Managing your life on a day-to-day basis is not necessarily as easy as Instagram makes it look. Everyone needs a different organizational system. Our lives are too complex to think that the same thing will work fro everyone and that it will work forever.

If you are a pen and paper type of person, then task management feels best when you’ve got a hard copy. For a lot of people, writing things down help them to remember. This can get complicated if you’ve got a lot of things to keep track of, but you need to be mobile.

If that sounds like you then you should think about using a stripped-down bullet journal. Bullet journals were a beacon of productivity, but somewhere along the line they became complex things. Instead of creating ornate page designs, or trackers for trivial habit, focus specifically on the important things. One simple notebook should suffice.

The best way to organize yourself in a book is to track everything by date. Instead of using multiple books and notepads, just stick to one and use tabs to keep track of important pages. Keep track of daily to-do lists on sticky notes, use a table of contents and number your pages, date every entry and use bulleted lists.

If you usually work in one place, then you can keep multiple journals or adapt a folder-filing system. This is especially helpful if you have large quantities of notes and projects to track. Each project should be kept in a folder and within each folder divide your work into daily tasks, weekly tasks, research, and a progress report.

Sometimes you will need to shuffle notes around, if that is the case, then loose leaf paper is your best bet. Instead of shuffling around with binders, opt for thinner pocket folders. The idea here is flexibility.

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Writing for different media takes a keen eye and a sharp mind. Every medium has a different audience and different formatting. Some platforms might require that your work be lengthy with a mire detailed approach, while others might require the exact opposite.

Here’s a quick guide to writing for different media:

Social Media

• Short and concise message
• Informal and friendly text
• Mixed with other forms of information (images, video, etc.)

Blogs/Website

• Clear and concise text with short paragraphs
• Informative tone
• Layout includes ample whitespace
• Formatted with lists and subheadings
• Assisting media (images, audio, video, etc.)

Audio/Video

Note: This applies to television and radio, but also podcasts and online video content.

• Written for speech (will include contractions and quick pacing)
• Conversational tone
• Simple and digestible language
• Short with quick pacing

Using these points as guidelines will help you to work with different platforms to get your message across.

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Every writer, experienced or novice, will tell you a different system that they follow. Proper creative expression has no set way to be done, but there are some processes that are more effective than others for some people. Using a writing process allows you to create a cohesive flow to your work. The more you put this into practice, the more it becomes second nature.

A typical writer’s process is something like this:

1. Plan
2. Research
3. Execution
4. Revision

These four steps are indicative of a stable system. Adopting a process-model of writing gives you the opportunity to do more than just write. It is a polished piece that is produced. Writing with a process isn’t about throwing up on blank paper, it is about deliberate action.

A clear process does not need to follow the steps above. What it must do is create a linear flow to allow the act to be doe simply. Creating a plan and conducting research can be done concurrently. This saves time and allows you to formulate a structure with supporting evidence. However, to keep you piece ethical, be sure to avoid finding information that supports a confirmation bias.

The execution itself is usually the shortest part of the work to be done. When you acquired knowledge about a certain topic, it is much easier to write from an informed perspective. Details and in-depth information can be explained in digestible language. This not only spares the reader from ornate verses, but it saves you time in the overall process.

Revision is often overlooked as a simple process. This is not just about spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. The editing process should review the pacing and flow of your work. Sentence structure and language play a large role with this. It is best to review your work a while after you write it to allow you to look at it with fresh eyes.

The typical process is just about four steps, however, each one is crucial for a complete piece.

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All content, written or otherwise, starts with a plan. Not all plans are written or typed. Sometimes all it takes is a mental outline. Once you’ve got that, then you’re ready to start typing ¬– or so you think. What you might find is that you start out with a bold vision that dulls rather quickly. Creating written work isn’t as easy as you thought it would be.

When you get to that bright idea, don’t just work solely off the initial enthusiasm you have. You will end up stuck f you put much effort into expanding on your abstract plan. When formulating written content, there are a number of things to take into consideration:

PurposeAudienceProcessStylePresentation

The first thing you need to sort out is the reason why you are writing. If there is no motive behind the action, then it doesn’t serve you or your readers. A piece is only as good as its aim. Without it you are just rambling on. Whatever you do write should add value to your audience, even if it is just for entertainment.

