Author : Paula EderTime management tips can teach you how to regenerate your vitality immediately by setting boundaries, utilizing these 3 powerful strategies:

Strategy #1: Comprehend how your time choices shape your quality of life

Genuinely appreciating the full power of your time choices requires and builds grit Why? You genuinely realize what an enormous responsibility you carry in your own two hands Yet assuming that level of ownership actually creates courage, because life becomes infinitely more exciting!

No more wasting energy in blaming others Your moment-to-moment choices grow more meaningful This brings your essential focus to here, now “Here” is where you live “Now” is where all your power resides

Strategy #2: Assertively prioritize activities that energize you

Consciously shaping your life through making your best possible time choices certainly helps you prioritize your activities One of the most powerful techniques for energizing your time choices is to clearly identify your motivation

For example, if you resent going to work, you are draining your incentive and casting yourself in the role of the hapless victim, dragged through life by circumstances You owe it to yourself to stop and consider the dignified reasons you go to work, like putting food on the table Protect your energy by refusing to blame life for time choices you can make and remake at will

Then again, if your livelihood is demoralizing even when you invest your best efforts, you owe it to yourself to explore new avenues Even in the most uncertain times, you benefit by examining and weighing the cost of each option You will go through life more alert, more curious, and with enhanced vitality And new doors will open

Strategy #3: Successfully establish boundaries to promote your priorities

To say “Yes” to one fresh opportunity, you must say “No” to others This essential discipline is worth all the assertiveness and social skills it requires Your zest for life is rallied in the following ways:

Establishing a hierarchy of priorities strengthens your core

Who you are is determined largely by what you consciously choose, and what you are willing to relinquish in return This is where the rubber hits the road, and where you gain essential traction to move through your day

Establishing boundaries shapes your life

If you feel obliged to say, “Yes,” to all demands, your life becomes no more than a receptacle for others’ agendas Own your life The more you simplify your commitments to support what truly matters to you, the more easily you can fulfill them without feeling depleted

Setting boundaries clarifies significant relationships

By presenting a defined self with clear priorities, you invite others to follow your example Although submerged conflicts may surface in ways you first find uncomfortable, addressing those conflicts frees up enormous energy to be authentic and straightforward

As you see, establishing and maintaining time boundaries is key to a healthy, fulfilling and productive life! Experience for yourself how following through, patiently and persistently, accepting setbacks, yields remarkable dividends of vitality and optimism

Let time management address the whole of your life If you are clear you want to live your best life, make time choices that will deepen and enlarge your moments, no matter what comes your way This “heart-based” time management honors and enhances the significance of your life, each and every moment

So, ask yourself: How can you seize the opportunity right now to make more meaningful time choices?Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values.

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Author : Paula EderTime management tips boost your self-confidence when you use them to harness thoughts to effectively manage your time Your first step is re-channeling energy that is funneled into self-critical messages

Critical messages sap your energy, confidence, and creativity Because they distract you, they can sabotage your best work, creating a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy Fortunately, they can only interfere if you allow them to

So, how do you start building self-confidence through overcoming your Inner Critic? Begin with practicing these 3 strategies to quiet those critical messages You will experience the delicious pleasure of tapping your inner power as you move throughout your day!

3 Strategies to Conquer Your Inner Critic

1) Slow down and recognize the voice of the Inner Critic

Catching the voice of the Inner Critic “in the act” is a vitally important
accomplishment Like diagnosing a cancer in its early stages, zeroing in on your critical voice before it sabotages you provides you with time and power to neutralize it quickly You may have become so used to these messages that they form a toxic backdrop to your life It is crucial to slow down and develop the capacity to recognize this voice when it appears Practice writing down the critical messages that you give yourself You’ll slowly come to recognize the tone and the themes of this voice The critical voice is not very creative, nor is it very interesting You’ll probably quickly come to recognize its patterns and cadences Then the trick is to spot it in the moment!

