Personal Development - The Life Uncommon by Nacie Carson - Personal Development for a New Generation » Time Management

4 Time Management Tips That Will Change Your Life

Nacie Carson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:17:08 +0000

…Or at the very least will make it much more productive!

It’s true: the one thing all of us need more of is time, especially when you are trying to live Uncommonly. Many of us are working full-time, supporting family, and trying to set up our Uncommon Vocations. It all gets done…but sometimes it feels like it barely gets done! Time for relaxing or just for regrouping and processing is in short supply.

So in the spirit of giving you a little bit of wiggle room and allowing you to breathe, I am going to share the 4 time management techniques that changes my life and helped me take better care of me.

1. Know Thyself

To quote the amazing Baz Lurhman, forcing yourself to work (or do the bulk of your work) at a time of day you are not very productive is “about as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.”

In order to truly manage your time, you need to know when you are naturally most productive. For example, I am a morning worker – the hours between 7am and 12pm are my optimal working time.

However, I can also be productive from 7pm until around 11pm if I have more work I need to finish.

The key with knowing when you are most productive is to understanding while you have an optimal working time, you may also have other moderately productive times you can use throughout the day. These can be considered back-up times (in case you don’t finish what you need) or they can be utilizes as second session hours.

Part of knowing thyself and understanding when you work best is also to be conscious of when you absolutely are not productive. When you identify what your no-go times are, you can stop trying to force yourself into working then and use it to be productive in other things.

For example, the afternoons are basically dead work time for me, which is why I like to go to the gym them, visit with friends, watch TV, do my house work, etc.

I’ll acknowledge that sometimes you are on a deadline and just have to work through your unproductive times. But making it a habit to work primarily during your optimal productive times during non-crisis moments will help you get surprisingly more done and allow you to fit other important things into your schedule without feeling guilty.

2. Establish a W-List

Waiting around, especially waiting around unexpectedly is one of the most frustrating wastes of time. Keep unexpected waiting time from dragging you down by creating a W-List: a list of mental topics that need your attention that you can focus on when you have some waiting time.

Here’s an example: my W-List includes things like brainstorming marketing techniques for TLU, thinking about upcoming blog topics, reviewing how I’m progressing toward my yearly goals, and dreaming up content for clients.

As you can see, this list includes things that require a lot of thinking and not a lot of action. These are perfect for waiting around, because all I have to do is remember them and get to work thinking. I can do it anywhere, for any length of time, and need virtually nothing but myself.

I do however recommend having a pad and pen, digital voice recorder, or smartphone handy in case you have a brilliant break through or want to take notes on your thoughts.

3. Create Limits

Before you sit down to actually start a task, create a limit as to how much time you can devote to it. Some tasks will just eat away your time without really getting anywhere. After the time limit is up for completing the task, you just need to set it aside to deal with it later and move onto the next project (that has its own time limit of course!).

Here is a perfect example of a black-hole project: last week, I spent 3+ hours messing around with my garbage disposal and dishwasher to try to get to the bottom of the drainage problem I was having, only to remember that I live in an apartment and have a staff of maintenance men to do this type of thing for me. I should have followed my own rule, set a limit on how long I could work on the situation before I put it down an moved on. Instead, I wasted the whole morning (my most productive time!) and couldn’t get back into the groove the rest of the day.

Shame on me! Don’t let this type of foolishness stop you from being successful – set time limits on your projects!

4. Slow Down

While advice may seem contrary, it is the best time management tip: slow down. We live in a world where everything needs to be done yesterday, where we all have too much on our plates and too many responsibilities fighting for time. We think that getting something done fast is the key, but the real key is getting it done right.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Not only does going slow and being thorough mean you will mess up less, but it also means that you will be on a more even emotional keel. When you race around to get stuff done, you work yourself up and stress yourself out, making it harder to focus and really be productive. Taking it slow and steady means you keep your wits about you, and that in the end you will get as much (if not more!) done as racing around.

So breathe deep, take it slow, limit your time, creating a waiting list, and know yourself – it will all get done!

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

The Blackberry Debate

Nacie Carson — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:30:14 +0000

Do you have a Blackberry/PDA/Smartphone? Is it worth it to be constantly connected, constantly accessible? Would you do business without it if possible?

These are the questions that are swirling around in my mind as I have been taking time the past few weeks to consider the always looming Blackberry debate.

How many of you have ever weighed the pros and cons of this situation before as well? Is it simply a business debate, or is there a philosophical aspect to it as well?

For the past few years, I’ve managed to get on fine without one. I have felt a hesitation to be able to be reached via email all the time, even away from my desk. Similarly, I this fear that the Crackberry addiction struggle that Pete Savage bravely admitted to will afflict me as well (awesome article, BTW Pete!).

However, the confluence of my current cell contract needing renewal on the 16th of January, a significant uptick in my business and business ventures, and the fact my brother got a Blackberry for Christmas (and it is pretty cool…) have led me to sit down with the pros and cons of being totally plugged in one more time.

