Category Archives: Appointment

Measuring time has always been important. Scratch that. It’s essential. Measuring time is crucial, not just because you may run late to a meeting, which is a big deal. But, measuring the time used to mean the fact of whether or not you would survive. For example, if you planted a crop during the wrong time of year, you wouldn’t have food to eat throughout the winter.

Because keeping track time was so vital, people turned to a reliable source: the moon. As a result, a calendar was created using the phases of the moon. It may not be used today, but it was a tool that played a significant role in people’s daily lives for centuries. And, it’s influence can still be felt today.

Overview of a moon calendar.

A moon calendar, or more commonly called a lunar calendar, is easy to define. It’s a calendar that follows the monthly cycles of the phases of the moon. It’s one of the oldest calendars in the world that creates lunar months, also known as synodic months. Don’t get caught up in the complicated terminology. A lunar month is simply one that occurs between two successive syzygies, such as new moons and full moons.

Although solar calendars, which are determined by the solar and have influenced the Gregorian Calendar, lunar calendars were essential. And, there can impact can still be felt today.

For example, each lunation is approximately ​291⁄2 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 3 seconds, or 29.530588 days). Because of this, it helped determine where each month alternates between 29 and 30 days. The word month is derived from the word moon.

Additionally, ancient civilizations used the phases of the moon to help identify the seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter). Since each season has three full moons, this guided them in knowing when to schedule vital activities like harvesting and hunting.

Today, the moon calendar is used for ritual purposes, as opposed to official business. Easter, Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah, and the Chinese New Year are just a handful of holidays that rely on the lunar calendar.

The lunar calendar further explained.

Are you still a little confused about how a moon calendar works? If so, we hope to clear things up in the following section.

The days between each moon phase.

Again, on average, there are 29.53 between each phase of the moon. How was this figure determined? Well, some incredibly smart folks figured out a long time ago that a new moon appears every 29.53 days. It should be noted. However, that does vary just slightly. Some months it’s 28 days while others can be 30.

What’s fascinating is that it takes the moon around 27.3 days to orbit the earth. However, it needs 2.2 days to “catch up.” The reason? Our little third rock from the sun travels roughly 45 million miles around the Sun during the time the Moon completes one orbit around Earth.

Another question you may have is the first day of the month start on moon calendars? Well, it depends. For example, lunar calendars, such as the Hebrew and Hirji, began when a lunar crescent was noticed. The Hindu calendar started the day following a new or full moon. And, lunisolar calendars like the Chinese determined the first day of the month by when an astronomical new moon occurred in a particular time zone.

Are lunar calendars more accurate?

Lunar calendars may have been accurate when establishing months. But, it’s a bit off when it comes to the number of days there are in a year.

A lunar year is only 354 days. So, if you were to use an accurate lunar calendar, you would lose 11 days annually compared to the widely used Gregorian Calendar. That’s because it takes 365 days for the earth to orbit the sun.

After three years, the lunar calendar would be about a month behind the solar Gregorian Calendar. Some moon calendars have taken this into account and get back in sync with solar calendars every 33 years.

Solar calendars also have their flaws. Take leap years as an example. They were meant to address inaccuracies. But, one day still drifts around every 3216 years. Lunar calendars, on the other hand, only have an error of merely 2 seconds annually. If you’re keeping track, that comes out to 1 day every 31,250. If you were to use this measure then, lunar calendars are ten times more accurate then the Gregorian Calendar.

The moon phases of the lunar calendar.

There are eight lunar phases within the Lunar calendar. Each phase is determined by where the moon is located in relation to the sun. As Deborah Byrd explains on EarthSky, “The moon, Earth and sun are aligned with Earth in the middle. The moon’s fully illuminated half – its dayside – faces Earth’s night side.” Additionally, the moon will always rise in the east and set in the west. Its orbital motion is also towards the east.

With that out of the way, here are the eight moon phases in order:

New Moon

The first phase is called, appropriately, a new moon. The new moon occurs when the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun. When the moon is between the Earth and the sun, the dark side of the moon is facing the Earth. So, the new moon is often not visible to us.

Waxing Cresent

Have you spotted just a sliver of the moon in the sky? This is the beginning of the Waxing Cresent phase. But, thanks to “earthshine,” there may be times when you can see the rest of the moon. This phase usually occurs a couple of days after a new moon.

