Time Management and Productivity Blog: September 2010

M.A.D. Get Back To Nature

There's something very energising about getting back to nature. The feel of the warm sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair - even the rain can be revitalising.

Image by . SantiMB . via FlickrWe spend so much time shielded from it in our cars and air-conditioned offices, walking along streets and pavements full of cars and people, surrounded by brick, concrete and metal that it's easy to lose track of the changing seasons.

Here in the UK the hedgerows are full of berries, the fields full of mushrooms and the colours are changing from Summer to Autumn.

Many of us could benefit from getting out into the fresh air and closer to nature more often. Not only does the fresh air do us good but it has a calming effect if you're feeling stressed. It can also have an uplifting effect on your mood. It's hard to feel depressed when you're surrounded by beautiful scenery and wildlife.
- Take in the scenery on your way home.
- Get out to a local park in your lunch break.
- Go for a walk or cycle when you get home.
- Get out into the countryside at the weekend.

Even if you don’t think you have the time, make the time. It’s worth it for the physical and mental boost you’ll get.

Take up gardening it's a great way of getting outside on a regular basis and a perfect way to watch the changing seasons and keep things in perspective.

M.A.D. Switch Off!

How many hours a week do you work – really … how many?

In between the early mornings, the late evenings and weekend working - Twitter and Social Media, at all hours of the day and night, many of us are likely to be putting in far more than 35-40 hours a week

Judging by the number of emails, tweets and forum posts I receive that have been posted over the weekend and late in the evening, it would appear that some people have very little distinction between work time and personal time ... or perhaps they'd rather avoid home life.

It's important to have a structure to your work and schedule your working hours accordingly. Some people prefer to start late and work late, some people like to start early and finish early. If you don't the luxury of flexible working or being able to set your own hours, make sure your employer isn't extracting more than their pound of flesh.

Now, here's a revelation - you can switch your smartphone off! Yes, really. The world won’t end just because you haven't answered the email you received at 11.30pm (the person who sent it is in need of some balanced working too!).

There may be occasions when late nights and weekend working are required but don't let them become a habit. Have a couple of days each week when you finish early (or at least on time).

What could you do this week to spend a few less hours working and have a few more hours for yourself?

If you're having difficulty switching off - contact me for a free strategy session or check your Time Habits.

On The Road To ...

Are you ready to give up your business because it's become too much like hard work? Do you feel you're at a crossroads and need to make an important decision. You're not alone - I've come across a few people who have been thinking just that.

Image by Matt From London via FlickrPeople who have put time and effort into their business but are now ready to give up because they feel they just can't cope any more.

It's not that they're not good at what they do or they've got a terrible business idea, just that they can't cope with everything they're trying to juggle in their life and everything that's involved in running your own business.

Perhaps all it takes is a different perspective. Re-energising their business and their motivation to turn things around and transform their business.

Now admittedly many but not all of these people are women. Having a family and young children does have it's challenges but it doesn't stop you from running a successful business.

Firstly - decide what YOUR definition of a successful business is. You don't need to take over the world, make millions or have to work 24/7. But you do need to take your business seriously and work ON it if you want to make it a success.

What do you want from your business - financially, physically and mentally?
What do you need to run your business - time, money, resources, skills?
Remember why you started your own business.
How can you change from where you are now to where you need to be?
Reassess and update your business plan.

Get advice. There's plenty of it available and much of it free (you get what you pay for). Go to an expert. Find someone you can trust who is either where you want to be, doing what you want to be doing or understands what you're going through.

Get a different perspective. It can be difficult when you're stuck in the middle of your business to see the wood for the trees. Are things really as bad as they seem? Will a simple shift, a few changes, enable you to get back on track?

Stop now - before it's too late! If you carry on as you are you'll either end up completely frazzled, have a mental breakdown or you'll run your business into the ground and there'll be nothing left.

Take a look at this new Transform Your Business workshop just for you or give me a call.

M.A.D. Extend That Holiday Feeling

Don’t allow yourself to get sucked back into the routine of work and those bad habits too quickly. Keep the relaxed feeling from your holiday for as long as possible. If you came back with good intentions - find a way to stick with them.

Plan what you need to get done – those things you absolutely MUST do. Make sure you plan time for yourself. If you are in the habit of working late, DON'T. Finish early at least one or two evenings this week and keep a limit on your working hours. Avoid spending time on low value tasks.

Give yourself less time to do things or put a limit on how much time you have available. You'll find you actually get things done quicker. Like when you have a deadline and you go into overdrive to get things finished on time.

Make sure you take breaks during the day - not always easy but it's important. Come back refreshed and you’ll be more productive in the afternoon.

Keep work in perspective. Know what you need to get done. Focus on what's important and don't spend all your time working. Work more efficiently in the time you have available. Avoid distractions which can eat into your day. Make sure you fit in time to relax, both for yourself and for family and friends.

Check out your current time habits with this free Time Audit.

