What “IT” is exactly is a whole different post, but what happened was that I quit posting on the blog as I started ramping up in other areas.   As I started down the path of creating the business that would support the dream (all the planning, researching, product creation, website building, etc.) I thought it might be confusing for people if I changed midstream and started talking about something other than time management/productivity/efficiency related topics. 

But then…I realized after a couple of months that it’s going to take a bit to launch “the big idea.” In the meantime, I am missing out on the opportunity to write (which I love), get practice in writing (which I need) and share my brand (for those who may be interested).  I realized there are folks who don’t know me, or may just be getting to know me that are checking out my other social media outlets that in turn them back to my website and this blog site.  When they show up here, I look dead!  Like I have given up which is NOT a part of my personality at all. 

Then I had another realization.  Time management/productivity/efficiency just happens to be one of my favorite topics that are encompassed under the umbrella of “what it takes to be a success.”  There are numerous other tips and strategies to being successful.  I have been fascinated with reading about, studying and implementing systems, strategies and tips related to efficiency and TM since somewhere around the age of 10.  It’s just the way I am wired!  However, I discovered recently that my real interest is in how to be more successful and in turn, sharing the information I learn with others.  My new business will allow me to do that. 

For the moment, and as it relates to the blog, I am merely making the commitment to myself to begin writing and sharing again.  I don’t know who will be reading OR exactly when the “the big idea” will launch.  I do know though, I am committed to writing until then! 

The above photo is by mr.beaver and licensed through Creative Commons.

I know it’s probably hard for most people to get all jacked up and excited about becoming a better time manager.  In fact, I think most people may not think about it at all, much less get really enthusiastic about the topic! Thinking about time in terms of a HIGHER goal though might increase their level of interest.  The real question to ask first then is, “what is your motivation?”  What is it that you want to accomplish that you aren’t getting to because of time limits (real or perceived)?  Once you identify what it is you want to be spending your time doing, then you have some motivation around learning to better manage your time.

• Are you a runner who wishes they had more time to run?
• Have you been saying “I want to write a novel” for the past 10 years?
• Do you want more time for your favorite hobby?
• Are you daydreaming about more time on the golf course?
• Less time in the office?
• More time with your kids?
• More time to travel?
• Guilt free football Sunday’s?

These are all fantastic motivators for wanting to learn to better manage your time.  Dig deep to find out what it is you DO want to do with your time and therein you will find the motivation to get started implementing time saving techniques that will work for you!

The above photo. Olympic Dream is by nono fara (nonocaptures ;))  and licensed through Creative Commons.

Some of the best ways to gain more time is often to just avoid those things that waste it.  Commonly known time wasters are procrastination, indecision, checking email, chatting with co-workers, surfing the net, etc. But have you ever thought about how worrying affects your time?  Here’s how:

It’s a waste of time – Have you ever noticed that many of the things you worry about never actually happen?  That’s actually great news! But, I can’t tell you the many things I have spent time worrying about that (thank goodness) never happened!  I can see where my energy would have been better put to use somewhere else.

It’s unproductive - When are worrying, you are not focused on achievement or taking action.

It’s unhealthy - Along with stress (and the stress worry creates), worry does a number on your body.  It has been linked to cancer, raising cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, back pain, headaches…and on and on.  A stronger way to put it is that worrying is not just unhealthy, it’s destructive! 

Avoiding worry can be done in the same way that implementation of other time management techniques.  Below are some ideas:

Just Stop – It’s the same thing I would tell you if you were procrastinating or wasting time in other ways (too much checking email, chatting, etc.).  First, make a choice to stop.  You can choose to continue worrying or you can stop.  It will take a bit of practice as with implementing any other new habit.  Keep trying.  I actually have discovered through the Work Place Big Five assessment test that it is a natural part of my personality to worry.  It is a constant, ongoing issue for me and I have to work very diligently to overcome it.  It is not easy.  But in the end it is a choice and I personally am choosing to make another (better) choice.

Efficiency Tip:  Work on tasks that require similar workflow and thought processes during the same chunk of time.  I call this “doing like with like.”  It looks like this:

·         Returning all phone calls in 1 – 2 sessions

·         Reading and responding to emails in pre-designated blocks of time

·         Meeting with your direct reports on the same day

·         Opening the snail mail in one sitting

·         Filing papers for 10 minutes at a time

·         Conducting weekly planning in one chunk

·         Running errands all at once

·         Making sales calls during a block of time

 The above photo is by jurvetson and licensed through Creative Commons.

