Tag Archives: time management

Important vs Urgent

I feel fortunate and blessed to have created a work-style and life-style that supports a flexible schedule, but the past couple of months have been a whirlwind of guests and travel that has my head spinning . . . and my “to do” list expanding by the day.

The past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling pretty darn guilty about all the stuff I’m not getting done.  Some of it is personal, but much of it involves things I really, really want to accomplish to support my business and clients.  After beating myself up a bit, I revisited the Urgent vs Important grid (thank you Stephen Covey!) to help me through the “what to do now” decision process.

Important & Urgent: Things that really, really need to be dealt with right now (house on fire, etc.).

Important & Not Urgent: Things that need to be done, but don’t need to be done right now (long-term planning, etc.).

Urgent & Not Important:  Things that probably never need to be dealt with, but take up our precious time (telemarketer calls, etc.)

Not Urgent & Not Important:  Not only do these things not have to be done right now, chances are they don’t need to be done at all (watching videos of dancing cats on Youtube, etc.)

With the limited amount of time I’ve had in my home and office the past couple of weeks, here’s how I broke down a few of the outstanding items on my “to do” list:

  1. Pay bills:  Important & Urgent
  2. Complete coaching homework required for certification: Important & Urgent
  3. Listen to teleclass before it expires: Important & Urgent
  4. Ironing:  Important & Not Urgent
  5. Office Filing: Important & Not Urgent
  6. Unsubscribe from unwanted e-mails: Important & Not Urgent

I generally don’t put Not Important stuff on my “to do” list, so two of the categories were easy to eliminate.

Granted, there were a lot of other things on my list, but these represented hours worth of things I wanted (not needed) to do.  The result:  #1-#3 got done; #4-#6 will be saved for another day.

Suffice to say, with my list prioritized, I’m feeling much better about getting the important stuff done, leaving the other “not urgent” things to be tackled at another time and focusing on being thankful that I have the ability to spend time and energy traveling and enjoying our guests.

How do you prioritize your “to do” list?

 

Cindy Jobs, COC, ACC

Looking for more information?

Click here for 15-minute organizing tips.

 

 

 

www.organizetosimplify.com

 

 

 

National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter Vice-President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professional Resource Member

 

 

 

Coach Approach for Organizers

 

 

 

 

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.

Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.

Are you stuck on your “get organized” resolution?

Historically, “get organized” is in the top ten New Year’s Resolutions.  I’m not a big believer in resolutions, but I’m a big believer in goals.  And I think getting organized is a fantastic goal.

As you might imagine, I get a lot of calls this time of year.  People are energized behind their goal (see, I’m eliminating  “resolution” already) to “get organized” in the new year and are looking for support.  Some people know what they need to do to accomplish their organizing goal, others need some assistance.

If you are feeling a little stuck, try some of these tips:

  1. Check your motivation: What was your motivation around the get organized goal?  Ask yourself “why did I set this goal?”  Possible answers could be:  save time, save money, reduce stress, get out of the house on time, reduce clutter, etc.  The answer to that question will help motivate you toward action.
  2. Confused on where to start?: Start with your biggest pain point.  Is your kitchen so disorganized making coffee is a hassle?  Are you spending so much money on things you already own that your finances are getting stretched?  Are you stressed about not getting to work on time because you can’t find your keys?   Success in your biggest pain point area will motivate you to move on to the next.  If you can’t decide where your largest pain point is, close your eyes and point toward an area.  Progress anywhere may lead to success everywhere.
  3. Set aside time to organize: I’ve found a lot of people are very aspirational when it comes to planning projects (and organizing is a project). They say “I’ll get to that next week.”  Well, next week comes and goes.  I suggest people mark organizing time on their calendar.  When your calendar says “organize the pantry on Saturday between 2:00 – 4:00,” chances are the organizing date will be kept.
  4. Sort items into three large categories: Most items can be categorized into three major groups:  Keep, Give, Toss.
    • If you use it and love it, keep it and give it a place of honor and respect.
    • If it’s functional but you no longer use it or love it, give it away.  Determine the best place for the giveaway item.  The best place could be a relative, friend or charity.  Whatever you decide, set a deadline to get it out of your space and into theirs.
    • If it’s no longer functional, toss it.  Some of my clients find this to be a difficult part of the process because they are concerned about contributing to our landfill problems and I appreciate that mindset.  I encourage my clients to check with their local municipality regarding recycling and check out alternatives to just throwing something away. For example, my recycle station accepts household metal like toasters and Goodwill will accept clothing that’s no longer wearable (just mark the donation as “textile recycle”).  Research and creativity can keep a lot of things out of landfills.
  5. Track your progress: Take a “before” picture of the space you are working on and continue to take pictures throughout the organizing process.  Even if you haven’t completed the process, seeing change is motivating.  Be sure to take a photo after you’ve completed the project not only as a reminder of how far you’ve come, but to give yourself a clear picture of what you’d like the space to look like on an ongoing basis.

