Category: Time Management

It’s 6 pm – Do Something to Help Today & Tomorrow!

I presented to the parents in my local school district last week.  We discussed tips and ideas to help our students get organized.  What a great group!  I loved speaking to all of them, and I also loved how everyone was willing to share challenges and ideas to support each other.

A Question I ask in my presentation is “Why should we bother getting organized, especially if we have kids?” We realize we are the parents, the Adult, and we set the example.  We want our children to do well in school and in life.  We want our lives to be less complicated, less stressful and more enjoyable.  And we want to be able to say “Yes” to new things. 

So, how can we set the example?  Get organized, be less stressed, enjoy life more.  This week and the next two, we’ll look at busy family times of day, evening, morning and after school.

Let’s say it’s 6 pm.  What can you do tonight that will make tomorrow run more smoothly?  Try one of these:

  1. Pack lunches for tomorrow (for the kids, and for you!!).  We use our lunch packing time to discuss nutrition, and what goes into a healthy meal. I have also found that the kids are more likely to eat a lunch they had a say in packing!  We pack lunches after dinner, so often the boys will pack leftovers like refried beans and cheese on a tortilla, or a piece of chicken.  And since we’re in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner already, it takes just a few moments to pack lunch for tomorrow.  If I have clients the next day, I will pack a lunch for me, since my lunch will always be healthier and cheaper than the fast food that is available between clients.
  2. Look at tomorrow’s Schedule:  Typically, our after-dinner adventures lead to checking out tomorrow’s schedule.  We check to what’s on the hot lunch menu, who has to be at school early or late, and who has what activities.  Checking tomorrow’s schedule provides an opportunity to place band instruments by the back door, and pack sports uniforms, a snack and water bottle for practice.
  3. Make time once a week, like Sunday night after dinner, for a family meeting /      planning session.  Review together projects and events for the coming week.
  4. Pack up the backpack tonight, after homework is done, and set it by the back door.
  5. Check the weather forecast, and pick out tomorrow’s clothes.   If you have small children, lay out their clothes on the floor in the shape of a person, facing down.  Then they can climb right in!
  6. Solve tomorrow’s problems today.  Because there is still time to go to the grocery.  Maybe this only happens in my house, but have you ever heard at 7 am, “Hey Mom,      by the way, I need 4 2 liters of soda for the band party.”?  The obvious mom response is “When is the party?”   And the answer is… wait for it….  Today.  So start the conversations early!  Another example:  the oldest son mentioned late last Tuesday that he needed to wear his black suit coat to his concert Wednesday night.  That would be the black suit coat he wore to homecoming, the one that was at the dry cleaners.  So first thing Wednesday morning I retrieved the now clean coat.  I am very glad I found out about it the day before, instead of at 5 pm Wednesday!
  7. Get to Bed on time!  All of You!

So, take a look at just this one part of your day, and how to make it better by being more organized and less stressed!  Let me know what works!

7 Tips to Run Errands Better!

I don’t know about you, but with 5 busy people in my house, I run a lot of errands.  Dropping off, picking up, shopping, occasionally returning.  And between errands and shuttling my family here and there, I spend a lot of time in my car!  Few things irk me more than having to re-run an errand because I forgot something or didn’t plan ahead, and so I make every effort to run my errands well and get things done the first time.

Here’s how:

If you know something needs done, do it soon.  I encounter “all or nothing” people, who don’t take care of personal business for weeks and then expect to run 20 errands ranging over 40 miles in 3 hours.  This is unrealistic, inefficient and destined for failure.  If time is an issue for you, consider shopping or returning on-line.  It may cost you money in shipping, but saves hours in errand time!

Have a Master To-Do List.  I always have my Master To-Do list on my phone.  Several times a day, I update it with errands and tasks and synchronize it with my computer.  Errands on the list include:  Routine / weekly errands (farmers market every Thursday, dry cleaners every Friday, pay Kohl’s bill on the first of the month); and episodic errands (drop off flag, purchase clarinet reeds, new dress shoes for A.).  I attach a date to all of them, then group them based on my schedule.

