Category: productivity in the workplace

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Goal Setting Organization Planning Productivity productivity in the workplace Time strategies

15 ways to make sure your goal is not lost in chaos

It’s not too late to have more peace than you think in 2023.

Not even two months left in 2023! Lately, this has been hitting me right over the top of my head: “I want to finish 2023 strong so that I’m ready for the new year.” What better time as we welcome fall, and we are being grateful here in this month of gratitude, Thanksgiving, than to really take a look at where we are in our lives. 

As we get ready to turn the page for 2024, what do we really want and why? 

I’m going to take you through the tried, true, and iterative process of my signature system, the Productivity Success Cake, that has helped so many people become more focused, organized, and productive; and to get out of their own way and finally have the peace and prosperity they really want. So here, as a reminder, here’s what it looks like.

That’s the Productivity Success Cake system. Living the life that you really want is better than baking a cake & is calorie free. 

I invite you to take your pencil or pen out and write the answers to these questions, and then send these to me in an email (carol@unscatterme.com) and let me know what your ‘ahas’ were and I can help you create a perfect plan for you.

We’re going to go through each and every piece in the Productivity Success Cake, and I’m going to invite you to rate yourself. We’re going to start at the bottom of the Success Cake, and, before we begin, let’s discover what the  Productivity Success Cake is and why I did it the way I did it. 

I have been in business since 2009, and when I began my business (I began it as a professional organizer and productivity consultant and trainer), I realized that when people weren’t as organized and productive as they thought they would love to be, there were usually some underlying reasons. To tie the most common reasons together, in early 2020 I created the Productivity Success Cake system. I organized these by layer: the first layer is Health, the second is Environment. Then (and only then), if our Health and our Environment is strong enough we can layer on Productivity.  After that (and  there’s more because there’s always more!) and better sharpening the saw and it should all be wrapped up with your purpose.The Productivity Success Cake is a framework system. Although ‘system’ and ‘recipe’ does have something to do with it, it’s mostly just fun and it’s a beautiful visual way to see where you are and what you want, and it gives you that happiness and joy.

Follow along and rate yourself! 

You can also do this on my website HERE.

FIRST: Health layer. 

  1. STATEMENT: Food piece: The statement is “The food I eat supports my body in a perfect way”. Score 1 is very false and to score 10 is very true. So just pick where you rate yourself against that statement.
  2. STATEMENT:  Exercise piece: The statement is “I exercise to the degree that has me feeling good, energetic and supports my health and fitness needs fully”. Score 1 is very false and 10 is very true. 
  3. STATEMENT: Meditation piece: “I meditate, pray, or spend time alone in silence on a regular basis.” Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true. 
  4. STATEMENT: Sleep piece: “I get at least seven hours of sleep per night. I wake up feeling rested and rejuvenated.”  Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true.
  5. STATEMENT: Medication piece: “I take my prescribed medication and or supplements and vitamins to create an ideal container for my mind and body to soar.” Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true. 

NEXT: Environment Layer. 

  1. STATEMENT: Physical environment piece: “My physical environment supports my thinking, clarity, inspiration, and productivity.” Score 1 is very false and 10 is very true. 
  2. STATEMENT: Goals piece: “The goals I have are one very motivational and meaningful to me, and two, crystal clear and succinct.” 1 is very false and 10 is very true. 
  3. STATEMENT: Circles Of Support piece: “I have a circle of support:  close family, friends, clubs, groups, church, etc.” How do you feel about having a  circle of support? 1 is very false and 10 is very true.
  4. STATEMENT: Light your light piece:  “I light my light. I am clear about my purpose in the world.  Whether it’s work for pay through volunteering in a club or with a solo endeavor, MY environment and activities support me in keeping my candle lit from within.” Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true. 

NEXT: Productivity layer.

