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Testing a post from my new evo.
What’s your productivity system?
I uses David Allen’s “Getting Things Done,” or rather, my slightly altered variant of it.
I won’t go into many details here, but if you’re interested, here’s a good site to go do some more reading.
Here are the basics of GTD.
- Spend time at least once a week dumping all of your to-do’s into the GTD system. This dump keeps you from thinking about them, worrying that you’ll forget, etc.
- For items that take only one step, it’s best to just do it.
- Items that take multiple steps become “projects.”
- You track progress by tracking “next actions,” that is, the next step necessary to make progress on each project.
That’s a gross simplification, but it’s the gist of it.
I use GTD as my productivity system simply because it works well for me. I have a lot of projects that are simultaneous, and lots of e-mails and phone calls that also translate into work I must either do myself or ensure gets done.
Do you have a productivity system?
You do, whether you realize it or not. Even if your “system” is to lose things and panic, that’s what you’re currently doing, so it’s your productivity system for the time being.
Many people keep to-do lists, and that’s a good start. GTD and other productivity systems go a step beyond that to track on the project level, not just task by task.
How to know if a productivity system is right for you.
Try it. That sounds too simple, but all too often people just read about a system and decide it’s not going to be for them. You don’t know until you give it an honest try.
When you’re working with a new productivity system, or even re-evaluating the one you use, ask yourself these questions.
- Do you spend more time on the productivity system than on my work?
- Is the system overly complicated?
- Do you have an inordinate dread of using the system?
- Do you enjoy it too much? That is, do you enjoy making the lists and charts and such and never get work done?
The productivity system should be complex enough to handle your needs and simple enough to do that without taking too much time from the work you need to do.
Only you can decide where that balance lies.
For me, I spend a lot of time on organization because I have a lot to organize. It’s not uncommon for me to receive well over one hundred e-mails per day. Each of those must be read, and many involve one or more tasks that I need to either do or ensure someone else does.
Because of the volume, I do two weekly reviews. In the GTD method, this is when I ensure that all my commitments are put into my productivity system. This takes about two hours each time I do it, meaning I spend about four hours per week organizing.
That may sound like a lot, but that time is invaluable for helping me determine what I’ve done, what needs followed up on, etc.
Suggestions
Whether it’s GTD or something else, pick a system and spend a month or two using it. It does take a while to get familiar with the new organizational tools you’ll have.
Track how much time you spend using the system and whether you think you’re more productive with it than without it. If it doesn’t seem like a good fit, then try something else.
There are hundreds of productivity systems available, from formal ones like GTD to desktop and phone applications, to paper and pen systems. Pick something that works with your lifestyle and give it a try.
Posted by admin under Uncategorized | Permalink | 2 Comments »One Month to Form a New Habit
Do you wish you exercised every day, ate less junk food, spent more time being productive and less time in front of the television, etc? What bad habits would you like to break, or are you interested in simply forming new habits.
Habits can seem almost impossible to change, but it is possible to change. Here are some tips that work for me, and that have worked for others, when trying to improve our daily habits.
Add good habits first
I find it easier to focus on adding a good habit rather than removing a bad one. So, instead of saying I’ll not watch television, I’ll say that every time I sit down to watch television, I’ll read a book instead. Simply saying what you’re not going to do doesn’t give you any options for what you will do. That will leave you too open to letting habits take over your actions, and before you know it, that remote will be in your hand.
Also, pick something easy for your first 30 day habit change. Trying to form new habits can be tough, so give yourself a break and pick something easy for the first month. If you enjoy reading, then make a habit out of reading a little each day. If you like playing in the yard with the kids, make that your exercise habit for the month.
After you’ve gotten a couple of months down, you can choose a tougher habit to tackle.
Choose a reasonable time period
Some people say 21 days is adequate to form a new habit, others argue it’s 30. As you experiment, you’ll likely come up with an amount of time that works for you.
What I find easiest is simply to do a month for each habit change. No, that doesn’t mean you have to wait until the first of the month to get started (that’s just an excuse). If you want to do one habit each month, then start now and let this month run long (or a little short).
