Features
Ways to make your life more organised and efficient
It’s once again time to put some New Year’s resolutions in motion. One of the best ones to implement is to make your life more organised and efficient.
Improving your organisational skills offers quite a few benefits. First, you’ll be able to be more efficient no matter what you do. It’s far easier to practise efficiency when you’re not burdened by chaos.
Secondly, you’ll be able to lower your stress level. According to the American Institute of Stress, more than half of all the people in our country deal with daily stress. You’ll gain health advantages if you can wean yourself off the stress machine by being better organised.
When you’re organised, you leave room to deal with life’s most unexpected surprises. Anything can happen, from a sudden job offer to a change in your private life. The more energy you’ve devoted toward making your life more organised upfront, the more energy you’ll free up for later.
Only you know what needs to be organised in your world. However, any of the following suggestions should help you achieve your organisation-related resolutions.
Declutter once a month
Clutter is more than just an eyesore or nuisance. All that stuff can be harmful to your mental well-being, too. Clutter has been linked to everything from the development of anxiety to the loss of focus.
The problem with clutter is that it can get out of hand quickly. The only way to end it for good is to go on regular decluttering campaigns. Once a month, mark off at least a day to focus on picking up clutter. If something doesn’t have a home, find one. If you can’t find a place, consider getting rid of the item by selling it, donating it, or throwing it away. By structuring your decluttering efforts, you’ll avoid the clutter getting too massive again.
Lean into Subscription services
We’re living in a subscription service era. Globally, more than three-quarters of people rely on subscription services. Why shouldn’t they? The right subscription can ship anything to your door at the cadence you prefer. That means fewer trips to stores and no more running out of the stuff you need.
Now, you can have anything sent to you regularly. With the availability of many subscription services, you can always have just what you need when you need it. Don’t assume you can’t get subscriptions for a particular product. However, you might be surprised by all the subscriptions waiting for you to discover them.
Schedule all your personal appointments
Many of us spend our lives overcrowding our business calendars. The problem is that a business calendar can bleed into the personal realm pretty fast. Suddenly, you realise that you’re trying to fit gym visits and dental appointments around work. That’s a backward approach and can cut into your work-life balance.
Solving this issue is best handled as a two-step process. First, consolidate all your calendars into one calendar that can be your source of truth. Then, take time to block off all your personal time. Don’t limit yourself to just outside meetings, either. Instead, set aside time for all critical moments, such as family walks or soccer pick-up trips.
You’re actually retraining your brain to weigh your personal commitments as important. Too often, those of us who are high achievers end up making too many time-related sacrifices for our occupations. Prioritising time for you allows you to enjoy your off-hours without guilt.
Delegate
Delegation is a wonderful tool to get your life more organised. Remember: When you’re trying to do everything, you’re bound to stretch yourself way too thin. And that tends to be when mistakes happen. By giving some of your duties to others, you set the stage to be able to do your best more often.
Be sure to delegate at home and not just on the job, though. Many people forget that delegating to a partner or child can be just as advantageous as delegating to a colleague. So, for example, if your spouse has time to do something and you don’t, delegation makes sense.
At first, you might find it a little challenging to delegate. But, in time, you’ll begin to get more accustomed to the feeling of passing off some of your to-dos.
Set up a household budget
Want to be more organised with your finances, so you know where money is going? Make this year the one when you finally set up a household budget. Of course, you don’t need any fancy software, either. But a spreadsheet listing your monthly income and expenses is a fantastic beginning.
Once you have your spreadsheet in hand, you can begin to drill down and get your life more organised with your money. You might notice, for instance, that you’re living paycheck to paycheck. In that case, you could consider spending less in some of your “expense” categories.
Nothing feels worse than realising your spending is out of control. Organising your finances is a surefire path to money management success.
Automate routine bills
Speaking of money, have you ever missed paying a bill? It’s an awful, sinking feeling. It can also have serious ramifications on your credit score if you’re constantly delinquent. Paying bills on time, every time, is essential for your financial health.
As long as you’re on top of your budget and make sure you have enough money in your accounts, try automating your bills. Many utility providers and other suppliers allow you to give them the ability to pull money monthly. You’ll get an email or text notification receipt but won’t have to take any extra steps.
