Procrastination - Understanding & Overcoming it

Whenever I've worked on 'de-cluttering' my living or working space, I've always found that it's the unfinished project - whatever I'm procrastinating about - that takes up the most room.

Physically, it's a constant reminder of something I tell myself I SHOULD be doing.

Mentally, it consumes my thoughts and diverts my attention from the present moment.

Emotionally, it weighs down my heart and nicks away at my confidence.

In this article, I invite you to consider how procrastination, as a form of self-sabotage, shows up in the different areas of your life.

Understanding Procrastination - Why do you procrastinate?

Maybe your physical surroundings and your 'systems' of organization are getting in your way. For example:

~ My workspace is too messy

~ I'm too busy

Maybe distracting or debilitating emotions or thoughts are getting in your way. For example:

~ I'm afraid - afraid to fail, afraid to succeed

~ I'm overwhelmed

Maybe your physical body and its level of well-being is getting in your way. For example:

~ I'm too tired

Maybe your thoughts about the other people in your life are getting in your way. For example:

~ They might not like it

~ It won't be as good as _____, so why bother?

Procrastination is a habit like any other. If you can envision how you want to be instead and look honestly at what forms of self-sabotage you usually use, you CAN compensate for your procrastination.

Overcoming Procrastination: What type of procrastinator are you?

Are you a Do-er or a Stew-er?

Do-er

A "do-er" will do anything to avoid the task at hand - the dishes need washing, the dog needs walking, the mail needs sorting, the bills need paying, the files need organizing, etc.

Action Plan for Do-er's

Set a timer for 15-minutes and tell yourself that as soon as it goes off you can do whatever else you want, but until it does, you must sit in that chair and work on the project in front of you.

Train your self Keep it short Stay in your chair Stew-er

A "stew-er" will sit and "stew" about the thing you're not doing. Your mind will spin round and round about different possibilities, you will plan elaborate things for when you do get around to working, you'll be thinking so far into the future that you'll never catch up to yourself.

Action Plan for Stew-er's

Focus and calm your mind with meditation, affirmations and mind-body work such as breathing.

Clear your mind Ground your thoughts Pause and breathe

Whether you're a "do-er" or a "stew-er", when we can accomplish our creative goals IN SPITE of having so many reasons to put them off, the rewards are even sweeter.

When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I need to remember that all I have to do is the next thing. A few next things later and I've tackled quite a bit!

It's important to consider the bigger picture of this "thing" that you're trying to do. There's always the possibility that you don't really want to do it or that you're not meant to be doing it. If this is the case, a part of you knows that and is trying to tell you, so listen up (just make sure it's not fear or self-doubt in disguise).

Lastly, remember to celebrate what you HAVE accomplished, no matter how small. The more you focus on what you HAVE done, versus what you HAVEN'T, the more confidence you'll have and the more momentum you'll build towards the next thing you're going to do.

Installing CCTV Systems in School

Here are some great benefits of having CCTV systems installed in school:

1. It helps prevent petty unsavoury incidents in schools.

Lots of schools cannot afford comprehensive security systems. They cannot afford to hire guards that will roam the premises of the school all the time. Anyone can easily get in and out of the school and potentially become a risk. Surveillance systems in schools have much the same effect as surveillance systems at home and in businesses establishments. They help deter criminals and make the school less of a target. Contrary to popular belief, CCTV systems are not as expensive as you might think. There are those that are affordable yet are of top quality.

2. Prevents vandalism.

Vandalism is a rampant problem in the school. School officials have a hard time controlling this problem and no amount of inspection of the school seems to stop it. Having surveillance cameras installed in schools can help prevent these problems. It also helps catch the perpetrators of these actions. When school equipment and facilities are not destroyed, schools can cut down on repair and replacement costs. These systems have DVR systems that can record the goings on in the school.

3. CCTV can keep the area secure and can even help prevent fire.

There are a lot of CCTV systems integrated with smoke alarms or fire alarms such as the fire detection equipment. When the systems detect fire or smoke, they immediately alert the fire authorities. Fire detection equipment can be installed in the areas prone to fire such as chemistry laboratories, stage areas or rooms with a lot of technical equipment.

4. Helps monitor teacher performance.

Issues were raised about these monitoring systems with DVR integrated into the classrooms. People were worried that the systems might prevent the more free minded teachers from performing to such a high level of teaching. Many might say that the systems might deter unconventional teaching.

