Clutter Be Gone!

Albert Einstein once said "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then is an empty desk?" Although I'm not a mathematical genius I can tell you from my experience coaching individuals an empty (i.e., clear) desk is the sign of a clear mind.

Just take a moment to look at the two pictures above. Which picture makes you more energized to get to work? Which picture would you be able to leave at the end of the day and not be consumed with all the work that is left undone? Which desk would you be able to sit down and focus on a project. It's doesn't take a mathematical genius to know that sitting down at a clear desk with only the work at hand would make it far easier to focus and get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Today I want to take a quick moment and share with you a tip I read once that has been the most effective strategy for maintaining a clear desk that I have uncovered in my many hours of study on time management. It's simple, inexpensive and easy to put into place.
Step 1: Purchase two accordion files. One numbered 1-31 and one labeled for the months of the year. Also create a hanging file in a drawer close by for reading.

What I have discovered is that often the piles begin to accumulate because of projects and tasks that are not due yet. Individuals are often afraid to put anything away because they don't have the proper system in place and are concerned that they'll forget something. Unfortunately when a desk is overrun with clutter tasks are often forgotten anyway.

Step 2: Dedicate 2-3 hours to go through every piece of paper on your desk. File what needs to be filed in client or project files. File reading that can't be read at the moment in the reading file and then begin to file everything that has a due date in the accordion files. Anything due the current month would go in the 1-31 file on the appropriate date and anything due in the months ahead would go in the monthly accordion. If a project due has more than one piece of paper you can always create a vanilla folder with the name on it to insert into the date or month so that you can accumulate all the pieces for the project as they come in.

Step 3: Now you have a clear desk and you are ready to keep it that way. At the end of the day when all the work is done and the desk is cleared, pull the paperwork from the date file for the next day. Take a moment to review the work planned for tomorrow and compare with your calendar to determine when you will be able to accomplish it.

Step 4: Show up to start your day prepared and focused for the work that is to be accomplished.

Extra tip for Outlook users: Perhaps you're inbox looks like your desk. Did you know that instead of keeping emails in your inbox for items that have future due dates you can click and drag a copy into your tasks or calendar and set date and time reminders so that Outlook reminds you. On the due date a reminder will go off in Outlook and you'll open the task and there is the content of your email.

It will take 21 days to make this habit stick and 3-6 months before the habit becomes a normal part of your routine but the energy and effectiveness you'll have by stepping into a clear environment each day will be its own reward.

If you need more help consider joining Compass and working the monthly action plan (MAP) titled Overcome Overwhelm where you'll get the daily direction, support and monthly coaching you need to de-clutter your desk, your life!

Karen Zeigler
Speaker & Life Coach

Lists to LIVE By

If an alien landed on earth today it wouldn't take him long to figure out we are a society that lives by lists. There is the daily to do list, the grocery list, the bucket list, every day brings another top 10 list of trivial and often useless information. And the "list of lists" goes on and on. But for the most part the lists can be a source of stress, frustration, and feelings of incompetence. By the day, by the year, by the life time there is so much to do! Each time one item is marked off, three new ones are added.

So is there a list or lists that can actually bring fulfillment, enjoyment and more happiness to your life? I contend there is. In fact I think it will not only bring you those things but also will allow you to have a greater impact on your family, your customers, and those you serve. So what is this list? Your Priority List. In fact I recommend you have two: Professional Priority List and Personal Priority List. Here's an example of what those might look like

Professional Priority List
~Developing new business
~Managing existing clients
~Leading and mentoring employees
~Continuing to learn and grow my skill base

Personal Priority List
~Self-care: eating well, working out, pampering
~Spending quality time with husband
~Spending quality time with kids
~Spending quality time with friends
~Exercising my faith with involvement and service
~Managing the household
~Fun and recreation

So it's your turn. What matters most for you? What REALLY matters most to you? Make your personal and professional priority list. But the exercise doesn't end here.

Now that you have a list of what matters most to you - your professional and personal priorities take 5 minutes and look at your calendar for the last two weeks. How many events, tasks, activities did you spend time on that when evaluated really aren't on your list of priorities? It's not uncommon that more than half of things people spend their time on don't even reflect their top priorities. The potential to experience joy, satisfaction and happiness lives in your calendar. You will begin to experience more of what matters to you when you schedule less of what doesn't.

And one final question. When you created your priority list were You on it? May I ask whose list will you appear on if you don't appear on your own? When we refuse to address our own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs our personal growth stalls. Instead of being able to care for all the important people in your life you run out of energy, get frustrated more easily, and lose the joy of living.

Now next time you need to create a to do list, project list or other list of tasks to be done first grab your priority lists. Use your Priority Lists as a foundation for what activities make your list and which ones don't. Now that is Lists to LIVE by.

For additional resources on this topic check out Remodel Your Reality: 7 Steps to Rebalance Your Life and Reclaim Your Passion by Kim Fulcher, CEO of Compass

Karen Zeigler
Life Coach
www.inspirationtochange.org
www.mylifecompass.com/karenzeigler
karen@inspirationtochange.org

Yes You Can - Say No!

If you have been following along with the last couple posts I hope this finds you with a little less on your plate and a lot more breathing room in your schedule. Shedding those unnecessary tasks and unwanted commitments is a great feeling. Sort of like shedding an extra 10 pounds. Your mind is clear, there is a bounce in your step, you are full of energy and ready to embrace the day. It feels so good!