If you’re in your car a lot, too, run your errands on the way to somewhere else.  For example, when I used to work in the city, I frequented the post office, dry cleaners and grocery store that were on the way to my office.  These days, I am more likely to lump my errands into bigger blocks of time, based on a free hour or two some weekday morning.

Make a plan:  Think through today’s to-do list and each errand.  This past Saturday, I planned to shop for myself at one store, return stuff to another, shop for a gift at a third, and buy groceries at a 4th.  As I planned, I pulled my gift certificates and coupons for the first store, and located the receipts for the returns.  I packed shipping materials and labels for the gift, so I could box it up and ship it out as soon as I purchased it.  Then I made sure my cooler bag, reusable grocery bags, coupons and grocery list were in the car.  I had quite a pile of stuff to go, but I got everything accomplished in the time allotted!

Bring your tools.  I have an errand basket at the back door for returns, receipts, items to go to other people, etc.  Right now it contains a CD to go back to my brother and a flag to drop off to a fellow scout leader.  My Iphone is also a tool, to google store locations and directions.

Keep details with you:  I keep regular purchase details on my IPhone.  Along with the contact info for my local Office Max, I list the printer ink I use, to reference if I need to pick some up.  Attached to the contact to my local music store is the type of clarinet reed my son uses (I never remember).  In addition, I have my family’s current clothing and shoe sizes, plus gift ideas, in case I find myself with motivation and opportunity to shop.

Remember you are super but not superhuman.  Take a snack.  Take a water bottle.  Take a deep breath, take a break.  Then get back to it.

I wrote this for a friend I chatted with last week about how to make the most of her on-the-road time. I hope it helps you with that, too!!  See you on the road!

Ways to Find Ideas, Keep Them and Act on Them!

Ideas are everywhere, wherever inspiration strikes! But, how do we save them?  And then use them?

What is an idea?  Dictionary.com says “a thought, conception, or notion.”  To me, ideas are more than just random thoughts, they’re sparks of inspiration.  A thought can become a task on your to-do list (ooh, remember to buy milk, order that gift, or make that phone call), but an idea seems bigger than that, like the term the “big idea”.  So bigger than a thought, grander than a task.  An IDEA.

Ideas for what, you ask? 

Anything!  Everything!  That is the great part!  We just have to be open, aware and seeking those sparks of inspiration.   What are you looking for?  Vacation ideas?  New business ventures?  Adventures?  Hobbies?   Better and different ways to deal with challenges or people?

Where are these ideas? 

I have come to realize that big ideas are rarely in my office, or waiting on my laptop.  To generate new ideas, I require new stimuli and information, or a different way of viewing things.  You can’t force creative ideas to come, but you can invite them.  For me, Ideas come to me when my mind is relaxed:  In the shower; as I drift to off to sleep; very typically in the car; or in my reading pile.  A few months ago, they were at the Museum with me and my kids.  My six year-old niece says they’re under the table.

So, if you are looking for ideas or solutions, go where the ideas are.  And if you are looking for new insight, go some place new, read something new or hang out with different people or in different places.

I have plenty of ideas.  For me the challenge is not finding them, it’s keeping them and then acting on them.  So, first things first –

