By: Luke Blaise

One of the key things to focus on if you want to have better time management is the ability to get organized. Getting organized is great, but it is the ability to stay organized that most people fail at.

What areas of your life do you need to get organized in? For most people this would mean both work and home life.

At work there are lots of approaches to getting organized. First, try to always leave at the end of the day with a clean desktop. The only thing on top of your desk should be a to do list of what things you need to get done tomorrow.

Get lots of files to organize your papers. One of David Allen’s main focuses, the author of the popular book ‘Getting Things Done’ advocates a three prong approach to incoming items to your desk, either trash, read, or store. Nothing should just sit on your desk. One of the keys to staying organized at work is to make decisions quickly about what things mean and act on it.

At home it seems like there are lots of areas to focus on. One approach is to focus on different areas of your life, like personal finances, etc. Another approach is to focus on areas of the house, like the living room.

Often times there are ‘hot areas’ around the house. These are areas that seem to always be collecting items, like hallway desks, entrance areas, and counter tops. By daily cleaning and organizing of just these few areas of your house you can be and feel more organized.

Author: Maureen Oliver

The benefits of time management cannot be over-emphasized. Whether it’s too much time on the Internet, watching TV, playing video games, or leafing through magazines, time-wasters can really add up. Many hours can fly by without anything useful getting done.

When you learn to limit time wasting activities, the top three benefits of time management start to come into effect: getting more done, reducing stress, and being more organized.

By putting limits on some of the activities mentioned above, you will have more of a chance to accomplish productive tasks. The more hours you spend doing the things that need to be done, the more you will accomplish and it feels really good at the end of the day to realize you finished the tasks you set for yourself.

You would probably be amazed at all you can get done in a day once you learn how to manage your time. Everyone has 24 hours in their day and some people can accomplish a lot while others accomplish almost nothing. It’s all down to how people choose to use their time. Using simple time management skills, you can learn to make the most of your day.

Getting more things accomplished and having a sense of structure means you will have less stress. Research has shown that depression, anxiety, fear and stress are more prevalent in people who don’t know how to manage their time properly. Rushing to get something done at the last minute or having problems because of something that should have already been done but you just couldn’t get to, causes stress and frustration to build up. When you employ time management techniques, chores don’t pile up, things get done that need to get done and that will reduce the stress in your life.

Another one of the benefits of time management is organization. By following a schedule, your time and your life become more organized allowing you to successfully meet any goals you have set for yourself. Being organized allows you to live in a much healthier way and frees up your time so you can do the things you WANT to do after you’ve done the things you HAVE to do.

Author: Daeqan Smith

Words are all about giving people a chance to better understand their surroundings. Words give people a way to actually grasp a concept and allow them to turn something obscure into something that they can utilize. This is the reason why definitions are very important. People think that a definition is equal to the meaning of a term. However, you should know that it is so much more.

Saying that the definition is just what you find in the dictionary would be wrong. What you find in the dictionary is just a translation of something. The dictionary translates a concept or a word into terms that our brains can comprehend. The definition of time management is so much more than what is written in the dictionary.

The definition of time management is not merely the translation of the concept into words. It is what makes time management. The definition will ultimately be understood by people who apply it. So what is the true definition?

The definition of lies within each person.

Other people would define time management as being able to do the most important things first. This means that the definition in prioritizing your tasks.

Every successful person knows that time management cannot be defined by what you read in dictionaries, but management of your time is important is a fact that we cannot deny. We are all running out of time. No amount of money can buy us more time. You need to learn how to properly manage your time because you have so little of it.

Author: Carla Myers

When most people talk about time management, they talk about being able to the most important tasks done and such and while these are some great advantages of time management, there are many other advantages that most people miss or don’t even know of!

Here’s a look at 3 very powerful advantages of time management that most people miss but are incredibly important in personal growth and development.

1. Increased ability to relax and remain stress free

While time management is a difficult habit to cultivate, the good news about time management is that it will help you get rid of a lot of your stress. When you learn how to manage your time effectively and put those time management principles into practice, you will feel less stressed out about all your goals and priorities.

This works because unfinished tasks and commitments create a nagging feeling and when we fail to take care of them, they eat up the level of balance and harmony in our bodies.

So one of the quickest ways to reduce stress is to become good at managing your time and getting tasks done!

2. Increased harmony in relationships

I hope you’ve realized by now that a stress free you leads to a happier and healthier relationship. You see, when we are stressed out about work, the upcoming deadlines etc, it is easy to blow up on our family and friends even for the littlest things.

This creates stress and dissatisfaction in relationships. Which is why you need to look at how you’re spending your time in the office and what kind of stress or problems you’re bringing home. And, it’s impossible to disconnect from the office if you don’t practice good time management skills at work!

