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chimswae · 4 years

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BTS Caretaker Ch1

Summary: She may think she has Bangtan Sonyeondan wrapped around her fingers. She may think it is easy to love the members equally without hurting any soul. She may think the boys wont fall head over heels for her. She assumes it is okay to show a little love and affection towards the boys, what if she gets it all wrong? What if it only brings more complication to her already complicated life? Can she survive their charms? Will she be able to resist them? What if they just wont let her go?

- Pairing: BTS x Oc ( Yoongi x OC, Jungkook x OC, Jikook~)

- Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Romance, Idol!au

- Word Count: 2,161

-Author Note: I crosspost this story from my Asianfanfic/Wattpadd account. Mind you, clicheness OVERLOADS.

Chapter 1

“Ahjumma’s food. I can smell it from miles away. Yums..” the maknae line hollered excitedly as they made their way inside without even taking off their socks properly. Stood behind them in line were the hyung lines which only shook their head in amusement. They just got back from a 11-hour practice yet those boys still had some energy stored in them.

Age aint just a number for sure.

Taehyung and Jimin voice were so loud which could shake the whole building “AS EXPECTED AHJUMMA COOKED THE BEST FOOD” Jin smacked their back head lightly accompanied with soft grunt.

“Clean yourself first, this food need to be reheat first” as usual Jin would take charge when it came to kitchen issues. Taehyung puckered his lips in protest and shot the older boy a stern look sending there-is-no-way-im-listening-to-you message which only being ignored by him.

Jimin cracked a grin as his eyes sunk into his signature eyes smile “I will be here in 10 minutes” he paraded to his room happily. Jin watched his figure disappeared with a soft sigh “And, how about you?” turning to face hungry Jungkook, the younger guy only rolled his eyes earning a smack on his forearm.

“HYUNG WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” bewildered, he half-yelled.

“Manners Jeon Gukkie” said the leader. Jungkook pursed his lips looking awfully sulky as he made his way to his room to get changed before his hyungs goofed around making fun of him again. Like a routine, every time they reached their place, meals would already lay flat on the table for them to savour. Even though it was weird to eat something without knowing the caretaker lady’s face, they were aware the lady was like a mother to them.

Every single day without failed, the caretaker lady or they preferably called as “Ahjumma” would prepare a simple meal for the seven boys. However, due to the nature of her contract with Bighit the ahjumma is not allowed to perform her task when the boys were around. She would only be there early in the morning daily except in certain occasion whereby the boy had no schedule ahead then she would come as per requested by BTS manager.

Therefore, none of the boys had ever met the caretaker lady face to face. Entering to her third year working with the boys, the caretaker lady knew almost everything about them just by cleaning their dorm. Yes, the dorm would not be in a good shape if it weren’t for the caretaker lady. The place was big enough for everyone to stay in comparison to their old dorm back then.

Make it big or not, they are still guys. Some may take time to clean after their mess but the nature of their career restricts them to perform even a simplest task like doing their own laundry. Now and then Jungkook would be in charge doing their laundry however nowadays they were so cramped with awards shows and tours ahead.

There were lots of things to be prepared at once, and the guys barely got time to even shut their eyes properly in a day. Poor boys.

Like a flash, Jungkook and Jimin came running to the kitchen taking their seat looking all ready to gobble down the food. At time like this, they really missed homecooked food. They are grateful for caretaker Ahjumma’s food that kept them fit and healthy all these years. Unlike before their debut days, the company could only afford them simple snacks which were not enough for grown up boys like them.

“I wonder when will we ever get to meet this caretaker Ahjumma” the youngest one mumbled between his bite.

Jimin shrugged “According to Sejin hyung, she is not allowed to work when we are around. The nature of the contract I guess” he felt someone sank in a seat beside him lazily. Lazy but hungry Min Yoongi.

Yoongi picked up his chopsticks and shoved kimchi in his mouth hastily “The contract is made to protect us”

“The ahjumma is not a sasaeng. It has been 3 years, plus she has been nothing but awfully kind to us. She prepares food for us even though it is not in her job description. Aint that enough to prove she won’t cause any harm?” Jungkook argued with a slight pout.

