Have you ever thought about how people are created equal? Did you know that there is one way and one way only that we are all exactly the same? That way is time. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or what school you went to, or where you were raised you only get 24 hours in a day. That’s 86,400 seconds in each 24 hour period.

The way to be most efficient and effective with your time and get the most out of your 24 hours is to follow these 5 simple steps. 1. Write- Everything you need or want to get done in a day, write it down. You don’t have to overcomplicate this one. Just get a simple legal pad of paper and write Things To Do Monday at the top. Then start your list.

I do things to the ridiculous. 1. Wake up at 6am. 2. Go to gym by 6:30. 3. Email Mike regarding marketing. 4 Call Mary about business cards. 5. Pick up dry cleaning. 6. Drop off bracelet at jeweler. 7. Buy stampsetc. If you simply write down what needs to be done you will free up your mind and instantly be more focused and get more done.

2. Eliminate distractions- Distractions or interruptions are the primary cause for people to not be efficient and get what needs to be done, done. Here you have two options. Option A- remove the distractor. If it’s the phone, turn it off. If it’s email, don’t even log into your account until your project is complete. If it’s television, don’t turn it on. Option B. Remove yourself from the distractor. If you work in an office where others are constantly being a distraction or interruptive, then you need to not be in that environment. If possible work from home to complete a project. Go to an available conference room or empty office and close the door. If you are in a cubicle put up a sign that reads, Do NOT Disturb or Quiet time from 9-noon, no interruptions please.

3. Stay in the moment- Many times people do not use the present moment effectively because they are projecting in the future or dwelling on the past. The future is not here yet, so it is most efficient and effective to get the most you can out of this moment, right now. By writing a things to do list you will be eliminating, or a least reducing stress and random thoughts. You will be more organized, together and know what you need to do and when you need to do it by. If you are dwelling on the past, with all do respect you need to get over it and move on. Here’s the thing, no matter how much you ponder and percolate on something that has already happened , it isn’t going to change what happened. It is what it is. Think about where you are now and what you can do in this present moment to make the best of any situation.

4. Set an alarm- If you need to get something done in a specific amount of time or if you need to dedicate minutes, hours, etc to a project to complete it by the deadline, set an alarm. Use one on your computer, watch, cell phone, egg timer, or an actually alarm clock. Until that alarm sounds, you stay focused and only work on that one project. Allotting a specific amount of time will enable you to concentrate on just the matter at hand without concerning yourself with the clock or other things around you.

5. Have a reward- Nothing is better than having a little incentive when you are learning a new habit. The next time you are struggling with managing your time, give your self a reward. Say when I have my entire things to do list complete every day for one week, I will give myself blank, as a treat. Now you have a reason to stay focused, avoid distractions and get what needs done, done.

Those are the five basic steps for Time Management. What are you waiting for??? Get to writing your things to do list today!

Through keynote speeches, workshops, training, seminars and self-help products, motivational business speaker and self help guru Sharmen Lane has trained, managed, and coached thousands of individuals and corporations on what it takes to get what they want for their business and personal lives. To learn more, visit www.sharspeaks.com.

High paying careers are important, and they are on the rise. Certain careers are in high demand and are also offering more for your time. Some careers require little time for a degree, but others require a lot of time to get a degree. Many offer instant high salaries, and some take years to actually reach a median or high end area salary.

Pharmacists typically make around $100,000 a year depending on where they work, and the area that they work in. Since they are making the things that humans ingest daily; it is important that they do it with precision. If you want to make a bit more than that, consider being an orthodontist. They make over $145,000. A smile is the center of vanity, and they control how your smile looks. With a job as serious as that, it needs to pay pretty high.

The two types of careers that control lives the most are pilots, and doctors. Without them we would be either bored, or sick. Pilots have the honor of taking on hundreds of peoples safety each day, and without highly qualified individuals flyers would be at high risk. Their salaries are always over 100k per year, and doctors can exceed that amount by far. Especially in other countries where they are paid by how many patients they treat, and how many patients they help.

