Tag: save time

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EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day multitasking productivity in the workplace Time strategies Uncategorized

Feeling Busy this Fall? Multitask away- or not.

Fall = busier. Enter multitasking.  It’s the way to do more things in less time, right?

Maybe not. Recently I read an article by Melissa Balmain entitled Confessions of a Recovering Multitasker.  Melissa writes,

“imagine my surprise at learning that, technically, [multitasking] does not exist.  We can’t think about two tasks at once.  Instead, our brains ping-pong between them wasting precious seconds of time and causing errors to pile up”.

In the day, no matter how hard you try, does it ever seem possible to get through everything that you set out to do in the morning? Do you attempt to do two tasks – or more – at once?  Perhaps the reason for the failure is BECAUSE you are trying to do multiple things at one time.

In her article, Melissa writes of a phone conversation she had with a good friend while also trying to make dinner and the ensuing result was a burnt meal and a conversation that she could not remember.  I myself have had phone conversations such as these, where my attentions are distracted so far elsewhere, that it barely registers that my friend is telling me something that should require my undivided attention.  So, clearly, my efforts to try and accomplish more things in less time were fruitless, and just like Melissa, I was left feeling guilty and unaccomplished.

So what’s the solution? If we can’t multitask without the results being more unproductive than not, how on earth do we accomplish all that needs to be done?  The answer, counter-intuitive to many, is focusing on one single thing at a time. Try this experiment and let me know how you do. When you begin a task, such as writing a “typical” report that you write, estimate how long it will take. Write down your start time. Go about your business in the normal manner, answering calls, emails, etc. as you are doing the report. Write the end time. Now, another day try this again with a similar report.  Write down your start time. This time, commit to shutting off your email and turning off your ringer. Do not answer anyone who comes in unless they are in a true emergency situation. When you are finished, write down your end time. What is the difference? How does the first report on the first day compare with the estimate? How about the second day and the second report? Statistics and “real life” experiments that I have conducted show an average 50% time savings with single-tasking. How did you do?

 

Are you ready to save about half your time to have an ultra-productive fall? Relax, take a deep breath, and do things one step at a time.

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

Design Your Days, Step One: Get Clear in just 9 minutes.

Do you ever feel like you have one foot on either side of a crevice? Do you dance, do you jump, do you fall through? If you’ve ever felt conflicted, listen and/or read on, to get clear in 9 minutes. From Sue West and myself, the “Design Your Days Duo!”

listen here: JUNE 20.2013

Or read here:

Sue: “I really want to focus on my growing business that is my passion. But I need to pay my bills. I feel stuck.”

Carol: “I sell equipment that earns me a good living, but my true business dream is not much more than that- it’s just a pipe dream at the moment. What should I do?”
Carol: Do any of these sound familiar to you? If so, you have found the right place. 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 for this series of audio interviews to give you short, “use today” pieces of advice, in 5 to 8 minutes.

Carol: Last time we spoke about Clarity as it relates to becoming better organized and shared some A-HA moments when our workshop participants began Designing Their Days. When we get clear, we open ourselves up to the possibilities that are often hidden just below the surface.

Sue: Today we are going to address 2 questions- because those questions, or questions like those, could pertain to you. If you are a creative entrepreneur, or, if you think you want to be a creative entrepreneur, you might have those questions locked up inside.

Carol: When we work with someone in the Design Your Days framework, we ask, What Gets in Your Way? This is the first step in seeking clarity. If you think about the questions above, they are really pointing to WHAT might be getting in each person’s way.

Sue: Let’s start with the first question. Growth, new passions but then ah, yes, reality strikes.

Try a couple of important ways to direct your thinking: (1) a reality check on the financial gap (2) Where’s the passion, really? (3) Focus – defining that more clearly and (4) Stuck – and how you’ll know that you’re beginning to get Unstuck.