3. Increased self confidence

Increased self confidence comes from knowing that you know how to do something. And, when you learn to manage your time, when you can see that you have the ability to handle the stress of your demanding job, when you see that you have the skill sets to advance in your career you’ll gain self confidence.

The only way to see that you’ve got the skill sets to advance and you have the right talent for the job is to see the positive results you can bring to the job - which is only possible if you learn how to manage your time and become highly productive at work.

Author: Simon White

With so many different types of boats available, we bring you this beginner’s guide to Motorboats. We hope it will help you make the right choice when buying a boat.

What is a motorboat? - A motorboat is a power driven vessel with an internal combustion engine driving a jet pump or propeller. Even a sailboat, while it has an engine running, is technically a power driven vessel. The term motor boating refers to motorised cruising vessels used for leisure.

A little bit of history! - Many names contributed to the invention of the motorboat. Charles Raymond Hunt was responsible for introducing the deep v-shaped hull in 1963, one of the motorboats most important advances. Renato Levi is given credit for the evolution of the motorboat, particularly developing unique concepts - improving the performance of racing boats. Rudolph Diesel made huge advancements in motor boating. He is best known for inventing a 25-horsepower, four-stroke, single vertical compression engine.

Types of motorboats - A speedboat is a small motorboat designed to move quickly. It is often used in races and for water skiing. Even inflatable boats and dinghies with a motor attached are classed as types of motorboats.

There are 3 popular version of motorboats, which are: inboard, inboard / outboard and outboard. If the engine is fitted within the boat, it’s called a powerplant. If it’s a removable section attached to the boat, it’s known as an outboard motor.

Motor cruisers offer a range of amenities, depending on the number of passengers and the type of the cruising. They range from small vessels equipped with basic essentials for a short cruise to much larger holiday crafts complete with shower, cooker and sleeping accommodation.

Where to begin - All first time motorboat cruisers should have some form of training. As a rule, the larger the motorboat and the longer the journey, the greater the level of training is required.

Beginners can rent small vessels for a short cruise, without needing much training. This will help you understand the basic motorboat controls. Courses are available for beginners which cover the basic areas of handling the boat. The Royal Yachting Association offers three levels of courses, from a two day helmsman course offering basic boat handling, helmsmanship and engine maintenance to a five-day coastal skipper course.

By Tom Virden

About Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Carbon Credits

Whenever you use a motor on a yacht, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide has been scientifically linked to Global Climate Change and Warming. With the worldwide concern about Carbon Emissions, it’s important to understand how the activity of pleasure boating and yachting impacts global warming and what can be done about it.

Measuring Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions are directly proportional to the amount of fuel burned by a yacht’s motor. In general, burning a gallon of gasoline produces 19.564 pounds of carbon dioxide. You might be surprised that a gallon of gasoline that weighs 6.3 pounds produces such an enormous amount of CO2 - the reason being that the process of burning combines the gasoline with many times its weight in Oxygen.

Knowing this, we can easily and accurately predict or measure carbon emissions from boats and yachts. Virtually all boat and engine manufacturers provide information on the amount of fuel the boats burn per hour. That number, multiplied by the number of hours you cruise, will predict your carbon emissions. Alternatively, at the end of a trip, you can just add up the number of gallons or liters of fuel burned and do the same calculation for an exact figure.

Offsetting CO2 Emissions

There are a variety of organizations that allow you to buy “carbon credits” to offset the emissions you create while chartering. The United Nations works with many charities and NPOs to certify projects that will reduce carbon emissions (more about this below).

To get an idea of what this might all cost, here’s a simple example. Consuming 100 liters of fuel will produce 516 pounds of CO2 emissions, which will cost approximately £1.76/€2.51 or $3.52 to purchase carbon offsets. Similarly 50 gallons of fuel burned will create 978 pounds of emissions, costing £3.33 or €4.75 or $6.66. A small cost to do your part to reduce Climate Change!

What are the Credits used for?

When you purchase a carbon credit you are generally investing in a project that will reduce carbon emissions. For instance, credits are often used to build wind generation plants, replant rainforests, create bioenergy, and install efficient lighting, among many others. Each project creates real reductions in CO2 that would not have happened otherwise. Projects are funded around the world, wherever funding goes farthest and has the greatest impact.

Low Carbon Emissions Chartering

The best way to charter with low carbon emissions is to charter a sailboat - monohull or catamaran! While the motor will create a small amount of CO2, you will generally be using the best renewable source of energy known to man, the wind!

Beyond using wind as your sole propulsion, certain engines pollute less than others. 4 stroke engines, because the gasoline does not need to be mixed with oil, produce much lower emissions than 2 stroke engines. Fuel injected engines produce fewer emissions than carburetors. And wind assisted yachts, that run on both sail and motor, emit less than pure motor boats.

