Schedule Time To Read (And Relax!)

I don't know about you, but I have a huge stack of magazines that I want to read through.  I go through phases when I get way behind on reading for pleasure.  I get so caught up in reading about business, whether it's a great marketing book or some compelling business information I've run across on the internet, that I run out of time to read for relaxation.  Ok, I let myself run out of time.  I am and always have been guilty of discounting the importance of taking time for myself in order to relax and re-charge.  So every once in awhile I have to re-arrange some priorities in order to make sure I'm making time to do things that I enjoy that are NOT related to my business.  Remember to do the same for yourself.  You're worth it.

(a couple of pictures from relaxing in the mountains last Sunday--my kids are in the paddleboat)

    

We Have More Time Than We Think We Do...

We have more time than we think we do?  How's that possible?!  It's true that most of us have way too much to do for the various areas of our lives, and we squeeze into each day as much as possible .  But the fact that we can't seem to get it all done doesn't necessarily mean that we need more time.

"The real problem is a lack of clarity and definition about what a project (or task) really is and what the associated next-action steps required are.  Clarifying things on the front end, when they first appear on the radar, rather than on the back end, after trouble has developed, allows people to reap the benefits of managing action."  (David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity)

So really start paying attention to things that keep you running around busy.  Try to clarify what the desired outcome is, decide what the relevant next-action steps are, and follow them.  You'll be much more efficient doing tasks this way, and you'll probably find that you indeed have more time than you think you do. 

Write It Down!

When I'm attending a meeting, I always bring paper and pen for taking notes.  That's a given for most of us, unless you really can remember everything you hear and are able to store it in your head.  I cannot, and I'm a pretty good listener.  So I jot notes to help me remember what I need to do later.  But even when I'm not in a meeting, I usually have a small notepad and pencil with me.  My best ideas can strike at anytime!  Ideas for blogs, marketing, website content, tweets...and many other things.  If I don't make a note of them, I may (no, I will) forget them later as I get caught up in the whirlwind of the rest of my day.  Be prepared! 

To Multitask or Not?

So often nowadays multitasking is necessary.  So we think.  We try to prepare a report for the meeting this afternoon, answer the phone, reply to emails, and deal with interruptions from co-workers all at the same time.  Look how much we're getting done!  Maybe not, though...  

Stop trying to do too many things at once!  It's better to maintain focus on one thing at a time and do it well.  "People who regularly juggle several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memories, or switch from one task to another as well as those who prefer to focus on one thing at a time. Heavy media multitaskers are paying a big price."
Stanford Report, 8/24/2009, Study by Clifford Nass, Eyal Ophir & Anthony Wagner

So if you need to multitask, pair up an important task with a lesser important task, such as tidying up your desk drawers (quietly) while on a conference call. 

Where Does Time Go??

If you're like many people I meet, you have days that are non-stop busy, but you can't explain exactly what you accomplished.  You feel like you've been spinning your wheels!  Sometimes we let certain activities take up too much of our time.  Is it Facebook? Email? Sipping on your morning coffee while reading the paper? Catching up with friends and co-workers to see what fun things they did over the weekend?  (Feel free to insert your time-waster here.)  Engaging in all of these activities is perfectly fine...but you may not realize how much time you spend doing so.  

If you're really serious about finding more time in your day, I suggest keeping a Time Log for a week.  Write down everything you do and how much time you spend on it.  Include time spent on eating, phone calls, driving, appointments, interruptions, watching tv, sleeping--you get the idea.  This way you can pinpoint where your time is leaking.  Then you can eliminate or at least shorten time spent on time-wasting activities.  

Here's a wonderful book on time management:  Improve Your Time Management, written by Polly Bird.  Well worth spending the time to read it!

Easy Time Management Tip--Using Transition Time

 

Fill the gaps in your schedule with specific actions.   

Do you have some time between meetings?  A couple of hours with no appointments?  Are you going to be waiting awhile at the doctor?  Fill in this "free" time with tasks from your daily goals list.  No matter how small the task is, put it on your calendar or planner!  Putting it on your schedule enables you to make a detailed plan for the day.  We have so many things vying for our time and attention now more than ever...you'd be amazed how much you can squeeze into a day if you plan well.  (Schedule fun things, too-- sometimes we forget to be good to ourselves!!) 

Where It All Happens!

I rearranged my office after I painted it (Pale Cucumber, Behr paint from Home Depot--pretty and relaxing) and this is what it looks like now.  It's a small space, which I like.  Oftentimes we think we need more space for our stuff, but au contrere--more space can be a curse!  We'll harbor unnecessary items just to fill it up!  I've been guilty of this myself, so don't think I'm pointing fingers from a pedestal.

It's a good feeling to walk into my office and not be overwhelmed with too much stuff.  I'm able to focus, work more efficiently, and I look forward to working in an organized space.  That's all I wish for everyone!

Time Well Spent

Most people I run across think that since I organize offices for a living, my office must be perfect.  While that's mostly true (!), from time to time I face some of the same struggles that other busy professionals face: Where did that pile of papers come from? What exactly is in that pile of papers?  Are there bills in there that should have already been paid?? 

Busy weeks can wreak havoc on the most organized of folk, and I'm no exception.  What saves me from utter chaos, however, is my dedication to discipline when it comes to clearing off my desktop when it's on the verge of disappearing.  At the end of most days, I make a concerted effort to have everything put away in its place, and I write on my white board the tasks I need to tackle the next day.  I'm always surprised that what I've dreaded doing (filing those darn papers, deciding which newspapers/magazines/fliers to keep, paying the bills, taking the coffee cups to the dishwasher :-) ) really doesn't take me that long.  I've wasted time dreading dealing with things, and I could have done it and moved on in a matter of minutes!

Give yourself a time limit to do things you dread, whether it's dusting the living room (yuck), answering emails, or clearing off your desk.  Ten focused minutes is time very well spent.