  1. As an idea comes to you, Filter It.  You may come up with a great idea, but is it really something YOU need to act on?  The construction idea that comes to someone who is not a builder.  The song lyrics that occur to someone who is not a musician.   The hot and tropical vacation idea that looks beautiful in pictures, but then I remember I really hate to be hot. (!!)   I am not suggesting you abandon your big ideas, just determine if they are ideas You need to act on, or perhaps you can stick with your strengths, and Pass on the ideas to someone else.
  2. Make a Habit:  Write it down.  I get very frustrated when an idea disappears Aqua Notesbecause I didn’t write it down.  In positive terms, Writing down an idea makes that idea more likely to become an action.  Give your self opportunities everywhere and anywhere to capture your ideas.  I have pen and paper in the car, beside my bed, and even in the shower (thanks again, Steph and Lauren, for my Aqua Notes, seen here).
  3. Make a habit: Capture ideas technologically.  If you find inspiration on-line, there are all sorts of ways to capture those ideas, too: I have a “Pin It” button in my toolbar for posting images to Pinterest. and I can add gift ideas to my Amazon universal shopping list via another toolbar button on my Toolbar.  You can also save ideas to your Facebook timeline, or bookmark a website page for later.  Just set up your bookmarks with categories, to file the ideas for later.
  4. Make a Habit: Keep Lists, files or bookmark categories for different types JKs post it Ideasof ideas. Then make sure the new ideas get there.  These lists or categories could be “home improvements”, “recipes”, “restaurants”, “self-improvement”, “cub scout craft ideas”, etc.  Corral your ideas (like the colorful pile of post-its used by my friend Jan, seen here), and then disseminate them to their most useful list / destination.  And if the idea is a really great idea, or perhaps a time specific one (a seasonal weekend destination that’s available for only a few more weeks), add the action steps to your to-do list.   If it is a new restaurant to try, make a Date and go!
  5. Make a habit:  Review your Ideas periodically.  Once a week / month / year?  Make a habit of reviewing and prioritizing your ideas.  Pick an idea or two that is most important to you right now, and add the next action steps for that idea to your to-do list for today or this week.  It is October now, and the holidays are on the horizon, with all the Big Ideas that go along, so “Look at November and December Travel schedule” just went on my to-do list.

So, what are your Big Ideas?!  Make habits now to Find, Keep and Act On Your Ideas!

Welcome to my House Hour. Now excuse me while I start some laundry…

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001In last week’s blog, I mentioned my House Hour.  I didn’t give it a thought, it’s just what I do.  However, two readers asked “What do you mean by your “house hour”? Is this cleaning, straightening, laundry? Is it one hour everyday or when you can fit it in? Hmmm…”

Let me explain.

Last Friday morning, moments before receiving my friend’s email, I was wiping down my bathroom sink.   

Why? 

Well, because it was Friday.  That’s what I do on Friday.

Why 7:30 am?

As mentioned, “Clean the Bathroom” is a Friday chore.  And my Friday was shaping up to be busy, so 7:30 am was a good time to complete the task.  Also, everyone was already showered and ready-ish for school, so if I cleaned the bathroom at 7:30 am, there was a pretty good chance it would stay clean for a while.  Bonus!

My House Hour is the hour I spend on routine cleaning tasks every day.  For many years, I would wait and clean my whole house one day a week.  That worked for a while, but I hit some snags:

  1. My schedule rarely allows for an entire day dedicated to staying home and cleaning. 
  2. After 6 or more days of inattention, my house dirt and clutter really bothers me.
  3. There are some tasks that require repeating multiple times during the week, like laundry and vacuuming.
  4. As a child, Saturday was our cleaning day, but that absolutely doesn’t work with our schedule.

Here’s my cleaning schedule: http://www.peaceofmindpo.com/DailyCleaningChart.pdf

      This system works for us because I have a small and organized house, and my family is pretty good about cleaning up.  If my house was bigger, I would probably have to spend more than an hour.

       In addition, my House Hour does not always include things like laundry (a never-ending cycle), or cleaning up the kitchen after a meal.  Those are routine chores.   When the two go together, like when kitchen cleaning is on the House Hour list, too, it’s nice to get things done faster!

      Cleaning different areas of my home a little bit every day allows me to skip a day if I need to, so long as I catch up the next day.  And since the house stays relatively clean, I can be flexible and spontaneous for events or friends stopping over.

