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10 Strategies to Creating More in Less Time
   
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To Boost Your Brain, Move That Body!
If you really want to be at your absolute peak mentally, if you want to have a dynamic and well functioning brain, an essential component of your program must include regular .....
If you really want to be at your absolute peak mentally, if you want to have a dynamic and well functioning brain, an essential component of your program must include regular .....
Following is a list-a menu of options, if you will-of
strategies that will get you on the road to creating more in
less time and turbo-charging your productivity! Ive often said
that there is no one size fits all recipe to life, but if you
try at least one strategy every three weeks, I promise you will
see huge improvements in the overall quality of your life after
the end of that third week. I picked a minimum of three weeks
because it typically takes at least 21 days to develop a new
habit. You can start with the one that jazzes you the most and
take it from there. No pressure! Find a buddy or an
accountability partner to try this with, or share it with your
coach if you have one so youll have more incentive to make
these positive steps forward. Are you ready? Here we go:
1. Manage your energy-this is a biggie!
I often get quizzical looks when I offer this suggestion without
any further explanation, but trust me. Once I explain the
process, it should make sense. There are four levels of energy
that need our attention: physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual. You can manage your physical energy by eating
nutritious foods, exercising, and sleeping. You can manage your
emotional energy by paying attention to how you respond to
events and being aware of what you can and cannot control. Also,
spending time with positive, inspiring people can enhance your
emotional energy. You can manage your mental energy by reading,
expanding your knowledge base, and being curious. You can manage
your spiritual energy by meditation or prayer, and being
committed to a purpose in life that benefits all. Naturally,
when your energy levels are higher, your productivity increases
too.
I highly recommend the book, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim
Loehr and Tony Schwartz. They do an excellent job of going
in-depth on how you can manage each of these four energy levels.
2. Collaborate with others
This may be a stretch for people who are used to flying solo on
most things, but you might surprise yourself if you find someone
to work with that will result in an outcome beyond each of your
dreams. This strategy comes in handy when you have a big
project, or what James Collins and Jerry Porras call a Big
Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). You can find collaborators by
doing volunteer work in your community, networking, and taking
advantage of your center of influence both locally and in the
virtual world. Its important that these potential partners
share similar values with you, and if you both have a common
vision, the sky can be the limit!
3. Pay attention to your body rhythms
In economics, we use a term called decreasing marginal
productivity, and in laymans terms, it means that your
productivity levels tend to increase at a slower rate over time.
If you know when you work best, you can consciously know when
youre maxing out and take a break when the time comes. Do you
work better in the morning? How about in the evening or
afternoon? If you have the opportunity to work when youre the
most productive and efficient, and rest when you feel like its
starting to be a big effort, youll get more done. I realize
that if you have a full time job, that flexibility may not be
built in, but I strongly encourage it for those who do have a
flexible schedule.
4. Use your strengths and farm out the rest
Are you really saving money doing it all by yourself? Maybe not!
Weighing the costs of time versus money can be very revealing.
Its usually best to focus on what you do best for better
productivity. Think about what you could farm out to someone
else. Think about your own worth per hour. Could you make more
money doing what youre good at rather than save money by doing
something you should pay someone else to do?
If you can automate some of these processes (i.e., auto draft
for bill paying, online bill paying, or direct deposit, to name
a few), then all the better!
5. Recognize the cycle of chaos and order and use it to your
advantage
I quietly suffered in silence for years because I felt that my
life was a living paradox. But when someone I respected shared
that paradoxes were the norm in life, I breathed a big sigh of
relief! One of many paradoxes or dichotomies that come to mind
is the cycle of chaos and order. Did you know that creativity
can be a really messy process, and that its not necessarily a
bad thing? If youre in the midst of brainstorming ideas, youre
probably not in linear mode. Your desk or work space may not be
tidy during this process either. Take it in stride. Its highly
likely that if you dont stress about the mess (conceptually
and literally) when in the midst of creative, right brain
activities, youll move through the process much more quickly.
Oftentimes, the order naturally emerges during this process, and
usually what comes out on the other end is quite coherent and
delightful, whether its a work of art or a business plan. On
the other hand, order can also come in handy right from the very
beginning, especially when working on more linear processes like
paying bills, doing your financial forecasts, family routines,
and so on. The trick is to have a system in place that has some
structure with flexibility built in.
The Baby Boomer Athlete
Are you a Baby Boomer? If you were born between the years of 1946 to 1964, you are part of the 79.1 million Boomers, comprising 29 percent of the total US .....
6. Use a balance of your natural personality plus a stretchAre you a Baby Boomer? If you were born between the years of 1946 to 1964, you are part of the 79.1 million Boomers, comprising 29 percent of the total US .....
goal in order to grow
In my Free Relationship with Time e-course, I talk about three
basic personalities Ive noticed over the years: the
goal-oriented with optimistic to-do lists personality; the
naturally schedule-oriented, planning your days to the minute
detail personality; and the hate routine and fly by the seat
of your pants, and maybe even thrive on it personality. And
there are variations within each of these. They can even
overlap. There is no right way to be if it works for you
instead of against you.
For example, optimistic goals are great, but the key is not to
beat yourself up if you dont reach all of them. Instead, think
of the journey you enjoyed trying to get there. Youre probably
further along than you wouldve been if you didnt have any
goals.
