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Distractions often make us loose focus on the important tasks we are working on. Distractions are also one of the reasons we begin to not ever finishing a task or finishing a task late. This affects our leadership skills, because it could cause us to not complete some of the more important matters and have those following us get off as well.

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Recently, an inmate was released after serving a 20-year prison sentence. Re-entering the world after two decades would probably reveal many surprises to anyone, but upon release, this former prisoner's only comment to the press was about his astonishment at all the people texting - and not talking - in a restaurant during his first lunch as a free man.

We live in an electronic ADD world. I don't have to tell you that - you live it every day. Minutes can't go by without cell phones ringing, text messages beeping, new emails dinging or instant messages popping.

To someone like our inmate, locked away from the advances of electronics for a score of years, the changes were overwhelming. To the rest of us, changes have been more gradual so we might not have even noticed how much more broken up our days are now than they were before. In the olden days, telephones were the primary source of business interruptions, followed by the occasional office "drop by." Then came faxes, then emails, then texting and instant messaging. Now, our 24/7 connectivity could distract us forever - if we let it.

Like it or not, the days of the occasional interruption are gone. Before, even mediocre time managers could get away with allowing unplanned interruptions to divert their attention for a few minutes here and there. Not anymore. We've been forced to become proactive about managing our daily disruptions just to focus on the work at hand.

Studies show that the time it takes to recover from an interruption is, on average, about four minutes. This is known as "interruption recovery time." It deals with only the time to recover, not the time to handle the actual interruption.

The math is convincing. Consider this: if you look up at the dinging and flashing incoming emails or down at the text messages on your iPhone 15 times in a day, you'll waste roughly an hour recovering from the interruptions, not to mention the time used handling the emails or texts themselves. More importantly, you've ceded control of your day to your gadgets.

It is important to realize that we cannot avoid these changes in the way information is delivered to us, so we have no choice but to adapt to them. By minimizing interruptions, you'll get more done and adapt easily to the new office culture.

Being proactive about handling distractions means deciding to take back control. You have the power to decide when and how you'll respond to each interruption. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Eliminate the source of distractions. Silence new message reminders, minimize your inbox, turn off the cell phone and shut your door.

Group like tasks. When you work on similar tasks in focused batches, you'll develop a flow, get more done and discourage distractions.

Set a time limit for a task and challenge yourself to complete the task by a certain time.

Make appointments. Instead of allowing co-workers to stop by with their questions and ideas, encourage them to make appointments with you and each other. This makes managing your day much more effective, allowing you to know when you can dedicate time to what's important.

Make appointments with yourself (and keep them). Setting specific times to deal with email and voicemails will streamline your day.

Cut distractions short. The moment you find yourself getting distracted, pull yourself back and refocus. Don't allow it to continue.

Get back to the task. Many times, we use the interruption to give us a break and do something else. Use your discipline to get back to the actual task that was your priority.

Set boundaries about when you'll dedicate time to work outside of your normal office schedule. Value your personal time - turn your phone off when get home, leave it in the locker at the health club, and set a cut-off time for it each night.

It's so easy to get buried in the information that's thrown at us each day and lose sight of what's really important. Remember to keep control or else distracters will control you. As all sorts of information compete for your attention, keep your priorities in check.

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Who has the Power? Recently, an inmate was released after serving a 20-year prison sentence.

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Not having a set plan for social activities

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Not having a set plan for social activities

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not having a plan on when we use social media, spend time with friends, or when to watching television, causes us to loose focus on whats important. It also may get us started on other things that wasn't our main focus. This affects leadership skills by not staying committed to what was our beginning focus

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Not having specific days set for more important tasks

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Not having specific days set for more important tasks

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When not having things place we often forget important events or not getting to them on time. This also affects leadership by not being accountable for missed time.

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Believe it or not, but there is an entire website dedicated to informing the world of global important days of the year called www.daysoftheyear.com. It's definitely worth a quick Monday morning browse! With there being so much to filter through, we've collated a list of the best days this month to mark in your calendar!
- Monday 2nd February: Hedgehog Day
Chilled out, cute and always looking quite pleased with themselves: who doesn't love hedgehogs? Aside from their menacing shield of spikes, they are simply just loveable creatures. Our very own Finance Executive Hayley Twigg has kindly provided the picture of her own pet Frodo the hedgehog!

