Category: prioritize

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Get Organized More time in my day prioritize procrastination Productivity

Dreaming to Doing: The How

For those of you who may have missed my article in the January Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce newsletter, here’s a timely reminder in MARCH for what we may have intended in January!

 

WHAT is the issue?

 

New Year’s resolutions don’t work. You know that.  Some statistics:

Resolution maintained through first week 75%
Past two weeks 71%
Past one month 64%
Past six months 46%

Source: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

 

But, why? We are intelligent and successful leaders. Why do we have a DISCONNECT between Intention and Action?

 

Answer: It’s our brains. It’s how we are wired. But, here’s the good news. We can outsmart our brains.

 

SO WHAT?

 

With everything to gain, and much to lose, it’s worth another look at the “right way” to not only plan, but to design a system that enables you and your team to (really) follow though this time. Without consistent and reliable methods for follow-through, your team will lose momentum, become disengaged, and possibly disgruntled. A disengaged team barely scratches the surface of productivity, whereas a highly engaged and motivated team knows no limits.

 

What if, after many tries of fording an impossible stream, someone built a bridge? Would you ford the stream again? It’s doubtful. What do you have to lose? To gain?

Screen Shot 2016-02-22 at 9.22.09 AM

Want this bridge? Read on.

 

NOW WHAT?

 

How do we outsmart our brains, then, to go from “Dreaming” to “Doing”? It’s simple, but it’s not easy. If it were easy, we’d find different statistics.

 

Simply Successful Steps:

 

  1. Be certain. Envision your end result, with the caveat that you truly believe you can achieve your goal(s). Half-hearted beliefs are doomed to failure.

 

  1. Keep it super simple. A big mistake is to plan for more than three goals. One to three is ideal. “Less is more” after all.

 

  1. Believe through the bumps. There will be bumps, but reminding yourself of successes will breed more successes. Honor and celebrate, and expect the bumps. A deep and meaningful “why” is paramount.

 

  1. Really remember the reminders. What reminds you of “what you were going to do”? Some use a vision board. Some visualize daily. Create small “if/then” habits (hint: this is a “brain trick.” For example, “IF I open a new browser window THEN I will ask myself what my highest priority of the day is.”)

 

  1. Consistently. You must commit to a small step, at least every other day. This creates habit and momentum. It’s also known as Deliberate Practice, which is another way to re-train your brain.

 

  1. Get support. No “man is an island.” Humans are gregarious by nature, and in general, find greater success in personal accountability. Try https://www.stickk.com/, a mastermind group, or a coach. Even announcing your goal (personal or professional) on Facebook can help!

 

Above all, take heart:

 

According to a 2015 study by the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, we can “rebuild our willpower muscle.” Like any muscle however, it must be trained.

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More time in my day prioritize procrastination

Summer Fun or Summer Work? Both!

It’s summertime, and as Ella Fitzgerald sang, “the livin’ is easy.” But what about the working, the staying on task, the getting-things-done? For those, your newfound appreciation of swimming pools and ice cream may be leading you astray. So how, in a season of fun in the sun, do you actually achieve anything?

I’m here to tell you that enjoyment and accomplishment aren’t mutually exclusive. We’ve talked about the relationship between happiness and productivity before on this blog, and never does that hold more true than in the summer. It’s the time when the excitement of life and energy for work can go hand-in-hand. Where some make summertime work the enemy of summertime fun, you can capitalize on the power of both. Here are some tips for making fun work and work fun:

  1. Let yourself take breaks. Variety is the spice of life, and it’s the spice of work as well. No one is at their best in the midst of an hours-long slog, and you want the quality of your work to represent you at your best. So teach yourself to (temporarily) walk away from a task instead of trying to push through it. A break will help you refocus, re-engage, and re-inspire yourself for even better work when you return. Scientists agree; according to a productivity study cited by The Atlantic, the ideal balance is 52 minutes for working, followed by a 17 minute break.

  2. Surround yourself with fun AND productive people. We all have friends who look like they’re having fun 24/7. One look at their Facebook wall – or a slideshow from their trip to the Bahamas – and you can get a major case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). But nobody can have fun all of the time. It’s important to be reminded of this, so that you can allow yourself periods of productivity along with your time to let loose. The more you emulate people who have a healthy balance between work and play, the more you’ll find satisfaction in both.

  3. Build in active time during your daily schedule. Productivity relies on so much more than your sheer force of will. Being healthy, in both body and mind, can boost your motivation and ability – as well as allow you to have more fun. Studies show that exercise that improves both mental and physical health also has a profound impact on productivity. So take that morning run, that afternoon bike ride, or that noontime dip in the pool – your workday will be more fruitful because of it.

