Beyond The Madding Crowd

Finding Business Calm - Time

Do you ever feel like your business has a mind of its own and you are no longer in command and control?

 

You are not alone. This feeling is actually quite common, particularly in the early stages of a new business. It can all seem totally overwhelming and your fantastic business concept may now feel like a distant memory.

 

This is not a great place to be, but never fear I have a few ideas to put you back in the driving seat of your business again.

 

One of the biggest issues most business owners have is TIME, or lack of it.

 

Time is intangible – you can’t see it, hear it, taste it or smell it. However, if you don’t manage it well, you will be forever chasing after it.

 

We never seem to have enough time in the day but really it is a matter of how we use the time that is available to us.

 

Tools or strategies to manage time more effectively:

 

1.   Plan ahead 

2.   Use a daily schedule for tasks and activities

3.   Use an effective prioritisation system

4.   Allocate specific timeframes for each task

5.   Set clear boundaries around interruptions

6.   Use an email protocol

7.   Set clearly defined short and long term goals

8.   Delegate

9.   Avoid procrastination

10. Look after yourself better

Once you have mastered the art of time management, you will hopefully feel more at ease with yourself and more in control of your business.

If you are interested in getting more detail on this subject, download my new free report available from my website

 

Take A Break!

When was the last time you took a break? This could be a short-time away, an annual holiday or just a break away from your computer screen.

 

In today’s fast-paced world we are all driven to work more and play less. This is not a good scenario.

 

You’ll remember the old saying “All work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy (girl)” and this is true. However, it will not only make you “dull” and lacking in energy but potentially unwell.

 

So in my opinion, breaks from work are actually vital to your overall health and well-being.

 

Taking a break will:-

 

• Provide you with time to clear your mind
• Provide you with some breathing space
• Allow you to come back refreshed and revived

I know from personal experience that forcing myself to stay working in front of my laptop when I am tired, that I am less productive and unable to really focus on what I am doing.

 

However, if I take a break from the work and do something else, then come back to it then I am able to look at the work with fresh eyes and a clearer mind. I also find that I am able to focus much better.

 

So, how often do you take a break?

 

My suggestions would be:

1. Take a break from your computer or desk about every hour (more often if you can manage it)

2. Use your evenings and days off wisely – don’t take work home

3. Take regular short breaks from work – even just one day here and there

4. Use all your annual holiday from work – you’ve earned it so use it

Work is important, particularly when so many people are now unemployed as a result of the downturn in the financial markets.

 

However, nothing, and I repeat – NOTHING – is more important than your  health.

 

So my challenge to you this week is to use your  time off wisely and take regular breaks throughout the day

Having Time On Your Side

How much time do you think you “lose” everyday to non-essential tasks or activities?

 

It is estimated that we can “lose” (or not use effectively) up to 2 hours a day through non-essential activities.

 

Do any of the following resonate with you?

 

• Colleagues who come to ask one question and are still there an hour later

 

• Someone tries to derail a meeting to get their own agenda heard thus increasing the time of the meeting

 

• You have to get a report finished but you are persuaded to take a long lunch break to listen to someone’s woe’s

 

• You invite a friend round for morning coffee and they stay till 3pm

 

• You are running late for your next appointment because the previous one went on longer than scheduled

 

• You spend 20 minutes every morning writing your to-do list for the day and then wonder where all the time goes

 

• Your boss expects you to drop everything when they have a question

 

• You have to work late to catch up on the time you have lost during the day

 

You get the idea.

 

Some of the above can be taken care of by you being more forthright about your time and being more protective of it – after all it belongs to you (doesn’t it). However, sometimes you might find yourself in situations that are difficult to get out of without appearing rude or insensitive.

 

So what do you do? – You use your “diary or schedule” as your legitimate way of closing meetings on time, being where you need to be on time and gaining back control of your day.

 

However, if you don’t use a diary or the one you have you don’t use well or is ineffective, then you need to take some action to rectify this.

 

Which diary system should I use?

