Pretty much anybody you ask will tell you they're pressed for time. There just aren't enough hours to get it all done, yadda yadda yadda. So we prioritize, streamline, and simplify. You can improve your efficiency until you're blue in the face, not to mention very tightly wound, but you still aren't addressing one of the biggest time and energy wasters in your day: incoming information. As my 12-year-old daughter, Meagan, would text on her phone: "TMI" (translation: Too Much Information).
If the 21st century has brought us anything, it is WAY too much information. You can watch several channels full of cable news 24 hours a day. You can surf the internet on any topic until you can't see straight. Most people could heat their home with the amount of junk mail they receive on a continuous basis. Imagine the time and productivity lost just sorting though it all!
So why not join me in 2008 and put yourself on a low-information diet? Make this the year that you say "NO MORE!" to the endless onslaught of time-wasting, productivity-eating, stress-inducing STUFF coming at you.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Skip the news. I haven't regularly watched the news or read a newspaper in fifteen years. Some people are shocked when they hear me say that. But I'm shocked when people confess how much time they waste each day reading their latest blog postings. Think about what you really gain by being a news junkie. To be honest, most of the news out there just isn't the kind of thing that really impacts my family, my business, or me. And quite frankly, a big chunk of what gets reported will do little more than make me feel angry or even depressed. So if your job or your natural sense of curiosity don't prohibit it, consider a very low-news diet. Believe me: my selective ignorance has never caused me a single problem and allows me to focus my energy and attention.
Never meet in person to give information. What's the number one complaint most people have when it comes to office productivity? Meetings! Why do we do it to ourselves? Do we really leave with the decisions that made spending the time worthwhile? Or are we just regurgitating information that's already been provided elsewhere? Does the speaker stand there and read the PowerPoint slides he just emailed to you? Hello? If you already have the slides - you could have just read them yourself.
Phone conferences are even worse: they take much longer than an in-person meeting, because participants are checking email and fiddling with their computers. Create a pact with your team members or department mates to never again have an in-person meeting or phone conference where you are simply conveying information. Put it on the intranet or compile it into a single email that goes out once a week. Keep the high cost of the in-person meeting at ebay when the purpose is a simple transfer of low-value information.
Use the phone strategically. What about meetings with people outside of your office-vendors and clients, for example? How many times have you spent weeks trying to set up an appointment, only to have it rescheduled at the last minute? Once the meeting actually happens, it costs you a huge piece of your day.
If you have a thirty minute meeting that requires an hour's worth of driving, decide if the time would be better spent with a phone call. Are you really getting better information in person? Nine times out of ten these meetings could be handled in a tiny fraction of the time, if only they were replaced with a quick phone call. Skip the commute, keep the gas money, and save yourself a ton of time. You may even find that your clients view your respect for THEIR time as refreshing and will appreciate it to no end.
The mailman knocks one hundred times. The U.S Postal Service does not come running to your home, ring your bell, and hand you one piece of mail at a time, multiple times a day. It's batched and delivered once. If only we could follow the same principle with electronic mail. I'm not recommending you only check your in-box once a day - I believe that's unrealistic - but you should still try to cut down. You can't focus on a task requiring concentration with your in-box open.
I process my e-mail just a handful of times each day. It's easy to be in the habit of checking the instant you hear that little ding, but think about what you're doing to yourself. What percentage of incoming email is important? 10 percent? 25 percent? Two percent? If the majority of incoming email is unimportant and represents information you don't need (there are donuts in the cafeteria), why would you stop working on the most important task of the day to see if one makes the cut? You're letting everyone else dictate your day to you by immediately stopping your productive work and redirecting your attention to an e-mail that is probably not that important anyway. Then you need to refocus your attention and try to get back on track with whatever you were doing.
After the 50-200 emails you receive each day, just think how many times per hour your productive activities must come to a grinding halt. Maybe - just maybe - you're doing it, on purpose, as an excuse to NOT to have to do the hard work you should be doing.
Make the decision NOW. Many decisions are put off because people are waiting for more information. How much do you need? Sometimes enough is good enough. You will never be able to analyze all the in's and out's of every decision, and there will always be more information out there you didn't consider. Gather enough information and make the best decision you can with the information you have. Things can always change.
My father always told me to take initiative and ask forgiveness, not permission. In the early days of my career, I just handled things for my managers without asking. If they were gone, I answered for them. Sometimes it was the wrong answer to be sure, but I've always been praised for trying to save my boss some time and force some movement, rather than being berated for the wrong action. I wish more people would just get some brass and DECIDE. Stop getting approvals from a million people to cover your backside. You're making everyone around you crazy. Sometimes it is much more efficient to go with the information you have, make the WRONG decision, and make adjustments if necessary, than to waste time being indecisive.
