About Agni Skafidas

Ramadan Kareem

Depending on the moon, Ramadan is set to start next Thursday. Ramadan Kareem! Until a few years ago, I didn’t know much about thia holy month of the Islamic calendar. Sure, I worked with Muslims in the UK. They fasted during daylight. Fasting is one of the 5 pillars or religious duties of Islam. I’m only realising now how challenging fasting in a non-Muslim country must be. Unlike in the Middle East, everyone still eats and drinks in the office, there’re no reduced working hours and we had about 18 hours of day light (= fasting time). Not an easy undertaking.

Ramadan is the most important month for Muslims. In simple terms (and without starting a religious debate), Ramadan is probably as important as Christmas for Christians and Diwali for Hindus. With the expected start next week, it’s high time to get ready for it:

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Own the Weekend!

The weekend is barely over and I’m already writing about the next weekend. Am I nuts? No, though some of my friends may question it at times. Rather than waiting for Thursday night, then debating how to spend the weekend and wasting valuable time, start thinking about it now. To me, it’s also a great motivator which carries me through the week. Are you also looking forward to some of your weekend activities?

When’s that opening of the long awaited restaurant again? Is there an artisan market which you meant to visit for weeks going on? What about this nagging home improvement list that you’ve been putting off? Do you need to complete a proposal for your business?

Follow these easy steps and you’re ready to own the weekend:

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How to take the Stress out of Moving (Part 2)

Congratulations! You’ve found your new home, decided on the moving day and are… anxious about the stress over the next few weeks? Don’t be! In the last post, I’ve helped you with an easy checklist: Things you need to do in your current (old) home before the moving day. Now, let’s focus on your new home. These tips will help you stay organised and relaxed during such this major event.

Get your new home ready before the move:

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How to take the Stress out of Moving (Part 1)

By now, I’ve moved 25 times across 3 different continents. Most of my moves occurred during the summer and many families are also using the end of the school year to move houses. Moving is never an easy undertaking: the heat, Ramadan, the never ending paper work, the hassle until you can settle in and feel at home. It all takes time and energy. Yet, the more prepared you are, the easier and stress-free the move will be. Take the pain out by following this simple checklist, which also includes tips for Dubai based readers:

2-3 months before:

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Your well deserved closet make over

As temperatures are rising, what are you doing with your wardrobe? You’ve probably read articles on how to change your clothes. But why wait for the end of a season to do so? Now is the time!

I’ve started clearing my closet on a regular basis and couldn’t be happier. We only wear 20% of our clothes. So why do we keep the other 80%? I’ve consciously decided to part from clothes which no longer fit or I don’t like. Remember those Christmas jumpers. Well, they’re gone, too. If you’re in the Middle East, there’s no need to wear them. Not even at Christmas!

This weekend is the perfect time to give your wardrobe the make over it and you deserve! Here are 10 easy steps to create the wardrobe of your dreams:

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Here’s to a productive and fruitful week

Today was probably one of my most productive days this month. The UK and the US were off for their public holiday, I had blocked time for a project I procrastinated on for too long (yup, I also have weaknesses), defined achievable steps for an upcoming project with some colleagues and answered the majority of my emails (yeah!). Wow! By the end of the day, I felt ahead of the day and even week.

Want to leave your office with the same feeling of accomplishment and success every day? Feel at the top of the world? Make your purposeful planning and actions thrive you to reach your best? Here are some tips for you to increase your efficiency and productivity:

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What are your dreams and goals?

It’s now mid-May and many New Year’s Resolutions are out of the window. For me, I’ve used the end of the year as an overview for achievements and looked at my goals for the New Year and the next year’s ahead. Rather than a mainly short-term change, I’m nowadays focusing on far reaching and long-term changes helping me to live the life I’m dreaming of.

When determining your goals, you automatically look at your dreams. But what do you want? Have you sat down and thought about your vision for your future? Defining your vision and setting goals gives you a long-term view as well as short-term motivation and actions. It’s been proven that writing goals down will increase your achievements, yet, only 3% currently have their goals documented in writing.

Thinking of your home and office, use these questions to set your goals:

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