Author: Carol Williams

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EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day

Are you Stuck in the Back?

Are you feeling the Push and Pull of Life…as if you were a piece of paper stuck in the back of a file cabinet? When the door is open you can see the light, then the door gets slammed shut again. You wonder, how do I put myself back where I belong? What do I WANT from my day?

In this Perspectives Podcast, Sue West, AD/HD and Life Management Coach, and I bring forth the important question of what you might really WANT from your days- a precursor before we discuss HOW to get it.

Read on or listen by clicking: WANT-What do you Want from your Days

Barbara Sher said, “I could do anything if I just knew what it was.”  And that is the title of one of her wonderfully written books. So do you know what it is you would want to do? That’s the first step, isn’t it?

So, the question (or questions) is, then, What do you WANT more of? Taking a step back, we have arrived at the WANT in the W+W+W+H = Woo Hoo! process. We’ve talked about What gets in your way, Why you want to design your day differently, and now we are hitting WANT. What do you Want from your day?

By focusing on what you WANT, it becomes easier to eliminate what you do NOT want. I’m providing the first example and Sue explains the second.

Here’s the first example:

Perhaps you WANT more time. This is a common reason people come to Design Your Days. Well, we all KNOW that there are only 24 hours in every day, period. So how can we “make” more time? We can’t. We can, however, choose what we do with each precious minute in a very conscious manner.

One of my clients wants more time so that she “feels less rushed and more balanced”. One first step in determining how to help her choose her activities in “making more time” is to take an inventory. What is she spending her time on now? Are those activities adding to her goals and/or life satisfaction, or are they draining it? You, the listener, can do this. Try this exercise with every activity you begin for one week. Ask, will this energize me or drain me?

ELIMINATING activities that are low value yields much time, if time is what you want MORE of.

Here’s Our Second example, from Sue:

“I want to spend more time on my business, because ultimately, my goal is to leave my legacy in the business I have built, not just to sell it, but because of the skills and leadership I’ve taught people who have worked with me, and because of the products and services we have provided. These things live on after us.”

And I also might hear from the same person: “I want more time with my grown children or with my grandchildren.” And “I want a less cluttered office space. The clutter holds me back from beginning my next chapter.”

So here, you might look at a typical week’s calendar and list of what you did, and simply guesstimate how much time you spent:

  • working on the business and not in it;
  • with adult children and/or grandchildren;
  • and on dealing with clutter (lost items, doing things twice).

How does this feel to you: is it enough, too much or just right for each of these important areas you’ve identified? You’ll need this to know where you are now, to know how much you need to shift your time. Without a starting point, how will you know you’ve arrived? Second question: what might be a “good enough” number of hours for the week or maybe even the month, for each of these areas? How much is “enough time” for you to feel that you’re getting closer to your goal? Remember that goals begin with smaller steps.

Want More?

If these struck a chord with you, we know you’ll get much more benefit from our Design Your Days workshop. Our next public workshop is coming right up- on Tuesday March 18 from 9 to 11 am at the Academy of Design and Decorating in Peterborough, NH. Register here. Or you can check our Facebook page, Design Your Days, which will point you in the right direction.

In the next podcast we dig deeper into the WANT question. What do you want more of, or less of? Be sure to listen and see how to get both of these!  We will continue to move through the Design Your Days process. At the end of about 12 podcasts, you will look back and find that we’ve provided an excellent overview of our process.

Categories
AD/HD EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day Time strategies

What’s Wrong with “just” Saving Time?

Saving time: great idea, right?

Have you ever thought WHY you want to save time? I mean, REALLY ask WHY? To clarify, I’m not referring to “so I can fit more in” or “so I can be more efficient.”  Are those good reasons? Well, they are not bad. But, when it comes to lasting change; truly enduring habits…your WHY needs to be pretty strong. In fact, a stronger and the deeper “why” correlates directly into your likelihood of success when looking to change habits.

To illustrate, Sue West and I have created a Podcast- Why Oh Why? We will show you two examples of a Shallower Why and a Deeper Why to get your “head in the game.”

Listen by clicking here: WHY do you want to save time? or read on.

Is this YOU?

