Time Management

The Worst Thing About Mountain Climbing

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You know what the WORST thing about mountain climbing is? They leave the hardest stuff for the end. Think of it. You’re exhausted, dragging your pack with you, and isn’t that last quarter mile just the hardest to haul?

I thought of this as I was planning my day and chose just four things to tackle (it was the weekend). I wrote down the items, then prioritized them like this:

  1. Pay cell phone bill
  2. Add name to sponsors on web site
  3. Schedule my week
  4. Clear off my desk

It was midnight when I wrote this out, so I was feeling a little punchy, and my mental filters were down. The thought ran through my head to “Do them backwards.” I thought – ok little voice, you got it. I wrote down “do them backwards” on my list, and then went to bed.

I woke up the next day, and took my advice, just to see what would happen. Instead of doing the quick things first, I took on the bigger jobs first, when I was feeling refreshed and focused, and saved the easier tasks for the end.

And surprise, surprise- it was so much easier. Now if they’d just put the mountain peaks closer to the ground, we’d be all set!

New Year’s Resolution

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I’m reading a book I recommend highly, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. This book poses the idea that you must manage your energy – not time – in four key areas (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). Less than 50 pages in, I read a story that made me stop short.

The story described a man, William, who was at his peak mental energy in the mornings. To take advantage of this high-performance time of the day, he would work with high intensity non-stop until midday. He estimated he got 70% of his work done before his midday break. But by early afternoon, his energy was spent and he had little ability to focus. By the end of the day, he dragged home and had no energy for his family in the evenings. His fatigue was so pronounced that he went to see a doctor to see if there was a medical issue, but all tests came back negative.

I read that example and identified – big time! And that draggy feeling in the afternoon? It’s a self- perpetuating cycle. My peak time is in the morning, so I cram everything in, which leaves me depleted for the afternoon, which tells me I better cram everything into the morning… and on the cycle goes.

The authors reflected that William was experiencing the most common performance barrier they encounter in their consulting business. Here was their solution:

“In the aftermath of his work with us, William made one relatively simple change in the way he worked. He began taking a break every 90 to 120 minutes, during which he ate something, drank some water and took at least a brief walk. Based on this change alone, within two weeks William estimated a 30 percent increase in his energy in the afternoons.*”

I love simple solutions, and this one was perfect for me. And because I’m shifting gears in my business so dramatically next year, I realized that I absolutely must master this new rhythm ASAP. In 2012, there are going to be so many unknowns, that all I could think is that I had better get a jump start on this resolution thing while I have the time to really incorporate it into my life.

Not to be an overachiever or anything, but I’m starting this New Year’s resolution now. As a matter of fact, I started last week and am already feeling better about my work rhythms and focus.

The moral of the story? Don’t put off until the New Year what can benefit you today! (and get a copy of The Power of Full Engagement!)

* Excerpt taken from ThePower of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, copyright 2003.

Don’t Slow Down Before the Finish Line!

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Something strange just happened. I got up early, ignored my email and got right to work on my very full to-do list. I had a good idea of which tasks I could accomplish before my 9am appointment. After an hour or so, I was well on my way to completing my whole list before the nice o’clock deadline. Then I glanced at my schedule and realized that my first appointment was at 10am, not 9am! I found an unexpected HOUR in my day – how often does that happen? But here’s where it gets weird.

I started to slow down. Understand that I had been working at a steady pace, getting things done, not feeling panicky or anything. But once I saw that I basically gained an hour, instead of moving forward at the same pace, I started to dawdle, check my email and look at a few web sites.

And I realized, this isn’t just about how I’m treating this extra hour today, this is a pattern in my life. When I see that a goal is “in the bag”, so to speak, I throttle back, instead of continuing at a consistent pace. It is the equivalent of being 20 yards ahead of everyone in a 100-yard dash, then five feet from the finish line making the decision to walk.

There’s nothing terribly wrong with this, but there’s something not quite right about it either. Something about not wanting to get too far ahead of everyone else? Fear of success?

Can anyone relate? Have any insights? Please share!

One Time Management Tip

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Create and prioritize your to-do list the night before. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, does it? So why does this make a difference?

