Category Archives: Productivity

Jan 30
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Procrastination: How our thinking stops us getting things done

By | Motivation, Productivity | One Comment

(and what we can do about it!)

In other words – “am I bothered?” Hello everyone.  This time I continue my look at understanding procrastination. I focus on just what does go on inside our heads and stop us from actioning things and what practical steps we can take to overcome this.

Procrastination may not be all our fault as there are plenty of people, places and things that hinder us from starting or stopping a task as discussed in my previous post. So that’s the good news because you can usually cope with those real obstacles. The bad news is, it is us and only us who are responsible for taking or not taking action. To beat procrastination, writes guru Michelle Tullier, you have to own up to the fact that what goes on in your head has something to do with the problem.

The Psychology of Action

All actions result from feelings and thoughts. If those thoughts and feelings are:

  • Negative
  • Irrational
  • Unrealistic

… then the behaviour they spark may be procrastinating behaviour. If on the other hand our thoughts are neutral or positive the behaviour that results is more likely to be productive and appropriate.

Thinking too much? Bad habits?

Have you ever thought “I am thinking too much about this”? Worrying about something you are going to do, what could go wrong, what’s wrong with your situation etc. You end up making the task much more difficult or overwhelming than it needs to be. This can lead to you feeling fed up at the same time as beating yourself up for not getting things done! These feelings lead to lower self esteem and more procrastination. Here, follow the advice of the Nike slogan: Just do it!

The next time you are about to put something off that you regularly procrastinate over, listen to the thoughts in your head “I’ll do it later” or “I don’t have to do this now” If so, think about those simple little statements, known as negative self talk, think of the power they have had over your behaviour. Listen to Nike! Just do it!

Eight causes of Procrastination:

What’s yours and what can you do?

  1. Fear of failure, success or how you’ll be judged. A handy defence mechanism writes Tullier. It keeps us from trying new things, taking risks or accepting new challenges. By not giving ourselves the chance to fail we can’t then be disappointed or rejected. Fear of success is about how our lives may change if we do succeed. What might be expected of you? Whereas fear of being judged is more about concern about your performance so you delay starting or not finishing a task. TIP Remember a time when you have actually failed at something and that you survived; that your boss or colleagues or people that care about you were supportive and didn’t think any less of you.
  2. Perfectionism. This is one of the most common causes of procrastination. Striving for excellence is a good thing. Striving to be perfect is not. What’s the difference asks Tullier? Perfectionists can be extreme and obsessive in their thinking; they procrastinate because of burnout, remembering how it felt last time when they worked on something similar. So to protect themselves they only get started when forced to, when they have the time or no choice. High standards allow behaviour to be realistic and flexible. TIP Perfectionism is an impossible task and that aiming for 80% is still acceptable.
  3. Being overwhelmed. Finding a task so difficult or big you don’t know where to start. If the size, scope or nature of the activity is overwhelming it is easier to put it off. TIP Break the project into steps, have a plan and review regularly to keep perspective and feel a sense of progress.
  4. Feeling frustrated. Do you have a low tolerance for ambiguity or delayed gratification that comes with some projects? This is similar to overwhelm if you are the sort of person who needs to see instant results and you are working on a long term goal like weight loss. TIP Work with some support. Team up with a buddy to motivate each other.
  5. Adrenaline rush addiction. Are you relying on the thrill that stems from completing a task at the last minute? Think about why you feel the excitement? Is it because life is dull? Or do you believe you work at your best in this way? Maybe you do do good work but what is it like for others around you? What are you like to be with or live with? What long term implications are there for your health and heart? Working late nights, all night, no breaks actually makes you tired, grumpy, unproductive and liable to make mistakes as there is no time for reflection or redrafts. TIP Give yourself the challenge of finishing the project early and treat yourself to a reward!
  6. Negativity towards the task. This refers to disliking or being uninterested in the activity itself. Have you got evidence of half finished jobs at work or home? These may seem trivial but may form a daily reminder of failure, unfinished business, clutter, if only I had the time thoughts which continue to drain you. TIP Pay someone to complete, or delegate, or ask for help with a reward at the end or simply dump it. Motivate yourself by viewing the big picture, how this fits in and how you will feel when you have done the task. Make it fun with friends, music, whatever it takes.
  7. Rebellion. You want me to do what? Procrastination is a powerful tool for rebellion. We can demonstrate our feelings about people and tasks by not doing what is requested. In this way we have control. TIP A little rebellion is necessary for our sanity and independence says Tullier. But if carried too far can put our jobs, businesses and relationships in jeopardy. Discuss your feelings and thoughts to come up with a compromise.
  8. Psychological issues. Conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety make it difficult to get things done. TIP ask for help and support from professional medical resources. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the helpful strategies to find out about!

