Better Work Better Life Blog
Making Productivity and Leadership More Human
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Better Work Better Life Blog

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:

 

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18 Dec

Posted at 14:22h in Organize to Thrive, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living

Carve out an hour to transfer all of your standing meetings and other obligations onto next year’s calendar. Be sure to include:

  • conferences
  • out-of-town meetings
  • reoccurring appointments and/or meetings
  • hair, doctor, and groomer appointments
  • holidays
  • family events
  • school and camp schedules

The sooner you do this, the better the chance that you won’t double book or overbook yourself. And once it’s on your calendar you’ll have a much better chance at honoring your commitments.

 

11 Dec

Posted at 14:21h in Organize to Thrive, Paper Management, Space, Tips for Easier Living

At this time of year when time and space are at a premium, it’s helpful to clear space quickly and without much emotional investment. Be it at home or at the office, there is ALWAYS too much information around. Imagine the space you can make by doing a quick publications purge. 

Here are some thoughts to help you move them from prime space to the recycling bin:

  • Many of the magazines we have today are freebies that are sent to raise the subscription rates to attract more advertisers…you didn’t ask for them, are they really worth your time and space?   (more…)

27 Nov

Posted at 14:18h in Productivity, Time Management

“THEY” say that if we have too much to do that we should delegate, but sometimes that seems like it gets us in more trouble. Delegation works when the person we are delegating to 1) feels some sense of responsibility to us and 2) knows we will follow-up. Here is my 3 step process for successful delegation:

  1. Delegate only to people that are committed to you – if they aren’t team players find them a new “team” (except I know you can’t get rid of your kids…) (more…)