All posts by Abby Miller

Most Significant Hybrid Work Model Errors to Avoid

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hybrid work model

The hybrid work paradigm has become a popular subject in business. Nine out of ten firms expect to implement a hybrid work model in 2022.

Productivity is the watchword for 2022. Based on McKinsey’s research, nine out of ten firms expect to implement a hybrid work model combining remote and in-office hours. So it’s no surprise that many company executives are considering employing a hybrid strategy to bring their staff back to work.

Employees are unwilling to give up the convenience of working from home, so employers must compromise to keep them. A hybrid work paradigm may increase employee productivity and flexibility while diversifying the business.

But it may also lead to complications that create severe potholes in the road. Therefore, to realize the advantages of a hybrid work paradigm, a business must be aware of the pitfalls to avoid.

Why hybrid workplaces fail

Finding a new but familiar normal isn’t something that happens spontaneously. As a result, many companies seek to utilize a hybrid work paradigm that combines on-site and off-site operations.

Many of them are treading uncharted territory, and any organization bears the danger of constructing a paradigm based only on popular demand. This may reduce inclusiveness and reduce the long-term efficacy of the hybrid work paradigm. Of course, you have all the time in the world; but it’s a small world.

Here are some common errors to avoid.

Don’t forget your roots.

Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all hybrid work model. Every business and its personnel will have unique post-pandemic dynamics. The most critical component is not losing the company’s essence since your personnel is global. Too many companies are at a loss to maintain coherence. They boondoggle. Business leaders must prioritize their mission statements and engage with people to find a balance between flexibility, productivity, and goal achievement.

Companies pursuing a hybrid model must consider their personnel’s diverse personalities and conditions. For example, some younger employees and recent college grads may return to the workplace to build relationships with coworkers and take advantage of possibilities exclusively available on-site.

However, a senior employee with children or elderly parents may desire a flexible work schedule.

Organizations must identify common ground and assure workers that the business is dedicated to finding a solution. For example, most businesses have staff that is either introverts or extroverts. Therefore, businesses must consider these personality traits when establishing a hybrid model.

Some of your introverted workers may be very productive but overwhelmed by water cooler conversations. But, on the other hand, some of these folks grew acclimated to working from home and loved it.

Non-hybrid leadership

Hybrid work models cannot function without direct leadership engagement. To guarantee the hybrid model’s success in their firm, business executives must engage. A blended workforce doesn’t imply only leaders should be in the office every day.

The leadership team must be aware of on-site vs. off-site time. A mixed working environment requires active participation from all employees. Two things may happen if key stakeholders don’t fully embrace a hybrid working paradigm.

To develop their careers, employees on the B team will be urged to come on-site to spend more time with their superiors. As a result, employees may begin to doubt the organization’s commitment to the mixed work paradigm.

The timetable is rigid.

Flexible work from home or in the office. This might backfire if the company does not enable workers to work when they choose. Even if management has set aside days for workers to work from home or in the office, employees still need the flexibility to cope with the pandemic’s effects on their everyday lives.

Some workers may need to care for aged parents, children, or personal medical issues. Schedules that are not flexible are nothing but chains.

Instead of the usual 9-to-5 schedule, try scheduling periods for in-person meetings using Zoom. It may be used for personal work at the employee’s leisure. Find out when everyone’s schedules intersect to allow for the best teamwork.

Ignoring communication of hybrid workers

For many firms, the hybrid work paradigm will be a departure from the pre-COVID19 workplace. As a result, many businesses have chosen to implement a first-time work-from-home configuration. This is a big adjustment for a corporation, mainly because  there are no specific guidelines.

Adding the everyday problems of combining in-person and remote personnel would create stress, trust concerns, and other management issues. Employers could consider offering hybrid work model training to reduce tensions and sustain productivity in the early stages of this circumstance.

Training is critical to successfully integrating a hybrid work paradigm, especially when bringing staff back into the office. Managers must also establish clear expectations for remote work and productivity targets.

Communication must be maintained after the company enters a hybrid environment. Companies must find strategies to keep staff interested without scaring or overwhelming them.

Managers should encourage staff to interact through email, video conferencing, and team gatherings. However, managers must be honest when such discussions occur and allow employees to provide input on the hybrid approach.

Micromanagers of hybrid teams

If workers are not trusted, establishing a hybrid workforce might be difficult. Micromanaging will generate a breach among the workers and a loss of confidence. When company executives are apprehensive about team members not always being present in the workplace, this might happen. Managers must trust people to make the best decisions while also considering the organization’s interests. Micromanagement is inefficient, particularly in a hybrid approach.

Breaking pledges with hybrid teams

Last year, when the pandemic made most organizations remote, some companies adapted quickly and adopted the work-from-anywhere model. However, to cope with the effects of these developments, many businesses had to adjust their working practices.

Taxes have become a significant concern, and corporations must thoroughly investigate the tax consequences before introducing any plans. During these investigations, many companies may learn that some workers have relocated far from their workplace since the epidemic began, often without informing their employers.

If the firm does not take this seriously, it may violate payroll tax withholding requirements. Organizations might create a permission and monitoring mechanism for remote staff to avoid breaching their pledges. It should mention suitable sites, such as the organization’s offices. Thus time will work for you, not against you.

Image Credit: Tim Gouw; Pexels; Thank you! 

Most Significant Hybrid Work Model Errors to Avoid was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

Time is All We Have

By | Time Management | No Comments
time is all we have

When we say time is all we have, we’re not just talking about showing up to work on time every day all year long. Punctuality really means getting to work ahead of time.