Sprawled lazily on the couch, Hoseok nodded in agreement as he started to mumble incoherently most likely how it was unfair for not be able to meet the kind lady personally. It was all talk and they couldn’t stop wondering how kind the Ahjumma was in person.

The eldest in the group appeared looking squeaky clean with a gleeful smile plastered on his face “Jungkook, are you falling for this Ahjumma’s charms” he teased. The younger guy flustered in his seat sending a death glare to his hyung’s way.

Jin didn’t stop right there, he heard him continue “Maybe she is not that Ahjumma after all. What if Bang Pd is protecting us from a beautiful caretaker lady?” he hummed as he sat across Jungkook still with that playful smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Mmm.. I don’t think her notes sound so young after all. She used a lot of old words in her writing” Jimin scratched the back of his neck in confusion. How could a person be so clueless and oblivious? It supposed to be a mere tease but he indeed took things quite seriously. Judging by his expression, Jimin was racking his brain to find answer to the relevancy of this matter as per mentioned by Jin.

A soft sigh escaped from Yoongi’s lips in response to his friends’ irrelevant conversation “I am going to sleep. Clean up after eating, don’t put more loads on the ahjumma’s shoulder” he warned before leaving the group.

“Tch, how can he be full by eating kimchi!” Jin cringed in annoyance.

---------------------

Ji Seul, 22 years old, a college dropout.

Alright, cut that college dropout thing. She’s diligently working in a bubble tea shop and sometimes she would work at 7-eleven just to kill time. Another reason was that, to make more money. Due to financial constraints a year ago, she had to give up her college in exchange to her little brother school fees. The fees on the other hand had hiked up crazily leaving her with no choice but to give up her future.

It was not easy for her mother to raise the siblings alone without external support. The condition of the economy nowadays was not favourable to family with low disposable income like them. Ji Seul worked when she was in college however it came to no avail. For some reason, she performed badly in her first semester. To add to that sappy story of hers, she almost got kicked out due to her poor performance.

If she were to work, she would perform so badly in her tests and projects.

However, if she decided to give up on having a part time job, she could not afford the college fees. And vice versa.

Some might think there was another way to resolve her so called issues. Scholarship? She tried it all, guess the competition was surprisingly high lately. Ji Seul had a decent result to apply for one, but there would always be another person who’s above you after all. That’s life.

She spent her youth time working hard like there is no tomorrow for the sake of her family. As much as she wanted to chase her dreams, she would rather work her ass off for her mother at least. The failure of her mother’s marriage literally messed up everything. Let’s not talk about her typical shitty life, Ji Seul preferred to let it buried deep in her brain. It was not worth talking anyways.

All she knew, her father was a real jerk for abandoning them.

Ji Seul loathed her father to the core. She would never forgive him for all misery that he had caused to their life.

Placing the last ingredient in her stew, she smiled to herself feeling a little proud of her little accomplishment. Cooking was not easy, and if it weren’t for her annoying little brother, which was not that little, demanded a decent dinner tonight, she did not need to struggle with the recipe. He was old enough to cook a freaking ramen yet he chose to order her around just to piss her off.

“Where is my food?” Ji Hoon blinked with a sly smirk.

Ji Seul scoffed in disbelief “Here..” she kicked his calf as her eyes rolled in annoyance.

“OWW NUNA! THAT IS RUDE!”

“So, your nuna is being rude now? Don’t call me nuna, I am disowning you Hoon” she snickered. Bantering was a usual thing between the Ji’s, the world would be a better place without their existence for sure. The sound of front door being opened averted Ji Seul attention from her brother.

“Im back kids. No one is losing their teeth today, right? I hope” her mother closed the door behind her with a sarcastic remark. Pursing her lips, she took the bag from the older woman’s hand “Don’t worry, our teeth are still intact. But seems like Hoon will be losing his soon” Hoon puffed his cheeks.

“Can both of you behave for one day” she shook her head utterly speechless of her children’s childish behaviour. She went straight to check the food on the stove “Oh you cooked Seul-ah?” Seul broke a wide grin with a nod.

“If it weren’t for me, nuna would not be cooking that stew right now. Amazing, isn’t it?” Hoon replied chirpily.