I need to fit in:

  • My parents
  • My kids
  • My husband
  • My fitness
  • My nutrition
  • My business

….oh, and ME! What about ME?

….can you help me, Sue and Carol?

Sue: Of course! When we walk you through our W+W+W+H = Woo Hoo! Process, we start with WHAT gets in your way.

Then…we turn to WHY. This will often trip people up, because it’s often *not evident* what the why REALLY is. We THINK we know, but….then, we go a little deeper. The deeper we go, the more we contemplate and become totally honest with ourselves, the stronger our why. The stronger our why is, the higher our chance at truly Re-designing our days for Lasting Change.

Whew! What the heck does all that MEAN, anyway? Let’s look at a couple of examples, the shallow why and then a deeper why version.

Carol: So, back to our WHY conversation.

Sue and I will each provide an example of a Shallower Why and a Deeper Why. See if you can hear the Difference.

First, an Example of a more shallow why:

I want to redesign my day to become more productive, and sell more. When I sell more, I earn more. When I earn more, I will enjoy more business success and therefore be happier.

Now, and Example of a Deeper Why:

The money I earn allows me to fulfill my purpose in life. My purpose and passion is to live each day spreading light and love to those around me. I am uniquely skilled and gifted as a kitchen designer. I create beautiful and practical living spaces. But it’s more than that…I enhance people’s lives in the process. When a person lives in an environment that suits their needs and desires, he or she experiences peace and joy. A joyful, peaceful person thinks clearly. That person experiences inner calm and is better able to absorb the chaos life throws their way. That person may think “out of the box” and choose to turn a potential pitfall into an opportunity.

Therefore, I want to redesign my day to allow myself to serve my customers at my highest and best. When I do that, I will do my best work and it will improve not only MY life but the life of those I serve.

Do you hear the difference?

Why do you want to save time?

Sue:

So my example of the “first level” of WHY:

My client I’ll call Jennifer wanted support around time management to get more done at work, to deal with interruptions more effectively and some other frustrations around her productivity. She has AD/HD, Lyme disease and a few other issues.

And my same client, when we coached around what this was really about – the deeper or second level of WHY:

Her life feels too complicated, for the first time ever. Her friends have been saying for years she has too much on her plate, but she did not want to acknowledge what turns out to be quite true.

At mid-life she wants more time with her husband who is about to retire.

She wants to create more time to be with her daughter and grandchildren.

She has a very strong value and strength in traditions of family – our roots – and the desire to honor this, plus create future history with where she is today.

She’s a philanthropist with her “time and treasures,” as well them. She wants to make the world a better place because of all she is grateful for.

So the BIG question is “so what” or “why” … as you answer your WHY question, keep asking the “so what” or “why” question. Keep going until you hear the deeper ‘why’.

Carol:

In summary, although both the more shallow and the more deep why’s are both VALID, the deeper you go, the more likely you are to sticking to your new plan. When the going gets rough, it’s easier to remind yourself of a point that truly resonates with you- on a deep level.

Sue: If these struck a chord with you, we know you’ll get much more benefit from our Design Your Days workshop. Our next public workshop is coming right up- on Tuesday March 18 at 9 am at the Academy of Design and Decorating in Peterborough, NH. Register HERE. Early bird discounts are available before February 21 on a space available basis. Or you can check our FB page, Design Your Days, which will point you in the right direction.

In the next podcast we will move to the WANT question. What do you want more of, or less of? Be sure to listen and see how to get both of these!  We will continue to move through the Design Your Days process. At the end of about 12 podcasts, you will look back and find that we’ve provided an excellent overview of our process.

CAROL:

If you cannot attend our March session, we offer the Design Your Days workshop to YOUR group of business owners, so please contact one of us for more information and to get us on your schedule.

Categories
EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day prioritize Time strategies Uncategorized

Why? Why would you want to redesign your day?

Oh Why? Oh why? Why do we do the things we do? Why do we choose to do them differently sometimes? Why are we successful…or not?

This week’s podcast focuses on the WHY of the What, Why, Wants, and How. WHY would you want to redesign your day? Listen here:  Why might I want to Design My Day differently? or read on.

Carol: Why. It’s a child’s question. It’s a question we hear less and less as we age. Yet, it’s so important. And often overlooked.