I just finished up a month of writing daily, which actually ran about five weeks since I just rounded it off so I ended when May ended. For June, I’m taking on a tougher habit to break: eliminating sweets from my diet.
Don’t forget to maintain old habits!
Just because I finished my month of writing habit, that doesn’t mean that I can ignore that and move on to something else. That’s not the point. I want to write daily, or virtually every day, so I’ll keep that up as I add new habits on.
That sounds overwhelming, but it really isn’t. As you gradually add these new habits to your life, they’ll become more natural and automatic to you. After all, that’s what a habit is, right? 
Motivate yourself
If you think you’ll need some extra motivation to stick with your new habits, then consider setting up weekly rewards and a larger end-of-month reward. If you think things will be really hard, then go ahead and give yourself a daily reward if you think you need it.
Here are some other ideas for motivation through the habit changing month.
- Blog about what you’re doing. Going public will keep you accountable and give you some guaranteed blog fodder for the month.
- Write daily about your new habit and what benefits you expect to see from the change.
- Track any perks from the change as the month progresses. Did you save money, lose weight, feel better, etc.?
- Enlist your family’s and friends’ help and support.
Whether you believe it takes 21 days to form a habit, or 30 days or more to create good habits or break bad ones, the point to take away is that it does take some time. You won’t change overnight, but forming new habits is definitely doable.
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | 6 Comments »How to Get a Clean House using Clean Zones
You’ll note that the post is “How to GET a Clean House,” not how to clean, how to keep your house clean, etc. This isn’t a post telling you what detergent to use or that you can save time by scrubbing the shower with your socks. It’s a post telling you how to get your house back under control.
Your kitchen table is piled high. Laundry is overflowing, or scattered all over the house. The kitchen sink is full of dishes. Newspapers and mail cover the living room table.
Your house is a disaster. It’s overwhelming, tiring, and stressful. And you don’t clean it because it’s simply easier to ignore it than to tackle the mess.
You can get it under control without killing yourself. The key is focusing on one area at a time and cleaning that part of your house. As you do that day after day, the clean will spread through your house just like the mess does. Let me say that again.
Clean will spread just like a mess does.
You’ve noticed how a mess seems to grow and take over. That’s what caused you to be in this shape in the first place. The good news is that clean will spread the same way, and just as easily.
Here are some rules for you to clean house by. They’ll keep you on track, but also prevent you from getting overwhelmed. Oh yeah, and they might actually keep things fun while you’re at it.
Clean in only one room a night
This one is common sense, and it’s intended to keep you from getting overwhelmed. Pick one room this evening and walk into it, and try to look at it with fresh eyes. What part of the mess in this room bothers you the most?
Establish a “clean zone” in each room
This area that you pick, the one that’s bugging you the most, is your clean zone. Don’t pick something too big! Don’t say all the kitchen counters; choose only one area for now. If it’s going to take more than 15-30 minutes to clean, then you’ve chosen something too big to tackle at one cleaning session.
Clean it
Cleaning it means moving everything and putting it where it belongs (hint, not back in the clean zone!) Then, clean off the surface. If it’s an area of the floor, mop or vacuum. Get this one area looking nice. Take some time and admire it; take a photo if you want. Whenever you come into the room, look at your clean zone first. Let that patch of neatness make you feel happier to be here.
Focus each night first on just keeping the clean zone clean!
Now, each day focus on keeping that clean zone clean, all the time. Don’t let things pile up during the day and say that you’ll clean it up tonight. Clean it up now. You’ll find that it’s much easier to keep it clean than it was to get it clean.
Then, choose another room and another clean zone, and do it again
Don’t feel bad if you don’t do one every day. Do one every other day, or every few days. The point to focus on is that you’re making progress, and progress, not perfection, is what you’re shooting for. Your house may never be perfect, but it can be something you feel comfortable in, and you feel o.k. bringing guests into. A clean house isn’t an impossible dream, not if you tackle it one step at a time.
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | 3 Comments »The Myth of Multitasking
Is multitasking efficient? Is it the best way to manage your projects and goals?