Snorting under her breath, Seul retorted “For your information, the world does not revolve around you Ji Hoon. So, mother how’s work?” she watched the older woman taking a seat with a fatigue smile. Over years, she could see how older she got. It must not be easy for her to work as a caretaker lady. Her mother cherished her job as BTS’s caretaker because they paid her handsomely and the company really looked after her like a family.

She grew fond of the boys even though they did not have the chance to meet each other just yet. However, it was satisfying to look after the boys just like her own child. She loved her job. If she were given a chance to meet them in the future, she would shower them with lots of good food.

“The boys really made a huge mess. I think they were pretty busy” she chuckled.

She took a sip of the cold drinks as she continued “Jungkook piled up the laundry in his room again. He must have forgotten it while tending other important works like-“ Seul cut her off with a cringe.

“Like his games?” her mother nodded in response, ‘” Lazy bum” she claimed.

“Jungkook is just a kid Seul, let him be” her mother defended.

Seul crossed her arms disliking the fact that this Jungkook person made her mother worked extremely hard today “He is 20 and a grown-up man. He should have cleaned his own mess” Hoon pretended he did not listen to his sister complaints. It had always been like that. Ji Seul appeared to have a personal vendetta against Bangtan Sonyeondan. She knew they were pretty hot nowadays but sadly BTS did not meet her par.

Now and then, she would listen to their songs. Some of the songs are decent enough which gave colour to her already sorrowful life. Nevertheless, that was it. She had no idea who was who, all she knew there were 7 members.

If Ji Seul were like those fangirls, she would be the happiest human being alive for having a connection with BTS. Too bad, she was not into them. She had something better to do, like making money and keeping their stomach full.

“Do you like Jungkook hyung?” Hoon’s voice brought her out of her trance.

Ji Seul facepalmed upon listening to his absurd questions. She let out a low grunt “Jungkook hyung? Are you that friendly with him? Ew that is gross Hoon” she shot him a judgemental look.

“He is older by a year, and I am being polite. You seem to have lots of shitty complaints in your brain when it comes to BTS members. Especially Jungkook hyung” he purposely pressed the hyung part staring at the small girl in front of him.

“Because for some reason mother only talk about him and that other guy Chin?” she blurted out of annoyance.

“It is Jin..” her mother leaned back in her seat with a teasing smile. Now she’s teaming up with Ji Hoon to bring Seul down for good. She added before Seul could continue “He is a good cook..unlike someone” earning a low scowl from Ji Seul.

She had made up her mind to ignore them both.

Her stew needs her attention.

#bts fic #bts fanfic #bts series #jeon jungkook x reader #Yoongi x reader #bts fluff #Bts x oc #btscaretaker #bts idol au

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irwinkitten · 4 years

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missed kisses | m.c

notes: ahhh!!! last day of fic week!! i’ve enjoyed doing this despite how hellish my life has gotten and i am so glad i can still share the snippets of my writing with you guys. we’ll return to semi regular scheduling for future fics after this week!! also a very big thank you to @maluminspace who helped me flesh out the rest of this fic because it was a bit of a bitch to write to begin with lmao. prompts were picked out by @calumsmermaid!! also to my beautiful girl @loveroflrh, happy birthday angel!! i hope you love this one ♥ prompts: “Who hurt you?” | “It’s cold, you should take my jacket.” warnings: small bout of violence. word count: 1.8k

donate to my ko-fi here

Part of you felt dumb for letting yourself get ruled by your emotions. You’d desperately wanted to trust the guy you’d been talking to, learning about and falling for, but life was cruel sometimes.

You’d been talking to him for so many months, both of you having to manage a successful few dates in those months but both of your jobs and lives got in the way of pursuing.

Part of you wanted to give up, just let the cards fall where they may, but then he would say something and you allowed yourself some more time.

But this time, you’d had enough. You’d been sitting at the table waiting for well over an hour.

“Can I just get a check for the drink?” You finally asked your server, shame flooding you as you avoided looking at them. Tonight had not gone well at all.