If the idea of having to resolve the internal drivers of your procrastination makes you want to give up, be reassured generally the internal causes are no more difficult to overcome than external obstacles.  I talked about this in my last post.

Take some time to identify your top cause and be brave and do something about it.

Jan 23
0

Overcoming Procrastination at Work

By | Motivation, Productivity | One Comment

How can you harness your energy so that you perform more effectively at work?  In a nut shell we are talking about overcoming the dreaded procrastination!

What causes your procrastination?

Have you ever considered what it is that stops you, slows you down or frustrates you about getting work completed? What is it that saps your energy? What it is that you procrastinate over? Reasons might include:

  • Not wanting / knowing how to do the task
  • A messy desk or cluttered work space
  • A difficult relationship with a colleague
  • Too many emails
  • You cannot find things
  • Being pulled in too many directions
  • Temptations to do the easy, rather than the more difficult but important tasks
  • Fear

The list is endless! Michelle Tullier, a guru in this area, writes that you can broadly categorise these reasons under two headings. Firstly, environmental reasons e.g. the main trouble stems from situational factors like overload, distraction, disorganisation and secondly reasons to do with your mind which have a psychological root! So in this post I will examine the environmental reasons. Look out for another post when I will discuss perfectionism, fear of success or failure, overwhelm etc.

The 3 key Environmental Reasons for Procrastination

Getting started on tasks or completing projects you have begun, relies on a critical thought to action link, says Tullier. You have the thought, but action doesn’t always follow. Obstacles get in the way. “I won’t go to gym because the wardrobe where I keep my gym clothes stored is messy.” “I won’t finish that project because there is a disarray of papers and it’s difficult to keep track of where I am.”! There are 3 key reasons or hazards that Tullier describes: those of people, places or things.

People – these are your partners in crime, fellow procrastinators who convince you of a million other things you’d rather be doing or people who just nag or drag you down.

Places – here Michelle refers to your workspace and the excuses we find to avoid working. Namely, the desk, the lighting, the temperature and all the other ergonomic factors!

Things – Papers, files, folders, junk. Stuff that clutters and crowds us from clear thinking and action. One of the major causes of procrastination is too much paper and disorganised papers. In addition, too many commitments can clutter and overwhelm us causing a drain in energy.

Top tips to create action

People

  • list all the people who contribute to your procrastination and think of ways to stand up to them or avoid them.

Places

  • to overcome those excuses of “If only I had the right desk, chair etc” just do it, get started.

