You Can’t Really Waste Time…

I know a lot of you will want to disagree with me on this. "Of course we can waste time", you say. "I do it all the time."

Not really. At least not the way you think you do. Looking for lost keys and misplaced glasses may qualify as wasted time but usually what you are doing is assigning a relative worth to an activity, valuing it against something else you might have done in its place. And that worth is dependent on a lot of factors.

• The Bite Test

I like to use the "Bite Test" to help me prioritize my activities. As
in 'What's going to bite me first if I don't get it done?"

I recently had a deadline of July 10 to complete a writing assignment. If I had chosen to look for my passport for a trip in September it's obvious what's going to hurt first.

What's often true in a case like this is fear of forgetting so simply write down a reminder to yourself. Your brain can let it go, knowing that it's looked after.

• Attitude

Your attitude towards an activity also values or devalues it. An evening spent at the ballet might be labeled a huge waste of time if you prefer line dancing but it certainly doesn't negate the ballet. It's only an indication of your own preferences and perspective.

• Balance

Balance is often where we, as businesspeople and entrepreneurs really fall out of whack and is often the source of our frustrations. Most of us don’t give enough weight to social activities, seeing them as ‘less valuable’ than business because they don’t directly generate dollars. (Read my previous blog on valuating your activities.)

If you "can't afford" to take care of yourself and your relationships while they're healthy what is the price you'll pay if they fail? That's the value you need to give them while you still have a choice.

 

The Myth of Time Management

I recently conducted a one-day retreat here at my home on Time Management. Or rather, the myth of it because the truth is we don't manage time at all. It just is. It exists and we can't argue with it or force it into any other shape than the one it already has.

What we can manage are activities and the value we place on those activities. That logic also says we can't waste time either. We are simply putting a relative worth on an activity and saying "I could have been doing A rather than B and A had more value."

However, we seldom question the scale we use to value the activities of our lives. Most of us use dollars as our only criteria to decide if something is worth our attention or a 'waste' of time. However there are 2 other valuations that we must apply or our lives will always be out of balance. 

First, what is the 'Zing' of an activity? Does it fulfill something in you? Does it create satisfaction or excitement? Zing will be different for everyone but it should never be overlooked or discounted. In fact, I believe it's the most important criteria and should carry the greatest weight because a fulfilled life is impossible without Zing.

The third criteria is 'Leverage'. Does Activity A need to be accomplished before Activity B can happen? Then Activity A has leverage value because it moves you forward. 

What would change in your life if you added Zing and Leverage to your scales of valuation? Where would you invest more time? What could you do less of or even stop altogether? 

Answer those questions and you're on the way to balance.

 

Missed Connections

I love gadgets. Just ask my husband. He calls me the Geek Goddess because I love playing with this stuff and taking advantage of something that promises efficiency. It's music to my organized little heart.

Ah, but there's the rub. What do we actually DO with the time we save? I don't know about you but if I'm not paying attention I simply fill it with more work, more chores, more should's and ought's. Those of you with a 'real job' (AKA a boss who wants you available 24/7) have a whole other set of expectations to deal with.

I once consulted for a company that insisted it's executives take their laptops, pagers and cell phones on family vacations! I'd shake my head as those poor souls trudged off to enjoy their 'down time'. Just last February, I watched a father walking through DisneyWorld with his kids who were desperately trying to have fun with their dad. Instead, he grew irritated with them because he was on the phone with his office.

What lesson do you think those kids learned?

And if you think you're more balanced than that, what happened the last time you tried to reach a friend or family member whose cell phone was turned off?   If you found yourself saying something like "Why are you going to carry one, if you're not going to turn it on?" you may need to examine your own beliefs about boundaries and personal space.

It's time to push back a little, to unplug ourselves. I'm not suggesting you get rid of it all. That's not realistic either. But you can declare some Technology-Free Zones in your life. Personally, I've stopped bringing my laptop home from my office in the evenings. (A side benefit – I'm sleeping better because I'm not stimulating my brain right up until lights out.)

I've stopped giving out my cell number except for specific instances, such as meeting a client for the first time and wanting to be sure we connect.

And the time I save when I do use my gadgets? I'm taking back some of it just for me. This week I sat on my deck with my morning coffee and journal. I gave myself full permission to enjoy the springtime. 

Want to join me on my deck and bring some sanity back into your own schedule? You can, you know. Just join me on July 10 for "The Time of Your Life." Click here to find out more.

And if you say you don't have time – well, think about what you just said…

 

Cut the Clutter

This past weekend I de-cluttered my office and files.  Motivated by the realization that there was no room for some new opportunities coming my way, I sorted, tossed and re-arranged,. Something had to go and those somethings all had to do with my old business. When I refocused my business in the spring, I'd never reflected that change in my physical space.

That's when I realized that, like my physical space, my time has shelves and files. Those shelves were also get cluttered with old or outdated stuff, sometimes to the point of collapse.

If your schedule is in need of a little creative de-cluttering then join me by sorting through the things you've got squirreled away on your own time shelves. You may even want to do this in conjunction with a physical de-cluttering of an area you inhabit. There's nothing like marrying physical activity with mental exercise. There's power in metaphor, so use it to your advantage.