You sent a text to Michael and you knew that you were going to get the ‘I told you so’ speech, but at this point you were beyond caring. You felt the sting of the rejection and betrayal, and even though you felt silly for feeling emotional over it, you couldn’t stop the frustrated tears.

When the bill showed up, you saw that the drink you’d had, had been paid off so you left the full $30 as a tip to your server instead. Making your way out, the temperature had dropped and you felt silly waiting in the cold without a jacket, but Michael had said he’d pick you up.

And keeping his promise, he pulled up fifteen minutes later, a frown on his features as you climbed into the car, shivering.

“It’s cold, you should take my jacket.” He reached back, tugging his jacket from the backseat before handing it to you. You didn’t protest, pulling it on and holding it tightly to your body as Michael turned up the car heating and made the drive back to yours.

“Do you want me to stop over or did you want to get changed and then come to mine? It’s your show, angel.”

“Can we stay at mine? I know I’ve got ice cream in the freezer and a semi decent meal since I didn’t get to eat.” This stunned him for a moment, a frown marring his features as your body started to relax in the warm interior of the car.

“But I have dogs that would cuddle with you.” His argument was fair, but you shrugged.

“You have a dog that will cuddle with me. South chooses as and when he wants to give his attention. Moose is just a cuddler.” This made him laugh.

“I guess. So back to mine then?” And at his expectant look, you felt your will against him crumble.

“Fine. But if you don’t have any ice cream, you’re buying some for me.” Michael nodded in understanding as he switched lanes and began to make his way back to his.

It took the entire journey to warm up, your hands still shaking slightly when Michael pulled into his driveway, killing the engine and just sitting there with you. Neither of you made a move to leave, so he turned to face you.

“Are you going to stop going out on shitty dates now?” His words caught you off guard, but you shyly nodded at his almost demand. It had you curious.

“Is this something because you don’t want me to keep hurting myself? Because I don’t need that lecture, Mike.” He paused at your words before he slowly shook his head, shifting in his seat so that he was leaning more towards you.

“You really have no idea?” At your confused eyebrow, he let out a stunned laugh, his fingers running through his hair as he tried to work out what to say.

“Mike, I’m-”

“God damn I’m in love with you and I want you to stop getting your heart broken by idiots so that I have a chance to woo you on a date.” He admitted in a snappish tone, a sigh following his words immediately after.

You weren’t too sure how to react. On one hand, he was your best friend. It was a friendship you weren’t willing to lose or trade.

But as you studied his face, his eyes watching as you reached for his hand.

He didn’t move, treating it as if you were some kind of doe, easily startled if there were any other sudden movements.

“Can we talk inside the house? I don’t want to do this in a car.” You squeezed his hand gently and he nodded. Part of you felt nervous because you weren’t too sure if he was being honest with you.

He didn’t say anything as the two of you left the car. When you got in, both dogs were there to greet him, Moose immediately running full tilt at you which made him chuckle before reaching out for your hand.

You felt your nerves kick into high gear.

Taking his hand, you allowed him to pull you into the living room, moving to the couch and only hesitating for half a second before sitting next to him.

“Are you being serious?” You finally blurt out, watching his face for any kind of tell that would give it away as a joke. But watching his face fall followed by a resigned look, you realised that actually he was being serious and felt chagrined that you’d even said it.

“It was never really just friends for me.” His eyes met yours and you could see the sincerity in his features, almost like his eyes were willing you to believe him.

“Mike.” You whispered and he gave you a wry smile in return.

“I never wanted to pursue anything more because I valued our friendship more than the idea of a relationship. But I can’t deny it anymore. Seeing you go off on those dates with those douchebags, it makes me irrationally angry and jealous. Why should they get all of your effort when they put in none?”

You felt stunned as he shifted closer, his other hand taking yours, pulling them onto his lap.

“I’m not gonna try and stop this, only if you say no. I’ll back off if you don’t feel that way.”

And as you thought about it, you realised every date you’d gone on, there was something you could compare to Michael. But they were never him. You interest never lasted long or they’d ghost you and leave you feeling played.

“I’ve been trying to find someone who would meet your standards. Someone to take that spot. But they’re not you. Fuck.” You whispered and he laughed as a hand reached up to cup your face.

