Problem: Article: Monitor what you do on a daily basis and make a note of how much time you spend doing it. You might be surprised by how much time you actually waste throughout the day when compared to the actual amount of work you get done. Remember to also keep track of mundane tasks, like making breakfast, cleaning the house, showering, etc. Once you have figured out what you do each day and how much time you spend doing it, write it into a notebook. Putting all of this information into one place and seeing it on one page will allow you to identify patterns and, potentially, areas where you may be wasting your time. Be comprehensive and clear when making entries into this notebook. Don't conflate separate events into one entry, don't overlook minor tasks, and be sure to write out exact times when assessing how your day breaks down. It can be helpful to categorize certain types of activities. For example, write household chores in blue, work activities in red and leisure activities in black. This will help you visualize how your time is being spent. An hour a day spent zoning out? 2 hours to decide where to eat? 8 hours surfing the internet? Look for patterns in how you spend your time and determine what is necessary and what it is not. Do you waste time because you lack self-control? Do you procrastinate too often? Do you take on too much responsibility? These are all questions you need to ask yourself while assessing how you spend your time. You may find that you break up activities throughout your day in ways that don't make sense. For example, it is probably not wise to work for a half hour, then spend 10 minutes dealing with trivial matters, just to come back to work for another half hour. You will be more focused and productive if you just work for an hour and deal with trivial matters at a later time. It is best to attack your tasks by "chunking". Chunking is a method in which you dedicate a predetermined amount of time to a single task without distractions. Now that you know exactly where and to what your time goes, start making active adjustments to your schedule. Make sure you identify areas that can't or shouldn't be reduced simply for time concerns. Just because something takes a long time doesn't mean it is time wasted. However, if you are sending four or five personal emails between the work emails, you can definitely reduce the amount of time you dedicate to emails. Whatever your time management problem may be, there is a solution. Once you have decided where you waste time or how you should be spending your time, you will need to make a concerted effort to change your time management habits. If you are spending too much time cleaning your house or cooking your meals, considering hiring domestic help like a maid or a cook. For some people, their time is more valuable than their money. Maybe you spend a good chunk of your day surfing the internet aimlessly. You can restrict your access to the certain internet sites or social networking accounts when you are supposed to be working on something else.
Summary: Keep track of daily activities. Log all of your activities in a notebook. Assess how your time is spent. Consider adjustments. If you spend 3 hours a day sending work-related emails, it is unlikely you will be able to reduce the amount of time spent on this activity. Change your habits and norms.

Problem: Article: Turn the oven on to 250 degrees F (121 C). Move the rack in your oven so that it's in the center. This will ensure that the sweet potato chips bake evenly. You should also set aside one or two baking sheets. Consider using rimmed baking sheets. The rims can prevent the cooked sweet potato chips from sliding off of the sheet as you remove them from the oven. Scrub two large sweet potatoes under cold water and dry them completely. Take a sharp knife and cut the sweet potatoes into very thin slices (as thin as you can get them). You could also use a mandolin and slice them on the thinnest setting. A mandolin will give you more uniform chips. You may want to use organic sweet potatoes since you'll be leaving the skins on the potatoes. Studies on pesticides in potatoes found that pesticides are concentrated in the peel. Place your sliced sweet potato chips into a large mixing bowl and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the chips. Use a spoon to toss the mixture so the sweet potato chips are completely covered with the oil. If you'd like a spicier chip, you can also sprinkle 1/4 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper on the sweet potatoes. For a sweet and salty chip, you could add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup when you drizzle the olive oil over the chips. Place the chips on one or two baking sheets so that they're laying flat in a single layer. Bake the chips for one hour. Remove them from the oven and carefully flip the chips. Return the chips to the oven and bake them for another hour. Flipping the sweet potato chips halfway through cooking helps the chips crisp up on both sides. The chips are done once they're crisp and golden brown in color. If the chips were a little thick (more than 1/4 inch thick), they may be firm or tender in the center. Remove the sweet potato chips from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes. Once they've cooled and crisped, you can serve them. The sweet potato chips won't stay crispy for very long, so try to use them immediately. If you must store them, keep them in an airtight container.
Summary: Heat the oven and adjust the rack. Wash and slice the sweet potatoes. Oil and season the chips. Bake the sweet potato chips. Remove the sweet potato chips.

Problem: Article: Mental health is an important part of feeling fit and beautifully healthy. It can be hard to have a positive body image when we are inundated with pictures of very thin actresses and models. But there are ways you can learn to feel good about yourself, no matter your shape. A positive body image will help you stay motivated to eat healthy and work out. Find something you like about your looks and make that your focus. For example, if you have been running a lot lately, compliment yourself on how strong your legs are looking. Avoid negativity. Try not to criticize yourself. It's fine to want to make changes, but try to give yourself encouragement, rather than tearing yourself down. For example, instead of feeling bad about eating a bag of cookies, say to yourself, "I guess now I have extra motivation to do 20 extra sit-ups tomorrow!" Body image is all about how you feel about how you look. So try to focus on positive feelings. Focus on the good things your body does for you, like give you the energy to play with your dog. When you feel healthy, you will also feel more fit and beautiful. Don't worry about the numbers on the scale. Instead, focus on how strong you feel and how your clothes fit. Base your personal fitness assessment on your energy levels and overall health, not on your weight. It can be tempting to judge yourself based on how other people look. But experts say that comparing yourself to others can be damaging. For instance, it can lower your sense of self-worth. That can lead to lower self-esteem, and lower energy levels. Make your own goals. Trying to look like someone else isn't going to help you achieve your goals. Instead, assess your fitness level by noting if you've made improvements and if you can see and feel a difference in your body. Think about your body frame size. Everyone is different. Some people have small frames, while others have a large frame. Yours might be medium. You can figure out your frame size by measuring the circumference of your wrist and consulting a height chart. Remember, if you have a large frame, you will have different weight goals than someone who is naturally smaller. Try keeping a daily journal, where you record positive statements about yourself. You can use this journal to track your exercise and diet, or you can just write down happy, self-affirming thoughts to keep you motivated.
Summary:
Build a positive body image. Focus on how you feel. Don't compare yourself to others.