By now you have most likely attended a class, read a book or picked up an article off the WEB on time management. And, yet you continue to fight the battle against the clock. Or, you are the master of your time and reading this to just find out who the heck Eric Goodman is. Either way, keep focused and read on.
Almost every successful person I know, at one time or another thinks they can add more hours to a day. They are not really making the day longer. In reality they are subtracting from their personal time to see how much they can accomplish in a 24 hour window.
This is when exercise is replaced with returning calls. Bedtime stories are exchanged for answering emails. Meals are consumed with a fork in one hand and a blackberry in the other. Vacations are shortened or not taken at all.
How can you stop being controlled and take control of your time? Here are a few simple tips.
1. When you are on your PC, turn off the sound. How many times do you stop working the minute you hear a new email arrive?
2. Divide your day into chunks of time. Mentally assign tasks to the amount of time you believe they will take and stick to it.
3. Hold more meetings over the phone versus driving somewhere. And keep them focused using an agenda or talking points.
4. Start and end everything promptly. People will respect you more when you are respectful of their time.
5. Limit your “water cooler” moments. I work out of my house; so, I don’t have the distractions I used to have when I was employed by Corporate America. There was no time spent this morning discussing the Sweet Sixteen, Health Care Reform or Sandra Bullock’s recent dilemma.
6. And, lastly, follow Eric Goodman’s practice. Treat each work day as if it were the day before vacation. Isn’t it interesting, when you know you are leaving for a week or even a long weekend, how much you can get done the hours before you head out the door?
Who is Eric Goodman? A good friend and Director at DHL.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
It's all in your attitude
Question for you.
Who are the people that you like to be around? You actually look forward to their call, smile when you see them, and find yourself invigorated when they are gone. Can you picture someone that seems to remove all of the negativity you may be feeling by simply their presence?
I bet I can predict one trait that the person you are thinking about has. It is a positive attitude.
These are the “glass half full” folks. They make “lemonade out of lemons”. They smile a lot, laugh easily, and seem to always be enjoying themselves.
How do they do it? Especially in today’s world. One would assume they have tons of money, great health and lots of love in their life. Yet, my guess is many carry around the same “junk” we all do. The thing that sets them apart is they have figured out one of the most important attributes possessed by all mankind.
It is the ability to control how they react to any situation. These people choose to look at the bright side of things. They find only the good in situations. They speak positive words, act in a positive manner, and focus on positive outcomes.
“Oh, but they aren’t realistic”, some say. It isn’t about facing the facts or denying the truth. It is the manner in which they mentally approach adversity as well as success. They realize that one of the things they have complete control of in their life is how they choose to react to any circumstance. They know the power of a positive attitude and its side effects.
How do they do it? Give this a try. For the next 24 hours do these three things:
1. Replace every pessimistic thought with a positive one
2. Do not speak negatively about anything or anyone. Compel yourself to say something good or nothing at all.
3. Steer clear of people that are depressing or complain. Instead reach out to the person you thought of at the beginning of this message.
Remember it’s all in your attitude and all within your control.
Who are the people that you like to be around? You actually look forward to their call, smile when you see them, and find yourself invigorated when they are gone. Can you picture someone that seems to remove all of the negativity you may be feeling by simply their presence?
I bet I can predict one trait that the person you are thinking about has. It is a positive attitude.
These are the “glass half full” folks. They make “lemonade out of lemons”. They smile a lot, laugh easily, and seem to always be enjoying themselves.
How do they do it? Especially in today’s world. One would assume they have tons of money, great health and lots of love in their life. Yet, my guess is many carry around the same “junk” we all do. The thing that sets them apart is they have figured out one of the most important attributes possessed by all mankind.
It is the ability to control how they react to any situation. These people choose to look at the bright side of things. They find only the good in situations. They speak positive words, act in a positive manner, and focus on positive outcomes.
“Oh, but they aren’t realistic”, some say. It isn’t about facing the facts or denying the truth. It is the manner in which they mentally approach adversity as well as success. They realize that one of the things they have complete control of in their life is how they choose to react to any circumstance. They know the power of a positive attitude and its side effects.
How do they do it? Give this a try. For the next 24 hours do these three things:
1. Replace every pessimistic thought with a positive one
2. Do not speak negatively about anything or anyone. Compel yourself to say something good or nothing at all.
3. Steer clear of people that are depressing or complain. Instead reach out to the person you thought of at the beginning of this message.
Remember it’s all in your attitude and all within your control.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Point the finger in - not out
One of the things we need to do a better job as a society is holding ourselves accountable for our actions. We no longer own up to the things we do.
Think back to your school days. Remember the kid in class that always blamed others for their mistakes? They were the ones who would cry, “But, it’s not my fault”, finding everyone and anyone responsible for their blunder.
As they grew, they strengthened this belief blaming the professor for their ineptness, the boss for their inadequacies, or the spouse for their failed relationship. Throughout their life they point the finger at others for their incompetence. At no time, did they take personal responsibility for how they live their lives.
This “pointing the finger out” mentality has weaved its way through humanity materializing during political campaigns, corporate takeovers, merchandise recalls, and bankruptcies. At what point does a person stop pointing the finger out and start pointing in?
Over the past several months, I have grown tired of watching people not own up. I have become weary just listening to all of the excuses why something went wrong. I find myself less and less tolerant of this behavior to the point that I no longer try to influence their behavior. Now, I simply dismiss them from my life.
Sounds harsh? It may be. But what I have found is when I replace burdensome individuals with those who anticipate the needs of others, we flourish. When I work with people that look for solutions instead of dwelling on the problems, we get more done. When I surround myself by those who have pride in keeping commitments, we thrive.
These are the people that don’t point the finger out but take responsibility and point the finger in.
This blog is dedicated to the “Team of Five”, Maryellen, Matt, Ellen, Headley and Jesus at Plantation General Hospital. They “point the finger in” day in and day out; and, I am truly honored to have the privilege to work with them.
Think back to your school days. Remember the kid in class that always blamed others for their mistakes? They were the ones who would cry, “But, it’s not my fault”, finding everyone and anyone responsible for their blunder.
As they grew, they strengthened this belief blaming the professor for their ineptness, the boss for their inadequacies, or the spouse for their failed relationship. Throughout their life they point the finger at others for their incompetence. At no time, did they take personal responsibility for how they live their lives.
This “pointing the finger out” mentality has weaved its way through humanity materializing during political campaigns, corporate takeovers, merchandise recalls, and bankruptcies. At what point does a person stop pointing the finger out and start pointing in?
Over the past several months, I have grown tired of watching people not own up. I have become weary just listening to all of the excuses why something went wrong. I find myself less and less tolerant of this behavior to the point that I no longer try to influence their behavior. Now, I simply dismiss them from my life.
Sounds harsh? It may be. But what I have found is when I replace burdensome individuals with those who anticipate the needs of others, we flourish. When I work with people that look for solutions instead of dwelling on the problems, we get more done. When I surround myself by those who have pride in keeping commitments, we thrive.
These are the people that don’t point the finger out but take responsibility and point the finger in.
This blog is dedicated to the “Team of Five”, Maryellen, Matt, Ellen, Headley and Jesus at Plantation General Hospital. They “point the finger in” day in and day out; and, I am truly honored to have the privilege to work with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