If you like this idea, make it your own.  Determine the list of things that need to be done every week, then distribute the tasks over a few days. 

  1. Be prepared to work around external motivators:
    1. Weather:  today I ditched my regular House Hour so that I could take care of yard work after a few rainy days.  In addition, when you only have an hour to spend, and you spend it shoveling snow or raking leaves, you have to be flexible!
    2. Garbage day is a great motivator for clearing clutter and recycling, and emptying all the trash!
    3. Pay day – my hubby’s pay schedule changed recently. Now Menu planning occurs every other Friday instead of twice a month on arbitrary days, which links nicely with the kitchen cleaning day.
  2. Take your schedule and your family’s rhythms into account – I like to knock out my tasks in the morning (though that doesn’t always work!!), but perhaps you prefer an hour in the evening every other day or so. Great, go for it.
  3. Leave room for large projects.  We have a few Fall projects to accomplish in the next few weeks:  put screens on the gutters, fix the fence, wash the windows, and I really need to strip and re-wax my kitchen floor.  This weekend or next, we need to clear an afternoon for these bigger projects.
  4. Determining your plan ONCE and sticking with it means you’ll never have to feel overwhelmed and searching for a starting place again!

So, pick an idea or two from this week, make your plan and make your cleaning schedule your own.

Prioritize Your Tasks And Get Them Done!

Our Daily To-Do lists can overwhelm us, so it is important to Prioritize our tasks.  We juggle many responsibilities, each with it’s own set of to-do’s.   To avoid planning more 001that we can actually, feasibly accomplish in one day, here are a couple of tools that I employ –

  1. Put the Three Things that absolutely have to get done today at the top of your list.  At many times during the day,  I stop and ask “Is that what I really want / need to be doing at this moment?”  (preempting mindless email checking or web surfing!).
  2. Spend 5 minutes, and move non-essential tasks to    a different day’s list.   Divvy up your to-do’s into:
    1. Today
    2. This week
    3. Next week
    4. Someday
  3. Time allotments.  Once you have today’s To-Do list, allot time estimates for tasks.  This helps me plan my work flow and determine if I can really get through everything.
    1. Time allotments let me decide how long to dedicate to a task.  I could easily spend all day writing my blog, but there are lots of other things that need done, too. I block out a couple of hours to get it done well, then I move onto something else.  Conversely, some tasks really only take 5 minutes.  So get them done!
    2. If the time allotment for a task is just too big, break the task into smaller pieces.  For example, re-vamping my website is a time-consuming task.  But this week, I can complete the first couple of steps, “Review site and determine what stays / goes”, and “check out links recommended for templates / hosting”.
  4. Put your tasks in order of intended completion.  Order them as you like:
    1. Shortest to longest.  Complete the quick and easy tasks first, to motivate yourself and clear the way for the more time-consuming tasks.
    2. Order of importance: Get the Three Things done first, so you are sure they get       done.
    3. Work for others first, and then yourself.  If you have timely work that matters to others, complete those tasks first so the other people can get started on their tasks.
    4. Prioritizing to the Revenue Line (from Julie Morgenstern).  I own a business, and businesses are supposed to make money.  I can order my day based on income – make the bank deposit, complete the client hours, teach the class, book more client appointments and classes, etc.  When all of those are complete, THEN I can look at non-essential tasks like website research.
  5. Stop wasting time and energy on Avoidance and Dread.  Pick a day, Man Up (I have sons) and do the 2 or 3 noisome tasks you’ve been avoiding.  Allot the time, set a timer, get them done, then move on.  “Avoiding something” is still an action, and drains our energy.  Just do it.
  6. Be Kind to Yourself.  I will not vaguely suggest you “Should make time for You”, because being told that just irks me.  But add a few things to your daily To-Dos that are kind to You, that give you strength to complete your tasks.  The top of my To-Do list every day reads “Proverbs 14:15 says, ‘A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.”.  Also at the top is a list of tasks I complete  every day to live a better life.   They’re habits, but I like the reminders: “Take vitamins”, “exercise”, “read Scripture”, my household tasks for my home hour, etc.