I encourage my clients to remember a couple things:

  • Organizing is not only a project, but a way of life.  Once you are organized enough for your lifestyle, a few minutes a day will help maintain your newly-organized spaces.
  • Largely attributed to Sheryl Sandberg “Done is better than perfect.”  The thought that something needs to be perfect will stop us in our tracks.

Whatever you do, don’t give up on your new year’s goals like the Allstate “Mayhem” character has!

Cindy Jobs, COC, ACC

Looking for more information?

Click here for 15-minute organizing tips.

 

 

www.organizetosimplify.com

 

 

National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter

National Association of Professional Organizers, Seattle Chapter Vice President

 

 

Coach Approach for Organizers

 

 

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.

Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.

ADHD in the Workplace

 

October is ADHD Awareness Month

“For many people, ADD is not a disorder but a trait, a way of being in the world.  When it impairs their lives, then it becomes a disorder.”  — Edward Hallowell

There have been some incredibly successful people who have ADHD.  Most have identified their ADHD-created weaknesses and designed support structures to reduce the impact in the workplace.  For them, it is a trait, not a disorder.

Others, however, struggle with a variety of challenges created by the symptoms of ADHD.

Most workplaces are designed around the 92%-96% of us that are linear, process-oriented people who understand prioritization and are keen to basic social norms.  People with ADHD find some of these basic premises a challenge.

Listed below are some of the most common barriers those struggling with ADHD find in a typical workplace:

Organization, prioritization, and sequencing:  Some of the most difficult tasks for people with ADHD to get a handle are organization, prioritization and sequencing.  The inability to find important documents, turn projects in on time and have a clear picture of what needs to happen when can create incredible stress.

Solution:  If you don’t have an assistant to help out, possibly enlist the services of an organized co-worker or Professional Organizer who can help set up simple filing systems, create a calendar system utilizing some project management tools (due date, tasks, timelines, calendar reminders, etc.), and schedule regular check-ins to ensure you are on track.

Time management:  This is, by far, the most common hurdle for the clients I work with who have ADHD.  Due to their executive functioning processes, they just have a harder time keeping track of time.  This presents a real problem when they continually show up late for meetings (or don’t show up at all) or when they estimate that a project will take an hour and it ends up taking much longer, frustrating not only themselves but whomever else is involved in the project.

Solution: First, I encourage all of my clients to purchase a Time Timer to track not only the time it takes to complete a task (vs the time they think it will take), but it also helps to be aware of the passage of time.  Second, I promote the use of analog clocks everywhere and wearing an analog watch.  It is very helpful to regularly be reminded of time and digital devices just don’t have the same impact.  Lastly, use an audible or vibration device to que that it’s time for a transition (going to a meeting, picking up the kids, returning from lunch, etc.).

Challenging social skills:  Individuals with ADHD are more reactionary than those without.  Unfortunately, this may result in unintentionally offending those around them by not listening or interrupting, being more direct than the social setting may call for, and being more “me” focused than is appropriate.

Solution: Practice being attentive, with special attention to blocking out distractions.  Pause before speaking. Ask yourself if the reaction is truly warranted.  Pay close attention to social cues.  Did someone walk away abruptly?  Possibly you offended without meaning to do so.  Reach out if it appears someone has been offended.  Asking for feedback and forgiveness is hard at the moment, but much better than allowing the ill will to linger.

Distractibility:  Let’s face it, people with ADHD are more easily distracted than others.  Whether it’s an external distraction (music, co-workers, jack-hammers, piles of paper, or a cluttered desk) or internal distractions (daydreaming, planning an anniversary dinner, wondering how the fantasy football team is doing) distractions are all around us.

