elaine shannon » productivity

Time it really Can’t be Managed

Elaine — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:09:17 +0000

Time cannot be managed, only how you use it

A friend and I were chatting and she wondered why she had such difficulty getting to places on time and managing her time in general. She wondered if there was a trick to the whole time thing.

Here is a true story of my evolving relationship with TIME and the tricks I have used successfully along the way.

I was not always so great with “TIME”.

There were five clocks as wedding gifts for the skipper and I. Obviously other people also recognized that our relationship with time was out of sync. Ok it was extremely out of sync…so much so that people called us the Tardy Twins; we were perpetually late for everything.

People were telling us something, without coming right out and telling us. I am sure the message was this…”we were late too often, it was rude and could we please respect them enough to not waste their time”.

It was an eye opener and it got my attention.

I started analyzing why I was late and here are some of the reason that stuck out for me that may also resonate with you.

• Misjudging the amount of time it took to get somewhere, causing me to be late.
• Underestimating the time frame to complete something and therefore things I had committed to were late. Mostly work obligations.
• Stopping to finish that one last thing before I would leave the house, ultimately causing tardiness.

In my research on time I found two Greek words used for “time.”

One word is chronos; the other is kairos.

Chronos has to do with calendars, seasons, dates, clocks, chronometers. It is chronological or sequential time.

Kairos has to do with the fullness of time, when circumstances are right for something to take place.

Chronos being the external relationship with time and Kairos being the internal time clock.

On my TIME journey, one of the strategies I used to help me was an exercise to figure out how long it took to accomplish tasks and to get to specific places.

I realized that it took 20 minutes to get to town and get parked so instead of leaving 10 minutes before I needed to be there I started leaving 20 minutes before.

Another situation where I have used this time trick is for housework. I know it takes 30 minutes to clean each level of my home. I now have 30 minutes time slots in my weekly schedule that easily accommodate the cleaning chore.

There are no magic tricks…time is time. It really is about awareness…your awareness of how you relate to your time.

I have come to rely on my internal time clock and have not worn a watch for over 5 years. I arrive at appointments on time…most of the time and feel like I have a better relationship with time and how I can use my 168 hours every week to the fullest.

Today while driving the kids to school I saw the funniest license plate…it said, “IAMLATE” those 7 letters said it all.

All the time manipulating and scheduling aside …sometimes people are just going to be late.

Organizing your Goal Setting for September

Elaine — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:14:08 +0000

September is the new January…that is, when it comes to Goal Setting.

Make this first day of September your New Years Day….

This may not be the first time you are hearing this, however it is something that you may want to try. Typically people set New Years resolutions, or goal setting, in January. When you think about it, January is probably the worst time of the year that anything action related would happen. Here in the northern hemisphere it is cold, dreary and to be honest the energy for starting something new just isn’t there.

September is actually a much better time to embark on a new initiative. Energy levels are high after the restful summer vacation period and most people are itching to sink their teeth into something active. Activities that will propel them in new and exciting directions.

Goal Setting Techniques

The goals you are contemplating may be personal goals or it could be the achievement of career goals. Authors like James Ray have provided some techniques to segment your goals into the specific areas of life. By doing this you can organize your goals using the five Pillars of life which are; Financial, Relational, Mental, Physical and Spiritual.

SMART Goals

By incorporating a system of setting SMART Goals you will stay on track, be motivated and yes….organized. Use these guidelines and you will be achieving amazing results in no time.

The goal must be Specific, state it in a way that you or anyone who hears it will know exactly what it is that you want.

The goal must be stated in terms that are Measurable, this will let you know that you have reached the goal, or not.

The goal needs to be something that is going to stretch you beyond your comfort zone and at the same time is Attainable.

Most times the R is Realistic, however recently I was introduced to the R as being Risky. This is great because you really do want to add a bit of risk, it needs to feel uncomfortable, this discomfort is a sure sign of growth.

The last component requires that you set a Timeline for the goal. Some goals may take longer than others, be realistic about the time you will need for completion.

