Kāpiti Now promotes the Kāpiti Coast, our community, our businesses, our events. Our business club enables our business members to network and learn from each other as well as help grow our marketing platforms for Kāpiti Now.
Downsizing is a daunting task for anyone. Imagine how much harder it is when you are unwell or used to being totally independent and yet find yourself overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done. Many in this situation also know deep down they need extra support now, but really don’t want to leave the comfort of their home.
We are probably all guilty of procrastinating sometimes but some people continually put things off, meaning they are not achieving what they could. That’s not good - personally or professionally. In an article by Nilifer Atik he says that people who continually procrastinate are unhappier, as well as being less healthy and wealthy compared with those who get things done promptly. Studies have also shown that procrastinators are more likely to make mistakes. However, experts insist that procrastinators can change their behaviour: it takes a lot of self-work but in the end it’s worth the effort – and start today, not tomorrow! Here are his ten top tips to change your behaviour and stop procrastinating forever!
1. Next time you find yourself putting off a task, ask yourself ‘What make me decide to do this in the first place?’. If you don’t know the answer – don’t do it!
2. For each task, ask yourself – should I do this, delegate it or dump it – and act accordingly.
3. Take small steps – break down tasks to make them manageable.
4. Get help – if you’re overwhelmed, ask an expert in (or a Time Genie!).
5. Drop perfectionism – an imperfect step taken today is better than a perfect step never taken.
6. Remove distractions – turn off the TV, switch phone to silent and truly focus.
7. Recognise when you’re about to procrastinate and acknowledge it.
8. Learn from the past – remind yourself of the frustration of not getting things done and the satisfaction when something is achieved.
9. Be kind to yourself – don’t beat yourself up and forgive yourself if you do procrastinate
10. Visualise your ideal future – what one step could you take right now to move you towards it? Then Just. Do. It.
Full article by Nilifer Atik:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/mood-mind/11422554/How-to-stop-procrastinating-now.html
Heather Knewstubb
Time Genie Personal Concierge and Errand Services
Kapiti Coast
Ph: 022 394 8493
www.timegenie.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/Time-Genie-Magic-115372315722316/
Some people like to live life on the edge. They make decisions on the hoof and don’t like to be tied down to planning – especially for events way in the future. Others like to be very organised and know exactly what’s happening when. They don’t feel secure unless every i is dotted and t crossed and their diary is up to date for months in advance.
Probably most of us fall somewhere in the middle. There are certainly times in your life when you can just take off for the weekend or decide spur of the moment to go to a fancy restaurant. Other times, for example when you are responsible for young children, not so much. Any outing of any kind takes a kind of milatary precision and organisation that most of us didn’t know about until there was no choice!
Another time when planning is important is when you want to go somewhere or do something at the same time as everyone else. Now we are in August, and in the midst of winter, it seems counter intuitive to think about the summer holidays and Christmas. However, if you fancy a quiet beach house holiday in Nelson, Raglan or the Coromandal, or an overseas holiday in December/January it is not too early to be looking and booking. What about your furry friends? If you get your act together you can ensure they have somewhere to go if they can’t come along with you.
Sometimes it feels that summer holidays are too far in the future. How can you decide on dates when you don’t know what your family and friends are planning? The easy solution to this conundrum is be first. Choose some dates, book your holiday home/caravan/overseas trip and announce it to the whanau. They can then start fitting around you.
Planning for a fun event over summer and Christmas is also a wonderful way to cheer yourself up as you huddle around the fire with the rain pelting down outside. It helps to remind you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Winter seems endless, but in a few short months the days will have lengthened and the sun will regain its warmth.
Once you have planned, organised and booked your time away for you and your pets you can sit back and relax. You can enjoy watching others around you panicking in November because anywhere they want to go is booked out...by people like you!
If you need some assistance to get your Christmas holidays sorted, contact heather@timegenie.co.nz and we can magic up the time to make it happen!
Heather Knewstubb
Time Genie Personal Concierge and Errand Services
Kapiti Coast
Ph: 022 394 8493
www.timegenie.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/Time-Genie-Magic-115372315722316/
Many of us find this time of year difficult to negotiate. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere at least get Christmas and New Year to break the monotony of winter. In New Zealand we have no public holidays between Queens Birthday at the beginning of June and Labour Weekend at the end of October. Winter can feel endless and miserable.
Some years ago, a novel I read started with the protagonist waiting in a queue to buy tickets to a rock concert (as you did back in the day before the internet was invented!). These were not for her but for a client, as she ran a personal concierge and errand service business. I remember nothing else about this story, but I slotted the business idea into the back of my head to be dusted off sometime in the future. Fast forward several years, a move to the Kapiti Coast and the desire to no longer commute into the city – and Time Genie was born! Coming from a teaching, management and project management background, I am well organised and efficient. I knew I could make this business work.
So what exactly is a personal concierge and errand service? Basically it boils down to doing stuff for busy people. All major cities have them, there are several in Auckland and at least three in Wellington. Having been a commuter I knew that literally thousands of people leave Kapiti everyday to work in Wellington – leaving things at home that need attention. This is where Time Genie can step in to provide assistance and peace of mind.
