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Are you obsessed with time management?

I think we can all agree that time management is a very good thing, however, there are situations where people tend to take the whole idea of using their time wisely to the extreme. When this happens, the crucial goal of managing your time gets lost in “the busy” and the drive to cram too much into too little time. When it gets to this point, the process of managing your time ceases to be a help and becomes a burden instead. It may be that you can become obsessed with managing your time!

There are several early warning signs that you are may be on the edge of abusing time management rather than use it to your best advantage:

 

Multitasking is your thing

In today’s world, as women we tend to pride ourselves at being able to multitask our way through the day. It’s not unusual for us to handle more than two or more tasks at a time, and we start to do this without thinking. If the tasks in question can be conducted concurrently without causing a great deal of stress we tend to overlook what’s really going on and work on autopilot by dividing our focus and our talent to get through the day. How often, for example, do we participate on a webinar or conference call while also sending instant messages and email to keep things flowing? Ok, two activities can actually work together without any real difficulty.

Things can get tricky when you attempt to take on two or more labor-intensive tasks at the same time, however. This can lead to a great deal of inner conflict and possibly have a negative impact on the quality applied to each of the tasks involved. In other words, instead of ending up with one task done well, you have two (or more) tasks that may be completed but are barely acceptable.

Some people find they just can’t stop multitasking even when it is not necessary. The idea behind this approach is that the multitasking will make it easier to finish all the action items currently on the agenda and enjoy some well-earned downtime. Unfortunately, when you become obsessed with multitasking to manage your time you’ll never really get around to having any downtime. Instead, you’ll finish one set of projects and immediately start looking for another set to do.

Multitasking as part of time management is fine, provided it’s done wisely. When it becomes an end in and of itself rather than a means to reach a goal, it is time to step back and re-evaluate your approach.

 

You Feel Guilty If You Are Not Doing Something

Many of us live our lives from the edge of guilt. We worry about doing the right thing, for the right people, at the right time and we often find ourselves agonizing over the way we do things. Guilt can be an effective tool when it comes to keeping us on track, but guilty feelings when there is nothing to feel guilty about is another matter altogether (and we’re very good at finding those matters). When guilt creeps into the time management process, it is usually an indicator that you have begun to believe on some level that unless you’re are not actively engaged in some task, you’re are not managing your time well.

While it is important to take care of necessary tasks in a timely manner, you do need some time to simply relax and recharge. If you look at it from this perspective, failing to include time for rest and recreation is a breach of good time management policies. If you deny your mind and your body of what it needs to be healthy, you are defeating the purpose of time management, and setting yourself up for a fall at some future point.

 

You become annoyed with others who don’t do as you do

One of the ways people validate their actions is by comparing them with what other people do. After all, if others are using the same approaches and methods to time management that we are, that means we are on the right track. However, when you’re in your zone and people do things differently, we may assume they are wrong and we are right, something has gone wrong with our sense of time management.

We know that everyone brings different talents and abilities to a given task, so taking this to the next level means there are in fact more than one right approach when tackling the same tasks or projects. People who have a balanced view of time management realize this and even welcome the opportunity to learn something new. However, if you assume your way is the only right way you may be on the defensive and find fault with as many aspects of the alternative method as possible.

Again, this negative point of view isn’t really in keeping with true time management principles. Not only does this mindset make it impossible to be exposed to new ways of managing tasks and possibly saving time, it also can create a great deal of stress and friction for everyone concerned. If you are working with a team or delegating responsibilities, having this mindset can upset everyone’s ability to manage time effectively, meaning no one progresses as quickly as they would if all parties could learn from one another and respect individual working styles.

It may be time to check in with yourself and the way you manage your time! The bottom line is that you can become so obsessed with time management that the good you’ve created may start to unravel, putting you in a position where you are more likely to struggle and fail. When this happens, you’ll find your obsession with structured time management may be worse than when you didn’t attempt any time management practices at all.

 

Barbara Jemmott is the founder and business strategist at Your Entrepreneurial Spirit. Her 4-point YES to Customer Acquisition Program (C.A.P.) allows her to work her passion which is helping entrepreneurial women grow their audiences and income, online. She got here through her 20+ years of experience helping businesses understand and implement systems, strategies and procedures to increase productivity as well as implementing change and streamlining operations. With experience and responsibilities to design, develop and deliver training for small to large technology training initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, she brings “Big Business” expertise to the small business space. Learn more about Your Entrepreneurial Spirit and the YES to Customer Acquisition Program at www.yourentrepreneurialspirit.com

 

 

7 Things to Do Differently This Year

sandra

We’re already half way through the second month of the year! I hope you’re year is off to a fantastic start. If you’ve already encountered some setbacks, have no fear – it’s never too late to start over. Every day is a chance for a fresh start, a new beginning. Here are seven things to consider doing differently this year.

