April 22, 2008

Give Yourself the Gift of Time

Filed under: Management Info @ 7:13 pm

Business planning involves a host of different functions, from production to sales to marketing. But rarely does it include time and vacation planning - especially for the solo entrepreneur.

Learning to take time off is a critical part of your long-term plan for success. Research has shown that those who take a regular vacation are sharper and more productive than those who don’t.

Here’s a five step plan to ensure you get the time you deserve.

1. Get a calendar for the year. I find that printing a blank calendar from Outlook serves this purpose well. (Check the Help menu for instructions on adding a new calendar if you’re not familiar with the process.)

2. Mark off all of your currently scheduled major obligations. These will include conferences, trips, speaking engagements, etc. Do not include recurring meetings unless you have made a special commitment to that event for this year, such as assuming the presidency of an organization.

3. Looking at the trips you already have scheduled, where could you add just one more day and double the impact of your trip? For example, if you’re attending a conference plan to stay one more day. You’ll be able to think through the notes you took and create a plan to implement the ideas. Plus you’ll avoid the crowded flights on Sunday evening!

Now take another look at those trips. Are there vacation opportunities in those locations? Sometimes adding another day or two allows you to see the sights in a city you might not otherwise visit. Since conference rates are often the best available you’ll have a favorable room rate - and you won’t have to pack and unpack again! It’s a great way to see the country!

4. Now decide on the number of days you want to take as vacation days. Count what you have already in travel vacation days, then start scheduling your additional days. Do you want to take off the major holidays? Schedule them. Want to take off your birthday? Your childrens’ birthdays? Your anniversary? Just mark it off!

One of the eye-openers you may have is that you want to take more than the traditional “two weeks” vacation. And that’s one of the joys of being the boss - you can take that time off if you want! Will your business suffer? Probably not! You’ll likely focus better when you are working, knowing that you have a vacation day coming up shortly.

5. Now take all those delicious vacation days and put them on your permanent calendar for the year. Create an electronic document that lists all of your vacation days then share it with your staff, your family, and your business partners. And print a copy for yourself to help you “remember” what you promised yourself.

Remember, as the head of your company, only you can take care of you! And giving yourself time off is your first obligation.

Jeanette S Cates, PhD - EzineArticles Expert Author

Dr. Jeanette Cates, The Technology Tamer, works with independent professionals who are ready to turn their knowledge and their websites into gold. She offers weekly tips, trends, and techniques in http://www.OnlineSuccessNews.com

The Age of Digital Photography

With the 21st century, photos can be manipulated and altered in many ways using digital imaging and computer aided techniques. Digital photography started a change in photographic techniques and changed the nature of photography significantly.

Nowadays, the number of photos you can take is much higher, so you can afford to make mistakes. Also, a photograph can often be remedied on the personal computer, even if it was spoiled by too much lighting. While that has made photography more beginner friendly, it is still far from an easy hobby.

If you are into photography, you probably want to get better at it. That requires practice - a lot of it. However, it is often helpful to be taught about the theory, too. That’s why online photography courses have become a popular method both for new photographers to get used to the art and for more experienced photographers to hone their skills.

Photography has been present for more than a hundred years and yet new innovations are taking place even this day. Looking at it, one has to surmise that photography will develop again in the future. It’s never too late to get into photography and even now it’s too early to stop learning more about it.

The New Wave of Online Poker

Filed under: Gaming World, Gambling Parlor, Bets @ 11:02 am

After the early days of the poker game, poker became a bit isolated from the world. Limited by law in many countries to high-rolling casinos, the poker game was out of reach for the average citizen. Therefore, beginners and novices who were interested in the game had a hard time to pursue their dream.

Why? Because they should be ready to shell out large amounts of cash money to be able to play. Moreover, the beginner should be ready to face the challenge of trying to stay expressionless even though his card has absolutely no sign of winning, or his opponent will have the opportunity to read his reaction and every movement.

Luckily, with the information era online poker came into the scene. Through the years, online poker has become so significant that the World Series of Poker accept entries from players of purely online poker background.

Today there are literally hundreds of online poker rooms to choose from. They each have their strengths and their weaknesses and most also their loyal players.

The new wave of online poker has made the game readily available to each and everyone who is interested.