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You know you need to work on your productivity if …

Monday, April 30th, 2012

stress

Today I thought I’d come with a list of attributes and behaviour that are commonly found in people who still need to work on their productivity. If some of these apply to you, that doesn’t mean that you never get anything done, but the more times you nod when you read the following list or mentally say “oh yes”, “yup, that’s me” or “oops, did that” the more likely you could do with a bit of tweaking of habits and improving of techniques that could help you get more done and spend less time treading the hamster wheel.

So, do any of these describe you?

  • being late to meetings
  • forgetting items
  • having more than a screen’s worth of emails once you’re finished dealing with them
  • not being able to find things on your desk
  • not being able to lay your hand on important documents
  • double booking appointments
  • regularly exceeding deadlines
  • being unable to delegate
  • being unable to say no to more work
  • being a master procrastinator
  • working regularly on evenings and/or weekends
  • insisting on working on holiday (if holidays are even taken)
  • forgetting to do to-dos
  • paying late fees
  • finding yourself constantly apologising
  • having no inbox on your desk
  • having an overflowing inbox on your desk
  • winging it instead of preparing
  • being constantly stressed out

I’m not going to give a number here, saying if you agree with these statements x many times, you need to do y. You know yourself, whether you’re in need of improving your productivity. There are many ways you can achieve this, but all result in the same 3 steps:

  1. Deciding that you have a an issue
  2. Getting help (this can be anything from a book to attending a seminar or personal productivity training)
  3. Implementing what you have learned, step by step

The third step is probably the most important. The best productivity coach, the most amazingly written book won’t be able to help you if you don’t put into action what you have learned. It’s about changing habits and sticking to the new regime. That’s the same as if you were trying to give up smoking or losing weight.

And the first step needs to come from the person needing the help. It’s no good to identify that your partner/co-worker/friend needs to get their act together and get organised. They need to realise it and want it for themselves, otherwise it won’t work, no matter how well meaning the advice is.

 

Posted in desk, getting things done, organisation, procrastination, productivity, time management, to-do list, Ultimate Blog Challenge | 5 Comments »

10 Reasons why you should use Wunderlist

Friday, April 27th, 2012

wunderlist

I have recently decided to join the mobile world and give my beloved legal pad a bit of a break by using Wunderlist, a to-do list app that is really good. And it’s also free, which kind of makes it extra good. I was about to come up with all the reasons why Wunderlist is worth recommending on here when I came across Craig Jarrow, of Time Management Ninja fame who had already done the job in one of his blog posts. So here are his 10 reasons, which I have adopted also:

10 Reason Why I Use Wunderlist

Here are the 10 top reasons that I use Wunderlist as my todo app:

  1. Everywhere – If your todo list is not accessible you won’t use it. No matter where I turn, my Wunderlist is there. I can access it on the Web, on Mac OS X, on all my mobile devices (see below), on Linux, and even Windows.
  2. Simple – Ever use a todo app that looks like the control panel to the Space Shuttle? So many options, buttons, and fields that it is a burden to use? Wunderlist presents a simple interface. In fact, some may find it too simple. Yet, behind that simple appearance is quite a bit of power. Most of the options stay out-of-the-way until you need them. (BTW, do you really need to set the “context” for each todo and the “color” of each task?)
  3. PushReminders – On my iPhone, I can set reminders for tasks that I want to recall at specific times. They can be either email notifications or push notifications. I prefer the push notifications because they appear in my iPhone’s notification center.
  4. Share – Want to share a list with someone else? Wunderlist can do that in one click. You can share via email and let a family member or friend edit the list too. You can also share lists via email or via the CloudApp.
  5. Sync – Wunderlist syncs magically via the cloud. There is no effort required to keep your lists in sync across all your platforms and devices. More apps are finally getting sync, but Wunderlist has had this right from the start.
  6. Priorities – Wunderlist has a simple priority system. You won’t find A, B, C’s or 1, 2, 3′s, but rather a simple Star system. When you “star” an item, it shows up in your Starred list (as well as its original list). I use this “hit list” prioritization to make my Today List of my highest priority tasks that must be done today.
  7. Multiple Lists – Wunderlist allows you to have as many lists are you would like. For those that like to sub-sort tasks into many different buckets, you can do this. I tend to minimize the number of lists of I have. However, I can quickly create a list if I have need to capture something. Of course, all these lists are tied together by the “Starred Priority.”
  8. Notes – Need to add more detail or important info to a todo? You can add a note to any todo. I will sometimes “paste” supporting information or even a URL into the notes field.
  9. Mobile – It doesn’t matter what mobile device you are on, Wunderlist presents a great user experience. Unlike apps that are limited to one mobile device, Wunderlist is available on: iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android, and even Windows Phone. Not that you would ever need all of those.
  10. Quick - I like to be able to capture ideas and tasks quickly. Otherwise, they can be lost. With Wunderlist, I can open the app, type a todo and hit return. Done. There is no setting of 17 fields just to record a todo. (See #2) I don’t even have to go to the app. I can email myself a todo at me@wunderlist.com and the task is added to my inbox.

