The Power of the Lilac Highlighter!

I don’t know if you are like me, but I do like to highlight things especially on my to-do lists and in my diary.  Apparently, the act of using a pen and the connections/links this creates with your brain, helps to embed learning skills faster and for longer than typing and using a keyboard on a phone!

I have recently treated myself to a Remarkable2. This is an amazing tool that I use every day. It is so thin and writing on the surface feels like writing on paper. You can use different templates and you can also highlight!

So, Whenever I get the chance I will highlight important things.

Define highlight: – to emphasize or make prominent something that is very important or memorable.

Over the years I have acquired many give-aways at events and by far the most useful for me have been highlighters, and I have a vast array of colours, shapes and sizes. I visited my local stationery shop a few months ago and was delighted to see that they had additional colours in pastel lilac and dark purple!  Happy days for me and from then on in, the power of the purple highlighter has evolved

I remember my best friend at school always teasing me for underling titles with double lines and subtitles with single lines in red pen (before highlighters were a thing) This probably shows my age but does show that making text stand out has been instilled in me from an early age.

I am a very visual person and making words stand out also helped me at School and University when learning and revising. I have noticed how both my Daughters took on this method and they have reaped the benefits.

So how does this help me now in business?

• It helps turn large amounts of text in sentences into small descriptive summaries.
• By highlighting key words, goals, to-dos, names in my diary, notes from meetings or articles I am reading, this saves time later when referring back to something and aids my memory.
• I also highlight key areas in books, magazines & articles that I am reading, so that I don’t miss key facts and can quickly refer back to them.
• I use different colours to mean different things. I use purple and lilac for Auxilium urgent items and other colours for client tasks or information/areas of interest for my Industry/items to investigate further / areas to research or learn and so on – You can decide what suits you.
• I use the wider side of the highlighter to highlight the whole heading and the thinner side to underline key text.
• I advise that you KEEP doing it as it will hone your skills and you will be able to draw out key text, and make it easier to understand and remember
• I don’t know about you, but I am deluged with information and at times this can overwhelm the brain, so looking at key text and seeing titles, words and meanings jump out, is a much more effective way for me to absorb information.
• Make highlighting a ritual for all information that passes your eyes.
• Highlighting keywords and phrases in your own notes is the 2^nd step in effective note-taking strategies ( the first is taking them effectively )  as it is more visual and more concrete connections are made in your brain for memory.
• I have seen someone use a wristband to store highlighter pens whilst highlighting the text so they can switch from one colour to another easily without having to take the lids on and off.
• I also use a trusty ‘Biro’ or a sharp HB Pencil for additional notes.

Ok, so some of you might be saying, surely this is just one more step that takes up more time. Believe me, it might take a small amount of time to get into the swing of highlighting, but when it becomes second nature that time speeds up, and also your brain will retain the information faster and for longer. I also find highlighting makes me read the whole article and not miss a key area instead of skipping lines and paragraphs.

If you are in a hurry, you can highlight the first few words or even a title in a paragraph, and that way you can return to it later. However, for me, I highlight at the time as I might not have time to go back to it later. I carry a trusty pencil case (like the one I had a school that my friend teased me for) and then I always have my trusty Purple highlighter or my array of colours at my fingertips.

If after highlighting your to-dos or doing some research, you realise that you don’t have time to complete these tasks and you feel that outsourcing some projects to an Online Business Manager would save you time and money, then I would be happy to discuss your needs taking notes of course and highlighting key areas in purple.

So, do you need ‘Pain Relief ’for your growing business?

If the answer is Yes, or you are considering it, then here is the best way to start;

1. Set up a meeting with Auxilium Admin to discuss your needs and to make sure we understand your business and your needs.
2. Identify the cause, not the symptoms of your problems/issues to be discussed and resolved. Perhaps you are not sure what this is exactly, so let the discussions cover the challenges that you face. Auxilium Admin will no doubt have come across this before and will have lots of options to get to the core issues and find solutions.
3. Formulate a plan and utilize the recommendations that have been sourced by Auxilium Admin to simplify procedures and processes, being supported by them the whole way.
4. Communicate and be clear about what you want Auxilium Admin to do and visa versa, ensuring regular communication calls and updates are made. This way both parties are happy with the progress and know the stages reached and completed.
5. As you delegate tasks to Auxilium Admin you will release more time to focus on your business allowing it to grow. Getting bogged down with ‘to do’ lists and tasks that you cannot complete makes you feel like you have lost sight of why you started your business but with bespoke support from Auxilium Admin you can get on with the passion that is your business and gain that ‘spring’ back in your step!

Remember with any service you consider that the ‘KNOW- LIKE- TRUST’ ethos must prevail.

• KNOW –Having met the person you are considering working with, you now know what their services are.
• LIKE – If you LIKE the sound of what you have told you or you have read about, and their services resonate with your pain points, then don’t hesitate to take action and work with them.
• TRUST – Working together, getting to know them, and allowing them to get to know your business and seamlessly integrating with it, will help you elevate your Business fulfill your needs, and trust them.

Why Auxiulium Buisness Consulting?

• 30 years + experience in Finance and Administration.
• Top-down knowledge of SME’s and supporting them.
• Communication & Time Management Skills.
• Organised & Problem-Solving skills
• Trustworthy, Honest, Dependable, Reliable & Consistent.
• Versatile, Flexible & Adaptable.
• Confident, Resourceful, Proactive.
• Add Value to your business – focus on value not cost.
• Work Alone and for a team / Self–motivated.
• Accessible & Approachable.
• NO RECRUITMENT FEES
• NO HR HEADACHES
• REMOTE and office-based
• ONLY PAY FOR WORK THAT IS DONE
• ¯COSTS – ¯DOWN TIME FOR TRAINING -¯EXPENSES – ¯BUDGET FOR ADMIN

As a Virtual Business Manager, I look forward to hearing from you very soon and becoming your ‘BESPOKE BUSINESS PARTNER’, supporting you in your ‘ADMINISTRATION’ journey.

AUXILIUM BUSINESS CONSULTING is there as ‘A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS’ offering administration and project support when you need it most.

A LIFEBOAT in your crisis and a LIGHTHOUSE showing you the way. 

Remember, you haven’t gone into business to do ‘everything’, so why not leave that to an expert?

See www.auxiliumconsulting.co.uk for more information or please do not hesitate to get in touch via email alex@auxiliumconsulting.co.uk or mobile 07966 456734

Regards

Alex