My views on multitasking have changed quite a bit over the last few months. Let me tell you why. But first, try this little experiment.
Pick two tasks that each require some real attention. Maybe answering emails and making phone calls. Today, try doing them separately. Answer all your emails first, then all your phone calls. Don’t let yourself get distracted, and track how many you do and how long it takes.
Tomorrow, try doing both at the same time. Talk on the phone WHILE you type your email responses. Notice how well that goes for you. I bet you have all kinds of problems, and I bet it takes you longer to boot.
That’s a perfect example of the multitasking myth in action.
My story
I’ve had several big things going recently. I was finishing up a final project for my Master’s Degree, working on a novel, managing a promotion at work, and trying to keep up with the blogs and life in general.
Yes, I know, common sense should have told me that was way too much, but I had bought into the multitasking myth. The idea that you can manage anything if you plan out your time and work an hour here, half an hour there, etc.
That simply doesn’t work.
It doesn’t work because I wasted so much time stopping and starting work on projects, that I never really got much accomplished. Dividing my focus meant that I always felt that I should be working on something else, so my attention was never wholly where it needed to be. When I worked on the novel, I worried about the project deadline looming. When I worked on the project, I worried that I had missed something important at work.
I found that dividing my time that way ensured that I had just enough time to do everything poorly. That’s exactly what I didn’t want to do!
So, I decided to reduce what was taking up my attention and focus on one or two things at a time.
I worked through the major transition work for my promotion, and I finished the project that I needed to do to complete my Master’s. Now that those are handled, I can turn once again to the blogs and the novel.
Even more importantly, I can do them well, and I can take the time to enjoy doing it! What’s the point of working on something if you don’t have time to enjoy the work? Ironically, these are projects that I chose for myself. How sad is it that I couldn’t take time to enjoy what I’d wanted to work on?
Have you fallen victim to the multitasking myth?
If you have, then pick one or two projects to focus on. For me, commitments and deadlines dictated which I had to focus on first, but you may have more options. Regardless of how you pick, pick something.
One big problem for me is forcing myself to postpone other things that I’d like to be doing as well. I want to start freelancing again, remodel one of our upstairs rooms, and do a major house decluttering. All of those are big projects.
I don’t have all the answers yet, but I do know that trying to manage more than one or two big projects at once is a huge mistake for me. Maybe I’ll let the blogs or novel rest for a week or two while I work on something else. Maybe I’ll take a week off work and use that to remodel.Regardless of how I manage it, I’ve learned an important lesson from all this.
Finding time to work on all the things I want first means that I have to accept that there’s not enough time to work on everything I want! Paradoxically, accepting that helps me to focus and get things done.
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | 2 Comments »Finding focus
I had a lot of surprises at the end of 2009, and most of them weren’t great. I’ve been thinking a lot about what direction to take with the blog, and I’m looking for suggestions.
The wide focus of this blog is personal development for creative types (I’m a writer). What types of posts would you like to see along those lines?
I’m also looking to set up a posting schedule, focusing on certain topics or types of posts on a regular schedule.
I’m looking for some ideas and suggestions. What kinds of things would be helpful for you as we kick off the new year?
Posted by admin under Uncategorized | Permalink | 2 Comments »Holiday Time Management Tips
How do you get it all done, when you’re so overwhelmed you don’t know where to turn or what to tackle next? The holidays are stressful times for a lot of us, but these tips will work whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed.
I’ve had a lot going on lately, so I’ve got some experience with this situation. In the last two months…
- My mom had major surgery and required help until she was on her feet again
- I’m working on my final project to complete my MS in computer science. Deadline? December.
- I am project manager and lead developer on two major projects at work
- The dog got very sick, so there were many many vet trips
- I’m running four blogs
- I’m outlining a new novel
- Holidays!
Of course, everyday life doesn’t stop either. Cooking. Cleaning. Bills. Birthdays. Life doesn’t slow down just because things get a little crazy.
I’m not going to tell you that I held everything together just fine, or that I managed to keep up with everything like I wanted. Of course I didn’t, but I did do what was necessary and deal with everything else.
How? Here are two tips you can use to hold things together when you feel like everything (including you) is falling apart.