Paper-based diary

 

This is really useful if you travel around a lot between meetings (e.g. seeing clients) and don’t want the fuss of maintaining an electronic gadget.

 

FiloFax

 

These are useful, they are portable, come in lots of sizes and look business-like. However, you do have to remember to take them with you and keep it updated.

 

Planner Pad

 

This is like a FiloFax on speed – it is really effective not only at scheduling appointments but planning your week and working out which days you will do each task. It is very portable but with all things you do need to keep it up to date.

 

PDA (Personal Digital System)

 

These are useful as long as you keep it up to date at all times. You also need to remember to either upload the data onto your computer or ensure that it is fully charged at all times (otherwise you may lose your data).

 

Email-based System

 

For example Microsoft Outlook which you can use on your desktop. This works well as long as you have constant access to your computer. You can access it remotely as long as your email is accessible remotely. The downside is that it is not portable.

 

Web-Based System

 

These are good again, as long as you have access to a computer. The good thing about these is that they are accessible world-wide – as long as you have access to a computer.  Again these are not very portable.

 

The final decision about which system you want to use will depend on a number of factors:

 

• How portable does your system need to be?
• Do you like technology (portable or otherwise)

 

The bottom line with all of these systems is that in order for them to be effective you have to keep them fully up to date – at all times.

 

I have just started using a Planner Pad and found this to be very helpful at keeping me on track and accountable which is useful when you are working for your self (www.plannerpad.com). However you need to use a system that will work for you.

 

Once you have settled on your system you then need to have some diary management techniques that you can use to gain back some time.

 

1. Allow extra time either side of meetings to allow you to move from one meeting to the next and to allow you to arrive on time at all appointments

 

2. Schedule meetings with yourself – particularly if you need to get a task completed by a specific deadline. This is helpful with online diary systems that others can access as they will be able to see you are busy.

 

3. Plan your week in advance. This will save you having to think about what you are doing each day as you will have already mapped it out. I would suggest you do this as your last task on a Friday and then you can start the following week fully prepared to hit the ground running.

 

Once you get into a habit of using your diary system more effectively you will wonder how you ever managed without it.

 

So here’s to having time on your side for a change

Calm Living

I am always taken aback by just how much most of us – particularly in the western world – seem to be living for tomorrow rather than today.

 

It is almost as though we have written-off today and that tomorrow will always be better. Now I am not saying that tomorrow won’t be better or that thinking positively is a bad thing, but if we just took time to appreciate what we have today then tomorrow will take care of itself.

 

I have as short saying/ poem on my office wall which states:

 

Yesterday is HISTORY

Tomorrow is a MYSTERY

Today is a GIFT

That’s why we call it The PRESENT

 

It acts as a constant reminder to me not to forget all the good things I have in my life right now, right this minute and to be truly grateful for all of them.

 

So remembering to live in the here and now is always a good thing, but what else might you consider doing to bring a sense of CALM into your day?

 

I have a number of tools that I use for getting me to tune into myself and refocus on what I am doing.

 

1 – Deep Breathing, also know as the “Haa” Breathing technique

 

Take a long slow deep breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, hold it for 2 seconds and then release it by breathing out through your mouth and making a “Haa” sound. Repeat this 3 times.

 

This not only gets you to focus on just one thing (your breathing) but gives more oxygen to the body and the brain. The result is that you feel instantly calmer and more focussed and less anxious than you did before.

 

You can repeat this as and when you need to throughout the day and no-one will really know that you are doing anything except they will find a calmer more centred you.

 

2 – Visualisation

 

The brain cannot differentiate between a real or an imagined event. Therefore using the power of visualisation means that you can take your mind on a short “vacation” of 2 or 3 minutes to a time or place where you felt really calm and relaxed.

 

All the good feelings you had when you were in that moment in time will come flooding back to you and you will regain an instant calmness about you.