Solution:  If possible, visually or audibly block out distractions.  This may include headphones and closing a door or blinds.  Don’t constantly be checking e-mail (I suggest my clients only look at e-mail three to four times a day if the office policies and norms allow).  Stay away from social media when a project deadline is looming.  Keep track of projects and tasks by using task lists and a Time Timer.

Do you see yourself or others in the above situations?  If so, is ADHD a trait or a disorder?

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

 

 

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter Vice President
ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website
Institute for Challenging Disorganization:
Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.
Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.
Coach Approach for Organizers
Graduate of the Comprehensive Training Program: Coaching Essentials; Strengths-Based Coaching; Brain-Based Coaching; Life and ADHD Coaching; and Organizer Coach Integration
Graduate-level training: Body-Based Coaching; ADHD Coaching Competencies

Simplify your life!

This is “National Simplify Your Life” week.

Because it’s part of my business name (Organize to Simplify) I’m constantly thinking about what “simplify” means to me, my friends, my family, and my clients.

Here are some things that may need to be simplified in our lives:

  • Stuff?  Yes!
  • Schedules?  Yes!
  • Technology? Yes!
  • People?  Yes!  (yikes!)

Stuff:

Most of us have way more stuff than we need (and probably even want).  Look around the room you are sitting in and really take a hard look at everything that surrounds you.  Do you use them?  Do they bring you joy and happiness?  If not, what would it feel like to let them go?  How would it feel knowing that they were in the home of someone that actually needed and wanted them? Not only is it okay to let things go, de-cluttering makes us healthier:

According to the Chicago Tribune: “Getting rid of clutter can have unexpected health benefits. Letting go of material things gives a feeling of euphoria some liken to the runner’s high. It’s liberating and frees up time and space for healthy habits, such as exercising. It can even reduce allergy symptoms and help you lose weight.”

Schedules:

Raise your hand if you feel you have too much to do and not enough time (I can almost see all of your hands raised right now).  Do you need to do everything on your schedule?   Are there things you knew at the time you should have said “no, but thanks for asking” to?  Are you doing things that don’t make you happy and are not critical (book club you no longer enjoy, exercise class you are only attending because you already paid for it but don’t really like, networking meetings that don’t bring you joy or clients, etc.)  Much like our stuff, cluttered and over-crowded schedules can affect our health.  I encourage you to take a look at your schedule and see what you can eliminate.  What would you do with that extra time?  Exercise?  Sleep? Spend more time with family and friends?

Technology:

Am I actually suggesting you give up technology?  Absolutely not!!! What I am suggesting is taking a critical look at how much time you are devoting to it.  Personally, I don’t do Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr,  but I spend way too much time on Facebook.  What are you learning from all these connections?  Is it really a “connection” or just a way to spend time?  What would happen if you disconnected from a social media platform or two?  What would happen if you reduced the amount of time you spent on them?  What would you do with that time?  Remember, doing nothing is a perfectly acceptable answer to that question.

People:

This one may sound harsh, but it’s worth thinking about.  I could never do without connections to people.  I love being around people; being with people fills me with joy.  But, are there connections I am spending time maintaining that no longer serve me (or the other person) the way they used to?  Think about it.  Is the time spent maintaining a relationship disproportionate to the joy the relationship brings you?

“Some people come into your life just to teach you how to let go.”   Search Quotes

I’m pretty sure we are all aware of things that could be eliminated from our lives, but it’s so hard to take that first step.  So, I’m going to challenge you:

Over the next week:

  • Eliminate one item of clutter.
  • Cancel one unnecessary appointment.
  • Reduce time spent on technology by one hour.
  • Take a critical look at one relationship.

Simplify your life . . . one small step at a time.

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

Member Color - Web
National Association of Professional Organizers, Seattle Chapter Vice President
ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website
Institute for Challenging Disorganization:
Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.
Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.
Coach Approach for Organizers
Graduate of the Comprehensive Training Program: Coaching Essentials; Strengths-Based Coaching; Brain-Based Coaching; Life and ADHD Coaching; and Organizer Coach Integration
Graduate-level training: Body-Based Coaching; ADHD Coaching Competencies

Time Management: What. When. How.

February is National Time Management Month
“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.”     — Thomas Edison

Time.  We all have the same amount of it, right?  How is it that some people are just better using it than others?  Well, David Allan, the guru (at least in my book) of time management  has a great strategy for getting things done.