So that’s it, 10 great reasons if you ask me and here is also a link to the whole of Craig’s blog post. His blog is worth checking out in general. Amazing content, great advice and he is really ninja when it comes to time managment. :)

Have you got a favourite to-do app? Please share in a comment below.

Posted in getting things done, time management, to-do list, Ultimate Blog Challenge | 1 Comment »

Your most important tasks for today

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

To do list

We often get very busy doing things and realise that yet again we have forgotten (or didn’t have the time) to do some of the most important things. So, what are those important things that need to get done? If you don’t get anything else done today, make sure that you at least do the following 3 things:

  1. Make sure you have backed up your computer
    Your computer needs backing up on a regular basis, a good average is once a day. Imagine what you would do if you suddenly lost all files that you have created over the past week, month or even year! You would not stop kicking yourself, for starters, and you would probably have quite a few business set-backs in the process.
    A hard-drive is a disc that can corrupt if damaged in any way, making it almost certain that at some point in time this will happen. It is less a question of whether, but more a question of when. Be one step ahead and take precautions by backing up onto a memory stick, CDs, DVDs or into the cloud.
    Even if you don’t run a business, make it a regular habit to back up. Should the inevitable happen, you’ll be glad you did.
  2. Maintenance
    That falls into two categories – your body and the car. Get that check-up booked in with your doctor, especially if something’s been not quite right. Don’t put it off, you’re playing with your health. And get the car booked in for that overdue service or oil-change. Just like our bodies, cars need looking after, too. And if we look after them, they’re more likely to keep working well when we need them.
  3. Make time for your partner
    Book or arrange a nice evening together or a weekend away, something to reconnect with your partner. We take our significant others for granted which too often leads to unnecessary friction in the home. And do it on a regular basis, at least monthly if not weekly. A happy home will lead to greater productivity, because it becomes a place where you can re-energise.
    If you’re single, arrange something nice for yourself. Take time out to recharge your batteries, relax, unwind and re-energise. By doing that you will have more energy when you get back to work, get more done and be more productive.

What’s on your list of important to-dos that hasn’t been done for too long? Please leave a comment below.

Posted in getting things done, productivity, to-do list, Ultimate Blog Challenge | 9 Comments »

5 Ways to Erase Daily Procrastination in Your Business

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

According to Real Simple magazine’s survey of 10,000 readers, the average daily to-do list has 5 to 9 tasks on it. Only 5% of the readers are productive for 3 hours during a 9-to-5 workday as a result of web-related distractions. According to the Procrastination Research Group, based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95% of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20% of them are chronic procrastinators.

Procrastination is generally defined as avoided tasks or activities that need to be accomplished. Poor time management and procrastination can be a direct result of having unreachable goals, having to meet others’ standards, disorganization or the inability to handle the task. Below are ways to erase daily procrastination in your business.

  1. Use the first hour or two of your day to work on things that require your attention or have deadlines. Accomplishing necessary tasks will invigorate you to do more.
  2. Inspire yourself with insightful reading. Read at least one business article daily and take action. Try implementing a new idea. Don’t just read about it, but do.
  3. Afternoon organization can make the next day easier. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day to think about tomorrow’s priorities. Knowing what needs to be done at the beginning of each day gives you focus and direction.
  4. Break large projects or tasks into smaller activities and schedule them on your calendar as appointments. Do them in 30-minutes, 1-hour or 3-hour time blocks. You wouldn’t interrupt a scheduled appointment, so don’t allow unnecessary interruptions when working on your projects.
  5. Don’t make lofty goals. Be reasonable in your expectations of yourself, your time and your commitments. Overextending yourself can cause you shut down. Be practical and realistic.

