- Vernon Sanders Law
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Your Daily Quote - Experience
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.”
- Vernon Sanders Law
- Vernon Sanders Law
Monday, 8 June 2015
Your Daily Quote - Seize Every Moment
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
Just Do It: Tips for Avoiding Procrastination - Part 1 of 2
By Michael Pitts and Jennifer Bennett - The Writing Center at GULC.
It’s 9:00 p.m. Your twenty-five page paper is due in exactly twelve hours, and you still have to write twenty pages, miraculously produce some sources you can actually cite, and maybe, if you’re lucky, squeeze in eight minutes for a quick proofread. A familiar feeling of panic is setting in, and you know you’ve got a long night ahead. This is not the first time you have pushed a paper deadline. You think, “How did I get myself into this situation again?” Then you remember that in the three months since the paper was assigned, you did everything you could to avoid working on the paper. And now, even though you have only twelve hours left, you’re still not doing what you know you should be – making a pot of black coffee and settling in to work. Instead, you’re staring into your refrigerator wondering if, despite having had dinner an hour ago, you’re already hungry enough to take a sandwich break. Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Most of us have been guilty of procrastination on one occasion or another, particularly when confronted with an unfamiliar writing task. The tendency to procrastinate may stem from anxiety, fear, embarrassment, or discomfort. The end result of procrastination may be a missed opportunity, a frustrated goal or a low quality work product. Whatever the causes or frequency of their occurrence, episodes of procrastination need not be terminal. With a small amount of reflection upon your particular modes of procrastination, you may be able to identify techniques that will help you enter the writing process with less stress. Here are some tips to help you end the vicious cycle of procrastination:
1. Break the Assignment Into Small Pieces
When you initially get a writing assignment, do you immediately think that you will be unable to finish such a big or complicated project? Do you panic at the thought of everything that will need to get done before a major assignment can be handed in? Stop. Try to remember that not everything has to be completed at once (unless you wait until the very end!). Make a list of the separate steps involved in the writing process (e.g., researching, generating a thesis statement, outlining, writing a first draft) and think of each step as an individual task. Just breaking up the idea of a paper in your mind can calm you down and help you feel more equipped to handle the task ahead. If you still procrastinate on the task after breaking it down, break it down even further. So, break “researching” down to “find ten relevant cases” and if that still seems unmanageable, break “find ten relevant cases” down to “run a Westlaw search.” Or, break “proofread” down to “check Bluebooking,” and if that still seems unmanageable, break it down still more to “make sure all case names are underlined.” Once your tasks are as simple as possible, you’re much more likely to sit down and complete them right away.
2. Make a Detailed To-Do List with Specific Deadlines
Is your only goal to complete the paper by the day it is due? Having a single, large goal with one deadline is a common mistake that facilitates procrastination. Break your assignment up into small tasks (see Tip # 1), then structure your to-do list around those specific tasks. For example, if you have completed your research and want to begin writing your first draft, set a goal of writing two pages a day, so that you can have a first draft in two weeks. Don’t forget to include specific personal goals in your planning. If you schedule time to exercise, do laundry, and go grocery shopping along with your project goals, you will increase your overall sense of control and your feeling of accomplishment. Remember to be realistic in your goal-setting – there’s no point in making overly optimistic to-do lists, because you’ll only feel discouraged if you don’t meet all your goals (nobody can write a first-draft, run five miles, walk the dog, and bake a layer cake in a single day). Finally, many people find that it helps to write a to-do list down and cross items off as they are completed – there is something intrinsically satisfying about marking off achievements, and this visual reminder of your progress is likely to inspire you to stay on task.
3. Make a Time Schedule …
You’ve probably got a daily planner (if you don’t have one, you need to get one, or the electronic equivalent). What do you write in your planner? Do you write, “Work on first draft” each day for a full month? Instead of setting aside this type of general time to write your paper, set aside a specific time period (i.e., “Monday 7-9: Write two pages for first draft”) and make yourself adhere to the schedule. Some writers find it easier to plan if they work backward. That is, set a deadline for the project and then work backward to set interim deadlines for defined tasks that need to be accomplished in order to meet the deadline. No matter which mode of scheduling you use, make sure you also schedule in some time to NOT work. The most important thing to remember when making a schedule is that writing is an intensely personal process, and everyone approaches it differently. Do you know that it takes you a long time to research but only a short time to proofread? Tailor your schedule accordingly. Do you know that you’ll be exhausted after finishing your first draft? Give yourself a day off instead of scheduling yourself to immediately start revising. It is often helpful to overestimate the amount of work you have so that you give yourself plenty of time to finish everything – i.e., if you think it will take you three to five hours to check for Bluebooking errors, err on the side of caution and schedule in six hours to Bluebook. Finishing something early is hugely satisfying; feeling as though you’re scrambling to complete a task that you didn’t give yourself enough time for can be frustrating and demoralizing.
