Organized365: June
June's Organized365 reminds us that we are hitting 2018's halfway point. Reflect on the goals you have achieved. What have you accomplished that you had not anticipated? There are always surprises!
What goals remain? Focus on developing a plan for moving forward and then implement!
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Reach Out & Connect
Busy lives often mean that both professional and social activities must be scheduled weeks or even months in advance. Balance this with unexpected opportunities and reach out when you find an opening in your schedule.
Have a cancellation? Do weekend plans put you in town at an unanticipated time? Take advantage of these spur of the moment opportunities. It is surprising how often a rewarding, relationship building experience will result!
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Watch, Listen, Learn
Your friends are a wealth of information. Shortcuts, tips & tricks are gleaned from families and colleagues. Collectively it is a gold mine of treasures from which you can benefit.
Observe fellow committee members as they arrive for a meeting and set up their space at the table. Pay attention to how your host lays out food and beverages at a party.
New ideas and shortcuts are everywhere. Keep your eyes open and find ways to streamline your routines and reduce stress.
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Have a Plan x2 (or more)
Having a 'Plan B' assumes that only 1 thing may go wrong. Chances are that your quick trip to the gas station will be delayed by a train at the crossing or a deer in the road or .....
Not only will buffering your travel time help, you can transfer this strategy to padding time at the begin and end of meetings, appts, project work, etc.
Know what tasks you will abandon if time constraints demand that choices be made. This may mean delaying in some actions and eliminating others entirely. Either way, have a plan!
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Maintain Focus
Count on being interrupted as you work on tasks, at work and home. Interruptions are unpredictable in timing and nature but you can be assured they will happen. Develop strategies that allow you to resume tasks having dealt with the interruption.
At work that may mean making a note of the step you are on in executing a routine task or jotting down an idea. At home perhaps setting an item down in a high traffic area will be enough to bring you back to the point at which you were interrupted.
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Alarm Yourself
Prevent missed meetings, phone calls, appts, etc. by setting notifications from your calendar or by simply setting an alarm or timer. It is easy to become so immersed in a project that you lose track of time. Setting an alarm lets you free your mind to focus on the task at hand with the assurance that your alarm will prompt you to get to time sensitive responsibilities in a timely manner.
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Keeping your desk free of clutter is critical to productive use of time. Eliminate distractions by removing items that do not require your attention on a given day. Take advantage of open space to layout agendas or messages that need to be addressed in the near future. Keeping priority items visible and in easy reach fosters the efficient use of your time and attention.
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Routine tasks can be quite complex. Create a step-by-step guide to moving through the task smoothly. Use the guide like a template to avoid the frustration of re-doing your work and wasting time. Using 'tricks' to increase efficiency not only eases your stress, it projects a sense of your competency to your colleagues as well.
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Capitalize on Wall Space
Nervous about moving files off your desktop? Eliminate concern about losing track of ongoing projects by using wall file organizers. Hanging files allow you to have prioritized materials at hand but not on your desktop obscuring the project underway.
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Time Out for Thinking
Checking items off your to-do list feels great but can also be mind-numbing. Take time to focus on the abstract. Reflect on your overall life satisfaction.
What are your dreams? Get out and explore nature or a new town or shop. Page through a magazine you've never read before, open a book you would not normally consider, or listen to a offbeat podcast.
Breaking out of your normal boundaries is great for sparking creativity and refreshing your mind!
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Take the 1st step toward addressing the stress inducing challenges in your life. Contact us today!
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Filter Early & Often
Options come our way in an endless stream. FOMO often means we save information to keep choices open. Making decisions at the point of 1st entry helps limit the congestion that can result from having every possibility open to us. Filter your options using a funnel like mind-set. How much time will be required? How expensive is the event? Will I enjoy spending time with the other participants?
Avoid having a traffic jam of activity on your calendar.
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Point of Need: Moving
Support and guidance can make all the difference when you are feeling overwhelmed. If you will be selling a home and moving, we have resources that can help.
Email val@p2gconsulting to request a FREE copy of our Moving Tracker tool.
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Have a 'fall back' plan to relieve fear of failure. Consider worst case scenarios and weigh the consequences. This mental exercise, performed in advance, can speed your progress when obstacles are encountered and bolsters confidence.
Knowing "the worst that can happen" does not have to hinder your risk-taking but can free you to embrace the rush.
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Extreme Planning - 1st Learn
Seeking new adventures and testing your limits can spark creativity and help you stay mentally sharp. A brilliant first step is learning from those who have successfully gone before you.
Listen to a podcast, watch interviews with participants, and read their 1st person accounts as well as research how-to guides and checklists. Being prepared means being informed!