“So we’ve both been idiots then?” At his question you let out a short giggle, leaning into his touch.

“Looks like it.” You murmured and then his lips were on yours and you felt something in you shift, your feelings surging as you kissed him back.

When you both pulled away, breathing heavy, you started laughing as he pulled you into him, helping you straddle his lap as his arms held you close.

“Why haven’t we been doing this the whole time? Fuck we’re idiots.” He muttered as his lips met yours once more. You laughed into the kiss.

“Better late than never, right?”

Things seemed to fall into place. You felt more relaxed and going out on dates with Michael were certainly more enjoyable. He seemed to really pull out all of the stops and you didn’t make any comment when you finally realised.

Instead you enjoyed the affection he dished out on you and enjoyed watching him turn pink in return when you dished your own affection on him.

Being sat at the restaurant that started it all amused you to no end, but you went along with it just to see Michael light up as he spoke about the album and asked about your own job.

Before you could answer, your phone was buzzing and glancing at the caller ID, you registered it was your mom.

“Mom’s calling. Want me to tell her you say hey?” His easy grin made you relax as he tapped his cheek once you were up. Laughing, you obliged and kissed his cheek.

“Tell her that it needs to be important. I’ve got a full night planned ahead for us.” He teased, making you beam as you headed out to take the call.

Before you could even answer the call, your phone had been ripped from your hands, the sound of the screen shattering, causing you to turn in shock.

“What the fuck?” You weren’t quick enough for the fist that came flying and you yelled in shock and pain, stumbling back whilst trying to protect yourself from any other blows.

“S’all your fault!” You recognised the man in front of you, but barely. His hair was unkempt and dirty, and his words were slurring.

“Like fuck is anything my fault.” You spat out, feeling the blood run onto your lip. Staff were fast to step out as he stepped forward again and Michael followed, immediately moving your hands to see the damage.

One of the waiters that hadn’t been caught in the struggle that had occurred in pinning him down. The look that Michael gave you, spoke more than words could in that moment.

“I’m so sorry to do this. But who hurt you? We need to note it down for our records and for when the police show up.” The server explained and you nodded.

Once you’d pointed at him and explained what happened, they retrieved your phone, the screen shattered beyond repair and you felt your heart sink.

“We’ll get a new one sorted for you.” Michael whispered as his arms wrapped around your body. You could only nod in return.

Once all of the officials had arrived and collected the information needed, Michael had already paid for the check as well as tipping the servers that had helped. By the time you got back to his, you were in more pain than you cared to admit and you just wanted to relax.

“C’mon, lets clean you up. Let me take care of you for tonight.”

You couldn’t say no to the sweet look that he was giving you, the concern written all over his features. So you agreed readily and allowed him to guide you upstairs.

Despite him laughing when you swore as he dabbed the antiseptic wipe against your cut and laughing again when you pulled away in protest to the pain, you knew you landed lucky with him. And as he doubled checked everything was okay before pulling you towards the bedroom, you were glad to have him by your side.

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prof-dr-md-mohiuddinuzzal · 4 years