  1. STATEMENT: Power Focus piece: “I have a system to limit the scope of my task or project.” (For example, your system could be do / delegate / drop). “I can stay focused and then take breaks. I do not overcommit and then get exhausted on a regular basis.”  Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true. 
  2. STATEMENT: Remembering to remember piece: “I have systems and external support so that I remember to remember most of the time I am not feeling like I am always dropping the ball.  I am following through.”  Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true. 
  3. STATEMENT: Procrastination piece: “I have procrastination under control.” Score 1 is very false, 10 is very true
  4. STATEMENT: Time and tasks: “I have a system from managing my time and energy and priorities that works for me. I get things done as I’d like to do them. I feel very good, really good. What gets done and to the quality which it does. I set appointments, I show up on time and I am fully present. My time management feels clear and peaceful to me and supports my larger goals and purpose”. 1 is very false and 10 is very true.  
  5. STATEMENT: Accountability Layer:  I rely upon trusted partners to keep me accountable externally so that I do not have to rely solely on my internal regulator and staying on track and being accountable to my goals and priorities”. 1 is very false and 10 is very true. 
  6. FROSTING: Calorie free “why” frosting. Think about it and write to me at carol@unscatterme.com or direct message me what your icing is.  What’s your purpose that holds all your layers together? What is your purpose for building and baking your cake? What comments do you have about where you are right now in this process, or any aha’s that came to you during this time of layer of evaluation?

Here’s the thing. We’re looking for “quick and easy” things just like losing weight. With intermittent fasting you may be able to lose 20 pounds in two weeks,  but whatever you do, it takes mindfulness, evaluation, step-by-step, a plan and accountability. Maybe that’s not sexy, but it sure as heck can be fun!  That’s why I created and have people implement the Productivity Success Cake framework. It works because it’s fun, and because it’s visual – and the people that I serve are fun, crazy artists, creators, visual, and they love being a little kooky just like me, and it Just Works. 

So I invite you to let me know what you have taken away from this. 

What were your biggest ‘ahas’ in doing this?

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Productivity productivity in the workplace

How bad do you really want relief and productivity?

I know you have a busy life. How badly do you really want relief and productivity? Now, those are not necessarily the same, but they kind of are the same. I hear, “I want relief and I want to be productive”. Relief and stress relief from that relentless To-Do list, and relief from being busy all the time. 

Here’s the truth. You’re too busy for that. You’re too busy to do things needed so that you get the relief you desire. There’s a pretty cool book that I’ve been made aware of lately called The Art of Reflection – a whole entire book dedicated to a powerful strategy: to stop, sit back, and observe. Then, change course a little at a time.

Why is it important to REFLECT when you are seeking to be more productive and have stress relief?

  1. An object in motion stays in motion.  Ah, yes. AND…is it the right motion? When there’s no rest, it’s no good. So the object in motion stays in motion when it’s not in rest, it’s no good. And you know what happens? The  cortisol stresses us out. It motivates us, sure, but it also stresses us out when there’s too much cortisol because we haven’t stopped to reflect. 
  2. Your energy is finite…sort of.
    1. There are four energy systems in our body. The first is the energy hog. That’s the sympathetic nervous system: fight, flight or freeze. When we’re busy all the time we’re feeling productive, but we’re not really that productive.  The sympathetic nervous system is taking up all the space (dopamine, anyone?) and it’s not leaving space for the other three nervous systems in our body. 
    2. The immune system. When you have too much stress, you might get sick.  This sickness is not just related to germs, it’s also because your energy is taken up by the energy hog. 
    3. The cell replenishment system that keeps us young-ish. My mother used to always say that we made her get gray; that we stressed her out.
    4. The energy system. You actually need to have an energy reserve so that your body can create more energy. 

That is why the art of reflection, and taking a step back is so important. It’s because an object in motion, stays in motion and because there’s only four systems in your body, and when they’re all taken up by sympathetic, no bueno. 

OK Great. You may now ask, what can be done?

Well, you can read the book. I haven’t read that book, so I’ll give you my solution. I have a couple of forms, a morning form and an evening form which bookend the day. 

In the morning you ask yourself “What am I going to do today?” Now, do not do a hundred things!  There’s very small amounts that you are allowed to put on the form because we don’t want the giant to-do list that never ends and only gets added to! 

In the evening these forms help us to reflect, for example “Oh, wow, that didn’t work out so well. What will I do differently?” or “Rock on. I did it. I did it. Yay. I said I’d do this and I did it all right?” Rinse and repeat. How many times have you gone out and bought organizing folders or organizing bins, but then your house still miraculously doesn’t get organized and cleaned? 

