The 80-20 Rule

I guess most of us have heard of the "80 - 20 Rule" (formerly Pareto's Principle). Its origins go back to around 1897 when Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that 80 percent of the land was owned by 20 percent of the people. Since then, this theory has been applied to almost every sphere of modern life.

I have mainly heard this used along the lines of 20 percent of the people doing 80 percent of the work. But I have recently read about applying it to personal time management. When applied this way - it means that 20 percent of your efforts produce 80 percent of the results. In other words there is the critical few and the trivial many.

I am now trying to identify the vital things in my day and focus on getting those done and it's amazing how the rest takes care of itself.

Now all you organised, choleric types are saying "der", but for someone a little more "relaxed" like me, this can be a revelation.

Hope someone finds this helpful!

Sam

Know Your Body

Hi Friends,

The older I get, the more obvious it is to me that my body is going to make or break the way I spend the next 40 years! That in mind I have a new found fervour when it comes to the way I treat myself!
Practically speaking our body will be as good to us as we are to it. Put good food in and it will convert it to stuff that is good for you. It will fight cancer causing free radicals, tend to areas that need to repair and support the general functioning of our systems. Put bad stuff in and we operate more sluggishly, get sick more frequently, take longer to mend and don’t look quite as good.
I can hear you all screaming as you head to the cupboard to dust off your bottle of vitamin pills! It’s never too late to make a change. Amazingly our bodies have been created with the capacity to constantly repair. For instance, in between cigarettes a smokers lungs actually are in the process of repairing the damage cause by the last smoke. So, even if you have smoked a packet a day for twenty years if you quit today your body will do its best to repair itself. The same goes if you know you are carrying extra weight. Get started and your body will rise to the challenge (even if it doesn’t always feel like it!). Read Susan and Belinda’s posts on their journey, no excuses!
More later, but for now make a decision to undertake change today, put it into action and be proud of you. You deserve it!

Annie x

Spring is in the Air!!! (In the Southern Hemisphere that is however good reading for our Northern friends as well :)

Having suffered with sever sinus issues and hay fever most of my adult life, as much as I love spring, I would dread it every year. To wake every morning and know that within an hour or so knowing that sinus pain, watery eyes or an epic sneezing match would visit for the day, was unbearable…for me and my friends. Dates were equally fun with me sitting at the table face dripping, eyes puffed up and me with a tissue at the ready, smiling as if nothing was wrong. I looked like I had Bells Palsy half of the time. Attractive! Vocations such as floristry or anything to do with animals was also completely out of the question. Not that I would have chosen to be a zookeeper, but hey, the option would have been nice.

To those who have suffered for years or have children that suffer know exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing worse than having an attack and finding yourself without an industrial size box of Kleenex in your handbag. That or a paper bag to put over your head. When a full blown ‘session’ of hay fever hits, even sunlight can hurt your eyes, so ridiculously oversized sunglasses are essential. (Hmm…I wonder if Jackie O was sufferer too.)

So, yes, this was my life. Not much fun and rather debilitating. That was until I made the decision to get help. Something that busy mum’s often place at the bottom of their daily lists. We have a tendency to truly believe that whatever we suffer with isn’t as serious as being on time for soccer practise or heaven forbid getting the ironing done before school pick up! And I am only talking about hay fever. Some women let serious health conditions cripple their lives on many levels for years before even talking about it.

Visiting a local doctor a few months ago changed my life. After confessing to him of my apparent addiction to antihistamines and undocumented shares in Kleenex, he offered alternatives to choose from. I chose a simple safe nasal spray and within 2 weeks I was cured. Simple. Life changing. Since seeing a doctor I have not once taken an antihistamine and I have saved a fortune on tissues. If only I had done this years ago…(I can almost see you all nodding.)

So this spring I can honestly get excited about all those alfresco dinner parties that I am going to be invited to…hint, hint. But seriously, if you suffer physically from anything that is a constant source of worry or pain, GO SEE A DOCTOR, or an alternative practitioner if that’s your preference. Decide to put your health first, get peace of mind and watch your life change for the better.

Michaela.