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stay productive

Well, there are lots of ways to stay productive at work and here are my top 16 tips to help you stay focused while at your desk, ensuring you get all your work done on time. Eat breakfast Start each day with a healthy breakfast, and by healthy I mean porridge, oats, wholemeal toast, eggs, fruit and yogurt – whatever takes your fancy. Try to opt for some low-GI choices to ensure you provide your body with slow-release energy to keep you going until lunchtime. If you have an unhealthy breakfast, or skip on eating anything at all, it will just leave you feeling tired, agitated and distracted. Sleep well Get some decent shut-eye every night. Experts recommend around seven to nine hours' sleep. If you're always having late nights, you'll regret it the next day because you won't feel rested or rejuvenated and ready to handle what's thrown your way. A good night's sleep will reflect in how productive you feel the next day, so ensure you make sleep a priority. Can't sleep? If you've got things whirring around in your head every night, keep a notebook by your bed and write down any niggles, worries or tasks you need to remember. If that doesn't work, then figure out why you can't sleep. If you're working late into the evenings, it might be because you're not giving your brain enough time to wind down and relax. Exercise daily To keep stress levels at bay, get out and exercise every day. Even if it's just half an hour of walking on your lunch break. Exercise will help clear your mind and keep you focused. You may think that being chained to your desk will mean that you get more things done, but it actually works against you. Get outside A good dose of fresh air and daylight, away from the unnatural environment of an office, is good for the soul. Particularly if your office environment is stuffy and dark and relies on air conditioning. Experts suggest that being outside brings all sorts of health benefits and that a bit of daily daylight is a stress buster, helping you to stay on track when you're back at your desk. Make to-do lists Whether you use the Task Manager in Outlook or you have something like Things for the Mac, make sure you keep a simple to-do list every day and give yourself a realistic set of tasks to get through. What I find helps is to tackle a difficult task first and then do lots of easy jobs to reward myself. You feel great once you've got a big job out of the way and that only boosts your productivity. Give yourself deadlines When facing each task on your to-do list, try and give yourself a deadline. That way, you'll be less inclined to procrastinate or waste time on other things. Schedule email checking Emails are a productivity killer. That's a fact. And it's all too easy to keep checking for new messages every five minutes. But doing so can mean you spend all day writing emails, instead of focusing on your work. Force yourself to check emails at certain times throughout the day. I try to check my emails every morning at 8am and then I don't check again until 12pm. So make sure you limit time spent on checking and replying. Keep phone calls short and sweet Chatting on the phone to clients, friends or suppliers can consume a lot of time. Try and limit each phone call by explaining to the other person that you're "on deadline" and can't talk for long – obviously, you won't be able to do this with some clients. In that case, turn off your phone when you're especially busy and ensure your voicemail explains that you're currently unavailable but will be checking messages later that day. Limit social media use Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. They're all so tempting to look at and can be very distracting. Like emails, you should only check your profiles at certain times during the day and limit how long you spend using them. Make sure you don't leave Twitter or any social media tools open on your desktop, they'll just keep interrupting your work flow. Use anti-distraction tools There are so many tools to stop the temptation of browsing the web or checking social media profiles. If you really can't stop looking at the internet, download an anti-distraction tool like Freedom. It's a really simple productivity application that locks you out of the internet for up to eight hours. Beautiful. And compatible with both Windows or Mac. There's also things like SelfControl, which blocks access to incoming and/or outgoing mail servers and websites for a predetermined period of time. Or you could try Think, which blanks out everything on your screen and allows you to focus on what you're actually working on. One thing at a time Concentrate on one task at a time. Multitasking might seem more productive, but it can really slow you down. Tackle one job before you start anything else, otherwise you'll never get anything done. This is one of my worst habits and I often find I'm trying to write emails, update Twitter and complete an article all at the same time. It's hopeless trying to do everything at once, because you'll never be able to focus properly. Split big tasks into bite-size chunks If you've got a particularly large project that seems overwhelming, break it down into smaller and more manageable chunks. Then tackle each one at a time. Keep a list and feel the sense of achievement when you tick off one of those smaller tasks; feeling unproductive can often come about if we're daunted by our work. Don't be hard on yourself, just take it one step at a time and you'll soon plough through the project. If you get stuck, move on With a list of tasks to get through, you'll undoubtedly come across something you can't finish. If you're stuck, simply ditch what you're working on, take a break and then start something new. You might find that inspiration strikes later that day and you're able to return to that difficult task. Cut out background noise Get your environment right and ensure you have no noise to distract you from your work. If you work in