Motivation To Write Articles – 5 Simple Steps To Motivate You Further

As a passionate article writer, I found extended motivation recently to write more extensively while undertaking the fourth HAHD (100 Articles in 100 Days) challenge. Having written and submitted more than the required 100 articles within three to four weeks, I decided to push through to the extended challenge by writing and submitting 200 articles in the same 100 days.

My articles are typically health and environmentally focused with a major emphasis in Organic from a growing perspective as well as a consumer or user point of view. I also write about social issues relating to Special Needs Education and Education in general.

After being diagnosed with Stress related High Blood Pressure half way through the fourth HAHD challenge, I had to look for an extra motivational factor to write about. After a small pause in writing and submitting to Ezine Articles, I found the motivation I needed to recommence writing in my belief in organic gardening.

As a qualified Horticulturalist with several years experience over the past two decades, I began to write about some of the ideas I had discovered over the years and my experiences and successes in that time. I was lucky in that while writing I found my stresses relieving as I remembered some of my old gardening experiences.

My motivation to write now served two purposes. I found several article ideas and my stress and anxiety was coming under control.

When writing articles, it is important to write about something that you have experience in, even if you need to research for extended facts and information.

I have often read articles online about a subject I was interested in only to read the authors resource box to find the link they are promoting is completely removed from the subject being written about. Some times your subject matter may be directly removed from your resource box, but there should always be a connection. A fisherman might write about how to make the perfect batter and could be justified in doing so because there is a connection. The same fisherman may lose credibility if writing about how to change a tyre on a bike and promoting his fishing business in the resource box.

Suffice to say your motivation should come from your experiences and your resource should have a connection to that.

Five Simple steps to motivate you to write.

  1. Write about your current life and experiences. Work you content around who you are and what you do.
  2. Look to your past experiences. Write about how your past has affected your present or your previous work experience.
  3. What’s on the News? There’s always something-new happening in the world to write about.
  4. Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Five articles could be written about the same article from five different perspective’s.
  5. Just start writing. Ideas often come from simple Notes about all sorts of topics.

August 3, 2010  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Article Writing  No Comments

Organic In The Home – Probiotic Cleaning For A Healthy House

The commercials we see on TV for all the miracle Disinfectants and Household cleaners do hold up to their promises. The problem is the cleaning chemicals can pose a potentially greater long-term health risk compared to the germs they kill.

Like our bodies, there are both good and bad bacteria in a home. The good bacteria are constantly at war with the bad bacteria and the result of this what we recognise as being healthy. When the bad bacteria become dominant symptoms present themselves as illness (in ourselves) and in our home we see the growth and odour of mould and mildew.

When we become ill, a Doctor may subscribe an Antibiotic to kill the Bacteria but this kills both the good and bad bacteria, We then need our bodies reinvigorated with a  Pro-Biotic to repopulate the stomach and Intestinal tract with the good bacteria to begin fighting off the bad bacteria again.

Because our home works in a similar way, we need to look at cleaning methods that are friendly to the good bacteria while eliminating the bad stuff.

Cleaning around the home often requires nothing more than a warm damp cloth and a regular habit of wiping things over. Harsh cleaners are often only required when we leave cleaning for an extended period and dirt builds up. Powered steam cleaners have also been common for several years. They clean well but also kill good and bad bacteria.

Many common household cleaning products contain warning labels advising not to mix cleaners with each other. This is in part due to the potential chemical reaction that could result from adding chemicals together. This on its own shows there is danger in using these types of household cleaners.

Probiotic cleaners are making an entrance on the market these days. These cleaners are made with NON-TOXIC ingredients and are designed to add and support good bacteria as part of the cleaning process.

Probiotic cleaners are available in concentrated format and can be used for almost all hard surfaces. Regular use is essential as these cleaners build up their defences over time.

Many People have been put off by Natural or Organic Cleaners because many have an often over powering citrus aroma. If you like the smell of oranges that’s a good thing but if you don’t it can become an exceptionally strong aroma. Probiotic cleaners that I have used have a mild vanilla smell, which lingers mildly as an air freshener.

When mixing Probiotic cleaner concentrates it is recommended to use chlorine free water. Alternatively you can boil tap water to remove chlorine and allow to cool before mixing. Strong concentrations are generally not required for effective cleaning.

July 29, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Healthy Home  No Comments

Time Management – Prioritizing your priorities at work

“You need to get your priorities in order…” is a statement we have probably heard many times. When we live busy lifestyles its often hard to get things done on time, let alone in order of priority.

To be technically correct, Priority literally means “To arrange or deal with in order of importance”. This statement gives an assumption that one thing is more important than the next.

One of the first things we are taught in business (and in life) is to set priorities. Get the important things done first then move down the list to the least important ones. I agree it is important to have a clear picture of what needs doing in your day to day, week to week, or month to month routine, however I am not a believer in prioritizing my work in a huge way. In preference to prioritizing I schedule my day with the activities that need to be done. I work through the schedule until it is completed.