Punctuality, or being on time, is essential for workplace efficiency (and especially job interviews), but it might be even more critical for your personal branding.

“You can set your clock by him (or her)” is a phrase not heard much anymore. But it is still one of the most valuable compliments an employee can be paid. With modern technology like smartphones and GPS, it ought to be a no-brainer to make it to scheduled appointments on time. Yet so often, managers complain of workers who are still an ‘a day late and a dollar short.’

With this in mind, here are five compelling reasons why timeliness is a vital soft skill to strive towards.

Punctuality equals time equals efficiency.

Few things scream “disorganized,” like being late all of the time.
While being chaotic in social settings may appear eccentric and odd, it is terrible news in the business.

Employers want to know that their employees are productive, and wasting time looking for files, tracking down client notes, or looking for a missing invoice costs the organization money.
Being organized makes it much simpler to accomplish projects, arrive at meetings, and fulfill client needs every time.

You’re on time: so you’re a trustworthy coworker and employee.

When it comes to job advancement, your personal reputation is valuable.
When your coworkers think you’re on time, they’re more inclined to include you in new and exciting tasks.

After all, no one wants to entrust a crucial project to someone who is prone to miss deadlines.

You improve the image of your organization.

It’s a safe assumption that your boss values timeliness.
Customers quickly lose faith in organizations that do not regularly deliver on time in today’s competitive industry.

Whatever position you play in the supply chain, sticking to a schedule helps maintain your company’s excellent image, which is a benefit for its success – and your involvement in it.

Punctuality demonstrates professionalism and detail-oriented thinking.

Let’s face it: storming into a meeting room five minutes late with papers flying and a sweaty brow isn’t a good image.
Furthermore, you are denying yourself the opportunity to test out beneficial techniques.

Whether it’s a client meeting, a team debrief, or a staff training session, being on time allows you to double-check that you have everything you need (iPad, pencils, agenda, etc.) and go over your notes.
It’s also an opportunity to figure out the optimum sitting location for you – one that allows you to maintain eye contact with the primary speaker while also maximizing your personal visibility so you can make a meaningful contribution.

It’s difficult to be seen as a serious contributor when you’re locked in the back of a conference room, bobbing and weaving amongst coworkers simply to see what’s going on because you arrived late.

Being on time implies you’ll have all of the knowledge you need to finish a project.
Even being a few minutes late to a meeting might result in you missing out on essential data that provide the groundwork for the remainder of the conversation.

 

You hold your coworkers in high regard.

Few things are more aggravating than having your own fine work sabotaged by a colleague’s tardiness.

With good reason, teamwork is a fundamental driver of modern organizations. Being on time is the fuel that runs the machine. Moreover, workplaces are interconnected; when everyone completes duties on schedule, workflows smoothly across the company.

A snag in one location, on the other hand, slows down the entire line, causing everyone else to suffer.
Setting a deadline for yourself to complete your part of the process on time indicates your respect for your coworkers’ ability to fulfill their own deadlines.

Simple strategies to incorporate timeliness into your personal brand

There are several solutions available to help you reach your aim of timeliness.
A simple written diary note or an alert on your smartphone or computer may serve as a handy reminder of scheduled appointments, phone calls, and deadlines.

Use a time management tool like Remember the Milk or Time Doctor to keep track of your tasks.
Also, avoid attempting to outwit the clock.
Learn exactly how long a task, a meeting, or a phone conversation will take — and manage your time better.
Setting unreasonable, strict deadlines will almost always result in you falling behind.

Allow for unforeseen disruptions by allowing some wiggle room.
It might assist you in maintaining your timeliness without being concerned about falling behind schedule.

Image Credit: Black Ice; Pexels; Thank you!

Time is All We Have was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

Parental Time Management Hacks that Work

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Parental Time Management Hacks that Work

Parents who work full-time provide a little magic and grace throughout the day. The pandemic punishes working parents when it comes to time management.

Parents who work full-time are the best people to provide a little magic and grace throughout the day to their own children — But don’t underestimate the care they take with your team, either.

Parental Time Management Hacks that Work

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it almost impossible to be productive and totally engaged at work for working parents. Although everyone is ready to return to normal, even a “new normal” after the pandemic, working parents will likely feel overwhelmed and stressed.

These hacks are tried and tested and have helped many manage a busy household while helping people and teams maximize efficiency and productivity for decades. Add all of your duties and on your Calendar each month. 

Do a time audit every month.

You know that a lot of time is wasted, but most parents don’t spend the time evaluating what could be done differently. A “time audit” is a process that helps you identify where you are wasting your precious time. A time audit is like a financial-wellness audit that a financial advisor might recommend.

Take a copy of your calendar from the previous month, go through each activity and ask these questions:

  • Was this an efficient use of my time?
  • Could this be outsourced, delegated, or simplified?
  • What should I do to respond to this request?

A time audit helps you save time and money in the long term. It is too easy to fill up our calendar with requests and priorities from other people. But if we want to take control of our time, we need to take a proactive approach. Know how you use your time and assess how you use your time.

As a boss, if you are also doing a time audit — keep in mind the office chatter, the water cooler trips, and the lunches, and don’t count those “times” against your “at home” working parents.

Establish work-life friendly team ground rules

The biggest obstacle to setting boundaries about how late you can work responding to emails and other after-hour chores — or working on vacation lies in the legitimate concern that these boundaries might not be compatible with the corporate culture.