an office or from home and you find it's too noisy, try some ambient background noise in some headphones to cancel it out. You could listen to Sleep Sound, which offers free relaxing sounds like the ocean or a crackling fire. Or there's things like SonicMood. Alternatively, if you like to listen to music during your working day make sure you keep it light-hearted and not too heavy or distracting. Tidy desk, tidy mind Make it a daily ritual to tidy your desk or workspace before you finish or leave. De-clutter and get organised and you'll start each day with a clean slate. If your desk is messy, you'll almost certainly struggle to stay productive. Get magazine files, drawers and helpful storage solutions to keep your desk in order. Recognise the signs Finally, if you're still feeling unproductive and not tackling your work load as quickly or easily as you'd like, keep a notebook throughout the day and jot down all the things that distract you or kill your work flow. You'll soon see patterns emerging and start to understand where you need to make some positive changes. Prepare a podcast or audiobook for your commute. Tony Robbins calls it your NET time - No Extra Time time. These are the moments spent commuting, running errands, or cooking dinner where you can ingest new and important information. It's the time you could normally zone out but instead, you're replacing it with riveting ideas that could lead you to more ideas. Find movement every 60 minutes. Some studies recommend every 30 minutes, but if you are deep in your work, getting up for a walk when you're in peak creativity is just as counterproductive. I opt for a five-minute walk or stretch every 60 minutes in addition to using a standing desk. The quick break allows your brain to pause and rejuvenate. If you're in a slump and finding yourself checking your phone or hopping on social media too much, it's also a good indicator that you should take a movement break. Don't check your email until it's actually time to work. Repeat after me: stop checking your email right when you wake up. Just stop. Don't do it. The first thing you do, see, or hear when you wake up sets the tone for the rest of your day. Let your mornings be all you. You'll have time to email all you want later. Create accountability. Have a colleague or manager checking in on your project or status can help you focus and stay on task. When you know that someone else is involved with your work, you are less likely to fall behind. Pick three major things that need to get done today and assign a time/deadline to them. I love to-do lists. They are so much fun and sometimes I retroactively put things I've done on a new to-do list just so I can check things off. But, alas, I had to stop doing that. These days, I create that list but I rank the top three things that must be done ASAP, and they also have to be big projects. I can't list small and easy errands as my big three. From there, I assign a time when they need to be done. Deadlines are the biggest motivators. Additional tips to stay productive: Here are 50 simple ways (that we often overlook) to stay on top of our productivity game. I have found these ways to be helpful and hopefully it will help you out as well in one way or the other, 50. Stay focused on what you are doing. 49. Utilize and divide your time for each task in hand. 48. Analyze the outcome of your effort and decide accordingly how much time you need to spend. 47. Take a break. 46. Spend time with your loved ones and refresh your mind. 45. Share ideas with others and soak their criticism. 44. Keep your home office out of sight from your bedroom. 43. Invest in comfortable workspace furniture. 42. Meditate and relax your mind. 41. Are you a day person or night? Plan accordingly so you can get the maximum output from yourself. 40. Work slow but steady. 39. Ask for help when needed. 38. De-clutter your workspace. 37. Back up your data. 36. Keep a wrist massager next to the computer. 35. Check your email not more than twice a day. 34. Exercise. 33. Use the morning air or evening breeze to cool off your mind. 32. Set goals not a goal and work accordingly. 31. Have everything you need ready for whatever you are working on. 30. Have stationeries like pen, paper ready. Although you might be using the computer you never know when you are going to need them. 29. Shut the room door to block distraction. 28. Set limits for yourself. 27. Plan a to do list for each day and follow. 26. Read books on subjects that interests you to refresh your mind. 25. Walk, do not try to run with your project. 24. Stay informed on current news. Sometimes these can be a great source of information on something you are working on. 23. Instead of thinking why your life is so hard, think how you can change it for better. 22. Find others that might share similar interest to work with you. 21. Do something else every 30 to 40 minutes to refresh your mind and body. 20. Take a nice warm bath, it’s amazing what it can do to you. 19. Use a table lamp instead of overhead lighting to keep you focused on one thing. 18. Do not take phone calls unless it is related to your productivity for that particular project. 17. Divide your time between family and projects. 16. Give more time to family and get more peace of mind. 15. Keep it cool. 14. Don’t panic, it won’t happen overnight. 13. Find what others have done in related fields and learn. 12. Ask yourself questions, lot of them. 11. Let everybody at home know you will be working between so and so time. 10. Do not stress. 9. Love what you are doing. 8. Be Passionate about what you are doing. 7. Give yourself credit for what you do. 6. Look in the mirror and compliment yourself, just say “God, you are good looking !” 5. Build confidence in yourself. 4. Keep a positive attitude. 3. Forget about what others are doing, you do it your way. 2. Productivity lies within you. Know yourself first. 1. Read > Learn > Ask and Apply! Stay productive.

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