It’s always helpful to identify the source of your procrastination. Take some time to think about why you are putting things off and then try one of the above techniques. Procrastination can really be a struggle and challenge for small business owners, especially when they are simply overwhelmed and unsure of their next move. Take it one step at a time and be conscious of your actions AND inaction.

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Posted in getting things done, priorities, procrastination, time management, to-do list | No Comments »

A Fun Time Management Technique The Pomodoro

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

First of all a very Happy New Year to everyone. How did the first couple of weeks of the new decade go for you? Did you do any resolutions and set some good goals? And are you still on track? If not, don’t worry. Simply start over today. You don’t have to wait until the 1st Jan, 2011. You don’t even have to wait until the 1st February this year, not even until next Monday. Simply start over today, now. Put that cigarette down now, start using your diary now, cut down on alcohol and fatty foods from your next meal or do some exercise as soon as you finish work today. Whatever your goal is, keep working towards it. A little bit every single day.

If your goal is time management I found a great little tool on the web recently. It’s called the Pomodoro Technique. The basics are that you use a kitchen timer (the Pomodoro is exactly that, a tomato shaped kitchen timer) and set it for 25 minutes at a time and work on your to do lists.

Here is a little excerpt from their website:

The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique™ can be split in five simple steps:

  1. Choose a task to be accomplished
  2. Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
  3. Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
  4. Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
  5. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break

On the website you can download the workbook as a pdf for free and there are groups to join and Twitters to follow. You can even attend a workshop in Milan – combine a nice break in a beautiful city with some time management training!

Posted in getting things done, time management, to-do list | 1 Comment »

Christmas Organising

Friday, December 18th, 2009

With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to talk about a nice and fast way to organise the festive season. Some people start months before and once December comes around, they’re done and everything is organised. Not everyone is this organised or even wants to think about Christmas before December starts.

Here is a list I found on the Style at Home website that I would like to share with you. It covers 12 days of Christmas Organising and tackles pretty much all areas. If you jump in today (8 days to go) simply leave out tasks you can do without and combine a couple of days. You can still get organised, even if you haven’t started yet.

Keep your holidays in step with 12 days of Christmas organizing ideas.

Cooking and wrapping and decorating — oh my! With so much to do in the days leading up to Christmas it’s easy to get overwhelmed with holiday tasks. This year, minimize the annual festive frenzy with Style at Home’s 12-day countdown to a stress-free Christmas.
Day 12
• Clean out the fridge and freezer to free up space.
• Gather your holiday recipes and cross-reference the ingredients you have with the ones you’ll need to buy.
• Check your inventory of cookware, serving pieces, and food storage containers to see what’s missing. If you’re in need of something, contact a family member or friend to see if you can borrow or share items.
Day 11
• Shop for groceries and pick up everything you’ll need to complete your holiday recipes. If it can be baked or cooked ahead of time, buy the ingredients now.
• Be sure to purchase plenty of frozen hors d’oeuvres and finger foods – they’re a lifesaver when guests drop by unexpectedly.
• If you have kids at home, hire a babysitter rather than taking them with you. Shopping alone will help you stay focused.
Day 10
• Cook any dishes ahead of time that you can. Casseroles, appetizers and desserts can be frozen, thus saving you time on the big day.
• Before starting your cooking and baking, lay out all the ingredients and baking supplies you’ll need. Try to clean as you go, minimizing the mess.

Day 9
• Go gift shopping and try to cross off everyone on your list. Pick up a few small extras for last minute hostess gifts and unexpected visitors.
• Remember to include the people who make your life easier all year: the mailman, paperboy, or anyone else you can think of. Give them each a small gift and have it delivered right away in case they take time off over the holidays.
• Check and see if you need to stock up on any wrapping materials. Make sure there’s enough paper, ribbon, gift tags, and the one thing everyone always runs out of – tape!
Day 8
• Have a tree trimming or decorating party. Pull some hors d’oeuvres out of the freezer or serve hot chocolate and sweet treats. Have holiday music on hand and make it a fun occasion for everyone. Having friends and family over to help you decorate will save you time and help you relax.
Day 7
• Run errands and pick up any extras you may have overlooked on your last shopping trip. Think about things like logs for the fireplace, batteries for toys and gadget gifts, ornament hooks, club soda for spills, extra ice, matches to light candles, and replacement bulbs for strings of lights.
Day 6
• Hire a babysitter to watch the kids and devote some time to wrapping gifts. Make it enjoyable by listening to Christmas carols or watching your favorite holiday film while you do it.
• If you’re heading out to holiday parties over the next few days, print out the directions now. Put them all together and leave them by the front door.