Empower your people. Eric Hoffer, the late American social philosopher, once said, "Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know." My husband and COO, John, has asked me several times if I'd like to learn to use the postage machine in our office. I've always staunchly declined. I have absolutely no desire to learn how to use it. I enjoy being purposefully ignorant about that machine, since I have no business running it.
When my assistant, Katie (who sits near me by design), casually asks me a question on the postal machine, I can honestly say, "I have no idea. You'll have to get with someone else." My staff needs to learn to be problem solving people and handle challenges they experience in the areas they've been charged to run, just as I do. They can't handle my areas of responsibility, and I refuse to handle theirs - and I unabashedly hold them accountable for their own results. I'm happy to get them training or pay for assistance, but you should never do those things personally that can be done by someone else at a lower pay level. You'll kill yourself. Give your people the authority they need to make decisions and get things done. If you don't, you'll find they consistently create more work for you, not less.
Cut, cut, cut. Don't lose your focus as the year goes on. Cut, streamline, and reduce. Cancel magazine subscriptions. Get rid of the junk you haven't used in a year. Let all calls you don't recognize go to voicemail. Unsubscribe from all newsletters you haven't specifically requested. Go out and find things you determine you need to buy, rather than having salespeople feed you information about more things you'll buy but won't use. If your clients keep asking you for the same information over and over again, put it on your website and let new clients know in advance where to find it. These are just a few examples about how you can deal with less information. Hope you lose lots of weight on your low-information diet and make 2009 - GREAT!
Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier(R) with Maximum Results in Minimum Time(TM). To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit http://www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.
How to Make the Most of 5:00-9:00 PM
Let's forget about 9:00 to 5:00 for a minute. We spend lots of energy making sure that we are efficient and productive during the workday. But what about AFTER the workday? Do you find yourself keeping your nose to the grindstone and working diligently throughout the day only to have it all unravel when you step through the door at home?
I hear it all the time: I'm so exhausted when I leave the office, but I always know there is more work waiting for me when I get home. What can I do? With most of the day behind us, it's easy to lose our focus and end up letting those precious hours at the end of the day go to waste. Keep in mind that those weekday hours from 5:00 'till 9:00 make up 20 hours of your week! Not many of us can afford to waste that much time.
Ask yourself a few questions to help you make the most of those evening hours and feel less stressed as a result.
How much television am I watching? For many, the biggest culprit - by far - is television. There's no reason you can't enjoy a favorite show or two, but don't let it dominate your evenings. Have you ever spent hours in front of the tube and barely even realized it? You can't get a single one of those precious minutes back, and chances are that in a week you won't even remember what you watched. That's a bad sign! See if you can turn it off for a week. You don't even have to spend the extra time doing something particularly productive - just something different. Read a book. Talk to your family. Organize a drawer or two. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel than you do after hours in front of the TV.
Where does the time go? Try keeping a diary for those 20 hours between 5 and 9 for one week. At the end of the week, it should be clear where there's room for improvement. Here are a few things to look for as red flags, and some suggestions on how to tackle them:
The Internet: Do you sit down at the computer to check your e-mail and end up spending an hour aimlessly surfing the internet?
The Fix: Limit e-mail checking to just that. If you want to surf, go ahead - just do it after the rest of your "home" work is done.
Continuing the Workday: Do you have a habit of bringing the office home?
o The Fix: Do it, if you must. But consider the value of your time and the things you are sacrificing to continue the workday. If you have to work at home, have a schedule and a plan of exactly what you need to accomplish. If you can just leave work at work, even better.
Dinner Plans: Does it take twenty minutes of staring into the fridge to figure out what' for dinner?
o The Fix: Take an hour on Sunday and plan 3-5 meals for the week. Even if that means planning for take-out, know what you're having ahead of time. If you can, cook a meal or two over the weekend and reheat them during the week to save time.
Kid Wrangling: Are you spending a ton of time making sure homework is done or working on kid-infrastructure like coordinating the carpool and extra-curricular activities?
o The Fix: Get a plan - and a calendar. Hang a desk-sized calendar in a prominent spot, and use it for the family's master schedule. This way, it's all in one place and you can spend less time coordinating on the fly. As for the kid-wrangling and homework: get a routine going. Whether it's first thing when you come through the door or at a planned time each evening, block off time to do homework or other structured activities.
Chores: Are you working all day and then coming home to work another few hours to catch up on the housework?
o The Fix: Don't feel obligated to do it all, or even most of it. Aim for one or two "large" tasks and a couple of small ones each evening. Bring the family in on it, too. Throw a load of clothes in the washer and then go clean up the living room. When you're done tidying up, fold the clothes. A little each night will go a long way for the whole week and give you more free time on the weekend.