In addition to making sure you don’t get any “past due” notices, you’ll lower your stress level. Knowing that you have covered your bills removes any concerns that you will wreck your credit.
Say “no” more often
Funny enough, most people don’t say “no” as much as they say “yes.” Yet refusing to add more to your plate can be a good thing. On the other hand, when you constantly take on more responsibilities, you can wind up in burnout territory.
You can plan on feeling a little awkward at saying “no” if it’s not your go-to response. The awkwardness could be even more pronounced if you’re declining more work from your boss. However, as long as you’re upfront about your capacity and not defiant, you can make “no” work in your favour.
Remind yourself that telling others your bandwidth is okay. Most people will understand, including your employer. However, by embracing “no,” you’ll bypass the feeling of sinking underwater or getting lost in impossible-to-meet deadlines.
This year, give yourself the gift of organisation. Then, you’ll have more room for enjoyable experiences and perhaps become an efficient role model for those around you.
Features
The Prophet part 4
Antobam woke up with a terrible headache. He checked the time on his mobile phone, 2:30 am. “What! Where is the money?” He asked aloud. “Where are those girls? Why did I drink so much of that whisky? What were those two girls up to?” He sat up on the bed and noticed a bulge close to the pillow.
He lifted the mattress and picked up the newspaper wrappers with the neatly arranged notes. He saw the neatly written record of the value of the notes. No, those girls are not thieves.
“It was my mistake. If I hadn’t drank myself to sleep they would be here in bed with me, giving me the time of my life. Pretty girls, those two. And so loyal and honest. Tomorrow will be different.”
“I will not drink any whisky, and I will show them that I am a real man. Just then he heard the whispers. Very soon it will be time, they seemed to be saying. This is an important day.”
The gold dealer will bring lots of money. Give him some of the liquid to drink, and we will prepare him. He will do very big business, and he will give you anything you ask for. There will be more miracles and testimonies today.
Antobam smiled to himself. “I am going to be a very rich man in only a few days man. Money, power, and women. Wow! Antobam got to the grounds at 5, but there were quite a number of people waiting.
Mr Kwame Dofu was among them. He greeted them all, and they came around to shake his hand. “My brothers and sisters, I assure you that whatever your problem is, you will not go home without a solution.” Shouts of “Amen” “thank” you Osofo and “you are a true man of God” responded.
“Please take your seats, and start talking to the great one about whatever bothers you. Before the service is over, there will be a solution.” He waved Mr Dofu over, and went with him to the wooden structure that serves as a temporary office.
“My brother, I have done quite a lot of work on the issue you came to see me about. I have prepared a special, powerful package for you. Take this, drink it, and go back to your business. I want to see you in two weeks.”
Beaming with smiles, Mr Dofu drank the foul smelling liquid in two gulps, said a big thank you to Antobam and took his leave. “I believe you, Papa Osofo. And I assure you that I will reward you, big time.”
Just when Osofo Antubam finished with Mr Dofu, Mary and Suzzie went over to him. “Good Morning ladies. I am very sorry about yesterday. I drank too much of the stuff you gave me. Today will be different, I assure you.”
“Don’t worry, Osofo. Since you are now setting things up, our main concern now is to help you to put things in place, and to make you comfortable. We are always there to serve you. This morning, Osofo, we want to go and clean up your place, and prepare something nice for you when you close.
And before coming to church, we will pass by the bank and collect the forms. After you have signed them, the account will be open. You can check the payments anytime and, of course, issue cheques whenever you need money.”
“Suzzie and Mary, I am happy I picked the two of you from the very start. Listen, I will take good care of you, okay? Here is some money. Buy whatever you need for the errands you have mentioned.
And here is the key. Please come back as early as you can. You know I need you here.” The service was very lively. The lively singing of praise songs was followed by one and a half hours of testimonies.
Most of them related to money – big sales, new jobs and overdue debts paid. But there were also testimonies about healing. Barren women had taken seed, and, of course, several men who had lost their bedroom authority had regained them, to the delight of their partners.
As he had promised, Antobam preached for only 30 minutes, exhorting the congregation to attend church regularly, pay their tithes and offerings, and strictly follow his ‘directions’ for securing solutions to their problems.
After another round of praises during which the congregation danced to the floor to drop their offering, he closed the service, grabbed the big bowl which was full to the brim with money, and moved to his desk. A long queue was quickly formed at the desk.