First Quarter

This phase begins when the moon is to 90 degrees between the sun and the Earth. It received its name because at this point the moon has completed ¼ of the lunar cycle.

Waxing Gibbous

Technically, this phase covers the time between the first quarter and full moon phases. This is because waxing gibbous means “growing shape.”

Full Moon

Two weeks after the new moon, it becomes wholly illuminated. Hence, we have a full moon, and its orbit is halfway completed. A supermoon appears when the moon is at its closest orbit point with the Earth. A micro-moon is when it’s at it’s furthest. Also, a lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through the shadow of the Earth.

Waning Gibbous

If waxing means increasing, then waning stands for decreasing. A week after a full moon, it appears smaller since the amount of the moon that is visible decreases,

Third Quarter

This name was given to this phase because it’s ¾ completed. Sometimes, however, it’s also called the Last Quarter phase. Regardless of the term you use, it happens three weeks following a new moon.

Waning Crescent

The Waning Crescent is the final lunar phase where the moon appears to be just a tiny sliver in the sky. It occurs four weeks after a new moon and concludes when the sun and moonrise at the same time.

Do want to know what phase we’re currently in? You can visit sites like timeanddate.com. Or, if you’re crafty, you can create your own moon calendar.

What about the Harvest Moon?

On top of the eight phases of the moon, each full month of the year has it’s own unique name. These names were usually related to agriculture or the weather. For example, the Harvest Moon occurs when the moon is closest to the autumnal equinox — this is usually in September. Because it’s so bright out, farmers were able to work late harvesting the crops they planted in the spring and summer.

Here is a list of the common names used in North America:

• January — Moon after Yule
• February — Snow Moon
• March — Sap Moon
• April — Grass Moon
• May — Planting Moon
• June — Honey Moon
• July — Thunder Moon
• August — Grain Moon
• September — Fruit Moon (or Harvest Moon)
• October — Hunter’s Moon (or Harvest Moon)
• November — Frosty Moon
• December — Moon before Yule

What about a blue moon? This occurs on average every 33 months when there are two full moons in one calendar month. Because there are only 28 days in February, there will never be a blue moon in that month.

How the moon affects the Earth.

“The moon is the easiest celestial object to find in the night sky — when it’s there. Earth’s only natural satellite hovers above us bright and round until it seemingly disappears for a few nights,” writes Charles Q. Choi on Space.com. “The rhythm of the moon’s phases has guided humanity for millennia — for instance, calendar months are roughly equal to the time it takes to go from one full moon to the next.”

More importantly, and despite being ⅙ of the size of earth, the moon has a profound influence on our planet. Most notably, the rise and fall of sea levels — aka tides. Believe it or not, tides can also take place in lakes, the atmosphere, and within the Earth’s crust.

According to Choi, “The moon’s gravitational pull may have been key to making Earth a livable planet by moderating the degree of wobble in Earth’s axial tilt, which led to a relatively stable climate over billions of years where life could flourish.”

Additionally, if the Earth didn’t have a moon, the length of a day wouldn’t be 24 hours. It would be just 8 hours. In other words, the Earth would be spinning at a much faster speed. And, that would result in some pretty intense winds.

It’s also been found that animal behavior is influenced by the moon; this is true when it comes to tides and moonlight. One study even found that pet emergency visits increase during full moons.

Because of all of these, it’s no surprise that the moon has influenced everything from popular culture to calendars.

The origin on the moon calendar.

As already mentioned, lunar calendars are some of the oldest calendars ever used. But, who were the first civilizations to fully embrace the moon calendar?

Encyclopedia Britannica states that the “Sumerians were probably the first to develop a calendar based entirely on the recurrence of lunar phases. Each Sumero-Babylonian month began on the first day of visibility of the new Moon.”

“Although an intercalary month was used periodically, intercalations were haphazard, inserted when the royal astrologers realized that the calendar had fallen severely out of step with the seasons,” continues the Britannica article. In around 380 BC, however, “fixed rules regarding intercalations were established, providing for the distribution of seven intercalary months at designated intervals over 19-year periods.”

It was eventually Greek astronomers that “devised rules for intercalations to coordinate the lunar and solar years. It is likely that the Roman republican calendar was based on the lunar calendar of the Greeks.” It was also the Greeks who took note of how the moon influenced everything from tides, agriculture, and human behavior. This information was input into their calendars.