But just like dieters can yo-yo and put back on the weight you can yo-yo with your time management habits as well. So how do you keep that breathing room in your schedule? How do you keep your plate from overflowing again? The answer lies in a small two letter word - NO! What thoughts are going through you mind as your read that sentence? Here are a few you might identify with:

~I can't say No - what will people think of me
~I can't say No - it's my family, boss, religious group
~I can't say No - I love to do __________
~I can't say No - How much time could it take? I can get this done easily between __________ and _________

There are probably many other reasons or fears that you could come up with as explanations for why you can't say no. But let me challenge you to look for the reasons you should say Yes. Is there ample benefit to you for saying Yes? What questions should you ask yourself (and perhaps your spouse or business partner) to determine whether the commitment you are being asked to make is worth saying Yes too.

As a Life Coach my goal is to inspire you to discover the strength and courage you have within yourself to live your best life. And to empower you with tools that will help you live that life now - not next week or next year. So what questions should you ask to determine whether you should say Yes or No to a commitment that is being proposed.


1. Does the proposed commitment meet my needs? Now many may say at first glance well that sounds selfish. But I beg to differ. We all have needs and when those needs go unmet life doesn't run smoothly, we lack joy, and we rarely reach our full potential. For instance in my email box today I received an invitation to go dancing with our youth leadership team this Saturday. In reviewing this question to that invitation I can say Yes it meets my needs in four ways - the need to exercise, the need to have fun, the need to bond with other youth leaders that I serve with, the need to have time with my husband. So for this question the answer is Yes, yes, yes, yes.

2. Does the proposed commitment support my values? Everyone's values are different but two of mine are friendship and marriage. I value very much those relationships in my life. In addition in a different angle it also supports my value to serve because this particular get together will be getting to know better the team that I serve with on a weekly basis. So the answer to this question is also yes.

3. Does the proposed commitment further my priorities? Yes again. My marriage is a priority and so is my health. This commitment is the best type because it supports multiple priorities and I get to have fun while I'm doing it. This is the appropriate use of multi-tasking.

4. Do I have enough time and energy to commit 100% to the proposed activity? In my example since this is a one time event so I can say Yes. If this were an invitation to take a dance class as a group over 6 consecutive Saturday nights then my answer might well change from Yes to No.

Take a minute and put those four questions on an index card. Tuck them in your planner or by your computer if you schedule your appointments on line. Now next time you are asked to take on something new, see if you can give the proposed commitment 4 yeses. If not then remember: Yes You Can - Say NO!

Create Some Breathing Room

In my last post I compared the stress of having too much on your plate to overeating at a Thanksgiving meal. Although creating breathing room on Thanksgiving is just a matter of unbuttoning the top of your pants, creating breathing room in your schedule is a little more challenging. There is no magic button or switch that you can flip that will give you a little more room in your schedule or time in your day. But freedom from stress and schedule overload is achievable when you are willing to do the work. Since you have created your vision of what your stress free life looks like then I’m confident you have come back to roll up your sleeves and do the work to begin living your Best Life now. Keeping your Vision at the top of your mind will make the tough decisions that follow much easier to accomplish and in some cases even enjoyable. So roll up your sleeves, grab a pen and paper and let’s get started creating some breathing room.

Create the following table on a piece of paper. Create 6 Columns with the 6 items listed below across the top. Then begin to fill in the activity column with the tasks, work, and responsibilities that fill your calendar on a typical week. I’ve provided a couple examples:

Activity - Heart - Impact - Growth - Obligation - Total

Marketing my business
Housekeeping

Now in each of the columns rank the activity 1-5 (one being the least and 5 being the highest value). To explain how this works I would rate marketing my business as a 5 under impact because I believe that task has a high impact to my business and thus my life. For housekeeping I may give the heart category a 1 because I really, really don’t enjoy the task but I would have to give it 3 or 4 under obligation because it is a responsibility I have. Once you have totaled each row then it’s time to identify the activities that have the lowest total score. Circle the lowest totals.

This is where to start the work and hopefully the light bulb has already gone off. These are the activities that you are filling your schedule with that really don’t matter or have very little positive impact on your life. So here is where the tough work begins – it’s time to dump it, delegate it or double up.

Dump It – Is what it sounds like. These are activities that just no longer are important or a priority. Although they may have had a purpose when you started or were serving a goal initially they don’t any longer. Life changes and often times we keep doing what we were doing without even thinking. Pick up the phone, send an email, whatever it takes – take the steps to dump it. And dump it quickly before you talk yourself out of it.

Delegate It – Sometimes activities can score low in the heart, impact and growth category but because they are an obligation we cannot get rid of them. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t delegate it, hire it out, or share the responsibility with another to lighten our load. Stand up for yourself and your sanity and take this step.

Double Up – This is where you get creative. And if you’re not creative then seek out a friend or Life Coach to help you brainstorm. Look at the activities low scoring ones and high scoring ones as well. Where can you double up activities so that you can accomplish multiple activities in less time? Here are a couple examples from my own life. A very effective way for me to market my business is to speak before business groups. Yet speaking before business groups accomplishes multiple activities – marketing, networking, and client prospecting – just to name a few. Another example would be my love of horseback riding and hanging out with girlfriends. So I joined a trail club which is primarily women who get together and share friendship and their love for horses.

And one last tip. If the time cost of the activity isn’t enough then consider the dollar cost of the activity. Get fired up to eliminate those low scoring activities that are not only costing you precious time but money as well.

There you have it - Dump It - Delegate It - Double Up - Do it. Live Your Best Life Now.