So, the next time the Daily To-Do List gets a little out of hand, try one of these ideas to help you focus in and Prioritize what you really need to do today!

Some days, It’s All Too Much (and what to do about it)!

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We can stuff a bag only so full before it bursts.  The same goes for our schedules.

A friend emailed me last week “I ran 8 miles this morning and was thinking about blog ideas.  Could you write something about people cramming too much into their day? One of the best things I ever did was cut back on the volunteering and get back to the things that I really wanted to do. I cut out [xxxx] after way too many years, and now I finally have time to train for the marathon.”

My response:  “I can write that article, and what’s really interesting is that yesterday, a client had the same epiphany. The client was supposed to fly cross-country for a family event.  Her husband was unable to attend due to a work deadline, the kids were stressed about missing back-to-school activities, she was just stressed.  And she stopped and said ‘No, we’re not going.  It’s just too much’ and cancelled the trip.  On our coaching call, instead of strategizing about how to get everything done in a short time, we strategized how to Un-make travel plans and determined what her family could say ‘Yes!’ to, since they would be staying home.”

I may not dare something as extreme as these friends (Thanks K&K!), but I respect their awareness that “It’s All TOO MUCH!” sometimes, and how they made the tough decision to let one thing go, in order to make room for something else.  Here are some suggestions, if you, too, feel “It’s all TOO MUCH!”:

1.  A wise friend says “Don’t ‘Should’ on yourself”. Don’t let others “Should” on you, either, telling you what you should or shouldn’t do.  Don’t “should” on others. We need to be kind to ourselves and to others.

2.  Find ways to say Yes, on your own terms.  I received an email today regarding an upcoming fundraising car wash:  washing the towels afterward and returning them clean counts as volunteering!  I can’t help at the event because I’ll have houseguests, but Laundry?  Oh, yes, I can do laundry!

3.  Don’t moan over being too busy to do anything, it becomes a self fulfilling      prophecy.

4.  Say less.  Practice “No, Thank You.”  You don’t always need to give an explanation.

5.  Make a list of your responsibilities, in broad terms:  Work and professional involvements; Family responsibilities (e.g. parent, daughter of aging parents, caregiver for my niece on a school half-day); Household / Life Management Responsibilities;      and Organizations with whom you volunteer, with roles or positions held.

6.  Looking at that list, ask yourself these Questions:

  • “What can Only I Do?”  There are some things that only you can do.  Be a parent to your children, and a spouse to your partner.  I can sing and organize better than  many, so I stick with those.
  • Be honest here, “What Can Someone Else Do?”  In the past, I have let go of roles that others could do as well as me. It’s not easy, to admit that someone else could do an adequate or better job on something, but if you’re looking to pare down, this is where we begin.
  • “What will I look back on fondly?” Playing pick-up sticks with my youngest.  Driving the teenagers to activities, since we have good conversations in the car.  Travel.        Making music.  Spending time with my hubby, and having all 5 of us together.  Guess what – Those are the things I need to make time for.
  • “What will I never think of again?”  I spend a lot of time menu planning and grocery shopping because we need to eat, but I can happily forget every moment spent on those, and be fine.  So I try to do both efficiently and effectively, so I can do them less often!  (I do love to cook, though, as well as sitting down for a family meal, or with friends.)

No one else will protect you from “TOO MUCH!”  That would be lovely, but it’s not going to happen.  So you have to step up for you and your family.  I can’t tell you what to      pare down, but I can help you determine that for yourself.  I don’t have all the answers, but YOU DO!

So, if this week you feel compelled to yell “Stop!  It’s all TOO MUCH!” be assured that you are not alone, and that there are specific steps you can take to make life better – and try one out!

