Posts Tagged ‘Time’

« Older Entries

Organizing Daily Routines

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Ever feel like your day is out of control? This blog article is about organizing your days at home, with ideas for tools to help keep you on track and questions you’ll want to answer before buying or using the free tools.

Questions to Answer before You Choose Your Product

*Are you comfortable with software and apps, more so than paper? Are you often on your device?

*What’s important to keep track of?;

*Where do you think you get bogged down?;

*Who else needs to see the calendar or to do’s (and what technology do they use if you think you’ll need to synchronize);

*How mobile do you need to be;

*What technology do you prefer – type, size of device – or do you prefer paper;

*What “view” is most useful to you (daily, weekly, monthly)?;

*How easy does the software look; pricing; setup time; intuitive?

*Can you sync up or otherwise backup all this wonderful data you’re about to put into your tool? Comfortable with that?

 

A tool can be useful because you get a place to start, a method to keep track, a structure.

A tool can work against you, in a sense, if you don’t know what you want it to do, or if you spend more time setting it up and reorganizing items instead of doing them.

A balance, as with so much, is important.

If you’re not sure what you want, but you know you’re a software person, then take a look at each tool. They are quite different looking even though they do similar things; by reviewing each one for a few minutes, you may figure out what you like or don’t, narrowing down your choice.

 

 

Click on the graphics to go to their sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in AD/HD, Harmony at Home, Time Management | No Comments »

A Snow Day ! Making the Best Use of the Gift of Time.

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

As I write this, I can barely see through the white snow out my office window. The lake doesn’t exist. The white birch trees have disappeared. A snow day! Excitement, giddiness, a throw back to school days. And that’s the problem. This can also happen if the doctor’s appointment is cancelled. Or your client rescheduled, so you are in your office for the day.snow 1.12.2011

Especially when we have a surprise gift of extra time, we can get so incredibly distracted by how great we feel with this gift.  We make a list a mile long of what we’re going to get done with this extra time.

And then we chip away at it, and chip and chip … getting little things done but nothing we really wanted or needed to finish.

Decide if this will be a ‘vacation’ day or a ‘power work’ day.

Get clear on how you want to use the time. Otherwise, you’ll float through the day, trying out both and not being happy at the end of the day with how you feel. Commit.

Be clear on what would make this is a useful and productive day.

If you decide this will be a day to get a lot done, then take a minute or two to select the one or two projects you want to complete. One is even better; then after it’s done, select a second one. Selecting one or two gives you clarity on what is truly important today. And you’ll be less likely to overestimate how much you can get done. Your head won’t be as cluttered because you’ll only have those two items running around in your head. Clutter affects your productivity and clarity of thinking.

“Is this how you want to use your time?”

Find a way to keep your goals at the top of your mind. A post it note. An auditory reminder – watch, cell phone, egg timer. On the pc, shut down your browser and email. Use it as a reward for when you are a half-way point, rewarding for efforts, not just results.

If you find yourself wandering off track, find a phrase that works to get yourself back on track. You’ll need to experiment. Mine is “Was this really how you wanted to use this time?” Clients have used: “What was #1 today?” and “Susan Fay, where’ s your head at right now.” And a side benefit: over time is that this thinking becomes an automatic process.

How much time is left?

Take those breaks; they give you a sense of how much time has passed and what time of day it is. Working through lunch will give you a false sense of how much time’s gone by and you won’t get a brain break, which makes you far more productive.

I like the www.timetimer.com at my desk. It shows me how much time is left, rather than what time it is. A quick glance means less of a break in my concentration.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Habits, Home Office | No Comments »

Five Ways to Get Back on Your Wagon

Monday, January 10th, 2011

This story is about how to get back on the wagon – my wagon being exercising at the gym. Take these ideas and apply them to get back on track with an important effort in your life – the organizing wagon, eating less or differently, money management, using a time management system that works for you at work. These all require a behavioral or habit change.

I don’t think of myself as athletic or being “in good shape,” which is the value I’ve always associated with the gym and with exercise generally.  And that was the problem.  Likewise, if you want to get more organized or downsize, what’s the value that this touches for you?  Tied to value = greater motivation. My story below.

Sometime around my 50th birthday, I decided that exercising was more about improving my health, and secondarily maintaining my weight.  Although I was born with terrific genes in the health and wellness arena, I began to feel as if the genes might wear out.  I’d been lucky the first half of my life. Maybe I’d better start doing something.