All of the extra-long-hour work you did before children are the reason you’ll want to have an essential conversation with your team.

While it is one thing to have your own habits or practices to help you leave work at home, it’s another to be able to discuss these issues as a team and set boundaries that they can all agree on when you have half the team at the office and the other half at home.

Some examples of ground rules could include:

  • Meetings after 3:00 p.m.
  • End times for meetings have always been met — keep it that way. 
  • Please leave work at work—no emails or calls after 7:00 p.m.
  • Vacation is vacation. Emailing while you are sick or on vacation is not permitted.
  • All critical path activities will have backup owners.

These “rules” might not work for you, but it is vital to have a group discussion about how your team can support each other in achieving work/life balance and good time management. 

Turn Waiting Time into Audio Book Time

Remembering to turn on an audiobook is one of my favorite gifts, and it doesn’t take any extra time. So many individuals have a long list of books we want to read. But who has the time? 

Tuning in to the value of audiobooks was transformative for me. The practice has turned a lot of my regular wait times into audiobook listening time.

These 15-minute listening sessions have been a big part of my self-care and my professional and personal development. Listening to audio is a regular part of my daily life, especially while waiting in the carpool line or grocery shopping; it energizes and gives you new thoughts and vision for your work.

Many people would find commute time to be an excellent opportunity for audiobooks or podcasts. It’s simple to take advantage of the downtime throughout the week and read at least one book per week. One book a week has had a significant impact on my life and makes for exciting conversations in all parts of life.

Contrary to popular belief, consuming every minute of your day with an activity (regardless of whether it’s enjoyable or not) isn’t healthy and doesn’t feel like self-care. Your body is the best timekeeper you have. So you will know how much time to spend on this new venture.

Coming out of Covid — you don’t have to accept every party invitation for your kids’ happiness.

You’ve probably accepted a birthday invitation because your child wanted to go, but then you are dragging them around all weekend you haven’t taken care of yourself. 

Many teens want to stay in bed and play vids until noon, which isn’t always a bad idea — but you need help with the house cleaning and pick up so that you are refreshed to get back to work on Monday.

It’s all too common to look at the kid’s invitation with the party theme and be excited for them — but then you don’t get your weekend catch-up done, and maybe you should consider other priorities like extra sleep, lounging, downtime, or additional sleep.

You might want to pause before accepting invitations if your weekends are not relaxing and reenergizing but rather too busy.

You can wait until the day before the party to make a decision or even suggest writing a fabulous birthday card to your child instead of going to the party.

Time Management For Work-Life Balance

You need to have downtime as a working parent and good time management can help you schedule that downtime. But, when weekends are too busy, even with pleasant events such as birthday parties, you won’t have the opportunity (and need) to recharge your batteries — the batteries that will sustain you throughout your l.o.n.g week.

Sometimes, small incremental changes can lead to significant changes in your power and energy.

No one magic bullet will give you a lot of extra time, even for busy professionals.

Parents who work full-time will struggle to prioritize and make it all work. Therefore, it is essential to be thoughtful and intentional about how you spend your most valuable resource — time.

How to Recognize and Destroy Time Wasters

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How to Recognize and Destroy Time Wasters

They are everywhere. Time wasters. Chronological cat burglars. Minute moochers. Is there any way to stop them? You bet your sundial there is a way so you can improve your time management!

There are chronological criminals among us. So here is some lighthearted advice to take or not as you see fit.

Time is an interesting concept. Babies don’t know anything about it. Children bend it to suit their own selfish needs. Teenagers can be big-time wasters, as long as it makes their parents mad. Adults become enslaved by it. Seniors are threatened by it. And, of course, the deceased don’t worry about it anymore. That’s why you see so many sundials on graves. They’re laughing at the rest of us.

So what does time really mean to us? The living. The working. The anxious. The serfs. All you rich people who might be reading this article at the moment can go hop on your private jets and fly to Bermuda because you don’t care about time one way or the other, do you?

But for the average Joe Timex, time is a nagging presence that hovers over us — giving an evil chuckle from time to time when our schedules go awry. And what makes our schedules go awry? Time wasters!

Now when you’re at home or away from the office, you can deal with time wasters any way you want, legal or otherwise. But, right now, we are dealing with those insidious time wasters in the office, on the factory floor, who keep you from finishing your work.

Time is money, and you’re already in debt!

Let’s start in the home office. Many poor deluded souls believe working at home saves them time. But, of course, that might be true for the lucky few who don’t have spouses, children, neighbors, or pets just waiting to bushwhack them their schedule.

Take children, for instance. They have a built-in radar that knows precisely when you are in a Zoom conference with your manager. When they sense this opportunity, they go into action. Cereal is spilled. Knees are cut. Fights break out. In other words, all hell breaks loose. And for some strange reason, you are the one they expect to take charge of the situation.

By the time you get things settled, your boss has gone off to happy hour, and you wish you could too.

Here’s what to do . . .

  • When your spouse doesn’t respect your work schedule at home, try divorce. If that’s too expensive or emotional, try earplugs.
  • Perchance earplugs are too itchy for you — use that golden question: “Can we talk about this when I take you out to dinner tonight?”
  • If worst comes to worst, prepare a hidey-hole in your home office where you can secret yourself from the tender attentions of your spouse.
  • For pesky neighbors, the best recourse is a vicious dog. One that would bite the leg off of the Dalai Lama.
  • The only exception to this rule would be if your neighbors bring you good things to eat. If that’s the case, use land mines. So they have a sporting chance to get through.
  • Children should be treated with kindness and consideration. They are unaware of the awful burden you bear as a slave in the salt mines. So when they come to you with their petty squabbles and tears, do not turn them away. Just give them lots of candy and lead them to the TV. You’ll never be bothered by them again.
  • (The ASPCA has approved the following recommendations.) Cats should be sedated with catnip. Dogs should be given the biggest bone the butcher has. Birds should be let out of their cages into the great outdoors. Lizards and snakes, which don’t make any noise anyway, should be donated to the local zoo. You don’t have time to take care of them properly.