Time Management and Life Lessons at Cub Scout Camp

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I attended Cub Scout camp last week with my son, 5 othtree editer Cub Scouts and three other parents.  It was a great time, and I learned a lot, including some life lessons we can all learn from:

Keep the “Get Ready List” simple:

Imagine with me:  20 people sharing one “Kaebo” (restroom and shower house).  Now imagine the line to get in and out of the kaebo at 7 am, before our 7:45 am Flag Raising ceremony and breakfast.  Long line, short time frame, short attention spans.

Needless to say, the Get Ready List for the scouts and we leaders was very short.  Get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, use the kaebo if there is time.  That’s it.  Showering, cleaning up and anything else waited until later in the day.  Luckily (or not), personal hygiene is not a huge priority at a camp in the forest for 8-11 year old boys and their leaders.

Simplify your morning.  Keep the Get Ready list short and the directions clear.

Tell them, tell them again, tell them one more time.

You know that really short “Get Ready List”?  It still needs repeating, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.  For scouts, for family, even for co-workers.

Keep your message (whatever it is) simple, and repeat it over and over and over again.

Don’t wait until its time to leave to announce you can’t find something.

Get ready early so that you can spend time searching for lost items.  Planning ahead allows time for searching, whereas announcing for the first time that something is lost as we leave camp does not.  Plus, then your scout leader won’t get a furrowed brow!

Get ready early.  This holds true not only for flashlights and swim trunks, but briefcases and projects as well.

When you have the chance to nap, take a nap.  Same goes for using the washroom.

I loved my little tent in the woods.  My cot was comfortable, and the evenings were cool and great for sleeping bags!  But the cicadas, occasional mosquitoes and rain interfered with our sleep some nights.  A quiet half hour in camp one afternoon afforded the best nap ever, with the sound of the wind in the trees to put me to sleep.  When you can nap, do so.

And did I mention the line at our bathroom door?  We (at least the women) got in the habit of using the nicest Kaebos around camp whenever the opportunities presented themselves.

When you find a teaching moment, teach.

There are lots of really cool teaching moments in life, but especially at Cub Scout camp in a national forest.  Nature, life, character building, life skills, etc.  And luckily, when life’s pace slows down a bit, we can seize teaching moments as they occur, and really connect with each other and ourselves.

Slow down.  Slow way down.

Camp was Monday to Friday, in a national forest.  My car was parked at least half a mile away from our campsite except for move-in and move-out. We walked a lot, everywhere.   had limited wi-fi and cell signal, and no laptop.  We had a consistent and clear routine as our daily schedule, and nothing else on the to-do list.  It was lovely.

I can’t take you all to camp with me, but we can all learn good things about life from my experience.  Let me know which lesson resonates with you the most!

How Will You Declare Your Independence?

I had a fireworks moment this morning, in respect for our Independence Celebration last week!  An article I read recently made a whimsical statement to “declare independence from eating food you don’t like”, like the usual cook-out food, for the 4th of July.  I happen to like traditional 4th of July food, so we trotted out all the favorites: BBQ pulled pork, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and ice cream at a local ice cream place for dessert.  But the article made me smile, and it makes me re-think other things, like what I would declare independence from if given the opportunity.

Then I read a LinkedIn post about a mid-year goal / New Year Resolution check-in.  I really liked that idea, so I ruminated on that for a while.  Then the two ideas collided in my head!  Pow, fireworks, etc!  (ok, not really, but you get the picture…)  So, Time Management ideas for this week…

Back in January, I decided to ask “Why Not?” instead of “Why?” for 2013.  I resolved to Say Yes! to things and people and ideas, in my personal and professional life.  And so far, I have achieved or am making progress on a number of goals for 2013.  So what else do I need to declare independence from?  And how will that allow me to say Yes! to?

Independence from being sedentary. 

Few people who know me would consider me sedentary, but when it comes to formal exercise, I am.  At least I am more sedentary than I would like, or than what is good for me.

