Fulfilling Future - Career Coaching
  • Home
  • Biography
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Biography
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

2/16/2012 0 Comments

Time Management

What could you accomplish if you had more time?  A friend of mine who was a college professor gave an assignment to his students, “No television for two weeks, and through journaling, I’d like to know how you’ve spent that extra time.”  The changes, results, and impact on the students were miraculous.  They spent more time reading, interacting with friends, staying active (sports and gym activities), and most importantly they were engaged in something that helped them grow. Television is just one example of how we spend our time; what happens in the office when TV isn’t a distraction?               

Often times, distractions are so common that when the day passes you by and at 5 pm, you wonder why you didn’t get anything accomplished. Do you recall learning the 80/20 rule?  This has been interpreted in many ways including, 80% of the work is completed by 20% of the people, or 80% of the revenue is brought in by 20% of the clients. Regardless of how you interpret it, let’s make the most of the 20%! Here are some suggestions to maximize your time and feel more accomplished on a daily basis: 

  1. Plan your day-Failing to plan is planning to fail so create a to-do list.  If necessary, break up your day by time blocking so you know if you’re on track.  If you have a large project due, break it up into manageable tasks.
  2. Complete a time journal-This will help you evaluate where you are spending the majority of your time and how long it takes to complete tasks.
  3. Do the toughest or most daunting thing first-Once you get the toughest task out of the way, it’ll no longer weigh you down and you’ll feel less anxiety about what’s ahead.
  4. Keep your desk clean-The typical office worker wastes two hours per day on distractions, one being the messiness of their desk.
  5. Keep email un-cluttered-Many people use email as their to-do list.  Instead, read, mark on your task list, and then file in a folder.  This way, you can prioritize based on importance and urgency within a centralized place instead of having two separate to-do lists.
  6. Have a good file system- It’s important that things are organized and filed away so they can be easily accessed when necessary.
  7. Get a speakerphone or headset-This will allow you to multitask while on the phone.
  8. Limit call times-Keep track of call times by having something else to look forward to, lunch, another call, or a project you’re looking forward to completing.  You can always call people right before their lunch or dinner time; this way you know the call can’t last more than 10 minutes because they’ll be rushed to prioritize their meal over the phone conversation.
  9. Delegate-If possible, utilize the resources around you by outsourcing work that others can complete.
  10. Time Management Matrix-Use the matrix below and sort your tasks based on importance and urgency.  If you find that tasks belong in the forth quadrant, think about eliminating them all together; there’s no need to spend your time on unimportant, non-urgent tasks.  Eventually you should be spending the majority of your time in quad 2.
Picture
When it comes to time management, ask yourself these questions to confirm you are doing the tasks that will help you feel good about how you spend your time: Why am I doing this? What is the goal? Is this the best utilization of my time?
0 Comments

4/27/2009 2 Comments

Strategies to stay focused on achieving your goals

Do you have a dream, a goal…something to achieve and work towards?  If not, what drives you to wake up in the morning? 

Having the desire to be someone, accomplish something, and leave behind a personal legacy all starts with setting personal and professional goals and setting out to achieve them.  Once that concept is understood, the question becomes: “How do I stay focused on accomplishing goals without losing sight of the purpose and not getting distracted by life’s struggles and constant changes?”  This is a very common concern and often negatively effects staying on track to achieve a goal.  Here are some suggestions:  

1.       What is the goal?  Focus on what motivated you to create this goal.  Is it a health concern, financial concern, or personal goal?  Be aware of the importance and positive changes that will occur when this goal is achieved.

2. Place a reminder around you.  Either cut out a picture of the ideal body you want, home you want to live in, or career you desire.  Whatever the goal, it’s important to see it on a consistent basis so it’s not forgotten.  Place it somewhere in your home or office where it’s visible; when you pass by the picture, visualize yourself already accomplishing that goal. Experience the feeling every time you see the picture.  In order to manifest your dreams and desires, you must believe that they can occur and see your life changed because of them.


3. Break down the goal so it’s measurable and achievable, so you can work towards it on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Set a reminder for yourself every month to track your success. You can easily create a spreadsheet to measure how far along you are.


