The Importance of Rituals
August 25, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 1 Comment
Rituals play an important role in society. Rituals remind us of what is important and provide a sense of stability and continuity in our lives. You can also use rituals to work more effectively and stay focused on your goals.
I am not a morning person. I do not leap from my bed, ready to take on the day, with a spring in my step and a smile on my lips. It takes a little time for me to get into the swing of the day.
Once I get rolling, the day is mine, but I could easily lose a couple of hours every day if I didn’t have rituals in place. [Read more…]
What Are Your Goals for Today?
August 20, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 4 Comments
Do you set daily goals? I find that having goals each day helps me to stay focused and get more done. A few things I’ve learned about setting daily goals:
Don’t overwhelm yourself. If your to-do list for today is: (1) Clean out the garage, (2) Write a book, (3) Bring peace to the Middle East…well, you may be setting yourself up to fail. Your daily list should only contain tasks you have a reasonable chance of completing that day.
You can still have a master list of all of those things you want or need to do, but your list for a single day should only include what you plan to do that day. Listing 127 tasks and completing six of them does not lead to a feeling of accomplishment. Especially if you added eight tasks to your list that day. However, planning to accomplish six things, and doing so, feels good. Be realistic about what you can do in one day. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Getting Things Done Tagged With: Getting Things Done, goals, my to do list, to do list
Habits Of Action
July 20, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 2 Comments
Do you feel overwhelmed? In this guest post, time management experts Karen Leland and Keith Bailey show how to get things done by making taking action a habit.
You know what you need to do. You know why you need to do it. You even know what steps you must take to get it done. But there’s one small problem: you can’t seem to get moving. It’s a common problem. Maybe it’s chronic procrastination or maybe you’re just so overwhelmed that you feel paralyzed. Either way, the task you must complete is just sitting there, gathering metaphorical (or perhaps literal) dust, and growing more ominous by the day. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Getting Things Done, Guest Posts Tagged With: Getting Things Done, GTD, time management
How many times have you said, “I should (fill in blank), but I just don’t have the time”? If a lack of time is keeping you from doing things critical to your success, something has to change. So, where can you “find” time you didn’t seem to have?
Eliminate unnecessary work. If you are doing stuff that doesn’t need to be done, stop. Maybe it’s something you’ve “always” done. That doesn’t mean you should continue.
Get expert help. You could write that sales letter yourself. It would take all day, and might not be as good as one written by a pro. Or, you could spend a little money on an expert, and use your time more effectively. If you have lots of time and no money, you might be able to justify doing it yourself. But not if it is costing you time you could use to get paid more than the cost of the expert.
Delegate. Lots of stuff can be done by anyone–it doesn’t have to be you. Hire someone to help with filing, billing and bill paying, follow up phone calls, updating data records, etc. A family member, temp, or student could be very helpful and not cost a fortune.
Out source. Instead of doing that mailing yourself, hiring a mailing service. Don’t run 5000 copies of a flier off your printer or desk top photocopier, send it to a copy shop. In both cases, you’ll not only save time, it will probably be cheaper than the cost of doing yourself (in actual cash outlay, even without figuring in the value of your time). Often, getting something done by a specialist is cheaper, faster and better than doing it yourself.
Set up systems. If every time I wanted to send a press release I had to send each release individually, it would take forever. Instead, I have data bases I can send releases to with just a few keystrokes. Can you automate something, or set a manual system, to streamline the process?
Get organized. If you spend an hour every day looking for stuff that’s “here somewhere” you need to get organized. Spending a little time now to get things in order will save you lots of time every day.
Procrastinate. OK, this runs counter to what I just said; however, there are times when putting things off is a good idea. You shouldn’t blindly jump into doing everything you think of. I have lots more ideas than time. Take the time to evaluate whether starting a new project is worthwhile, and you won’t spend a lot of time doing things that aren’t profitable.
Schedule an appointment with yourself. Someone once said to me that we make time for what is important, and excuses for the rest. How true! If something really needs doing, do it. Schedule a time and keep to it. Whether it is setting aside a day to finish a project, or an hour a week to contact customers, make time for what is important to you.
Making a Fresh Start
June 29, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 3 Comments
I just got a new laptop computer and decided it was time to get my computing life in order. It would be easy (well, relatively) to just move everything from the old laptop to the new one, but that would mean transferring a lot of out-of-date and unneeded programs, documents and other files. Instead, I am looking at this as a chance to make a fresh start. I am taking my time setting up the new machine. I am asking questions about what programs I need, how my data should be organized and more. The idea is to keep the new computer working faster and better for as long as possible.
The same principle applies to other areas of life and business, too. Is it time to clear out your email inbox, uncover your desk, or rethink your to-do list? Here are some steps that will help you to make a fresh start.