There is a new class of sailboat emerging that act similar to hybrid cars to reduce emissions. These boats use electric motors instead of diesel or gasoline, run by powerful batteries. These batteries can be regenerated by the spinning propellers while the boat is moving under sail, similar to a hybrid car. So they effectively are “Green” boats that produce almost no carbon emissions at all! Some are even efficient enough to offer air-conditioning, so you can have comfort with no negative environmental impact. The leading production boat is the Lagoon 420 Hybrid.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

Experts advise on getting the best yacht insurance quotes for policy coverage only if you have new yacht; otherwise, they say it’s fine to just opt for minimal coverage of the more expensive and important yacht parts so you have a adequate coverage. A little bit of forethought can go a long way in saving you good money that would otherwise have been spent on getting extensive yacht insurance coverage by choosing a high premium and extended use insurance policy. You can select the crucial yacht parts for insurance coverage and put a top-price that you are willing to shell out for the cover so you are adequately covered but not over-board on your budget.

You can simply get online to receive various yacht insurance quotes and even use this convenient option to change the amount you have initially opted for, at a later date by requesting update on the earlier quote. Those buying a second-hand yacht are advised to first get the yacht inspected and check for necessity to upgrade main parts, such as the motor of the yacht; if it needs to be repaired or changed, then it doesn’t make good financial sense to insure the old one. The same principle applies for worn out yacht parts that you may need to replace.

Thus, adjustments to a yacht insurance policy is always possible and one needn’t spend their entire budget when they get the first quote; first evaluating the true cost of the yacht is important and then owners should move on to creating an insurance policy that fits them perfectly.

How old the yacht is and its current condition are some factors that determine its value; besides this, potential owners need to find out through an experienced inspector which yacht parts will require replacements (therefore adding to the cost) and which ones are worthy of covering by insurance. A yacht insurance agent can give valuable advice at this point, so speak openly with one such.

Also, remember that any adjustments you make on your coverage will affect your premium, so lowering or extending this should be done after some thinking. At times, the coverage is annual policy so you may have to wait it out till the year-end before getting a fresh quote; since this is a depreciating asset, your yacht will reduce in value unless you upgrade certain parts. So, while your insurance premiums decrease, your yacht insurance quotes will enable you to know the lowered value of the yacht.

It’s good to remember that getting a net-quote is simply an estimate and an inspection of all its parts is what determines its real value, which may be greater or lesser than your evaluation. These are pretty close to the true value of the yacht so sign an insurance policy guided by these, given by a reliable person and this will stay constant for the length of it. A safe-guard against extra costs if accidental damage occurs or on buying a new yacht, your insurance premium can be changed to accommodate these eventualities, so consult today to save tomorrow.

Author: Andrew Dillan
As a boater, you want the waterways to stay clean. To make sure that your beautiful scenery will be around for your next trip out, here are a few tips that you can use.

1. Lead by example.

Next time you are at the marina, be sure to bend over and pick up a piece of litter out of the water (or from the beach, docks, or ground). If people see you taking the time and energy to clean up, they will know that it is not acceptable for them to litter.

2. Start a movement.

If everyone on your water picked up one item of garbage each time they went out, the water would be clean in no time. Put up signs suggesting the “pick up one piece” policy along the dock or at a relative area.

You can also organize to get a lot of people together to clean your lake or river. Like the “adopt-a-highway” program, getting everyone together once a year to clean your waterway will help you get your shores looking clean in no time.

3. Use Common Sense When Fueling.

If you have a portable fuel tank, be sure to always fill it on solid ground where spills are less likely to occur. In many areas it is illegal to fill a portable fuel tank in a boat for fire regulations. If your fuel tank is on-board, be careful while you fuel. Keeping a cloth or towel with you to wipe away spills will save the environment and your paint job!

Always know the capacity of your fuel tanks. Be sure that you have an accurate gauge to tell how full your tank is. Never overfill your tank.

If you have a smaller engine, use a funnel to fill your tank. You can even take an engine ashore to fill. This will give you an opportunity to wipe down the area of your boat where the engine attaches, and can prevent you from getting rust and other problems. This particularly applies to emergency engines for sailboats.

4. Know your Vent Line.

When fuel gets warmer, it expands. This can cause it to escape from the vent line. Riding through particularly choppy or rough waters can also cause fuel to escape from the vent line. You can install an anti-surge valve to prevent fuel from leaking overboard while you are having a good time.

When you are filling your tank, you will be able to feel air flow from your vent line. This air flow will increase dramatically when you are close to filling your tank. When you feel the air flow increase, it means that it is time to stop filling your tank.