  1. Taking things personally

It’s not always about you. Even when it is, it isn’t. Does it make you feel good? If not, stop doing it and try another approach.

  1. Comparing yourself to others, professionally and/or personally

Yes, there are a lot of people who have figured out how to work from their laptop on a beach somewhere warm. If it motivates you, that’s a good thing. If it makes you feel less than or unworthy, quit doing it. Focus on your own growth and development.

  1. Putting the needs of others before your own

We’ve all been reminded that we should treat life like we’re told to handle emergency situations on a plane. Take care of yourself before you take care of others. If you’re not good, then you can’t be of real use to anyone else anyway!

  1. Multitasking

There was a time when I glorified multitasking. “Look at me! I can do 20 things at the same time!” I’ve come to the realization that focusing on one thing at a time actually works better. The quality of work improves, and so does productivity. Multitasking can leave a lot “almost” done, but not quite.

  1. Maintaining the status quo

If change doesn’t normally excite you, it may be time to embrace it. Doing things the way you’ve always done them is just going to get you more of the same, or less. Challenge yourself to change things up this year in at least one area of your life – business or pleasure.

  1. Making excuses

When we want something bad enough, we find a way to make it happen. When it really isn’t that important to us, we find excuses to justify our inaction. Set goals that are meaningful and relevant to you and commit to them. If you’re looking for an excuse not to do something, you’ll find it. Make this a year of action and progress. You don’t want to find yourself in the exact same position, or worse next year, do you?

  1. Playing small

It’s time to pull out those big hairy audacious goals that you’ve been thinking about for a while, but thought could never be possible. You can achieve anything you put your mind to. It’s not just a saying, it’s the truth. Make this the year that you step into your greatness and make those dreams you’ve been talking about for years a reality. Think about how it will impact your life and the life of those around you and just do it!

I’m planning to practice what I preach this year and take my own advice in these seven areas. If you have other ideas or things that you’re committing to doing differently this year, I would love to hear them!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!
Connect:
www.embraceyourdestiny.ca
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook
www.twitter.com/sandradawes

Multi-tasking: Are you an Addict?

Sheralyn

Hi, My name is Sheralyn and I’m a recovering addict.  They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Yes, I am a former multitasking addict and I struggle daily with the constant urge to do more, more, more.  While I certainly don’t wish to make light of addiction, the reality is multitasking is a 21st Century affliction both epidemic in proportion and idealized as virtue. It’s time for a reality check.

When we multitask, we labour (literally) under the illusion that we are doing more, making better use of our time, increasing our efficiency and possibly even that we are saving ourselves or our companies, time, money or both. It has become a much prized value and “ability to multitask” a staple skill set to include on our résumé. Recent research suggests however that such a staple should perhaps not be so prized after all.

Multitasking, studies show, “doesn’t make us any more efficient………we actually perform tasks more slowly because brains need extra time to toggle between tasks.”  Additionally, there is an increasing body of evidence that concludes it is actually bad for us.  “How is it bad? It impedes short-term memory, decreases overall mental performance, and causes stress, hormonally triggering “a vicious cycle where we multi-task, take longer to get things done, then feel harried and compelled to multi-task more,” says journalist John Naish. And the brain-toggling that comes with ongoing multi-tasking shortens our attention, eventually addicting us through spurts of adrenaline continually being released. In the absence of multi-tasking, one study reported in The New York Times concluded, “people feel bored.” (1) That’s right – we’ve become so addicted to all this action and in the process so acclimatized to the “value” of multitasking that the new social norm involves conversations that are vehemently competitive as we seek to establish who is the busiest and can get the most done in the least amount of time. Gone are the Downton Abbey days of one staff to light the fires while another polishes the silver and a third helped dress the Dowager Countess – these days we are each of us individually expected to keep the homes fires lit, burn the candle at both ends at work, set out the silver for dinner while simultaneously cooking it and keep track of it all using our various social media devices. Plus dress the kids and drive them to school, sports or piano practice! (My kingdom for a Governess!)

What then is the alternative?  Drawing media attention (and in fact building momentum of late) is the discussion around the benefits of solo tasking.  It doesn’t require much research to know that having a single – minded focus will help you achieve a level of attention to detail that you simply can’t have while multi-tasking.  Solo tasking requires you to schedule appropriately, ensuring adequate amounts of both your time and resources are allocated to the task. In the scheduling, you will clearly think ahead to what your project entails and properly anticipate all requirements. You increase the odds significantly that you will complete the task during that time-frame because it is the only thing required of you. Distractions and time wasters are substantially reduced because you are not transitioning between various computer screens, running from office to office or scrolling through multiple search engines and then getting sidetracked by social media. (Face it you DO get sidetracked by social media.) In short, if you are polishing the silver you are doing a VERY god job of polishing the silver.  The fires can then be lit when darkness descends – a time more suited for that particular job.