Things

  • Plan in regular admin time with a deadline as if you were doing this for someone else. Play some good music to enjoy at the same time. Remember daily, weekly and monthly admin tasks. Think of some treats or rewards to look forward to.
  • Create physical space to be creative and productive in your office, workspace, or at your desk.
  • Plan in some regular breaks as this does actually make you more productive!
  • List all your commitments and identify where any delegation, breaks from the commitment or support can be brought in. If saying “no” is a problem, look at ways to improve your assertiveness.
  • Don’t over schedule, leave room for the unexpected.
  • Distractions like chatting on the phone, watching TV, surfing the internet, playing PC games are all BIG enemies of action so plan in such activity when you have completed your important tasks. (It may help to log how long you currently spend on these activities so that you are in a better position to manage them).
  • Keep a success diary. Once you get started and begin to see results this will motivate you further.
A New Perspective

Cheryl Richardson recommends in her book to identify the things that drain your energy- the energy that allows you to get things done, connect with others and stay physically and emotionally fit. For most people who live stressful lives, this energy is limited and usually running low. Normally we think of our energy levels rising and falling based on what we “do”. However, it is much more than that says Richardson. Every action you take uses energy. What you may not have considered is that actions you don’t take use energy as well – mental energy, emotional energy, energy that could be used in a more positive way. The items on your mental to do list, the ones you have been procrastinating about, distract you or make you feel guilty. She suggests noticing what gets your attention and steals your energy!

The commitment to make difficult but necessary changes that will restore your energy can have an immediate positive impact. Energy is one of the critical ingredients for success. You decide who or what gets it. Choose wisely!

Next Steps

Create your top 10 procrastination list by recording all the areas that drain you at work or home. Prioritise the list and identify what you can do and by when. Focus on just changing one thing at time and only one and stick with it for a week.  Start in the next 48 hours if possible!  

If you need extra support with reducing procrastination, we have a great E-book that can help. 

Jan 16
0

Personal Branding: Essential for Running a Business Today

By | Career, Networking, Productivity | No Comments

Customers are demanding more; they want the promise of value that you offer.

This is largely due to the change in our culture – we are now information-rich and time-poor. We have altered the way we buy products and services and no longer rely solely on judgements based on features and benefits, as they don’t have the same impact as they did in the past. People are overwhelmed by the choices they face. “We are now more likely to purchase if we feel an element of trust and have an emotional attachment to a product or service”, says Dawn Winder. As I described in my last post, a strong, powerful and dynamic Personal Brand will communicate exactly these values.

A strong Personal Brand will attract people and opportunities to you, as it increases your confidence and communication skills. It inspires loyalty and respect in your target market and establishes you as an expert in your chosen field. It is the foundation of any marketing of yourself or your business.

Authenticity and Business Success

Once you have identified your Personal Brand values – what you stand for, your vision and purpose – you will find that you will be able to communicate this with ease to your prospects and clients. In building a strong Personal Brand you are saving not only your clients’ time, but also your own, and reduce stress and frustration into the bargain. You will stand out for the uniqueness that you offer and able to therefore enjoy a competitive edge. Marketing that really makes sense.

So, can you afford to ignore your brand, whether planned or not?

Get in touch for help on creating your personal brand.

Dec 24
0

Not New Year Resolutions…

By | Motivation, Networking, Productivity | 4 Comments

xmas tree made from alignments of bacterial genomesIt is a busy time of year so I decided to write a brief post and send my best wishes for a peaceful, healthy and prosperous New Year!

I don’t recommend New Year’s resolutions to be launched upon in January but in the Spring instead when change is a bit easier … however I do recommend a time for reflection and planning.  To assist you in this, here are some questions to ponder…

Consider each question and jot down your answers to gain the maximum learning:

  1. Recognise your achievements:
  • My 3 biggest achievements in 2011 were…
  • How I feel about this is…
  • Some of the things I wanted to achieve but didn’t were…
  • What stopped me was…
  • What I have learned in 2011 is…

2. Plan your future – imagine you’re 1 year on from now – finish these statements:

  • My talents are being used by…
  • Networking I have done is with…
  • Development I have completed is…
  • I have made more time to…
  • The one thing I changed was…
  • The people that work with me are…
  • I feel…

How could you plan in your 2012 diary, time to work on the important aspects of your professional life that may have slipped or that you want to do more of? Will they happen if you don’t plan in time for you? Do you have a choice?