Negotiate
Talk to people. Tell them about your situation and ask for help, for more time, or get out of the commitment altogether.
This is how I handled my degree work. I asked for, and got, an extension because of everything I have going on.
Maybe you promised to do Christmas dinner, or you wanted to do hand-made gifts for everyone. You took on an extra project at work or volunteered to help with the kids’ school. Whatever it is, consider changing the plan. Keep in mind that if your promise has already been made to others, you need to make them aware of what you want to change as soon as possible. Don’t wait until two days before Christmas to tell the family you’re not cooking after all!
Be prepared to line out what has changed since you made the promise and explain why and how you can’t do it now. It’s important to bring solutions to the table as well. If you can’t cook, maybe you can talk to someone else first who will agree to do it in your place. Maybe a coworker would like the chance to take your project over. The point is, don’t just dump the problem on someone, come up with some ideas to solve it too.
Go ahead and renegotiate some of your commitments; you’ll feel much better for it. Most people will be very understanding if you explain the situation and don’t wait until the last minute. And if they’re not? Don’t let them make excuses for you or push it back onto you. Once you’ve decided to relinquish the responsibility, don’t get caught up in arguing about it.
Prioritize
When you can’t do everything, figure out what has to be done vs. what would be nice to do. Be brutally honest. We often lump a lot into the have-to-dos when they really aren’t.
You might normally vacuum twice a week. Maybe you’ll do it once a week while you’re busy. Maybe you planned to do homemade cookies for the holidays, but wouldn’t store-bought be easier, and I bet your family would eat them!
I did a bit of this as well over the holidays. I cooked a lot less than normal for Thanksgiving, and I enjoyed myself a lot more. I’ve done lots of online shopping and shipped things directly to the recipient. No, it’s not as personal as wrapping and shipping them myself, but it’s a lot easier and less stressful.
It’s not the end of the world if fewer things get done. Especially at the holidays, but all year round as well, your focus should be on spending time with family and friends and taking care of yourself. Those ought to be your priorities.
Dealing with Guilt
You might feel bad that things won’t be as special if you don’t go all out, but it will be. Some people may not like your changes, and they’ll try to make you feel guilty. Be prepared for it, and don’t let it get to you. I’d argue that the holidays can be even more special, because you won’t be tired, stressed, and frazzled!
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | Comments OffCatching up
Wow, where to begin.
We found out a little over a month ago that my mom needed surgery. What we thought were gall bladder problems turned out to be a tumor. Of course, I’ve spent a lot of time worrying. Her surgery was last week, and she did terrific. I’m exhausted, but happy that it’s over for her.
I’m also up against a December deadline to (finally!!) finish my grad degree in computer science. Yep, it’s been a while, I’ve change instructors, changed plans, etc., but it looks like it’s going to happen. I have a lot of work to do in the next six weeks though.
Now, to add to my list of things to handle, I think I’m getting sick. My fever is 99.3 tonight, my throat is sore and I have a headache. Wonderful!
I’m trying to get caught up on twitter, stumbleupon, facebook, etc. tonight. I may not be as active onlne for the next month or so, but I won’t be totally off either. Wish me luck!
Posted by admin under Uncategorized | Permalink | Comments OffHow to Declutter
I’ve never been a fantastic housekeeper. It’s not something I enjoy doing, so I tend to put it off.
Problem is, I also hate a cluttered, junked-up room. It makes me feel grouchy and irritable, and overwhelmed by all the stuff lying around.
Take a minute and look at the room where you are. Is it cluttered? Are there clothes, papers, books, etc. lying around that don’t belong there? How about dirty dishes, paper towels, plastic wrappers? What’s hiding under the couch or bed anyway?
I know how overwhelming a junked up room can feel, and how overwhelming it can be to try to clean it up. It is possible to do it, even if you’re like me and hate housework.
- Limit the time you’re going to spend working on the room. There are a couple of good reasons for this. First, you’re more likely to actually work on the room if you decide beforehand that you don’t have to finish the whole thing at once. Knowing that your time is limited makes the job seem less daunting. Second, instead of focusing on finishing, you can focus on getting as much done in the time you’ve allotted. Rather than letting the job balloon into something that will take all day, focus on working fast and accomplishing as much as possible.