In conclusion, now you have the WHY and the WHAT.

Why do this (you need to watch your energy!)

What can you do? Reflect!

Now, the HOW. How will you actually act on this? I can help!

  • Come to your FREE community called UnscatterMe – a confidential, smallish online group to share wins and strategies
  • Come to my free training and coaching every month called Wisdom Warriors.  The next Wisdom Warriors is November 6th, and it’s from 12pm to 1pm Eastern Time. 

What do YOU want for YOU?

I don’t want you to feel like you just don’t have any time for yourself, as then you become sick and you get gray prematurely. If we don’t take some time and reflect and make those conscious choices sooner or later, the universe hits you with a two by four. You get sick. You wind up with bad situations. Then you feel worse. 

It’s time to turn this around. Before it is too late and there is so much more to do, getting out of the hole.

Come to Wisdom Warriors 11/6. 

Comment below:  what you are cutting out this week??

I am here for you.

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Growth Organization Planning prioritize procrastination productivity in the workplace Time strategies

What is the secret to getting IMPORTANT tasks done vs. procrastinating?

Let’s look at 2 familiar scenarios and how to harness your brain

Today, this beautiful fall day, our topic is less sexy than the fall colors:  time and tasks. This cake slice lives on the third layer of the Productivity Success Cake -in the productivity layer. It’s  important because there are sometimes false ideas that to do a task, you just write down ‘Jones Project’ and you get ‘Jones Project’ done in your to-do list. NOT TRUE!

I am going to show you two different methods to do this. Pay close attention.

Method One: “Okay, today I want to do the Jones Project. I want to exercise, I want to make client outreach calls, and I want to figure out my health insurance”.  I would say that this isn’t bad because you’re actually doing something to plan your day.

However, a better way to do all this is to dial it down to specifics….see below.

Method Two:

  • 6.00am, get up
  • 6.00am – 6.15am Coffee and stretch
  • 6.15am to 6.45am Shower and dress 
  • 6.45am to 7.00am Breakfast
  • 7.00am to 7.20am Drop off son
  • 7.20am to 7.45am Meditate and set intentions
  • 8.00am Jones Project

Notice I didn’t add, “check my email.”

Pro tips:

Within the Jones Project, start a new list. “Jones Project” is not a task. It’s a project. There are many situations like Jones. Maybe it’s a client proposal, maybe it’s a letter or letters you have to send out – it’s more than just a simple ‘pick up the phone and call somebody’ and you already know who you’re going to call. For each PROJECT, there are multiple steps. Those multiple steps come with their own unknowns and their fears behind the unknowns, and that’s what causes procrastination.

In Method Two, notice that I’m adding the preparation to my day. You may want to add things like affirmations and whatever you want to do to get ready for your day. Once you look at your PROJECT, start with an outline. Scope of work? Timeline? Gather materials? Each one of these is its own little list. 

Ask yourself, “to start the Jones Project, what do I need for that?” Stuck? Many times just gathering the materials will help you get going. I have worked a lot with salespeople who might, for example, want to call four prospects or four clients every single day, but it just never gets done.  What I suggest is to pre-think about that list of people that you are going to be calling, the phone numbers and all the information so that when you get down to doing the task, you’ve already got the list, it’s already set up. You don’t have to wonder “Who am I going to call?”.  Lets face it, nobody wants to pick up the phone anymore. 

To sum up, planning ahead with steps may not feel sexy, but it sure helps to remove procrastination. How about you?

Please let me know, what was your best takeaway? 

What will you move forward on today? 

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Decluttering Get Organized Productivity productivity in the workplace Time strategies Wellness

How badly do you want to prioritize it all?

What do to when you feel squirrely

You know you love a lot of things.

You know you have a hard time deciding what to do…how do you prioritize it all?

Great news!

For the next 4 weeks, starting now, I’m doing a series. It’s Time Management for the Distracted Entrepreneur.

