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Stop Wasting Time!

January 26, 2016 by Cathy Stucker

wasted-timeDo you want to make more effective use of each day? One of the most important time management skills to learn is how to identify your daily time wasters and deal with them effectively. Take a look at the following list of common time-wasters and see if you recognize yourself in any of them.

Online Distractions

The great thing about the Internet is that you can find anything you want online. The bad thing about the Internet is that you can find anything you want online and all of it can keep you from what you should be doing. Email, Facebook, YouTube, and online forums are the worst. Have you ever popped into Facebook “for a few minutes” and not come up for air until two hours later? Yeah, we all have. But it is not something you can afford to do often.

So how do you cut out the distractions? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Productivity and Time Management Tagged With: Getting Things Done, time

Get Results Without Getting Frazzled

January 12, 2016 by Cathy Stucker

frazzledDo you ever feel like you have been working like crazy, but when you get to the end of the day, you realize you haven’t really accomplished anything?

I know I have days when I start working on something then get interrupted and may not make it back to the original task at all that day. It is frustrating and unproductive.

Here is how to change that.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Productivity and Time Management Tagged With: Getting Things Done

How to Declutter Your Mind

May 4, 2010 by Cathy Stucker

There are thousands of books, courses and consultants who promise to help you organize your stuff and be more productive. However, organizing things is not enough. You need to get rid of the clutter in your mind as well.

Here are some tips to help you clear the gunk out of your mind, be more focused and get more done.

Write it down. The more things you try to remember, the harder it becomes to remember any of them. And you may always have the nagging feeling that you are forgetting something—even if you are not. Set up a system where you write down anything that needs to be done: appointments, errands, phone calls, projects, etc. It could be a paper notebook, a file on your computer, or text messages to yourself. Use whatever works best for you, but write it all down.

Have a routine. Routines allow you to get things done without spending a lot of time thinking about what to do or in what order. If you know that every morning you get up, work out, shower, have breakfast, then check your email, you will just do it without having to agonize over it. The same thing goes for your workday. Have a routine for the things you must do every day, then follow the routine.

Set priorities. Know what is most important in your life right now, and deal with that. The rest of it can wait.

Do not attempt to multitask. You may think you can, but you can’t. Your brain can do one thing at a time, and trying to shift from one thing to another ends up taking more time than if you just did one thing at a time. Focus on what is in front of you now, do it, then move on to the next thing.

Learn to say no. You can not do everything everyone wants you to do. There are only 24 hours in the day, and you need at least a few of them for things such as eating and sleeping. This does not mean that you should never help anyone, or that you should always say no, but that you should not take on more than you can do. Too often we say yes because we do not want to be seen as selfish or uncaring. It is not selfish to say no to requests when you are already overloaded. Just say no.

Do not worry about things you can not control. Take any action you can to avoid an undesirable outcome, or to minimize the effects, then put it out of your mind. It may rain on the day of your child’s birthday party. Make a Plan B in case that happens, then forget about it. You may not get that new client. Do your best proposal, follow up appropriately, then let things take their course. Losing sleep and making yourself crazy will not make anything come out better.

Put things in logical places. Keep your briefcase, keys and other items you often carry with you in one place, together. When there is something else you need to take (e.g., a package to drop off at the post office) put it with your keys. You won’t have to hunt for what you need and you won’t forget anything.

Take time to recharge. Just like your cell phone, you lose power when you do not recharge now and then. Make time during the day to meditate, listen to music, read, have a cup of tea or whatever relaxes you. A few minutes spent recharging can make you more effective all day.

Filed Under: Getting Things Done, Making Changes Tagged With: Getting Things Done, how to declutter, Productivity

Realizing Your Goals and Dreams

May 1, 2010 by Cathy Stucker

This is a guest article from author and copywriter Nick Usborne. Learn more about goal setting from Nick at Goal Setting Rituals.

Do you remember those dreams you once had and the goals you set?

This article is for anyone over the age of about 35. But the age group I’m really thinking of is 45 plus.

So here’s the question again, expanded a little…

Back when you were in your twenties, do you remember the career or business dreams you had? Do you recall the goals you set for yourself?

At the time they probably felt achievable. You didn’t think you were being particularly unrealistic or overly optimistic. You had dreams and goals, and they were big and marvelous. As you looked into the future you saw some wonderful things. A lot of hard work, but a beautiful outcome.

And then, for one reason or another, “life got in the way”.

Life can “get in the way” in all kinds of ways. A sickness. A business setback. Costs and expenses you hadn’t anticipated.

Even the perfectly normal and natural process of raising a family can put a brake on your dreams. With a family to support you might find your plans overly risky.

Has this happened to you? Do you remember some of those dreams? The things you were going to achieve?

I’m asking because we sometimes feel it is too late.

Once a dream has slipped through our fingers we often feel that the moment has passed.

With adulthood, children, aging parents and a host of other responsibilities and concerns, it’s all too easy to stick to the straight, narrow, dependable and reasonable road.

I get that. I understand those concerns. They are legitimate.

But here is something I have been feeling myself recently. I have been feeling the edges of those dreams coming back into view. I sense a flicker. A possibility.

My dreams today are not exactly as they were twenty or thirty years ago. I have changed, and so has the world.

But my dreams today are as big as the ones I once had. And when I look closely, they are not so very different. There are still some common goals and values woven in there.

Can I achieve them? Do I have time?

Well, if I consider the first 20 years of my life as being devoted to childhood and education…then right now, at the grand age of 51, I’m only about half way through my adult life.

Do I have time to set some new goals and pursue some big dreams?

You bet I do.

Find out how you can set goals effectively with my guide, Goal Setting Rituals…

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: Getting Things Done, goal setting, rituals

The Importance of Rituals

August 25, 2009 by Cathy Stucker

ritualsRituals 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…]

Filed Under: Getting Things Done, Motivation and Inspiration Tagged With: efficiency, Getting Things Done, rituals, working smarter

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