Archive for February 2012
8 Tips to Getting Things Done
February 28, 2012 | 
Author Quadruple Your Productivity and Enjoy Life
I just finished Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. It was a quick read with some clear productivity “ah-ha’s”. I have spent a lot of time trying to develop my own productivity system and wish I had found Allen’s nuggets sooner. 
Some ideas gleaned from his book that will give you a little more time to enjoy your life:
1. “What is the next task that will get me toward my desired outcome?” This is the biggest point Allen drives home. Always ask this question upon completion of a meeting or task. Just having a clearly defined and scheduled next action item will put your productivity through the roof.
2. Plan Your Week. Spend at least a half hour or an hour at the beginning (or end) of each week taking stock of what you accomplished the prior week, what you didn’t accomplish, what you learned and what your desired outcomes are for the week to come. Many people dive right into the week with no plan of what they want to accomplish. And then get frustrated when nothing gets done. Be intentional and get committed.
3. Schedule It. Things do not get done unless you schedule them. By definition in order for a task to be completed it must physically occupy some portion of your life. Reserving time on your calendar forces you to do it.
4. Schedule A Buffer. We know everything takes longer than expected and things always come up that we didn’t plan. They take time and sometimes they have to happen right away. Schedule buffer time for these. Literally block off an hour or two each day that simply says “buffer time”. When it doesn’t get filled by something urgent, you have an hour of your life back–an amazing feeling. Just don’t check email with your extra time!
5. Give Yourself Strict and Short Deadlines. This is complimentary to Schedule It. Yes, things take longer than expected, and they also will take up as much time as you have available. The time required to complete a project is directly proportional to the time you have available. In other words, if you have time to waste, you will waste it. Give yourself enough time to complete a task but not a moment more. Set these limits up in advance.
6. Don’t Check Email First Thing in the Morning. If you haven’t heard this before, you have not been listening. This is huge. No matter what you’re doing, email will immediately throw you off and suck the time and energy out of your life. Get your most important things done in the first 2-3 hours of the day. Then check some email and a little Facebook. I know I do not need to convince you on merit of this. I just need to break you from your addiction.
7. Do Your Most Important Things First. This goes with the above. Since you now already have a plan for the week (see #2), you know what’s most important for the day. Dive into those 2-3 tasks first. You will feel mountains better about the rest of the day with your major items behind you. Then there’s plenty of time to waste away on email.
8. Get a Good System to Keep Track of Your Life. Everyone does things differently and no system will be perfect. There are some amazing tools out there for free or almost free to get you started. Whatever the cost, if it gets you organized and motivates you to get things done, it’s worth the investment. And be sure all your productivity devices and tools are all synced up. Find a few fun productivity apps. A few simple favorites of mine are Sticky Notes and Evernote on my phone. It might take a while to get the right system in place but it’s empowering once you get it.
Action: Implement at least a few of these ideas. Better yet, get the book and try Allen’s full system. They will dramatically transform the way you manage your life. Then let me know what you do with all your free time!
What have you found most useful to manage your life and create time for the things you really care about?
Posted in Career Management, Personal Development | 
Tags: career management, personal development, personal growth, productivity | 
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10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Teaches Us
If you live in the NY area like I do, you can’t help but be swept up by the newest brand in town – Jeremy Lin. Even if you aren’t a basketball fan, you know that the young Lin has caused quite a stir the past two weeks in going from benchwarmer to the new starting point guard for the New York Knicks, helping the team win 7 games in a row with two of their big stars out of action. He’s considered the world’s fastest growing athlete brand.
Jeremy Lin is not only a great NBA story but a great story about how we should all approach our work. His is a story of persistence and being ready to capitalize on your opportunities.
There was a good article in Forbes on lessons for the workplace. I’ve included the 10 lesson but I suggest you read the full article for details.
Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning – Forbes
1. Believe in yourself when no one else does.
2. Seize the opportunity when it comes up.
3. Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them.
4. Find the system that works for your style.
5. Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team.
6. People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else.
7. Stay humble.
8. When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever.
9. Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life.
10. Work your butt off.
Action: What lessons can you apply to your own work and family life?