September Newsletter: How To Remember Business Names More Easily

You know the situation, you're in a busy room, someone introduces themselves and their name goes straight in one ear and out the other.

You also know how good it feels when someone remembers your name even if you've only met them briefly once.

The problem is made worse when you're being bombarded with names at a networking event where you're meeting dozens of new people. But with a little practice you can improve your memory skills to remember more names ...

You can read the rest of the article in this month's newsletter, just register on my website or click here. Free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life direct to your inbox.

Great Deals With GroupOn

Now, I’m always looking out for a bargain and ways to save money and I came across this website via Twitter. Groupon – My City Deals offers you great savings on local businesses – from health and beauty, exercise, restaurants and fun.

I'm fairly sceptical when it comes to most things like this, so was expecting there to be some catch and 'no such thing as a free lunch', some complicated sign-up process but these are genuine deals that can save you between 60-85%.

There’s a different deal each day, so you'll need to subscribe to their daily email if you don't want to miss out but if you want a haircut for 60% less or six exercise classes for a fraction of the cost, take a look.

M.A.D. Getting Away

As you come out of the holiday season, it's worth thinking about why and where you go on holiday and whether it has the desired effect.

Image by esther** via Flickr

You work hard all year round and you need to take time out to recharge your batteries. Whether you prefer to get away for a few weeks each year or take several breaks. Do something totally different, spend time with family and friends, or relax on a beach?

Often there are many different needs to be met – where to go, what to do, activities for the children, time with your partner, time with friends, time to relax. Organising and going on holiday can be stressful in itself.

When I went travelling, several years ago, it took about six weeks to totally unwind from work. Two weeks once a year just isn't enough. You spend the first week unwinding and then only have a few days to really relax before it’s time to come home. Always assuming you left the mobile and laptop behind and really did get away from it!

You're also more likely to become ill when you go on holiday? A good indicator you’ve been under stress and you’re working too hard. As soon as the source of the stress stops (work) you give your body permission to be ill.

Relaxing on holiday also gives you time to think and reassess. Coming back you quickly find yourself back in the same routine and the holiday becomes a distant memory far too quickly. Don’t let all those thoughts and ideas drift away and get forgotten. Think about what you want to change and do something about it.

Taking regular breaks and giving yourself time to relax is important to your mental and physical well-being. We've had the last Bank Holiday weekend until the end of the year. Plan a long weekends or a weekend away between now and then.

Even having a complete day out at the weekend - away from chores, going somewhere new, trying something different can be a break in itself.

Plan your next break – don’t leave it too long.

The Myth of Multi-tasking

Image by Chim Chim via Flickr

I appeared on BBC Radio Scotland this morning - providing a brief comment on the "Myth of Multitasking" along with Damon Young the Author of Distraction. Can we really multi-task or do we just think we do?

Multi-tasking as a concept is great but it's not an effective use of your time.

If you need to concentrate, then 'multi-tasking' by switching between tasks or trying to do two or three things at once is not a very productive use of your time. You’ll lose focus on one or more of the tasks, forget what you’re doing or end up doing none of them particularly well.

Multi-tasking CAN work where one task requires less attention than the other or can be done alongside something else. Listening to the radio while driving or working, as long as you're not distracted by the content and find you've stopped working and started listening. [However - talking on your mobile and driving DOESN'T work well - judging by the lack of attention and standard of driving for those that try to do it.]

Use your time more effectively:

Plan what you need to get done each day. You can’t do everything, so plan what’s important. Work with a weekly and monthly plan too, so it all joins up and makes sense. Many people are unproductive because they’re working on the wrong things, wasting time on low value activities – like surfing the internet – which won’t ultimately get them where they need to be.

Be realistic – don’t create a massive to-do list you’ll never get to the bottom of. List out 5-10 actions you’re going to be able to do each day and stick to that.

Set a time limit. We often get distracted or interrupted throughout the day and suddenly realise that time has passed and you haven’t done what you intended or you got distracted by your email and half the morning has just gone. Limit your time to short bursts of activity - 15-20 minutes is fine – especially if it’s something you keep putting off or don’t enjoy doing.

Define your boundaries. Don’t allow other people and things to make too many demands on your time. People can be too quick and willing to say yes and end up working on too many different things, filling up ALL their time or being pulled in too many different directions, particularly when you’ve got your own work, children, family and your partner to think about and spend time with. You only have 24 hours in a day – don’t fill them up with no time for yourself.

Chunking - group similar tasks together. Respond to several emails at once, make a number of phone calls in one go - rather than dealing with things as and when they come in.

Plan two or three tasks together when you’re going somewhere – drop off the recycling when you’re driving into town to do the shopping or attend a meeting. Arranging two or three meetings in the same place or on the same day to save time.

I frequently practice this one - on today's trip to the BBC Studio I paid in a cheque at the bank, picked up my repaired mobile phone, shopped for a few essentials, picked up some stationary and dropped off some recycling.

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