This is not the fault of the DVR systems. It depends on the purpose of the school. Put to good use and these monitoring devices can help improve a teachers performance. It also saves a lot of resources since those tasked to monitor performance can watch the videos caught by the DVR and simply make their evaluation from there. They do not have to be physically present in the room, thereby making the flow of the lessons a lot more natural and effective.

5. These systems curb student behaviours.

A student that adheres to school rules does not have to feel restricted with the existence of these CCTV surveillance systems. Admittedly, those that have to hide a lot of things are the ones who might have issues with these systems.

The purpose of these surveillance systems is not to spy on the actions of the students but to ensure that the unruly students are taken up to task. This will prevent abusive behaviours and even bullying within the school premises. These videos will also serve as evidence in case these wrong doings are committed and brought up to the attention of the school officials.

Issues Over CCTV Surveillance Systems Are Unfounded

Proper placing of the cameras is essential so the students will not feel stifled by their presence. A zooming, panning and tilting camera placed in each room already does its work well. When placed strategically, these systems can offer the advantages presented above.

They are not meant to breach the privacy of students but rather enable these systems to challenge students to put their best foot forward, avoid cheating and avoid the usual bad happenings in the school. Crimes and unfair activities will not go unnoticed. This will help promote fairness and equality in schools.

Students should start opening their minds to the possibility of having CCTV systems integrated in their schools. It is important to get past the privacy issue because your safety is at stake here. You are lucky if your school cares enough about your wellbeing to install these systems integrated with fire detection equipment or even a DVR. While you might have your own qualms about the use of these devices, looking at the bigger picture actually reduces a myriad of untoward activities and happenings.

Can Social Bookmarking Bring Traffic to Your Website?

Firstly what is social bookmarking?

We often presume that everyone knows what social bookmarking is, they do not. Bookmarking is when you store a link to a website on a social bookmarking website. Therefore instead of adding a link to your favorite website in Internet Explorer or Firefox, you add it to a website online. This way other people can see which websites you think are worth bookmarking.

How does this Social Bookmark benefit my website?

1. Storing a link on another website can be considered as a back link to your website which you need for Search Engine Optimization purposes. 2. People might share the link with others and it might become viral. 3. If your link is shared or voted on it can send a huge amount of traffic to your website.

Have you heard people talk about getting on the first page of Dig? What about Google Buzz, Twitter (tweeting), Rededit, Stumbleupon, and more? These are all bookmarking websites where you can store website links.

Tips for getting traffic using Social Websites:

1. Have social icons on every post on your website so people can share your content with their friends. For example if there was a Dig button or a Facebook like button people might press this if they like what they see. A great plugin for WordPress is "Lovely bookmarks" or "Digg digg". 2. Use Socialmarker.com or Onlywire.com to bookmark some of your posts when you write them. This will help others find your website. 3. Bookmark other peoples posts that are related to your website. You don't want to look like an idiot who saves your links only. 4. Be involved with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Customize your pages and post great content links on these sites.

Patent - Business Method Patents - Part I

In this first of a series of articles we're going to discuss a specific type of patent called a business method patent.

If a company develops a new method for conducting an e-commerce business they may be able to prevent other companies from using this method for almost twenty years.

The truth is, since 1998 an increasing number of software and Internet companies have been issued patents for designing new ways of doing business. Examples would be new online ordering processes or a unique Internet advertising method. These kind of patents which are usually the combination of software and business methods are called business method patents or Internet patents.

The reason these patents are important is because a company that develops such a patent can keep other companies from using these business methods for 17 years. And if the owner wants, he can make additional money from the patent by licensing out to other companies. If there is a large enough market, the company may make more money from the licenses than from the patent itself.

A very good example of a business method patent is Amazon.com's 1-click payment method. This system allows a customer to bypass the traditional address and credit card forms as long as the customer has an account with Amazon. After clicking on the payment button the order automatically goes through. This patent was granted to Amazon.com in September 1999. The patent number is U.S. Pat No. 5,960,411.

Business method patents are actually a part of a larger family of patents called utility patents. These protect inventions, chemical formulas, processes and other discoveries. A business method is technically classified as a process. The reason is because it is not a physical object like a machine or some form of chemical compound.