First, review your calendar, go through customer files and list your business processes. Identify the activities you are committed to in a week. Keep a list as you go about your daily routines.

At the end of a few days ( a week is ideal as it covers your weekend activities) sit down with the information you've gathered. Take a sheet of paper or use a spreadsheet program and create three headings marked "Keepers", "Discards" and "Think It Over."

"Discards" are any activities and commitments that no longer serve you. "Keepers" serve you in important ways, even those you may not think of as that important (like taking your vitamins).  Finally the "Think It Over" category will contain the activities that you're not quite ready to make a decision on. Sort through your activities and place each under one of these headings.

Look at your Discards pile first — all those things you need or want to be rid of. Things like the overcommitment of time on that volunteer board that your guilt said yes to before you thought it through. Or those customers and clients who suck up 80% of your energy without much return. Or feeling you need to take care of all the details personally.

Invoke that powerful little word "NO".  Practice saying it often. This step alone will give you a sense of relief and create room on your "shelves". It will also help keep the clutter from coming back too quickly.

The Keepers are your non-negotiables like work, exercise and rest. Put them neatly into place on your schedule. There is a reason I mention personal time in this category. Too often we put it at the bottom of our priorities and then wonder why we never seem to get to what we long to do. Move your personal needs to the front, right at eye level so you can't miss yourself.

Don't forget to include some empty space in this category. Make room for new opportunities and interests. What you invite will show up if it has a place.

Finally, the "Think It Over" list  needs to be sorted out. Are some of these really Keepers? Things you'd miss to much to give up? Find their spot in your schedule.

Evaluate the rest with a critical eye. Be prepared to give up some of these 'Think it Over' items. Enlist help if you need it. Here's where the objective voice of a coach can be valuable. If there's no room on your time shelf for something you want to keep, you will need to give up something else so give this careful thought.

The point is to not cram it all back onto your calendar. Guard the open spaces.Create room for the things that are really important to you. Recognize that you can't do it all.

Keep only those things that feed your spirit, honor your values and move you toward the success you envisage for your business and life.

 

Perfection

Ahh, perfectionism. It sure gets in the way of progress! 

Most of us have run into this little gremlin a time or two. Rather than get tied up in knots  start with this – tell yourself that whatever you are doing doesn't have to be perfect. After all, even Hemingway had an editor and we all know the story of Edison's lightbulb experiment.

Don't measure your work-in-progress against someone else's finished product.  For that matter, don't measure yourself against anyone. You're you – not them – and you have your own unique gifts to give to the world. 

Second – the concept of "perfect" is subjective. Ask yourself. Who makes up the criteria? You do. So stop trying to define it. Instead, define "progress". What does that look like to you?

Third – Developing your business is a creative endeavour and creativity is messy. It goes in fits and starts, with lots of dead ends and do-overs. That's what creativity looks like. So if you're holding yourself tightly to some made-up standard of perfection you're probably not being very creative.

Creating anything new invites discomfort. Research tells us that using your right brain actually creates anxiety. It's just the way it works. Probably because our left brain is used to being in control. Handing over the reins can be a little unnerving. A favourite quote of mine is "Confidence in nonsense is a requirement for the creative process." (Anon.)

So relax. You're normal. Learn to be comfortable with uncertainty, messiness and imperfection mixed in with a good dollop of nonsense. You'll get to the finish line and enjoy the ride at the same time.

Let go and play! You'll probably amaze yourself AND everyone around you. 

 

Brain Training

I hear it sometimes from my clients – "I wasn't very productive this week."

That statement always worries me. There’s an implied judgment in those words, a measuring of progress that falls short of some imagined ideal.

Somehow in our society we’ve gotten the idea that we have to always be ‘doing’ – that progress means we must be able to measure it physically, like inventory. An even greater danger is believing the measurement must be monetary. That’s when we tread dangerously close to devaluing our most important business asset – our brains.

Time to take a deep breath and question the assumption underneath “I wasn't very productive.”

Did you work through a knotty problem or come up with a unique solution this week? If you were thinking, you were producing. After all, you don’t just pull ideas, new products and solutions out of thin air, although sometimes it may feel that way. If there were no thought involved, there would be no progress.

When was the last time you stopped and gazed off into space, following a bread crumb trail that your brain laid out? Where did it lead? What did you find there? Is it time to go exploring again?

Here are some ideas to give your brain a regular workout.

• Play brain games. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku or an enthusiastic Scrabble partner. When you exercise your brain you don’t let it get lazy.
• Go for a walk. Drink in the sensations and sights. Feed your brain with images. Your right brain particularly loves this.
• If you feel stuck for new ideas then take up a "mindless" hobby like knitting or needlepoint or other repetitive activity. (Einstien liked to take a shower). While your consciousness is distracted your subconscious will suddenly come up with solutions and plans.
• Get a box of kid’s watercolours, wet down a sheet of paper and drop blobs of paint on the paper. Just be curious about what happens without judging it. This isn’t about artistic ability but letting go of control. Pay attention to what that feels like.
• Daydream.

Let your thoughts off the leash. You may be surprised where they'll lead you.