Focus and Prioritize
Productivity Coaching, Time Management Consulting and Leadership Coaching for business and nonprofits - get your most important work done. Collaborating with leaders and their teams to become more strategic, focused and productive. Leadership and Board Coaching, Strategic Planning Facilitation, Productivity Coaching and Time Management Consulting, Professional Speaker.
Productivity Coach, Productivity Consultant, Leadership Coach, Time Management Coach, Business Consulting, personal productivity, time management, nonprofit, board coach, collaboration, strategic planning, facilitation, change management, leading productive teams, project planning, board development, volunteer engagement, association management, workplace productivity, executive director.
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Focus and Prioritize

09 Jul

Posted at 08:47h in Envision Possibilities, Focus and Prioritize

Do you have goals?

Of course you do, but perhaps the question should be, “What are your goals doing for you?” If they are simply floating around in your head, they are probably just frustrating you, but if you take the time to do something with your goals, they can enrich your life.

Many people say they don’t use goals because it seems so complicated. Not so. Using goals to shape your life more the way you want it is really quite easy. Take ten minutes and you are on your way to accomplishing the things in your life that are most important to you.

Before you begin, it is important to review a few key terms relating to Goal Setting. A goal is an action statement that reflects a desired outcome. Life areas are areas you consider important in the balance of your life, i.e.: business, self, family, and service. The term measurable means quantifiable through time, quantity, result, or concept.

Action Plan for 10 Minute Goal Setting:    (more…)

07 May

Posted at 14:29h in Focus and Prioritize, Organize to Thrive

A crucial element of effective organization is to focus your efforts on something specific.  Work a small area at a time and don’t move on until that area is complete.

  • It is much more effective to spend one hour organizing a small area like a shelf, or a box, or an inbox than it is to spend it on a big area such as an office, a kitchen, or a file cabinet.
  • When you only do a little bit in many different areas the impact is minimal and nothing permanent gets accomplished.
  • When you do a specific space from top to bottom you end up with an organized space.

I call this my eye-dropper metaphor.  When you put a few drops of water here, a few drops there, and a few more drops somewhere else, you just have little puddles of water; but if you focus your resources into one specific space then you end up with something to show for your efforts.

12 Feb

Posted at 14:24h in Focus and Prioritize, Paper Management, Productivity, Time Management

Endless Tasks….Overwhelming Pressure…Desire for Results…Knowing there has to be a better way….

Escaping to Walden Pond or traveling the country via RV are definitely options – but for most of us not viable ones. Minor adjustments that accumulate for noticeable change are much more desirable. Here are some of my favorite time control techniques:

MINIMIZE THRASHING

Thrashing is the computer science term for when a system spends more time switching from task to task then actually working on the task. When we spend our time thinking about what we have to do, remembering where we were in the project, and then building up momentum to get results, we are thrashing. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the meat of a project and then having to stop. I have found the best way to minimize thrashing is to plan chunks of time for a project. I’ll arrange my schedule to be able to commit 2 or 3 CONTINUOUS hours to the task. While it may be hard to find those uninterruptible hours it sure is worth it when the project is done!   (more…)

22 Jan

Posted at 14:23h in Focus and Prioritize, Organize to Thrive, Tech & Digital Clutter, Time Management

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I cannot project my personal need for a lean email inbox on others. What I can tell you is when my inbox has too many emails in it I feel stressed that I’m missing something important and unclear what I should be doing next. My solution is to sort the emails in my inbox in order of PRIORITY. If you use Outlook, try assigning and sorting by categories. These are the categories I use. For sorting purposes, it’s important to put the letter in front:   (more…)

15 Jan

Posted at 14:22h in Envision Possibilities, Focus and Prioritize, Organize to Thrive, Tips for Easier Living

At this time of year people tend to bite off way more than they can chew. Resolutions don’t work….but identifying “why” can drive change. Ask yourself: “Why do I want to be more organized?”

  • Do I want time to do more important things?
  • Do I want to stop feeling burdened by my possessions?
  • Do I need better balance in my life?

When you are clear about what’s important, figuring out what to do about it is easier:

 

(more…)

13 Nov

Posted at 07:16h in Envision Possibilities, Focus and Prioritize, Organize to Thrive

Help with the WHY’s and HOW’s – A professional organizer helps the client with the “hows.” A professional coach helps the client with the “whys.” An Organizer Coach combines these two valuable skills to best move clients towards their visions and goals in a realistic, manageable, and dynamic way.

A Professional Organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. (source: National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals)

A Coach is a trained professional who partners with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. (source: International Coaching Federation)

A professional organizer’s work is extraordinarily valuable to many individuals in many different situations. Learning new ways to manage space and possessions can have a substantial impact on improving the quality of people’s work and lives. But sometimes the actual act of organizing isn’t enough. For some people it is important to delve into the “whys.” Utilizing coaching techniques, an Organizer Coach can help clients:

  • gain clarity around their long term vision for their work and life
  • understand the value of creating work processes and systems to complement their visions and goals
  • anchor their actions with their long term goals through action plans, accountability systems, and support

Typically when organizing a business client we begin by assessing what is working, what isn’t working, and where the stressors are. By evaluating these issues utilizing a coaching style, the root problems tend to surface. Only when we understand the true problem can we solve it in a way that is longlasting and sustainable.

Bloggers Note: When I first wrote this post in 2013 my business mix was about 90% professional organizing and 10% productivity coaching. Fast forward 10 years and I’m now coaching 100% of the time. I support my clients in delving into issues around their productivity, business processes, and leadership. I’ve written a book on productivity that continues to sell about 100 copies a month on Amazon (that’s good – average book sales is 250 a year!) Yet, at the heart of it there are always discussions and questions around organizing. It’s such a universal challenge.  I’d love to help you be more organized and productive ultimately resulting in better work and a better life.