There was that and that it nearly killed me to carry in the groceries up the fifteen+  stairs. And the occasional back ache. So off to the gym I went, January 2009. Later in 2009, I fell off and got back on the old wagon.

Key success factors for me have been:

A small goal. I strive for three days a week, not seven or even four. Three.  I know myself. Had I said more than three, the first time I fell off the wagon, I’d never get back on. I hope to increase to four, but I’m good with three for now. It’s more than zero.

Cutting myself some slack when life crises hit. My housemate went through knee replacement surgery, one and then the other, last summer. One week after the second one, my father suffered a heart attack and had quadruple bypass surgery. I KNOW that going to the gym would have made me relieve stress. I know my back would have felt less achy; stress goes to the weakest point. I know. I know. But adding one more thing to do to my list would have caused my head to explode. It’s a balance and I know myself best.

Remembering why I was doing this and what it felt like after a workout.  How can you keep this in front of yourself? For me, having a housemate who goes daily helped because we would talk about her workout – even when I wasn’t going. I started missing that feeling. Strong motivation.

Putting it on my calendar again, to get myself back to a regular schedule.  If I don’t plan for it, it doesn’t become part of my regular day. It ends up being extra. Something that I get to do IF work is done and IF the household’s all set.  I try to make the gym (i.e., me/my health) as important as the household and my business. It’s not easy, but as long as the trend heads in the right direction, I’m good with that.

Using an accountability partner. It’s okay to ask for support. My housemate helps because I see what it does for her.  A personal trainer when I first started at the gym got me motivated and on the right track in just a few sessions. Doesn’t have to be a long relationship. Sometimes it’s useful to regularly schedule something. Other times, it’s useful just to get a jump start.

The value of money: I am a person who always thinks about the value of something before I purchase. In this case, I counted the number of times I’d been to the gym in one month, and divided that into my monthly fee. Because of the way I think, realizing that each visit had to be “worth” $20 or so dollars was a motivator.

So – you can do it. Back on the wagon. See you there!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in AD/HD, Habits, Harmony at Home | No Comments »

Which Bag Are The Eggs In?

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

I was at the back of my car loading groceries, half listening to the women’s conversation next to me.

“Eggs. Which bag are they in.” “Oh, I don’t know. I can never remember.” timer

Well, I couldn’t resist. My eggs tip I shared with them is the first in  this list of unusual home organizing tips.

Small ideas which add up to time savings. So here are a few small gifts, big on time.

Groceries: You can never remember which bag has the eggs in it.

When your groceries are being packed in the store, watch for the eggs and tie together the bag’s handles. Keep the bag in the front seat.

Time saved: 5 minutes to look for the bag. Another 5 to look for it when it gets lost in the back of the car.  And a few more in the house. Or the trip back to the store to get more when the eggs break.

Each year, you forget whether you bought holiday cards at the end of the season last year. Or you can’t find that special extension cord with the foot lever for the Christmas tree (and other such  items).

Put everything for the holiday in with your tree decorations. Everything, even if  it’s not a decoration, just related to the holiday. You’ll have only ONE place to look for holiday  items.

Or when you hit the sales post holidays and buy things for NEXT year, make a list, scan the receipt or make a note on your calendar for NEXT year’s holiday season.

Time saved: Extra shopping trips to buy things you already had. Time, cost and frustration savings!

Shower cleaning: You want to let the cleanser sit for awhile but you don’t want to forget to rinse it; someone might slip if they get into the shower  before you rinse off.

Put the cleaning bottle right into the shower on its floor. Good reminder for you … and it’s bound to cause a question if you don’t get there  first.

Time saved: A trip to the hospital when someone would’ve slipped. Hours.

You don’t want to forget to take your lunch to work:

Establish a launching pad.

Put a reminder sticky note on the door you’ll be leaving.

Put a reminder sticky note anywhere you’ll see it – for me, it’s the first two places I go to in the kitchen, by the coffee pot or dog food.

Put your car  keys with your lunch, in the refrigerator. Can’t leave the house without the keys.  The FIRST time(s) you do this, you may have  to write yourself a note  about where your keys are!

Time saved: Time away from your desk to go find and buy lunch. This one might have its break time advantages  … but adds up in the costs.