2) Once you recognize your Inner Critic’s voice, simply name it

This may sound obvious, but it’s very important Tell yourself calmly, “Oh, there is my critical voice talking ” Naming it is a quiet step toward separating yourself from this voice In naming it, you are building self-confidence by subtly claiming your own power to isolate faultfinding and reject it Your inner critical messages hold power only when you believe them and react to them Recognizing and naming the source helps you to see that the messages you are giving yourself are tainted and not to be taken to heart

3) Don’t be reactive to or try to argue with your Inner Critic

If you treat your Inner Critic as if it were rational, you are setting yourself up for endless struggles This voice is by definition critical and negative; it can’t be argued out of its opinion Counter critical messages with clear, grounded, factual information Do it respectfully and calmly - getting angry or being reactive involves giving away some of your power You might say to yourself: “I hear that you think I am really looking very foolish right now The fact is that your perspective is off base and I am enjoying dancing If I listen to you, I’ll stop enjoying what I’m doing - so I am choosing not to listen to your opinion That is what it is - your opinion ”

As you can see, the key to dealing with self-critical messages is to recognize them, name them, and then respond from a very grounded, factual, adult place within yourself Give them a voice, but not a vote In this way you retain your power, and move forward to make the very most of your time!

Now, ask yourself: What is your next step to start building self-confidence and finding more time?Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values.

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Author : Paula EderTime management tips can create transition effectiveness, and help you meet tough times with renewed confidence What makes the difference between challenges you respond to with self-assurance and those that keep you paralyzed or sleepless at night?

Start with your own experience Recall a transition, initially unwelcome, that led to your developing more competence and renewing your faith in yourself Perhaps you lost your footing at first How did you get back on your feet? What new skills did you develop?

Identify the constructive problem solving process This is worth actively validating, because the benefits extend far beyond the initial challenge you have met Transitional effectiveness is a lifelong gift It will invigorate you, enhancing your overall productivity

Transitional effectiveness is not a gene you either possess or lack It is simply a set of basic tools you can acquire, practice and add to any time Here are some of the most versatile tools you can utilize during tough times

Do not be taken in by their apparent simplicity Their power derives from consistent use And you will enjoy the best results by incorporating them into your daily routine

Your Transitional Tool Chest:

Transition Technique #1: Constructive self-talk

You always benefit by encouraging yourself Become your own favorite coach as you assess and assign priorities, and fire the critic

Transition Technique #2: Simplify

Let go of inessentials that drain your energy Change requires resilience and foresight, so eliminate distractions Encourage yourself to deal with uncomfortable tasks immediately The peace of mind this brings translates into more energy for the remainder of your work

Transition Technique #3: Don’t worry Strategize instead

Any time you catch yourself worrying, write down the realistic concern and commit to conducting a problem-solving session at a scheduled time Then fully participate in your current moment This, too, is an excellent energy recharger

Transition Technique #4: Cultivate the positive

These 2 simple exercises provide immediate, dramatic benefits:

Exercise A: The Opening Door:

For every loss, there is a gain What door opens when a current door closes? The more forward-looking you become, the more quickly you leave fear, self-pity and resentment behind Write down the potential gains, filing your notes where you can easily access them Refer to your Opening Door notes often This helps you survey your options with curiosity, not fear

Exercise B: The Gratitude Attitude:

Every day, first thing in the morning and before bedtime, list 3 things you are genuinely grateful for Write them down and look at them Reflect on which time choices contribute to these gifts

Transition Technique #5: Innovate

Change pushes you outside your comfort zone Rather than become rigid, encourage yourself to try new solutions The more consistently you do this, the easier it becomes Gradually, you will move from a scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality, as your attention shifts from external hardships to your internal wealth of ideas

However difficult your current situation, and however profound your losses, celebrate the resilience of your spirit Your life is change, and always will be Bring positive energy to transitions It will always reward you richly

So ask yourself: How can you start clarifying your priorities right now to find time for what matters the most to you?Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values.