Day 5
• Check all the linens you’ll be using such as tablecloths, placemats, and napkins, and make sure they’re clean and not musty. Give them a wash and iron or treat yourself to a professional dry cleaning.
• Pull out the special guest towels and decorative soaps and place them in the powder room.
• Clean out the foyer closet and free up space for guests’ coats and boots.
Day 4
• Go to the grocery store and stock up on anything you may have run out of or missed on your last trip. Pick up perishables like fresh vegetables and dairy products.
• Purchase any flowers you might want for holiday centerpieces and displays. It’s just enough time for them to open up and settle so they’ll look perfect for the big day.
Day 3
• Enlist the help of every member of the household and give the house a good spot cleaning. Dust, vacuum, and tidy up so you don’t have to worry about it at the last minute.
• Take the turkey out of the freezer and put in the fridge.
Day 2
• Set the holiday table and get candles, flower arrangements and music ready. Prepare everything you can so you can relax on the big day.
• Order takeout or pull a stress-free meal out of the freezer. Give the oven — and yourself! — a break and rest up for the following day.
Day 1
• Pat yourself on the back as you enjoy a relaxing holiday with those you love the most!

Have a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year 2010!

Posted in checklists, Christmas, cleaning, meal planning, organisation, planning, sanity saving, to-do list | No Comments »

Holiday Checklists

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

It’s now the end of June and universities are already on their holidays, and school wills be closed in a few weeks time for summer holidays. Many of you have booked a summer holiday, whether here in the UK or abroad and you will be thinking about getting ready for the trip.

There are lots of things to think about, whether it is transport, passports, what to take for the trip, what to pack, who’s looking after the pets, etc.

The friendly people from freechecklists.co.uk have made life a lot easier by providing free checklists on the internet that you can print out. There is a whole category for travel so that all different kinds of needs are captured.

A lot of people will be travelling in roughly a month’s time, so here is an excerpt from the list “Travel Holiday Month Before” (it’s about half of the original):

  • Check you luggage is appropriate to airline/size/weight BA Easyjet
  • Check in-flight entertainment for yourself/children
  • Arrange special boarding requirements e.g wheelchair
  • Arrange   any special meals
  • Arrange car hire   Go to Hiring a Car checklist
  • Consider surprises for children to open/play with en route
  • Buy medicines for journey/whole trip Go to Health Abroad checklist
  • Think about camera/film and buy more as required
  • Finalise arrangements for leaving your home. Go to Leaving your home checklist.
  • Check your documents are in order. Go to Travel Documents checklist
  • Check you have told all friends/family/work of your itinerary
  • Order foreign currency/travellers cheques.

If you check out the site, there are lists for a whole host of other topics. The creators of the site seem to have aviation background, where checklists are the lifeblood of everything working well. Flying is as safe as it is, because everything runs via checklists that are always up to date. I think we can learn from that. Checklists make things run smoother, even when you’re not flying a plane.

Posted in checklists, planning, sanity saving, to-do list | No Comments »

Tackling your To Do List

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

“Don’t get freaked out by the items on your to-do list; think of the tasks in terms of what they’ll mean to you once they’re done.”
- Merlin Mann (43folders)

When we look on the items on our to-do list we often think of all the work that’s involved, all the time we need to spend until it’s all done and all the fun stuff we could be doing instead. Even though all this is justified, why not try and change your attitude. Think about the pay-offs instead. All the “What’s in it for me?”.

What could be the pay-offs for finishing the items on your list. Here are some possible positive effects:

  • peace of mind
  • praise from your manager, family members, yourself etc.
  • a reward
  • a finished project
  • a raise
  • a well prepared … (fill in the blanks)
  • a good grade
  • a degree
  • a repaired and working item
  • a tidy kitchen
  • a clean bathroom
  • etc.

Stephen Covey’s 2nd Habit of Highly Organised People states: Start with the end in mind. If you keep your eye on the outcome of your task, you always have something to look forward to and motivation and incentive to keep going until it’s done.

