Is your schedule working against you?

How many of you are working from a schedule? Some kind of schedule?

There are many different ways to approach your schedule.

Some of you, I am sure, would rather be very spontaneous. So, your schedule is most likely kept fairly open, with just critical, time based items listed (doctors appointments, birthdays, events).

Others of you have the kind of work where virtually every minute of your day is tightly planned and scheduled. If you lost your calendar (paper, electronic) you would probably panic!

And still others will batch their work (or whole days). For example: Monday is admin day – a day for phone calls, paperwork, planning. Tuesday is for clients. Wednesday is for writing. Thursday is for clients again. Friday is planning, wrapping up, and sometimes special clients.

Whichever way you approach your schedule – is it working for you? Or is it working against you? And how could you tell?

Your schedule is working for you if you move through your days with ease and a sense of flow. There’s a rhythm and you move easily in and out of the different activities.

Your schedule is working against you when you find yourself frantically spinning your wheels, when it feels like you are running as fast as you can and getting nowhere even faster!

There is a rhythm to everything – in nature it’s seasons, the ebb and flow of the tides. Your work and life has an ebb and flow to it as well. Give yourself a little time to discover what it is, and build your schedule around it. Let yourself dance with your life’s rhythm, whether it is hip hop, disco, or ballroom.

Now, what is your life’s rhythm?

(c) Terry Monaghan, 2012, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, an ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.

5 Reasons to Work Less (and Get More Done)

Why is it we think the solution to getting something done is to throw more time at it? You know what I mean. Just 5 more minutes. If I just keep pressing through I will actually get it done.

Five more minutes turns into 2 hours, and we are no closer to finishing than we were before. Then, of course, we usually think there is something wrong with us. What’s wrong with us that we can’t get through this? And we can’t even think straight we are so tired!

I have had this conversation with every single client this week. Every. Single. One. Which leads me to believe that there is an epidemic of busy-ness going on. Frankly, I’d rather see BUSINESS happening.

So here goes. Since you seem to need someone to give you permission, here are 5 reasons to work less:

You are not a machine

Machines are designed (if they are well designed) to work continuously once they are turned on, until they are turned off. Humans are not designed that way! We work best when we work in pulses – periods of focus and concentration, followed by periods of rest and renewal. Even the best of us – those at the top of their game – can only work at peak intensity for about 90 minutes before needing a break. Plan out your day to include brief breaks at least every 90 minutes.

You get your best ideas when you are relaxed

It is only when you stop concentrating / focusing intently that your brain begins to make all kinds of connections. Those connections are what produce those lovely sparks of insight. That’s why so many of us get genius ideas in the shower, or while taking a walk, or doing something other than sitting at our desk trying to force the idea!

You can focus on your unique area of genius

When you stop trying to do everything (and everyone else’s job) you can focus on what you do best. That is also usually what gives you the most satisfaction, and what produces the most significant results for your business. Imagine: how much extra time you could have if you only focused on your job?

You will be more productive

When you allow yourself to focus on just one thing at a time, for a short period of time, you will get more done. Multi-tasking only gives the illusion that you are getting more done. Study after study has demonstrated that it actually takes longer to finish tasks when you are multi-tasking than if you just did one thing and then the other.

You will make more money

For most of us, being more productive will mean more revenue for our business and more money for us. Who doesn’t like that idea?

Now, when are you taking your first little break?

(c) Terry Monaghan, 2012, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, an ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.

There’s gold in those notes!

Recently, I was at a weekend business conference. I sat in all the sessions, went to smaller breakout sessions, had loads of conversations and took pages and pages of notes – jotting down action items, thoughts that came up while I was in sessions, notes on things that made me think, and great ideas I heard or came up with.

Now am I back at my desk, with my notebook beside me, reviewing the notes I took.

It occurs to me that the way I deal with the notes I take has changed radically over the years.

Back when I was in school, I would take notes, review them, highlight them, study them. And then, when the class was over – I would forget about them.

I kept the habit of taking notes over the years, but somewhere along the line lost the habit of reviewing them. I’d almost never go back and review notes, and as a result, I know I missed some great opportunities.

Finally, as I began to build my business, I realized that taking notes and then forgetting them wasn’t serving me well. There were great ideas in there! There were potential clients and opportunities in there. There were notes about people I wanted to follow up with. There were all kinds of actions to take, and I wasn’t taking any of them.

So, I took a really hard look at what I was doing. And, I figured out a way to make it work for myself.

Now, when I go to a class, a meeting, or a conference – I take the notes I need to take to jog my memory. I capture my ideas. I write down those actions I want to take. I write down what I told someone I would do (and the date I told them I would do it).

And, after every conference or meeting – I have time scheduled in my day to review those notes. During the review, I move all the action items into my calendar. I don’t just put them on a list – I look at when, exactly, I will be doing that action (making that phone call, researching that topic, reviewing that material, etc.)

That one change has made a huge difference in my business! Now, I don’t worry that too much time has gone by, and I have missed an opportunity.

Because I know what I am going to do next…

Now, what gems are you missing because you haven’t looked at your notes?

(c) Terry Monaghan, 2012, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, an ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.

The curse of “I know that”

Part of an ongoing program I am in is regularly scheduled, live Q&A calls. All the calls are already in my calendar. And, still, I receive reminder emails the day before the calls which confirm all the details.

So, there was a call scheduled for this Thursday (already in my calendar). And the reminder arrived via email on Wednesday. I glanced at the reminder to check if the phone number had changed. It hadn’t.

So, I dialed into the call at the scheduled time (which was already in my calendar), but there was no one there! I tried several times over a 20 minute period – I figured I must have mis-dialed, or there was a problem with the line.