I have mulled over the same set of the pros and cons regarding this issue for a long time.

Pros:

24/7 email access (never miss an important email again)
sense of calmness – never feel like you need to get back to your computer ASAP to check on business
range of applications making it easy to tweet, facebook, check finances, etc on the go
internet 24/7
potential tax write off for business

Cons:

being reminded of work 24/7
never being able to “unplug,” and the general dissolution of work/life balance
obnoxious Blackberry habits
being able to be reached all the time and feel the need to be working all the time

As a longtime Verizon customer, I know that when I renew my contract I’ll get $50 off any phone, which would go far toward making the upfront cost of a Blackberry much easier to swallow, and I feel like I shouldn’t miss this opportunity to get on board. If I wait, just renew my normal contract, and then want a Blackberry in a year or so it will be massively expensive to upgrade and buy a phone without the renewal discounts.

To help me slug through these “on the other hand” thought chains, I asked around to see what others thought of the debate, and got some pretty interesting answers…

Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan): Love them. Must for business. They empower many new opportunities for business.

Dr. Alejandro Junger (@DrJunger): Not only does [being accessible 24/7] affect wellness, but it prevents you from getting work done. too much multi-tasking lowers productivity.

Longtime friend and gadget extraordinaire AC Gaughen (@acgaughen) is always raving about her Blackberry for professional and personal use.

Pete Savage (@PeteSavage): My data plan is going back on for 1 reason: I use Twitter WAY more now. But I still guard my family time!

Shawna Coronado (@ShawnaCoronado): I have a Blackberry Tour because it was free on Black Friday ‘09. Pure luck. I love it.

Kathy Buckworth (@KathyBuckworth): I love my BB so much I wrote a whole book about it (The BlackBerry Diaries: Adventures in Modern Motherhood)

Karina C (@CandidK): I’m kind mad at my blackberry lately,so I could give you some cons…

Andrea Hylen (@ahylen): As much as I love FB, the ongoing Twitter party is the best! With Blackberry, party is in my pocket!

Help me out here, friends and Uncommoners: What do you have to say about the Blackberry Debate? Is it worth it, or a waste – why?

Work at Home Considerations

Nacie Carson — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:47:42 +0000

Here is one of my favorite posts from the TLU archives. One year old but still relevant!

“Modern technologies, such as e-mail, blur the boundaries between work and home…” – Thomas Moore, A Life at Work

99.9% of the time, working at home is a real blessing. Your commute lasts between two and seven seconds, depending on the location of your workspace relative to your bedroom, you can work in your pajamas or sweatpants – or nothing if you are feeling extra saucy – and the best perk of call, you can make your own hours.

But what does it really mean for your ability to relax and separate work from play when your home sanctuary is also the location of your toil?

I’ve been working at home for just about four months now, and every time I get an opportunity to talk about it I gush. For me, someone who rejects the structure and form of a conventional office, working from home is a real dream. But when I read Thomas Moore’s statement regarding the blending of work and home, I took a step back.

On the one hand, as someone who advocate doing work you love and is meaningful to you, I want work and home to blend. Authentic work is a meaningful part of life and should therefore be something we carry with us through out the day and night, not shut the door on at five o’clock.

However, on the other hand, it can be difficult to relax when you share the same space for leisure as you spend for work. Because I live in a one bedroom apartment at the moment, my desk is in my living room – when I get up and take a break I walk about ten steps, plop down on the couch, and flick on the tube – in full view of the computer and desk and piles of papers and books. Most of the time this doesn’t bother me, but sometimes I feel like I have to get out of the room, or out of the apartment entirely when I am seeing to step away from my work to clear my head and ruminate about an issue.

Because the truth is the boundary between work and play is essential for keeping a work-at-homer’s stress levels down, productivity up, and ability to enjoy non-work time. Even if you love your job there needs to be a separation, and many who work at home find that separation hard to define.

I don’t have Blackberry or any other type of phone that can hook into my email or the internet – and this is purposeful. Sometimes I really want one (they are SO fabulously gadgety and chic!), but I always talk myself out of it. If working at home blurs the line between work and relaxation/recharging, then what does an e-mail phone do? It blurs the line between work and just about every other facet of life. You can have it on at the gym, on a date, in a movie, at your parent’s house, at a wedding – and due to our Blackberry culture it is somehow acceptable for someone to answers, email, and scroll through data on a Blackberry in any of these occasions.

If you work at home now, or are considering working from home, think about the conditions you work it and how it affects other areas of your life. Are you happy with the way your workspace is set up in relation to the other areas of your home? Is it easy for you to concentrate there? How about to get into a state of work-flow?

Here are some tips about creating a home office that will help you take the best advantage of working at home while also leave some minuscule – and essential – definition of a boundary between work and home:

Try to place your home office in a room that is separated from the other main areas of the house. Guest bedrooms, formal and unused parlors, and bedrooms of kids who have flown the nest are great options. The key is someplace off the beaten track of everyday home life (ie. away from the kitchen, bedroom, and living room), and someplace that has a door that you can open and close to further define its purpose (office is open for business right now, office is closed for the end of the work day, etc).