Generally, anything that deals with money also reaps a greater salary. High end bank managers, stock brokers, and account managers all have the potential to make over $1 million per year. That type of salary can take a decade to work up to, or if you are extremely lucky, it can be instant.

Competition isn’t a stranger, we all know that certain jobs require extreme competition for elite roles. Its best to be on top of the game, and be prepared for whatever comes your way. A high end career salary is worth it, right?

If you are not interested in money, but you want a rewarding career; try teaching. Teachers usually start off at around 30k per year, but can earn as high as $100,000 per year depending on several factors. Teachers that work in inner cities or for private schools can earn much less or much more respectively. Teachers are lucky to have a flexible schedule as well as a decent salary for only working an average of 180 days out of the year.

Closing Comments

Whatever your career, salary is usually the thing you are concerned about most. Many careers have serious growth potential as well as high entry level salaries.

We are in the age of college graduates, more teenagers are going to college, and more adults are starting college after years of not being in school. Its important to find a career that you love, not just any career. It is stressed that happiness is more important than the money you make; but with countless free career information resources you can have the best of both worlds.

Google and hundreds of other websites and search engines can provide countless bits of free information, advice, and encouragement. With all of these resources at your hands its hard not to find what you really want out of a career. Finding your perfect career; for free, is just a few steps away. Advisors and career counselors may charge you hundreds, and sometimes thousands, but the internet can offer considerably more for zero cost.

There are also plenty of physical locations that offer countless pamphlets about careers, and you can take as many as you want. These can usually be found in advisor offices as well as high school counselor offices.

College campuses are places that are filled with career intensive information at every corner. Almost every campus, whether it be a community college or university will offer free career information. There may be tours available that you can ask as many questions as you like based on career choices. Counselors and tour guides will both be able to answer your career related questions with ease.

College fairs are also more focused on obtaining a career. While they are not strictly about a job or future permanent career, they really try to focus on the career that the university puts emphasis on. So if a college visits your high school, or you visit a campus during a college fair; you are more than likely going to hear a lot about their specialty. Some colleges focus on English and writing careers, and others specialize in engineering and agriculture.

Similar to “College Fairs” are career fairs. These are generally the same, but they feature local employment areas sharing information about careers that they offer, and what to do to get there. You can get hands on and face to face information on these careers, plus make some good contacts for networking purposes.

Closing Comments

You don’t have to search a search engine just to find free career information. Its everywhere, and you only have to look a little bit.

I am guessing you aren’t happy with the schooling your kids are getting, for whatever reason. You’ve suggested homeschooling to yourself. But you can’t imagine yourself doing it because you aren’t superwoman, able to juggle lessons and other mom duties.

As a homeschooling veteran, I can tell you this: you CAN do it IF you love your kids. That’s what it takes: dedication to your kids. You will develop the skills you need as you need them. It’s like juggling. When you first learn to juggle, you juggle just one thing. Then you ad another. Then you add another.

You’ll be happy to hear this. Homeschooling may actually be easier than not homeschooling. Soccer moms are constantly driving, getting their kids to lots of different same-age activities. If you were homeschooling, you’d be able to find and do activities that work for all of you together.

Instead of spending evenings helping with homework, you will spend mornings going over academic subjects, using curriculums that are tailored for self-study. Your evenings will open up.

Large families often enjoy doing unit studies. These are large topics, for instance ancient Egypt, which can be treated differently for various ages.Your read-aloud could be a book called Mara, Daughter of the Nile. A young child might write sentences about it; an older child might create a paper. They all might work on an art project, such as a scroll with hieroglyphics. Math can be worked in too–figuring the height of a pyramid using similar triangles. The unit could be capped with a visit to the art museum. Such unit studies might last a month, and are commonly available for purchase.

You will probably want to use workbooks and curriculum to make sure your child is learning what he should be learning for his grade. Homeschool curriculums typically include an answer key, so you don’t need to be an expert. Actually, homeschooled kids usually learn directly from the book or workbook, not from a lecture. This reading skill is great for preparing for college.