Errands: Some don’t have to get done right away but then they just never leave your list. You keep forgetting about them.

Keep a special “errands notepad” in your car, where you will easily see it. When you get in the car, take a look at what’s on there. Are you going near any of those places? Then do it today. I use it even to remind myself to get gas or get to the bank.

Time  savings: Here, it’s time saved when you realize you should have had that dress dry cleaned and  now have  no time. So you spend time shopping for a new one, and the money.  Or you knew a month ahead of time  you needed to bring a dessert to a school or a party. So now, you have to stop on  the  way at a place that’s more  expensive than you’d normally go. Or you have to fit that errand in when you really don’t have the time, and so  something else falls off your list.

Air filters/other household small maintenance tasks: You keep forgetting but you know it’s good for the air.

Make a reminder on whatever calendar you’re using. Or put it into your work calendar at the end of your day, to remind yourself it’s the first thing to do once work is closed out. Record a reminder on your cell phone as you’re driving home from work; make it the  first thing you do. If your calendar’s on a pc or phone/smartphone, you can make it a recurring reminder, whether it’s quarterly or every two years.

Time savings: Health and maintenance savings.

You can never remember how to … this is good for anything you do only occasionally during the year.

Write yourself an email with instructions. Or add a “contact”  to your contacts list with the information. Or write down how you did the task on your paper household calendar and in the month you’ll need to do it next  time.

Time savings: If you don’t record what you need  to do and how it’s done,  you’ll spend plenty of time trying to remember what you did. Trying, trying and trying again.

To your organized holidays ! Safe travels (watch out for the other guy, I always say), relaxing times, and joy.

Tags: ,
Posted in AD/HD, Harmony at Home | No Comments »

Accepting Limitations

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

Acknowledge your limitations so you can free yourself and work around them. Work on making your strengths even stronger.

According to Alex Linley, of the Centre of Applied Positive Psychology, we get “a real sense of energy” when we use our strengths. We “lose sense of time” because we are so engaged.

We are “repeatedly successful when using the strength.”

We “feel a yearning to use it.” And we “feel drained if we don’t have the opportunity to use it.”

What kinds of limitations do we have? These are the ropes which hold the hot air balloon to the  ground. What are your ropes?

I think of my rocky relationship with time. There’s number of hours in a day and how I used to squeeze every last drop out of every last minute.  I could fit any task into the day by looking at the small white spaces on the calendar blocks – works well theoretically, but not  in real life. Ha! Then I struggled, living up to that calendar of expectations I’d just laid out for myself.

That pace exhausted me, physically and primarily mentally. So at night, when I wanted to enjoy reading a book, dinner out with friends, or working on a craft project, I had no energy left. Too intense during the day.

Once I decided to limit how I used my time, simplifying how much I put into one day, adding in those transitions tasks and mental breaks and “nothing” time blocks, I put some balance back into my life.

And I’m guessing I am a more relaxed person to be around (read: not so cranky). I feel freer. Not so much of a struggle with my friend, time. I can do what I can do.

I feel more competent, because my standards are not unrealistically high as they had been. I don’t burn out like I did when I worked in corporate.

Why would I want to burn out, now that I’ve found the work I love to do and an important purpose? That makes no sense.

A limitation is having trouble getting places on time. When a friend said she always expected me ten minutes after I’d promised, I felt like a lousy friend. What a good friend she was though, to mention it.

I had to figure out why I was late.

Aha. Insight. “One more thing”-it is, which I’d had since childhood, was a culprit.

Perfectionism. Not wanting to admit I had done as much as I really needed to do on a project.

So now I’ve retrained my brain to “one less thing.”

Seriously. I have my list, but if I’m on my way out, now I choose that lowest priority item and it’s my one less thing.

Then I put it on my to do list so I remember to do it later. Written down, so out of my head.

A limitation might be ADD, depression or a physical health issue. How does it show up in your life?  What does it affect for you? So then what extra self-care or other needs can you focus on, so you work around the limitation. Or if you consider your ADD as a gift, what are the ways your gift sometimes gets too big for you to handle? Work around it.

A limitation can be your perspective, in that you are only one person. Or that you’re great at seeing the big picture, but not the details. Or so observant of the details that you miss the obvious. (more…)

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in AD/HD, Time Management | No Comments »

« Older Entries