If you don’t have the luxury of an extra room (like me), try to make a clear definition between your workspace and the rest of the shared room. For example, in my apartment, my desk is not against the wall but facing out to the rest of the room, creating a little office alley-way that spatially defines the workspace.

When you are taking a break or done working for the day, close the laptop or turn off the monitor so you can concentrate on other things and not be distracted by new emails or website updates.

Have an honest discussion with the other members of your household about respecting your working space and working hours – you are not off limits, but not free to chit-chat and hang out….it is called WORK at home, not SIT at home for a reason…

If you find your home responsibilities are taking too much time from working at home then be sure to make a schedule where you pencil in specific work time – having it written down is much more effective than saying “I’ll get to that later.”

Anyone got other work at home suggestions?

The bottom line is this – many Uncommoners and entrepreneurs are able to work at home and enjoy it immensely. But we just all need to remember that life is about both authenticity AND balance, and that means balance in all things. If you feel the lines between work and home and too blended, take some steps to correct it. Just a few tweaks here and there can make a big difference in your productivity, ability to rest, and stress level!

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

Take Five

Nacie Carson — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:22:39 +0000

Everyone knows how important it is to make time to relax and get out of your head for a little while, but everyone also seems to need to be reminded…and often. When you are on a roll at work, have too much on your plate, or feel like you’re confused over what you want and where you are going, it is time to step back, breath deep and do something totally unrelated to your daily life.

When I was first establishing my Uncommon Life and working in the corporate world by day and moonlighting as a freelancer, there was very little time to spare for anything but working toward my ultimate goal: to quit my job and move full time into freelancing and web work. The result? A little thing I like to call the full stop: the point where you are so overworked and spread so thin everything literally comes to a full stop. You can’t work, you can’t relax, and you can’t even think straight. It is the closest thing thing humans get to the blue screen of death (or the sad Mac face if you are so inclined). All your efforts to suck the productivity out of every second of your day has now backfired, and you one hundred percent unproductive.

Don’t let this happen to you!

I’ve seen it happen many times to other Uncommoners, who – like me – in their zest to make their Uncommon Lfie a reality go into a maximum overdrive to try and get there faster. But the problem with this way of working, as I found out for myself, is that you actually get where you’re going slower than you would if you just plodded along at a reasonable pace. There is a reason that the phrase “slow and stead wins the race” is a cliche – it is because it is true.

The past few weeks for me have been aboslutely hectic – but in a good way. Between starting work at a new client site, two weddings, work on a new e-book, hiring and training two new virtual assistants (hi James and Nish!), and my regular plate of work, I’ve been booked solid almost every day this month. Sure, I love the excitement and the busy mood – I feel like it make me more productive! – but I am also trying to be conscious of taking five every now and then to do something totally unrelated to the litney of projects, upcoming goals, and schemes I have rolling around in my skull 24/7.

A great example of this effort is the fact that tonight I am heading into town to see Tori Amos, my one true music love. Of course, I’ve been up since 6 working on project A, and am at client site B until 6, but as soon as the wonderful AC Gaughen, my concert companion, comes to pick me up I am planning on shutting down the wheels of mental industry and taking five.

Tomorrow morening, nright and early I will be starting right back up and getting the gears turning for another fabulous and exciting day, but tonight it’s just some good music and great company.

So friends and Uncommoners, heed my suggestion and no matter where you are or what you’re doing this week, take five. In fact, I challenge you right now to sit down and schedule in some “five” time. Go see a movie with your friends (Julie and Julia was FABULOUS!), drive to another city for dinner, go for a walk in the woods or at the beach without your cellphone or Blackberry, or visit a friend across town. Even take an afternoon off work and do nothing.

Once you decide on a way to take five in your week, I encourage you to write it here as a comment. Having it in writing will serve as a kind of contract with yourself to make it happen instead of putting it off (like I’m sure you always do).

Take five now to save a full stop later. Trust me on this one, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way!

Overcoming Over-Analysis Paralysis

Nacie Carson — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:26:07 +0000

Greetings friends and Uncommoners,

Today I want to talk about something that I am sure we all experience at some point or another: over-analysis paralysis. Over-analysis paralysis is the state of inaction that occurs when you can’t make up your mind. Now, as far as I’m concerned, a little hesitation when you’re unsure of the best course is more than just fine, it is smart. However, sometimes our fear of making the wrong choice literally freezes us into a state of treading water, which does nothing but waste precious time.

I know that I dealt with it to some degree when I was considering leaving my job, and I have talked to so many Uncommoners at various stages of their journey who have experience or are experiencing the same thing. Well no more, my friends! If you are suffering from over-analysis paralysis, then it is time to get you out of that rut. Today we are going to explore this evil enemy to an Uncommon Life and what you can do to overcome it. I must admit that I haven’t fretted about making the wrong choice since I took the leap and left my corporate job. Once you’ve had a positive risk-taking experience, all risks afterward don’t seem so scary because you’ve done it and realized that even a misstep is still a step in the right direction as it identifies what the wrong direction is.