Paper: Does it seem like your mail is taking over every horizontal surface in sight? And that you're constantly sitting down to pay bills?
o The Fix: While the kids do homework, you should too. Sort through the mail, file it in your tickler file by due date, and get it off the counter.
What can I do that will have a positive effect on my life? So many of the most personally rewarding things in life really do take very little time. You just need to make them a priority. With your newly-efficient schedule, you can now work in 20 minutes of exercise, an hour to read a good book, or 45 minutes to sit down with loved ones and catch up over a real dinner (with real silverware and everything). It doesn't take much, but the results can be tremendous. You just have to commit to making it happen (and encourage loved ones to do the same). While you're at it, make time for yourself. I'll bet that no matter how tired you are, you always manage to take care of family and friends when needed. Make yourself a priority as well, whether it's carving out time for a relaxing shower or going for a rejuvenating walk around the block. You've earned it.
What is my "perfect" schedule? There isn't one. If you spend all day at work and all night fretting about a demanding timetable, you'll drive yourself up the wall. Be flexible. Go with what works. And don't be afraid to adjust as necessary.
Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier(R) with Maximum Results in Minimum Time(TM). To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit http://www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.
I hear it all the time: I'm so exhausted when I leave the office, but I always know there is more work waiting for me when I get home. What can I do? With most of the day behind us, it's easy to lose our focus and end up letting those precious hours at the end of the day go to waste. Keep in mind that those weekday hours from 5:00 'till 9:00 make up 20 hours of your week! Not many of us can afford to waste that much time.
Ask yourself a few questions to help you make the most of those evening hours and feel less stressed as a result.
How much television am I watching? For many, the biggest culprit - by far - is television. There's no reason you can't enjoy a favorite show or two, but don't let it dominate your evenings. Have you ever spent hours in front of the tube and barely even realized it? You can't get a single one of those precious minutes back, and chances are that in a week you won't even remember what you watched. That's a bad sign! See if you can turn it off for a week. You don't even have to spend the extra time doing something particularly productive - just something different. Read a book. Talk to your family. Organize a drawer or two. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel than you do after hours in front of the TV.
Where does the time go? Try keeping a diary for those 20 hours between 5 and 9 for one week. At the end of the week, it should be clear where there's room for improvement. Here are a few things to look for as red flags, and some suggestions on how to tackle them:
The Internet: Do you sit down at the computer to check your e-mail and end up spending an hour aimlessly surfing the internet?
The Fix: Limit e-mail checking to just that. If you want to surf, go ahead - just do it after the rest of your "home" work is done.
Continuing the Workday: Do you have a habit of bringing the office home?
o The Fix: Do it, if you must. But consider the value of your time and the things you are sacrificing to continue the workday. If you have to work at home, have a schedule and a plan of exactly what you need to accomplish. If you can just leave work at work, even better.
Dinner Plans: Does it take twenty minutes of staring into the fridge to figure out what' for dinner?
o The Fix: Take an hour on Sunday and plan 3-5 meals for the week. Even if that means planning for take-out, know what you're having ahead of time. If you can, cook a meal or two over the weekend and reheat them during the week to save time.
Kid Wrangling: Are you spending a ton of time making sure homework is done or working on kid-infrastructure like coordinating the carpool and extra-curricular activities?
o The Fix: Get a plan - and a calendar. Hang a desk-sized calendar in a prominent spot, and use it for the family's master schedule. This way, it's all in one place and you can spend less time coordinating on the fly. As for the kid-wrangling and homework: get a routine going. Whether it's first thing when you come through the door or at a planned time each evening, block off time to do homework or other structured activities.
Chores: Are you working all day and then coming home to work another few hours to catch up on the housework?
o The Fix: Don't feel obligated to do it all, or even most of it. Aim for one or two "large" tasks and a couple of small ones each evening. Bring the family in on it, too. Throw a load of clothes in the washer and then go clean up the living room. When you're done tidying up, fold the clothes. A little each night will go a long way for the whole week and give you more free time on the weekend.
Paper: Does it seem like your mail is taking over every horizontal surface in sight? And that you're constantly sitting down to pay bills?
o The Fix: While the kids do homework, you should too. Sort through the mail, file it in your tickler file by due date, and get it off the counter.
What can I do that will have a positive effect on my life? So many of the most personally rewarding things in life really do take very little time. You just need to make them a priority. With your newly-efficient schedule, you can now work in 20 minutes of exercise, an hour to read a good book, or 45 minutes to sit down with loved ones and catch up over a real dinner (with real silverware and everything). It doesn't take much, but the results can be tremendous. You just have to commit to making it happen (and encourage loved ones to do the same). While you're at it, make time for yourself. I'll bet that no matter how tired you are, you always manage to take care of family and friends when needed. Make yourself a priority as well, whether it's carving out time for a relaxing shower or going for a rejuvenating walk around the block. You've earned it.
