I am 68 years old. When I was in my 30’s and 40’s I used to look at my parents and other family members who I thought at the time were OLD and think…they’re wasting the best part of their days in bed. I’ll never do that. Yes, napping gets a bad rap. I thought that napping is for lazy, old, or those who had no purpose in life, until I took a look at the REST of the animal world and realized how much time my dog sleeps every day. It’s pretty impressive. Could we benefit from a regular nap every day as well? For the past few years, I’ve been hitting the bed for a little snooze in the middle of the day and WHAT a difference it made.

Napping can bring you both physical and psychological benefits:

1. Less fatigue. Studies have shown that napping is a terrible substitute for a good night of sleep when it comes to physical restoration. For example, you won’t recover better from an intense workout by taking naps. However, you WILL feel less tired and refreshed if you take a nap.
2. More alert. I have found that my alertness is significantly improved with naps. Do you know that dreaded feeling of physical and mental fatigue that hit you in the afternoon? A nap is a perfect way to overcome that. You’ll feel like a new person.
3. Better focus. With that alertness comes greater focus. You’ll find it easier to control your attention with less daydreaming or mind wandering. If you always find yourself struggling later in the day to keep your mind on task, a nap might be just the answer.
4. Enhanced mood. Naps have been shown to increase contentedness. Who doesn’t feel a little better after a good nap? I think my wife actually likes it BEST when I take a nap because I know that I’m a much nicer person when I do.
5. Greater performance. If you’re less tired, more alert, more focused, and are in a better mood, you’re going to perform at a higher level. Naps are magical that way.
6. Increased learning and memory. There are certain types of learning and memory that seem to be greatly enhanced by napping. If you’re taking a night class, a nap beforehand is a good idea. If you find yourself only getting through a few pages of that book you’ve been trying to read, a nap might be the answer.  If your memory is less than ideal, try a nap and see if that helps.
7. More productive hours. A nap seems to reset your brain. It’s like you have a whole new day ahead of you. An afternoon nap can give you several more hours of that get-up and go. Consider how little you probably get done later in the day now. That time might best be used for napping instead of that 3:00 slump that you’re used to having.
8. Boost immune system. I learned that there are countless studies that have shown a positive effect of naps on our immune system. Naps can help to keep you healthy. They’ve even found that naps are especially helpful during flu season. A nap a day might keep the doctor away better than that apple (but, you can still eat an apple…because it tastes goo).
9. Improved physical stamina. Working out, lifting, etc., are all strengthened with naps. This has been demonstrated in athletes, soldiers, and even weekend golfers like me. Do you feel weak and ineffectual? A nap might be in order.

A few final tips to keep in mind:

• You need to figure out just how much time you need to nap. This varies from person to person. Naps from 30-60 minutes work best for most people, but each person is a little different. Experiment and see what works best for you.
• Use an alarm. If you’re worried about oversleeping, you’ll be less likely to fall asleep and sleep soundly.
• Be consistent. You might feel a little groggy the first few times you try napping. Stick with it. Try to be consistent with your napping schedule, and your body will adapt.

Napping costs nothing, feels good, and benefits your mind and body in so many ways. You’ll accomplish more and smile more while doing it. Avoid believing the naysayers and test it out for yourself. Napping is a great tool for increasing productivity and performance.

I do. For me, it’s usually an old TV show. It would be fine if it was something that I hadn’t seen before, but I get pulled in to shows like Matlock or Perry Mason on a daily basis, and yes, I’ve seen some of these episodes 2- 3 – or even 4 times before. That got me to thinking that it might not just be me.

Check out the 5 most common ways you waste time every day.

Do you find yourself doing any of them? I’ ‘ll be dollars to donuts that you do. That’s why I’ve also included some time management strategies that can help you become more efficient and productive and be able to get the most out of your day. Let’s get started.

5 of the Biggest Timewasters of Your Day

Even if you’re one of the more dedicated and organized people out there, you still waste time. Whether you work from home or in the office, we’re all guilty of getting distracted and losing focus. It may not be deliberate and you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it until it’s too late.

Here are 5 ways you might be wasting time every day. See if you can relate.

1.      Social Media/Emails/Texts

It’s become a vital part of our lives. But the world won’t stop turning if you don’t look at your social media for 15 minutes.

Another big distraction is hearing that too familiar ‘ding’ that comes with a new email or text message. It prevents you from finishing the task at hand because you keep looking at your phone every five minutes.

Picture this scenario: you’re in the middle of work when your phone beeps. You reach for your phone to see your incoming message. So, you go from message to email to Facebook to Instagram. Then, when you’re done, you notice that 20 minutes have gone by.

Research shows that each time you get distracted, even for a couple of minutes, your brain needs more than 20 minutes to refocus. Imagine how much wasted time that amounts to at the end of the day!

The Fix: Avoid randomly checking social media, emails, or texts. Instead, set up a certain time during your day for doing just that. In the meantime, turn off any notifications or mute your phone.

2.      Organizing and Preparing

You’re probably wondering: how is this a time-waster? But too often we fall down the rabbit hole of ‘organizing’ our day. Sometimes, we take too far that we actually run out of time to do any of the things on our list.

The Fix: Find an online planner and to-do-list. Then, pick one day out of the week where you plan out the whole seven days in advance. Schedule work-related projects, meetings, and deadlines. You can also include a workout schedule and get-togethers with friends.

3.      Multitasking

Multitasking: another thing that we do to trick ourselves into believing we’re being productive. Yet, the sad truth is, multitasking wastes a ton of time.