Yet the other day I was sharply reminded of the pain of over-analysis paralysis as I realized a dear friend of mine is right in the middle of it. True to the Uncommon journey, she is struggling with letting go of the predetermined, predesigned life plan in favor of what she really wants. And, like a real Uncommoner, her passion for an alternate form of work and lifestyle continuously bubbles beneath the surface and yearns to be let out. However, her cautious nature, coupled with her fear of disappointing her family and her nature as a Virgo (we are exceptionally practical zodiac members!) has driven her into a state of spinning her wheels, keeping her from making progress toward establishing her Uncommon Vocation or even just living her current life. She has been in this state for over a year.

Yikes.

I experienced similar feelings of trepidation before making the leap myself – and I am sure we have all felt this at some point. However, caution and smart hesitation cross the line into unacceptable over-analysis paralysis after three months of wheel spinning. Let me repeat that again: three months.

If you find yourself hesitating, going back and forth between one hand or the other for over three months, then you need to do something to shake yourself out of the rut. Remember, every minute you spend unnecessarily hesitating is time that you are wasting. And we all know that our time is too precious to waste, that is why we want out of the drudgery, right?

There are a few things you can do – and I am going to recommend to my friend – to overcome over-analysis paralysis. Set a deadline: Force a deadline on yourself for when you will choose between the two options. Mark it on your calendar in big letters, and give yourself permission to be wishy-washy up until that date. Sometimes knowing that the indecision will have to come to an end is the liberating aspect that you will need to make a choice. For added effect, share this deadline with your partner, friend, or parent and ask them to hold you accountable.

Change your scene: Sometimes, being stuck in a mental rut can be overcome as easily as changing your physical location. This can be everything from going on vacation to a new place to just getting in your car and driving across a few counties to grab lunch. Getting out of your physical rut can do wonders for shaking up your mental one.

Do something unrelated: Join your church choir, pick up a volunteer gig a few hours a week, or pick up a new hobby. This concept is related to the tip above, with the idea being new mental stimuli will infuse your thoughts with a fresh perspective.

Be rash: Sick of your over-analysis paralysis? Then just be rash and make an impulsive decision. I’m not typically a huge advocate of uneducated action, but the truth is if you’ve been fretting over a choice for a long time you’ve done the subconscious mental work that will make your impulsive conscious choices more informed than you imagine.

Just remember, a wrong step or wrong choice is seldom really unfixable or even undesirable. In our minds we build up making the wrong choice as the end of the world. But we all need to remember that life isn’t like a guest spot on the price is right: a wrong choice or wrong guess typically won’t mean the difference between going home with the boat and going home empty handed, it simply means we backtrack and try again. There are few situations in life that really are all or nothing final jeopardy moments, and when we are in them there is no question: there is only instinctive reaction.

The bottom line is do whatever you need to do to overcome your over-analysis paralysis. Our lives and our time are too precious, too important, and too worthwhile to waste on inaction, worry, and doubt.

As the folks at Nike say: Just Do It.

On Diet and Wake Up Times

Nacie Carson — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:02:54 +0000

I’m sad to say that my creative storm has come to an end. But as you can see from my list of “things to research” from last week, I certainly have enough to keep my hands full until the next wave of innovation. I’m pretty psyched about the dent I’ve already made in the list, tackling the mammoth topic of SEO last week. One topic down, twelve more to go!

The two major themes that have been spiraling around in my mind the past few days is diet and wake up times. Ever since my post a few weeks ago on Hypothyroidism and Temporal Organics, I’ve really been focused on analysing my nutritional habits, exercise habits, and how those relate/don’t relate to my productivity, creativity, and overall mood.

For me, both nutrition and exercise are challenges – nutrition because of the requirements of my thyroid medications and exercise because, well, I’m a little lazy. In an attempt to recommit to taking my medication properly, I reread the pharmacist’s instructions and noticed several caveats that makes things interesting: 1) I can’t eat anything for an hour after taking meds (on an empty stomach), and 2) I can’t eat anything with iron, calcium, or dietary fiber for at least 4 hours after taking meds. That’s right, 4.

So that eliminates almost all breakfast foods – toast (fiber/iron), yogurt (calcium), scrambled eggs with cheese (calcium), and even milk in my coffee…sweet.

After puzzling over the situation for several days, I decided that the best thing to do would be to wake up early (I’m talking 5am early) to go to the gym and then have something to eat after I’m home and have showered (perhaps around 9am). Not only will this get me up and help with the meds/food situation, but it will also help tackle the whole exercising issue. This seems like a brilliant plan, except for one thing: waking up at 5am consistently.

This past week I did manage to do it – once. And it was absolutely glorious. There is something really special about seeing the world that early, a brightness and a possibility that you don’t get at any other time of day. Also, it was so cool to start work at 9am and really start it, as opposed to the normal routine of sitting at my computer and surfing the net until sleep finally wears off.