Time In the office . . .

A time thief may be your own boss. If that’s the case, just grit your dentures and suck it up. It might help to daydream about the beaches of Thailand while your boss is bloviating. On the other hand, if it’s a coworker who constantly purloins your need to count the bottle caps in your desk drawer, then the answer is just put some cotton dipped in red food coloring in your ears.  And if a colleague still attempts to take your time, just point to your ears and shake your head. If this doesn’t discourage them, then try a piteous groan or two. They should take the hint.

In conclusion . . .

Although this has been a lighthearted look at time wasters — and maybe, perchance a time waster to read — the problem of time wasters is real and it is serious. The best way to keep busy and uninterrupted is to look extraordinarily harried and busy and like you will not stand for any interruption. That’s all you really need to know. That will keep most time parasites away.

How to Recognize and Destroy Time Wasters

By | Time Management | No Comments
How to Recognize and Destroy Time Wasters

They are everywhere. Time wasters. Chronological cat burglars. Minute moochers. Is there any way to stop them? You bet your sundial there is!

There are chronological criminals among us. So here is some lighthearted advice to take or not as you see fit.

Time is an interesting concept. Babies don’t know anything about it. Children bend it to suit their own selfish needs. Teenagers can be big-time wasters, as long as it makes their parents mad. Adults become enslaved by it. Seniors are threatened by it. And, of course, the deceased don’t worry about it anymore. That’s why you see so many sundials on graves. They’re laughing at the rest of us.

So what does time really mean to us? The living. The working. The anxious. The serfs. All you rich people who might be reading this article at the moment can go hop on your private jets and fly to Bermuda because you don’t care about time one way or the other, do you?

But for the average Joe Timex, time is a nagging presence that hovers over us — giving an evil chuckle from time to time when our schedules go awry. And what makes our schedules go awry? Time wasters!

Now when you’re at home or away from the office, you can deal with time wasters any way you want, legal or otherwise. But, right now, we are dealing with those insidious time wasters in the office, on the factory floor, who keep you from finishing your work.

Time is money, and you’re already in debt!

Let’s start in the home office. Many a poor deluded soul believes working at home saves them time. But, of course, that might be true for the lucky few who don’t have spouses, children, neighbors, or pets just waiting to bushwhack them their schedule.

Take children, for instance. They have a built-in radar that knows precisely when you are in a Zoom conference with your manager. When they sense this opportunity, they go into action. Cereal is spilled. Knees are cut. Fights break out. In other words, all hell breaks loose. And for some strange reason, you are the one they expect to take charge of the situation.

By the time you get things settled, your boss has gone off to happy hour, and you wish you could too.

Here’s what to do . . .

  • When your spouse doesn’t respect your work schedule at home, try divorce. If that’s too expensive or emotional, try earplugs.
  • Perchance earplugs are too itchy for you — use that golden question: “Can we talk about this when I take you out to dinner tonight?”
  • If worst comes to worst, prepare a hidey-hole in your home office where you can secret yourself from the tender attentions of your spouse.
  • For pesky neighbors, the best recourse is a vicious dog. One that would bite the leg off of the Dalai Lama.
  • The only exception to this rule would be if your neighbors bring you good things to eat. If that’s the case, use land mines. So they have a sporting chance to get through.
  • Children should be treated with kindness and consideration. They are unaware of the awful burden you bear as a slave in the salt mines. So when they come to you with their petty squabbles and tears, do not turn them away. Just give them lots of candy and lead them to the TV. You’ll never be bothered by them again.
  • (The ASPCA has approved the following recommendations.) Cats should be sedated with catnip. Dogs should be given the biggest bone the butcher has. Birds should be let out of their cages into the great outdoors. Lizards and snakes, which don’t make any noise anyway, should be donated to the local zoo. You don’t have time to take care of them properly.

Time Wasters In the office . . .

A time thief may be your own boss. If that’s the case, just grit your dentures and suck it up. It might help to daydream about the beaches of Thailand while your boss is bloviating. On the other hand if it’s a coworker who constantly purloins your need to count the bottle caps in your desk drawer, then the answer is just put some cotton dipped in red food coloring in your ears.  And if a colleague still attempts to take your time, just point to your ears and shake your head. If this doesn’t discourage them, then try a piteous groan or two. They should take the hint.

In conclusion . . .

Although this has been a lighthearted look at time wasters — and maybe, perchance a time waster to read — the problem of time wasters is real and it is serious. The best way to keep busy and uninterrupted is to look extraordinarily harried and busy and like you will not stand for any interruption. That’s all you really need to know. That will keep most time parasites away.

Image Credit: Miguel Á. Padriñán; pexels; thank you!

How to Recognize and Destroy Time Wasters was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

5 Types of Diets for Healthier Eating

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5 Types of Diets for Healthier Eating

As the holidays start to roll in, so do the endless treats and hearty meals. But, unfortunately, it’s all too easy to overindulge in pastries, candies, cookies, and more, especially at parties and holiday festivals. Whether you want to diet in preparation for the holidays, plan to lose some pounds after, or just want to change up your lifestyle, this list of diet plans can help direct you in the right direction.