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Author : Paula EderTime management tips enrich you when you dedicate your energies to capitalizing on opportunities that tough times always present And aligning wise time choices with your deepest beliefs accomplishes far more

Every challenge you embrace with life-affirming time choices actually generates new personal power, reducing stress and enhancing appreciation Consider the power of the gratitude attitude

Creating a powerful gratitude attitude carries 7 significant benefits:

1 You acknowledge and savor the gifts in your life right now

2 You reduce the urgency that undermines your best efforts

3 Your gratitude helps banish corrosive stress

4 You affirm and reinforce positive time choices that contribute to the gifts in your life

5 You unleash new creativity by reducing your scarcity mentality

6 Your horizon broadens to envision your network of support

7 Gratitude strengthens your social capital, an all-important asset in tough times

“Social capital is the value and cooperation created through social human relationships or networks ” Philanthropic Foundation Canada

Social capital itself fosters connectedness, success and progress in individuals and entire communities Countless studies confirm that building social capital leads to people living longer, happier lives, enjoying more successful careers, and bouncing back more quickly from major setbacks

Here’s a quick gratitude exercise to build social capital daily:

Write a brief note of thanks to someone who has brightened your day Send it without expectation of response, and warm yourself with your own inner glow

By telling someone, either verbally or in writing, how much you appreciate them and their choices, you create a path for a positive connection You let the other person know that she has been seen and that her actions are significant to you

It is particularly helpful that you validate others in concrete, specific ways For example, you might say, “I really appreciate your suggestions for revising my project Your feedback helped improve the outcome, and you provided ideas in such a thoughtful way ” This acknowledges both the concrete tangible and intangible contributions that the other person made

Genuine interactions such as these create a base of positive communication on which to build an open-handed relationship Such validations demonstrate you don’t take them for granted, which promotes harmony and good will

You may ask, “How can I build social capital if I don’t expect and don’t receive a response?”

The answer is that social capital blossoms in a climate of good will When you are genuinely grateful and express it, you need nothing more Yet, you complete a very important cycle of outreach Positive associations flourish, and when problems arise, a strong supportive base promotes frank and caring exchanges to resolve the issues

Also, notice how much easier it is to be in the moment when you are open! You can even enjoy time while stranded in traffic at stoplights considering whom else you would like to thank When you foster the gratitude attitude, the benefits multiply, and you develop a fresh appreciation for just how well you can really use your time

As an exercise, ask yourself: How can you start clarifying your priorities today to start finding more time?Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values.

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Author : Adrian KennellyThis plan is unique It’s effective, too Perhaps every man who reads it can’t use it, but one thing is sure:
You can’t tell how much it may help you out until you do read it And it’s in the users own words

This is a filing plan that suits me down to the ground It will suit you, too, if you do the same general kind of work I do, or have about the same problems when it comes to finding “that document” in a hurry

What is my work?

It is of a non-routine nature It is always different No steady stream of reports and correspondence flows across my desk, the same day after day, to be handled by “referring” it to “the proper party” or answering by dictated letter It runs, instead, eternally along new paths First, there is some condition in the business, not yet covered by routine or ruling, that needs to be pruned or watered We discuss the matter We reach a certain unanimity as to the right kind of pruning or watering Then these remedial measures must be translated into detailed procedure and concrete words and acts

I expressly abstain from stating the name of my job The minute I do that every man whose job has a different name concludes this article is not for him In reality, this article is for anyone whose work, in essence, is pro- motional and involves masses of hodgepodge memoranda, letters, blueprints, schedules, reports, notes of conferences, and the like It is for the man who frequently “wants what he wants” out of this mass instantaneously to clinch his point in the eager talks so characteristic of uncharted work It may be a complaint from a consumer; it may be a clipping from the morning’s news; it may be a rough drawing by one’s favorite artist; but one wants it quick!