Hedgehog day is a celebration of all hedgehog life on earth, and while we'd love to show our appreciation by hugging one, it may be more sensible to just give one a free mealworm cake.
- Wednesday 4th February: Thank a Mailman Day
It's hard work to deliver the world's mail day in day out, so if you see your postman or woman, consider making extra effort to thank them! A smile or a high five can go a long way to make someone's day.
- Tuesday 10th February: Extra-terrestrial Culture Day
Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. However if the day ever comes that aliens decide to say 'hi' and the reality is in fact like something off the movie Paul or ET, then it might not be such a bad thing.

The concept of extra-terrestrials is embedded deep into our culture, with thanks to Hollywood and the mystery of Area 51, and this day is to celebrate extra-terrestrial cultures and our past, present, and future relationships with extra-terrestrial visitors.
- Friday 13th February: Blame Someone Else Day
Quite simple really, this day is dedicated to the art of the blame game. A whole day of finger pointing to get you out of sticky situations.

Wrap your boss' entire desk in wrapping paper and blame it on the new apprentice, put whoopie cushions on everyone's chairs and blame the children, pour chocolate mousse in people's shoes and blame the dog: the possibilities are endless!
- Wednesday 18th February: Drink Wine Day
Not that many people need an excuse to crack open a bottle of wine on hump day, but this is the day to go to Tesco after work and get the £2.99 bottle of dry white you've been craving all day (or you might want to go for something a little classier, probably above the £5 mark)!
- Sunday 22nd February: Be Humble Day
As Leonardo DiCaprio tells Jonah Hill on his Saturday Night Live intro, "You should be humble, you should be gracious". There is no boasting allowed on Be Humble Day.

We all brag about our successes & possessions without meaning any harm, but it's important to put everything in perspective sometimes and simply be grateful for your skills & successes.
- Wednesday 25th February: Inconvenience Yourself Day
This is basically another way of wording "Do a Good Deed Day".

The concept may have originated from Ms. Julie Thompson and it was meant to serve as an incentive for others to acknowledge their appreciation for acquaintances or strangers, and to promote a respectful attitude and an attentive demeanour.

Inconvenience yourself for a minute by holding the door open for someone, taking your neighbours bins in, help someone take their luggage up the stairs, something little that can make someone smile!

360 Resourcing Solutions delivers bright, fresh, and engaging recruitment services, specialising in the retail, hospitality, leisure, commercial, IT, and e-commerce sectors. We are one of the fastest growing recruitment service providers in the UK and pride ourselves on our levels of customer service, adaptability, passion, and expertise in our sectors.

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7 Important Dates to Mark in your Calendar this Feb - 360 Resourcing Solutions

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Believe it or not, but there is an entire website dedicated to informing the world of global important days of the year called www.daysoftheyear.com. It's definitely worth a quick Monday morning browse! With there being so much to filter through, we've collated a list of the best days this month to mark in your calendar!

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Not being organized often makes leaders forget events or get off task. This results in not getting to things and dismissing them. This affects our decision making skills, knowing when to stop doing something to finish the other but going back to make sure everything is completed.

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A Top 7 List? Yep! Think of it like a checklist that will make it a whole lot easier and quicker to get to where you want to be - totally organized. Will this happen overnight? Nope. Starting is always the hardest part, so once you get going and gain momentum there will be no stopping you.

So let's start...

1. Know what stuff you actually have. Until you know what stuff you actually have to organize it's pretty tough to get organized. What is in that stack of papers at the end of your desk? What files did you put in that folder? Are any of them still pertinent? Take inventory, it's worth the time.

2. You may find the trash is the place you end up storing most of your stuff. Keeping unimportant stuff is a part of the "I may use it someday" syndrome. Don't get caught up in that, there's no easy cure.

