I’m going to hit you with a cold hard fact that I had to learn the hard way: YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GET CAUGHT UP.
There will never be enough time to complete everything you would like to complete. Unless you are in the position to hire a personal assistant, housekeeper, nanny and gardener you will continue to be swamped with work and personal responsibilities.
Things will not change. ((sigh))
I recently made an impulse purchase on Audible that has completely reshaped the way that I work my life and career. It is called Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. In the book the author covers topics that range from determining your priorities to delegating and eliminating tasks as well as the 80/20 rule and “eating your frog.” (Eww… I know. Not the best mental picture.)
If you struggle with getting it all done (and really, who doesn’t?) then I encourage you to make time in your schedule to read the book and try out his suggestions.
Ideas that I found particularly helpful:
Plan every day in advance: Think on paper. Take a moment to plan your day in advance. For every minute you spend planning you can literally save 5-10 minutes in execution.
Apply the “80/20 Rule” to everything: This was a huge revelation to me – Resist the temptation to clear up small things first. 20% of your activities account for 80% of your results. Always concentrate efforts on those top 20% activities.
Focus on key result areas: Identify and determine the results that you absolutely have to get done to perform well and work on them all day long. Sounds simple when you put it that way, doesn’t it?
Obey the Law of Forced Efficiency: “There is never enough time for everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.” What are your highest value activities?
Do your homework: Learn what you need to learn so that you can do your work in an excellent fashion. A major reason we delay and procrastinate is due to our own feelings of inadequacy or lack of confidence in our tasks.
Leverage your special talents: There are certain things that you can do or learn to do that will make you extraordinarily valuable to both yourself and to others. Identify your areas of uniqueness and commit to becoming excellent in those areas. What are you really good at?
Identify your key constraints: Determine the bottlenecks (internally and/or externally) that set the speed at which your are able achieve your most important goals and focus on alleviating them. (BTW – Only 20% are external. Most are internal. Ouch.)
Take it one oil barrel at a time: You can accomplish large and complicated jobs if you just complete them one step at a time. Get your mind off the huge tasks in front of you and focus on a single action that you can take to make a difference.
Put the pressure on yourself: Tip: Imagine that you have to leave town for a month. Work as if you had to get all your major tasks completed before you left. “Only about 2% of people can work entirely without supervision. We call these people leaders.”
Maximize your personal powers: Identify the periods in which your mental and physical energy are at their highest. Structure your most important things to do around those times.
Do the most difficult task first: EAT THE FROG. Conquer the most difficult task first and resolve to stay at it until it is complete. Do this and “you’ll become one of the most productive people of your generation.” Woo hoo. Who wouldn’t want to be known for that?
Create large chunks of time: Organize your days around large blocks of time where you can concentrate.
Develop a sense of urgency: Make a habit of moving fast on your key tasks and you will become an action oriented person.
Great ideas, aren’t they? If you would like to read more, the book is online and you can find a pdf here.
What do you say? Got any other tips you would like to share?
The show is about American millionaires who gain a new perspective as they go incognito and work at minimum wage jobs in some of the country’s most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. After they work side by side with needy-and-deserving people, the “secret millionaires” meet up with those they want to help, reveal their true identity and give away at least $100,000 to the lucky recipients.
I was so moved by the show and it’s premise that I found myself in tears throughout the night.
You see, I work with non-profits every day. From free medical care to the uninsured to assistance with mental health services, organizations intent on helping children who’ve aged out of the foster care system to those providing emergency human needs, I have been privileged to work with some of the most unbelievable people. And as a former development officer myself, I’ve faced the overwhelming financial hardships that are felt by those type of organizations every day.
The generosity that Dani Johnson, the season’s first millionaire, showed to the Knoxville non-profits CHANGED THEIR LIVES. Not just the lives of those benefiting from the non-profit’s services but also the lives of the individuals running the organizations.
They will never be the same.
My own children were so inspired that they spent the next morning gathering money and change to donate to the poor box in church.
Can you imagine what kind of an impact this type of show can have on the state of philanthropy today? If two little boys are inspired enough to raid their piggy banks in Frederick, Maryland, I know that this show can move others with more means to do the same.
If you are interested, ABC has begun their own movement in addition to the series. Please visit their website for more information on how you can help those around you or contact your local non-profit organizations to find out where their might be a need.
Here’s a taste of what the show has to offer:
Best quote of the night? “We idolize celebrities, we idolize professional athletes, we idolize millionaires, we idolize all the wrong people. The people who have started these organizations…they are the model Americans.” – Dani Johnson (Amen!!)
I recently stumbled upon some profound instructions for life from a gentleman (Michael Catt) that used to be a minister in a youth camp. His rules for the teens at that attended were simple:
Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, doing what you are supposed to be doing.
When in doubt, don’t.
Simple and yet extremely complex.
It got me thinking – Am I where I am supposed to be? Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing when I am supposed to? Maybe physically I am, but mentally (at least lately) NOTSOMUCH.
How many times have you personally taken work home with you? Do you find yourself mentally checked out when you are with your family? Perhaps you, like me, are too busy creating your to-do list for the next day. Or maybe thinking about an email you need to send or a deadline you have to meet? Or multi-tasking every minute of every day like a mad man?
