Tips for Cooking on a Tight Schedule

    From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don't cook more often: ability, money and time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Money is a topic I'll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule:

    1）. Think ahead. The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I'm already hungry and there's nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    2）. Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal.

    3）.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.

    Hopefully that gives a good start. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And don't let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live!

    Less is more. This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, relax instead of stressing, and slow down instead of speeding up. Apply these principles(原则) in your everyday life. You will then find yourself well along on your journey to simplification.

Separate Your Actions

    When you concentrate on one task, you find you have energy that you didn't even know you had. Just imagine: you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards. If you carry two, it will take forever. But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your strength and make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back and get the other one, and carry the second pig to the finish line, then you can be sure of success.

Say “No” Firmly

    If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day are not enough for all the things you need to do, then it's not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities. The solution is equally simple: say no to accept so much work in your private life or your working life.

Allow Yourself to Be Weak

     “I can deal with stress” is regarded as a positive statement in the world of work. People who can deal with stress are given more and more to — until one day they break.

Pay careful attention to the signs that tell you that you are under more stress than you can deal with. If you become ill, or your work efficiency decreases, change your life goals. Say quite openly, “I can't manage that.”

Stop Expecting Everything to Be Perfect

     “If only I were slimmer, more beautiful, richer, more clever, then I would be happier.” This is a dream that makes a lot of people ill, and unhappy. Life is imperfect. Only those who accept this reality can lead a really full life.

    Of course there are activities in which errors are dangerous: driving a car; crossing the road. But life doesn't entirely have these things. In among them there is possibility that you may make small and large mistakes.

Escape Now and Then

    Successful people all have their own places where they can be left alone in order to work. Find out which places improve your creativity. For me it's the train. When I know that I'm going to be traveling for four hours without phone calls or people knocking on my door, I find my mind is free and I can read or write articles.

    Let's face it: homework can be almost as frustrating for parents as it is for kids. Getting kids to do their homework can be a challenge, and when they do sit down to study, a variety of other problems can appear.

    Doing homework may not be as fun as playing video games or chatting with friends, but it shouldn't be something that kids hate. Your children's assignments should not be busywork, but should help them build a skill or learn something new.

    You can offer help by stepping in to answer questions or offer encouragement. This gives you a chance to see what they are learning and how well they understand the material. It helps you understand their learning style and shows you care about their education.

    Many kids refuse to study by asking why they have to learn things they'll never use in real life. If your son or daughter shows little interest in their assignments, you can make them seem more important by pointing out ways you use them in daily life.

    Parents who feel that their kids have too much homework can talk about it with the teachers, but they're in the minority. A 2007 survey showed that 15 percent of parents said their kids had too much homework. About 60 percent said the homework load was just right, and 25 percent thought their children had too little homework.

    If you think it takes your child too long to finish homework, try to determine whether the problem lies in having too much work or managing time poorly. One of the things homework is supposed to do is to teach time management.

    If your child feels bored while doing homework, consider the following suggestions to make study sessions more enjoyable.

    Get help from friends: if your children are struggling with an assignment, let them call a friend for help or invite a friend over to work on it with them. You might also invite neighborhood kids over and let them do homework together. Have them sit around the dining table and help each other.

    Add physical activities: set mini-goals for homework and allow time for stretching, jumping around, or a snack after each goal is completed. For a kid who can't sit still, find active ways to study.

    Turn the tables: let your children teach you a lesson. Let them give you a quiz on the things they have just learned.

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    Sometimes willpower is a lot like the television remote control- hard to find just when you want it most. Whether you're trying to lose weight, stop smoking, get to the gym regularly, developing your sense of willpower is an important part of changing any behavior. Breaking a bad habit or forming a new and healthy one can be difficult. But there are ways to increase your willpower.

    Don't try to change your social situation, win a high position and lose weight all on the same morning. Set one clear, specific goal and make a realistic plan for achieving it. Extra willpower sometimes requires extra energy, so don' push yourself too hard. Focus on one goal at time.

    Whatever your goal is, don't expect to achieve it immediately. If you are trying to break a caffeine habit, start by replacing your morning cup of coffee with a glass of water, instead of vowing （发誓） never to drink coffee again Congratulate yourself on the small achievements that will lead to a larger one. These successes help your willpower grow.

    Improve your willpower by a support network. Ask friends, family or colleagues for help and tell them exactly how they can help. If your credit card bills have increased sharply, for example, let friends know that you are reducing costs. Suggest having a common dinner instead of meeting at an expensive restaurant Find a support group or organization related to your goal and attend their meetings. You can get valuable advice, understanding and information there.

    If possible, change your environment to encourage positive behavior. Want to get in shape? Keep an extra set of workout clothes in your office as a reminder to stop by the gym on the way home. Giving up smoking? Don't go to bars or restaurants where you might be attracted to light up.

    Sometimes changing your behavior requires more than willpower. If you are struggling with a bad habit or want to make an important lifestyle change, seek the support of a professional. An expert may be able to provide related support or medical treatment if necessary.

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    In an ideal world, we usually get eight hours of sleep every night, and wake up with enough energy before work. But when we're struggling to balance the responsibilities of everyday life, cutting back on sleep seems to be the only solution. Many of us rely on coffee or energy drinks to get us through the day, instead of making sleep a priority. Sadly, as delicious as it can be, caffeine is not the solution. Being tired not only brings down our energy levels, but also makes us less productive and less motivated. There are concrete steps you can take right now to renew your energy.

    Awareness comes first because you have to understand what's going on before you can do anything to change it. Most of us are too busy to notice how fatigue(疲劳) really affects our bodies and minds. What signs of trouble do you regularly display? The patterns of your signs of trouble can give you clues about the negative effects of your fatigue. In addition, it's wise to start thinking about whoever can feel the effects of your fatigue.

    Reflecting on the choices you've made can provide clarity, which will help you figure out what needs to be changed. During this reflection, you will be able to understand more about yourself and why you do the things you do. You may decide to forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made. Thinking about the positive aspects of your life will make you feel refreshed and ready to move forward.

    Conversing with others not only provides support, but also leads to new perspectives and feedback that can help with treatment and what you need to heal. To start with, have an open mind and an open heart. Limit complaining. Complaints may need to be aired in order to relieve pressure, but if they dominate(占上风), anger will win. Tell the truth. You do not need to tell people everything, but you do need to be honest. Listen carefully because it shows respect.

    The fourth step is about renewal—getting rid of what is bringing you down and making a fresh start. It's helpful to break the process down. It is easier to make small adjustments than big ones. On occasion, the small steps alone can remove fatigue. For instance, you may not need to change your career but change emphasis. If you feel hopelessly dragged down by fatigue, self­care may be the best prescription.