so much time and so little to do

Actually, I find it is quite the reverse. so much to do and so little time to do it.
Apart from my full-time employment, which now seems to be taking over more and more of my time, I am also spending time helping others with their computing needs - training in web management, or simply how to use a computer for those who as yet have still never used a computer before. Then there is to support of the local village Gala, and the meetings to arrange all the details, and my meetings with the local inter-faith group, and of course my work in teaching the Baha'i Faith, giving presentations and running classes for children.

I find that turning to God in prayer, especially at sunrise, is the source of great inner strength.

This is my favourite time of the year, with all the plants putting out their flowers, the tree blossoms and new leaves everywhere. Perhaps I like it because it is also the time when, many years ago, I declared my acceptance of the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

"A new life is, in this Age stirring within all the peoples of the earth"

thought you were dead

Sent an email out the other week, and one of the recipients replied "thought you were dead".
Their reasoning was that because I had not been active online for some months, then I must have died, because everyone is online all the time.

How strange. I know many people who never use a computer, but who are most definitely alive. They go shopping in real shops, meet people face to face or use that old fashioned thing called a "phone".

I have myself spent several months (apart from my full time employment) attending committee meetings of various charities that I am a trustee of, sitting talking to friends, visiting relatives, helping a reading scheme in a local school and going for walks in the countryside with my dog. And all of them without a computer in sight! What a relief for me not to be staring at a small screen for hours on end.

So I make this comment, partly to reassure all my friends across the world, and acquaintances, that I am still very much here.

Procrastination - (more or less)

Joking aside, putting off a job until some other time (usually 'tomorrow') it one of the root causes of projects not being completed. This applies both at work and at home. How often have we said, or heard "I'll do it tomorrow"? Often, of course it then is a case that "tomorrow never comes" and the work does not get finished.
So how can we overcome this problem? Firstly by recognising that it exists, and then by planning. Maybe the person is overloaded and cannot do the work (perhaps being too tired). Or maybe there is little or no incentive to have the task completed. To find a solution, several options need to be considered. Is the work really required or can it be abandoned? Is there someone else who could possibly complete the work? Can the priorities of all the competing jobs be changed so that the job being considered becomes more important and so be done in place of other tasks? Is lack of progress a sign that training is required? If there are no competing tasks, then perhaps an incentive is needed to have this work completed.
When developing software using the Agile and scrum, certain principles are clear. Holding regular reviews of progress will show up those who are not getting work completed, and limiting a working week to 40 hours should mean that nobody becomes too tired to do their work.
These same principles can be applied elsewhere also - home, charity groups. Without setting goals and reviewing progress are needed in all activities. But a word of warning - do not let the setting and achieving goals become your only concern and distract you from seeing the 'wider picture'.

Procrastination

I thought I'd write a bit about procrastination, but I'm rather tired, so I'll do it tomorrow!