Here’s a snippet of his philosophy:

  1. Capture:  Use an in-box, a to-do list, a white board, an electronic task manager, or any other capture device that works for you.
  2. Clarify: Be very clear about what the next step is.  Ignore it?  File it?  Delegate it? Work on it later?  Work on it now?
  3. Organize:  Where does it go (filing cabinet, car, assistant’s desk)?  When does it need to get done (organize by priority)?  Where can I do it (office, car, doctor’s office)?  Organize all phone calls in one place.  Make a list, geographically if possible, of all the errands that need to be run.
  4. Reflect:  Frequently review your lists.  Lists may need to be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly or yearly depending on priority.  If something has been on a list for a while, can it be deleted?
  5. Engage: Simply start the process.  Sometimes starting is the hardest part.

If you are looking for some great resource materials on time management, I can heartily suggest the following books as a start:

Product Details

Getting Things Done:  The art of stress free productivity

Product Details

Eat that Frog!

Product Details

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

Coaching Certifications (Coach Approach for Organizers):
Coaching Essentials; Strengths-Based Coaching; Brain-Based Coaching; Life and ADHD Coaching; Organizer Coach Integration; Body-Based Coaching; ADHD Coaching Competencies

Proud member of:

Member Color - Web

National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Seattle Area Chapter President

ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website

Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)

Level I Foundation Certification in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding

Level II Specialist Certification in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD

 

 

Tired of being stuck at the office?

Pixabay SummerHave you been getting the most out of your summer so far?  Some of my clients don’t take advantage of the extra time with their friends and family (no school, vacations, etc.) because they aren’t organized enough to feel comfortable leaving the office.  Possibly adding some efficiency to your every day processes will help you get out of the office with a clear conscience.

Here are some quick tips to get you out the door faster:

  1.  Begin with a “to do” list.  Whether you produce your list the afternoon before, or the morning of, each day should start with a clear picture of what needs to get done.
    • Tackle the hardest things first while you are full of energy.
    • Prioritize your list.  Determine what is urgent, important and possibly just aspirational.  Chances are everything on your list may not get done. (Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle)
    • Work in short, concentrated spurts.  Working a solid 45 minutes, then taking a 5 minute break is generally more productive than working three hours straight.
  2. Delegate when possible.  My guess is that everything on your list doesn’t have to be done by you.  If you have the support structure available, use it.  Caution:  Make sure you can truly let the project go.  Micromanaging something you’ve delegated may take more time than doing it yourself.  When delegating, ensure the person assisting you has all the tools to do the job efficiently and correctly.
  3. Determine what is “good enough.”  Does the analysis need to come with a pie chart?  If not, let the pie chart go.  Does the budget need to be broken down into 100 categories or will 10 suffice?  Ensure that the scope of the project is covered, but determine if the extra time to go into more detail, etc. is really necessary.
  4. Be open and clear with others about your time commitments.  If you generally don’t leave the office before 6:00, changing your pattern to leaving at 4:30 without clearly communicating the change to your associates may prove to be frustrating and unproductive for them.  For example, I had a boss that was always in at 6:30 AM.  If I wanted uninterrupted time with him, I came in early. I relied on his schedule to get my work done. In addition, be respectful of your co-worker’s schedules.  Don’t schedule meetings that may extend outside of the reasonable working hours: let’s say no meetings before 8:30 or starting after 3:30.
  5. If you want to leave the office at 4:30, start the exit process early, maybe at 4:00 – 4:15.  Chances are it will take some time to shut down your computer, have those last few-minute conversations with your co-workers, clear off your desk, etc.
  6. Resist the urge to do “just one more thing” as you see your exit time approaching.  As long as the critical tasks have been completed, give yourself permission to leave the office knowing the world will continue to rotate and the tasks will happily await your attention the next day.  🙂

Cindy Jobs

Organize to Simplify CMYK

 

www.organizetosimplify.com

cindy@organizetosimplify.com

206-707-3458

National Association of Professional Organizers, Seattle Area Chapter President

seattle

 

 

Institute for Challenging Disorganization, Six Certificates of Education

ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website

Urgent vs Important

UrgentImportantMatrixThis morning as I was getting ready to head out on vacation I  realized, yet again, that my “to do” list was longer than the hours I had left to do get everything done.  What’s a girl to do?