So now I am on a quest to figure out exactly how I can integrate waking up earlier into my life.

Also, I’m really interested right now in the role of chemicals in our foods and what an optimal diet really is. Not a diet with the intent of losing weight, but a diet that is a sustainable effort to fuel my body with the best nutrients and resources to help me be my best both physically and mentally.

I am currently working through Paul McKenna’s 25 minute mind programming audio file from his book, I Can Make You Thin. While I’m not so much interested in the making me thin part, I am interested in the four golden rules he outlines:

Only eat when you’re hungry
Eat what you want, not what you think you should have
Eat slowly and consciously
When you think you are full stop eating.

These principles are totally simple and kinda “duh,” but to be honest I truly believe that many of us forget these basic ideas because of all the crazy diet, weight loss, and nutritional information that gets thrown at us all the time. Been listening to the program daily for a week and am noticing that my awareness of hungry versus emotionally hungry is increasing. Sweet.

I’m also going to be hitting the book store to check out Dr. Junger’s Clean. This cleansing program came out in May ‘09 and has had some pretty positive reviews. And while I’m not into the whole cleansing thing, I’ve heard that the text has some good info on food that contains toxins, harmful chemicals, etc, which is something I’m interested in learning about.

So the two focuses for research and testing right now are early rising/exercising, and optimizing my diet.

Hey, if I can optimize my website search results, I can optimize my health too, right?

Temporal Organics

Nacie Carson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:24:17 +0000

For those of you who don’t know, I have hypothyroidism, also known as low thyroid function. Hypothyroidism itself is very common in the slight degree – over time, it is typical for thyroid function to decrease making a person’s thyroid hormone levels dip into the technically “hypo” range, which shows itself as a bit of sluggishness, a little weight gain, and some depressed mood. Most people are right as rain with a little synthetic hormone to help the thyroid do its job.

However, I enjoy the condition in a bit of an extreme as my thyroid gland was totally removed in 2003 due to Graves Disease. This means that if my medication isn’t exactly calibrated, I get to experience such wonderful symptoms as constant fatigue, muscle aches, lack of energy, depression, and decreased motivation. The kicker is that my meds will never really be exactly calibrated, due to the constant shift of other factors in the body like hormones and dietary intake.

I have come to understand, as many other “hypos” have before me, that I can’t rely on my synthetic hormones to make me feel normal. While the medication will help get me part of the way, the rest of the responsibility lies on me to make sure I am eating the right foods, drinking the right liquids, and exercising appropriately to help my body out in every way I can to be at peak performance. Unlike you lucky ducks out there who have normal thyroid function, I need to be consistently disciplined with these things because my body won’t fill in the blanks.

But of course I haven’t been, because I am a 20-something woman who loves french fries and sugary foods. And I’ve paid the price – over the past few months I’ve felt my energy seep away, my motivation dissipate, and a desire to sleep 14+ hours a day slowly take hold.

The Organic Realization

So this past week I took some time away from my other obligations and pursuits to really educate myself not only on healthy eating, but on the type of diet and exercise program that someone with hypothyroidism needs to maintain. I’ll spare you the details, but water, fiber, whole grains, vitamins and veggies are in, along with 60+ minutes of cardio/strength training daily, while sugary and processed foods are out.

Yet from all my research I have also taken in an increased awareness of the importance of organic. Not only in terms of food, but also in terms of life balance.

Organic is a term that I don’t use too often when talking about The Life Uncommon, but it is really an integral theme to all aspects of our uncommon journeys. Living authentically is in effect living organically. It means living a life that is natural, or organic, to you. It means instead of allowing a pre-made and impersonal structure to be imposed upon your life, you are striving to live in a way that feels right and natural to you.

Organics and the Uncommon Life

I think one of the most quantifiable areas that the concept of being organic can be applied in our uncommon lives is time structuring.

As you know, I’ve been working with various time management techniques the past few months trying to find a structure that makes sense for my goals, lifestyle, and other pursuits. What I’ve really been doing is working to find a time structure that is organic for me – because I believe when you are doing something that is natural you will be able to sustain it.

What I’ve learned about time management styles is that in most cases, these techniques are short term fixes that are challenging to sustain over months and years. Also, they typically don’t take into consideration the unique aspects of individuals or prepare you for the long run. Some major things that vary from person to person include:

how much sleep you need a night
if you need all you sleep in one sitting, or you benefit from spreading it out in long naps throughout the day
when you work best (early morning, mid-morning, afternoon, late afternoon, evening, late night)
when you are most creative
how long your productive/creative episodes last
what non-work activities help recharge you to reach your peak productivity
how many productive/creative periods you have in a 24 hour day
what external factors, such as sunlight, diet, exercise, etc, help you maximize your productive episodes

Shifting the focus away from a premade time management technique toward a personalized and organic structure means that you take all of these factors into account by first listening to your body and then analyzing affective factors and deciding how to handle them.