Here are questions to answer which will help you figure out how to create enough time for your business, and also get your bills paid:

  1. Get clear on what amount of income you need to pay for things you NEED, not want. This gets you two important pieces of information: What’s the financial gap between your business income and your bills. But also it asks you to put some “skin in the game,” by identifying if there are things you think you need in your business or in your life, but really, they are “wants,” not “needs.” Liz Pullam Weston writes about this practice. This is the reality picture. And keep track – especially if you’re not now – even of cash or debit out of pocket. Most people spend more than they think.
  2. Get specific and clear on your passion: What are you passionate about, in particular – what facets or activities? Are there other creative ways to deliver on the passion or use similar skills, but in a part time paying job? Think chapters or phases of time. Can you do something else part time, for pay, which helps with the bills. It’s the combination of part time and growing business that might help your situation.
  3. Get clear on what you mean by “I want to focus.” How is it that you are “focusing” now on your business? What does focus look like to you – the number of days or time of day? Look at the time and the activities. Are they payoff activities? Again, this is where tracking can come in; keep it simple, but effective. What can you do differently, do less of, or do later on, if the activity is not, today, making you income? Saying “no, not now” is not the same as saying “no, forever.”
    1. Talk with others or with a coach and figure out whether you are maximizing the time you DO have on your growing business.
    2. When you think you are stuck, how “a little less stuck” would feel – how would you KNOW that things ARE improving. Do you have a plan of ANY sort, so that you know when you HAVE made progress, when you ARE headed in the “upwards” direction, so that “stuck” begins to feel “less stuck.”

Carol: Thanks Sue…great ideas. Now, on to the second question. This person sells equipment, and that person makes a good living from selling it. But- boredom can prevail when your job does not excite you. When the passion dips, productivity often dips too. Procrastination enters- and sales can plummet. How can a creative entrepreneur follow his or her dreams while earning a living? Do we all need to be “starving artists?”

No. The trick is to keep your passion alive, while continuing to earn your living. This does not mean “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” Have you ever heard the saying, “yes, you can have it all, but not all at once?” Tracking progress can really help, and here are some ideas as to how that could happen.

  1. Bookend your weeks. At the beginning of your week, map it out. What one thing can you do to move your creative project forward? Can you block out a couple of hours on Wednesday night to do x, y or z? At the end of your week, evaluate. How did it go? Did you do it? If not, why not? Could you have changed anything? Learn, and move on.
  2. Bookend your months. After 4 or so weeks of bookending, what has been done? How far did you THINK you’d get, versus how far you actually got? Learn, assess, move on.
  3. Bookend each quarter. After 3 months of doing steps one and two, you should have a little data. You may be much further ahead, or much further behind, than you thought you might be. But goals that are measured are far more likely to be achieved. Think, pause, and measure for success.

Carol:

As a reminder, you are listening to a podcast series. We’d love your feedback.  If you have a question you’d like answered, please visit our new Facebook page called Design Your Days. If you’d like to add yourself to the successful professionals we help go from good to great, contact one of us to get started with personal coaching. We’ll help you become more AWARE, and kick off the transformational process of Designing Your Days.

We are also the co-creators of the Design Your Days framework, which we teach in workshops, so if your group of business owners is ready for us to speak at your group, please contact one of us!

Please LIKE us on Facebook as Design Your Days and/or contact us individually through websites:

Sue’s is www.OrganizeForAFreshStart.com

Carol’s is www.efficientproductivity.com/

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

Clear As Mud?

Think you might be just a little unclear at times? Feel like there’s just too much going on? Listen to this podcast for a bit of help in 5 to 8 minutes Clarity May 30 2013

Or read on:

Sue West and I 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.

Carol: Last time we spoke about Clarity as it relates to becoming better organized and Designing Your Days. When we get clear, we open ourselves up to the possibilities that are often hidden just below the surface.

Sue: And we feel that this topic deserves round two- going a little deeper. We’d like to share some A-HA moments we’ve been hearing from the clients who have begun the Design Your Days’ time management framework with us.

Carol: When we work with someone in the Design Your Days framework, we ask, What Gets in Your Way? This is the first step in seeking clarity. Listen to the some answers we have been hearing and ask yourself, “Does this relate to me?”

Sue:    My husband! My employees! My children!

Carol:             Interruptions!

Sue:    Money. Not enough. Worried about it.

Carol: Clients.

Sue:    Me.

Carol:             I get in my own way.

Sue:    My unproductive ways of thinking about what I have to do. Or not believing I can do it up to standards. Always tired… easily distracted.

Carol: Listeners, what did you hear? How does this relate to YOU? Sue and I have four examples around Getting Clear as a strategy to determine WHAT GETS IN YOUR WAY that might relate to you. So then, what gets in YOUR way?  First things first: Create an inventory. What are the top three things you can identify that Get in Your Way of Designing Your Days? Are three not enough? Keep going. Allow yourself up to 10 bullet items.

Sue: Now, take those top three and answer these questions about each one of them.