Here’s the plan: the moment I can get any paper or document off my desk and into a drawer I do so I use only one drawer Everything is put into it, one thing on top of another This is no sorting, no classification Into the drawer it goes, the latest always on top, to be covered in its turn by the next paper, and so on When I want to get any recent paper, I simply look in this one drawer for it Evidently, the more recent it is, the oftener I shall want it and the more recent it is, again, the nearer the top it is, and the easier to find

That is the first half of the system The basis is not alphabetical, nor subject, nor nature of document ” Recency” is the sole basis By simply laying one thing in one drawer, hour by hour, day after day, you automatically insure that the oftenest wanted paper is the one nearest the top and therefore easiest to find You “file” as you go along Whatever you want you will find in the drawer You always get it You get it inside of 30 seconds; often instantaneously There is no pressing the button for the “filing clerk”; no wait for her to return, dismayed and fearful of rebuke, to report that the paper cannot be found but “the boys are looking for it; they think Mr Drew had it, but he is sick today ” That is all eliminated

“But what,” you ask, “happens when this magic drawer becomes full to overflowing?” When that happens, and it happens regularly, of course, I take out the entire mass and lay it on my desk upside down The oldest pieces are now on top I turn each piece over in its turn and one glance tells me whether it should remain in the drawer or whether, by the lapse of time, it has become “dead” and it is wonderful how many papers, in constant use one week, snatched out and exhibited time and time again, become later mere antiquities because the work they represent is done and disposed of

The trashiest of the “dead” pieces go in the waste basket The rest those that may possibly come to life some day or be wanted in connection with another task are filed this time in the ordinary and accepted sense of the word “file ” They go either into the general office files, if they belong there, or they go into my own private subject file if they are such that no other department could or would want them

So I go on, working from the bottom up until the newness and recency of the pieces I encounter warns me they are likely to be wanted any moment because they concern work still unfinished There I stop, and restore the now much reduced pile to its drawer, to be the foundation of today’s and tomorrow’s and next week’s accumulations

I got this system from an advertising expert who is one of the shrewdest and cleverest judges of office methods I ever met He has used the method for years and it works perfectly I never knew him to be flurried or hurried in laying his hand on any paper The precise document he needed seemed to appear in his hand as though it had materialized from thin air He would simply reach to the one drawer and draw out what he required while he was talking about it

A good many business men retailers and other heads of businesses unconsciously carry out the first part of this system They let papers accumulate in piles from day to day Very much so! But this is planlessness rather than plan These men allow papers to pile up unsorted, not because they have any method in so doing, but merely because that is a lazy man’s way “When they want anything from the heap, there is a hurried, scrambling search, with subdued “cussing” perhaps, but the desired document seldom is found

I sometimes think my method has a kind of philosophical basis If we look upon a file as a kind of mechanical memory (and sometimes it is called so) then the ideal basis for filing would be that of the human memorY and we all know that facts are filed in our brains mostly by “recency ” “We remember today’s events best, yesterday’s less well, and so on ”

I have used this system for 10 years, with infinite saving of nerve wear and tear There are a total of 114 Plans to Save a Busy Man Time This is merely one of them. Purchase the ebook for $37 to read all 114

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Author : Laura StackWe’ve all been there There’s mail piled up on the corner of your desk You have 37 unread e-mails The phone is ringing (not that phone - the other phone) And you’ll be lucky if you can get through three of the fifteen items on your to-do list

Oh - and you have four hours of meetings ahead of you

It didn’t used to be this way The world has changed in the last decade or so Has your approach to time management changed with it?

If you find yourself stressed out and frustrated every time you try to hunker down and take control of your time, there’s a good chance that’s because you need a new way to think about time management Don’t fall into the trap of trying to force yourself to work within a system that just isn’t compatible with the pace of your day or the nature of your work Just like electronic organizers are perfect for some and others swear by paper planners, even the best time management system will fail if it doesn’t jive with the way you get through each day

If you’re looking for a productivity system that is compatible with real life, consider 4-A Time Management By focusing on four key elements of productivity you can create a flexible, customized productivity strategy that is compatible with the fast paced demands of today

Activity When there are 117 things that could be done next, how are we supposed to prioritize? In this new era of productivity, it is pretty much impossible to successfully schedule your day in advance You might set out a clear list of objectives and a bulletproof timetable, but we all know that one unexpected phone call can cause the whole plan to collapse in on itself - priorities change, a crisis pops up, a deadline is moved up a week; these things happen

Since you can’t plan for everything, it is important that you have a crystal clear understanding of what your priorities are If something happens that is beyond your control and these priorities need to be adjusted - fine - but until then, you should have a game plan

