than the actual people?
• Are you tired of being stressed?
• Are you buried in paperwork?
• Are you always too busy?

If so, our time management course could be the solution. Starting on 10th July at 10am and comprising 4 one hour sessions, There Is Enough Time could change your life for the better.

The benefits of learning how to manage your time better include:

• Less wasted time and less stress
• Increased productivity
• Increased income
• More time to spend on what you value most – your family, your business or your job…your life!

During the course, you will learn a variety of time management skills through interactive webinars. Workbook activities and exercises will be combined with Andrea’s years of experience, you will learn tips, tricks and strategies:

• How to plan your day to be most productive
• How to focus, not procrastinate
• How to set goals and use to-do lists to achieve them
• How to standardise your procedures and stop reinventing the wheel
• How to delegate effectively

What’s involved?

• 4 weekly 1 hour interactive webinars
• Live Q&A to ask questions during the webinar
• Actionable learning – exercises and activities
• Followup tips by emails
• Online – convenient location available from your home, office or on the go
• All sessions are recorded – listen anytime anywhere whether you miss a session or want to hear it again.

Suitable for 

• Anyone committed to being more efficient
• You!
• Everyone looking to make better use of their time
• Professionals, managers and business owners; employees or entrepreneurs
• Public or private sector

How much is your time worth to you, your family, your business? 

Attendees on a previous course gained an average of two – three hours a week, some gained that in a day.  One attendee went as far as to say that she thought her marriage had been saved as she spent more time with her husband. We make no claims to save marriages but we can show you how to be less stressed and to have more time in your day for what matters to you most.

ACT NOW BONUS!

The first 4 people to sign up will receive a personal telephone or Skype session of 45 minutes with time management expert, Andrea Osborne.

Bonus for all: Everyone who registers the course will also receive an e-book containing 100 Keyboard Shortcuts, created to make your life easier.

Don’t just take our word for it – the following testimonials speak for our expertise:

“It was a life changing event and kudos to the facilitators too, what a great job.”  – Felix, a previous attendee.

Testimonial from Nathalie: “Motivational. You seem like a very busy person but still have a relaxed and controlled presence. It really showed me that organisation is the key to achieve goals.” 

What are you waiting for? Register for There Is Enough Time now, for just £197. Be quick – the first four people to register will receive a free 45-minute session with time management expert, Andrea Osborne.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

Using Standardisation to Work More Efficiently

Hot on the heels of Andrea’s free webinar, There IS Enough Time, it’s time for another blog featuring our tried and tested time management tips. We hope you found the webinar helpful, but remember that is not all Andrea has up her (very efficient) sleeve.

The best is yet to come, in the form of her first online time management course launching on 10th July. For now, here’s how to work more efficiently by creating standardised templates for frequently-used documents.

Think about how much time you spend typing up and sending similar letters and emails. How long does it take you to compose each one? We are willing to bet that it adds up to a decent chunk of your working week. Did you know there is an unbelievably easy, yet effective way of reducing the time you spend on these tasks? All you need to do is create a standard template for each of your most common scenarios. Not only will this save you time, it will save you the frustration of repeating yourself!

• general client enquiries
• follow up emails
• job enquirers
• supplier enquirers
• invoice emails
• chasing up emails
• networking follow up
• acknowledgements
• new client information
• project lifecycle
• travel packing list
• client site visit – items to take
• FAQs on website to avoid answering same questions

If you would like help standardising aspects of your business, we can help.

Our online time management course, There Is Enough Time, will launch on 10th July 2013. Register now to secure your place on the course, which comprises four one-hour interactive workshops. The first four to register will receive a bonus of a 45-minute telephone call or Skype session with Andrea.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

Don’t Miss The Time Management Webinar on Monday

Over the past few weeks, we have dropped plenty of hints via Twitter and shared some tasters via our blog and now it is finally time for Andrea’s free time management webinar.

At 2.15pm on Monday 29^th April, Andrea will launch her webinar onto the internet; revealing that, despite what you may think, There IS Enough Time!  Is the webinar for you? Can you answer “yes” to any of these questions?

• Do you wish for more hours in the day?
• Are you tired of being stressed?
• Have you got far too much paperwork waiting for your attention?
• Have you missed one or more deadlines?
• Do you spend more time looking at photographs on your desk than with your actual family?
• Are you always busy?
• Does your email inbox strike fear into your heart?

We don’t know many people who won’t have answered “yes” to at least one of those questions, which is why the webinar is aimed at absolutely everyone.  Employee or entrepreneur, business owner or homemaker, you could benefit from better time management.  We know what your next question will be – how can I benefit from spending an hour listening to the webinar? Here’s how…

• Less wasted time
• Increased productivity
• Increased efficiency
• Less stress
• More time to spend with your family or indulging in your favourite hobbies

As if that wasn’t enough, the webinar will be recorded so you can listen as and when it suits you best.

If that sounds good, and why wouldn’t it, register now to find out how Andrea can help you to improve the quality of your life without leaving your home, office, local café or other venue of your choice! 

Our online time management course, There Is Enough Time, will launch on 5th June 2013. Register now to secure your place on the course, which comprises four one-hour interactive workshops. The first four to register will receive a bonus of a 45-minute telephone call or Skype session with Andrea.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!

Which of These Serial Offenders Eat Into Your Working Day?

As you will know by now, we are very busy at the moment working on a series of time management webinars and courses. That said, as we are so practised at the time management techniques we will soon be sharing during our time management course, launching 10th July, we have found the time to give you another taster of what is to come. This time, we are looking at time thieves – those little tasks that demolish chunks of your valuable time each and every day.

There are numerous time thieves standing in the way of all of us, doing their best to take up the time that we need to spend on important and urgent tasks. In fact, most of them are so common that you might not even realise that they are popping up time and time again. The following list includes the most frequent offenders; you may be surprised by how many you recognise!

• Indecision
• Taking on too much
• Trying to do too much at once
• Refusing to delegate
• Wanting everything to be perfect
• Losing important telephone numbers or email addresses
• Poor organisation
• Untidiness
• Day dreaming
• Meetings
• Checking email too often
• Telephone calls
• Water cooler moments
• Waiting for people who are later than expected
• Not knowing when to say “no”
• Just one more minute on social media…

We are quite willing to bet that you recognised at least a couple of those in your behaviour. Of course, now that we have identified the time thieves, the next step is defeating them. Find out exactly how to do that by keeping your eyes peeled for more information on Andrea’s e-book, webinar and time management strategy sharing.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!