1. Paleo Diet

This type of diet requires you to turn back the clock. Like, all the way back. The gist of the paleo diet is to eat as your earliest ancestors did. There’s a strong focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole foods, and lean meat. You don’t have to cook over an open flame, but you eliminate many artificial additives found in many of today’s food products.

People on the paleo diet naturally consume fewer calories and carbs, leading to accelerated weight loss. It has also shown promise in protecting your body against heart disease and other illnesses that are brought upon by unhealthy eating. However, you are sacrificing certain foods such as whole wheat and dairy, which have nutritional properties you might be missing out on.

2. Intermittent Fasting

Of all the diet plans, this is one of the few that focuses less on what you eat and more on when you eat. Intermittent fasting has been practiced for many years, primarily by religious groups expressing their devotion by mastering their bodies. Today, studies have shown that there are some health benefits associated with intermittent fasting that all can enjoy.

There are a few different ways to practice intermittent fasting, depending on your preferred timetable. The most common approach is to go 24 hours without eating or to skip two full meals. Other methods are more lenient, but still have similar effects. Use your Calendar to follow your pattern of choice depending on your physical capabilities and health goals.

In addition to cutting out calorie consumption entirely for a short time, intermittent fasting has shown capabilities in increased cellular repair, reduced inflammation and cholesterol levels, and even decreased your risk of type 2 diabetes. Just be sure not to fast too often. The word intermittent is very important for making sure you don’t overexert yourself.

3. Dukan Diet

Your Calendar will help you get the most mileage using the Dukan Diet. Created by French nutritionist Pierre Dukan, this diet plan consists of four parts that your Calendar will help you track and manage.

The four phases are as follows:

Attack

It’s called the Attack and is where most of the weight loss comes from. Just like with keto, you cut out the carbs and eat a ton of protein to kick your metabolism into overdrive. Some light exercise is also encouraged to speed the process along. The Attack Phase is short, lasting around a week long. Then, some oats and a lot of hydration top it all off.

Cruise

After your initial rapid weight loss, the “cruise” phase comes into phase. You can now introduce some non-starchy vegetables into the mix, as well as some extra oats. The weight loss comes more slowly, but also more consistently. The guideline for this phase is roughly three days for every pound you hope to lose, so use your Calendar accordingly.

Consolidation

As you know, the most critical part of dieting is not regaining the weight you’ve lost. That’s what the Consolidation Phase phase is all about. Your Calendar will now be calibrated to your Consolidation Phase, with five days for each pound you lost in the past two. In addition, fruits. Fruit, starches, and a few cheat meals are now allowed as you maintain your new weight.

Stabilization

The final phase of this diet is called “Stabilization” and is to be followed indefinitely. After that, you’re allowed to eat whatever you want, although trying to stick to a healthy eating pattern as guided through the first three phases. The difference here is that once a week, you revert back to your “attack” phase plan as a way to stay on top of your new lifestyle.

Of all the diet plans on this list, this is the most extensive and the one with the least amount of research done regarding its benefits. If your goal is simple weight loss, it’s certainly worth a try, but know that any other effects of this diet haven’t been studied and are largely unknown.

4. Keto

The ketogenic diet, known by its shorthand form keto, is essentially a low or zero-carb diet. The idea is to eat protein almost exclusively until your body enters ketosis. Ketosis is when your body stops burning through carbs and starts eating away at the protein and fat in your body, leading to slimming and weight loss.

Since your body consumes carbs for energy first, the keto diet speeds up your weight loss journey by tearing down a significant obstacle. As a result, people often lose weight more quickly through keto than through other diets, but any additional health benefits are less certain.

It is important to note that it takes your body up to a week to enter ketosis. If you consume a fair amount of carbs, you can exit ketosis and have to start all over again. Your Calendar can help you stick to your goal of avoiding carbs for long enough to see the weight loss benefits.

5. Vegan Diet

Vegans live a life in harmony with nature, vowing never to consume products derived from animals. The promise is not to have any meat, dairy, eggs, and more — all of these products are eliminated from your diet. In addition, the Keto diet is low in fat and high in fiber, making you feel full for longer, preventing overeating.

The biggest problem with veganism is that you often deprive your body of numerous vitamins found in protein-based meats. Therefore, supplements need to be considered to get the nutrients you need. Otherwise, the primarily plant-based diet keeps your body clear of much of the gunk commonly found in today’s processed foods.

Dieting is never fun, but taking control of your body unlocks so many opportunities for you. You can improve your quality of life, reduce your risk of diseases, or enjoy an extra piece of pumpkin pie at Halloween. All great reasons to consider even a short-term diet to end the year.

Image Credit: Lisa; pexels; thank you!

5 Types of Diets for Healthier Eating was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

Why Every Gig Worker Needs an Online Calendar

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Why Every Gig Worker Needs an Online Calendar

The spotlight was shined on the gig economy during the heat of Covid-19 as thousands of workers looked to earn paychecks as businesses closed around them. While most of the world has since reopened, the gig economy is still alive and well. There are a lot of positive aspects of being a gig worker that has kept people around for the long haul.

Several skills are helpful when becoming a gig worker, but none are as important as that of time management. When you’re not being paid by the hour, time is extremely valuable to you. That’s why every gig worker should have an online calendar. Let’s dissect the reasons why:

Managing Your Workload

Not having direct supervision as a gig worker is both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, you get a lot more freedom and flexibility than you would by working on a salary. On the opposing end, though gig work is exciting and much more interesting — becoming a successful gig worker requires a lot of drive and initiative to get moving.