Sue: That’s so true, Carol. Why are we talking about WHY? What does WHY have to do with Designing Our Days?  Such an important question to be summed up in 8 minutes or less!

Carol: Hi, this is Carol Williams, productivity coach at EpS, Efficient Productivity Systems.

Sue: And this is Sue West, AD/HD and life management coach

We have joined together as the Design Your Days Duo for this series of audio interviews to give you short, “use today” pieces of advice, in 5 to 8 minutes. If you like this podcast, please LIKE our Facebook page for tips on your newsfeed several times a week.

Carol: As you may know, Sue and I take participants in our Design Your Days workshops through our unique process of What, Why, Wants and How. Today we’re going to focus on WHY – *Why* do you want to design your day differently? This is the most important, and often the most difficult, question we can ask ourselves. The answer is often buried inside quite deeply. Answering honestly requires a true understanding, and often new discoveries, about you.

We’ve chosen two of the most common answers we hear to the Why question, and we’ll offer strategies for effectively addressing those WHYs

Sue: “Why” is your deep down, soul searched answer to the question of why you want to change what you’re getting out of your days. Seize the day. Live life more fully than you do today.

Practically speaking, “Why” is important because it’s where you will find your inspiration and motivation.  On this journey, “Why” helps you get going, know where you’re going and when you hit bumps in the road – which we always do, right? – then your own “why” is how you’ll stay on course THIS time. This time, which WILL be different.

For example, I work often with women at mid-life. She is handling some level of caregiving for parents, spouse or partner, child or sibling. She may have children college age or beyond. She often owns a business, though with all she handles, it’s been on the back burner for awhile.

What I hear is “I want more from my life. It feels too big, or too difficult  to manage, and not filled with what I want.” Some of our work is figuring out what matters, why she wants more, what her most important values are and what she might consider changing. Examples: volunteer work to give back and make a difference, connect to people in community, spirituality, more creativity, or a business that leaves her mark.

Carol: Recently one of our Design Your Days workshop participants was telling me that she has been finding it difficult to incorporate exercise into her day. She has her own business and has two small children at home. Now that they are both in school, why can’t she seem to fit this in? She has all the magazines; she loves fitness. What was getting in her way?

We talked for a while and began the process of discovery. What we found surprised us both. She did not exercise so she could “fit in” to her community. That’s right. She was unintentionally subscribing to the “misery loves company” mantra. As an extrovert, she loves to relate with others. Many other moms “complain” about “not having enough time to….(fill in the blank). What we came to find, together, is that this DYD workshop participant valued Fitting In and Commiserating more than she valued herself and her own priorities.

The great news is…once she realized this, she removed the Debby Downers from her life. She decided that she was “worth it”. Simply coming to the understanding that she was being subconsciously pulled into the “no exercise so we can complain together” zone allowed her to break free of this.

And she walks every day now. She does yoga. She is happier. Her husband is happier. Her life is better.

Sue: To wrap up, we just provided two examples of WHY you would want to Design Your Days differently tomorrow that you do today. If these struck a chord with you, we know you’ll get much more benefit from our Design Your Days workshop on Friday Jan 31 at 9 am at the Center of Health Promotion in concord, here: https://reg.abcsignup.com/view/view_month.aspx?as=53&wp=227&ss=

OR Register by calling them at 603.230.1121. Or you can check our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DesignYourDays

In the next podcast we will continue on with this critical WHY question. We will continue to move through the Design Your Days process. At the end of about 12 podcasts, you will look back and find that we’ve provided an excellent overview of our process.

Categories
EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day Time strategies Uncategorized

What Gets in the Way- When you are Designing Your Day?

You get up. Get ready. Today is an open book. Today I have a little time. Today I am not booked solid….I can “finally” catch up.

Sound familiar? Does it work? Many times – no.

What gets in YOUR way? Sue West and I explore this as part of our Perspectives Podcast Series. Listen here: WHAT gets in your way? or read on.

Sue: Well, whether we like it or not, we have arrived. It’s 2014, another ball has dropped, and we are hearing, and could be feeling, “this year will be different”. But is that little voice in your head saying….really? Why should it be any different THIS time?