You can also find correspondence schools that teach for you. Some use videos or online teaching. Others use workbooks.

How do you structure your day? Many families do the tougher studying in the morning, leaving the afternoon for projects or play. There are plenty of organizations these days with daytime classes for homeschoolers, if you want to sign up for something outside the home. You could even send your kids to organized sports with schooled kids in the late afternoon, if you are willing to do some driving! Watch out how much of that you sign up for though! You have to be careful to avoid burnout.

But you do want your children to be “socialized.” Here’s a question homeschoolers get all the time: “Aren’t you worried about socialization for your child?” Here’s the answer: you have the ability to choose whom your child socializes with, unlike parents of schooled children. You do have to go out of your way to set it up. And you can count socialization with adults–that’s the best kind, after all. Adults are generally well-mannered and kind. Unsupervised schoolkids often are not. Homeschooled kids are usually quite comfortable talking to adults! Don’t you want your kids to be like that?

A homeschool co-op is one of the best solutions to the need for socialization. If you meet once a week with other homeschoolers for class or field trips, your child gets well-supervised social interaction, and can learn and grow socially in a way that a schooled child cannot. Bullying is simply not a problem for homeschoolers! So how do you find a co-op? You have to ask other homeschoolers. If your area has a homeschooling convention, by all means go to it, and go to workshops if they have any. You need to network with other homeschoolers until you find or can create a co-op.

Something else you will need is support. You need someone to talk to who is going through the same challenges. The Internet has been quite a blessing to homeschool moms, who can support each other online. There are many discussion forums attached to homeschooling Web sites, for instance, www.welltrainedmind.com. There are email groups for homechoolers too–look through the groups at groups.yahoo.com.

Here’s the answer to the homeschooling question: You can do it!

Weight gain is a frequent problem for students when they first go off to college. This “freshman 15″ as it is called, is usually a result of many combined factors such as emotional eating, cafeteria choices, lack of exercise, late-night snacking, and fast food availability.

Understanding this pattern and knowing how to avoid it can help college freshmen maintain their desired level of fitness. There are easy steps that can be followed to encourage freshmen to make the right choices. Let’s review a few of these steps now.

It’s understandable that many college students aren’t going to wake up in time to walk to the cafeteria for a healthy breakfast prior to their first class. If that’s the case, have healthy breakfast items in your dorm room that you can grab on your way out. Breakfast is the meal that wakes up your metabolism for the day and gets it working. It’s imperative to eat something first thing in the morning.

You can avoid the “freshman 15″ by making healthy food choices the majority of the time. Buffets can be potential minefields, but colleges are offering healthier choices than they used to. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains. Select meat from the carving station, without high-caloric sauces. Save the macaroni and cheese or the dessert for one indulgence per week.

Another important tip is to make good decisions about your beverages. Limit sodas and sweet drinks. They provide no nutritional value and slow weight loss. Make water your main source of hydration. Drink skim milk with your meals. Calcium-rich diets burn more fat!

Avoid late-night snacks to keep your weight under control. Have some healthy options available for those rare times when you decide to indulge. Stop eating 2-3 hours prior to going to bed so that excess calories aren’t so easily stored as fat.

One of the most important steps that you can take to avoid the “freshman 15″, and the last one we’ll discuss here, is to find an exercise buddy and schedule regular workouts. Take advantage of the college facilities for weight training, walking, running, swimming, tennis, racquetball, and basketball.

If you follow these easy steps you can avoid this problem and take care of your “freshman 15″ before it turns into permanent baggage! It all boils down to making wise and healthy food choices. You can indulge a little but you can’t indulge often!

The secret to selling expensive items is not any different from selling a low cost item. No matter the price, it’s all about marketing the item correctly. You don’t have to surf around and place ads online, but you have to know what to do on the actual ebay site. So what you are doing is setting up an automated marketing campaign.

