List of Blogs That Will Help You Get Things Done (GTD)

Chic Savvy is one of many productivity blogs on the internet. Here are some other blog sites that may interest the productive young woman:

• 43 Folders
• 7Breaths
• Anabubula
• Black Belt Productivity
• Cranking Widgets
• Cynical Geek
• Did I Get Things Done
• eDragonu
• Flipping Heck
• Gearfire
• Geek’s Guide to GTD
• Genuine Curiosity
• Getting Things Done
• Getting Things Done in Academia
• GTD Drawings
• GTD Wannabe
• HD BizBlog
• Ho-ohana Blog
• Ian’s Messy Desk
• Juggling Sheep
• kvet.ch
• Legal Andrew
• LifeDev
• LifeHackMom
• Lifehacker
• Lifehack.org
• Lifemuncher
• Matt’s Idea Blog
• Nuance Labs
• Organize-IT
• Palm Organized
• Productivity Workflows
• Quadrant IV
• Setting Contexts
• Shawn’s Thoughts
• Slacker Manager
• Speakhead
• The Cranking Widgets Blog
• The Daily Saint
• To-Done
• To Do or Else
• What’s the Next Action
• Zen Habits

Source: ZenHabits.net

To Get Your Point Across: Keep It Simple, Keep It Kind

Oftentimes, when we try to express our ideas or opinions we can confuse others by being too explicative or using too many words to get our point across. It turns out that the most efficient way of getting your point across is by simply keeping it simple and never offensive or accusatory.

• Use clarity when speaking. Before approaching someone with a preposition or idea, think of what you will say before you say it. The ideal is to express your idea in as few words as possible. Also, anticipate how what you say may be misinterpreted, and use more careful wording.
• Be less self-centered and less accusatory. When expressing your concern about a matter than involves yourself and that person, you are more likely to win them over with generalized suggestions that neither praise yourself above the other person nor explicitly accuse them more than yourself. This means, use less "I"s and "you"s and more "we"s and "our"s.
• Use common wording with less syllables. Speak using common phrasing (no elusive, confusing terms or pseudo-intellectual innuendo) to ensure that you get the message across, plain and simple.

The "10-Minute" Productivity Booster

On your to-do list you may have many tasks - some big, some small - to complete. Try the "10-minute" productivity boost by taking any small task that can be completed in ten minutes and knock each one out accordingly.

For instance, say that you need to call Mom, clean the dishes, and fold the laundry all at some point today. All these tasks could typically be completed within ten minutes. So, within three 10-minute spans, complete all three tasks in whichever order you see fit. Perhaps: Clean the dishes within 10 minutes, then fold the laundry within 10 minutes, then call Mom and converse for about 10 minutes. Within a half hour, all three tasks are completed!

This trick makes completing and crossing off tasks more rewarding by adding an element of efficiency to your productive day. Even more rewarding is when you can combine two tasks effectively - say, simultaneously conversing with Mom via Bluetooth headset while folding laundry - both within a 10-minute period.

5 Ways to Improve Your Body Language

Your body language and posture tells a lot about your level of confidence and your mood and attitude toward an individual or situation. It can also make or break someone's first impression of you. The first step to improve your body language and posture is to be conscious of both. Below are five helpful tips to improve your overall body language:

Make eye contact. You don't need to - and should not - stare at the person you're conversing with, but make eye contact. This lets them know that you are interested in what they are saying and that you mean what you say.

Relax your shoulders. Stiff shoulders are a tell-tale sign of tension or anxiety in any given situation. Relaxing your shoulders not only relaxes yourself but lets others know that you are in non-defense mode.

Refrain from crossing your arms or legs. You may already know that crossing your arms gives off a negative vibe, but crossing your legs can have the same effect. As a woman, simply sit with your legs together and closed. If you are a man, sit with your legs comfortably apart.

Smile while you are talking with someone. Smiling casually while talking has a calming effect on the other person, even during a phone conversation. Smiling also suggests that you're taking a friendly, non-defensive stance.

Stop fidgeting. Rocking or shaking your legs or having fidgety hands is an indicator of personal anxiety or uneasiness. Be conscious of your bodily movements in social situations and refrain from fidgeting as much as possible. Simply put: Relax!

How to Make Household Items Last Longer

Often it seems that we're constantly restocking household supplies such as toiletries and other necessities. What if we could get more use out of our most commonly used household items?

• Candles

To extend the life of your scented candles, chill them in the 'fridge 24 hours prior to use. This will allow the candles to burn more slowly and uniformly.

• Soap

When using hand soap pump dispensers, wrap a rubber band around the base of the pump so that the pump is never pushed all the way down when dispensing soap. This should enable you to pump just the right amount of soap and make your liquid soaps last a lot longer.

• Razor blades

After using a razor blade, rinse well then use a cotton ball soaked with vinegar to clean and shine the razor blade. This will make your disposable razor blades last longer.

5 Characteristics of Highly Successful People

It seems that some people are "programmed" to be more successful than others. While that may be somewhat true depending on the educational level and personal values of highly successful individuals, it is also true that by adapting certain characteristics of a success-oriented mindset, anyone can achieve what they set their mind to accomplish. Here are just five characteristics of highly successful people:

Do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking may seem tempting in efforts to get multiple things done at once, but what usually happens is that few tasks are actually completed this way. Doing one thing at a time, in order of importance or urgency, is the most effective way to accomplish the task(s) at hand.

Do what is most productive right now. Not only should we be attempting one task at a time, but choose the one which is most productive right now. Save the trivial or leisurely tasks for later.

Stay positive. A positive mindset or perspective colors everything in our world. A positive outlook can make one's day much brighter and gears you up to do all the things you set out to do. Staying positive also improves your relationships and the way others perceive you, which is an important component of a successful lifestyle.

Take care of things even when you don't feel like it. "[The key to success] is living a few years of your life like most people won't so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t." It may be tempting to relax or procrastinate when times permit but when you should be working (there are times for rest and relaxation, but not during specified times for work). You're not only maintaining productivity for your employer or overseer, but for yourself. Training yourself to complete tasks in an orderly and time-efficient manner is training yourself to be more successful in the long run.

Banish fear from your mindset. There is a such thing as healthy fear or anxiety which motivates us to take care of business. However, if you have fear that prevents you from getting things done or motivating yourself to move forward, you are accepting personal defeat. Believe in yourself and your abilities and you will move further in life.

How to Power Nap Most Effectively

Power-napping can give you a needed restoration of mental alertness and physical energy. But, napping for too long of a period will have an adverse effect on your productivity and you would actually lose precious time and mental alertness for the day. So, how exactly do you power-nap effectively?

A power nap should be 20 minutes long. Sleeping for any longer could cause unwanted grogginess. Napping for only 20 minutes gives the body a short rest and restores mental alertness and focus levels.

Banish distractions. Turn off the TV and nap in a quiet and dimly lit area to promote a restful sleep.

Get comfortable. It is best to lounge in a natural horizonal sleeping position and to also remove all extra clothing you may be wearing in order to power-nap most comfortably.

Have tea or coffee before your power nap. Caffeine usually takes a minimum of 20 minutes to begin affecting your level of mental alertness. Drinking a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee before a power nap enables you to wake with a heightened level of mental alertness and physical energy.