  4. Listen to music (really!) This one is controversial – take it from any student who has argued with a teacher about using earbuds during a test! But studies show that music can increase productivity by relaxing and refocusing the brain away from other aural distractions. Now before you jam out to Beyoncé at your desk, know that there are limits to music’s benefits. Music without lyrics, and for short durations of time, usually works best in creating a relaxed focus.

  5. Expose yourself to nature. No, this doesn’t mean “go out for a hike every day” – hardly anybody has the time, let alone the energy! But research shows that even just a little green in your day – from having an office window facing trees to a 20-minute walk in the park – can drastically improve your output. Make sure you aren’t cooped up, and you’ll be feeling and working better in no time.

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AD/HD More time in my day prioritize

How? What to do in the Land of Good Intentions

I have taken a summer break from posting the Design Your Days blog entries….but as sweet fall air kisses us, so too I offer a couple of “last” podcast/blogs to round out the Design Your Days series.

As you likely recall…I have joined with Sue West, www.organizeforafreshstart.com. We are the Design Your Days Duo for this series of audio interviews.  These are meant 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.

You can either listen HOW no. 2 or read below….

Giving presentations, I find that many of the participants expect “just information and tips.” Introspective work is shunned.

So many of us feel “pressed for time” and “just want the practical strategies”. Our Design Your Days workshop attendees realizethat the best strategies won’t last, unless you’ve done the AWARENESS work and found the ones that fit YOU and YOUR life. They understand the power of the DYD framework and know why the ‘how’ practical side is the  last focus area.

So, assuming the listeners HAVE gone through the whole process, knowing WHAT gets in their way, Why they want it, what they WANT more of and less of….they are ready for the HOW. Sometimes we KNOW what to do – and we INTEND to do it- but as the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” So how do we turn those intentions into action?

Many good ideas can be found in one of my favorite books, Following Through by Steve Levinson and Pete Greider. Pete and Steve do a fantastic job of explaining that there is NOTHING WRONG WITH US when our intentions alone do not produce long lasting results. Why?

Many good ideas can be found in one of my favorite books, Following Through by Steve Levinson and Pete Grieder. Pete and Steve do a fantastic job of explaining that there is NOTHING WRONG WITH US when our intentions alone do not produce long lasting results. Why?

We have two innate guidance systems in our minds. And there is no built-in mechanism for ensuring the 2 mechanisms work in concert with one another. They are: the PGS (primitive guidance system) and the Intellectual Guidance System  (IGS). The primitive guidance system has much power, but not much intelligence. The IGS has much intelligence, but little power. So in a contest, who wins? That’s right, the one with the power. So when you “should really clean your office” (IGS) what happens? How about when you “should do your taxes early this year?” Again the IGS is driving this. You need to find that PRIMAL REASON to change your behavior. The motivation.

So in the example above….set a meeting in your office with someone who you will want to impress to get it organized. Your PGS will be in touch with your pride, and that will get you moving.

Sue and I are sharing our “best practices” for the HOW over this and subsequent podcasts. Last time, we introduced the time inventory.

Now, we weigh in with a recommendation to focus on getting more sleep.

There is a well established link between sleep deprivation and symptoms of distractibility, inattention and hyperactivity for any one of us.

So in “intentions” check sleep first. Be strong and creative if you have to be in getting the amount you need. If you have a neuro-biological condition such as ADD or ADHD, then your intention to action model HAS TO BE unique, because of your brain chemistry. Start with sleep and quiet time (meditation, mindfulness or simply quiet time for yourself).

Now, we have 2 podcasts in our HOW bucket. We’ll continue with practical strategies to get you started in taking back your time and life in the coming podcasts.

If this topic struck a chord with you, we know you’ll get much more benefit from our Design Your Days workshop. We offer public workshops periodically; check out our facebook page for the latest ones.

We offer the Design Your Days workshop to YOUR group of businesspeople, so please contact one of us for more information and to get us on your schedule.

You can find us on Facebook as Design Your Days.

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Get Organized More time in my day prioritize Time strategies

F.O.C.U.S.

What ONE WORD has the ability to completely transform your productivity? How are you BEING ROBBED right now- robbed of time, profits, energy? How can you shift that?

FOCUS.

In 2014 we are faced with an Epic Challenge. It is no longer good enough to be our best. Simply knowing and perfecting our craft does not do it. Being super salespeople does not do it. Responsiveness does not always do it.