Carol: Hi, this is Carol Williams, productivity coach at EpS, Efficient Productivity Systems.

Sue: And this is Sue West, AD/HD and life transitions coach

We have joined together as the Design Your Days Duo for this series of audio interviews to give you short, “use today” pieces of advice, in 5 to 8 minutes. If you like this podcast, please LIKE our Facebook page for tips on your news feed several times a week.

Carol: As you may know, Sue and I take participants in our Design Your Days workshops through our unique process of What, Why, Wants and How. Today we’re going to focus on WHAT – What gets in your Way when you are designing your day? We’ve chosen two of the most common themes we hear and we’ll offer strategies for effectively addressing those WHATS.

Sue: “I know I am at my best, when I’m feeling organized.” That’s what a client said to me about her business and about her life in general. She went on to say “I’m an organized person.”  “My business started growing. I wasn’t really paying attention; I was just getting the work done. Now, I turn around and yikes – I’m lost and overwhelmed,” So I asked what gets in her way of getting back on track, she said this:

“I don’t know how to prioritize. It ALL seems important.” And that was a familiar statement.

If this sounds like you, here are key questions to start designing your own solution:

  1. You need one place to put everything, so that you have an accurate picture of everything you need to do, BEFORE you set priorities. How well is your “capture” tool – paper or technology – working for you?
  2. How often are you looking at your list? Should be morning and end of day, plus if something big changes during the day – not an email hijacking your priorities, but a bonafide reason to change priorities set earlier in the day.
  3. What makes something a priority in your world? This you may have to notice for yourself as you sit to review your list tomorrow. For example, today, my highest priority items went like this: scheduling several client meetings, talking to a prospective client for awhile, answering a few questions about my Board work, interruption by the new person who will be doing the plowing at my house, writing my mother with info I’d promised because she only has email two days a week, and writing this podcast, because we both wanted a day or two to review and practice. So, my priorities were based on: client relationships, future client potential, response time standards I have for Board emails, the knock at the door by Mike, my mother’s constraint of the two days, and a deadline Carol and I decided on. See it’s not just money and deadlines; it’s more complex, and quite unique to each of us and what’s going on in our world.

Carol: Sometimes we hear about how “holidays” get in our way. We hear something like, “If it weren’t for all the “extra” of the season, I’d be more organized”. The solution lies in learning from those experiences. Since we are now past the holiday season (even though I WAS humming at the beginning of this…yes…) it’s still fresh in our minds. What could we have done differently to ease the stress a bit, as we look back? Record this in your new calendar for 2014 in a place where you will see it at the end of October. That’s right, start planning right around Halloween for what’s to come. When you make the time to reduce, eliminate, or delegate some of the tasks associated with the holidays, while embracing the traditions you hold dear and allowing time for those, the season will be much more joyful and you will emerge on January 1 feeling ready for the new year.

For example, I have a client who has recently downsized her home. Many of the family’s belongings that relate to “annual” decorations are kept in a storage facility. She recently recounted a meltdown that she had in December when finding that she had 8 bins of holiday “stuff” to find a place for. Much of it was given to her by a well-meaning relative. Her husband gently suggested that they choose only 2 bins and leave the other 6 in storage, at least for this year. They decorated together that night, and delighted their children in the morning. The message here is “How Much Stuff Is Enough?” Are your memories weighing you down? If so, find ways to let them go and get the extra weight OUT OF YOUR WAY.

Sue: To wrap up, we just provided two examples of What might Get In Your way when designing your day. If these struck a chord with you, we know you’ll get much more benefit from our Design Your Days workshop on Friday Jan 31 at 9 am at the Center of Health Promotion in concord. Register by calling them at 603.230.1121. Or you can check our Facebook page, Design Your Days, which has the signup link too.

In the next podcast we hit the next question, WHY? as we will continue to move through the Design Your Days process. At the end of about 12 podcasts, you will look back and find that we’ve provided an excellent overview of our process.

CAROL:

If you cannot attend our January session, we offer the Design Your Days workshop to YOUR group of business owners, so please contact one of us for more information and to get us on your schedule.

