Back in the good days, all roads led to Rome. At least any roads of consequence. There really wasn't any argument and the people that mattered back then, the Romans, believed this with a frenzied all-consuming zeal. Nothing wrong with good, old fashioned frenzied all-consuming zeal, as long as the focus is on the right object. And what do you think MY old fashioned frenzied all-consuming zeal is directed at? You win the stuffed animal if you guessed Time Management.
I'm reluctant to come right out and say that I believe, as well as know, that regardless of what your situation is, where on the food chain of success and happiness you are, you will immeasurably improve your lot with a small to large dose of frenzied all-consuming zeal directed at improving how you spend, use and invest your time. The reason I'm reluctant to put Time Management into the category of some sort of cure-all is that by doing so, I will in some people's minds reduce Time Management to a kind of modern day snake oil. Let me give you some background on the how and why of Time Management from my perspective.
I didn't wake up one day and say, "I think I will spend a good deal of the next 30 or so years working with and dealing with Time Management". Way back then, the term Time Management wasn't even on my radar, let alone did I know what it meant or the implications of the term. I was a business consultant by accident. I was in the process of developing one of the two franchise organizations that I would build, develop and spread across Canada.
In the process of selling the franchises, I came in contact with a great many people who were looking to get into business for themselves. They would answer my ad in the Toronto Star, Winnipeg Free Press, or Vancouver Sun and the dialogue would start. Some would buy my franchise, a lawn care business. Many would not. During the qualifying process, it would become clear that what I had to offer was not suitable for many of them. They would explain what they were looking for and I would see what I could do for them. A career was born. From there I branched out into other areas of business development and consulting.
As I met more and more people who became clients, a trend started to develop. The goal of being in business for yourself is to prosper and get rich, right? Everybody had the same goal; they just all had a different approach as to how to get there. I was always amazed at how haphazard the approach was. The goal seemed clear to everybody. The way they were going to achieve it, however, was far from clear.
Even from the beginning, I noticed that almost everyone was making the same mistakes. No clear plan, no written plan, no focus, and no direction. Everyone focused on the end with no thought as to how to get there. I started working with some of my earlier clients on getting some structure, some direction, getting them to pay attention to what was clearly, in my mind, the foundation and the base on which to work. I had stumbled upon Time Management.
The more time I spent on what was becoming my learning curve for Time Management, the more success my clients had. We started to spend less time working on the short strokes; the details of their individual businesses but more time and focus on how they handled their own time. There was no question in my mind, and in theirs, that there was a direct correlation between how well they managed and controlled their time and their success, regardless of the business. Whether you were a mortgage broker, owned a plumbing business or wanted to be a baker, the constant theme and road to getting the most out of what you had was your ability to manage, control and use your time to your maximum benefit.
I started to spend more and more time on Time Management and less on the general business consulting side of my operations. I spent time researching, going to seminars, started putting on my own seminars and worked on putting down on paper everything I had learned. Out of this collective activity came the Power Time System.
Which leads me to the problem of telling people that the path to get what you want out of life, whatever that is, is irrelevant. That path will lead through your personal Time Management journey.
In the area of “Loma de Enmedio", just 4km away from Gaucin, the remnants of an ancient necropolis can be found. Although this points to an occupation of the area by an ancient civilisation, there is a commonly held belief that it was the Romans who founded the village, mainly due to the fact that there are remains of Roman buildings just 8km away in Casa del Abrevadero.
As was the case in many Roman occupied regions, roadways were an integral part of the communication network and this area is no exception. Paved roads can be found between Gibraltar and Ronda and the Romans used the dry river beds and Valle de Guadiaro to have the roads go up to the mines at Los Reales and Hacho de Gaucin, passing through Lacipo on the way.
The village of Gaucin is characterized by the steepness of its streets and the multitude of steps built as a result of this. The whitewashed houses of the village, built in the style popularised by the Muslims, make it one of the most beautiful of the Sierra de Ronda region. During the 19th century, many artists were attracted to the village as they had a ready source of inspiration at their disposal.
The Castille de Gaucin, now in ruins, once sat proudly on the tallest of the peaks in the inhabited area. Three wells and an excavation, possibly an Arab escape route, can be found in the immediate vicinity of the building and to the west is the San Nino chapel, used at one time as barracks for the soldiers of the castle.
The restored San Sebastian parish church, which dates back to the 16th century, is located in the centre of the village and is just one of many important monuments that are part of the village’s heritage. Others include the 18th century Fuente de los Seis Canos and grand houses of the 17th and 18th centuries. The skill of the craftsmen during the periods in which these houses were built can still be seen in the intricate designs of the balconies and doors.
The villagers of Gaucin celebrate one of their fiestas, the Romeria de San Juan, by vacating the village for the day and spending their time in the surrounding countryside in an event involving a great deal of dancing and music, which goes on long into the night.
Another of the fiestas, The Toro de Cuerda which occurs on Easter Sunday, is one of the ‘running of the bulls’ in which large numbers of (mainly) young men try to prove how brave they are by running in front of the charging animals.
The Feria de Agosto, is held in the 2nd week of August and is a fiesta in honour of the Virgen de las Nieves with another fiesta on the last Sunday of August celebrating the day Jesus appeared as a child to San Juan de Dios in 1536.
Gaucin cuisine is derived from the traditional agricultural products from the region, which is evident by the fact that each of the seasons brings its own delicacies. For example, spring is when dishes including the season’s wild herbs, fennel and asparagus can be enjoyed. Gazpacho, which is a soup served cold in summer, is another typical dish of the region, but the people of Gaucin also eat it hot during the winter months. Winter also brings another of their favourite dishes to the table; called Migas, it is made up of breadcrumbs in olive oil and is served with fish and fruits such as melon, olives and grapes.
Pork and rabbit are popular meats that are used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes as are the Spanish style stews that include chickpeas. These are year round dishes and are not really season dependant as much as the other traditional recipes and with the people of the Valle del Genal area enjoying a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables they can only be complimented on their healthy, balanced diet.
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Gen Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Terrier Dogs, Acne Treatment and Lose Weight. Bryan Beckstead is the creator and developer of the and the Power Productivity Maximizer and has been involved in the Self Improvement and Self Empo. Gen Wright's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.
Mark Buckingham has sinced written about articles on various topics from Time Management Skills, Keyboard Synthesizer and Family. Written by Mark Buckingham for where you can rent or buy your perfect Spanish retreat direct from the owner.Find other article. Mark Buckingham's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.