  1. Overnight, your mind works out creative solutions to your tasks while you sleep.
  2. You wake up calmer and clearer, with a sense of purpose for your day from the moment you wake up.
  3. The majority of people are most focused before noon. Rather than wasting this peak mental time on building your task list, you spend it completing those top priority items.

That’s it! This one change in your routine reduces stress, increases efficiency and improves your attitude on a daily basis.

Do Less Meaningless Work

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Date of original publication: July 8, 2010

“Doing less meaningless work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is NOT laziness. This is hard for most people to accept, because our culture tends to reward personal sacrifice instead of personal productivity.”

–  Timothy Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Workweek

I’ll admit it, I’m brainwashed. Even though I’m an entrepreneur, I have this clinging notion that I need to be at a desk for 8 hours a day. My husband (a real estate agent) and I both struggle with creating the discipline to stop working 8 hours a day when we don’t have 8 hours of work – meaningful work – to do.

Recently, The World Cup helped our learning curve.

Adam is a soccer fan. With the games being held in South Africa, the only games he could watch were first thing in the morning and around noon. His routine was to get up, get ready for work, watch a game, and then zip to the office. There, he spent his morning focused and efficient, knowing he needed to have certain things done so he could knock off for a 2-3 hour lunch break. What was left to do after the game was often minimal, and he occasionally came home early.

I thought, “Like Adam, I always get things done in the least amount of time possible when I have something I am REALLY looking forward to.”

The sad state of things is that I haven’t created much in my life that I look forward to enough to motivate me to wrap up my workday.

And to me that IS sad. I’m supposedly creating a life of entrepreneurial freedom, but most days I poke around in front of the computer, dithering away time, often hours beyond my productive work time.

This was a powerful lesson for me, and I made a commitment to make a change. Right away I put yoga, gym time and recreational classes into my calendar.

My commitment was immediately tested. Right on the heels of learning this lesson, a whirlwind of work swept through my office. My days are now packed with 8+ hours per day of productive work. Fitting in the fun stuff feels strangely difficult, but I have to keep in mind that creating new habits – fun or not – is always uncomfortable.

Even as I’m writing this article, my heart is pounding, because in 28 minutes, I have someone coming over to teach me a little about cooking – and it will take all afternoon. The dishes aren’t done. The chicken isn’t defrosted. My desk is a mess.

But I can’t afford NOT to do things differently. I can’t put it off until next year, or even next week. You see, I know several smart, driven business people whose health is suffering in extreme ways, in part because of their constant focus on work. I have to seriously ask myself, “Is that the quality of life I want? I can either have it or avoid it, the choice is mine, but I must choose now.”

So…I’m off to cook.

Glinda, the GOOD Control Freak

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One of the top reasons people give me for not delegating to a Virtual Assistant is that they are Control Freaks. I’ve worked with several clients to curb this issue, and have had some success. But then I got to thinking… is being a control freak such a bad thing? Is it possible to become a really GOOD control freak? Like Glinda the good witch…

So I turned it around with the notion that most people would like a little more control and consistency in their businesses. No one likes the feeling of being battered by external forces that can’t be controlled.

To start the process of becoming a good Control Freak (remember – think Glinda!), I came up with this list of things that are 100% controllable.

1.      Attitude and Mindset
2.      Goal Setting
3.      Time Management
4.      Follow-up
5.      “One Thing”*

Strangely, I’m starting to believe that in order to delegate effectively, you have to become a proficient Control Freak first. I’m starting a certification course, in fact!

If you’d like to argue with me, go ahead, but I’m convinced that if you make a decision to be 100% responsible for these 5 things, your life will completely change. You’ll be managing the things you have authority over, rather than struggling to change the things over which you don’t.

And these aren’t airy fairy concepts (no offense to Glinda). These are get-up-in-the-morning and put-them-to-work strategies. All you have to do is decide to own them, and then systemize the process.

I’ll keep you posted on the Control Freak certification program!

 

* Wondering about #5? Remember Curly’s “One Thing”  from City Slickers? Just like in life, I believe in business there is one critical activity that all progress radiates out from. It’s one of the key strategies I work on with my clients.