There is such a value placed on the commodity of time now that we have become accustomed to making calls while we drive or sending emails from our laptops while eating lunch.  Hopefully you are using Bluetooth but what happens when the caller requests you to make a note of something? Do you pull over to write it down? Swerve madly all over the road as you attempt to talk, drive and write? And what of your laptop? How many times have you spilled (or come perilously close to spilling) your lunch or coffee all over the keyboard.  The “benefits” of multitasking are rapidly lost when you have an accident in either scenario.  Better for your physical and mental state to solo task.  If you’re driving a car, for Pete’s sake just drive and couldn’t we all use even 15 minutes break to eat and recharge our batteries? Your efficiencies will gain exponentially when you return, refocused and re-energized.

If you work in a creative field sometimes “ideas happen.”  They don’t always conform to a schedule, heck I’m sure you’ve even woken up in the night with a brilliant idea. Solo tasking doesn’t have to put an end to that  – keep a notepad handy and if an idea for another project does makes its way into your head don’t shut down the whole works – just jot the idea down in point form so you don’t lose your train of thought and then immediately return to what you were doing.  Make organizing your time (not juggling it) the virtue and valued skill set. A properly organized and prioritized workday, with single – minded focus and clarity of objectives, will ultimately make you more productive than trying to juggle a three – ring circus. Because unless you spent years of practicing to become a juggler – something is bound to get dropped!

 

(1)www.todayschristianwoman – march april 2013

 

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

The Multitasking Myth

MVR_profile-pic.2_Nov2012_-_Copy

It is a lovely October morning and I’m on my way to work. Walking along the shoreline, I marvel at the autumn colours. As my glance turns right across the well-travelled multi-purpose trail, I do a double-take. The scene: A guy sort of jogging; pushing a jogging-stroller several strides ahead and then reading from his cell phone, and repeating the push-then-read action.

Nowadays, the claim of being a good multitasker is worn like a badge of honour. What science shows, however, is that our brain can only concentrate fully on one task at a time.

Multitasking, defined as “the ability to do several things at the same time” is, according to neuro-science research, not truly possible. What we actually do is switch back and forth between tasks. Each of our tasks requires cognitive resources, which are limited by a bottleneck in our brain so that when we switch to a new task, the other is put on hold and vice versa, resulting in “serial tasking”, not multi-tasking.

Such back and forth is slow and neuro-imaging studies reveal up to 40% lower productivity levels in test participants. It only truly works for tasks processed by different parts of the brain, e.g. listening to music while reading, or for innate activities like walking and talking. While we can train our brains to increase somewhat the speed with which our prefrontal cortex processes information, there are better ways to improve our productivity.

How to Improve Your Focus

  1. Become a morning person. According to a study by biologist ChristophRandler, morning-people are more proactive and effective problem-solvers. If necessary, adjust your sleep patterns.
  2. Focus on one task at a time.Close your email, Facebook, and other chat programs to block out distractions. It can take up to 15 minutes to regain complete focus after a distraction.
  3. Switch between high and low-attention tasks, e.g. after several hours of highly focused work, do some filing, shredding, the dishes or other ‘brainless’ activity for 15 minutes.
  4. Prioritise. Make a list to determine the top items you need to work on first and complete them one by one.
  5. Take mini breaks. When you’ve finished one task stand up, move around, stretch. This signals your brain the end of one task and helps re-focus on the next, suggests Carolyn Brooks, a business and life skills coach.
  6. Feed your brain. Start your day by eating breakfast and stop for meals and snacks. Take physical breaks away from your desk or work area. Foods high in antioxidants, e.g. leafy green vegetables (broccoli, spinach), fruits like blueberries, black currents, and tomatoes, wholegrains, and oily fish are especially good brain foods (Ten Foods to Boost Your Brainpower,http://bit.ly/17xIv0E)

 

Most of all, avoid stress. When your heavy workload is getting to you, try looking at it through one of my favourite metaphors: How do you eat an elephant?One bite at a time.

 

Sources:

Mo Costandi, neuroscience writer, Mar 2007, http://bit.ly/3SUWob

Terri Williams, Intuit Small Business Blog, Jul 2013, http://bit.ly/GY2YiU

Science Daily, Jul 2009, http://bit.ly/17bYOkc

 

Martina Rowley is the founder and operator of Beach Business Hub – THE coworking space east of the Don Valley. She combined her passion and experience in the environmental sector with her community engagement side to create a local work environment where space and resources are shared. She fosters and facilitates collaboration, networking, and learning for and with small business owners and new startups.  Contact her at:http://www.beachbusinesshub.ca, on Facebook and on Twitter

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