Again, you can find us on Facebook as Design Your Days or contact us individually through websites:

Sue’s is www.OrganizeForAFreshStart.com

Carol’s is http://www.efficientproductivity.com/

If you found our advice valuable, please consider sharing our podcast or blog with colleagues and friends.

Categories
Get Organized More time in my day prioritize productivity in the workplace Time strategies Uncategorized

I’ve Motivated. I’ve Planned. Now it’s time to enjoy, right? So why am I so stressed out?

How to Enjoy the season while “winning” (getting your Most Important Things done)

OK so it’s…..December 13th? …And how many more “full weeks” (minus the parties, right?) in this year, ONE? What?
THIS MEANS WE ARE AT THE COUNTDOWN. What happens in the best sports games? It’s tight, it’s back and forth, and in the last quarter, maybe even in the last minute, the WINNER PULLS AHEAD.
Do you picture yourself as that winner? If so, try this strategy on for size, to kick it hard while enjoying your parties, guilt free.

*The power of One*
This week I met with a client who was feeling overwhelmed with the season. Does this sound familiar? Take all the “regular” to-do’s and add *holidays* onto it all and what results? Stress, overwhelm, guilt, money pressure. A strategy that worked for her is *the power of one*.

How it works:
1. Allow yourself a maximum of 15 minutes to write out all the to-do’s flying around in your head.
2. Quickly assess which one is the top priority.
3. Write that priority on an index card.
4. Put the rest away.
5. Focus on that one. Do not feel guilty. Just focus. Energy will return. You will watch it get done. It will matter. There will be closure. Do not look back.

But how do I decide on *one*?
1. Ask yourself, what will make the biggest impact on my life? (work, personal, whichever is more critical to you at the time)
2. If you need help deciding, remember, YOU are important. Put yourself first in this season of giving, so you can give even more.

Categories
Get Organized More time in my day prioritize procrastination productivity in the workplace Time strategies

Ready for a Break? Plan Now- Just a Little- to Jumpstart January

What does the Thanksgiving Holiday mean to you?

How does it relate to your productivity?

In the U.S., most of us will enjoy an extended weekend very soon. Some of us may already be away for the week- I know 2 people in that category personally. The question I have is….what will you do or not do, and how will you feel about those decisions?

Too much free time can spell DANGER.

Today I helped a client Design Her Long Weekend. When you have too much “unplanned time,” do you feel that it’s “wasted”? Do you “not know where the time does? Do you feel like it’s a waste- so you tend to fill up your time with “productive” ventures instead? This is common and was the case with my client.

My client and I focused on a strategy that I’d like to share: Majoring and Minoring. Think of your college undergraduate years. Perhaps you had a major and a minor. By default, more time and energy is expended on your major, right? In work and in life, we mostly find ourselves with more to-do’s than will fit in our bucket. So, run yourself through your weekend. What would you WANT it to look like…if you had it YOUR way? That’s right…be selfish. Start there. Then, add in the non-negotiables. Really look- are they truly “givens” or is there any wiggle-room if they don’t fit your version of the ideal long weekend?

Set your intention, make some plans that are needed, and accept the outcome. You will find that the power of intention is, in fact, very powerful.

Next week is December? Forget the goals-I am writing off the year- see you in January!

Thanksgiving can be a quiet time, if you dare. When others are watching football or taking that after dinner nap, you can take advantage of that quiet time to focus on yourself and your personal and professional goals. Strategic and creative thinking requires downtime.

Some questions to ask yourself are:

  • How “big” do your want your December Holidays to be?
  • How will you address your “important, but not urgent” tasks in December, so that you hit the ground running on January 2?

Two strategies to achieve the goals you identify:

  1. Honor your desired outcome with the “pause and reflect” method. How? When a request comes in, decide that you will “pause and reflect” rather that furnishing an immediate answer. This pause allows more holistic and strategic thinking than may otherwise happen.
  2. Use the “if/then” habit: Help implement the strategy above by bringing it directly into your life. For example, IF my employer asks me to work late, THEN I will check with my spouse before agreeing to it.

A little Thanksgiving Planning can go a long way to enjoying the holidays and jumpstarting January. Be well, enjoy every bite, and above all – express gratitude.

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