Tag: overwhelmed

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Get Organized More time in my day Time strategies Uncategorized

How will I do it? Practical Strategies to Get Moving NOW.

Are you saying…I know WHAT gets in my way. I know what I WANT.  I know WHY. Now…HOW will I do it?

That’s right, it’s the H in the W+W+W+H = Woo Hoo! Process…Where you can now really fly.

I join again with SUE WEST to provide this podcast in our series…the HOW click HOW no 1 or read on…

So many people want a quick fix; an answer to a “problem” about getting more organized and/or getting more out of their life BEFORE they’ve gone through the process. They want the HOW first….the proverbial cart before the horse.

So much needs to be fast, fast, fast. But as a favorite author, researcher and speaker, Brene Brown tells it well in her book “The Gifts of Imperfection:”

When we skip the hard stuff, it just doesn’t work.

We don’t change. We don’t grow and we don’t move forward without the work.

My work is about the things that get in the way. I’m not about the ‘how to’ because in my experience I’ve never seen any evidence of ‘how to’ working without talking about the things that get in the way.

So, own your story. Tell it. There is freedom,  relief and more when we do.

Again, Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

We will be sharing our “best practices” for the HOW over this and subsequent podcasts. Here’s the first one: the time inventory. Some students have referred to this practice as a time diary. To do this, record your time each day. Record it as you are actually working (or playing!) Do not wait until the end of the day, or the next day, and say “what did I do?” You will lose precious minutes and hours. Over a series of days and weeks, you will begin to see patterns. It does not matter if you record it on a piece of paper or electronically; only that you do it consistently and in a timely manner.

Perhaps you intend to get up at 6am, exercise, eat breakfast then get going with your day by 8:30 am. But, time and time again, it’s 9:00 am or later and you have not eaten, have not showered, and you are just catching up with “a few emails” first.

Once you actually begin to record your day you will see that you may wake up at 6, but stay in bed routinely until 6:30. Then you may quickly check facebook and you are not having that first cup of coffee until 7 am. By then you may figure you’d better exercise and when you return it’s 8 am and you want to answer an email quickly. As 9 am approaches you are “fighting fires”, are still in your lycra, have not showered or eaten.  This knowledge empowers you to change the pattern.

That’s enough fieldwork and practice for our listeners this time. The first step is always noticing. Seeing where exactly the issues are, because if you don’t diagnose the problem correctly, you’ll try something and it won’t even be the solution to the right problem! So step back and just observe yourself this week.

This is a good start to opening 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.

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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.

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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.

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EpS Events Get Organized prioritize Uncategorized

What motivates you? 3 Examples of what works, and one that doesn’t work.

Your motivation: Is it…

Fall Scenery?  Your children? The promise of an exotic trip?

Or is it…

…the vision of becoming a leader in your field?

find your vision, pursue your goal, use your motivation

The opportunity to give more and better in your own unique way…to push the limit of who you think you are to who you could be? Is it the opportunity to create something that nobody has created?

What it is NOT:

None of the above are “right” or “wrong.” But, did you notice what was *not* in the list? That’s right…”more money.”  Compensation is what many people claim they seek, but an MIT study shows that actually…there is much more to “real” motivation and innovation. Stay tuned until the end of this blog article.

MOTIVATOR 1:

If you answered “fall scenery”:

focused people are more productive
focused and organized people motivate themselves and others

Science reinforces that the beautiful fall images we’ve been seeking on the EpS facebook page TRIGGER POSITIVE EMOTIONS that actually HELP US FOCUS.

And what happens with focused people? You guessed it…they are more Productive.

MOTIVATOR 2:

If you answered “the promise of an exotic trip”:

You might be someone who gets excited by new challenges. Many of my clients are in this category. Stimulation and new-ness are key. Factor 3 in this Psychology Today article supports this motivator: read here.

MOTIVATOR 3:

When we operate beyond the “make more widgets, get more compensation” mentality, our motivation actually suffers from the promise of more compensation, if a more comprehensive set of motivators is absent, according to a recent MIT study.

This video is worth watching. It highlights that 3 factors, autonomy, mastery, and purpose, weigh in heavily as the prime motivators for those seeking motivation through cognitive skill. What this means is that when our thinking moves BEYOND a certain, carrot-and-stick level, which is a mechanical skill level, we DO in fact, need “more.” Have you heard, “I have the money but I still feel empty inside?”

motivation, purpose, passion
Where is your blue sky? How will you make a difference?