Look out for next time for advice on career planning.

Have a fab Christmas and New Year! 

Dec 05
0

Sick of Hurrying? Try Creative Silence Instead

By | Productivity | No Comments

running-manThe phrase ‘hurry sickness‘ is now in common use.

It refers to the physical and psychological effects of time and time pressure. Do you feel you have to cave in to the pressure of constantly having to do more and more in less and less time? Symptoms include changing lanes in traffic queues in the hope it will save precious seconds and getting irrationally irritated at a slow cashier in a supermarket.

James Gleick, author of “Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything” says technology has produced a multi channel-slipping, fast-forward species that breeds competitive, impatient people who are addicted to fast food and instant messaging. The advice we give here is twofold.

Firstly, ask yourself what choices you have and what habits serve you well?

Secondly, make time each day for ‘creative silence‘.

All that means is to find a 10 minute slot per day when you do nothing but allow your mind to clear. This enhances creative thinking, listening to your intuition and putting life into perspective. For your information the Third Angel Theatre Company were touring the country performing “Hurrysickness“!

Next weeks post will feature Networking.

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Nov 28
0

Improving Personal Productivity, Part 3

By | Leadership, Productivity | No Comments

productivityFollowing on from my previous posts on Improving Productivity, Part 1 and Part 2, some more tips:

  1. In every meeting you have, whether it’s with one person or many, always have an agenda, have objectives of why you are meeting and an end time. Nancy Kline in her book Time to Think has some excellent ideas on how to run good meetings based on thinking and listening which are a bit different to the usual advice!
  2. Really question every meeting you agree to attend. Remember past meetings you have been to, add in preparation time, travel time, time when the meeting doesn’t start punctually, time when the meeting overruns and then ask yourself was that the best way of spending what was supposed to be 2 hours and turns into half a day?  Could the meeting be run as a conference call? How else could it be held?
  3. Be selfish and plan in time, i.e. block out in your diary, to action and prepare for meetings so that you don’t feel like you have 2 jobs … one during the day to attend meetings and the second to start at 5.30pm to actually get some things done! Be proactive about your diary and take regular views of how you can be proactive rather than reacting to everyone else’s demands on you.  Get in there first.
  4. It is recommended to work on no more than 3 or 4 things at any one time. If it is more than this you lose your focus. This applies to men and women. There are gender differences here but this advice is good for both.
  5. There is much written about working on what is important and not just what is urgent.  Businesses and entrepreneurs who make a shift to concentrate on what is important become more successful. Rather than being busy on trivia, on problem solving, working on the easy things first, getting distracted, on being busy itself…take time to think about the purpose and vision for the future. This guides you to decide on the priorities and define the boundaries and what to say ‘yes’ to and ‘no’ to, when you are making decisions.  Consider the following questions:
    • What is time well spent for you?
    • What is purposeless activity and how can you reduce it?
    • What is purposeful activity and how can you increase it?
  6. Work out who can help you.  Save time struggling on your own. It is a sign of strength to ask for help and advice. Modelling is a Neuro Linguistic Programming term (NLP) whereby you identify who is good at the thing you are not skilled at and you go and ask them what is it that they do, to improve. What a compliment!  Who do you know who seems to pack in a lot, gets everything done and have time to smile?  Have a coffee with them for some advice.
  7. Could you delegate and develop someone at the same time? Improve your delegation skills if necessary. These are key to good time management. If you are not so hot at this – get some training!
  8. Is procrastination an issue for you? Do you keep putting something off, something that is important that needs some thought and can’t seem to find a couple of hours to get going? Follow Mark Forster’s tip on this and find 5 minutes.  Get yourself a notepad and a pen and time yourself to write and write furiously for 5 minutes.  Don’t stop writing for a full 5 minutes and when the time is up stop writing even in mid sentence.  You will notice 2 things (1) how much you can write in 5 minutes and actually get started with and (2) if you stop mid sentence it is easier to get started when you pick up the pen next time rather than staring into space!  The message here is find time for important things. If you can find several lots of 5 minutes even better.  Do remember working flat out can only be sustained for about 45 minutes!

