f
 
202.244.3738

Dear Friends and Clients,

I typically complete an issue of this newsletter at least a week or two before you see it. Writing them has become an important discipline for me, providing a structure for exploring issues that I see in my client practice and laying the groundwork for speeches and training sessions.

With this issue, however, I looked ahead two weeks to the publication date and had a moment of panic. “I just can’t get it done,” I thought. “I have too much to do.”

When I left my corporate life, I vowed that I would also leave behind the frequent sense of being overwhelmed by my “to do” list. To be an effective coach I need to cultivate a sense of inner calm, and that is difficult to do amidst relentless deadline pressure.

So when I noticed that feeling of panic about getting everything done, I decided to pause and take steps to regain control of my time. And that is what I’ll write about in this “ezine.”

Warm wishes,
Bev


Take Some Time Back
And Get More Done

March 20th, 2007 * Number 56

If you’re like most professionals, you probably feel much too busy. In fact, I’m flattered that you’re taking the time to read this newsletter – you have so much to do!

When you’re worried about getting it all done, or you want to work fewer hours and have a fuller life, it might be time to consider new ways to juggle your workload. No matter how organized you are, you might boost your productivity and create some free time by taking a fresh look at the way you approach your tasks.

If you want to accomplish more, and spend less time doing it, consider these strategies:

  • Focus on your goals and priorities. Whether you’re thinking about the rest of your life or the balance of the afternoon, it is important to have a clear idea about what you want to accomplish. Develop the habit of frequently asking yourself: “What is most important here? What matters most?” In any situation, define your purpose and concentrate on your highest priorities.

  • Take back your prime real estate. For each of us, there is a time of day when we do our best work. For example, you might be most productive first thing in the morning. Notice your most productive hours and consider that time zone to be prime real estate on your calendar. Schedule that time period very carefully, devoting as much of it as possible to your most important projects. Avoid frittering that particularly valuable time away on routine email or other peoples’ priorities.

  • Make a big list. A useful exercise when you’re feeling out of control is to make a complete list of all your tasks and projects. As a starting point, don’t worry about organizing the items. Rather, just capture all your concerns on paper – it can clear your mind and feel liberating. Once you have built a complete list, you can reorganize it into projects and categories. At that point it will be time to set priorities and put time-sensitive items on your calendar.

  • Take a step. Sometimes the most important items on your list seem too massive to approach. Don’t give in to the temptation to put off the big ticket items until you have plenty of time. Identify just one or two small steps that will allow you to move a key project forward in the amount of time that you actually have available.

  • Decide what not to do. It can be difficult to face the fact that there isn’t enough time to finish everything, and it can be hard to say “no” to requests made by others. Sometimes, however, there really isn’t enough time to go around. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted from your highest priorities by activities that aren’t all that important to you. You should be the one to decide which tasks you will have to let go. When your list gets too long, make a conscious decision about which things to delay, delegate or strike.

  • Do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is fashionable and people seem to enjoy bragging about how many things they can do at once. Time management experts agree, however, that juggling among tasks wastes effort, and that the most productive people concentrate on one thing at a time.

  • Master short meetings. In some office cultures, it seems like every meeting has to last an hour or two, even if there is just a few minutes worth of work to do. Many meetings can and should be reduced to 10 or 15 minutes. If you don’t want to offend other participants, it might help to explain that you only have a short time block available, but don’t want to delay until there is more time because the topic is so important. And, regardless of their length, meetings tend to be more productive if participants work from an agenda.

  • Know when to take a break. When we work on one thing for a prolonged time, the creative part of our brains may shut down. If you’re feeling blocked or stale or bored, get up and move around. Research suggests that if you leave your desk and get a little exercise you’ll probably be more productive in the long run.

    • Want to Read More About
    Making Good Use of Your Time?

    Below are brief descriptions of two books, as well as links that will allow you to buy the books directly from Amazon.com. For reviews of these and other helpful books, along with Amazon links, go to: ClearWays Books and Services. If you buy a book this way it will contribute to the cost of distributing Bev’s Tips, and be much appreciated.

    Leave the Office Earlier, by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP (2004).

    Stack says professionals can accomplish more and feel less stress at work if they start by pinpointing their own productivity challenges. She opens her book with a quiz designed to help you identify your problem areas, like wasting time, being distracted by email or other intrusions, or having a disorganized work space.

    The book provides a helpful outline of many factors that impact workplace efficiency and offers specific suggestions about how you might work more effectively. On the topic of not wasting time, she suggests that you keep a running list of things you can do when you just have a few minutes to spare, like writing a “thank you” note or doing some sit-ups.

    Cut to the Chase, by Stuart R. Levine (2006).

    This book is so short that it illustrates Levine’s main theme, that you shouldn’t waste your time or allow other people to waste it for you. The most successful people, he says, are the ones who approach each task with clarity, focus and purpose.

    Levine offers 100 brief rules that, he says, will allow you to “continually reinforce the purposefulness of your actions.” If you keep focused on your priorities, he says, you can take back your time and live a happier life.

    Levine urges executives to make every conversation meaningful, and to keep most conversations brief. He likes meetings that are 10 minutes long, but thinks that many topics can be resolved in conversations that last two minutes or less.

    If you have just a few minutes to devote to the topic of saving time at work, this may be the book for you.




    Are you looking for a speaker? In addition to providing executive coaching, Bev is available to speak about a broad range of issues related to your work life. Visit her website at www.ClearWaysConsulting.com or email to Bev directly. Bev is certified by the International Coach Federation and associated with Executive Coaching & Consulting Associates.





    Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly Jones, a lawyer and former executive who coaches accomplished leaders and professionals to bring new direction and energy to their work lives.

    Copyright ©2007, ClearWays Consulting, LLC & Beverly E. Jones. All rights in all media reserved. However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

    Our address is: 2925 43rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016.