A Goal is just a lonely Noun

Setting a goal is great, but by itself a “goal” is just a lonely noun. Goal setting is only the beginning. In order to make the goal a reality, concrete action is required. These actions are the things that you do consistently on a day-to-day basis that give the goal life.

Managing your GOALS with technology

There are several ways to handle goal management. With online technology you can use one of the free programs available that allow you to enter your action plan for reaching your desired goals. I recently found a very cool tool called Teamly. In their words this is what the site does…”Teamly is a new kind of productivity tool based around a simple question: if you could only get 5 things done today, what would they be? Teamly helps you avoid unrealistic to-do lists and focus on what really matters—so you can get the right work done.” They had me at Productivity and focus. Also incorporating the “Top 5” methodology makes goal achieving Realistic, that other R that I did not use previously. You can sign up free at TEAMLY to manage your goals online.

If you have a desire to use traditional methods for goal achieving a “Top 5” methodology is the most effective tool for making it all happen. In simple terms you pick the Top 5 actions that you will do on a weekly basis, yes you heard right, only 5 per week. By completing these very strategic actions you will realize the set goals without overwhelming yourself with the traditional unmanageable to do list.

While you are enjoying the last few dog days of summer you can set aside time to create a goal plan…so when September rolls around you can hit the ground running.

3 Steps to Easy Meal Planning

Elaine — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:46:59 +0000

Can you believe that it is Time for Janet Barclay’s Blog Carnival already…I feel like I lost a whole month? The topic is quite timely this month with music festival, dance recitals and the winding down of activities I feel busier than ever. The topic is “Organizing Tips For Busy Moms” and I feel like one busy mom right now.

Here is my personal favorite for keeping this BUSY mom sane and on top of an important task….Meal Planning

From corporate boardrooms to casual gatherings the Meal Plan is always a hot topic. A casual mention of a weekly meal routine and I have everyone’s attention. The kitchen really is the heart of the home and when this room rocks it sets the stage for success for the whole day.

You will find success in the kitchen with a few very easy meal planning techniques that work well for our family and can work in yours too.

Meal planning for the busy family needs to meet these minimum standards…

To save valuable time you need quick dinner ideas.
To save money and add convenience to you need to have easy dinner ideas.
To provide energy and vitality you need to have healthy dinner ideas.

Organizing is all about planning.

Here are 3 steps to ensure meal planning success.

Family Meeting Time-Get the family together and ask what each person’s favorite weekly meal choices would be. Make sure the choices meet the meal planning standards! Create a master list of all the choices for breakfast, lunches, dinner and even snacks…this is also helpful for those school lunches. This list can be added to as new meal items are tried, tested and given a thumbs up.
Master Meal List- With the list of possible menu items in hand it is time to pull the weekly meal menu together. This can be as simple as a calendar with the healthy, quick easy meal items written in the spaces or you can go virtual with a handy meal planning tool like the one mentioned in this blog post. Post the menu in a spot where everyone can see it and you may be surprised when you head to the kitchen one morning to find that someone has already started the meal…really…kids and significant others do want to participate…let go…you can do it!
Grocery Shopping- With a week of meal ideas in hand it is now time to grab the weekly flyers and map out the plan of attack. By paying attention to weekly specials and deals you can stretch your grocery dollars…keeping money in your pocket.

Organizing Today in the Kitchen can save Time, Money and add Convenience to your life.

Have fun…test new recipes…let the kids get involved…make meals a family event.

Here is a video I did years ago…please disregard my suggestion of adding Hot dogs to the meal planning…unless they are vegan….oh what I have learned

When did we lose our True North : Important vs Urgent

Elaine — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:28:57 +0000

I am not sure when it happened but our compasses have lost their polarity….

This past week I have been preparing a workshop for a group of administrative assistants and one of the key concepts that will be delivered will be the classic “Important VS Urgent” quadrants by Stephen Covey. I have been searching to find the best way to convey this concept, to deliver it in a way that will give the attendees a visual reference for this life changing concept…and frankly I get confused on the quadrants myself and I want it to be crystal clear for this awesome group.