4. Find an accountability partner whom you’ll share your progress with. Therefore, make sure this person is aware of your short term goals in order to achieve the ultimate long term goal. This way, your accountability partner can make sure you’re on track.


5. Have a backup plan in case you fall behind.  Are you willing to accelerate things one month to make up for a previous month’s shortcomings?  If so, make sure your accountability party is aware of how to motivate you.


6. Celebrate the small successes.  If you’ve worked hard for several weeks/months or accomplished half the goal, reward yourself!


7. Make sure to have fun; create a game out of it.  Track and share your progress, struggles, etc. with your accountability partner.  Allow your partner to support you and make suggestions.


8. Make sure to remember the reason you created the goal and visualize achieving it every time you loose focus or purpose.


9. Good luck and enjoy!!!

2 Comments

1/7/2009 1 Comment

New Years Resolution

As the clock stroked midnight on New Years Eve, many of us started the year with a kiss, champagne cheers and a resolution. How will this year and the resolutions we make be different from previous years where less then 10% were actually achieved?  Do we want another year to go by without attaining our goals and desires?  What happens when we don’t feel a sense of accomplishment?  Does the time go by too quickly and then we look back thinking: “What have I done and why haven’t I accomplished anything?

Let’s start 2009 with a commitment to ourselves that this year will be different, this year will be better, and this IS the year of fulfilling promises and achievement.  Now here comes the hard part…How?  Here is my recommended step-by-step process:

1. What do you want to accomplish in the long term (by December 2009)?  Is it to make more money?  Lose weight?  Buy a house? Eliminate/reduce debt? Be realistic and honest with yourself.  Be sure not to set yourself up for failure or disappointment. Additionally, make sure that all your goals are measurable (by you and are not reliant on others to complete).  Having a goal of “feeling good” is not measurable…What does feeling good equate to?  Where does it come from and what’s the result? How does your life change when you feel good?  Use these answers to create a measurable goal.

2. Now that you have a goal to accomplish in the coming year, break it down into monthly, smaller goals.  For example, if you’d like to lose 25 lbs by December and reduce your body fat percentage, then you’ll need to get your body fat measured ASAP.  If you break down this goal, it equates to a little over 2 lbs a month.  Is this realistic?  Is it healthy?  Yes!  Make sure the goal is beneficial for you in the long term. Crash diets usually result in a sense of failure and weight gain.  So, be conscientious of your well being.

3. Now that you’ve broken down the goal, you need to answer the following questions:
   a. What will happen if you DON’T achieve this goal?
   b. How would that make you feel?
   c. What changes in your life will occur?
   d. What’s the worst thing that will happen?
   e. Why do you want to avoid that happening?
   f. What will happen if you DO achieve this goal?
   g. How would that make you feel?
   h. What positive change will occur after achieving this goal?
   i. What’s the best thing that will happen by achieving this goal?
   j. What will you do to prevent getting distracted from achieving the goal?

4. Now you know the affects of either achieving or not achieving your goal.  Do they align with your values and what’s important to you?  If so, then your next task is to find an accountability partner.  Someone to check on you each week, make sure you’re on schedule, encourage you, and challenge you to overcome the obstacles.

5. Finally, CELEBRATE!  You need to find a way to celebrate your successes, not just accomplishing the goal at the end but achieving all the small milestones along the way.  If your goal is broken down monthly and you achieve your monthly goal, what will you do to celebrate yourself?  

Although each person is different and uses a number of structures to operate their lives, this is just a general guide/tool to follow.  Having journals or creating a daily schedule also work for many individuals.  Being specific, breaking it down, knowing the value, and celebrating are ways to make it happen. Good luck and just know that you have a coach, right here, to help guide you and hold you accountable if necessary.  Enjoy 2009 and make sure to have fun!

1 Comment

    Categories

    All Achieving Fulfillment Budgeting Cost Cutting Tips Enjoying Life Finding Purpose Fulfilling Future Goal Achievement Goals Goal Setting Legacy Life Views Networking New Years Resolution Perspective Purpose Save Money Self Development Stress Management Time Management

    RSS Feed