After honest introspection, look at yourself and your audience. It is important to have an idea of who you are trying to target. You’ve got an idea of what you want to write about, but make sure your audience can find it appealing. You can’t pitch sports to someone who isn’t interested. Knowing your audience’s educational background, age and interests will help you in the construction of whatever you need to write.

Planning out your process will dictate how your piece should develop. You need to look at what information you need to put your message forward. Your process should outline, in detail, what is relevant. Do the necessary research and make sure that your piece is well-developed. A weak structure makes for weak writing.

When looking at the stylistic choices you want to make, pay attention to your audience. Ask yourself if rhetorical questions and/or figurative language is suitable to your audience. Also, take your tone into consideration. Should you write casually or keep a more professional tone. Your voice is also very important. Most writing uses first-person narration, but feel free to experiment.

When you’ve got all these things under control, you can turn to your presentation. Look at what complimentary media you can use to carry your point across. Now that media has become even more integrated, it is detrimental when you chose visuals and audio that do not mesh well with your piece. Choose wisely. This also includes how your piece should be formatted. Too long texts can be daunting, so try to break things up and make use of whitespace.

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When it comes to networking, public speech is a common issue. Even those who aspire to become public speakers face issues. There are seasoned speakers who face challenges. There are two main problems that speakers face: poor planning and anxiety.

When you analyze these two issues, they lead back to the same thing: observation. Good public speaking requires quick thinking. Even with impromptu monologues, proper planning (in the shortest possible time) is absolutely necessary.

The only way to make a relevant speech is to observe your audience. Listen to what you need to do. Knowing who your audience. Know your audience who your audience is and what they would be interested in. Of course, you must be knowledgeable about the subject at hand, but efficient speakers can relay relevant information in a digestible form.

Very rarely is anyone called to speak about something they do not fully understand. When you are given time to prepare, use it wisely to create a detailed outline of what to present. Audience analysis will help you to determine what tone to use, what examples would appeal to your listeners and how make the subject interesting.

It starts with identifying the true message of your speech. Using that and carefully observing your audience will enable you to speak clearly. These are the things to look for:

1. Age
2. Potential interests
3. Educational background
4. Profession
5. Cultural background

When it comes to the pre-talk nervousness, the same approach applies.

Being aware of your anxiety is one thing, but it is beneficial to be aware of how your anxiety affects your behavior. Look for specific ticks and see if they affect your speech, body language or mental ability. Once you outline how your anxiety affects you, you could devise a way to help you prepare for your speech.

If you find that large crowds cause the anxiety, the focus on a specific person. Some people gesticulate in excess when they are nervous. Keeping something small in your hand, like flashcards or a paperclip, can help your hands busy discretely so that you don’t distract your audience.

Practicing your enunciation can help eliminate or reduce verbal ticks. Rehearsing, to some degree, can help you feel more confident. For a lot of speakers, meditating prior to their speech calms their nerves and keeps them focused.

Getting out there is usually the hardest part, but with proper planning, your speech will go smoothly.

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Overworking means putting yourself at risk for burnout. It is hard to think when you are mentally shutting down. The dreaded burnout comes from many things. An overworked mind is a mind that is trying to handle too many things at one time. It good to keep busy, but it’s better to be smart about it.

The first thing that you need to do is recognise the problem. This is not only understanding that you are overworked but looking at why you are overworked. Take a break and reflect on this. The most common reason why people encounter this problem is because they don’t have a functioning time and stress management system.

Without such systems in place, you end up with varying work schedules and an unbalanced to-do list. It doesn’t seem too bad at first, but when deadlines quickly approach, it becomes extremely harrowing. Planning is essential to good time and stress management.

Taking on more than you can handle can be detrimental to your psychological wellbeing. There are times when we are forced to do things that will overwhelm us. This challenges us to be better. The best way to deal with it is to rise to the occasion and plan efficiently. Sometimes we think that we have too much to do, but when we break things down, it is just a few simple tasks that need to be completed.

If you look at your list of tasks and it seems excessively long, then you need to do some editing. Examine that list carefully. Eliminate all unnecessary items. If you can get the job done without a few vanity events, then take those items off the list. Don’t waste your time and stress out over things that don’t need to be done.

After this, tackle items that are more urgent. With a slim window of time, get working on the things that are high priority (this could mean that they have a strict deadline or have dire consequences.) Less important asks are to be left for later. Don’t get too excited when you get the heavy lifting out of the way. Once you stop working, it hard to start back.