How much time and mental energy could I free up if I just went out and exercised like I know I am supposed to?  I would also be declaring independence from pain, tight fitting clothes, sense of failure, cholesterol and cholesterol medicine in the long term, evil prostaglandins, and a host of other things.

And I say Yes to living a healthier, better life.

Independence from our hectic schedule.

This started out as “independence from busy weekends”, but truly, I would like to work on the whole schedule.  I have spent some time this past weekend with wonderful life-long friends.   And the recurring theme of many conversations is how busy and burned out we have become.  My family and I deserve better, as do my friends and their families.

So I will say yes to time for my family and myself with more intentional scheduling. Now, bear with me, this is the declaration of independence from our hectic schedules, but I still have to work out the implementation plan!  Did our founding fathers outline and strategize such things?  I wonder!

Independence from Judgment, of others and of myself.

My internal soundtrack (my own voice inside my head) is often very judgmental.  I make snap judgments of others based on appearances, perceptions, my own state of mind, etc.  And I quickly and harshly judge myself for any slight failing or slip-up.  I usually catch myself, and then try to turn things around, but the negativity exists.  I don’t share or act on the judgments, but they are still there, and they taint my thoughts and my happiness.  So, I will work on being open to others without judging, and also accepting others and myself more readily.

So, now I have shared my Time Management suggestions for this week.  My question to you is “For the second half of 2013, what will you declare your independence from?” Let me know!

Simplify your schedule. Lessons From My Little Cabin In the Woods

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cabinDriving three sons to three different activities by 9 am this morning made me long for the unstructured time from this past weekend.  I know that vacations are not real life, though many days I wish they were.

We traveled downstate last Thursday to the Southernmost tip of Illinois, the 70 mile stretch between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.  It is truly God’s country, green and lush, with hills the size of mountains (at least to our northern Illinois flatlanders’ eyes).   We stayed in a beautiful cabin, slept late, explored and hiked, ate good food and enjoyed each other’s company.  We reveled in the simpler life and slower pace, and here are some things I learned:

Go off the grid.  Wayyyy off the grid. 

If you can unplug once in a while, do so.  It does wonders for your frame of mind.  We were pretty isolated at our lovely cabin.  No wi-fi, news, email or phone calls, and only a random smattering of texts.  It was great.  I admit, I don’t know how long I could maintain the media silence, but knowing it would only last a few days made it easy to take.  I had tech, of course, my iPad with kindle books and movies on it, a large reading pile, a dvd player.  There was a TV with a few channels, but we didn’t turn it on and we really didn’t miss it.

Don’t shop.

Going on vacation is usually an expensive venture for us.  But there was no shopping to speak of at our destinations this weekend.  We were more than half an hour from a major grocery, and the national parks did not have gift shops where my sons typically blow their allowances.  We planned our menu, bought groceries at the last town before entering the National Forest area, and we didn’t buy more.  We ate a couple of meals at restaurants (with my teenagers taking full advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet at Cave In Rock), and we had gas and lodging expenses, but we came home with much less stuff and a little more $$ than we usually do.

Don’t overpack.

I pack too much, and my sons don’t pack enough.  We should all plan for an outfit a day, with a couple extra shirts and socks, and a set of pjs for every 2 nights, and extra swimming stuff since it doesn’t always have a chance to dry before the next day.  I’m a mom, and have to plan for contingencies, like packing rainwear for everyone that we never used.  But I personally had a handful of items that never left the suitcase.

Our little cabin had bedding, towels and a tiny but well stocked kitchen.  There was one drawer each of silverware and serving utensils, a few towels and wash clothes, 3 pots and pans with lids.  The open shelves for dishes above the sink made access and clean up very easy.  Simple, pared down, just what we needed and not much more.

Pare down your expectations. 