Recently, I polled my community (people just like YOU! Maybe YOU, actually!) Here is what you said. You want more Income. You want consistent routines. They want to be able to block your time in such a way that yo

u can spend time with your family -and also with their work- in  a way that really feels good to you.

One person said that she wants “a solid foundation”. That sounds phenomenal. It sounds like the Productivity Success Cake! And there it is. Today we will begin with that first layer of your solid foundation: the beginning of your Productivity Success Cake.

Productivity Success Cake, get your copy here

Don’t forget…

Managing your time, time blocking, etc…. is actually on the third layer, your Productivity layer.  YES this is a series on Time Management (layer 3). 

However,  your first layer, the foundation, which is what many people said they wanted: a clear foundation and consistency. That’s the Health Layer.

Another colleague asked her community “what helps you” with any kind of scatter or distraction that you have, whether you have a neurodiversity or you don’t.

Here are the answers people gave to “what helps me with the scatter?”

Meditation 

Tapping 

exercise

getting outdoors

lion’s mane supplements

vitamin B12

Adderall 

journaling

Cannabis mushrooms

CBD oil

binurial beats 

being sugar free

being vegan

having no Alcohol

focusing on really good sleep. 

***Do you see a pattern here?***

Right. They all live on the bottom: the Health layer. 

So imagine that these are answers from people that either have a neurodiversity or maybe had a traumatic incident, whether it be childhood, partnership, whatever the case may be, that is creating a scatter in their lives. And they are all saying that one of the most powerful things they can do is right here on that Health layer. So I’m going to ask you, what would you like to focus on, on your Health layer? You can do it right in the unScatter Me community.

So if you’re not a part of the UnScatterMe community, please join HERE.  You can jump in say, for example, “hey, this, this week I’m going to be meditating some more.” Or “ I’m going to try that Lion’s Mane.” It’s YOUR community…lean in and be with one another!

In the coming weeks, I’m going to be releasing some new resources. 

Your first one is: Productivity Success Cake.

It’s going to lead up to a really big release the very last week of this month. So pay attention!

However, you don’t need to wait until the end of August. You can start moving ahead right now! It’s Summertime, it’s August, and I don’t know about you, but for me, I have more free time in August,, and I get to think bigger.

 So- do yourself that favor.

If you are in a slower mode, maybe going to the beach, maybe taking more walks, etc. ,do yourself a favor and take advantage of this time.  What better time to take care of your whole cake – and especially that Health layer? It is the first big step to calming the squirrel-scattter.

And that way you will be ready for your Fall. 

Start here: GRAB YOUR COPY OF THE SUCCESS CAKE GUIDE!

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Productivity productivity in the workplace Time strategies vacation Wellness

The sublime art of slowing down

Last week we discussed the benefits of a summer vacation. But what about when you don’t want to work AT ALL in summer? What about when you have children and you are trying to also run a company? Scroll to the bottom to address this tricky issue.

First, let’s address the real benefits of slowing down. Why does this work so well when we are addressing productivity?

Slowing down gives space to our subconscious, letting our intuition come to conclusions in a less logical way.  Letting our creativity flow is a big step towards being more productive, after all, we are human beings, not robots.  Our productivity doesn’t depend on speed and efficiency, it depends on our creativity, intuition and innovation, and these things need space to flourish.  Nothing shuts down inspiration faster than forcing it.  Yup, it’s counterintuitive.

Creativity is everything.  Many jobs can be exported, and have been, to people who can work for far lower pay than us.  The only thing that truly sets you apart is your creativity and innovation.  Creativity stems from connections between disparate ideas, but unless you have explored a variety of experiences, you will not have anything to draw from.  Going on vacation or simply taking some time off work provides a wealth of novelty to spur creativity.

When we slow down and give ourselves time to think, we notice the difference between getting things done and getting the RIGHT things done (and doing them well).

“It’s only when we start asking ourselves questions like “what am I actually doing here?”, that thinking time starts to feel productive”

The human body and mind need breaks and vacations to provide rest and benefits that have a much greater influence on success and happiness than clocking in overtime at work. Overworking yourself isn’t going to make you more likely to succeed.  If anything, it may make you resent your work, lower its quality, and negatively impact your happiness.

