I’m very excited to invite you to put your name into a drawing to win 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman: Success in Keeping Everything Together by Pam Farrel (Tweet that!) Every woman should have this book and I’m so glad I can offer a copy to the winner. (See how to put your name into the drawing below). 

Pam Farrel is a fabulous communicator whom I was blessed because she wrote the Foreword for my book Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries. The Lord has been using her mightily throughout the world through her books and speaking. In my travels, the book that women tell me has impacted them the most is Pam and Bill’s book Men Are Like Waffles–Women Are Like Spaghetti. So I know the power of her ministry.

And if you’d like to purchase something similar for your husband, check out her husband, Bill’s, companion book: 7 Simple Skills for Every Man: Success in Relationships, Work and Your Walk with God. Doesn’t that sound exciting also?

Here is a sample of the wisdom this book includes on the topic of “Becoming Productive.”

1. Plan Out the Future: Plan each year, each month, each week, each day, and each hour. Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail. I like to use Outlook (I color–code my Outlook so I can find items for family, work, social life quickly on my schedule, and I can input all important details with each calendar entry.) Experiment with planning systems, software and aps to find ones that work for you. I also plan how and who to delegate to.  
2. Respond instead of react. I don’t waste time on negative emotions. Worry, self-doubt, frustration over delays or plans going awry are time wasters. If I hit a really hard emotional hurdle, I will cry for a few minutes, then plan in time to better deal with the emotional fallout later. To keep a positive disposition, I also plan in nourishing time off for favorite activities, dates with my husband, my kids, friends, ministry colleagues and days off for solitude. Time for self-care transforms into more time.
3. Optimize Multi-tasking. Link tasks–for example, walk and listen to podcasts or audio books; fold laundry and watch the news; stretch while I listen to scripture songs; walk and pray through priorities otr post to social media; dust or do dishes while memorizing scripture.  
4. Deliberately Group Tasks for Efficiency: If I have to get dressed up for a meeting or speaking, then that is the day I also do other meetings, or filming for our ministry. I also link all my errands on one day. This grouping by like task also means I can enjoy full days at home to be creative and comfy in my sweats! 
5. Use every minute. If I have an extra few minutes I check email, read newsletters, a magazine article or a book that can help me improve an area of my life. I also handle small household tasks in those random five – ten minutes slots: clean out a drawer, wipe down the kitchen,empty the dishwasher or make a quick phone call. 
6. Calender Priorities First. I carve out and mark down time with God; family vacations; marriage getaways and date nights; our kids’ major responsibilities, activities and celebrations. These all get placed on the calendar as far out as possible. I also schedule into my planner the time it will take to achieve the goal. 
7. Elevate My Vision. I pray to get God’s viewpoint on my life, my marriage, my family, my ministry , my business, my friendships, my health— on all my life. I have found it saves me time to do life God’s way. 

Thank you, Pam, for sharing that encouragement with us. And for my readers: I don’t know about you but I want all those things and Pam is great at giving biblical and practical ideas. 

Aren’t you excited about getting this book?

So how can you put your name into winning this book? Write a comment on my blog or email me: KathyCollardMiller AT gmail DOT com. I will draw the winner Sunday afternoon, December 6th, 2015. 

Here’s Pam’s bio: She and her husband, Bill, are the authors of Men Are Like Waffles–Women Are Like Spaghetti (more than 300,000 copies sold) and Red-Hot Monogamy. They are the cofounders and codirectors of Love-Wise, an organization to help people connect love and wisdom and bring practical insights to their personal relationships. 

If you want to order Pam’s book, 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman right away and not have to wait for the drawing, go to: order on Amazon.