  1. Which are IN my control? Which are about ME and my ways – strengths and all.
  2. Which are OUT of my control? This is a difficult question, because it often means you’ll need to let go of controlling something or someone you cannot control.
  3. Which event did I THINK was out of my control, but afterwards, when I thought more about it, and gained some perspective I realized: I could have reacted, behaved or done something differently, producing a different outcome?

Carol and I will each provide two examples of what we have heard for issues and what you might do if this is YOUR challenge.

Carol: Let’s get specific. At work, I hear much about interruptions getting in the way. What do those interruptions look like? Clients, co-workers, subordinates. So many of us have ascertained that the way to get more work done is to avoid entering the office. If this sounds like you, get specific about the interruption. For example, if it’s a phone interruption, and you are not the one answering the phone, communicate to the phone answerer what you will be interrupted for, and what you will not be interrupted for. Although YOU may not have the luxury of having someone else answer your office phone, you can still make smart decisions about answering it. Give yourself blocks of time. Is the only way to complete the proposal really at home? Consciously creating a block of uninterrupted time will allow the same result to happen – a completed proposal. And, if you are a manager, you are not only setting personal boundaries, but are leading by example.

Sue: A second issue that’s pretty common is this: “I’m so tired at night,” whether it’s after a day of managing household and children or working somewhere else, or working for yourself. “I’m so tired at night, that I don’t do the things I need or WANT to do. I relax or watch TV or get on Facebook.”  Here are some ideas:

One goal could be to even out your energy. So if you have intense days, what could make them less intense, preserving some energy for your “real life,” when you get home. Look at things like:

Who takes more than their fair share of your energy – and what can you do about this?

What tasks take up too much energy? Can you drop any? Hire for them or delegate? Break up so they get done in a week instead of a day for example.

A common energy drain is not having enough decompression time between work and home life. This is very common with people who work out of their home, because there’s no commute! So could you take a walk, call a friend, journal for 15 minutes, or take yoga on the way home – whatever can recharge your batteries.

Also look at how you start your day: Are you taking care of you? Giving yourself energy or starting off with something that needs high energy? And then you crash later …

An easy way to handle this is to observe yourself for a few days and write down or track on your phone what happens.

Carol: Our third “What gets in your way” at work? “Not enough time to do all my work”

When I hear this, I find that these professionals have a tendency to OVERBOOK THEMSELVES. If you are an airline selling seats, this strategy works well. However, if you are a manager or consultant, not so much.  Our clients are important to us. They are the reason we are in business and we are here to serve them. But what happens when we overschedule? What happens when our calendar is maxed out…then the unexpected happens? A weather event, a long meeting, a critical message coming in that was not pre-mediated but IS IMPORTANT to be dealt with immediately)? Our world starts crashing in on us, and we feel out of control. We may think that we are not cut out to be organized, or that we do not have enough
control over our days to design them. But how much did we allow, by Overbooking? By NOT ALLOWING “white space” between appointments? A solution to consider: the 30 minute rule. Allow 30 minutes between appointments for traffic, note taking, phone calls/messages, and to prepare for your next client. That time may need to be adjusted for YOU, but try on this strategy for 30 days, and see what happens.

Sue:

Our last one we hear often is “I get so easily distracted.” There are so many reasons for this we can’t deal with all of them today. What we CAN do is have you ask yourself:

When ARE you focused, even if it’s for 10 or 15 minutes? What is that like? How do you get there? Maybe you get all your materials ready first – phone numbers, papers, files – whatever you need. Maybe you light a candle, play TED talks or listen to quiet music? Maybe it’s somewhere in your house that’s not right at your desk, if you work out of the home. Shutting your door for 15 minutes. Setting a timer.

Many strategies but the key is: what has worked for you before, even if it felt like a small thing. Can you take that and build up a longer set of time you’ll focus? Then TAKE that break, recharge, and go back to your list for the next thing.

Carol:

As a reminder, you are listening to a podcast series. We’d love your feedback.  If you have a question you’d like answered, please visit our new Facebook page called Design Your Days. If you’d like to add yourself to the successful professionals we help go from good to great, contact one of us to get started with personal coaching. We’ll help you become more AWARE, and kick off the transformational process of Designing Your Days.

We are also the co-creators of the Design Your Days framework, which we teach in workshops, so if your group of business owners is ready for us to speak at your group, please contact one of us!

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/

Categories
AD/HD EpS Events Get Organized More time in my day prioritize procrastination productivity in the workplace Time strategies

Pay attention to Procrastination

Self-Care: 4 Strategies to Push through Perfectionism & Procrastination

April 23, 2013

Sue: Does this sound like you?

