1. Dry hair is damaged by too-frequent washing

FALSE: Hair is more likely to be damaged if it's left too long between washes. Not washing can cause scalp's natural oil to be blocked, and unable to lubricate hair shaft. As a result, hair can become dry and brittle. Things that damage hair include bleaching, coloring, styling and brushing when wet.

2. To stop frizzies, use shampoo only twice a month. The rest of time, rinse daily with conditioner

FALSE: Oil becomes rancid when it stays on surface of scalp, so regular shampooing is required to keep hair and scalp clean and healthy. Avoid frizzies by conditioning after every shampoo and try a leave-in conditioner, too.

3. A rinse out conditioner does not provide benefits because it is rinsed out

FALSE: Rinse out conditioners applied to your hair after washing will leave a deposit of moisturizing proteins and other ingredients on hair shaft giving hair that is softer, shinier and better conditioned.

4. Blow-drying hair can cause it to smoke

FALSE: This strange myth has circulated in different variations for many years. On rare occasion that hair “smokes” it is due to evaporation of condensation on hair from styling gels or similar hair care products.

5. Brushing thinning hair makes it fall out faster

FALSE: Although, brushing can damage hair (see above), as long as you use a good brush, normal daily brushing will not accelerate normal loss of hair from scalp. If your hair is suffering from a hair loss condition like alopecia brushing will only cause you to lose hair that is already ready to fall. Excessive brushing is always discouraged under any circumstances.

6. Shaving a baby’s scalp will alter their natural hair texture

FALSE: The hair that a baby is born with may or may not be hair that they grow up with. Shaving a baby’s head will not alter texture of their ultimate hair nor will it cause their hair to grow faster or thicker.

7. Gray hair can only be covered with permanent color

FALSE: Depending on percentage of gray hair that you have, you may be able to blend or cover budding gray with a semi-permanent or demi-permanent blend that does not contain harsh chemicals.

As a professional Virtual Assistant, I have numerous clients and tasks I must complete every day. I also have a hectic personal life, full of family responsibilities and my hobbies. Organizing my time is critical to my success and to maintaining my sanity.

Submitted for your reading pleasure, and to enhance your brain, are some of my tips for effectively and efficiently managing one of your most valuable resources: time.

Determine What Works Best for You

We’re all different in regards to time management -- what works for you may not suit me or my style. Are you constantly on go and need your calendar at your fingertips? Or, do you prefer to keep a paper calendar? Do you loath computers and all they stand for, or are you so wired Edison would be jealous? Whatever tools you choose to include in your arsenal, ensure they’re tools you’ll use consistently.

The Building Blocks of Better Time Management

My time management tools are Microsoft Outlook® and my trusty PDA. Outlook serves all my appointment, e-mail and tasking needs in one easy-to-use package.

Two of my favorite Outlook tools are Categories and Labels features. Categories allow me to classify my calendar items and tasks in a variety of ways, such as Clients, Potential Clients, Personal, and so forth. In addition, you can also Advanced Find (search) Categories, so no more wasted time looking for a calendar appointment or journal entry for a particular client.

Unlike seemingly unlimited number of Categories you may setup, you are limited to ten (10) Labels (at least in 2002 version). Labels allow you to color code your Calendar so you’ll know at a glance which items are personal in nature, and which are client related.

Consistency is Key

Whatever system you have in place or are considering to implement, key point to remember is consistency. Follow same procedures each and every time, without fail. Ensure you put good habits into play and more important, follow those good habits!

When I create new appointments or tasks, I use first few characters to define “owner” (client or myself) of that appointment or task. For example, when creating items for client Tom Smith, I’ll preface all items with TSMITH. When searching for items for Tom, I know if I search for “TSMITH” I’ll access all items related to this client. I’ll also apply a Label to my appointments, such as TeleCon, PCI (Potential Client Interview), or Personal.

I pad all appointments with a 15-minute buffer on each side. I also schedule breaks during my workday.

My clients appreciate that each Monday I release my “Lori’s Schedule”e-mail, a brief note notifying my clients when I’ll be out of office for that week. For example, all my clients know I’m a member of Editorial Team for a well-known eZine and they know that unless it’s an emergency, I am not available during this meeting.