First, you must determine what the value of your item is, in three different ways. This will help you determine what your reserve price is. On eBay, the reserve price is the lowest price that you are willing to accept for your item. So first just find out how much the item is worth on the actual market. Then you need to find what other items similar to the one you are selling have been sold for previously. And the final step is to determine what the value of your item is for yourself. Using this you can determine the lowest price you’d be willing to accept for it.

Set your reserve price, and then set your opening bid price lower than $50 - no matter how high your reserve price is. This is a marketing tactic. It will be hard to attract potential buyers to an auction for an item selling for hundreds or thousands of dollars - but getting them to an auction where the opening bid is only $50 is quite simple. Remember, you don’t have to sell the item to anyone who bids less than your reserve price - unless you choose to do so at the close of the auction. This method of price setting resembles marketing gimmicks used by offline businesses that are simply designed to ‘get customers in the door.’

Work hard on the description for your listing. Use words that really describe your item well. Provide as many details as possible, including details that prove the authenticity of collectible items. Include pictures of the item as well. Do not try to deceive potential buyers! It the item is damaged in any way, please state that in your description, and make sure that they can see potential damages on pictures. Also make sure to show them how the item will be shipped. You must let them know that shipping insurance will need to be purchased. This makes sure you are both protected if the item is damaged or is lost.

For higher priced items, most eBay buyers feel more comfortable using an escrow service. Offer this as an option in your auction, with the understanding that the buyer must pay for the service. This protects both seller and buyer from fraud and it makes customers more comfortable to buy an item. eBay has partnered with an escrow service that is commonly used for high ticket items.

I remember the day that I first called to get some Disney ticket information. We were thinking about going on a Disney Cruise and I wanted some information about it, even though we were not, at that point, completely serious about going.

I was told that with the cruise package, we would also get WDW Hopper tickets, so the family could enjoy a day at the theme park. I knew that my kids would be all for that and I asked if they could please send us some more info about it.

They sent me a whole bunch of brochures and once the kids saw them, it was all they talked about. We decided that we had better make this a reality and once we figured out what the whole trip was going to cost, we started a strict budget that would allow us to go by Christmas.

It was wonderful and I feel like we are all so much closer as a family, having enjoyed the memories that we made together.

It took a tragedy for us to learn a really hard lesson. When we bought our car, we did not think much about auto insurance. We had insurance, but it was not something that we took the time to look into or research. We just took the first thing that came along and never really even knew what we were covered for.

Last spring, our car caught on fire and was totaled off. We went to see our insurance adjustor and we found out that we did not have enough car insurance to cover the fire and lost everything. I will never take the cheapest route again.

When we moved to our new house, I made sure that I knew exactly what was covered with every home insurance quote that we received. We did not end up going with the cheapest quote, but rather the one that would protect us the best.

For my parents twenty-fifth anniversary, my brother and I decided that we were going to send them on a cruise. They are both very hard working people, who have always given us everything that we ever needed, and as this was something that they would never consider doing for themselves, we decided it would be the best gift we could give them.

I wanted to make sure that they had nothing to worry about, so I picked up some extra brochures on medical tourism companies. I know that my dad would be concerned about this and I decided it would be best to leave this decision up to them.

They were so surprised when we gave them the gift. My mom was delighted, as I know that she would love to see more of the world. They had such a good time that they are actually considering making it an annual event. Good for them.

I have always laughed at those infomercials where the really pretty girl says that she is going to stay in on the weekend and find local singles. You know for a fact that she is not one of those people that stays in and chats with creepy guys on the phone.

I am all for free online dating sites, but I really don’t get the phone ones. At least on the websites, you can see what the person looks like. I think that if someone is desperate enough to open a voicemail box with the telephone singles than they are either ugly or pathetic or both.

I guess that this may sound pretty judgmental, but I have yet to meet a happy couple that met over the phone. I know several people who met over the Internet, but none that have met over the phone. All I have to say for the people that try it is to get a life.