Time Management Tip - Break It Down

Time management insight: Small bites can get big results!

Here’s a great time management tip or time management strategy that can really save you time!

Overwhelmed by a large project? Having a hard time getting motivated? Finding yourself procrastinating?

Ever heard the expression or question, “how do you eat an elephant? “ The answer? – one bite at a time.  Well that same principle applies when you’re feeling overwhelmed by a project, procrastinating, or having a hard time getting motivated.  You’ve got to break it down into small manageable action steps.

Usually looking at, focusing on one step and one step only allows emotional space for you to become motivated and see the light of getting something done. Once you write out actionable, reasonable steps your emotions become diffused and your brain begins saying…”hey, I can do that.”

Additionally, I employ is something called “the one minute challenge.”  I challenge myself to work on one little thing, task, etc. for only one minute.  I even use a kitchen timer.

The result?…I get focused on the “thing” enough to generate motivation to keep going.  If it’s not enough, I say, “ok…just one more minute.”  It’s like tricking yourself into gaining motivation in a fun way!

Coaching Tip: Break it down, focus on the first small step and give yourself the one minute challenge!
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If you haven't yet got your version of Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed - how to manage your time, space, & priorities, to work smart, get results & be happy - here's the format's it's in:  Kindle - The Book - Nook - Audio Book -  The Seminar   See a review: Review #1

Other readings on Kindle: Declutter Your Life From The Inside Out Your Life Through the Lens of Time - The Interview

If you need a time management seminar or training brought to your organization – learn more here -

http://www.joanncorley.com/Time_Mgt.html

If you liked this post, you'll like this one: Time Management Advice From Webster's Dictionary

What's The Real Skinny On Multi-tasking?

Frequent Multitaskers Aren't Good At Multitasking, Study Shows

If you think you're good at multitasking, you're probably just fooling yourself and if you think multitasking is a time management skill, put that thought under review as well.

That's the point of a new study in the journal PLOS One, showing that people whothink they are awesome at multitasking are also the ones who are pretty terrible at it.

"One of the main reasons people multitask is because they think they are good at it," study researcher David Sanbonmatsu, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said in a statement. "But our study suggests people rarely are as good at multitasking as they think they are."

The study examined the multitasking ability of 310 college students. They were given multiple tests analyzing their multitasking skills, including their ability to use a cell phone while driving. They were also examined for personality traits such as impulsivity and the desire to seek sensations.

The researchers found some interesting associations. For one, people who actuallyscored well on the multitasking tests were the ones least likely to actually multitask.

Researchers also found that the more people talked on their cell phones while driving, the lower their ability to multitask.

"The people who multitask the most tend to be impulsive, sensation-seeking, overconfident of their multitasking abilities, and they tend to be less capable of multitasking," study researcher David Strayer, also a psychology professor at the university, said in the statement.

Past research has already shown that multitasking leads to sub-par quality of work and added stress. So why do we do it? Past research in the Journal of Communication shows that it gives us an emotional boost, even though it doesn't actually make us more productive.

"There's this myth among some people that multitasking makes them more productive," Zheng Wang, assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University and the researcher of the Journal of Communication study, said in a statement. "But they seem to be misperceiving the positive feelings they get from multitasking. They are not being more productive -- they just feel more emotionally satisfied from their work."

Source link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/multitasking-frequent-ability-bad-at-it_n_2553107.html

If you haven't yet got your version of Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed - how to manage your time, space, & priorities, to work smart, get results & be happy - here's the format's it's in:  Kindle - The Book - Nook - Audio Book -  The Seminar  See a review: Review #1

Other readings on Kindle: Declutter Your Life From The Inside Out 
Your Life Through the Lens of Time - The Interview

The Magic Moment – The Power of the Morning Mindset and Taking Five

How You Use Your Mornings - A Time Management Strategy

Category: Personal Productivity, Time Management

Wc: 346

I woke up this morning after being up rather late and knew that it was a crunch day.  Within the next 24 hours I’d need to hop on a plane and be out of the office for the next few days.  

In those few moments I felt slightly pressured and overwhelmed which lead to a bit of emotional and mental confusion, (by the way, I call this “brain fog”).  What should I work on first?....what could wait until Monday?

I could have just barreled in, but time was precious I needed to work on what was most crucial.  I realized I couldn’t let the pressure “pressure” me into the wrong decision.  So, I decided to take a 5 minute mind clearing break.

I gave myself permission to step away from my desk, move into a physical space where I could clear my mind. Ah….a break through!   Just giving myself permission to “take 5” and step away helped my mind to calm down and my emotions to come to neutral. 

In the clarity of that moment, I was able to get a better view of what was crucial and what was not.

Honestly, I have days where I didn’t do that first thing in the morning and ended up working on the wrong things at the wrong time. In those cases, a few critical things fell through the cracks; it wasn’t pretty.

What I’m describing is the power of a moment…a moment you take in the morning to gain clarity on the day that could make all the difference. I’m calling it the Morning Mindset.

You know it’s just harder to work in a fog; it takes more energy and the quality of your work may suffer.

So let me recommend creating the practice of “The Morning Mindset.”

Additionally, this principle of “taking five” is not reserved for the morning.  Anytime, you’re feeling confused for what ever the reason, give yourself permission to take five…that practice could make all the difference!

Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed - how to manage your time, space, & priorities, to work smart, get results & be happy -  Kindle - The Book - Nook - Audio Book -  The Seminar

Other readings on Kindle & Nook: 
Declutter Your Life From The Inside Out
Your Life Through the Lens of Time - The Interview