For example, yesterday my body told me at 2pm that I needed some sleep. I acknowledged this message from my body, and then analyzed the contributing factors that could have made my body send that message. Some things that I accounted for were:

the fact that I’ve been feeling more hypo lately than usual, so I was hormonally sluggish/fatigued
it has been raining here for 2 weeks straight, so that can make you tired
I hadn’t had much caffeine thus far during the day, so I was understimulated

In the end, I opted for a nap because I felt like fighting against my hormonal imbalance with caffeine would be futile. When I woke up, four hours later, I felt a little better and more alert though upset that I had lost all that time not being productive. The next time I receive a similar message from my body I will refer back to this experience and take it into account as I analyze how to handle the situation.

The point is that using this listen/analyze technique in reference to taking care of business, both personal and work related, may be the key to identifying and crafting a truly effective, personalized, and organic time structure that help you work at peak levels, be properly rested, and the most productive. Sure, there are some loop holes (laziness, for one!), but I think this is worth pursuing. I plan on testing this method out and seeing what fruit it can bear. After all, the point is to live your design…

Would love to hear your thoughts on this theory, Uncommoners – do you think it is better to structure time organically, or utilize more imposing techniques to get things accomplished?

Tracking Time

Nacie Carson — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:19:47 +0000

Today while researching time management and organization techniques, I came across this wonderful quote by Steve Jobs:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Couldn’t have said it better myself…though I’ve tried often (see the rest of this website for examples)!

This quotation really resonated with me, because time skills are so important to living uncommonly, and lately I’ve been needing to brush up on my skills. That first line, Your time is limited, hit a soft spot in my armor and has helped me crystallize some of the random concerns about time that I’ve been feeling over the past few weeks.

As cliche as it sounds, it always seems there is never enough time to do what I want to get done. One of the major reasons I left the rat race to begin with was the sense that there was no time to pursue the things that were really important to me, and now that I’ve been free and clear of the hamster wheel for 10 months (can you believe it?) I feel like I spend too much time looking back over my shoulder at the days and weeks that have passed thinking, “huh, where did that time go, and what have I got to show for it?”

So now I’m on a mission to beef up my time skills and the search for the ideal system is on.

If you haven’t ever search Google for time management, I can tell you there are about 10,000,000 results that cover 500,000 different techniques. It’s a veritable time jungle out there, and it’s easy to get lost. So to help me make the most of my research effort I’ve made a checklist of what the techniques should and shouldn’t include based on my vision of my life design. Here are some key elements:

Must incorporate creative time frames (as in inspiration/article writing can take longer than expected)
Routine is welcome, as long as it’s not rigid
Must not feel constricting or stifling
Must be easy to maintain
Must feel “organic” – natural

Tall order, considering many of the basic time management techniques include scheduling every minute of every day. But I think the last point about feeling natural is the most important, because if isn’t organic I’ll never maintain it.

I’ve made peace with the fact that there is probably not one type of time management method that will meet my needs, so I’m planning on cobbling together various aspects and making some up on my own to fit my lifestyle.

Tracking Time

What I can tell you so far about what I’ve learned about time management is that most of the techniques out there help you budget time in the future. Things like to-do lists and weekly goals are great for the people who are looking to ramp up their already well managed schedule, but for people who are looking for a basic place to start you need to go deeper than that: you need to track your time.

To me it’s like a financial budget. Before you can set realistic expectations for your future budget, you need to know where your money went in the past. How can you know how much to put in your grocery budget if you don’t know how much you spent at the store last month? Same principle works for time.

Before you can improve the way you’re spending your time, you need to know how you are spending your time. I want to make this week more productive than last week, but to do that I need to know why things didn’t get done last week. Was I busy with friends? Did I watch too much TV? Was I in a creative phase and focused on generating ideas? Was I just lazy?

I’ll never really know. Sure, I can remember last week and the things I did (and didn’t do), but can I remember it well enough to account for every minute? I think not. And just like in a budget you need to know where every penny goes, I need to know where every minute of my time goes to see what needs fixing.

Have-Done Lists

Since I realized I can’t go back and redo last week, or the weeks or months before, I need to start being aware of how I spend my time today and track it to see where it all goes. For the next two weeks, instead of making to-do lists at the start of each week or day, I will be writing “have-done” lists instead.

On my have-done list, I write what I have just finished doing or did earlier instead of projecting forward to want I want to do (to-do list). So far, for my day today, my have-done list looks like this:

7:45am – Woke up
8-9:20am – Was at the Gym
9:30-9:50am – Was in the shower
10:06am – Made breakfast and sat down to computer
10:07-10:45am – Checked email, posted at WTF, downloaded new wordpress SEO plugins
10:45am – Started writing TLU post

Today is day #2 for the have-done list experiment, and so far it is going well. Not only was it helpful yesterday to review the list before I went to bed, but I also feel like it made me more productive during the day. Every time I was tempted to lollygag, I thought to myself, “If I don’t get up write now, I’ll have to mark this on the have-done list.” And for some strange reason, that thought was enough to get my butt in gear.