Why? We are faced, now more than ever, with the problem of Too Much.

Recently, I started a course given by Darren Hardy, editor of Success Magazine, called Insane Productivity. I must be insane…right? Anyone that knows me knows I am a little crazy, and that might be why they like me (or don’t). What’s great about this course is that it underscores much of what I already am teaching- and adds in some fun flavor and new statistics to back up the science we “time managers” teach. Thanks, Darren! Some of the info in this article is influenced by that course.

Who do YOU know who wears “busy” as their badge of honor? Running, running, and “getting it all done?” Yes, work life and home life are “busy”….everyone is “busy.”  In and of itself this is not new. But as smartphones, tablets, and 24/7 are successfully integrating themselves into our Way of Doing Business, our ability to harness the power of our intellect is compromised.

We do not just “like” our devices, we are addicted to them. I am. Fortunately, I am not in the “hopelessly” addicted category, unable to distinguish between a perceived emergency and a real one. It happens slowly; we want to be ultra -responsive, we have mobile devices, we will take care of “that” right now.

The immediate result is gratifying; we responded- people got answers- all is good. And you feel good. Why? When responding that way, a little squirt of dopamine goes off in our brain. We like dopamine. We receive dopamine when we are embraced. But the long term effects, which are being studied, involve segmentation of our brains. It becomes increasingly difficult to “think big.”

This sounds simple, but execution is sketchy at best. However if we don’t learn new and more powerful ways of focusing, we will continue to feel as if we are spinning on a stool, taking tiny bites out of our work, with only dizziness to show for it.

Over the coming months of 2014, I’ll share with you some strategies that will help you Focus Better in ’14 and beyond. Let’s start now.

First, realize we are in DIGIFRENIA times (digitally induced mental chaos). Our devices are not going away. The “idea” of having a phone as your watch is real. I saw it in Best Buy the other day. The trick is…realizing that Digifrenia is a CHOICE.

Erin Schmidt, while CEO of Google, said, “All of the information ever created in human history up to 2003 is created EVERY DAY now.”  So really, we are not experiencing information overload, we are experiencing Information Overconsumption. It’s our choice to overeat, right? And it’s our choice to Overconsume Digital Media.

What will you choose? Let’s start by looking at some of your habits now.

  • Do you take your device to bed?
  • In the shower? The toilet?
  • Do you check it at red lights?
If so, you are not alone. But at what cost? Scientific evidence is finding that our attention-jumping is fragmenting our brains. It’s reducing our capacity to think clearly and well. And, it’s making us feel important. We can respond quickly, anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, this is not always  such a good idea (responding quickly) and in truth, it is likely a smokescreen for us, giving us the illusion of having more importance than we actually do.
Your homework, then, if you have made it this far into the article, is to reduce your device checking by one. In other words, if you take your phone to bed with you, don’t. If you take it into the bathroom, don’t. Slowly, you will overcome NOMOPHOBIA (No-Mobile-Phone-Phobia) and you will begin to think clearly again. But it will take some time. Stay tuned.
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AD/HD Get Organized prioritize productivity in the workplace

On-the-Wall Business Tip.

Want a Business organization and prioritization tip? Use Ideapaint on your wall.

Use this tip if you consider yourself a “visual thinker.” You might be a designer or artist. Idea paint is not paint at all; rather, it is a sealer that acts as a giant dry-erase board.

If you have ever had the occasion of “too many to-do’s” to the point of overwhelm, Ideapaint is a tool to help de-clutter your brain. And when your brain is de-cluttered, you feel better organized, can prioritize better, focus better, and get more done.

  1. The brain spill. Often, I will have “so many ideas” that they cloud my head. When this happens, I walk over to my ideapaint wall, grab a marker, and start writing. Soon, I will begin drawing arrows and charts and graphs and numbered priorities. The act of standing, drawing, and writing frees up my brain.

    prioritize in style
    Ideas and concepts redefined on your wall
  2. Use color to help prioritize on the wall. Once you “spill out” your to-do’s, you can start to see them more clearly. It becomes obvious which ones need to be done first, and which can wait. You can use red for your top 3, blue for everything else, for example. Things that are a lower priority can be grey.
  3. You can use this to organize your projects. My graphic designer used idea paint on his wall to organize his clients into “website clients,” “newsletter clients”, “social media clients”, etc. so that he could run through the list and remember various tasks and deadlines he had for each client. Yes, he could have done this via spreadsheet or through another method, but, having this on the wall was an easier way for him to “see” everything all at once and respond to his “visual thinking” tendencies.
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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.

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