OK, so, maybe it’s your situation that you are an entrepreneur with kids home for the summer. Yikes, what do you do?

This is not easy! Camp is expensive. Running kids around or trying to work with loud and needy kids in your home is far worse though.  You may be thinking “I’ll just take the summer off.”

Here are some items to consider:

  1. Can you afford to take the summer “off”? Do you need the cash flow? If you stop working, how will this affect your workflow/cash flow in the fall?
  2. Get real. Even if you take 4 weeks off of the 8-10 weeks, doing so purposefully is a much better strategy.

I work all summer.  I also take vacation.  As my children grow, their needs change.  Being real about what you expect is critical – boundaries come into play here.  Our children love to push our boundaries, and we don’t do what we “should” do.  We do what we value.

This is tricky! We will talk more about this in our July Lunchtime Love.   Also feel free to email me at Carol@eps-time.com to untangle the web of conflicting voices in your head….

Be amazing, be bold, rest well!

Carol

 

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

Why Procrastination feels so good, hurts us so much, and how to outsmart our brain

I love to procrastinate. It feels so good. Wait, what?

It does! I like to have fun you know; I’m not “all business”.  While I love my work, I love fun even more. So, when I don’t really wish to “dive in” to a project, I get really busy doing things I can check off my list. Does this sound familiar? And yes, this is a form of procrastination.

Are you interested in what you might be doing to procrastinate, where you might honor it, and where you might tweak it, SO THAT you may become your Best Self? If yes, read on.

FIRST, ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

Do you:

  • Pretend to work while playing computer games or watching shows, thus making the work take hours because you keep getting sucked into the game or show or YouTube or Facebook?
  • Start to work on something, then remember something else that’s more urgent, dropping that midway to hop onto something else… only to finally return to the first task a couple hours later, exhausted, and just call it a day?
  • Clean up things that don’t really need to be cleaned up (like the tabs on your browser) to avoid doing what REALLY needs to be done (hint: you don’t like it, could be bookkeeping, could be “real” filing…what’s on your “I hate this” list?)

Do you wish you could:

  • Spend several hours of guilt-free quality time with your partner or friends every day (because all those projects you used to procrastinate on are no longer hanging over your head)?
  • Get into a daily rhythm that keeps you well-rested, happy, and doing your very best work?
  • Follow through with your goals consistently, making solid progress without always having to battle procrastination?

>>>Well, wish no more. We’re going to dive deep on March 5th into the Productivity Success Plan<<<

In the meantime, here are some first steps to get you started NOW.

Productivity Success Plan: Beat Procrastination, Step by Step.

STEP ONE. Identify how YOU procrastinate.
Go ahead, list out some scenarios…what does procrastination look like for YOU?
1.
2.
3.

HINT – identity what IS and what IS NOT ‘procrastination’.

What is procrastination, anyhow? Before we can determine how Ugly it is, or how Wonderful it is, let’s determine WHAT it is.

Here’s what it’s NOT!

– Big thinking time: If you are thinking big, I would not call this procrastination. If you are thinking big during the time where every moment counts, with a looming deadline that you are putting off, that’s procrastination.
– Scheduled downtime: Are you 100% productive and billable during 100% of your day? NO. You’re not a machine. And, even your machines need scheduled downtime (or they take the unscheduled downtime…right?)
– Energy-based downtime: When we pay really amazing attention to our most productive times of the day, and how long we can stay productive during those times, we are working WITH our bodies (not against them). So is this procrastinating? I say no.

STEP TWO.
OK, so now you realize you are procrastinating. How do you Get Out right away? Start your own Procrastination Rescue Ritual (more on that coming).

STEP THREE.
Once you’ve rescued yourself, it’s time to Move into the Now. Ask yourself three essential questions to maximize your time and energy (we will do this 3/5).

 

And here’s a preview of the next 3 steps; more will be coming in future articles and on our call 3/5/18:

STEP FOUR
Removing Distractions

STEP FIVE
What needs to change?

STEP SIX
Celebrate!

Yes, some procrastination is good…more on that next time. In the meantime, just start on step one and watch your productivity skyrocket!

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  • Productivity Success Cake