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International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March. An annual theme is presented to put focus on a specific issue. “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change,” is the theme for 2019. This year was chosen to highlight on the disruptive changes that women have made and industry leaders in technological fields.

The first time International Women’s Day was celebrated was the 19th March, 1911. Before that the struggle for women’s rights was in its fledgling stages. Later the date was changed to the current one. The entire event was meant to raise concern about the political, social and economic problems that women face.

In its early years, it was mostly connected to working women’s rights, but it eventually encompassed the many facets of women’s lives. International Women’s Day was initially celebrated in Eastern Europe before it became an international phenomenon.

In 1975, the UN celebrated International Women’s Year and later on, in 1977, they started the annual tradition of International Women’s Day. It was meant as a commemoration of the progress women have made and are continuing to make.

Keeping the theme with what this year represents the campaign theme is #BalanceforBetter. It is just to represent the continuing need for an equal platform for men and women. This year, in particular, the movement will focus on influential women in mathematics, technology, science, engineering and design. This day is especially important to the women’s movement as it proves to be a wide-scale awareness campaign that is effective.

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Reinvention is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Every now and again, it becomes a hot topic and a recurring trend. Changing for changing’s sake is not for the benefit of anyone, especially yourself. The first thing you need to ask yourself if you are heading in the right direction. The directionless mind is one without purpose and no purposeful action is with merit.

If you find yourself in a lull, then maybe you ought to look at yourself. Reinvention is not about turning into someone else or pretending to be something that you are not. Your core, that is the essence of who you are, can’t – or shouldn’t be changed. Reinvention is about improvement.

The first step is self-awareness. You have to be open and honest about what needs to be improved. Eliminate all the bad habits that you have acquired. You don’t need to keep moving in a cycle of harmful or prohibitive behaviour.

Now that you are aware of what you want to get rid of, it is time to outline what exactly you want to achieve. Vague descriptions are your enemy here. Be specific and realistic about your goals. It is always a plus to have some sort of plan as to how you are going to develop these new characteristics. Like the end goal itself, the plan should be as detailed as realistic as possible.

Giving yourself a makeover from the inside out is not an easy process. You have to keep in mind that it is a process that requires patience and perseverance. Stay dedicated. However, don’t take it all too seriously. Building upon your skills and adapting to whatever circumstances that you will face isn’t something to do with a pout. Be optimistic and enjoy the journey. If you are not happy with the way you are now, then you should be happy when you are trying to make positive change.

Reinvention is so much more than just an updated version of yourself. Go the extra mile and look at what makes you different. Play to your differences and don’t be afraid to stray from the crowd.

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Did you know that waking up early is one of the best ways to be more productive? Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs are early risers.

Go to bed earlier

It seems simple, but in order to get adequate rest, it is key to allot enough hours to get the sleep your body needs. Try thinking backwards to establish your bedtime. Not everyone needs eight hours of sleep; some people only need six.

Skip the nap

It will be easier to go to sleep if you are already sleepy. Simple.

Avoid stressful conversations before bed

Even watching movies that are suspenseful can keep you awake. They used to say, “never go to bed angry”. Many experts recommend sleeping on it, so you wake up refreshed and more clear in the morning.

Don’t eat after 8 pm

Eating late at night will often keep you awake. If you eat too close to bedtime, your stomach is working hard to break down food when your body should be resting.

Establish a bed-time ritual

Turn down the lights, fire up the candles, and put on comfortable clothing. Create your home as a haven for rest an hour before you go to sleep.

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A productive week depends largely on what you focus on every working day and how much time you allocate to activities that take up your time). Working harder does not necessarily mean you are being productive.

These are a few things can do to have an insanely productive week this and every other week.

Stop planning, start doing. 

It’s okay to make time to plan what needs to be done in the week or month but when you get back to the planning table often, you lose precious productive hours. So instead of plan, just do it.

Don’t be a perfectionist. 

If you keep chasing perfection, it could take you longer to get your tasks done – and you will most likely be less productive than you planned.

Get everything out of your head. 

Don’t rely heavily on your memory. It will fail you when you need it most. Instead, write things down. There are different options for taking notes — everything from the sticky notes to applications like Evernote and Wunderlist.

Review and measure your accomplishments.

Just before you close the week and prepare for next week, review your achievements, along with everything else that needed to be done, to see if you really got work done.

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