Time management + productivity tips (Overig)

*****
start with your highest priority task first

Often times our natural inclination is to start with the easy stuff and build confidence by checking something off our list. This not only builds confidence, it also creates stress as the deadline for the higher priority item looms ever nearer. Next time, tackle the highest priority item first, especially if it’s the longest task on your list. You'll deal with it when your energy is the highest, and you'll develop even more confidence than handling smaller tasks.

what are you saying “no” to?

For many (myself included) it’s hard to say “no.” We want to be accommodating, helpful, kind, friendly, warm and loving … and saying no feels nothing like those qualities we so revere. So, instead of saying “no” we say “yes” to this, and “oh sure” to that and “I’d love to” to some thing else. Until ultimately: overwhelm sets in.

Do you remember your high school physics? There’s a law that goes something like this: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ring a bell? Let’s apply that law to yes and no: for every YES there is an equal and opposite YES (or in other words a NO.) So when you’re saying “yes,” you’re really saying “no” to something else. It’s just that you don’t have to say it out loud so on the surface it all feels a bit better. In reality, it’s still a “no.”

The moral of the story … just know when you say “yes,” you’re ultimately saying “no” to something else. Choose your yeses and no’s wisely and you’ll create a life you love!

strive for balance in your life … over time

question: What is your system for time management and getting everything done that you need to in all areas of life, kids, work, scrapbooking, etc? Sometimes it feels like I am playing a giant game of Whack a Mole...just when I get one area of my life settled and under control something pops up in another area. Any suggestions?

answer: My approach to time management is to strive for balance — over time. During some months my “bucket” (to use the terminology from my e-book “the happy scrapper”) is full of family and kid stuff. This is especially true during November and December when we have big holidays, plus both of my children’s birthdays. In January through April, my bucket becomes more full of business stuff and I may be away from my family a few evenings a month for speaking engagements, networking events, client appointments and the like.

Here’s another example. A week ago, my daughter was sick so she stayed home with me during the day. I postponed a daytime client appointment (thanks to a flexible and understanding client) to an evening session. Evenings are typically family time, so I simply shifted family time and business time that day. While my business and great clients afford me this luxury, you can look for similar opportunities in your life. For example, if your kids play sports, during the sports season your life is very kid-focused. Be sure to let you and your kids have an off-season, a time free from extra curricular activities. This will allow you time to focus on things important to you like scrapbooking and other activities you enjoy. A lot of talk is out there these days about balance. It’s wonderful if you can achieve it on a daily basis, but sometimes an easier and more realistic approach is to balance your life over time.

Another big part of my time management equation is saying “no” and sometimes “no, for now.” When I was finishing up writing “the happy scrapper” that took precedence over other business opportunities. I said “no, for now” on several speaking engagements, postponing them from the fall until January. I think the most important thing with time management is knowing how much you can handle effectively and most importantly—happily—and then designing your life around your capacity. Say “no” to less important things in favor of your priorities.

beware of the buffet syndrome of life

You’re curious aren’t you? The buffet syndrome of life … sounds delicious or deadly, doesn’t it? The buffet syndrome is a phrase I coined based on my own experience living a life full of things I love … I love my work, I love my family, I have hobbies and interests I love. In short, the more passionate you are about what you do, the harder it is to take life in reasonable portions. When you love what you do … it’s like going through a buffet line. Everything looks good so you try it all … a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. In no time, your plate is piled up with food. You sample bits and pieces of everything on your plate only to feel completely stuffed at the end of the meal. With food, the consequence passes quickly … we don’t feel stuffed for too terribly long. In life … if we don’t take action we become overwhelmed and stressed, and it can take a long while and a lot of discipline to dig out.

Are you suffering from the buffet syndrome? If so, pick the best opportunities. Work on the projects you enjoy most or are most critical to your business objectives. Delegate non-critical projects to others or put them off indefinitely.

In short, say “no-for-now” and come back through the buffet line later (when you’re ready for seconds.)

check your calendar first!

If you’re like me, your natural inclination is to check voice mail and email first thing in the morning. For me, the pull to check email is twofold. First, did something really big and exciting happen over night? (I can honestly say, I don’t think this has ever happened --- at least anything so exciting it couldn’t wait.) But the second lure of starting with email is to start out with what *feels* like an easy win. Checking email is an instant way to mentally check something off your list. And if you respond to one or two emails — even better. But if you aren’t careful, emails can take you off track for a good part of your morning. For me, morning hours are my golden hours –-- my most creative, most productive hours of the day --- and most emails don’t require me to be at my prime.

So instead of starting your day with email, start with your calendar and to-do list. What’s on the radar screen today? What must be handled today? With the lay of the land and your priorities in mind, then check email and see if there’s something more urgent or more important waiting there for you. And then, let your day begin!

time yourself

Is there a task lingering on your to-do list simply because you don’t like to do it? We all have these pesky little tasks that seem like a big nuisance and yet need to get done. Here’s some of my favorites … cleaning out the fridge … cleaning the toilet … changing a burnt-out light bulb. Keep these tasks in perspective by figuring out how long it really takes to tackle them. Often, the things that linger on my to-do list take less than five minutes to do even though in my mind they seem like they’ll take a whole lot longer. Time your pesky to-dos and then, next time, you’ll be more likely to jump in and tackle them instead of letting them linger.

know the difference between urgent and important

It's easy to get swept away throughout the day handling all the "urgent" things: getting to soccer practice on time, reading emails, talking to drop-in visitors, answering calls from friends, and so on. However, when you intentionally choose to spend time on important things ... spending time with your aging parents, reading a book to your child, working on your personal goals and aspirations ... you'll feel more in control of your time. Life will take on greater meaning.