Evaluate your to-do list to see which tasks will yield the greatest benefit The old A-B-C method probably won’t work if the flow of your day changes often You need a new method of deciding where to spend your valuable time

Think about the average amount of time that you can work uninterrupted Which of your tasks will benefit most from that undivided attention? Which require a lot more or much less? Make a plan to work on the bigger, more time-intensive projects when you know you’re least likely to be disturbed Save the little ones for those windows between meetings and phone calls when you won’t get much else done

If one of your important projects is just too intimidating for you to ever make any headway, break it down into smaller, manageable steps I guarantee that nine times out of ten, once you get started you’ll forget why you put it off for so long to begin with

Availability The best laid plans won’t stand a chance if you don’t find a way to control your availability Your time is your most valuable asset Don’t just give it away to anyone who asks! You’ll never have complete control over your availability, but it’s important to know how to carve out blocks of distraction-free time that is conducive to productivity

Meetings are notorious for eating up massive blocks of time Learn to say “no” It’s pretty likely that you don’t need to be at all of the meetings that you’re attending Can you send someone in your place? Ask for the minutes to be forwarded? Address the situation with a quick phone call? Evaluate whether the meetings you attend are really necessary

When you’re not in those meetings, schedule time to work In some jobs this is easier to do than others It might just be a matter of shutting your office door and setting your phone to voicemail Or working from home or heading to Starbucks with your laptop You might need a clear signal for your co-workers, like using a do-not-disturb sign or putting on head phones when you need to work uninterrupted

Whatever your solution - don’t abuse it If you try to make yourself constantly unavailable, you will quickly find that others lose respect for your “I’m busy” signal

Then you’re right back where you started, whether you’re up against an important deadline or not

Accessibility You’ve already decided that you aren’t going to give everyone around constant access to your time The next step is to make sure that you have easy access to the information, tools, and resources you need to be productive

Invest the time necessary to make sure the things you need on a regular basis are at your fingertips Things you access frequently should be filed on your desktop in an organizer or in a drawer that’s at arm’s reach Put the files you only use occasionally where they are accessible at your desk, but give the easiest access to those things that you reference regularly Archive files you rarely need in the bottom drawers or in files away from your desk

Perhaps the most important and overlooked thing you can do to get organized is to structure your electronic files In an age where most files are electronic, it’s easy to lose them to the vacuum of cyber storage File electronic documents similar to the way you would paper ones Don’t just plop everything in “My Documents” or on your desktop and leave it for lost Set up folders and sub folders that have intuitive titles that you’ll easily navigate Use dates and enough detail in file names that you won’t have to open multiple documents when you’re looking for something specific In short, do the initial work of saving the files in an organized manner to make referencing them an easy task

Stopping to hunt for what you need not only wastes time, but it destroys your rhythm and forces you to break your concentration It’s well worth it to organize as you go

Attention The most effective time management system in the world won’t do a thing to improve your productivity if you don’t focus on the task at hand For many of us, the problem isn’t a lack of willpower; it’s having the restraint to refuse distractions

This means closing Outlook when you’re not working on e-mail and trying to check it only a few times a day Resist the urge to open messages as they come in This also means letting the voicemail light stay on until you’ve finished what you’re doing Treat your project time like an appointment with a coworker Ignore the phone, the e-mail, and the urge to go get a cup of coffee

Of course, avoiding email and the phone might be much easier than avoiding the distractions that come from coworkers If you’ve already put your “do not disturb” signal in place, be it headphones or a closed office door, and you’re still being interrupted, it’s time to tactfully redirect the person distracting you

Acknowledge the issue and let them know you’re in the thick of an important project Ask if you may give them a call in an hour when they may have your undivided attention

Just remember - it’s better to be like a postage stamp and stick with something all the way to the end than it is to be a butterfly that flits from task to task!

So forget managing your time - it can’t be managed Manage yourself with these 4-A’s and you’ll increase the likelihood you’ll have a productive day Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier(R) with Maximum Results in Minimum Time(TM). To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit http://www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.

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