Meanwhile, Mary and Suzzie had gone to give Antobam’s place quite a decent look. A new bedsheet and pillows, a secondhand carpet and four plastic chairs placed in the verandah had done the trick.
They also prepared two fish and chicken stews. After all these, they rushed to the National Savings Bank and collected application forms for opening current and savings accounts.
They joined the service a few minutes before the main session closed. Antobam looked round and saw, to his relief, Mary and Suzzie moving towards him. “Hello ladies. What have you been up to?” “Quite a bit, Osofo. We’ve just collected your drink. Here you are. We’ve made a few changes at your place. I think you will like it. You will also have something nice to eat. Now, here are the forms for the savings and current accounts.
If you will sign them, the bank will open the account. From today, we can pay all monies direct into the account.” ‘How can I thank you, ladies?” “You don’t need to thank us,” Suzzie said. “It is our duty to help a man of God succeed.” “Okay, my ladies, please take the offerings and count them as you did yesterday.
You can add the payments made after the consultations. Will it be possible to pay them into the account today?” “Yes,” Mary said. “The bank closes at four. If we leave here at three, we would be there just in time.”
The two friends started counting, as Osofo Antobam gave his clients his directions for solving their problems. On quite a few occasions he closed his eyes as if he was receiving direction from above on what to do.
But as the fetish priest at the Nana Kofi Broni shrine and the dwarfs had assured him, the solutions would certainly be provided. Having heard the huge testimonies earlier in the day, the clients parted with substantial sums of money in expectation.
By Ekow de Heer
Features
The issue of spiritual father in our churches
A student was supposed to go to school as the natural cause of events should be when universities or schools in general opens but this was not the case in a certain young man’s life.
He decided to postpone his trip because apparently he could not get to meet his pastor, his spiritual father. The question is, should this spiritual father die, will the young man’s life come to an end?
Does it mean in such an instance, he is going to curtail his education? This is a worrying trend in a lot of churches where the pastors use this notion of spiritual father to manipulate members especially the youth.
Some unscrupulous pastors utilise this spiritual father concept to have affairs with gullible young ladies in their churches.
Now with homosexuality gradually making inroads into some of the churches, young men are becoming vulnerable to pastors who have hidden homosexual inclinations.
This spiritual father concept is a Biblical concept that runs through both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. We see it in 2 Kings 4:12 where Gehazi is serving Elisha and also in the New Testament we see Paul relating to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2 as a Spiritual Father.
In fact, the concept of spiritual father is a good thing if executed according to the word of God since it helps in guiding the younger ones. However, it becomes problematic when it is being executed by unscrupulous wolves in sheepskins as described by Jesus in Mathew 7:15.
I see it as a way that these unscrupulous so-called men of God maintain their hold on the congregants so they do not question their unchristian actions.
One of the things I have observed since I got born again many years ago is that, any pastor who often insists that members recognise that he is their spiritual father is a warning sign that he is doing some wrong things or is about to indulge in some wrong things.
A parent complained about how his daughter was being influenced by a pastor of the church she attends and how worried he was. I am sure there are many parents out there with stories to tell about how their wards are being made to see their pastors almost like their Jesus.
These pastors have managed to make their congregants so loyal to them and to believe in them so much that it is terrifying, as a parent.
The way things are going, an immediate intervention is required otherwise I am not a prophet of doom but I forsee unfortunate instances where parents burst into church auditoriums and star shooting some Pastors out of frustration and anger.
We cannot look on unconcerned as a society and allow unscrupulous fraudsters using the name of God to create problems for families. My recommendation is for a certain amount of regulation in order to bring some sanity in religious practices.
I agree that ordinarily regulating religious practices makes it a bit restrictive in terms of freedom of worship as enshrined in our constitution but given the way things are going, a bit of regulation will not be out of place.
Disgusting stuff are being attributed to some men of God. There are cases of manipulation of young ladies and sometimes married women by so called men of God and it is bringing Christianity and therefore the name of the Lord into disrepute.
Christianity is gradually losing its attractiveness as a result of the negative reportage resulting from disgusting stuff happening in Christian circles. The way some pastors have been manipulating congregants to take money from them leaves much to be desired to the point where they are convincing some of the youth to give out their phones. May God help us.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