·         Planning your time allows you to add more fun stuff to your schedule (i.e. your life).  You are planning your life you know?  More fun stuff equals happiness.

·         Planning creates peace in your life by helping you avoid last minute chaos.  Peace equals happiness. 

·         Planning contributes to being prepared.  When you get yourself prepared for your projects and meetings in advance and every event on your plate goes off without a hitch because you planned for them too, ah the happiness you are feeling then!

·         Planning forces you to focus on what all is on your plate so you don’t forget things.  Forgetting important things does not make one happy!

·         I plan with pen and paper and I LOVE pens and paper!!  It is the little things in life you know…

Planning, and more importantly the benefits you get from planning, will make you happy. Try it and see!

The above photo is by Donna Cymek  and licensed through Creative Commons.

I have been reading a lot about visualization over the last few years.  Specifically how visualizing a certain action or wanted behavior can in part be manifested just by “thinking it into being.”  I’m not talking about spending ten minutes each day envisioning that you have won the lottery (oh how I wish that could happen!).  A better example would be how Tiger Woods visualizes each stroke before it takes it on the golf course.  Or perhaps how a punter sees his foot connecting with the football before he makes the kick. 

Proponents of visualization believe that by spending time focusing each day on what you want your life to be like and visualizing it in great detail together with the feeling of joy and enthusiasm you can create the very life that you want.  Assuming you want to be organized, visualization techniques can be used to create this behavior as well!  Here’s how:

Focus.  Spend 5 -10 minutes each day “seeing” yourself as an organized person.  Picture your house, car, office, purse and files as perfectly organized.  To whatever level suits you.  You may see everything labeled and color coded and surrounded by very few things.  Or you may just be happy seeing no dirt or clutter!  Picture moving through your life with great ease and purpose and not being rushed about. 

Watch Your Words.  Stop describing yourself as unorganized.  If you have to make any reference at all to yourself and organization (say, because your mother accused you of being a slob), you merely respond with “I am in the process of becoming a better organized person.”  See how much more powerful that feels??

Hang a picture.  I have hanging by my desk in my office a picture from a magazine that I have been dragging around for many years now of a beautiful thin girl in a causal suit with cool chunky glasses, sitting in a minimalist office.  Her hands are thrown up in the air as if she is excited and she has a huge smile on her face.  This picture resonates with me on many levels.  The girl is fit and attractive, her space is uncluttered, there is light pouring through the windows, and she is obviously very enthusiastic, happy and ORGANIZED.  This picture motivates me and is a clear representation of how I visualize myself. 

It’s true that in order to be who we want to be and have the things we want to have, we must picture in our minds that it is possible.  Begin now with seeing yourself as in control, on top of you game and organized.  In a short amount of time, you will create this very reality.   

Have you ever noticed that REALLY successful and accomplished people DO NOT fly by the seat of their pants? 

What is it that I want to accomplish today?

What will make me successful today?

Successful people know how critical it is to have identified what has to be accomplished and they have created the time to make it happen before starting the day.  Pre-planning for success allows them to accomplish so much more than the average person and in far less time!  And who wants to be just average?

Can you believe you increase your odds of success just by planning your day before it starts?  Try it!  Take 10 minutes the night before to look at your calendar and list of things to accomplish.  Ask yourself the 2 question above, and then block out the time to make it happen.  Don’t let anything get in your way.  Walk through the office door tomorrow morning with purpose and determination and don’t stop until you accomplish what you set out to do.  Then pat yourself on the back at the end of the day because YOU ROCK!

The above photo is by dharma communications and licensed through Creative Commons.

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organizedspont (43 KB)

spon·ta·ne·ous: Arising from a natural inclination or impulse and not from external incitement or constraint.

I can’t say I previously would have checked this item off of a list of adjectives describing me.  In fact, anyone who knows me, would be more likely to check “structured” and “routine oriented.”  Heck, my mom would say I am down right “rigid” (a little extreme really)!