What urgent task can you delay today in favor of something important?

"procrastination is fear"

I saw those words on some notes I was going through the other day. The words were spoken by the entrepreneur's success coach, Melanie Strick, in a free teleseminar on goal-setting that she hosted a year ago, and I was lucky enough to attend. At the time the words meant nothing to me. I wrote them down simply because I love taking notes. But when I came across them a week ago ... they really struck a chord. Yes, it's true, I had been procrastinating on a few things ... important things ... which just isn't typical for me. So when I saw those words I realized how true it was ... fear was the reason I was procrastinating.

How about you? Do you procrastinate? If so, try this next time. Pull out a piece of paper and at the top write "What am I afraid of?" Then, write and write until you figure out WHY you're procrastinating. What is it that's holding you back? And most importantly, what positive steps can you take to move forward in spite of your fear? It worked for me ... give it a try!

minimize electronic reminders

Does your computer ding at you all day long reminding you about tasks you need to get done? Interruptions are terribly disruptive to your productivity … and these dinging reminders are just one more source of interruption. Use audible reminders only for time specific events such as meetings and appointments. For standard tasks, use a to-do list without bells or whistles.

create an incubator

If you run your own business or work in a creative field for someone else, you may find yourself inundated with ideas. When you get a breakthrough idea, the natural impulse is to act on it right away. Over the long term, this fills your plate with a whole bunch of partially complete, barely started projects with little to no value. Instead, capture your idea on a napkin, scrap of paper, or whatever else is handy, and put it into an incubator. Your incubator can be a basket on your desk, a spare drawer, or a shoe box. The key is this: capture the idea and get back to your originally scheduled program. When you wrap up a project, go to your incubator, pick the best idea, and get started!

spark creativity with a change of pace

When the weather is beautiful outside, it's hard to head inside to the office every day … even if your office is in your own home. Staying focused on what needs to be done inside can be daunting when just outside the window is a beautiful day. Give yourself permission to go outside and soak in the delights of a beautiful day each and every day. Go for a walk. Eat lunch at an outdoor café. Take your laptop to a picnic table and work on a project or draft responses to all those emails in your in-box. Better yet, take your whole team out for a brainstorming session in the park. The change of pace and scenery you get by moving your work outside – even for a little while - will spark your creativity and keep you motivated even after you come back indoors.

stop sharing!

Did I get your attention? OK…I’m not telling you to become selfish and to stop sharing altogether, but just stop sharing low cost tools you use in multiple rooms in your home. For example, invest in a second pair of scissors and another tape dispenser for your gift wrapping area, home office, kid's homework station and so on. It’s a small investment that will save you much time and frustration when you just want to make a little cut or do a little taping. Stock up and equip each room in your home with the tools and supplies you need to get your jobs done with ease.

what are your non-negotiables?

We all have tasks on our daily to-do list that are non-negotiable: we will do them no matter what else is going on. For many of us, this list includes things like brushing our teeth, eating, and checking our email. But what else is on your list? Have you ever given it much thought?

Ideally your non-negotiables are your most important tasks—those things that make your life rich, move you forward on important goals or projects, and just plain make you happy. In the perfect world, your non-negotiables are in sync with your values.

One of my non-negotiables is dinner with my family. It’s one thing we will rearrange our schedules to accommodate instead of letting dinner together get squeezed out by other commitments. What are your non-negotiables, and are they in sync with what you really want?

Next time you feel as if you don’t have time to do something you really want to do, do a gut-check on your non-negotiables. Are they your most important items, or simply things you’re doing out of habit? If you find the most enriching items on your to-do list are getting squeezed out by lower value tasks, renegotiate your non-negotiables. One by one, replace a low-value daily task you’re simply doing out of habit, with an activity that is more enriching and rewarding. Little by little you can transform how you spend your days, and enrich your life in the process.

pinpoint the cause of procrastination

Do you often find it hard to get started on an important task, instead waiting until the very last possible minute? If you want to break this pattern, ask yourself the following questions to pinpoint the root cause of your procrastination:

•Do I know how to do the task?
•Is there anything about doing the task that makes me uncomfortable?
•Is there anything about the end result or finishing the task that I fear or dread?
•Do I enjoy doing this task?
•Do I understand the next step to take on this project?
•Do I have the tools and supplies needed to perform this task and are they organized and easy to access?
•What feeling am I trying to avoid when I put off doing this task?
Once you understand the reasons why you procrastinate, then brainstorm solutions. For example, if you don’t know how to do a task, seek resources to help you. If you don’t enjoy doing the task, brainstorm ways to make the task more efficient or more enjoyable.

It takes time and energy to avoid doing a task. So why not invest this time and energy into understanding why you procrastinate so you can develop strategies to get started sooner, finish faster, and move onto an activity you enjoy?
http://www.simplify101.com/time-management-productivity.php