 

I know that some of you are thinking that you are not very visual, but I would challenge you to close your eyes and think of your front door, really picture it in your minds eye – the colour, what it is made of, the shape/colour of any glass it may have, where the handle is situated, where the letterbox is situated etc.  I am sure you have a very clear picture of your front door right now – that is visualisation and we are all much better at it than we think we are.

 

3 – Meditation

 

This needn’t be a long meditation; it can be only a few minutes in duration but will be totally transformational.

 

Take yourself off to somewhere you know won’t be disturbed for 5 minutes, or just somewhere where sitting with your eyes closed won’t seem untoward.

 

When you have closed your eyes, take 3 deep breaths – in and out through the nose or using the Haa technique. When you are in a calm place in your mind, empty your mind of all your thoughts and imagine a white light radiating around you. This is your safety blanket. Keep yourself in this safe, calm and relaxed place for a few minutes. 

 

When you are ready take 3 more deep breaths and open your eyes. The process of emptying your mind of all those busy thoughts just for a few minutes is extremely calming and uplifting.

 

 

4 – Journaling

 

I am a strong advocate of journaling wherever I am. I always have a small notebook so that I can dump my brain onto paper and thus release any tension or negative feelings that I might be having.

 

I can be found journaling on the bus, on the train, but particularly just before I go to bed. I find that by “parking” all of those thoughts until morning allows me to get a better night’s sleep.

 

You can use any piece or paper or notebook you have to hand, but to make it more emphatic and more meaningful you could buy a special notebook just for your journal entries.

 

I hope that you find some or all of the calming techniques that I use helpful to you and even if you are a bit sceptical about them, give them a go and see what happens.

 

 

Maureen

Goals - where are they now?

I don’t know about you but the current state of the world’s finances is getting a bit tiresome and a little disheartening.

 

The way I see it, you can get totally immersed in this whole global downturn, OR, you can keep your focus and continue with your plan/ goals for this year.

 

For me, I am certainly going to be working on the latter – maintaining my business and life focus and be as pro-active as possible in making my plans/hopes/dreams and goals a reality.

 

Fancy joining me in some Positive Mental Attitude work?

 

Yes – Great! Let’s get going.

 

Firstly, let’s remove some of the negative hype.

 

I have heard from a lot of very successful entrepreneurs that they no longer listen to news broadcasts because they are so depressing. Whilst this may be effective for some people, I still feel that having an overview of what is going on in the world is a good thing. This doesn’t mean watching every news programme on the television or listening to every news programme on the radio or reading every newspaper. What I would suggest is that you select one media option (only one) and then only listen to it or read it once a day or even once a week and get a summarised version.

 

OK, now that you are “limiting” the impact of negative media-hype on your day, you can now focus on what you do want to show up in your life/ business.

 

You may have set some New Year’s Resolutions this year or created some SMART Goals for yourself/ your business but what have you done with them since?

 

Are they somewhere “safe” for you to revisit in December 2009 when you want to do the same thing for 2010?

 

Are they hidden in the middle of a general notebook or on a scrap of paper that you are not quite sure what you have done with it?

 

Are they on your notice board in your office or on your refrigerator door?

 

Are they saved on a document on your PC or laptop?

 

Whichever method you chose to record your goals or resolutions, how often have you looked at them since you took the effort to create them? Once, twice, NEVER?

 

In order to make your goals/ resolutions become reality then you really need to review them on a regular basis and update/change them as many times are you wish/need to.

 

Life and the world is continually changing, and in order to make the most out of this

ever changing environment you need to be able to change and adapt along with it.

 

So, creating goals or resolutions is really only STEP 1. You now need to make it a regular habit to review them (weekly or monthly) and to refresh them as often as is necessary.

 

So the steps that I suggest you aim to follow are as follows:

 

Step 1 = create Goals/ Resolutions

 

Step 2 = review Goals/ Resolutions regularly

 

Step 3 = remove any Goals/ Resolutions that are no longer relevant or that you have already accomplished

 

Step 4 = add new Goals/ Resolutions as needed

 

Step 5 = keep them in a prominent place in order to keep them to the forefront or your mind/ business

 

Step 6 = Have fun!