4. …and Stick to It
Do you ever sit down to write – filled with good intentions – only to find that an hour has somehow passed and you’ve yet to write a word? It’s far too easy to spend two hours “writing” without getting anything done at all. To make sure you’re actually writing when you’re “writing,” eliminate as many distractions as possible. Sign out of gchat, turn off the movie you’re watching in the background, and resist the urge to compulsively check your email every two minutes. If you really need to, turn off your Internet altogether or work in a coffee shop that doesn’t have Wi-Fi. If it still seems daunting to do nothing but write for a two-hour block, break that block down into smaller chunks of time. Set a kitchen timer or an alarm clock for a specific amount of time (say, fifteen minutes), and tell yourself you will do nothing but write until the alarm sounds. You will be amazed at how much you can achieve in fifteen minutes of solid, focused writing and, at the end of the fifteen minutes, you will often find that you are eager to continue writing. If you hit a wall at the end of the fifteen minutes, don’t become anxious – working for fifteen minutes then taking a short break might not seem productive, but it is a much better use of your time than two hours of reading food blogs, checking Facebook, and taking an inordinately long time to type your name and the date at the top of your blank page.
Source:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/legal-writing-scholarship/writing-center/upload/kaavya-just-do-it-tips-for-avoiding-procrastination.pdf
It’s 9:00 p.m. Your twenty-five page paper is due in exactly twelve hours, and you still have to write twenty pages, miraculously produce some sources you can actually cite, and maybe, if you’re lucky, squeeze in eight minutes for a quick proofread. A familiar feeling of panic is setting in, and you know you’ve got a long night ahead. This is not the first time you have pushed a paper deadline. You think, “How did I get myself into this situation again?” Then you remember that in the three months since the paper was assigned, you did everything you could to avoid working on the paper. And now, even though you have only twelve hours left, you’re still not doing what you know you should be – making a pot of black coffee and settling in to work. Instead, you’re staring into your refrigerator wondering if, despite having had dinner an hour ago, you’re already hungry enough to take a sandwich break. Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Most of us have been guilty of procrastination on one occasion or another, particularly when confronted with an unfamiliar writing task. The tendency to procrastinate may stem from anxiety, fear, embarrassment, or discomfort. The end result of procrastination may be a missed opportunity, a frustrated goal or a low quality work product. Whatever the causes or frequency of their occurrence, episodes of procrastination need not be terminal. With a small amount of reflection upon your particular modes of procrastination, you may be able to identify techniques that will help you enter the writing process with less stress. Here are some tips to help you end the vicious cycle of procrastination:
1. Break the Assignment Into Small Pieces
When you initially get a writing assignment, do you immediately think that you will be unable to finish such a big or complicated project? Do you panic at the thought of everything that will need to get done before a major assignment can be handed in? Stop. Try to remember that not everything has to be completed at once (unless you wait until the very end!). Make a list of the separate steps involved in the writing process (e.g., researching, generating a thesis statement, outlining, writing a first draft) and think of each step as an individual task. Just breaking up the idea of a paper in your mind can calm you down and help you feel more equipped to handle the task ahead. If you still procrastinate on the task after breaking it down, break it down even further. So, break “researching” down to “find ten relevant cases” and if that still seems unmanageable, break “find ten relevant cases” down to “run a Westlaw search.” Or, break “proofread” down to “check Bluebooking,” and if that still seems unmanageable, break it down still more to “make sure all case names are underlined.” Once your tasks are as simple as possible, you’re much more likely to sit down and complete them right away.