I also keep a 6th day schedule, which I work through if I finish my work earlier than expected.

For example; If on a Monday I complete my daily tasks 3 hours early, I will look at my 6th day schedule to see what I can complete on it – given the time I have left in my day.

Prioritizing work puts the important things on top of the list of activities. What we then find is we have a group of lesser priorities that failed to get done due to giving priority to the items at the top of the list.

Keeping a 6th day schedule ensures you only schedule things that WILL get done on a day to day basis. Lesser items can be added to your 6th day schedule.

One issue with setting too many priorities is we begin to think ahead to the next thing on the to do list before we complete the current task. If you were to have surgery, would you want your surgeon thinking of his next operation while he still has the scalpel in you?

Setting your daily workload to three quarters of what you could typically manage will ensure you get things completed without having to roll priorities over to the next day. A three-quarter schedule also allows for appointments or unexpected situations you did not plan for. If you have no interruptions, move into your 6th day schedule when time allows.

In summary, don’t belittle the second, third, fourth or fifth item on your to do list by making number 1 your priority. Give each thing you have to do the same priority level and schedule your time to ensure you get things done.

May 21, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Managing your time Outdoors – How to choose a Quality Lawn Mowing contractor

When I first started out in my first business mowing lawns, much of my time was spent bringing lawns back into shape after previous operators used a Get in, Get it done and Get to the next job approach.

Before I started in my Business I achieved background qualification in basic horticulture. Though qualifications are not common the maintenance of domestic lawns and gardens, you should try to find a Lawn Mowing contractor who has either had several years experience or at least has done some form of horticultural training.

Word of mouth referrals is a good way of choosing a good Lawn Maintenance service. One step better than this is personal observation. Take the time to observe other contractors work. If you see a well-maintained lawn, next time there is a contractor at the house make a note of their number or stop and ask them for a business card.

When you are ready to call a new contractor ask them for references before booking them to give you an estimate. A Good Lawn Maintenance contractor will be happy to give you the names of there current customers. They may need to tell the client you will be calling for a reference check however. You can ask to ensure the contractor does ring before you call. This is, if nothing else, a polite thing to do.

If you will be asking your contractor to do both Lawn Mowing and Garden maintenance, it is often a good idea to get 2 separate quotes.

Organic maintenance is without doubt, the best choice but there will be an additional cost.

My family is very passionate about the need for eliminating chemicals as much as possible. We choose an Organic approach at our home and this followed through to my work. I have been known to spend all day pulling weeds when the service could easily have been done in an hour or so with a chemical spray. I would often give a discounted price to reflect the price they may have paid for a chemical approach. It’s impossible to pull weeds cheaper than spraying but its often better to use a chemical free and organic approach.

An Organic approach may not be the best option if you are watching the budget.

When your found a Good Lawn Maintenance contractor or gardener. Stick with them. Its often better to work with a busy delayed contractor who you know will do a good job compared to getting anyone in who you do not know or who is known for less than appropriate work.

Hopefully this short article will give you some options and help you find a bit more time to do life’s important things.

May 20, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Backyard Time Management  No Comments

Developing time freedom with a Busy Lifestyle

We don’t seem to be given much choice these days. We work hard and have plenty of money but very little time to enjoy the benefits of having worked so hard.

There are some simple tips and techniques that can help you enjoy your lifestyle more both at work and at home:

  1. Put NO at the top of your list – You are only one person with your own priorities. Its good to help other people but you need to set your priorities. You shouldn’t fear disappointing others by saying no. When you have time offer yourself to others – when you don’t say so!
  2. Schedule Meetings and Appointments – Try to book appointments that fit into your schedule. If you alter your self to fit meetings and appointments in, you will, in the long run, be putting yourself out.
  3. Delegate tasks – If you don’t have time and someone else can do it, ask them to. One day you will be asked to return the favour. In many cases you may find someone who can do the task better than you.
  4. Group things together – If you have a set number of things to do in a particular town, department or room aim to complete them all in logical groupings. I am guilty of checking Emails several times during the day, even though I tend to respond to most in the evening.
  5. Procrastination kills time – Don’t sit on something that can be worked on and completed. Thinking about doing something is a lot different to thinking about HOW to do something.
  6. Priorities – Get your priorities in order. Focus on a task and get it done.
  7. Don’t fret the small stuff – Some things have a habit of taking care of themselves. Don’t fret about the things that can wait or will sort themselves out.
  8. Conversations at work have a habit of getting out of hand. If you have something to discuss with a work colleague that is not work related. Make a time to meet after work.
  9. Put limits on yourself – Again, get your Priorities and maximise your time.

At home you can save time by hiring someone to do your gardening and wash the car and dog and various other tasks around the home.

The important thing to remember is not to cut back on the quality of the work you do in order to get it done quickly. Quality beats quantity on any occasion.

May 17, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Time Management  No Comments