Obviously it could not have been my error. I had the dates, times and phone numbers already in my calendar.

Then I looked at the reminder one more time. ARRGGGHH! The time had been changed this one time. I had completely missed that – never even saw it! I read it, but didn’t read it – if you know what I mean.

Because I already “knew” when the call was.

Now, I wonder what else am I missing because I already “know?”

Getting out of a slump

Have you ever found yourself in a bit of a slump? You know, you are taking the actions but getting no result? What was working last month isn’t working this month? And sometimes it just feels like you are going through the motions? You are tired, maybe even a little dis-spirited, and cleaning the floors looks like a really good idea…

I find myself looking out the window a lot on those days, daydreaming, and have to make a conscious effort to pull my mind, body, and spirit back to the task at hand.

Am I the only one? Have you been there, too?

I know that my ‘slump’ is related to bringing something new into existence. It is much harder to get something started than to keep it going once it has gained some momentum. I have heard it said that a plane uses up 60% of its fuel just getting off the ground.

Maybe that’s why it feels like this… So, what to do?

Here are some of techniques I use to get myself back to feeling (and being) productive:

• Take a short break. Use the break to review the overall strategy and plan. What’s the bigger picture? Sometimes just getting a different perspective is all that you need to refill your energy stores.
• Do something else for a while. Set an alarm and tackle a bunch of other tasks on your schedule for a little while. You can often break the mental pattern by motoring through a bunch of small, very achievable tasks. Take on something you KNOW you can get done in the next 30 minutes or so. You will get a burst of energy when it is done.
• Brainstorm with a buddy or mentor. Talking it through with another person is often a great idea! Especially when your mind is going in circles.

I promise you, your energy will return, your enthusiasm for what you are working on will come back, and you will move forward.

As long as you keep going, you will get there!

The only way to lose ultimately, is to quit. And you aren’t a quitter.

Now, go outside and take a little walk. Enjoy the day. Remind yourself that life is really bigger than this little hiccup.

Because, really, It is about having a life, after all!

(c) 2012, Terry Monaghan

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, an ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.

The power of focus (part 2)

The Power of Focus

I have no idea how many times I have heard the saying “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.” I even think I understand it. After all, expectations almost always involve assumptions – and we know how grounded and valid our assumptions are. (Not very, but that could just be me.)

Last time, I wrote about the impact of focusing on what you DO want, rather than what you don’t want. Let’s look at focus a little more.

What do we mean by focus anyway? One definition is ‘a concentration of attention or energy on something.’ Other definitions include ‘maximum clarity or distinctness of an idea,’ and ‘special emphasis attached to something.’

I like the combination – clarity of an idea and a concentration of attention.

Sometimes, though, I wonder if that concentration of attention is the right kind of attention. For example – remember the saying ‘a watched pot never boils?’ Well, it does, eventually. And you would not get the result if you put the pot on to boil and walked away, forgetting about it. (Trust me, I’ve done this – all I got was a ruined pot.)

Somewhere in between obsessively watching and totally forgetting lies the path we want.

This is especially important as you delegate activities to your team. You will drive them (and yourself) crazy if you hover over them, micromanaging every detail. And you can’t just give them a task with no guidance and expect them to get it done to your satisfaction.

This is where your planning process becomes valuable. You have clearly defined not only your objectives, but the best way to get there. If you have set milestones in your plan, you have regular times and places to check on progress. And you have specific markers to determine if you and your team are on track.

Are you spending the time to really clarify your ideas and objectives? Are you giving them the right kind of attention to ensure success?

I know we are all busy. And I recommend you set aside at least one hour a week to do this. Aren’t your goals worth one hour a week of your time and attention?

Where are you focusing? It is your choice, after all.

(c) 2011, Terry Monaghan

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, an ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.

10 reasons we don’t get anything done…

Why don’t we get anything done?

Have you ever wondered why it feels like you are running through your day as fast as you possibly can, yet at the end of the day you can’t say what (if anything) actually got done?

Yes, me too. I know I was busy, but what was taking up all my time?

Here are 10 reasons why we don’t get anything done:

We are addicted to our email. We let our incoming email interrupt whatever we are doing, as if what is coming is in more important than what we are working on right now.

We can’t turn off our phone (land line or cell). We will answer every single incoming call (or at least look to see who is calling) as if we have nothing else to do.

We can’t find what we are looking for. Our desk/briefcase/car is awash with papers, files, supplies, and other stuff, and we spend way too much time shifting, sifting and shuffling.

We have an open door policy – and people take advantage of it. Colleagues and co-workers stop by the door and interrupt us with ‘just one quick question’ or some non work related gossip.

The next thing we need to do on this project can’t be done because we don’t have that piece we need from the other department because the person who was supposed to work on it was on vacation/out sick/busy and we didn’t know that.

We aren’t sure what we are supposed to do next, and instead of asking anyone, we dive into some piece of the project, and only discover later that that part was already completed by someone else.

We go online to research a topic and get distracted by chasing various links down many different rabbit holes. Three hours later we still don’t have what we went to find in the first place.

We are working without deadlines, so either everything has a deadline of NOW or nothing is urgent until we have heard from 3 people looking for our input.

We spend our time in meeting after meeting after meeting, all designed to provide status updates, but no one has any time to do any of the work because they are spending all their time updating the status.

And then we wonder why we are so busy but don’t get anything done!

When will we stop? Just wondering…

(c) 2011, Terry Monaghan

Want to use this article in your ezine or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Consultant, coach, speaker, trainer and entrepreneur, Terry Monaghan, publishes Now What, a weekly ezine for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to double their productivity, improve their performance, and have a life! If you’re ready to jump start your performance and your results, then get your free tips now at www.TimeTriage.com.