Posted in getting things done, motivation, planning, to-do list | No Comments »

Preparing to Sell Your Property

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Despite the media repeating nothing but doom and gloom messages, the economy is actually starting to turn upwards again and there are signs everywhere of houses starting to sell again. More and more For Sale boards are going up, solicitors are getting busier – it’s looking up, folks!

With all that in mind, you might be thinking about selling your property. And with another May Bank Holiday just around the corner, why not start getting your house prepared for selling. We have all watched House Doctor and have seen what a difference it makes to show your house off at its best. And that means it needs to look and feel spacious providing enough storage for your belongings.

So why not use the Bank Holiday weekend for just that, a good sort out, rearranging and reorganising, maybe some gardening to get everything into good shape. It’ll also make things easier once you get to moving yourself since you will have a lot less clutter to move if you do a good sort out beforehand. You might even get as far as using your garage for the purpose it was intending, (keeping your car safe), rather than a junk storage container.

Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Walk through the house with buyers eyes and a piece of paper (maybe even a clipboard). Starting at the front door, go through the house room by room making notes of what needs improving. This way you have the start of a project plan.
  • Don’t get more overwhelmed.
    This might happen at the thought of decluttering your old home, so you end up procrastinating and not doing anything about it.
    You may already be overwhelmed with your clutter. Don’t increase this by thinking you have to get rid of it all in one day.
    Pick one project for each of the weekend days, a project you are sure you can complete. Before you know it, you should begin to see your table surfaces, floor space and begin to make your make your house sellable.
  • If you have a team, use it. 
    If there are other people in your home besides you, every person in your household should be responsible for certain parts of the project.
    Split up tasks between you and your spouse. If you have kids, give them tasks and insist they do those to contribute to the family goal. 
    It’s amazing how much time could be saved when good teamwork is put in action. If necessary, hire outside help, or ask a relative or neighbour to assist.
  • Work expands to fit the time allotted. 
    Never schedule your time according to how much time you have available. Instead, schedule your time according to how long a particular project or task should actually take. Just because you have 3 hours, doesn’t mean it should take you three hours to do something that should only take an hour or so. You’ll get a lot more done if your deadlines are set properly.
  • Give yourself a plan.
    How much will you accomplish, and how well will you accomplish it all, without a plan? Make sure that you don’t jump from one thing to the next with absolutely no plan. You’ll end the day both exhausted and unfulfilled, and most likely you’ll have a bunch of unfinished projects.
    Instead, give yourself a written plan. Make a To Do list each evening for the next day. Follow it closely throughout the day. Cross things off as you finish them.
    At the end of each day, look at all the things you crossed off your list and rejoice in everything you have accomplished–then relax and enjoy your evenings!
  • If the weather is particularly fine, a project might include some gardening. Get rid of those weeds, do some trimming of overgrown shrubs, maybe even plant some annuals in the front garden to improve the “curb appeal”.

At the end of the weekend, your house might not be ready for viewers just yet, but you will have made a huge step in the right direction. Just make sure that you keep up what you have achieved to this point so when the next free weekend comes around, you don’t have to start all over again.

Posted in clutter, declutter, garage, moving, planning, to-do list | No Comments »

Bank Holiday Decluttering – Part 1

Monday, April 27th, 2009

May having 2 bank holidays is a great month for decluttering. You can either do a major decluttering session on the first bank holiday and then a car boot sale on the 2nd, tackle two large projects including a sale for each one on the Mondays or use the first weekend for being productive the second for much needed rest and relaxation. It’s up to you.

Whichever option you choose, here are my top tips for making the most of your decluttering session:

Before you start: Be sure you know what you want to achieve and get realistic what you can achieve. Your home didn’t get cluttered in one weekend. You can’t really expect to have it sorted overnight. Which room or which area bothers you most, that’s your first project.

Go with the weather: since it is now finally starting to get warmer, make the most of a sunny weekend by tackling the garage if that’s on your list, or the garden shed. Should it be rainy and cold, tackle a room or two in the house, the loft or some cupboards, whatever needs doing.

Baby steps: Don’t try and tackle the whole project at once. Break each job into smaller sections and tackle them one by one. You feel less overwhelmed at the beginning and a great sense of achievement every time you finish another chunk, especially if you have written out a list and get to cross things off one by one. This only works if you completely finish one section though, before moving onto the next one.

More top tips will follow on Friday, just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend. See you then!

Posted in clutter, declutter, garage, planning, to-do list | No Comments »

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