What is my "perfect" schedule? There isn't one. If you spend all day at work and all night fretting about a demanding timetable, you'll drive yourself up the wall. Be flexible. Go with what works. And don't be afraid to adjust as necessary.
Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier(R) with Maximum Results in Minimum Time(TM). To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit http://www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.
Your Online Personal Growth - A Definition Of Wealth
Online personal growth is a goal that those with internet based careers want to achieve. And usually, those with internet based careers pair personal growth with how similar their internet income source is to a dollar generating machine. The more the income source freely generates money, the more that people associate this with personal growth.
But the truth is, online personal growth is not just about money or how great your internet business is doing in terms of visits from "prospective" clients. True online personal growth can only be achieved if you have true wealth in your life reflecting in the four aspects below:
* Financial aspect or money
* Spiritual aspect or spirituality
* Social aspect or relationships
* Physical health aspect or health
These four things should all be taken care of in order to meet online personal growth fully and wholly. Wealth in the financial aspect may easily be determined but what does wealth in the other three aspects mean? Below is a short definition of wealth in each aspect.
* Financial aspect -
Wealth financially is very easily determined. So long as you have a very fruitful income generating business over the inter webs, then that aspect of your online personal growth is readily covered. Although it is true that this is quite easy to define, it is not at all that easy to attain.
* Spiritual aspect -
Wealth spiritually means that you have time to devote entirely for the growth of your soul. You know you are wealthy in this aspect if you have time to exercise not only your religion (as spirituality is not bounded by beliefs) but also time to feed and nurture your soul wither through the arts or through whichever medium your soul craves for.
* Social aspect -
Wealth socially is determined if you have healthy relationships all around. This does not only cover personal relationships, such as relationships within your family, your loved ones and your close friends but this also means that you should have a healthy relationship with your colleagues at work and those in your community.
* Physical health aspect -
To be wealthy physically not only means that you have a medically sound body but it also means that you have the time and the drive to maintain your body's physically fit status. This includes eating properly, avoiding vices at all costs and having the time to exercise properly.
As seen here, online personal growth does not only deal with money, it deals with three other aspects that are as equally important as the monetary one. There are several ways to reach wealth in all four aspects, all dealing with the four equally.
The most popular way of reaching online personal growth and wealth in the four aforementioned aspects is to change your way of thinking from "I cannot do this." to "How can I do this?" It is basically overhauling your mindset from a negative slant to a active and working mindset that seeks to reach the goal of your online personal growth.
Tony Farrell is the owner of See The Masters Gathering blog that will help you to achieve true success in any goal you desire, through your online personal growth and development. You can learn more by visiting his blog at: http://www.SeeTheMastersGathering.com
But the truth is, online personal growth is not just about money or how great your internet business is doing in terms of visits from "prospective" clients. True online personal growth can only be achieved if you have true wealth in your life reflecting in the four aspects below:
* Financial aspect or money
* Spiritual aspect or spirituality
* Social aspect or relationships
* Physical health aspect or health
These four things should all be taken care of in order to meet online personal growth fully and wholly. Wealth in the financial aspect may easily be determined but what does wealth in the other three aspects mean? Below is a short definition of wealth in each aspect.
* Financial aspect -
Wealth financially is very easily determined. So long as you have a very fruitful income generating business over the inter webs, then that aspect of your online personal growth is readily covered. Although it is true that this is quite easy to define, it is not at all that easy to attain.
* Spiritual aspect -
Wealth spiritually means that you have time to devote entirely for the growth of your soul. You know you are wealthy in this aspect if you have time to exercise not only your religion (as spirituality is not bounded by beliefs) but also time to feed and nurture your soul wither through the arts or through whichever medium your soul craves for.
* Social aspect -
Wealth socially is determined if you have healthy relationships all around. This does not only cover personal relationships, such as relationships within your family, your loved ones and your close friends but this also means that you should have a healthy relationship with your colleagues at work and those in your community.
* Physical health aspect -
To be wealthy physically not only means that you have a medically sound body but it also means that you have the time and the drive to maintain your body's physically fit status. This includes eating properly, avoiding vices at all costs and having the time to exercise properly.
As seen here, online personal growth does not only deal with money, it deals with three other aspects that are as equally important as the monetary one. There are several ways to reach wealth in all four aspects, all dealing with the four equally.
The most popular way of reaching online personal growth and wealth in the four aforementioned aspects is to change your way of thinking from "I cannot do this." to "How can I do this?" It is basically overhauling your mindset from a negative slant to a active and working mindset that seeks to reach the goal of your online personal growth.
Tony Farrell is the owner of See The Masters Gathering blog that will help you to achieve true success in any goal you desire, through your online personal growth and development. You can learn more by visiting his blog at: http://www.SeeTheMastersGathering.com
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