You also need to be careful about biting off more than you can chew. By tracking projects in your online Calendar, you can see if you’re getting a little overloaded and need to stop taking on new projects for a short time. For example, it’s better to complete three projects in a week with time to spare than to take on five and need to push back deadlines and endure some stressful, sleepless nights.

Meeting Deadlines

As a gig worker, the most essential aspect of your job will be to meet a plethora of deadlines. If you miss deadlines, you don’t get paid, and you’ll quickly lose customers. You want to be known as a reliable worker so that the request and recommendations continue to roll in.

What do you need to do in order to meet deadlines? Perhaps you need project management software to break down your projects into manageable pieces. On the other hand, maybe an endless stream of reminders and notifications is what you need to stay on track. Find out what methods work best for you and put them to work using your online Calendar.

Balancing Work and Home

A lot of gig workers are actually able to work from home. For these individuals, the lines between work and home can sometimes blend together. If you’re not careful, work can overtake your personal life entirely, which can be dangerously unhealthy.

With your Calendar in hand, make a proactive effort to dedicate time to family, friends, and hobbies. Learning where and how to use your time might feel forced at first, but it will help you learn how to prioritize the various aspects of your life and create time for everything. Of course, if that means you have to schedule in your family dinner in your Calendar — so be it.

A great way to tell how your work-life balance is faring, turn to Calendar analytics. This page of your Calendar will display the usage data of your time for accurate comparison. For example, if you’re noticing a very low percentage of your planned activities are geared toward family, you’ll know it’s time to plan some more activities in this area.

Scheduling helps you make sure that your created life pans out according to your dreams and the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Connecting With Clients

Your customer and client meetings are essential to both schedule and master to provide the best results to customers. Using your Calendar, you can start every meeting off on the right foot by being punctual every single time. Showing up late to your own meeting is never ideal for a first impression.

Using an online calendar will also help your clients be more timely with proposed meetings. It’s mighty frustrating to waste idle time for a customer to show up for a preplanned meeting. Reminders will often come in the clutch, and the ability to share video conferencing links directly in event invitations for any digital meetings you have.

Handling Money

Many contracted workers in the gig economy have found that there is more money to be made by being your own boss. However, paychecks can be inconsistent, and company benefits are no longer available. Therefore, you need to be smart with your finances if you want this to be a viable long-term commitment.

While online Calendars are known for their ability to help you manage your time, they are also helpful when it comes to budgeting. For example, you can set recurring reminders to set aside money for taxes, contribute to a savings account, or stay on top of bills. When you stay on top of your bills, it will help your finances feel consistent even when your paychecks aren’t.

Marketing

Gig workers are basically just miniature versions of entrepreneurs. Instead of running an entire business, they operate through a personal brand. With that being said, how you market yourself is incredibly important.

Depending on your line of work, there might be umbrella companies that can help you with marketing and advertising or eliminate the need entirely. Ridesharing or food delivery, for example, typically run through apps that customers use without requesting a specific driver. In addition, gig worker sites such as Fiverr provide a platform for all sorts of different contracted projects to increase visibility.

Other gig workers might need to use other means to draw attention to their services. Social media is an excellent example. Let’s say you’re an independent plumber working under your own name. A simple social media page can have contact information, pricing, and examples of your work to help increase customer acquisition.

If you want to see if the gig economy is right for you, pick up a few projects in your downtime to ease into the transition. If you decide to make the complete switch, keep these tips in mind so your new lifestyle can be a successful one.

Why Every Gig Worker Needs an Online Calendar

By | Scheduling, Time Management | No Comments

The spotlight was shined on the gig economy during the heat of Covid-19 as thousands of workers looked to earn paychecks as businesses closed around them. While most of the world has since reopened, the gig economy is still alive and well. There are a lot of positive aspects of being a gig worker that has kept people around for the long haul.

Several skills are helpful when becoming a gig worker, but none are as important as that of time management. When you’re not being paid by the hour, time is extremely valuable to you. That’s why every gig worker should have an online calendar. Let’s dissect the reasons why:

Managing Your Workload

Not having direct supervision as a gig worker is both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, you get a lot more freedom and flexibility than you would by working on a salary. On the opposing end, though gig work is exciting and much more interesting — becoming a successful gig worker requires a lot of drive and initiative to get moving.

You also need to be careful about biting off more than you can chew. By tracking projects in your online Calendar, you can see if you’re getting a little overloaded and need to stop taking on new projects for a short time. For example, it’s better to complete three projects in a week with time to spare than to take on five and need to push back deadlines and endure some stressful, sleepless nights.

Meeting Deadlines

As a gig worker, the most essential aspect of your job will be to meet a plethora of deadlines. If you miss deadlines, you don’t get paid, and you’ll quickly lose customers. You want to be known as a reliable worker so that the request and recommendations continue to roll in.

What do you need to do in order to meet deadlines? Perhaps you need project management software to break down your projects into manageable pieces. On the other hand, maybe an endless stream of reminders and notifications is what you need to stay on track. Find out what methods work best for you and put them to work using your online Calendar.

Balancing Work and Home

A lot of gig workers are actually able to work from home. For these individuals, the lines between work and home can sometimes blend together. If you’re not careful, work can overtake your personal life entirely, which can be dangerously unhealthy.