During most of the last century the patent office issued very few business method patents. The reason for this is that they claimed that a process could not be patented if it was an abstract idea. The same thing was also said about software because software was said to be unpredictable algorithms.

That all changed in 1998. In July of that year a federal court upheld a patent for a method of calculating the net asset value of mutual funds. The court ruled that patent laws were intended to protect any method regardless of what it was, even an idea. As long as it produced a useful, concrete and tangible result. With this ruling the court made idea and software patents a reality again. After this ruling, business method patents increased by 40%. Also, that year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office created a new classification for business method patents. The classification is stated as "Data processing: financial, business practice, management or cost/price determination."

Many patents since this time have been issued for online shopping programs, Amazon's 1-click being the best example. However, because of the gray area of these patents, not having a physical product, an additional layer of review was added to the patent determination process. Technology specialists have been hired specifically to review these type of patent applications.

In the next article in this series we're going to discuss how to go about applying for a business method patent.

Commercial Truck Insurance - Industry Overview

When you get involved deeply enough in any industry, you'll find tons of differentiation that most casual observers miss-it's certainly possible to become an expert on just about anything.

But few businesses are as regulated and differentiated as widely as commercial trucking, and as a result the commercial truck insurance industry is just about as diverse.

Because commercial trucks are used in such different capacities-and also because commercial trucking is such a vital industry to the backbone of the American economy-it is deeply regulated by law at the Federal and state level.

On top of that, commercial standards, safety standards and demand from shippers regulate it even further.

Since safety is such a large issue, few businesses require as many insurance policies as the typical motor carrier has to own.

Here's a list of some typical coverages in the commercial truck insurance industry and a little bit more about why they're needed.

Primary Liability

Primary liability is similar to the policies we all hold as auto insurance carriers. It's required coverage by law and represents the dollar amount the insurer will pay out in the case of bodily injury or property damage inflicted by a commercial truck in the event of an accident.

Comprehensive Coverage

This coverage is not required by law, but is important for many motor carriers and independents because it covers damage to their own trucks or property should any occur from an accident, or even things like fire and theft.

Bobtail Insurance

This is a policy that's held by many independent owner/operators. Most contracted truckers are covered under their motor carrier's truck insurance-bobtail insurance is an easy and affordable policy to cover the operator's rig or assets during all the times they are not covered under their employer's insurance.

General Freight

The list of specific cargo insurance policies could go on for pages and pages-many state laws specify coverage amounts necessary for commonly hauled goods such as hazardous materials or fuel. A good general freight policy is an affordable option for many motor carriers who typically haul non-hazardous commercial goods. Coverage amounts typically vary from $10,000 to $100,000.

Trailer Interchange

Believe it or not, trailer interchange insurance actually covers trailers that don't belong to you! It's a common practice in the commercial trucking world to "finish hauls" for other truckers...these agreements usually are financially beneficial between companies because they save on fuel, labor etc. Trailer interchange covers your cooperating company's assets when under your control.

For more information, check out http://www.royaltytruckinsurance.com

Something About Wishing Custom

Now, it is common for people in western or eastern countries to make birthday wishes as a custom. No matter, it will come to be true or not, we all make good wishes in our birthday as a good start for the coming year.

In England and Europe there are a number of special wells called wishing wells. Some people think that if you throw a coin into the water and make a wish, the wish will come true later. Also in England there are other wishing custom that take place at Christmas and on birthdays.

At Christmas people like to eat turkey and somewhere inside turkey there is a special bone, shaped like the "Y". It is called the wish bone. The person who finds this bone is though to be rather lucky. He invites someone else to break the bone with him. Each person holds one arm of the bone with his little finger and pulls. When the bone breaks the person who has the larger part makes a secret wish which is certain to come true within a year.

On your birthday you are given a large cake with small candles pushed into the top. There is one candle for each year you have lived. if you are fifteen you will have fifteen candles, and if you are sixty you will have so many candles that you will not be able to see the cake!

Before the cake is cut, all the candles are lit. You friends and family stand around and sing "Happy Birthday to You" and you shut your eyes, make a wish and blow out all the candles, your wish will come true.

Do these customs work? There is an old English saying "if wishes were horses, beggars would ride." this saying tells you that you should not waste time wishing for things you can not possibly have. It will not bring you any blessing!