- Decide on a time and set a timer. Set a timer so you won’t be tempted to stop working and check the time every few minutes. Also, choose a length of time to work that will let you work fast without wearing yourself out. I’d suggest 15-30 minutes. That may not sound like much, but if you’re hurrying, you can get a lot done in that time.
- Start with one part of the room and work there until it’s completely “picked up” before moving on. If you’re running from place to place in the room, you’ll spend more time walking than cleaning. Also, just as clutter spreads, so does “clean.”
- Resist the urge to clean. Many people mix up cleaning and decluttering. This time is for decluttering — picking up trash and things that don’t belong where they are. Don’t dust, vacuum, or clean anything!
- Have a box or basket for stuff that needs to be put away. I usually alternate 15 minutes of picking up, where everything either goes in the trash or in a clothes basked to get put away with 15 minutes of putting away things so the clothes basket is empty and ready for the next round.
- Focus on the visible first. Go through the room first and take care of anything that can be seen when you walk in. Don’t worry about what’s under the bed, in drawers, in closets, etc. You might want to tackle that too, but first thing should be to work on the clutter that you have to look at every day.
- Don’t be afraid to throw away. As you’re sorting through your basket and putting things away, ask yourself if you really need to keep everything that’s there. Be brutal. The more you get rid of, the less you’ll have to pick up next time. If you don’t use it or enjoy it, then why do you own it?
- Reward yourself. Give yourself a treat for working on your decluttering. Over time, you’ll enjoy the feel of a clean house enough that it will be a treat in itself, but if you feel you need an extra motivator, promise yourself something nice to get you going.
Over time, I’ve learned to keep rooms decluttered, for the most part. When they get out of control, I use these techniques to get them livable again. My house is far from perfect, but I can usually have company without being embarrassed!
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | 4 Comments »Complaining
For most of us, today was the start of the work week. I’d like you to take a minute and think about today. Think about last night when you were getting ready for work, laying out clothes, etc. Think about how you felt this morning, going in to work. And think about the day.
Close your eyes and take a few minutes to really think about what you did, how you felt, what you said, etc.
- Last night, did you find yourself wishing the weekend were longer?
- Did you dread going to work?
- How many times did you punch the snooze button on the alarm this morning?
- Did you complain about work today while at work?
- When you came home, what did you say about your day?
If you’re like most people, you probably wished the weekend were longer, and you might have dreaded work a little (or a lot). You moaned a groaned a bit with your coworkers to commisserate on the “typical” Monday, and then you came home and told your family what a rough day you had.
Is that pretty close?
Stop Complaining
Photo by aturkus.
Now, think about one more thing. Do you really hate your job, or are you just blowing off steam?
Because if you really hate your job, then life is too short to put up with that. Find another job, start a business, do something else. Don’t stick with something you hate. I never regretted leaving a job I hated. Yes, it was scary to walk out, and I did it once with no job to go to, but it was still the right decision. I’d do it again if I needed to.
But what if you don’t really hate your job. You complain because it’s a habit, more or less. I’d suggest that you consider whether that’s such a great idea after all. Complaining about a situation usually makes them seem worse, and it probably isn’t making you feel any better either. Some would even argue that the more you complain, the more you’ll have to complain about.
Common sense tells us that people smile when they’re happy, but research also tells us that people get happy when they smile. So, it’s also reasonable to believe that complaining can make you more unhappy, and pretending to be happy can actually help you to be happy. Have I confused you yet?
Here’s a challenge. Next Monday, try not to complain about heading back to work. Instead, focus on what’s good about going to work, having a job, being productive, seeing coworkers who are friends, etc. When your coworkers gather to bemoan their situation, turn the conversation to something more pleasant. When you get home, talk about something that went right for you during the day, not what went badly. See if you feel better about work if you avoid complaining about it. Even better, see if you feel happier overall with less complaining in your life.
Posted by admin under Tips | Permalink | 4 Comments »