With your Calendar in hand, make a proactive effort to dedicate time to family, friends, and hobbies. Learning where and how to use your time might feel forced at first, but it will help you learn how to prioritize the various aspects of your life and create time for everything. Of course, if that means you have to schedule in your family dinner in your Calendar — so be it.

A great way to tell how your work-life balance is faring, turn to Calendar analytics. This page of your Calendar will display the usage data of your time for accurate comparison. For example, if you’re noticing a very low percentage of your planned activities are geared toward family, you’ll know it’s time to plan some more activities in this area.

Scheduling helps you make sure that your created life pans out according to your dreams and the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Connecting With Clients

Your customer and client meetings are essential to both schedule and master to provide the best results to customers. Using your Calendar, you can start every meeting off on the right foot by being punctual every single time. Showing up late to your own meeting is never ideal for a first impression.

Using an online calendar will also help your clients be more timely with proposed meetings. It’s mighty frustrating to waste idle time for a customer to show up for a preplanned meeting. Reminders will often come in the clutch, and the ability to share video conferencing links directly in event invitations for any digital meetings you have.

Handling Money

Many contracted workers in the gig economy have found that there is more money to be made by being your own boss. However, paychecks can be inconsistent, and company benefits are no longer available. Therefore, you need to be smart with your finances if you want this to be a viable long-term commitment.

While online Calendars are known for their ability to help you manage your time, they are also helpful when it comes to budgeting. For example, you can set recurring reminders to set aside money for taxes, contribute to a savings account, or stay on top of bills. When you stay on top of your bills, it will help your finances feel consistent even when your paychecks aren’t.

Marketing

Gig workers are basically just miniature versions of entrepreneurs. Instead of running an entire business, they operate through a personal brand. With that being said, how you market yourself is incredibly important.

Depending on your line of work, there might be umbrella companies that can help you with marketing and advertising or eliminate the need entirely. Ridesharing or food delivery, for example, typically run through apps that customers use without requesting a specific driver. In addition, gig worker sites such as Fiverr provide a platform for all sorts of different contracted projects to increase visibility.

Other gig workers might need to use other means to draw attention to their services. Social media is an excellent example. Let’s say you’re an independent plumber working under your own name. A simple social media page can have contact information, pricing, and examples of your work to help increase customer acquisition.

If you want to see if the gig economy is right for you, pick up a few projects in your downtime to ease into the transition. If you decide to make the complete switch, keep these tips in mind so your new lifestyle can be a successful one.

Image Credit: Vlada Karpovich; pexels; thank you!

Why Every Gig Worker Needs an Online Calendar was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

Teach Your Kids Responsibility With a Pet

By | Knowledge Base | No Comments

Looking for a way to teach your kids responsibility in a challenging yet enjoyable way? Get them a pet! Taking care of a pet is one of the most fulfilling things you can do. You essentially add another member to your family that will fill the years with extra fun.

Whether you’re starting with a goldfish or bringing a furry friend into the home, kids will need some help grasping the responsibility and using it to grow. Here’s how you can help them become the best pet parents they can be:

Set a Feeding Schedule

The most important thing to do as a pet owner is to make sure your little critter is being properly fed. Setting a feeding schedule develops a good routine for your children, as well as for the pet’s lifestyle. Put a recurring event into an online calendar, and feeding time will never get forgotten.

If you have multiple kids, your Calendar can be used to rotate them through this responsibility. This ensures that everyone shares a part of the chore equally. Keeping track of whose turn it is to feed the cat will also reduce the number of arguments trying to determine whose turn it actually is.

Make Time for Activity

Most pets need some activity throughout the day to stretch their legs and keep them happy. Puppies, in particular, need to be played with a lot. Other pets, such as hermit crabs, fish, and reptiles, won’t need as much attention, but it’s still good for kids to make time for them.

Since dogs are one of the most common pets and one of the most endearing, they make for a perfect example. Puppies should be walked daily, and benefit from sticking to a routine. Help your kids pick out good times to go on walks using Calendar and help them stick with the routine they set. As a result, the puppy will be happy and healthy, and your children will learn valuable principles about commitment and time management.

Remember to Clean

Animals aren’t known for their cleanliness. So part of the responsibility of a pet owner is cleaning up regularly. A clean pet is a happy one, and a healthy one at that.

Each type of pet requires a different amount of cleaning. For example, a fish tank only needs to be cleaned every couple of weeks instead of a litter box that might need to be cleaned out every other day. Your Calendar will reflect the needs of your pet of choice. At least set a recurring reminder for your kids to check the pet’s area, even if it doesn’t always need to be cleaned out.

This is another chore that could use the guiding hand of a Calendar. Kids will always want to play with their pets, but won’t be lining up to do the cleaning. In the same way, you organize feeding responsibilities, make sure everyone is sharing the burden of cleaning equally.

Keep a Record

While not a necessity, having your children keep a record of how they care for their pets can be an excellent teaching experience. Keeping a journal of any kind helps to improve one’s memory and communicate their feelings more effectively. In the case of a productivity journal such as this, kids can learn how to stay organized, set goals, and commit to a project.

Your kids can keep a record of when they feed, clean, or play with their pets. They can even keep health records in this journal that might be relevant in the future. Even if none of the information is needed down the road, it’s a good practice for them to stay on top of it. They can also take not of fun experiences to read back later in life as a way to preserve memories.