I’ll keep you posted on how the have-done experiment is going and if I have any earth shattering breakthroughs on time management. But for now I’ll end with this: time is not our enemy, it does not work against us or plot to make us unsuccessful. When it comes to making the most of our days and – in the macro view – our lives, the only enemy we have is ourselves.

So how do you manage your time? I would love to hear about any techniques, books, or resources that you have found helpful!

18 Tips to Instantly Increase Productivity

Nacie Carson — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:17:49 +0000

In the last article, I spent some time talking about the importance of work-life balance. Today, we are going to focus in on that “work” part a little more and review simple tips you can use to increase productivity starting right now.

Like work-life balance, productivity is another one of those corporate buzz words that gets used so much it loses its meaning. Yet a simple way to think about productivity is to consider it the synergy between efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, in order to increase productivity, we need to identify and define both these terms. And while efficiency and effectiveness sound similar and are found on the same page of the dictionary, they are actually worlds apart in meaning.

Being efficient means you are acting or producing with as little wasted effort, time, or resources as possible. Being effective means that you are producing a definite, forward moving and worthwhile result. To clarify the difference further, consider this thought: I am being efficient when I drive to the gym because I get there fast, but I am being more effective toward my overall health goals when I walk there.

Efficiency and effectiveness are a great combination – I am being efficient and effective if I run (save time, get exercise) – but unfortunately they do not automatically go hand in hand. In fact, it is sad to say that many of us have developed our working skills in cultural environments where efficiency is emphasized over effectiveness.

I remember when I was a salaried employee, I was constantly being efficient. I had the most organized email inbox you could find, my desk environment was perfectly managed, and I created agendas for every meeting I attended. However, I was not very effective at my job because there was never any reason to be. If I was effective, they would just give me more work, more responsibility, and more problems to deal with without raising my salary, making being effective the chump’s choice. Therefore I always busied myself being efficient so I could avoid the additional weight that came with being effective.

Yet efficiency without effectiveness is an exercise is futility. One of my favorite analogies for ineffective efficiency is “…it’s like arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic…” You may get them straight, but no one is going to sit in them, if you get my drift. And since my experience working as a salaried employee was like being on a sinking ship, I find this analogy to particularly appropriate.

Unfortunately, effectiveness without efficiency is also a bad road to go down because it can mean you waste huge amounts of time, energy, and money in your efforts to take positive forward steps. And who can afford to lose any of those precious resources?

For us Uncommoners who work outside the confines of the rat race structure, there is no silver lining to efficiency without effectiveness. In fact, it is just the opposite: the more ineffective we are, the more we allow ourselves to be consumed by pointless busy work the less meaning we will find in our vocations, the less money we will make, and the less we will be able to enjoy our life designs. Similarly, those among us who are creative visionaries won’t get far if we indulge in our natural impulses to move forward without the proper planning and organization.

The answer? To be the most productive we need to have equal parts efficiency and effectiveness. So here are the 18 top tips I’ve learned (so far!) over my uncommon journey to balance these two aspects and instantly increase productivity immediately:

Set your alarm for earlier - This is the one thing no one wants to hear (including me!) but you can do yourself a big favor for productivity tomorrow by setting your alarm for a little earlier today. It doesn’t have to be much – you’d be surprised what an extra 15-20 minutes in the AM can do for you – but there is a reason why they say it’s the early bird who gets the worm…
Batch your emails – Most email programs allow you to batch your emails, meaning instead of updating your inbox in real time, your email program will wait to dump new emails into your inbox until you request them, meaning you can actually get work done without being distracted every 10 seconds by your Twitter updates
Be inspiration-ready - Keep a pad of paper and a pen next to your desk while you are working. If you get a great idea for a project different than what you are working on, you can jot down that idea and finish the current task at hand. Jumping from one project to another may feel effective but it certainly isn’t productive.
Brighten up – Don’t underestimate the power of enough light in your work space! Adequate light will not only improve your mood, but will also keep you energized and prevent eye strain. If you don’t have a desk light get one ASAP.
Add some tunes – Background music is a great way to keep you focused on the task at hand, helping you complete items quicker and avoid distractions. While everyone is different, I would recommend softer instrumentals, like soundtrack, classical, or piano-based pieces instead of Eminem, but try different styles out to see what works best for you.
Gauge your current performance level – Stop reading right now and ask yourself one question: “How productive do I feel right now?” Our concentration and production levels peak at various points of the day and are unique for each person. It is important you keep asking yourself this question throughout your day (and night) to find your best production time.
Eliminate Sensory Distractions – Close the curtain, shut the door, put on headphones if it helps, but do what you got to do to eliminate your sensory distractions. Tell your spouse you need an hour of uninterrupted time, put your cell on silent, etc. Obvious fact but something we all forget!
Make a to-do list- Keep it simple and direct, and be sure you answer the question “what do I need to finish by the end of today?” Nothing feels better than crossing things off this list, and keeping a list will help you ensure you don’t forget any details.
Disconnect your internet- …After you finish reading this article, of course…Sometimes disconnecting from all the online distractions is the best way to get your stuff done. Try disconnecting for an hour and see how much you get done. It will feel pretty weird at first, but I promise you will be shocked by the results.
Grab a snack – To maximize productivity, it is important to keep your brain well fueled. Don’t shy away from frequent small snacks when you are working, but just be sure they are healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and nuts instead of processed or sugary foods – the number one productivity killer is a sugar crash!
De-clutter your desk – Can you see the surface of your desk? If your answer is no then you need to de-clutter (even if your answer is yes you probably need to de-clutter anyway). File those papers, remove those Diet Coke cans, and put all the loose pens and change into the top drawer. Now, isn’t it easier to focus? I thought so.
Sign off AIM, MSN, gChat – We all do it – I gChat while I work all the time, and I can tell you that when I do it takes me longer to get something done and its quality is really sub par compared to when I give it my full attention. Sign off the messaging systems – you can sign back on again for a few minutes during your break.
Wiggle your backside – Does your butt love your work chain? How about your back? When you wiggle your backside do you feel any discomfort or pain anywhere? If your chair fails the wiggle test, invest in a new chair. You want to be able to focus on your work, not that nagging pain in your lower back!
Stretch – Take your hand off the mouse right now and stretch that hand over your head. Now bring the other one up to meet it, clasp hands, and push them palms up away from the body. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Aaaaaaaah…doesn’t that feel good?
Turn off the TV – If you’re like me and work in a room with a TV, it can be very tempting to put something on in the background while you work. I can tell you from experience that I get ZERO done while the TV is on, and I guarauntee that you could be more productive if you turned it off too. Look at it this way, the sooner you finish your work, the sooner you can watch as much TV as you want!
Schedule a break – Think about the next three hours of your life: if it is just work, work, work, then be sure to schedule in time for at least a 15 minute break. Even if you are so busy you can’t go to the bathroom you need to include break time into your day. If you can make it a break where you get out of your desk chair that is even better – breaks refresh the mind and help you keep perspective on your project.
ID big projects – Look ahead: do you know what is coming up for you in the next week, month, or 6 months in terms of big projects? Being aware of upcoming deadlines is a great motivator to keep you working productively.
Make Goals Visible – Take a minute to think about what it is you are working for. Is it toward a monetary goal, a personal goal, a business goal? Whatever is driving you to do your job, write it on a sticky note and place it somewhere visible. Reminding yourself what you are trying to achieve will keep your working efficiently and effectively.

Do you have anything to add to this list?

Blurred Boundaries: Working at Home

Nacie Carson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:54:33 +0000

“Modern technologies, such as e-mail, blur the boundaries between work and home…” – Thomas Moore, A Life at Work

But what does it really mean for your ability to relax and separate work from play when your home sanctuary is also the location of your toil?

I’ve been working at home for just about four month now, and every time I get an opportunity to talk about it I gush. For me, someone who rejects the structure and form of a conventional office, working from home is a real dream. But when I read Thomas Moore’s statement regarding the blending of work and home, I took a step back.

However, on the other hand, it can be difficult to relax when you share the same space for leisure as you spend for work. Because I live in a one bedroom apartment at the moment, my desk is in my living room - when I get up and take a break I walk about ten steps, plop down on the couch, and flick on the tube – in full view of the computer and desk and piles of papers and books. Most of the time this doesn’t bother me, but sometimes I feel like I have to get out of the room, or out of the apartment entirely when I am seeing to step away from my work to clear my head and ruminate about an issue.

Here are some tips about creating a home office that will help you take the best advantage of working at home while also leave some minuscule – and essential - definition of a boundary between work and home:

Try to place your home office in a room that is separated from the other main areas of the house. Guest bedrooms, formal and unused parlors, and bedrooms of kids who have flown the nest are great options. The key is someplace off the beaten track of everyday home life (ie. away from the kitchen, bedroom, and living room), and someplace that has a door that you can open and close to further define its purpose (office is open for business right now, office is closed for the end of the work day, etc).
If you don’t have the luxury of an extra room (like me), try to make a clear definition between your workspace and the rest of the shared room. For example, in my apartment, my desk is not against the wall but facing out to the rest of the room, creating a little office alley-way that spatially defines the workspace.
When you are taking a break or done working for the day, close the laptop or turn off the monitor so you can concentrate on other things and not be distracted by new emails or website updates.
Have an honest discussion with the other members of your household about respecting your working space and working hours – you are not off limits, but not free to chit-chat and hang out….it is called WORK at home, not SIT at home for a reason…
If you find your home responsibilities are taking too much time from working at home then be sure to make a schedule where you pencil in specific work time – having it written down is much more effective than saying “I’ll get to that later.”

Anyone got other work at home suggestions?

If you are interested in learning the basics of working from home, check out my three part series at Bright Hub:

Part 1: How to Get Your Boss to Let Your Work from Home

Part 2: Creating a Home Office Space that Works

Part 3: Managing Your Schedule