It’s counter-productive when your attention is divided among several tasks at once. In other words, it’s just another form of distraction.

The Fix: It’s simple. Just put all your attention and focus on one task at a time. When you’re done, move on to the next task, and so on.

4.      Checking the News

In this day and age, it seems something is happening in the news every five minutes. So, it’s easy to use the news as an excuse for procrastination. After all, we all want to be in the loop when it comes to politics, sports, and local news.

The Fix: Force yourself to stay away from checking news updates every half hour. You can use sheer self-discipline, or you can use a site blocker.

One great example is the Stay Focused Chrome app. It helps you ‘hide’ certain websites for, say, 45 minutes. Then, tell the app you want to spend 20 minutes on the so-and-so website. After the 20 minutes are done, the app will block you again until your next break.

5.      Errands and Chores

The problem isn’t with the errands or chores themselves; it’s when you do them. Running errands during rush hour is one of the biggest time wasters ever!

Doing chores is another. You might be sitting at your desk, working away when you notice a dusty shelf or a cluttered drawer. So, you do the responsible thing and start dusting and decluttering.

You tell yourself that it’ll only take five minutes. Then, when you’re done cleaning the entire room/office, the day is over! And you still haven’t finished what you’re initially working on.

The Fix: Plan your errands ahead when you know there’ll be less traffic. Also, try to do your shopping when you know the stores won’t be as crowded and they’re in their least peak hours.

As for chores, set up one or two days during the week when you do all the dusting, cleaning, and decluttering. This way, even if you see catches your attention, you can push back in your mind and wait until ‘chore day’ rolls around.

A Final Note

We all get the same amount of time each day: 86,2400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours. It’s up to you to figure out how you’re going to spend that time. Sadly, many of us spend our days doing things that don’t really add any value to our lives—or anyone else’s for that matter.

The good news is you can train yourself to focus more and have fewer distractions. Make a conscious effort to add purpose and value to your life and follow through. You’ll soon notice you’re getting more done during your day than ever before!

People like us who love golf will tell you they love the challenge, they love the fresh air, and the relaxed pace a round of golf offers.  While golf and investing might seem like opposite activities, they actually share a LOT of similarities. If you can improve at one, it’s likely you can improve at the other. All it takes is a little….practice.

1. It takes time to develop the skills. Becoming a good golfer requires a lot of effort and time. All of that time at the driving range helps. So does becoming a skilled investor.
2. Both golf and investing require expert instruction to reach your potential. Even the best golfers have a coach that they work with. You might not hire expert instruction directly for your investments, but you can purchase books, subscribe to blogs, podcasts, and other sources of information.
3. It’s easy to get into trouble quickly. One golf shot into the water or out of bounds can be disastrous. One poor investment might not destroy your portfolio, but it can come close if you don’t handle the mistake quickly and properly.
4. To be successful, it’s important to focus your thoughts. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thoughtful and intelligent. It means that emotions can force you to make poor decisions. Nearly all investors have made at least one terrible financial decision from an emotional purchase.
5. Be patient. Quickly made decisions are quite often poor decisions. Take the necessary time to make a good decision. Rushing a golf shot rarely turns out well. Jumping to conclusions about an investment leads to very similar results.
6. Fancy tools are not the answer. Golf technology improves by leaps and bounds each year. Courses that held professional tournaments in the past are frequently too short for the great new clubs and balls. That being said, the average player doesn’t seem to improve his score even WITH all of the advanced technology. Investing theories, tools, and software get more sophisticated each year, too. All of these fancy tools have never been shown to improve the results of the average investor.

7. Short-term results are not always an indicator of long-term results. One great shot doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a great golfer. One horrible game doesn’t suddenly mean that you’re a horrible golfer. Just because a stock has gone up 10 times in the last several years doesn’t mean it can’t go even higher!

8. It’s always about risk management. The best golfers are great at hitting the ball, staying cool, and managing risk on the course. It’s not always easy to decide whether to lay-up or to go for the flag. Risk is a significant part of investing, too.
9. Casual advice is often bad advice. Every golfer has had a friend, stranger, or playing companion provide advice on his swing. The casual investing advice from a well-meaning friend is about as useful. If you’re going to take advice, be sure to take it from a real expert!
10. Know exactly where you want to go. If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you end up in a good place? Each shot on the golf course requires a target. This target is chosen based on the obstacles and the location of the hole. Your investing must have a target as well. Ask yourself “what are your investing goals?”

Golf and investing might not seem to have a lot in common at first glance, but they actually do share many similarities. The same ideas that allow a golfer to become great will allow an investor to do the same. Planning, patience, and expert instruction are a great way to improve your odds of success.

One of my favorite things to do for New Year’s Day is brunch. As a former restaurant owner and cook, I’m pretty good in the kitchen. The only thing that I can’t do is bake. Whipping up a classic dish of eggs benedict and putting some delicious sweets out on the table, a hearty cup of coffee, and some great cocktails is my way of ringing in the new year. I guess that I’m more of a start your day type vs. a stay out all night and party night.

I’m happy to share with you some of the cocktails, coffee, and sweet treats that I will be sharing on our New Year’s Day table this year. Feel free to directly shop from the pages and create a ritual that you will follow year after year with the help of this guide. I’m not a resolution type of guy, so there will probably be delicious food, great drinks, and football games on my schedule all day.

Check out the other sites hosting this guide

• Champagne Living
• Home Food Fun
• Controlled Confusion
• Tools2Tiaras
• Garage Rant