Watch this video. Start thinking….what do I want to master? What’s my purpose? How much more autonomy would I want to take on my current or future work situation?

Autonomy, mastery, purpose…now we’re talking Motivation. Be great.

-Carol

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AD/HD EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day prioritize procrastination Uncategorized

Back to what? 4 strategies for the transition so you aren’t left in the fall breeze without a backpack.

Most people I am running into these days are lamenting the end of summer.

One woman I saw at a networking event told me she wished August lasted forever. Yes, perhaps. When we live life fully, though, we have fewer regrets. My work helps empower people to achieve more each day- so that those truly important items ARE done- and that includes enjoying summer YOUR way. Sue West and I are back: Listen here: Get Ready for Fall – August 9, 2013 or read on.

Sue: Where did the summer go? I am hearing that question a lot.

Carol: Right. Most people I know perceive summer as if they were still a child…it can somehow seem “endless” since it can be void of structure.
Sue: Yes…and if we are lucky enough to have a certain amount of freedom from “the regular grind” in summer, this affords our brain to recharge and come out more creative on September 1st. So let’s Design Our Fall!

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

Sue: And this is Sue West, Life Transitions Coach and AD/HD specialist

We have joined together as the Design Your Days Duo

90 minute workshop with a recipe for success

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: Last time we talked about the ‘Summer Shoulds.’ We talked about how to re-frame those summer days, to determine what you Really Want out of those days. Now, we are wrapping up summer and looking at fall. The Back to School ads are out in full swing, and the August air brings a twinge of a chill into the air. Thoughts turn to sweaters, soccer, and Halloween. Perhaps this impending season change evokes a feeling a sense of a new start.

Sue: We have 4 tips for you today to help you with this transition. We’ll look at What Gets In Your Way of having a fall that works for YOU.

First, losing your adult children to college or to their first apartment can be the emotions which get in your way. Your kids are graduated from high school and this is your first Fall without them at home; they are off to college.

So, first things: Set up a schedule or Skype time when you can stay connected or get on Facebook. Be where they are. Second, set up some dates with friends, with couples, and even go on a retreat by yourself. Fill your time, at first, with activities, if you think you’ll have a difficult time.

After a while, though, it’s not about how to fill your time until they return home. They’ll be changed when they do. So now is a wonderful time to review what YOU love to do – hobbies, volunteerism, perhaps start a new or another business. What do you want so that you can expand your life?

Carol: The second tip is “don’t forget soccer”.

Soccer is fun, but don't forget it's a time commitment

Last year, I found myself driving all over New Hampshire for my oldest son’s soccer games. I did not realize how much dedication this was going to take on my part. So this tip, really, is all about taking your “sideboards” into account when Designing Your Day so that you are not surprised when they do, and they will, impact your day and your available time. So, if you have children, take a good look at what activities they will be involved in and how that will impact your time. When you receive the game schedule, take it out, and transfer all those games, including prep and driving time, to your calendar. You’ll be glad you did.

Sue: If you have AD/HD, transitions into different seasons with their different schedules are especially challenging. Switching gears is just a struggle. But there’s definitely hope.

Take some time and try  this exercise. You can sit quietly and visualize, or take a walk, or sit down and write about it. What you’re going to do is imagine it’s the first day of your new schedule – you might be grand babysitting, or getting your own children back onto a Fall schedule.

Imagine or write down every step of your day, from what time you wake up to what you wear – very specific so you can sense the whole experience and almost live it.  Write out your routines for the morning, routines for the evening. And start using them a week or two before your new schedule starts, to give yourself some practice time and some stress-free time to get used  to a new schedule.

Carol: The last tip is also child related. If you have a child or children at school, the likelihood is high that they will get sick since they all get back together, the weather gets colder and doors get shut tightly. Plan a little flexibility into your schedule. Have a plan B ready for when little Johnny wakes up with a fever.

Plan for inevitable illness

Take a minute and think back to last fall when crisis hit, how you solved it, and how that worked or did not work for you. You can plan for it now, which will take off the stress in the moment when you have another parent to drive, when you have already set yourself up to work from home, etc.

Sue: To  wrap up, we just provided 4 examples of What might Get In Your way when designing your day in the fall. In the next podcast we will dive deeper into these “stuck” places, and as we wrap up 2013, 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.

If you want don’t want to wait for 12 podcasts…come join us on Friday Oct 18th at the Center for Health Promotion in Concord for the next Design Your Days Workshop. Check our Facebook page for registration information.

If that date does not work, 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.

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