We wanted to get away, explore nature in some new parts of Illinois we hadn’t seen before, and spend some time together as a family.  However, one teenager mentioned very early on that he doesn’t “do” nature.   Grrrr….  So, I asked in my rational Mom voice what his expectations were and what we could do every day that would make him happy, too.  And God bless him, he asked to swim every day, and find some ice cream.  Those were things we could work with, and we made them happen.  Simple, reasonable and specific.  Nice.

Do yourself a favor, and De-clutter your schedule for a few days.

Mondays are always hectic, and this week I had two clients and a class in addition to the regular Monday tasks.  Before we left on our trip, I moved all the non-essential tasks from Monday’s to-do list to later in the week.  It made the busy Monday-after-vacation just a little easier!

So, spend a little time paring down and simplifying, and enjoy that vacation feeling every day!

Boost Summer Productivity with Tech and Routines

my portable office

my portable office

My sons are home with me this week since school has ended for the summer and activities are just starting up.  And while I really like my family, they are quite fabulous, the schedule changes and having them home with me in my office threaten my professional and personal productivity.

The lure is strong, to ditch my computer and take everyone out to lunch, or go on an adventure, or curl up on the couch and watch movies with them.  Also, the interruptions increase, which is a small price to pay for being with my family, but again, those interruptions damage my focus and make simple tasks take way too long, or not get done at all.

So….. what is a working parent to do? A dear client last week suggested that I get a desk that folds out of my van, so I can work anywhere.  I like the image of folding out a desk, but I already can work from anywhere, thanks to cool technological tools.  Here are some of my ideas, maybe they will work for you, too!

  1. Know what is in your in-box.  I have been making a conscious decision to check my work email on my smart phone while I am leaving a client appointment or meeting, instead of waiting to get home.  This may seem like another distraction, but I actually find it beneficial to my focus, deleting unneeded messages right away and spending some of my commute time mentally preparing for the work waiting for me when I get home.
  2. Make your office portable.  I take my IPad everywhere.  I can write up client notes and send them right away, instead of having to wait to get home to compose, edit and send the notes. I also added duplicate apps to my IPhone and IPad, like WordPress for managing my blog, Paypal for invoicing clients, and Evernote for sharing documents among all my devices.  We traveled this past weekend and I took just the IPad instead of my laptop.  I had everything I needed for work and for fun (downloaded movies and my Kindle App) right at my fingertips.
  3. Make it easy to manage and receive your money.  I have been using Paypal a lot lately for my client billing, which shortens the wait between completing client hours and payment – awesome!
  4. Go Paperless.  I cancelled my PO box in May, which may seem trivial to you, but for me it is huge!  I’ve had that PO box since I started my business!  However, steadily over the last 12 months, I have moved my correspondence to strictly on-line so that I could let go of the PO box, with its added expense and maintenance.  In addition, I receive some monthly publications on my IPad now, instead of in print.  My office is not yet Paperless, a goal for 2013, but I am one step closer.
  5. Share the calendar.  I am slowly warming up to the idea of sharing our family calendar online, through google calendars or a similar platform.  I figure summer is the time to decide, before the school schedules start up again in August.

Routines:

  1. Get up early.  I am still getting up before 6 am.  I heard a quote recently, something about how you never hear about the hero of the story sleeping in and taking it easy!  So, I get up and enjoy a very productive 60-90 minutes before my boys get up.
  2. Shave your head (or not!!).  I shaved my head back in March for a fundraiser, and it has taught me a lot (a blog for another day).  It seems extreme, I know, and I am NOT recommending that anyone should shave their head just to save time in the morning, but it is remarkable how much time this change has opened up!  Are there parts of your daily routines that you can streamline for summer?
  3. Maintain your focus.  I am so grateful for my accountability partner, especially right now.  Most summers, I struggle to get even the basics done some day.  With the focus that comes from accountability, I feel I am still moving forward on professional goals despite the summer urge to slack!.

So, what will you try this week to streamline your work and increase your productivity this summer?  Give one of these ideas a try, or share one of your own, I would love to hear it!