Finding time to understand and use hashtags on Twitter had not been a big part of my Twitter practice ’til now, but it appears to definitely be worth the time investment.

In a post on Twitip last month, Marcus Emmanuel Barnes wrote titled “Why You Should Consider Using Hashtags” that helped me to think about hashtags differently.  I hope it’ll do the same for you.

One of the key concepts to help understand hashtags is to think of them as keywords or keyword tags.  If you have a website or blog, you are probably aware of keywords.  They are the “key” words that search engines will use to connect people who search for some combinations of those words to your information on the web.

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Finding time to appreciate what your day brings your way can be a challenge sometimes – but it’s well worth the effort!

As those who know me are pretty well aware, to say that I’m not a big fan of snow would be a bit of an understatement!  It invariably throws schedules out of whack, makes it more difficult to get around, and adds layers of new complication to many daily tasks around the farm.

So, yesterday, as I watched the snow fall outside my office window, I had the opportunity to stretch, be creative, and find things to appreciate about this new development.  I even started a list and quickly came up with three plusses!

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Finding time to enjoy cultural events like the Olympics can be a big challenge in your already-busy life, can’t it?  These infrequent-and-thoroughly-engaging events bring up questions of time choices, time priorities, time boundaries, you name it!

The first thing to remember is that your time is finite.  Adding something to your day means, realistically, that you’ll need to cut something out.  This can be a challenging time choice – AND it can be very clarifying and empowering to make it consciously and proactively.

Ask yourself:

• What could I let go of temporarily, to make room for keeping up with this once-every-four-years event?

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Time management tips can successfully manage your projects too. One of your best strategies is to talk yourself through any resistance, as you implement all the action steps necessary to make your plans a reality. True to the maxim, it is easier said than done! And so it has been throughout history, as this ancient saying confirms:
“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” (Chinese proverb)

Taking time to plan out your activities is important, of course. But it is possible to go overboard on the planning front.

Does translating a plan into action present a challenge for you? Take this quiz to find out:

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Time management tips really help you manage yourself when you are stressed, rushed, and caught in a time crunch. Those are, after all, the times when it’s hardest to make your best time choices.

Here are 5 Stress-Reduction Steps to Take the Crunch Out of Your Time

1. Work Within Your Limits. It sounds easy. It is not so easy. Take a deep breath. Recognize the reality that you don’t have time to get everything done that you might have hoped to. Straightforward as it sounds, it requires truly relinquishing options you might value highly! In Scott Peck’s classic, The Road Less Traveled, he lists “balancing” as one of the four essential disciplines to solve all life’s problems. At the heart of balancing is letting go. You assume more positive control by reducing demands on yourself to a workable level. Having simplified your demands, you can succeed!

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Time management tips do more than enhance performance. They teach you how to survive potentially devastating crises. Challenges can arise anytime, so develop your crisis management and time management strengths accordingly!

Strength Training for Times of Crises

1. Cultivate gratitude as a grounding strength. The more you appreciate everything you have as a temporary gift, the more realistic your expectations. You build resilience and latitude, responding nimbly when challenged. Furthermore, gratitude helps you respond from a perspective of creative abundance, not rigid scarcity. Exercise: Every day, write down 3 things you are grateful for. See how this enhances your perspective and flexibility when problems arise.

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Finding time to welcome newness into our lives can be a wonderfully expansive, deepening, and, yes, renewing experience.

Our entire culture celebrates the coming of a new year with reflections on the previous 365 days and then with hopes, plans and resolutions for the coming year.  This year the transition feels even more momentous because we are marking the end of one decade and the beginning of another.

While these benchmarks and touchstones are, in some sense, manufactured (Have you noticed the cottage industry in “Best of the Decade” lists?), they also provide us with wonderful opportunities to pause, get our bearings, think about our values and priorities, and make new beginnings.

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Finding time as the holidays approach gets harder and harder, doesn’t it? This time of year, it’s so easy to let yourself get swept up and swept along in the rush and bustle.

That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead and schedule in some time to breathe! Your ability to enjoy the holidays and not feel depleted (and, ultimately, disappointed) depends on your ability to find ways to take care of yourself throughout the season.

My advice to you?

First and foremost, change your view of self care.  It is not an indulgence, it is a responsibility.

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Finding time to keep your blog running smoothly is worth the investment, as we learned last week.  This Cyber Monday I’d like to explore some ways to assure that your content is always timely and interesting!

If you want visitors to return to your blog often, it’s well worth taking the time to offer information that’s fresh, useful, and targeted to your niche.

But how do you do that?

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Finding time in the midst of “busyness” for a calm moment can be a little like finding clear space in a cluttered office.  It can seem impossible – and I’m here to tell you that it’s a great gift that you can give to yourself – and it’s NOT impossible at all!

Yesterday my friend and colleague Wendy Battles wrote about how Clean Eating and De-Cluttering Support Optimal Health! Reflecting on how overwhelming clutter can be, she wrote:

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