3-Real Life Strategies to Get Things Done
Diane felt overwhelmed every time she looked at her to-do list.
Diane knew that her to-do list was supposed to keep her on track, help her figure out what she wanted to do and keep her from feeling overwhelmed, but this wasn’t happening. Instead, every time she looked at her list she felt more overwhelmed then ever and even more convinced that she’d never get any of it done.
Diane worked really hard all day long. She’d knuckle down and spend her day busy and running from one thing to another. As the day wore on she’d anticipate finally crossing something off her list but, try as she might, she never could.
To figure out what was going on, during one of Diane’s coaching sessions we spent some time digging into the specific things that she had on her list.
Here’s just a sampling of what she listed:
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Final decisions on investments – act!
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Damned police report!
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Get oil changed!
Diane and I addressed each of these items in turn. As we discussed them we learned a lot and figured out why they weren’t getting done. Then based on the lessons we uncovered we formulated three strategies that she’ll be able to apply to all of her tasks. Here is what we found out. Read more
How to Go Through Piles Without a Sense of Dread
How to go through piles of clutter without the sense of dread and without the emotion.
Setting Your Boundaries
I was working with a client recently who faced crunch time at work. It was the same every year. She was responsible for the annual reports that went out at the end of March. She knew it was coming and she was ready when it hit.
She had one problem. You see while she understood the amount of work associated with the reports nobody else did. Sure they knew the reports were due but they all assumed that it was “business as usual” for her. They kept asking her about other things and bringing her new assignments. She felt cornered. She knew she needed to focus on the reports but all this other stuff… well… that was her job too!
We talked about this “problem” for a while. She was struggling to manage all of her responsibilities. How could she do everything? How would she manage her time? She knew her main focus needed to be the reports but what about everything else? She didn’t feel right not doing them or leaving her colleagues hanging or waiting for her.
What she ultimately decided to do was consciously make agreements to delay the incoming work off until after reporting season was. Whenever someone approached her with work she told them that she was in the middle of annual reports and that she was not able to shift her focus at this time. They could wait until a mutually agreeable time or manage on their own.
The first person she told this to was her boss and he supported her without question. Together they picked a time AFTER the reports were due to meet and discuss the new subject.
By speaking up she was showing everyone that she respected them and the assignments that they brought her…most importantly she respected herself.
CarrieThru Interview with Donna Sam
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Donna Sam who hosts an Internet Radio show called “In the Mix”. The topic of the call was How to Achieve Your New Years Resolution and Get Yourself Organized.
We covered a lot of topics including:
- Why clutter is such a problem for so many people.
- Where all of the clutter is coming from…this is important to know in order to figure out the best ways to stop it BEFORE it gets in!
- Some simple strategies that you can use and apply today to help you achieve your decluttering goals.
This recording will certainly help you get started along the road to a clutter free 2010!
Oh, one more thing…during the interview with Donna I mentioned a program that I will be running later this month…
Back by popular demand and just in time for the New Year…The CarrieThru Escape Your Clutter Boot Camp!!
Resolving to Get Organized
You see the articles every December. How do you to create New Year’s resolutions that you can stick to? What resolutions are worth making? And should you bother to make any New Year’s resolutions at all? So here’s a different spin.
I was with a new client the other day whose main focus is time management. We spent an hour together. We talked about her habits, the things she thought went well for her and the things she felt were more difficult. We came up with a list of 10 things that would make her life run much smoother – Wow! 10 things that she truly wanted to do and could accomplish! We stepped back and looked at that list, it was kind of intimidating. We picked two things from that list that she determined would have the greatest impact on her. These were the things that would make the most difference in her day to day life and decided to work on those. Read more
Recognizing Your Strengths
I was working with a client recently who just finished redecorating her son’s room. The result was a spectacular transformation of the room done on a tight budget. I was awed by the end result. To me this room was an example of her incredible creative talent. However, she viewed this accomplishment as something that anyone could do by just using the ideas she had seen on TV and in magazines. I don’t think any amount of TV shows and magazines would enable me to do it.
This woman has incredible talents that she isn’t recognizing. If you are among the many that have trouble seeing your own strengths, I hope you find this information of value. Read more
Organizing: Getting in Gear
Identifying where to start:
- What is the one thing would have the greatest effect on you if you could change it? It doesn’t have to be the most “important” or most “obvious”.
- What would you tell someone else to do first?
- Roll up a piece of paper like a telescope. Work on just one corner of a room or one pile on the desk.
- Start with something visible — a counter, desktop, not a drawer.
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