I found this information via wikipedia during my research and it made it all clear…

In the book First Things First it states ….”The principles provide a “true north” and reference when deciding what activities are most important, so that decisions are guided not merely by the “clock” of scheduling but by the “compass” of purpose and values.”

The Compass of purpose and values…that is it.

How many of us are so clear on our Purpose and Values that we can set a compass by it?

I challenge you today to take 30 minutes and write your purpose…yes your purpose…why the heck are you here!

Next make a list of what you value…hmmm…hard one…

Now go and set your compass I bet you can find True North now.

Can I ask you Something?

Elaine — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:46:55 +0000

I love research and the internet is the best place to get some facts and figures. Small biz owners are the most fascinating people…doing what they love to do every day and enjoying the freedom of being the driver in the bus of their life. This is all lovely but it does come with some challenges.

As this blog moves forward I want to be able to help with real issues and to share what I know that can help YOU do what YOU do a little bit better.

I would love it if you would share.

As a business owner….

What is one task that you put off doing consistently? Could there be more than one?

By not doing this task does it take away from your bottom line?

Why are you putting off this task?

Please share….

Getting things Done: Eating the Elephant one bite at a time

Elaine — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:57:02 +0000

March break is less than a week away and as I sit here making my huge, really big, gynormous…OMG will I ever get it all finished in 4 days list, I wonder how people who are not organizationally gifted get it all done!

The tasks of this week in front of me are not even on the Top 5 …these tasks require a whole different strategy…

Batching these tasks will work to a certain point but it requires so much more…

Because I love all of you and know that this is a big struggle point with many people here are my techniques that you can use for getting things done.

I am sure that you have heard this saying before….I have, and I use it regularly in presentations and with clients.

How do you eat and Elephant? One bite at a time.

Meaning…you have a huge list, you have a certain time frame to complete all the things on the list and you are now paralyzed by the whole big thing….Did I hit that nail on the head?

This is how I am going to tackle the week so I can go away and have a great family vacation, confident that I have handled all that I CAN handle, delegated where I could and took control of the week.

***warning***

When you have a week like this lighten the load where you can and DO NOT….I repeat DO NOT take on anything else…not even if a cute little old lady needs help this week, stranded puppy dogs or even a good friend…you have enough on your plate…just say NO.

That being said here we go.

Separate your list for the week into things that you have to do for work and the things that you have to do for family/home.
Delegate all the family/home tasks accordingly. Enlist the troops and allow everyone to pitch in…you do not have to do this alone.
Group things that require a trip to the bank, insurance company, drug store for supplies, etc and take one morning to do these running around things.

Get your highlighter out and as you finish each thing on the list scratch it off…that one technique always keeps me going as I get er done!

Attempt to accomplish as much as you can at the beginning of the week…leaving time for unexpected things as the deadline approaches.

I must go now and get at that list…may the force be with me!

No elephants were injured during this post…they were only used for illustrative purposes

What is your Disorganization Costing YOU?

Elaine — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:32:24 +0000

Yes there is an actual cost…real dollars that come from your bottom line if you are disorganized….I am not referring here to being messy…real organization means being able to find things when you need them.

The Cost of Disorganization comes right from your bottom-line!

Every minute you spend looking for something is time that you would otherwise spend on important company tasks like writing proposals, prospecting new clients, following up on leads…I think you know what I mean.

Disorganization has many costs:

Money
Time
Productivity
Your Health
Your Reputation

Consider that the Wall Street Journal reports the average US Executive loses 6 weeks per year retrieving misplaced information from messy desks and files. The cost in salary and lost productivity is enormous.

Want to calculate the bottom-line impact of disorganization to your company…check out this calculator?

How to tap into Your Productive Flow: Working with your Cycle

Elaine — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:44:36 +0000

OK …this is not a post about bicycling….it is another cycle we are talking about here!