2. Make a Detailed To-Do List with Specific Deadlines
Is your only goal to complete the paper by the day it is due? Having a single, large goal with one deadline is a common mistake that facilitates procrastination. Break your assignment up into small tasks (see Tip # 1), then structure your to-do list around those specific tasks. For example, if you have completed your research and want to begin writing your first draft, set a goal of writing two pages a day, so that you can have a first draft in two weeks. Don’t forget to include specific personal goals in your planning. If you schedule time to exercise, do laundry, and go grocery shopping along with your project goals, you will increase your overall sense of control and your feeling of accomplishment. Remember to be realistic in your goal-setting – there’s no point in making overly optimistic to-do lists, because you’ll only feel discouraged if you don’t meet all your goals (nobody can write a first-draft, run five miles, walk the dog, and bake a layer cake in a single day). Finally, many people find that it helps to write a to-do list down and cross items off as they are completed – there is something intrinsically satisfying about marking off achievements, and this visual reminder of your progress is likely to inspire you to stay on task.
3. Make a Time Schedule …
You’ve probably got a daily planner (if you don’t have one, you need to get one, or the electronic equivalent). What do you write in your planner? Do you write, “Work on first draft” each day for a full month? Instead of setting aside this type of general time to write your paper, set aside a specific time period (i.e., “Monday 7-9: Write two pages for first draft”) and make yourself adhere to the schedule. Some writers find it easier to plan if they work backward. That is, set a deadline for the project and then work backward to set interim deadlines for defined tasks that need to be accomplished in order to meet the deadline. No matter which mode of scheduling you use, make sure you also schedule in some time to NOT work. The most important thing to remember when making a schedule is that writing is an intensely personal process, and everyone approaches it differently. Do you know that it takes you a long time to research but only a short time to proofread? Tailor your schedule accordingly. Do you know that you’ll be exhausted after finishing your first draft? Give yourself a day off instead of scheduling yourself to immediately start revising. It is often helpful to overestimate the amount of work you have so that you give yourself plenty of time to finish everything – i.e., if you think it will take you three to five hours to check for Bluebooking errors, err on the side of caution and schedule in six hours to Bluebook. Finishing something early is hugely satisfying; feeling as though you’re scrambling to complete a task that you didn’t give yourself enough time for can be frustrating and demoralizing.
4. …and Stick to It
Do you ever sit down to write – filled with good intentions – only to find that an hour has somehow passed and you’ve yet to write a word? It’s far too easy to spend two hours “writing” without getting anything done at all. To make sure you’re actually writing when you’re “writing,” eliminate as many distractions as possible. Sign out of gchat, turn off the movie you’re watching in the background, and resist the urge to compulsively check your email every two minutes. If you really need to, turn off your Internet altogether or work in a coffee shop that doesn’t have Wi-Fi. If it still seems daunting to do nothing but write for a two-hour block, break that block down into smaller chunks of time. Set a kitchen timer or an alarm clock for a specific amount of time (say, fifteen minutes), and tell yourself you will do nothing but write until the alarm sounds. You will be amazed at how much you can achieve in fifteen minutes of solid, focused writing and, at the end of the fifteen minutes, you will often find that you are eager to continue writing. If you hit a wall at the end of the fifteen minutes, don’t become anxious – working for fifteen minutes then taking a short break might not seem productive, but it is a much better use of your time than two hours of reading food blogs, checking Facebook, and taking an inordinately long time to type your name and the date at the top of your blank page.
Source:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/legal-writing-scholarship/writing-center/upload/kaavya-just-do-it-tips-for-avoiding-procrastination.pdf
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Your Daily Quote - Lead by Example
As a leader, these attributes - confidence, perseverance, work ethic and good sense - are all things I look for in people. I try to lead by example.
Heather Bresch
Warren Buffett's Top 10 rules for success
You are incredibly lucky if you find your passion in life.
Encourage your children to do that, too.
Saturday, 6 June 2015
3 Steps To Raising A Happy Child
by David Kanegis
Youngsters and adolescents face a daily barrage of challenges to their sense of self worth, well-being and perception of just where they fit into the scheme of things. There are more unhappy and suffering children than adults think... and yours just might be one of them.
Want to raise a physically and emotionally healthy child? It doesn't happen by magic. It takes planning, your self-awareness, spousal communication and a host of other actions.