Jutta Russell over at Living With The Moon, adds that “As the first tribes settled down and agriculture evolved around 9000B.C. the Ancient Lunar Calendar was the essential tool for planting, harvesting, to raise taxes and worship the gods.” These ancient lunar calendars were “passed down from one generation to the next and followed by urban and rural populations alike.”

It was the Babylonians who were created with developing the lunisolar calendar. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Chinese calendar. Unfortunately, by around 1582, people began to rely more on the Gregorian calendar. However, it was adopted by China until 1912 and Russia in 1918.

Are lunar calendars still used?

Today, the lunar calendar has fallen out of favor. Pretty much corner of the world now uses the Gregorian calendar. There are some exceptions, though. Saudi Arabia, for instance, still uses the Islamic calendar, which is genuinely lunar. The downside is that they’re usually 11 or 12 days behind everyone else.

Outside of Saudi Arabia, moon calendars are mainly reserved for religious and cultural purposes. Easter and the Chinese New Year are celebrated in accordance with the moon. This why the dates vary from year to year.

Additionally, Ramadan starts and concludes with the first sighting of the Waxing Moon. Because of this, it explains why the crescent moon is incorporated symbol in many flags of Islamic countries. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, also uses the moon to determine when the Jewish calendar begins in the autumn.

These events are so important that today they’re legal holidays in most countries.

Moon Calendar was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie

It is easy to get stressed out during a move, especially if you already have a busy Calendar. When are you supposed to find time for moving activities? Moving starts with finding a new place that suits your needs and working out the financial logistics. First, you have the packing of everything you own into boxes and physically moving your stuff to a new space. Once you get to the new place you have to unpack, which will take hours of effort. But here are 10 ways to stay productive during a move.

Ways to Stay Productive During a Move

1. Find your new place early.

Moving can be extremely stressful if you wait until the very last minute to find a new place. Although you cannot always predict when you will need to pick up and move — renters that know when their lease will expire should prepare in advance. Otherwise, you will be scrambling for a place which can be very time-consuming.

Instead, line up a place months before your current lease ends. Not everyone has this option, however, but you can start looking for a new location early. Finding a new home in advance allows you to spread out your moving activities and leave more time on your Calendar for other responsibilities.

2. Be realistic about your time.

DIY moving can be the most cost-effective way to get into your new place. However, doing everything by yourself can be extremely time-consuming. Even if you enlist the help of a few friends, moving your things will take a lot of time.  If your Calendar cannot fit moving boxes and furniture into your schedule, then consider hiring movers. A moving company can help make the logistics of moving less overwhelming and give you more time to work on other tasks.

3. Simplify your belongings.

Instead of waiting until moving week to go through your belonging, slowly declutter your home. This concept is simple; the less stuff you have, the easier your move will be. Simplifying could be as simple as throwing out old magazines or as daunting as purging your entire closet.

Any effort to reduce the number of your belongings could make your move easier. With less stuff to move, you may find more time to work towards other goals. Think of the old TV show, “Hoarders” and throw out anything non-essential.

4. Simplify your schedule of moving activities.

Before and after the big moving day, you will have countless small moving tasks to accomplish. Make a complete list of everything you need to accomplish and make time in your Calendar. You can find the time to schedule 15 minutes here and an hour there that can be explicitly dedicated to moving tasks.

You may have to tackle these tasks onto the end of your workday, but try to accomplish at least one moving related job a day. Otherwise, the little things can add up and leave you with no choice but to focus on moving activities when you really should be working on other things. The easiest is to pack and clean as you go — you want that cleaning deposit back.

5. Enlist help.

Even if you cannot hire movers, inviting friends and family over to help with packing could save you tons of time. Having people there also helps you not to get depressed. You have helped them all out through the years — it’s okay to ask them to help you. (Yes — make sure you have helped them out through the years.)

Not only can the friend and family help make a difference to accomplishing the primary task of packing the boxes, but you can also spend some time with them. Most true friends are happy to help, be sure to provide pizza and drinks as a thank you for their efforts. All of this saved time can be dedicated to your other responsibilities.