 

So, here’s to a focussed, rewarding year!

 

Until next time, think positive and keep breathing!

 

Maureen

Procrastination - what's it all about?

I have had a really mixed week this week, and the result is that I have not achieved half as much as I had hoped or needed to.

 

So, what stops any of us achieving less than we wish to?

 

I find the word procrastination a bit harsh. If you check out your thesaurus you will find alternative suggestions including: “put off”; “delay”; “postpone”; “adjourn”; “drag your feet”; “defer”; and “dawdle”.

 

Well, that’s quite a mixed bag – my personal preference is for “postpone”. I know I will still do the work or task but not just at the current moment.

 

So, what was I seeking to achieve this week – well lots of things really including:

 

Finishing my 2009 schedule

Starting my e-book

Creating as set of client workbooks

Writing my first eZine article

Attracting new clients to The Breathing Space

Having my website go live

Etc, etc, etc….

 

So why didn’t these things happen. Well, some things I was relying on input from others but mostly I felt that sense of complete overwhelm – and when I get that feeling I just stop or find something else to do as an avoidance tactic.

 

All of the things are still on my “to-do” list and will be on my list for next week. So what can I do to ensure that they DO get done next week?

 

Well, firstly I can break each task down into bite-sized pieces to make the task more manageable (at least to my poor brain), and secondly I can rationalise the urgency for each task.

 

Brian Tracy has a fabulous little book called “Eat that Frog” which has a myriad of different techniques for getting things done. The ethos of the book is to demonstrate to you that by getting the not so easy or unpleasant tasks out of the way first, then you will have more time for the more exciting and interesting ones - and you will feel a whole lot better afterwards!

 

So, using one of Brian’s techniques you can prioritise your tasks as follows:

 

1.                  Get a large piece of paper and pen (or you can do this on your computer.

 

2.                  Along the top of the page write the following 6 headings:

Task – Urgency – Deadline – Timescale – Schedule – Completed

 

3.                  List all of your outstanding tasks (be as comprehensive as you can) in Column 1

 

4.                  Categorise them by level of urgency – Column 2

-          very urgent (the world will stop if I don’t do this now)

-          urgent

-          necessity

-          nice to do but not essential

-          delegate to someone else (if appropriate)

-          no longer needed (remove from list)

 

5.                  Some of your tasks will be needed by a specific time – if you have a deadline/ date of when it is required or you would like it to be done by, then enter this in Column 3

 

6.                  In Column 4 you now need to estimate how long each task will take you

            e.g. 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days etc

 

7.                 You are now armed with lots of information (the task, the urgency, the deadline, the duration). However, you now need to look at your schedule and when you are going to actually DO the work. It is not just a case of putting in a date – you need to put a time in as well. BE SPECIFIC.  Put the time/date in Column 5

 

8.                 Fantastic – so now you have all the information you need to tackle what seemed like a huge list of things.  The final column (Column 6) is the best one of all – the completion date. When you have a completion date against your entire list then you can give yourself a huge pat on the back. Congratulations!

 

Is that the end of the story? Not really. Although you now have a very detailed list of prioritised tasks – what is actually going to make you do them?

 

I find a reward system works really well.

 

The rewards don’t have to cost very much, if anything. They can be self-care treats or just things that make you feel better or that you really like to do.

 

Examples are:

A long relaxing bubble bath

Reading a good book

Listening to your favourite CD

Watching your favourite DVD

Meeting a friend you haven’t seen for ages

Going to the cinema to watch a new film

Buying yourself some beautiful flowers (or pick them from your garden if you have one)

 

Get the idea?

 

So add a final column on your sheet,  headed REWARD – and make sure you claim it ONLY after you have completed the task.

 

So, I am off to create my own list now – good luck with yours!

 

I would love to hear from you to know if this worked for you or if you have any other suggestions.

 

Until next time

 

Maureen