3. Clean up your physical stuff. Having an organized home and office is in itself a step towards finding yourself. A cluttered environment creates a cluttered mind.

4. Choose an electronic system for organizing and storing all your files, website links, cool social media posts, and contacts. Find one that makes sense to you. Choosing a system "with all the bells and whistles" that you find way too cumbersome to use will not get you anywhere.

5. Develop a system for your errands. Much time gets wasted running around instead of going on one organized trip with a plan of attack. While you may be thinking that planning your errands is a bit overboard, it can be really simple and fast to implement with so many benefits. Keep your brain free for creative stuff, not what you need to pick up at the grocery store.

6. Create a To-Do System. It goes without saying that focused action is way better than constantly figuring out what you need to do next.

7. Let go! Let go of all the stuff in your mind that is best kept in an organized system. Use your mind for the cool stuff... creating, learning and expanding your possibilities!

Use what feels right to you and Get Started! 🙂

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Unorganized and Lost? Top 7 List for Getting Things Organized! | The Coolest Couple

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A Top 7 List? Yep! Think of it like a checklist that will make it a whole lot easier and quicker to get to where you want to be - totally organized. Will this happen overnight? Nope. Starting is always the hardest part, so once you get going and gain momentum there will be no [...]

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Procrastination results in failure or getting behind and not being able to catch up. This affects out integrity. When leaders say they are going to do something then they should stick to it.

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https://www.theintentionalmom.com/10-common-time-wasters/

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http://executivesecretary.com/distractions/

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https://www.google.com/search?q=plan&rlz=1CAEXWD_enUS837&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHpt7xgOXgAhXuRd8KHaskCBEQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=565&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=DpI2q0EgXz8nJM:

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https://www.google.com/search?q=calendar+for+important+dates&rlz=1CAEXWD_enUS837&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfpIWAguXgAhUFMt8KHQJPCRYQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=609&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=zzl3EiRhuvsnsM:

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https://thecoolestcouple.com/unorganized-and-lost-top-7-list-for-getting-things-organized/

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https://procrastination.com/what-is-procrastination

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https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/01/17/put-off/

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Never Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do The Day After Tomorrow Just As Well

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https://www.google.com/search?q=mark+twain+procrastination+quote&rlz=1CAEXWD_enUS837&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiFw9nFheXgAhWCc98KHXDfBOQQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=609&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=vuNN_-efgEqVyM:

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This is my favorite quote because, it is saying that don't do something that you can always do later, just to not complete whats at stake. It is repeatable and true. When we put off whats more important for things we can always do later, we get behind and loose sight of whats more important.

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Complete all things that are important then do what more interest you. By doing this you get your work done and can still have time for the things you enjoy. This builds up your dedication to your work and your own personal time.

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Get a planner or calendar then write the things that you have to do out on each day. Do this to stay on task, and have things laid out. This is good so if you do get off task you can go to your planner and see what you have to do. This is good because, as a leader you should maturity to stay focused and keep up with the things that are important.

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I was never going to be one of those people. You know the ones, those Happy Planner people. What was that thing anyway? Three big boxes for each day? What would I ever use that for?

No lines, no nicely divided subject areas for my homeschool planner. The thing was useless as far as I was concerned.

I watched my friends joyfully set up these pretty decorated pages and thought, "I don't have time for that. That would never help me."

Oh' how wrong I was!

About the time I began to be frustrated with my system for my third grader, I also began to be frustrated by the planner which had served me well for over three years.

With added students, meal plans, dance schedules, and other commitments it was simply no longer serving my needs. So, I turned to Pam and Plan Your Year for Help.

Pam made me a custom form for my homeschool planning and suggested I try the Happy Planner as a way to bind the forms I would be using. I choose a Big Happy Planner Kit.

I wanted to start my year in July, the month I begin homeschooling and this allowed me to make my own calendars. It also came with a few extra stickers and a folder.

After a few weeks of thinking and brainstorming, I became a Happy Planner believer. This was the answer to my frustrations with multiple homeschooling notebooks, forgotten appointments, shopping lists, meal planning scraps of paper, or no meal plan at all.