The definition of ‘stuff’is very wide, making this kind of business difficult to pigeon hole. Here is a list of some of the tasks Time Genie has undertaken over the first year of operation:
companionship visiting of an elderly lady, taking her out for a drive and a cuppa twice a week, for her daughter who has a high powered job in town
phoning previous clients and scheduling appointments for a small business
managing an Airbnb property while the owner was away
feeding three cats over Christmas. One has a health condition and needed medication twice a day!
photographing and listing items on Trade Me
assisting a person who was selling her house to give it a good clean before it went on the market, then again prior to moving out
researching local gardening services/pet boarding/telephone answering services/online course platforms for clients who need the information but have no time to look
showing prospective tenants through rental properties for a property manager based in the Hutt but with a portfolio in Kapiti
assisting a local real estate agent to get on top of some overflowing admin
advertising and organising the recruiting of an admin person for a small local business
Other Time Genie jobs I am keen to do include:
· assisting anyone who is downsizing their living arrangements. Helping to decide what to get rid of and then taking items to charity shops, listing on Trade Me or investigating how best to sell antiques
· supporting elderly people to stay at home by visiting, helping with meal preparation and laundry
· researching or undertaking an environmental scan for any kind of project that someone wants to do but just seems too daunting.
If you or someone you knows has too much to do and not enough time, or perhaps just needs some assistance to take the next step in life, contact heather@timegenie.co.nz or see our website and facebook page for more details.
Heather Knewstubb
Ph: 022 394 8493
www.timegenie.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/Time-Genie-Magic-115372315722316/
By going to work when you are sick, you increase the risk of spreading illness to those around you. Consider the burden this creates in the workplace as more and more colleagues become sick.
Studies have demonstrated that it only takes one person to significantly spread an infection, which then extends the duration of the outbreak.
According to Dr Alan Hampson, Chairman of the Australian Influenza Specialist Group, you are generally considered to be at greatest risk of catching the flu from someone when you are within a metre of the sick person, though there is evidence that infectious flu-containing particles can travel even further. When you consider how closely many people work alongside colleagues, the risk of infection in the workplace is alarmingly high.
It is not only your colleagues who may be affected by your illness: what about other people that you come into contact with each day – on your coffee run, buying your lunch, on your commute to and from home? Although young, fit people can recover from the likes of a cold or virus relatively quickly, other demographics – such as the elderly – may incur more serious complications.
By attending work, you could exacerbate your health problems and later have to take a longer period of sick leave to recover.
It is generally recommended that people stay home at least 24 hours after becoming free of fever without taking analgesics. Painkillers suppress symptoms but do not aid recovery, and it is therefore irresponsible for people to suggest you can carry on with your daily activities in this scenario. Returning to work too soon can also have serious health implications. In the case of the flu, it can lead to a number of other problems as your immune system is suppressed and your respiratory tract is left susceptible to infection.
By going to work when sick, you are not working to your full capacity. A study from 2018 found that ‘sickness presence’ (or ‘presenteeism’ – continuing to work when unwell) accounted for more working time lost than absenteeism. The study also found that going to work when sick had a more negative impact overall than simply taking those days off.
Not allowing your body to recover properly possibly resulting in more time off, more sick co-workers and none of you working efficiently is not good for business. According to a 2016 New Zealand government report, the annual indirect costs of ill-health in New Zealand – not including accidents and injuries – are at least $5.4 billion and could be as much as $13b
So, next time you are feeling under the weather, consider staying in bed!
based on an article
Heather Knewstubb
Time Genie Personal Concierge Services
Kapiti Coast
Ph: 022 394 8493
Living on the Kapiti Coast is fantastic – the beaches, the rivers, the bush, the weather – we have it all! However, one downside if you’re working in town is the commute to Wellington. Everyday thousands of people drive or catch the train/bus to work. A regular commute can also be draining of both time and energy – especially if you are doing five days a week and spend that hour each way mindlessly trawling the web or on social media.
If you drive, you obviously really must concentrate – especially with all the road works currently on State Highway 1! However, if you carpool or travel by public transport, there are ways to make the most of that travel time - to learn something valuable, win new clients or brainstorm ideas to help you build your business.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of every moment:
Plan your day
There is no better time than to review your calendar and prioritise your tasks. A well-planned day will keep you get focused and ensure you are productive with your time
Catch up on reading
Apart from books and news, download interesting articles using your home wifi and read them on the go.
Get inspired & get into action
Catch up on inspiring speakers via TED Talks and You Tube. Starting the day with the right mindset is the difference between being super-productive and getting stuck in a pattern of not achieving much.
Record those light-bulb moments
The part of the trip that follows the water around Plimmerton/Paremata/Mana and then between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, is relaxing and is the perfect time to think. You might like to keep a journal for those moments when inspirational ideas strike. When inspiration is flowing, it’s a great time to put a plan in place to see some of those ideas come to light.
Invoicing on the go
They say time is money – especially when you have your own business – so why not spend your time collecting some? There are various apps such as Xero that you can download onto your phone. Use the time to invoice clients before your day is over. The sooner they receive your invoice, the sooner they can pay for your services.
Clear your mind
In the morning commuting is an excellent time to leave your home life behind, focus and prepare for the day ahead, then after a busy day clear your head before you get home to the busyness of family and dinner. I always find, the first glance of Kapiti Island on the homeward journey relaxes me and I leave my day behind and look forward to the evening ahead.
Good luck and happy commuting!
Heather Knewstubb
Time Genie Personal Concierge Services
Kapiti Coast
Ph: 022 394 8493
Based on an article by Dave of Charlie’s Angels Personal Concierge Service, Auckland
