I wish I had the time to explore and learn as I want. . .
I have asked myself at all times, what to do with time when it is so crucial in every aspect of my life. I need time to work, to have fun, to spend with others, to evolve as a person and as a professional, to fulfill my basic needs . . .and. . . all those emerging activities that appear in the twenty first century . . . mobile phone, internet, mail, blog, site, Skype, . . . that are adding time to my life, rather than replacing other previous ones I still have to do. Even worse, I do not have the energy I used to, in order to eventually say, I can do the old and the new things.
Once I start to categorize the old and the new endeavors, I get caught in a spiral slide where I don’t know what is old and what is new, what is urgent and what is essential, what is my job and what is someone else’s. In fact, what I somehow face is that what I’m doing is not what has to be considered, but how I’m doing it. Therefore, the time issue turns out to be a matter of efficiency. I have wondered and explored and I found a very practical source to aid me in organizing myself. I am including it for the readers who want to follow the basic seven steps to use time efficiently.
Efficient Use of Your Time
1. Save Time In Your Daily Schedule
Use time waiting in line or waiting for appointments to catch up on material you need to read. Use the technology of today to increase your productivity. Consolidate errands so that you make only one trip. Look at activities that fill your day and determine ways they could be done more efficiently or eliminated. By shaving minutes off of several tasks throughout the day, you can free up a larger block of time later.
2. Underpromise Throughout The Day
As you plan your day, allow yourself to lower your expectations and how many commitments you make for yourself. This will create less pressure and increase your energy throughout the day.
3. Underschedule Yourself Daily
As you plan your time, schedule half the time you have in a day. For example, during a 40 hour work week, only schedule 30 hours per week. This gives you 10 "extra" hours to handle unplanned contingencies. This will also allow for spontaneous events and for thinking, planning and other creative activities.
4. Outsource
Outsource activities that will limit your efforts and energy so that you can leverage your time.
5. Schedule Daily Appointments With Yourself
This will help you to work on the projects that are most important to you. Consult with yourself on where you want to direct your energy and time.
6. Set Time Limits
Realize how valuable your time is and quantify what you are going to accomplish with a time deadline or budget. When speaking on the phone, tell the person you are speaking with up front how much time you have for the conversation. Do not go over your time limit. Make phone calls right before lunch or at the end of the day so that the other person is motivated to end them more quickly. Schedule appointments with start and end times.
7. Learn To Say No
Learning to say no to nonessential tasks (and sometimes even essential tasks) is important for you to learn to do. Saying no becomes especially valuable with people who monopolize your time at the office. Set your boundaries and standards and stick to them.
http://www.garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/sevenwaystowardefficientuseofyourtime.html.
These considerations may certainly provide anyone with tools to handle time and tasks in a hierarchical and relevant manner. Any other thought to organize one’s time?
After being this weekend in a splendorous concert at Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Theater, it was impossible not to look deeply about Mahler’s life and his masterpiece Symphony No. 8, and to understand his influence and importance in classical music. While reading about this Symphony which is called the “Symphony of a Thousand” because it involves many artists in scene, made me understand why it was the one of the biggest projects for our Colombian musicians and how their consistent work and effort makes them exceeded our expectations. From so many things that impressed me, one of them was the passion of the orchestra’s conductor the Mexican Enrique Arturo Diemecke that was radiated along the concert represented by his movements, the way he introduced each of the instruments and how he joined all of them, including the different voices, as a whole melody. I really want to invite you to have a look about this artist and his touchable masterpiece and enjoy it, even if you did not have the privilege of enjoying our musicians’ talent and Mahler’s Legacy. Because as Diemecke said at the end of the concert, “The essence of the artist is not only what he has done, but the fact that it remains forever.”
http://www.8notes.com/biographies/mahler.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._8_%28Mahler%29
http://www.filarmonicabogota.gov.co/web2011/mahler.html
The Tomine dam is also located there. It was constructed over the religious city of the Muiscas, and it is important because it generates energy for the area. In Tominé it is possible to practice sailing, water ski and taking walks around the dam.
Guatavita lagoon. It was the sacred lake and the central point for the Muisca (Chibchas) ceremonies. In this place, the Muiscas adored the CHIE goddess, or goddess of water. Guatavita lagoon is located at the “peñas blancas” mountain near the Guatavita town, and was discovered by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in the year 1.537.
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit this small and beautiful place with my students in Second Grade. It was truly an unforgettable experience since it was their first trip to the countryside that lasted two days. They were really excited, anxious, and nervous.
The trip started on Thursday when they arrived to school with their huge camping bags. They had brought their thermos, sleeping bags, clothes, sunblock, flashlight, towel, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. It was funny to see those small kids carrying those enormous bags!
DAY 1: Teachers and guides were ready. We were in total 10 adults that were going to take care of them. We got on the bus at 8:30 am and arrived at the Portillo Club at 10:00 am. We picked up our bags and organized them in a room. Then, we had a delicious and nutritious snack. Later on, the guides explained to us the plans for the trip. We were going to start with some activities to integrate both grades (2A and 2B). Kids were taken to the camping zone to learn how to set up the tent in which they were going to sleep. All were paying attention and following the guides’ instructions. It was a challenge for them to do exactly what they were told to do. Once the tents were ready, we went to the town to have The Amazing Race. It was an activity in which students were divided in groups to look for the answers of some established questions. Students were like crazy running all over the town trying to find places, people, and answers. At the end, two groups won the race. One of them was mineJ.
Our next activity was to create an object that represented a chosen legend using clay. Kids were very creative. Their inventions were awesome and they were very happy. After it, they went to some shops to buy handcrafts. Everyone spent their 15.000 pesos in presents for their families.
At night, the tents were ready for the kids to go to sleep. Kids were tired after the long day full of activities and fun. They put on their pajamas and slept until the next day.
They arrived to the park and walked long meters until they finally saw the beauty of the lake surrounded by all kinds of green colors. Students asked for a wish and sang a song which they previously rehearsed with the guides. At the end of the journey, Zambo gave us a nice t-shirt that we all wore.