I beg to disagree.  For example, I was able to participate recently in a weekend away and a couple of other random days of play.  Last minute, unplanned, spontaneous fun came my way.  And I said YES!  Without penalty too.  By “penalty” I mean, I did not get behind on work, domestic duties or business tasks.  I would argue that by being organized and routine oriented, I am more able than most people to jump at a last minute offer for fun without getting behind anywhere.  Here’s how:

I live like a minimalist. 

I don’t have a lengthy cleaning routine that would hold me back from loafing because I don’t have a lot to clean.  I don’t have a big house or a ton of stuff.  I can have 1600 square feet cleaned top to bottom in less than an hour.

I don’t have a lot to do.

Ok, just kidding.  But the things I do have to do all have a designated time for completion.  That is, I have routines. I know what is coming up and when.  If a spontaneous adventure pops up, I can easily move any conflict to a different time. 

I stay ON IT.

Meaning, I don’t let things slip or wait until the last minute to hit a deadline.  Handling things as they arise is a good habit to get into so you don’t miss an opportunity for fun.  Not to say I NEVER procrastinate, but I am very aware of when I’m doing it and now work diligently to keep that nasty habit in check.

I stay in quadrant II.

Considered the “Quadrant of Leadership” according to the Franklin Covey system, these are activities that have low urgency and high importance.  Keeping commitments in this category and not allowing them to move to the quadrant of urgency gives you more ability to take advantage of spontaneous offers of adventure and fun!

The point?  Being organized and following routines doesn’t mean you can’t also be spontaneous.  You can still take advantage of last minute fun.  After all, isn’t it one of the greatest benefits of being organized?  Now get yourself organized and get out and have some fun!

The above photo is by cindy47452 and licensed through Creative Commons.

I think I have admitted before to being a tad less than perfect.  I have faults related to not always spending my time wisely or prioritizing smaller things above bigger things.  Or no, actually I think all I’ve admitted to so far is not always staying focused…. Hhhmmm..

Getting RIGHT to the point… I noticed I don’t always post consistently.  Now how could a time management person not manage time in such a way to allow consistent posting on the same day every week?  Looking closely at it, I realize it IS related to time management and then it ISN’T. 

With the current work/life flow, I simply can’t guarantee that I am free to write or post on the exact same days each week.  It depends on a lot of things such as my corporate gig workload, how much free time I have at home with a small child underfoot, which days I’m running that week, what afterhours commitments there are and what my client obligations are at the time.

The other consideration is what the overarching goals are.  I have made a goal/commitment (and NOW in writing no less!) to post something that is hopefully of value, three times per week.  But I haven’t committed to a specific day yet.  It feels right to post a couple of times during the week and one on the weekend.  But that is not always the case.  Sometimes they all get posted during the week or one during the week and one on the weekend.  You see where this is going….

So the point of the story is, you don’t have to be rigid in managing your time.  What is important is that you know what your overall goals are and you fit them into your time and make them happen.  There are always things I don’t get to.  With a mere 24 hours in a day, fitting everything in is not going to happen.  But I am assured, through planning and prioritization, to get the big stuff done.  Somehow, someway and on “some” given day! 

So today I am mourning the loss of a clown.  Here is how the story goes:

• Girl randomly meets clown at coffee shop
• Girl makes friend with clown who does clowning around on the side (which she actually would like to do for a living)
• Clown is very good at clowning around!  She is in demand!
• A few months after meeting said clown, girl finds herself planning a Fall Festival for a pre-school. 
• Girl immediate phones clown as a) she really likes her as a person; b) knows she will love her as a clown and c) girl really wants to contribute to clown growing her clowning around business!  

• Girl calls clown on a Tuesday and leaves message.  Girl follows up that Wednesday. No response.
• Girl calls again on Monday of following week and again later in the week.
• 13 days later, clown emails apologizing as she is very behind in her vmail and promises to call that day.  No call.
• Girl follows up next day indicating she will lose her opportunity to clown around with her unless she can get price and details of services by end of day.  Clown promises to call after indicating she is very disorganized and behind.  No call.

So that is the story of how I lost my clown.  I lost her due to disorganization (by her own admission).  This is a prime, real life example of how disorganization can negatively impact a business owner.  For the business owner, it’s losing clients, money, credibility, and potentially lost referral business.