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Nov 21
0

Improving Personal Productivity, Part 2

By | Productivity | No Comments

productiveFinding more time in the day and getting organised are some of the key issues for many of our clients. This post builds on Part 1 and offer some tips and ideas to help you.

Big impact, small effort; the 4 minute story

To increase your impact and your effectiveness consider this way to spend your time.

Take time to really listen not just hear what people are saying to you. Ask questions that show you are interested in them. Remember small details that demonstrate that interest and refer to them.

Rather than consider this as small talk think of it as building rapport. This is a key ingredient of building relationships and trust and sustaining them.

If you are interested in this, look at Daniel Goleman’s work on Emotional Intelligence.

To make this work even better follow the advice of Steven McDermott, a motivational speaker. Imagine you are travelling to a place; it could be driving into work, driving home, going to attend an important meeting, interview etc. Imagine 10 minutes before you arrive at your destination that you are going to be the best you can be. The best boss, the best manager, the best husband, the best Dad, the best candidate.

Now you only have to sustain being your best for 4 minutes.

When you arrive you make a big impression, you are in a good mood, you smile, and you interact in a really positive way. Now the person you are with tunes into this and reacts back in a positive way too and so you create a positive feedback loop and you don’t really need to try so hard. The 4 minutes increases to 10 minutes without thinking.

This really works.

How about that as a good investment of time? To improve the mood of those around you and make you feel good and create better relationships.

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Nov 14
0

Improving Personal Productivity, Part 1

By | Productivity | 2 Comments

“Wisdom consists in doing the right thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.” – Meister Eckhart.

Have you heard the expression “if you want a job done give it to a busy person?” Why is that? What magic do they have to get things done? In the next few weeks, I’m going to be writing about controlling time based on what is important.

First step towards a solution

Gather evidence of your current time management practices by keeping a diary for 2 weeks. You then have more choice over how you want the future to be. Record what you do in half hour blocks. Analyse the results by considering the following:

  • Categorise under different headings- what does this tell you? For example, if you are a leader of people, how much time do you spend doing this?
  • What are the surprises?
  • Are you focused on the priorities?

Purpose, priorities, boundaries

A simple way to determine what your priorities are is by considering first your purpose. Your purpose gives you direction, gives you role clarity and focus. Ask yourself what you want to achieve professionally and personally. Then look at your priorities in the light of achieving your purpose. Identify for yourself:

  • What do you want to do more of or less of, to deliver that purpose?
  • What do you want to start doing or stop doing?

Having given some thought to your purpose and priorities the last really helpful question to ask is what are your boundaries? What do you say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to? For more information on purpose see my posts on goal-setting and on motivation and visioning.

Productivity tips

  1. Create a yearly, quarterly & monthly plan based on your purpose and priorities.
  2. Each week write your plan for the week ahead. Consider doing this on a Sunday evening.
  3. Write your daily plan the evening before if possible. This gives your subconscious mind the chance to work on issues overnight. If you are a lark rather than an owl perhaps this is better to do in the morning!
  4. If you add something substantial to your to do list also take something off as most people try to take on too much.
  5. Ask yourself can you delegate the task? Dump it? Leave it for now? Pay someone else?
  6. Estimating the time to complete a task often goes awry. To build in time for contingency it often takes 2.5 times longer than you first think!
  7. Consider completing the task in a different way, Does it have to be the Rolls-Royce version?
  8. Create a simple filing system. Even lever arch files with plastic wallets keep papers in order.
  9. Plan in time for you by blocking out time in your diary. This could be for actioning projects, following up action points from meetings, carrying out team activities etc.
  10. Plan in regular time for housekeeping by you or your PA to avoid wasting time searching for things.
  11. Keep a notebook or PDA close by to jot down ideas/thoughts wherever you are.
  12. Work on high level work in the morning. Leave more routine work for 8 hours after you woke up. This tends to be the lowest point in the day for quality thinking/working. Avoid arranging critical meetings/appointments at your low point.
  13. Plan in at least 10 minutes a day for creative silence or quiet time. This enables you to tap into your creativity and intuition, great for solving problems.
  14. Listen to your intuition! If you cannot say a definite ‘yes’ then probably it’s best to leave it and not struggle.