Make Them Earn It

Let’s talk about the time leading up to getting a pet. While surprising the family with a new dog is exciting and wonderful, you’re also dropping a huge responsibility into their laps. Try warming them up to the idea of a pet by making them earn it. You’ll be able to gauge their commitment and capabilities before you end up doing everything to take care of the pet by yourself.

Assign your kids some smaller responsibilities so they can prove they can work their way up to the responsibility of owning a pet. Taking care of a plant, completing a chore list, and being proactive with homework are all activities that can be pursued in preparation for a pet. Use your Calendar to track their progress and make sure their motivation lasts longer than just a week.

Teach About Money

Pets can be expensive. While you shouldn’t expect your kids to foot every bill, you can also use this opportunity to teach financial responsibility. Kids can be taught how to save and spend money while taking care of a pet.

Kids can earn some allowance money by doing chores that can be used to pay for pet food, collars, and toys. There are tons of little lessons that can be taught throughout this process, like sales tax, saving practices, and good old-fashioned hard work. Transactions can also be tracked in your kids’ pet journal, which can show them just how expensive owning a pet can be.

Looking back at all the pictures and memories you make, you won’t be able to imagine life without a pet. Talk it over with your family and use your Calendar to make a plan that will change your family for the better.

Image Credit: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA; pexels; thank you!

Teach Your Kids Responsibility With a Pet was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

How Parents Should Spend Their Time With Kids Back in School

By | Time Management | No Comments
How Parents Should Spend Their Time With Kids Back In School

A lot of parents really look forward to the first day of school. Not only do they support growth and learning, but it’s also nice to have the house to themselves for a few hours each day. Summer can get pretty hectic, and school hours provide a much-needed respite.

For stay-at-home parents, those school hours provide a lot of opportunities. The question is, how do you fill up those empty hours in your Calendar? Here are a few ways parents can make the most of the time the kids are away at school this upcoming scholastic year:

Reverse the Damage of Summer

First things first, staying on top of messes during the summer can be quite tricky. However, now that your kids will be spending most of the day at school, you have plenty of time to pick up the slack left in housekeeping. Just a few days of elbow grease should be all you need to reverse the majority of the damage left by summer festivities.

Sure, it’s helpful and even developmentally beneficial to have your kids pitch in with the cleaning, especially if they’re responsible for the mess. However, school can often be a stressful time, and you don’t want to overload them too much if they’re struggling during their first week. Besides, you work much more efficiently than they do anyways.

Prepare the Afternoons

When your kids get home from school, they are going to be tired from sitting all day in a classroom and participating in any after-school activities they’re enrolled in. They won’t always be super agreeable or cooperative, especially if a long day was equally difficult. Preparing the afternoons for them is a great parenting gesture that requires little effort but goes a long way.

For example, let’s say you know one of your sons is coming home from football practice, and your other son is stressed about an application for the Honor Society. Before they even walk through the door, they have everything they need set up. Layout a change of clothes and set up a study area. The little things like this you can do will pave the way for your children to succeed no matter what they do.

Do Some Meal Planning

If there is anything kids can do well, it’s eating and eating often. Of course, they’ll be expecting dinner to be made for them as they return home and some sack lunches to take on a day when the cafeteria is serving mystery meat. So to avoid kitchen burnout, use your time while everyone is at school to do some meal planning.

By planning out your weekly meals, you can do your grocery shopping more efficiently and even cut down on cooking time. Leftover dinner can provide lunch for all your kids the next day or even provide some meal variations for the entire week. If you’re deciding what to cook at three in the afternoon, you’re already behind.

Nothing will make meal prep as easy as an online calendar. List out the meals you want to try throughout the week and plan around your shopping trips. You can even coordinate with other families to share meals with some of your kids’ friends.

Enjoy the Alone Time

Let’s face it; you’ve earned some ‘me time’ and should start cashing it in. The extensive family time in the summer is incredible but admittedly exhausting. So kick up your feet for a spell and enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet after months of chaos.

Try to make your alone time a little productive or at least enjoyable. Opt for reading a book or picking up an old hobby before binge-watching the latest season of Grey’s Anatomy. If it helps, use your Calendar to intentionally plan solitary activities that will ensure the entire afternoon isn’t spent napping.

Improve Yourself

As an extension to that alone time, you can take a page out of your kids’ schoolbooks and look for some ways to improve yourself. For example, you can brush up on your math skills to help with homework, or even continue your own education using the plethora of online classes available through universities around the country.

Other ways to improve yourself include getting more exercise or maintaining your mental health. With kids out of the house, it will be much easier to fit in a long daily workout or book a Calendar appointment with a counselor or therapist.

Not sure what challenge you want to face? Check out the app store on your phone for some simple ideas. Some apps can teach you new languages, give you creative writing prompts, or even how to do basic coding.

Start a Side Hustle

Being a stay-at-home parent is both admirable and awe-inspiring. However, it can be noted that some of these parents sometimes don’t feel completely fulfilled when their kids spend long hours away from home. One way to fill up the time while providing for both the family and society as a whole is to start a side hustle.

Some side hustles are easy to get into, like downloading a food delivery or ridesharing app and picking up the odd job around town. Others require more creativity but can be more rewarding, like selling arts and crafts online. There’s really no limit to what you can do, from baked goods and homespun clothing to lawn care and painting.

Thanks to the magic of technology, it’s also easier than ever for stay-at-home parents to pick up a part-time job. In addition, working remotely opens up many more doors from employment with flexible schedules for even the parents with jam-packed Calendars.

Challenge yourself to do more with the time you’re being given this school year. Set goals using your Calendar and work alongside your children to become better people every single day.

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