Category Archives: Tools

Spring Cleaning Your Schedule

3 April, 2013 11:36 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

When it comes to spring, we think spring cleaning. The annual ritual of renewal. As the hours of sunshine increase, we have the urge to clean away the remnants of winter. Windows, the garage, that storage area in the basement. But what about your desk, your agenda, your email? This post is about spring cleaning your schedule.

In my own burst of spring cleaning, I recently took stock of how much time I waste being unproductively busy. Daily tasks like deleting promotional emails from a hotel I stayed at 2 years ago in a city I don’t intend to visit again. Repetitive tasks which can be automated with technology. Picking at a project which could be accomplished more efficiently in one block of dedicated time.

I made some changes. I can’t quantify how much time I am saving each day, because recording and tracking that seems like another bout of busy-work. I feel more productive. I feel lighter. My schedule feels a little cleaner. Isn’t that what spring cleaning is all about?

Spring Cleaning Your Schedule

Here are some tips on spring cleaning your schedule:

  • Streamline incoming email: This is a pretty personal task, because you have to cut out what doesn’t matter to you. I unsubscribed from emails which sell me stuff, because I’m not much of a shopper. And of course, those promos for hotels I don’t see going back to.
  • Zero email policy: The goal is to have an empty inbox at the end of each day. This is made easier with the streamlining, naturally.
  • Block tasks: Instead of addressing email throughout the day, I address it in a block of time. I work through each one and respond or file. If one requires more than a few minutes to deal with then I’ll schedule that in my task list, and file the email.
  • Block Distractions: When it comes time to hit my task list, I close off social media, the phone, and email so that I can focus on the project in front of me.

As with everything in life, this is an ongoing, evolving process. It is all a matter of streamlining and being more focused on tasks which bring value to your business and what matters in your life. What has worked for you? Please share!

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Making a List

14 February, 2013 12:38 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

That old adage about the apple and the tree came to mind this week, as I watched my youngest sort her Valentine’s Day cards into piles.  She then carefully created labels for each pile. Apparently, making a list can be inherited.

My mum and dad were a list-maker and label-creator, respectively. Then I married a man who was both, but that is a story best left alone.

As a list maker, I’m in good company. Entrepreneurial greats like Richard Branson admit to living his life by making lists. There are countless cool apps to organize lists. While other people love browsing shoes, I prefer to read reviews of apps like Workflowy or Ita. Lists can be more than action items and productivity. The website 30 Lists encourages journalling through the exercise of list-making.

However, not everyone is on-side with making a list. Another school of thought is that lists create a sense of frustration. Lists are limiting, restrictive, and simply don’t work. This article makes a compelling case for the idea that careful scheduling is more productive than lists. Imagine this: ditch the list, and schedule your tasks according to when they need to be completed, and how long each task requires.

I prefer a blend of making lists and living by the calendar. I like the idea of setting due dates and allowing time for the surprises and fires which arise in life and in business. But the compulsion to make lists runs deep, so I’ll keep my notepad handy and keep looking for that perfect app. What strategy works for you? Do you organize your week according to lists, or do live by your calendar? 

Making a List

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Ideas, Tools ⋅ Tagged: , ,