Such a sin to waste precious moments with the ones that you love by not being where you are supposed to be.
I’m really trying hard to be cognizant of what I am supposed to be doing at all times. I’m not always successful but I am finding that when I do, each moment is that much more rewarding.
This weekly report is my accountability to the world as well as a way to help others stay motivated on their own journey to fitness or ahem, a bikini body. I’ll share what I am learning along the way in the tips, techniques, resources & trends section of the posts.
Before I give you some actionable ideas, let me just report that I have lost four pounds in three weeks. YAY! Now, the critic in me thinks I should have lost at least six but hey, I’ll take it! I’m trying train my brain to get over weighing my success in POUNDS and instead focus on STRENGTH and BODY FAT loss. Not as easy as it sounds. (I’m half tempted to chuck my scale to avoid the temptation.)
At this moment, my body fat is at 28.2% and my BMI is 24.5. My goal is to hit 21-22% body fat. I have a way to go, as you can tell.
My upcoming week focus and action items: Hitting my daily water goal and taking those before pictures
TIPS, TECHNIQUES, RESOURCES & TRENDS:
PULL OUT THE CAMERA: You know, a couple of years ago when my husband and I were really focused and on a roll, we took pictures every week of ourselves in bathing suits so we could see the changes that we were making in our bodies. As mortifying (MORTIFYING!) as those pictures were in the beginning, boy did they motivate us to keep our focus. It was thrilling to see visible changes. I have to admit, I’ve been avoiding the camera since January 1. I know that it is time to take that dreaded “before” picture. Sigh. I encourage you to pull out the camera and document your journey. It will keep you motivated and accountable.
FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER: Finding someone to keep you accountable and in essence act as a “cheerleader” is a priceless resource. In this case, tough love can be a blessing. My partner is Lori. I just emailed her all of my measurements. Talk about vulnerability! Couple that with the fact that she herself has lost over 100+ pounds (not to mention the fact that she is my running partner) and you can imagine how she will help keep me on the straight and narrow.
HIT THE HEAVY WEIGHTS: Obviously I am a cardio girl. I would rather run than do most any other kind of exercise. But there is no denying how rapidly I see results when I hit the weights. (No wimpy weights either. That is just wasting your time, ladies.) I’ll be reporting more on this in my journey but let me just leave you with this little factoid: for each pound of muscle you have, you burn 50 extra calories per day.
EXPERIMENT: Now, obviously I am not a trainer or dietitian so remember these are my own trial and error recommendations… Protein supplements and shakes are very helpful when you embark on a fitness and weight loss program. I’m a big fan of Myoplex Light (20 g of protein) and Slim Fast High Protein ( 15 g of protein) shakes. I try to substitute a meal with a shake a couple of times a week. Taste wise, I must admit that I prefer the Slim Fast products. They make me feel like I am “cheating” a bit more. Plus, mmmm… chocolate. And their snack bars really satisfy when I need a sweet fix.
Talk about taking myself out of my comfort zone, today I admit defeat. At least, PARTIAL defeat.
Remember my focus list for January?
Only two things did I commit to:
read the newspaper
own it
PROGRESS REPORT:
1. Read the newspaper: FAIL!!! Those damn papers ARE STILL piling up in my driveway. I can’t believe it. My lack of discipline in this area is frustrating. I skim and skip. Trying to keep an handle on it….
2. Owning it – If you need an explanation of what I mean, read my first post to catch up. I’ve taken some amazing steps in conquering this challenge.
In fact, I have a huge admission to make: I have ADD. Oh duh, you say? Of course it isn’t a secret. Anyone who knows me understands that. In fact, it is a running joke. Coping with my ADD is not, however, a laughing matter. Managing multiple clients with multiple tasks, mediums and deadlines is challenging even for the most intense and focused individual. In the past, I have found myself waking up at all times of the night writing “to do lists” or rushing to the computer to complete a task.
This month I’m “owning it” and attacking the ADD head on. Changing my diet. Instituting routines and investing in medication. (Gasp! Did she just admit that? In front of the entire Internet? Why, yes, yes I did. I want others to know they are not alone out there.) I’ve been using the same medicine that my son takes (Did you know that ADD runs in the family? Neither did I…) for about a week now with amazing results. AMAZING. Direct quote by a friend who wasn’t in the know, “Well, aren’t you Miss Suzi Getitdone lately?” So far. So good.
In conjunction, I’m actively seeking out new technology to keep myself together and on task. There are some amazing tools out there that I was completely unaware of. In fact, I’m working on a blog post of resource suggestions to share later this week.
So that is my update for now. I’d write more but I need to attempt to read that darn newspaper before the kids get up….
The purpose of PROJECT ME is make me live a little bit outside my comfort zone, help me grow and regularly branch out, do something different and/or take a chance.
Working momma. Flibbertigibbet. Family environs upkeep manager. Deadline juggler. Intellectual magpie... Random postings from a life of a working DC Metro mom. Unapologetically myself.
I recently made an impulse purchase on Audible that has completely reshaped the way that I work my life and career. It is called Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. In the book the author covers topics that range from determining your priorities to delegating and eliminating tasks as well as the 80/20 rule and “eating your frog.” (Eww… I know. Not the best mental picture.)