Many times in both my career and personal life I’ve fallen back on the Urgent vs Important grid (thank you Stephen Covey!) to help me through the “what to do now” decision process.

Important & Urgent: Things that really, really need to be dealt with right now (house on fire, etc.)

Important & Not Urgent: Things that need to be done, but don’t need to be done right now (long-term planning, etc.)

Urgent & Not Important:  Things that probably never need to be dealt with, but take up our precious time (telemarketers, etc.)

Not Urgent & Not Important:  Not only do these things not have to be done right now, chances are they don’t need to be done at all (watching videos of dancing cats on Youtube, etc.)

Here’s some of what was left on my “to do” list as of this morning and how they ended up getting categorized:

  1. Prepare house/pet information for sitter:  Important & Urgent
  2. Homework assignments for Coaching Class: Important & Urgent
  3. Listen to tele-class before it expires: Important & Urgent
  4. Ironing:  Important & Not Urgent
  5. Office Filing: Important & Not Urgent
  6. Yard work: Important & Not Urgent

I generally don’t put Not Important stuff on my “to do” list, so two of the categories were easy to eliminate.

Granted, there were a lot of other things on my list, but these represented hours worth of things I needed to do, in addition to my regular job.  The result:  #1-#3 got done; #4-#6 will be saved for another day.

Suffice to say, with my list prioritized, I’m feeling much better about my preparation for the trip and possibly may have just a couple minutes to watch dancing cat videos!

How do you prioritize your “to do” list?

 

Time Management: The Power of “No” vs “Yes”

????????????????????????????????????????24 hours a day. 7 days a week. That’s all we get. It’s finite.

How much do you value your time?

As I get older, I’m more aware that time really is finite. I can’t make more of it; I can only use what I have more wisely.

I used to think I could do it all.

I used to think that if someone asked me to do something, they really need MY help, not just help.

I used to think if someone asked me to join them at an event or to chair a committee, the request was an honor and privilege and that it would be rude to say “no.”

I don’t think that way anymore.

As a general rule, we are all people-pleasers. We want to say yes. We want to help out. We know our contributions will mean a lot to people. But, for every “yes” comes a commitment. It may not be much, but any “yes” takes precious time and energy that could be utilized another way. Time and energy that could be used to support our family, our faith, our job.

If you are already feeling overwhelmed and you can’t decide between “yes” and “no,” ask yourself the following questions.

1. Does this obligation fill you up? Does your brain say “I just can’t imagine NOT doing (insert obligation here).” It could be anything: a trip, a sporting event, serving on a committee, a new challenge at work.

a.  If you get excited just thinking about it, then “yes.”

b.  If not, then “no.”

2. Does this task have to be done?

a.  If it has to be done and you’re the only one that can do it, then “yes.”

b. If it doesn’t need to be done, and/or you aren’t the only one that can do it, then “no.”

3. Are you just doing just because you’ve always done it? Sometimes we are stuck in a rut, and we just don’t know how to back out of a perceived commitment. Let’s use the example of a Book Club. Maybe it doesn’t fill you up anymore, but people just expect you to participate. Chances are the Book Club will get along just fine without you and you will alleviate some stress and gain some time. Refer to #1.

4. Are you doing it just because people expect you to do it? Just because you’ve always run that report, brought in donuts, made that first pot of coffee, doesn’t mean you still have to. Possibly the report doesn’t need to get run, most of us certainly don’t need those donuts, and someone else can make the coffee. Refer to #2.

I say “yes” a lot.

I love the Therapy Dog work I do. When someone asks if I can come for a visit, I say “yes.” It fills me up.

I love helping my clients, even if they are hard to fit in my already-crammed schedule. I say “yes” more times than not.

I love taking my grandson when the kids have conflicting schedules. It’s not always convenient and sometimes I have to shuffle my schedule, but it’s always rewarding, so I say “yes.”

Saying “yes” can open us up to many great adventures, opportunities, and experiences, and that is wonderful. But, every time you say “yes” to a commitment that takes your time and energy and doesn’t fill you up, you may have to say “no” to something that would.

24 hours a day.  7 days a week.  That’s all we get.  It’s finite.  Use it wisely.

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

Proud member of:

Member Color - WebNational Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Seattle Area Chapter President

 ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 websiteInstitute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)