To Find Happiness, Forget Passion
Seriously?! A few weeks ago there was a blog post titled “To Find Happiness, Forget About Passion” in the Harvard Business Review. It was about how the current twenty-somethings have been following their passion. We (Baby Boomers) encouraged them to do this because we didn’t get that chance. What they are discovering is following their passion does not always lead to top paying jobs. The author proposed a different frame of reference: Forget about finding your passion. Instead, focus on finding big problems.
That doesn’t quite work for us. As midlife women, we have ignored or buried our passions for way too long. We encouraged our kids to follow their bliss because we never did. I believe there’s still time to do that – at midlife, if not now, when?
So I propose a twist – find your passion and then find a big problem to solve in the area of your passion. We know happiness is not found from simply looking within. We have to do something in the world. Finding a problem we’re passionate about changes our perspective. It’s not about the self anymore. It’s about how you can be a valuable contributor.
At midlife, we have the advantage over the younger generations. Most likely our job did pay the bills – but it may not have satisfied our hearts. We have enough experience that when we discover our passion, we may even instantly know the associated big problems. If we combine our decades worth of skills, vast network of connections and resources with our newly discovered passion, we can add real value to solving big problems.
The HBR post’s closing statement said: “Happiness comes from the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world needs. We’ve been told time and again to keep finding the first. Our schools helped developed the second. It’s time we put more thought on the third.”
I agree with his first sentence. But it’s funny how at midlife we have the order different. Our jobs helped us develop what we’re good at. Now’s the time to find our passion, apply our skills to help the world.
Do you know what you are passionate about?
Action: Find your passion. Start a list – what do you always gravitate to? What are your lost dreams? What are your values? What do you never grow tire of talking about? What do you wish you had chosen for a career? Now, what big problem is associated with it that you can help solve?
Posted in Career Reinvention, Midlife, Personal Development | Tags: midlife, midlife women, network, passion, possibilities | No Comments »
Busy, Busy Bee
What did you respond the last time you asked someone how work was? I bet I know. It’s the same thing almost everyone says – “busy”. And how many personal commitments have you broken because you’re too busy?
The response is almost programmed. No need to even think. Sadly, it’s usually said proudly and worn as a badge of honor, as if I should be impressed. Well, I’m not. I used to work with someone whose personal brand could simply be the word “busy”. That’s bad but that’s how he was known. He was always late to calls, showing no respect for others. He never apologized, just told everyone how busy he was, as if they weren’t too.
I must admit that “busy” had been my response for years. Even if my calendar has gaps, sometimes I get “busy” and totally forget appointments – like I did last week. It was embarrassing and the last straw for me. I have to shift my mindset.
How did we find ourselves in a society where busy was an almost acceptable way to be? We’ve talked of being busy for so long that we’ve forgotten that being busy was never the goal. This thinking has led us to believe busy is good…no matter what we’re busy with. Being busy is not the way we should measure our worth.
I propose a revolt against being busy
Don’t get me wrong, I am not encouraging laziness or not getting things done. It’s quite the opposite. What I’m proposing is a revolt against saying you’re so busy. Busy is a state of mind – one that often causes stress, unhappiness and wasted energy.
I propose that we all take a moment to stop, recognize this unhealthy state and make the decision to no longer be “busy”. Enjoy the weight that gets lifted off your back simply by changing your focus. Perception is reality and none of us need “busy” to be that reality. I bet you’ll get even more done and have time left over to do the things you really care about.
So, I am done being busy. That is no longer my response to life. My calendar may be full but I won’t let it mean I’m busy. And that’s liberating.
How busy are you right now? Pride and satisfaction are not found in busy. Decide not to be. It doesn’t mean you don’t get things done. It just means you do them calmly and with intent. Life can never be too busy for the things that matter most to you. If you don’t have time for those, the busywork won’t matter anyway.
Action: Give it a try. This week, take the “I’m not busy challenge”. All you have to do is commit to not responding to anyone with how busy you are (even if it feels like you are totally swamped). Don’t even adjust your schedule. Just change your language. It will be harder than you think. You’ll stumble on what words to use to replace the cultural norm. Try “exciting” or “full” or “productive” or maybe “all kinds of fun things”. Then begin to act like it.