Efficiency vs. effectiveness. Do you need to have both?

Efficiency = producing something with the least waste of effort.

Effectiveness = producing a result.

Another version of this is:

Efficiency = doing things right

Effectiveness = doing the right things

Characteristics of good time managers include being both efficient and effective.

Next time we look at more time saving ideas!

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Nov 07
0

Goals, Goals, Goals!

By | Motivation, Productivity | No Comments

10 Features of Well-Written Goals

In my last post, I explained the basics of goal-setting and now I fill this out with some tips on how to write your goals:

  1. They match with your personal and professional/organisational values.
  2. Goals are written down otherwise they are dreams or wishes. Keep a diary or notebook to record these. If you are more of a visual person a mind map may capture your thoughts better than traditional notes. Tony Buzan is the best author on this subject.
  3. They are reviewed regularly. To do this keep them handy, always in the same place and create a good habit of say reviewing every Sunday evening. Tracking your progress and refreshing yourself keeps you focused and gives clarity to decision making in the week and month ahead. A success diary breeds further success.
  4. Goals are specific, e.g. I want to live in a white house with a sweeping staircase.
  5. They are written in the positive e.g. I want to achieve a weight of X stones/Kg/pounds.
  6. Goals are captured in the imagination. You can visualise how they will look and feel. I have a visual part to my business plan to inspire me.
  7. They are measurable. How will you know when you have achieved the goal?
  8. Goals are challenging, to stretch you and motivate you, but not so hard that they seem too daunting and out of reach. Remember – bite size chunks.
  9. They are achievable and within your influence and largely within your control. Big goals can suit teams and departments who can together set and agree action steps.
  10. They are set within a timeframe. Allow two and a half times longer than your gut instinct suggests to allow for obstacles and emergencies.

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Oct 24
0

Goals are for Winning

By | Motivation, Productivity | One Comment

Goaaaaal!What is a Goal?

A goal is defined as “the aim or object towards which endeavour is directed…” When you set goals you have clear aims and objectives towards which to channel your effort and energy.

For me it’s the art and science of coaching. Combining the left part of your brain – logical, linear, analytical thinking –  with the right side of your brain – creative, visual, imaginative thinking and then wrapping it in passion and energy from your heart to make goals which are truly compelling.

How can you make your goals into reality?

I recommend that my clients use the GROW method,  based on John Whitmore’s work. It is a brilliant yet simple model used in coaching. GROW has 4 steps:

  1. Goal
  2. Reality
  3. Options
  4. What will you do?

By defining goals you visualise the new exciting place you want to be.  You build a compelling future.  You create a state of motivation.

Moving onto the now, the current reality, is the second stage. A gap is created between where you are now and where you want to be.

How do you fill the gap?  You identify the best options through creative thinking, breaking the final goal up into achievable steps, or sub-goals.  Be realistic and build in a contingency – anything new and worth achieving often takes longer than you think!

Then the tough bit…you commit to action. When, where, how will you deliver on this goal? What will you do?

Having a destination to aim for and a plan to get there is key.

If you think about a great holiday, a successful dinner party, a business launch they are the end result of some specific goal setting. They don’t just happen. That same level of energy and thought can be applied equally to careers, professions and business but often isn’t. Why? Because we are too busy living our daily lives, too involved, too close to see a different set of choices.

So, what will YOU do?


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