6. Pack the most important things last.

As you start packing up your life, leave the necessary things for last. Keep everything that you need to function available in one box that you always keep with you. Make sure that you don’t leave yourself with only that giant mountain of boxes to unpack.

Try pulling out a small number of essentials to set aside before you start packing. Ensure that you have what you need available throughout your entire move. Your computer, phone, all charging cords (I always have a medusa with a long cord), work assignments and work clothes, maybe pajamas, toiletries, medication and essential documents (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate). I like to have a few photos with me of people I care about.

Think about this what you like — when I move, I want to have my lucky rock and lucky coin in my pocket. Always have about a shoebox-sized box with food and your favorite treats in it — such as protein bars, and other easily edible foods. Having access to these basics will help to avoid extra stress. With less stress, you’ll be more productive.

7. Schedule working days.

If you have a flexible work schedule, it can be especially challenging to stay productive. When you know your move out date, it is easy to let the mountain of moving tasks to take priority. Setting up a strict working schedule can be critical. Block off days that can be dedicated entirely to work. Focus on your work tasks first, then moving tasks. Forcing yourself to accomplish work tasks first will help your day stay more productive — and everything will move along relatively smooth.

8. Unpack your essentials first.

Once you have all of your boxes in your new place, start unpacking the most important things first. Basic kitchenware (I stick-in paper products, plates, cups, and paper towels) clothes, your workspace, and pet supplies should be the first thing you unpack. The unpacking process does not need to happen in just one day.

Focus on the essentials of getting settled and get your work assignment done early. You don’t have to unpack quickly — unless you are an “all in one day” kind of person. Include one item a day on your “settling” task todo list, and everything will shape up reasonably quickly.

9. Stay calm.

There will always be an emergency. Just count on this hiccup and don’t let the unexpected bother you too much. Understand that unless you are a fortunate person — not everything will go according to plan. Flat tire, pulled-over, ticket, run out of gas, your dog gets car sick in your car (yes, really).

Think — your boss assigns something extra or you don’t have power and your WiFi isn’t up (hit Starbucks in town). Stay calm — or go out for a run. Something unexpected will happen, but you can handle it. Reevaluate the situation and adjust the plan on your Calendar. Reschedule things as often as necessary. Deploy your emergency back-up plan if you need to.

10. Enjoy the change.

Change is usually hard — even for those who like it — and moving is also hard for those who are used to moving. Moving to a new home is often accompanied by a new chapter in your life. It’s a transitional period — so stay out of your head and keep to a schedule and you’ll be fine. A firm wake up, work, and sleep schedule fixes most things. Eat right, Sleep right, and Exercise. Keeping a positive outlook can help to keep your productivity high.

Conclusion

First, Good Luck. Using your Calendar to plan out a move can be an essential way to minimize stress during this important chapter in your life. It may be a stressful time, but you can get through it. Take proactive steps to make your move easier and to keep your head in the game.

10 Ways to Stay Productive During a Move was originally published on Calendar by John Rampton

There are a lot of good things about working with other people at your job. For one, having a co-worker allows you to share common goals for your company or employer. Another is fostering a good working relationship with other people and turning them into friends. But anytime you work with other people there’s bound to be conflict from time to time too. Fortunately, there are certain tools and tips you can use to promote teamwork and get along better.

1. Shared Calendar

One of the best tools to promote teamwork in an office environment is to use a shared calendar. In fact, there’s more than one advantage to using a shared calendar. Working on group projects is easier with a shared calendar. All team members can see when certain tasks are to be done and who is doing them. In addition, project meetings can be scheduled once on a shared calendar that everyone has access to. This saves time and keeps everyone on the same page, so to speak.

2. Business Website

Another way to promote teamwork is to have a business website. Even if there are only two or three people in your company, they can be featured on the site. This is helpful in making them feel like an important part of the business. It also allows other people, such as the public, to see what role they play in the business. If you end up getting any media publications then you will have a place to point to so that you can get more customers. 

3. Scheduling System

Whether you’re a business owner, manager, or simply an employee, you can help promote teamwork in your business. One of the tools you can use to do this is a scheduling system much like Calendar has been named in the past. Scheduling systems allow all team members to see the various tasks involved in a large project. What’s more, as tasks and sub-tasks are completed and marked off, everyone knows it. If one or more tasks seem to be holding things up, all team members can see which task it is. They can then go to that worker and offer help or suggestions to get it finished. There are scheduling systems that allow messages to flow back and forth among team members. This is particularly helpful on projects that involve several people. It allows everyone to easily stay current with the project.