How I set up my happy planner for homeschool and life

Note: You will need the Happy Planner Punch. It is absolutely essential for customizing your planner for your life.

Section 1: Schedules

Plan Your Year Weekly Plan: This page is where I keep all of our weekly commitments such as co-op, piano, and church. It helps me to see at a glance where other appointments and field trips can go without double booking.

Plan Your Year 2017-2018 School Calendar: This one-page calendar is perfect for blocking out the weeks and days I plan to take off from school.

Other work related or homemaking schedules: I have our Morning Time Release Schedule here and plan to add a loop schedule for cleaning the house.

Section 2: School records

Plan Your Year At a Glance 2017: Perfect as an attendance calendar. Nice big boxes for those beautiful "X"s that signify a completed school day.

Plan Your Year Long Range Planning 2017: The idea to use this as a way to plan out trips and future field trips came from the Plan Your Year FB group. I loved the idea so much I collected all booklets from the zoo, park, and art museum and added the events we might attend to the appropriate month.

Plan Your Year Vision: This page is a must-have. If it isn't with me, I will forget what I am working towards.

Plan Your Year Course of Study: Have one for each student. This has been so helpful to work through this year. It made making their planning books a cinch.

Plan Your Year Goals Worksheet: Have one for each student. I asked each child for input as I made their goal page. I keep them here to refer to a few times a year as we check to see how we are doing.

Other: Grade sheets and full semester lesson plans also fit in this section.

Check out the video tour of this post:

I used to have a separately bound Happy Planner for all. the. Morning. Time. Plans. It was never in the right place at the right time. So, in the spirit of, "One Book to Rule Them All," I added our current Morning Time Plans to my Happy Planner.

Section 4: Other printable plans

Currently, this section has the Sir Cumference Bundle from Math Geek Mama. However, I can see adding a month from Exploring Nature with Children, a NaturExplorers book or a Chalk Pastel book to this section as well.

Section 5: Memory work

If you use memory work for a co-op or you memorize passages of scripture, Shakespeare or Hymns, this is the section for that. No more separate folder. No more hunting around for your memory work because you had guests last weekend and you wanted to neaten up your living room and can't remember where you put it.

Calendar sections

Now to tackle those three pesky boxes for each day. I have all these calendar pages. I already have a Weekly Plan page for homeschooling that I keep in the middle of the weekly spread along with a meal planning sheet. What will I use these boxes for? I don't have that many appointments!

I decided to use these sections as a journal/planner.

Top box: When I do my Bible reading for the day, I like to copy a verse or two. I do this for the same reason I make my children do copy work. It helps me to really think about what I have read. I don't have long, so sometimes one verse is all I do.

Bottom box: Kids are funny! Family life is precious, but I am in the middle of the whirlwind of these little years and I know I will forget. This bottom box is where I add a snippet from our day. A conversation, something funny, a joke, Peter's first tooth, someplace we visited.

Middle box: This is a catch-all. Sometimes it is a pretty sticker that adds to my page. Yes, I got into decorating more than I ever thought I would! Appointments, to-do lists, a special memory, a quote, all of these fit here.

The margin: This is also a catch all depending on the week. It usually holds my prayer list, but other subjects include family journal overflow, weekly to-do, a packing list, and sometimes nothing at all.

Notes

This section is in the back and holds blank lined paper for random notes or ideas, book lists, and logs. You can put anything here.

Decorations

Having a Happy Planner is way more fun if you decorate it. This has been such a fun project for me. My oldest daughter and I sometimes sit together and share ideas on how to decorate our pages. It is a special time for us to connect and share ideas.

Here are some resources I have used to decorate mine:
Ready to make the switch to "One Book to Rule Them All?" Go for it! Make it your own! It doesn't have to look like mine! I would love to see some of yours.

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How to Use Your Happy Planner to Organize Your Homeschool

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I was never going to be one of those people. You know the ones, those Happy Planner people. What was that thing anyway? Three big boxes for each day? What would I ever use that for? No lines, no nicely divided subject areas for my homeschool planner.

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https://pambarnhill.com/happy-planner-homeschool/