  • I am always late.
  • I never seem to be able to get to my most important goal. I am too busy.
  • I try, but I keep hitting roadblocks. Maybe I am not “cut out” for this.

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

Sue: And this is Sue West, Life Transitions Coach and AD/HD specialist. We have joined together for this series of audio interviews to give you short, “use today” pieces of advice, in 5 to 8 minutes.

Today’s is called “What’s Your Plan B?” but first …

Carol: We’d like to share some exciting news, in case you did not catch the last podcast.

Sue and I are rolling out a new workshop called DESIGN YOUR DAYS. Just 90 minutes with us will set you in the direction for your work and personal life that works for YOU. Our first Design Your Days workshop will be at the Hampton Hotel in Colchester, VT near Burlington, on May 2 and is part of the WBON (women business owner’s network) which is a statewide, Vermont business organization. We’d love for you to attend so watch our blogs or social media sites for information!Click here for their site.

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To listen click here >>>  Self Care April 2013.

To read our advice, just continue on in this blog entry.

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Sue: Onto our podcast tips. Our last two podcasts focused on Self Care. This can be the root of many productivity issues. When we don’t sleep well at night, when we allow our exercise routine to take a back seat for an extended period of time, when we allow others to set our priorities- we neglect ourselves. Keeping this point at the top of mind will subconsciously allow you to begin turning it around. The next question to ask yourself is- what’s getting in your way of making a little progress?

Carol: We tend to ask our listeners a lot of questions, don’t we? Well in that spirit I have three more:

  1. Do you have to “have enough time” to write the entire book, and know exactly what you want to say before you begin?
  2. Do you have to have all the right cleaning tools before you begin organizing that spare room?
  3. Do you feel so overwhelmed by cleaning your home that you think, why bother? It will just get messed up again and I don’t even know where to start.

Sue: Thanks, Carol. That sounds little like perfectionist behavior to me.

To our listeners: Has anyone ever called you a perfectionist?

Perhaps you don’t wash your car because you don’t have the right wax and you really want to wax it at the same time, and by the way the sun will be setting soon anyway, maybe I should just catch up on some reading instead?

Perfectionism often leads to procrastination.

It’s time to shift our thinking. Try, what’s my plan B? If I don’t have the right wax, so what? Can I wax using what I have? Can I wax just half of the car? Won’t that be better than nothing? Or when can I go to the local car place and get them to do it for me!

Carol: OK onto some tips! Let’s think about re-framing your attitudes- to help you succeed:

Think of one tiny step you could accomplish toward your big goal. For example, if you know you have trouble sleeping, and you think you need to go to the doctor, and can’t find time to call, can’t find time to go to an appointment, don’t have the right insurance, what could you do instead? Could you find 15 minutes per night to meditate right before bed, try that for 3 weeks and if no improvement then take another step? The key here is thinking about what you CAN do vs. all the reasons you CAN’T do something. Those little steps could be called Plan B.

I want to send my kids to camp XYZ but I don’t know how I will get them there or how I will afford it. What can be plan B? Could you begin to look into the other options? Could you write a Facebook post asking other parents to do a “round robin” home based camp with other kids their age in your area? Time to think creatively. Let go of “it has to be this way” and watch new answers start coming your way.

Sue: My first suggestion is an anti procrastination exercise which comes to us from a client who had great success with this. This is useful for people who say “I can talk myself out of anything,” or “I can’t get started – the perfectionism or procrastination gets me too often.”

The six questions were developed by David Burns, and are in his book, The Feeling Good Handbook. Essentially, the questions have you weigh the advantages and disadvantages by writing them down so you can see what you’re thinking– and it’s amazing how well this works.

My second suggestion will be of interest to those who need lots of variety in their days. I’m going to suggest you embrace the variety.  Work it into whatever self-care you’re trying to bring into your life.

For example, you want to start doing some sort of exercise, yet you just imagine how boring it’s going to be, so you stop before you start.

How about this instead: Mondays, you walk on your own. Wednesdays you walk with a neighbor. Saturday morning, you walk while you talk to your daughter, who is at college. The other days you don’t walk; you ride your bike somewhere around town.

The variety is in both which exercise you take on and how or with whom you actually take it on. The important piece is here is to reach out, ask people and get time and people set up so they help you get out each day.

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As a reminder, you are listening to a podcast series. We’d love your feedback.  If you have a question you’d like answered, please email us atproductivelifetransitions@gmail.com

Or contact us through our blogs and 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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