Empower Your Child
Whatever the age, or whether you're a parent or grandparent you have the ability (and in my humble opinion) the responsibility to create an environment in which your child is encouraged to experiment, challenged to take chances and respected for choices they make.
This doesn't mean letting your child run free, doing whatever they feel like and misbehaving without suffering consequences.
It does represent looking for activities and methods of communication that put your child in the driver's seat. Creating challenges no matter the outcome is healthy for children. It's how they learn to deal with both success and failure.
My elementary students were comprised largely of children at risk. Many suffered from highly dysfunctional home conditions, academic difficulties and a host of emotional ills. I made it a point within the first week of school to identify one strength unique to each child... and then reinforce it.
Both children and adults handle adversity better when they have had positive experiences in their lives. It's much easier to handle failure when your frame of reference is a positive one.
Bottom Line # 1:
Make An Empowerment Plan - Create opportunities for your youngster to develop feelings of self-confidence, importance and worthiness. Let them know you value them and their opinions!
Communicate With Your Child
I don't mean simply listen as they tell you about their school day. Chances are if you ask how school was (a question so many kids hate) all you'll get is the word "fine."
Talking to your child about what they should be doing, driving them to activities, reminding them of dinner time, *nagging about homework, lecturing about keeping their room clean... all these are important components of parenting but do not constitute enlightened communication that shows interest, teaches, demonstrates love and as mentioned earlier empowers them.
* A note about homework nagging. Just my opinion... it's not very helpful and creates on-going stress and hassles that can derail the best laid plans. It's my belief that there are a variety of reasons kids procrastinate doing homework. In fact, it's an area where open discussions, probing questions and close listening will provide you with lots of useful input. Yelling and punishments may get it completed, but make for more stress than it's worth.
Worse case (particularly for children who have the ability but lack the inclination) they'll receive bad grades and at some point self correct. I'm sure there are readers that may not agree and please feel free to comment below.
Bottom Line #2:
Create A Communication Protocol - Give thought about how you interact with your child, your tone of voice, how well you listen, the value you give to what's important to them, creating opportunities that allow and encourage self expression and any way you can demonstrate that you are always available to them no matter what!
Generate A Stress Free Atmosphere
OK. This one may seem a bit idealistic. However once again it's a matter of introspection and becoming aware of what transpires in the home on a daily basis. Whether there's both a Mom and Dad or it's a single family household you can manage the environment you create.
Is it easy? No. When a marriage is intact, there's often an incredible amount of inconsequential bickering. Do yourself and your child a favor... become aware and look at ways to help create a harmonious environment.
If you are a single parent you're probably running on empty! Perhaps you're a soccer mom. You can't change the fact that your spouse isn't providing enough or any child support, doesn't arrive on time to pick your up your child on the weekend, don't have any support with discipline, feel stretched at all ends and to top it off have no social life.
As a single Dad you may harbor tremendous resentment that you get so little time to spend with your child. Custody laws are changing but generally tend to favor Mothers. Disagreements over how to raise your child can be a constant source of tension.
These are all real and valid stressors. It's not easy to react to frustrations with your child in a stress free way. But the truth is, with thought and planning you can channel your reactions to stress, reduce the level of it you communicate to your child, create a more relaxed environment... and ultimately make daily living enjoyable and healthy for all.
Bottom Line #3:
Be aware of the impact of the stress you are under. This is different than experiencing being stressed. In a way it's a bit like mindfulness... let yourself experience the stress and the feelings that go along with it. However, look for ways you can mediate the feelings and make a concerted effort to create a family environment that celebrates moments of peacefulness, harmony and relaxation.
A tool I used as a teacher and now when coaching families is what I call "Quiet Time." This is different from the valuable quality family time that many share. It's a period during the late afternoon or evening when every family member spends "alone time" doing whatever relaxes them the most. There's no communication with or expectations of one another. You'll be amazed at how cathartic and stress reducing this can be.
One special reminder...read to the little ones every night. It's relaxing and proven to help them in reading and language development. Don't be afraid to use character voices and act a bit silly. Your child will love it!
Naturally there are many more than three ways you can help your child. Yet if you take nothing else away from this article let it be that creating a healthy home atmosphere doesn't just happen spontaneously.. It takes planning. Make the time. It's worth it!
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