Hi, kaydee !
Austen-trill-ga's quite right, the Fly Lady site is a good fun look at
getting organised, particularly in the household area.
Several sites have help for improving concentration:
The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Student Development Centre's Learning Skills Services at:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/concentration.html
suggests several reasons for poor concentration from poor organisation
through to work environment and health, and suggests ways of tackling
the problem. They point out that exercise and sport can be just as
effective as meditation and yoga - it's a matter of what suits you.
Virginia Tech also has strategies for improving concentration and
memory at:
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/lynch/ImprovConcentration.htm
They point out:
"Concentration and memory work together but one does not lead to the
other. To concentrate is to direct your mental powers or your efforts
towards a particular activity, subject or problem. Memory is the
ability to remember information, experiences and people. There are
some specific skills that can be learned to enhance both concentration
and memory.
...
Good concentration will enhance memory."
They go on to present a number of on-line exercises and strategies to
help improve concentration.
Virginia Tech also has guidelines for time management skills at:
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/lynch/TimeManagement.htm
And York University offers advice on concentration at:
http://www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/ep/exam6.htm#Improving
particularly in relation to study.
Mind Tools at:
http://www.mindtools.com
has a series of articles on time management skills. They say:
"Time Management Skills - Making the most of your time
This Mind Tools section shows you how to use personal time management
skills. ...
The skills explained in the articles below help you to become reliable
and effective and show you how to identify and focus on the activities
that give you the greatest returns. The section finishes by explaining
goal-setting, which is a vitally important skill for achieving what
you want to achieve with your life."
Chapters include:
Costing Your Time, Deciding Work Priorities, Activity Logs,
Small-Scale Planning, Prioritized To Do Lists, Personal Goal Setting.
They also have a memory improvement section;
"Tools for Improving Your Memory
...The techniques it explains are particularly helpful in studying for
exams or in situations where you need to remember detailed, structured
information. They also make things like learning foreign languages and
remembering people's names much easier.
This section is split into three parts: first of all, the introduction
explains the principles behind the use of mnemonics. We then discuss a
range of individual tools that you can use to remember information.
Finally we discuss how to use the skills in practice to remember
peoples names, languages, exam information, etc."
In the side bars of the Mind Tools web pages they point you to various
books on the subject which are available through Amazon.com and they
also have sections on such topics as stress management and study
skills. They also have links to helpful software such as GoalPro:
http://www.goalpro.com
(30 day free trial version of goal setting software available for
download)
and Online Organizing - a service mark of Creative Solutions for Home
and Office.
http://www.onlineorganizing.com
(English spellers note: it's a "z" not an "s") Here you will find a
variety of products and resources to help you become organized. There
is a Resource Directory including links to scheduling and time
management tools; and there is a Reference Library with organizing
tips for office and home, and a newsletter "Get Organized."
As far as a sense of direction goes I haven't got one, while my
husband always knows where north is and gives all directions by
compass point, which is maddening. And other people give directions on
the lines of "turn left where the fruit market used to be..."
But what I can do is read a map, and then (mostly) remember it. So
memory skills come in here too.
A lovely article on the difference between men and women when it comes
to a sense of direction is at the American Scientist website, the
magazine of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.
http://americanscientist.org/issues/sciobs97/sciobs97-11which.html
It describes the experience of Psychologist MaryAnn Baenninger and
describes her technique for improving a sense of direction through
learning. Among other things, map reading improved direction memory
dramatically.
Finally Dummies.com (the website from those people who publish the
books with titles like "Windows for Dummies" and "Word for Dummies")
lists some on-line mapping services at:
http://www.dummies.com/Travel/Travel_Planning/Travel_Planning_Online/0-7645-0672-2_0009.html
They say:
"The first time you try using an interactive, online mapping site, you
will no doubt be amazed that you can type in two addresses and, after
a few moments, a clear, well-drawn map between the two points will
appear on the screen. What's more, the mapping sites all have many
bells and whistles that make them incredibly easy to use.
The following three sites have proven themselves to be the best bets
when you are in need of a map:
DeLorme's CyberRouter
MapQuest
Maps On Us
Each of the preceding sites can draw you a map of any place in the U.
S. and provide driving directions if you enter a starting and
destination point. The map quality is fairly equal on each. MapQuest
and Maps On Us differentiate themselves by allowing you to enter exact
starting and destination points for driving instructions (door to
door), while DeLorme's CyberRouter only creates city-to-city
directions."
De Lorme's is at:
http://www.earthamaps.com
Map Quest is:
http://www.mapquest.com
I hope this is useful.
Search terms:
improving+memory
improving+concentration
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