***This post will be helpful to all my female readers who wonder why they work differently during the course of the month. For all my male readers this post will shed some light on the amazing ways that women work.***

A very wise woman friend and co-worker of mine shared this productivity secret with me many years ago. She was the most productive person in our office… she met and actually exceeded targets…she was the company superstar.

I asked her how she did this month after month…year after year

The productivity secret wasn’t really a secret…it was something that we all know innately but have forgotten. This gal was aware of herself and her cycle and she applied this to her work and because of it she was able to work circles around all of us. It wasn’t rocket science….

Productivity Secret-There are specific times of the month that certain tasks flow better than others….

I have mentioned this in my presentations before. The room goes quiet, eyebrows are raised….yes…deep thinking is happening. That aha moment when we realize that there are weeks of the month that we could conquer the world, write 100 proposals, build a school….and there are times of the month when you could bite the head off a small child…ok that may be a bit harsh but there are days when all you want to do is curl up with a good book and a hot cuppa.

So why for heavens sake do you plan strategic meetings on a week where the possibility of hurting your co-workers is pretty high?

Just for fun;

Figure out where you are in your cycle right now
Evaluate how your week is going
Which of your Top 5 items are you accomplishing
What things are you avoiding
What would you rather be doing

Now you need to get deliberate about what you do and when you do it. For instance on power week plan all the activities that need your highest energy level, on the introspective week do your deep thinking….etc.

Here are some more great articles and resources that I have found about this Productivity Secret.

Miranda Gray- A 28-day plan to help you Boost Productivity and Work satisfaction

Honoring the Feminine

Do the cycles of Moon affect us? I found this great resource at Evolving Alchemy

Now if you will excuse me I have to go and curl up in ball, pull the quilt up over my head and have a good cry!

What do you do when the Inkwell Dries up

Elaine — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:14:58 +0000

I was warned that this would happen…

People told me to be prepared…

Well that day has come…

I woke up this morning and the creative well is dry, it is shriveled up, I don’t have one thing that I feel like writing about. The productivity of the past few months is fading fast.

Could it be that I have hit a creative wall?

Did the ups and mostly downs of the past 7 days finally take their toll?

Oh my…will the thrill of writing these posts and feeling the words flow seamlessly out of my fingertips on to the virtual paper come back to me?

I am sure that tomorrow or even later today I will feel inspired…I Hope!

How do you handle creative dry spells? What techniques do you use during the creative times to help with the not so creative days? Please share.

Batching Tasks a Recipe to Manage What you do with Your Time

Elaine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:24:54 +0000

I have been asked this month to be a part of Janey Barclay’s Professional Organizer Blog Carnival . This carnival is a collection of Blog Posts written by professional organizers. This is a huge honor to be in such esteemed company and for you this is an awesome collection of resources to help you get and stay organized.

This months theme in “Time Management”.

The Dictionary says that management is…the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control.

Let me start by saying that I do not believe that you can control or manage time!

….yes I have said it out loud. Let the controversy begin….What I do believe is that we can manage, direct, handle or control how we use our “Valuable Time” and how we manage, direct, handle or control how to fill the “Valuable Minutes” in our day.

With this all in perspective now I would like to introduce you to “Batching”.

I am not talking about cookie baking here I am talking “Tasks”….you know the stuff that fills our day and uses up our Valuable Time.

“Batching Tasks “ is quite simple….you take similar tasks that require the same thinking process or have similar activities attached to the tasks and you do them at the same time.

Here are some real life examples of how you can use “Batching Tasks” to increase productivity and save Valuable Time for other activities.

Checking and replying to e-mail at certain times during the day….not every second of the day.
Returning phone call from the day at a specified time at the end of the day.
Combining tasks that take 5 minutes or less to do using your “5 Minute File“.
Bookkeeping and finances, yes it has to be done, pick a time batch it up and Just Do It…

I am sure that there are many more examples but these are the most common, you will certainly find ways to Batch your own tasks as you maneuver through your activity filled days.