There is no excuse for littering, especially on the water. The litter that you throw into the water can contaminate fish, the water that goes to our cities, and surrounding farmlands. The smallest items, such as cigarette butts, often take the longest to decompose (cigarette butts are NOT decomposable and will stay in the water, keeping it ugly, until they wash ashore where children might play).

As a boater, I have an intense respect for nature. I like going out into nature, and I have a vested interest in keeping our environment clean. Together, we will be able to keep our waterways clean.

Author: Thomas Holley
While the docking techniques in boating are always going to be dependent upon the weather conditions, there are a few simple things that you should always keep in mind. First of all, in this particular case practice makes perfect. Although we can provide tips, please remember that the docking techniques in boating are going to be something you will have to personalize to your experience, your particular boat and of course, the dock itself.

Secondly, the most common mistake boater’s make when attempting to dock their boats is to try and approach the dock in a straight line. By approaching the dock from an angle, however, it will much easier to get close without scraping and to hit the spot you’re aiming for. Thirdly, the speed at which you come in to the dock must be controlled. Anything you’ve ever been told about the best docking techniques in boating probably mentioned that it requires you to run your boat in at the slowest possible speed.

This however, is not as easy as it sounds. Often, even idle speed on a boat is too fast. Coasting, however, as a docking technique in boating, causes problems in and of itself. Coasting reduces steering capability, which makes it even more difficult to accurately line up with the dock. The best way to counter this problem is to alternate between power for steering (short shots of forward gear) and coasting for speed control. Being able to use the best docking techniques in boating is not automatic.

You’ll have to practice this one over and over. As you get closer to the dock, the best docking techniques in boating will tell you to start to turn the boat. It is at precisely the same time, however, that you will also need to decelerate to a stop in reverse. Again, the deceleration reduces steering capability. When approaching the dock, you are going to have to rely on the momentum of the boat to get you over this obstacle.

Momentum and speed, however, are not the same thing. Momentum is simply the forward motion of the boat that will actually carry you into the dock. You will need just enough momentum to get into the dock and that will allow you to smoothly make the shift to reverse so you can stop. Once you’ve actually mastered this task, you’ll probably agree that the best docking techniques in boating were the ones that you learned by trial and error. None of the docking techniques you’ll read will ever be a better teacher than practice, practice, practice.

The best advice that one could ever receive when looking for information on the best docking techniques in boating would be to take it slow, don’t get nervous or discouraged and most importantly, remember that every time you try it, will make it a little easier the next time.

Author: Peter One
Crewed motor yachts are yachts that you charter for a vacation without needing to have any sailing experience. With the crewed charters, you don’t have to do any work in handling the yacht or navigating the waters of the location you choose. You can choose to have a luxury charter where you have exquisite surroundings and meals prepared by a chef. Waiters bring you drinks and the members of the crew will provide instructions for water sports if you need any. Crewed motor yachts range in size from yachts that can only take 2 passengers to ones that can take up to 12 or more.

A crewed motor yacht charter is an excellent choice for a family vacation. Children are welcome on these yacht charters, but none of the crew will be assigned to looking after them, even with luxury motor yacht charter. Parents are expected to keep the children entertained and to bring whatever they need for enjoyment aboard with them. Crewed motor yachts are perfectly safe for children, but like any location, you do need to keep them within your sight at all times.

When you choose a luxury motor yacht charter, you have a personal chef to prepare your meals. However, before you arrive to meet the yacht, you will already have informed the company about your food preferences through the food preference sheet. This sheet also includes a list of beverages for you to choose from, which include soda, wines and alcoholic beverages. The chefs of crewed motor yachts take great care to prepare meals that you will enjoy and only use the freshest ingredients. In the case of fruits and vegetables, the chef of a crewed motor yacht charter may buy foods at the various locations.

Whether or not you experience any seasickness on crewed yacht charters depends on you. It is probably a good idea to take some form of seasickness medication with you so that you can thoroughly enjoy being on a luxury motor yacht. If you are new to vacationing on a crewed motor yacht charter, be sure to let the crew know so they can choose routes that will cause you less discomfort. If you smoke, you will have to limit your habit to the outside areas of the yacht. Since the interior of the yacht consists of close quarters, yacht charter companies do not permit smoking inside.

With crewed motor yachts you have comfort and style. You do not have to bring anything with you and all the linens, dishes and utensils are there for you to use. Both the exterior and interior of these yachts are roomy so you can sit back and enjoy the charter in comfort. You don’t have to worry about the wind because the motor will take you to your destination on time. You can enjoy air-conditioning with luxury motor yacht charters, although most of the charter yachts do have this feature included. Depending on the location and type of charter, some crewed charter yachts include scuba diving equipment, kayaks and other equipment you would need to enjoy a variety of water sports.