4. Workload Sharing

If you want another tip to promote teamwork, try workload sharing. In other words, a worker without enough to do could offer to help another who is overloaded with work. Obviously at times managers will have to step in and redirect workers to other projects. Either way it happens, the redistribution of work improves both efficiency and productivity. Workload sharing encourages teamwork as workers communicate where projects left off for seamless continuation of work tasks.

5. Limit Distractions

When you’re constantly getting phone calls or noisy notifications it disrupts your train of thought. It can also distract other employees around you who are trying to work. If neither you nor your fellow workers can concentrate, you won’t get as much done. Consequently, to promote teamwork in your place of business, try to limit distractions and productivity killers. Turn off your cell phone, put it away, or set it in another room entirely. While you are at it, shut off email, text, and social media notifications if possible. Set specific times of day when you can check for voicemail messages, emails, and texts. Completing this task in batches a couple of times a day enables everyone to be less disrupted by task changes. Your co-workers will appreciate your thoughtfulness whether or not they think to mention it. Not only that, but everyone will get more done.

6. Track Time

Did you know time tracking can promote teamwork in your workplace? When you track the time it takes to complete tasks, work can be assigned more evenly. This keeps one worker from being given too much work and another too little. An uneven workload can cause resentments among those who work together. Therefore, to build a better team you should track how long it takes to finish work duties.  

7. Brainstorming Sessions

Sometimes when you have a work problem it requires brainstorming to solve it. Since two heads are often better than one, try asking a co-worker to brainstorm with you. You may come up with the right solution to the problem quicker. In addition, two people can bounce ideas off each other increasing creative ideas.

8. Cross-training

Cross-training can also promote teamwork, increase productivity, and improve moral in the workplace. Having one co-worker train another pushes them to work together and learn from each other. Through cross-training, employees can coordinate, as a team, to give businesses better work schedule flexibility. Workers can plan together so everyone enjoys time off for personal appointments and family events. Yet, while staff members are absent, none of the important work in the business gets neglected. Unexpected events, such as personal emergencies and sickness, won’t keep work from being completed as it needs to be. Other trained workers can fill in for the employee who is gone enabling coverage of the company. Productivity will increase, and the team, as a whole, will be stronger.

9. Job Swapping

If you really want to promote teamwork, try job swapping in your business. Job swapping lets one employee take-on the unfamiliar duties of another for a short duration. Obviously the positions being swapped need to be somewhat comparable. Otherwise, the results could be disastrous. Still, job swapping, unlike cross-training, is not necessarily done so employees can back up each other’s positions. That can be one benefit of a job swap, but it isn’t the only reason to do one. Alternatively, the idea behind a job swap is for workers to gain greater appreciation for their fellow employees. This is especially helpful for staff members who don’t always see eye to eye. Walking in each other’s shoes highlights the difficulties each person encounters on a daily basis. This can strengthen worker relationships and teamwork in your business.

10. Team Building Workshops

At times when you are trying to promote teamwork in a business you must seek outside help. That’s where team building workshops come into play. Off-site workshops allow team members to work together without the pressures of the workplace. Sometimes they can work together in different ways through team building activities. These types of activities allow co-workers to help each other and work cooperatively. Staff members may even improve any weak areas they possess with the help of team mates. At the same time, previously unseen strengths may come to light to managers and supervisors. Finding hidden knowledge and talents is a bonus to any business. It could even spur reassignments in the workplace later on.

11. Fun Activities

You can further your business and improve co-worker relationships with outside fun activities. Company picnics, Christmas parties, potlucks, and other activities help employees get to know one another. They also serve to let your hair down a little. It isn’t always possible to let loose and joke around in a high stress work environment. That’s why having a few fun activities away from the business are important. They allow workers to socialize together and see each other in a different light. Sometimes staff who didn’t necessarily get along in the past become friends through these events. That is why they are a great tool for team building as well as just being fun. There’s no doubt that when everyone in your business operates as a team you’ll enjoy greater success. Use these tools and tips to promote teamwork and that success won’t be far behind.

Originally published here.