Planning to the minute detail works well if you have realistic
expectations about your to-do list. Some things you have to
do, and others youd like to do. While youre planning, you
might as well carve out some fun time for yourself and give
yourself more time than you think it might take to complete the
tasks. Committing an average of five to ten minutes a day to the
Publication Road
The journey to having my first novel for children published has been riddled with road blocks and shonky bridges. The good news? At every rickety stage I've picked up tips (and .....
very big but lower priority tasks can go a long way. These babyThe journey to having my first novel for children published has been riddled with road blocks and shonky bridges. The good news? At every rickety stage I've picked up tips (and .....
steps will definitely add up.
If youre efficient and stress-free with flying by the seat of
your pants, then who am I to rock the boat? But if you find
yourself stressed physically or mentally as a result, Id
suggest going outside your comfort zone gradually. I wouldnt
spring a to-do list on you right off the bat. That would
probably be a slow death to you! But if you could have someone
support you as the deadline looms, it will help. Also, try
putting a notepad or a piece of paper near your work station or
someplace where youll see it every day, and as a task you know
needs to be done occurs to you, write it down on the piece of
paper or notepad. If theres an imposed due date, write that
down next to it. It will be there as a constant reminder, and
you may be inclined to complete it ahead of schedule rather than
in the knick of time, or not at all.
Procrastination can transcend the personality types mentioned
above, so think about why you procrastinate. Is it because its
a boring task? Is it a big scary task? Is it a task you dont
see as a high priority? Naming it out loud and on paper is a
good start. Heres a challenge for the chronic procrastinator.
Take out a piece of paper and draw two lines in a cross so that
you have four boxes. The idea would be to get in touch with your
rebel and write all the things on which youve procrastinated in
the top left box; in the top right box, your reasons for
procrastinating; in the bottom left box, the cost of not doing
them; then in the right bottom box, all the benefits of doing
those things youve procrastinated on. After youve done that,
share these with someone you know who wants you to succeed. In
fact, you can even email them to me at carolmanagingpersonalresources.com, and I will acknowledge you for
this step in the process.
7. Practice daily self-awareness
Another favorite activity of mine is what I call Downloading my
brain to paper. You wouldnt believe the relief I feel after
journalingespecially after a stressful day. If youre a
scheduler, carve out a certain time of day to do this. Or if
youre like me, journal when the spirit hits you if scheduling
seems too restrictive. Write everything that is on your mind,
including items you know you need to be working on. These can
include areas of physical well being, relationships, or some
tolerations youve been avoiding like shampooing your carpets,
cleaning out a closet or desk drawer, and so on. Dont edit
yourself. No one has to see what you wrote. Some of the greatest
ideas have been born in the journal. I always have more clarity
after journaling and my productivity goes through the roof as a
result.
Also, if youre aware of some of the assessments out there such
as the MBTI or the DiSC, knowing your personality type and
behavioral style can also help you use the most efficient
methods specific to you to get things done.
8. Make sure you schedule you time every day
I can already hear some of you screaming at me, Carol, I dont
have time to take time for myself, and youre already giving me
these challenges that I dont have time to do. And aerobic
exercise? Puh-leeze! This is just another one of those
paradoxes. I promise you after taking down time for yourself-
even if its just 30 minutes to an hour a day, doing something
you absolutely loveyou will be much more productive after
youve come back from that break. Remember, when your marginal
productivity decreases, youre wasting time anyway.
Many of you who are moms may have heard the phrase, If Moms
not happy, then no one in the house is happy! But even if
youre not a mom, and you live with others, this rule can apply.
Invitation: Take a moment to write down three rituals that you
know give you energy. Examples can include reading, exercise,
journaling, gardening, music, sports, sailing, tai chi, yoga, or
spending time in nature.
9. Employ some of the traditional time management tips
Here are a couple of ideas to consider. Visit
http://www.power-edsolutionsinc.com/TimeTracker.pdf and download
the time log chart and print it out. Then try the following for
a week: Either the night before, or the following morning, make
a list on the left hand side of the grid of what you intend to
do that day. Then on the right side, at the end of the day, list
what you actually did. Evaluate how you did each day. Did you
meet your expectations, or did you schedule too much?
List all of the distractions that come up for youthe annoying
ones and those that you find enjoyable. I challenge you to use
those fun distractions as rewards after putting a dent in your
proverbial to-do list. If the phone rings, let it go to voice
mail. Turn off your instant messaging (if you have it). Tell
your friends not to come over unannounced unless its an
emergency or unless they want to help you with your tasks. And
prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!
Again, if you find that you dont have the discipline,
inclination, motivation, or inspiration to do any of this, then
perhaps a friend, a coach, or someone you trust can serve as an
accountability partner to support you and keep you honest.
10. Create passive income
Im just going to plant some seeds here, because the how to of
this process is a rather lengthy one, but well worth pursuing.
Why? Because when most of your money is working for you instead
of you working for most of your money, it gives you more time to
do the things you enjoy doing in life. You can do this by
receiving commission as an affiliate of other peoples products
sold, creating digital products of your own, investing (in the
market and certain forms of real estate, for example), and even
network marketing. There are so many options out there with many
moving parts, but if you choose and master just one source of
creating passive income for yourself, look out!
I realize that life happens, but as I said at the beginning of
this article, if you try just one of these strategies for three
weeks straight, watch those productivity floodgates open for
you. I invite you to email me and tell me how it went for you,
and Ill congratulate you with a big grin on my face!
About the author:
Carol Dickson-Carr helps teams work and play well together and
enables people to be more productive by uncovering their
creative genius. She is co-author of A Guide to Getting It:
Purpose & Passion and creator of the audio series, Master Your
Time So You Can Live Your Dreams: Conversations with Coaches &
Creatives Who Get It Done! Call or email her to schedule a
complimentary strategy session today.
http://managingpersonalresources.com