Improvement

Gift Yourself Unscheduled Time

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A few years ago, when I was in the middle of a major project and working 12 hour days, a friend said she understood because she had no time, either. She then went on to tell me about her weekly appointments with her personal trainer, ladies night at the local wine shop and a fun afternoon with her grandkids.

I was frustrated because I was not doing any of those things so how dare she complain? And yet, I could tell she was stressed. I asked her some questions, and then we both realized that her frustration was that she was overscheduled and had no time to do what she wanted, when she wanted. She took steps to remedy that.

The lesson stayed with me and the other month, when I realized I was becoming cranky, I realized I need more unscheduled time in my life. I played on a volleyball team one night a week for two hours. I went to the movies with a friend one night a week. I went to the gym once or twice a week. I had book club and board meetings.

Where was the time to read magazines? Or sit by a window and watch the birds at the feeder? Where was the time to simply decide in that moment what I wanted to do?

Despite enjoying all of the activities in my life, it was time to create unscheduled time. I’m taking a season off from volleyball and I’m not going to the movies every week.

Already I feel better. I’ve had more time for walks in the evening. More time to get lost in a book. More time to simply be.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, no matter how fulfilling your life is or how much fun you are having, maybe it’s time to give yourself the gift of unscheduled time.

Summer Success Check-in

Summer is in full swing, and while for the most part, I strive for unstructured weekends, I did set summer goals. It’s time to check in.

I had three areas of focus – walking, reading and writing.

I’m on target with the walking, but it has required some creative stepping (pun intended). The actual goal is to walk one million steps. It is an ambitious goal because while I know I should be walking 10,000 steps most days I was only reaching 5,000 to 7,000. I decided I needed to ratchet my efforts, and I set the one million steps goal.

As crazy as it is, it’s working. I’m currently 100 percent on target and 53 percent to goal. Yes, you read that correctly – I have walked more than 500,000 (give or take a thousand) steps so far this summer.

20000 StepsIt has required some herculean efforts on my part. One lazy Saturday, I walked less than 5,000 steps. That Monday I walked 15,000 steps, and was back on track. At a recent conference, I arrived the day before and explored Washington, D.C., on foot visiting many of the monuments. By day’s end I had accumulated 20,000 steps. That helped out when I only had 5,000 steps on the day I returned home.

I get up in the morning and walk 3,000 to 6,000 steps before work. At first, I struggled, but now I really enjoy my mornings. It’s cooler and peaceful. It’s my own world. During the day, if my schedule permits, I walk for 15 to 20 minutes with a colleague. We save all of our discussions for the walk time, and we’ve solved several problems on our walks and taken some great photos to share on social media. If she is not available, I will still try for a short walk. I find the walk allows me to think and processs, and I return to my desk reinvigorated.

My summer reading, which actually started back in May is a bit sporadic because I am tending to read novels. I did, however, finish Greg McKeown’s, “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” I’m more focused on celebrating the essential, and not busyness. I say no to focus on what does matter to me and set boundaries. That means that while I would like to resume golfing, for now, I must say no because what is important to me is my writing. Golf requires too much time – time that could spent writing and rewriting.

I also am about halfway through “Mastermind” by Maria Konnikova. Already, I am finding I am more observant. Still on my list are “Reinventing You” by Dorie Clark and “How Philosophy Can Save Your Life” by Marietta McCarty.

As for writing, I’m making great progress on one of my books. My accountability partner is helping me to stay on track. I also signed up to attend a mystery writer and fan conference in the fall. Not only will I meet some of the authors whom I read and are inspired by, but I also will learn about writing techniques, agents and marketing.

Still, I’m glad there are a few more weeks left to summer. I still need to eat an ice cream cone and catch fireflies!

Productivity tips from the experts

For the past several evenings, I have been watching way too many videos, but it’s okay. They are an investment in myself. I recently blogged about the importance of investing in yourself, and one of the things I recommended was finding free webinars.

Capture_PeakWorkPerformanceThe Peak Work Performance Summit is a series of video talks with some of the top productivity names in the industry. It’s a wealth of “research-based insights and actionable tips for elevating your performance,” according to the email I received from Ron Friedman, author of “The Best Place to Work,” and organizer of the Summit. Unfortunately, the videos are no longer available for free, but you can purchase access.

Here are just a few of the takeaways I had –

Gretchen Rubin on Changing Your Habits noted, “Nothing is more exhausting than the task that is never started.” After watching her session, I wrote the introduction for a book idea I have. I’d been talking about writing the introduction for three months. I also developed a writing schedule. She also suggested developing some fun habits, including running down stairs because it’s energizing. I did it at work, and people commented on how much energy I had!

Christine Carter, who wrote, “The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work,” talked about the “better than nothing workout.” Her point is that more is not necessarily better, especially if you don’t even start. I’m on a Fitbit quest, but there are days that 10,000 steps seem daunting. After listening to Carter, I gave myself permission to just walk 2,500 steps that day. Once I started, I was good. That day, I reached 7,700 steps. I was short a bit, but at least I moved.

Greg McKeown spoke about “the undisciplined pursuit of more.” The antidote, he said, “is the disciplined pursuit of less but better.” For example, when an opportunity presents itself, is it a great opportunity, or a just a good opportunity?

I have always been a list maker, and in the last few years, I’ve become even more intense about my lists. I feel vindicated now thanks to David Allen who said, “Don’t use your head as an office.” He said that writing things helps us stay clear and focused. He is the author of “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity.”

One of the ways, I have developed my skills is by volunteering through groups to which I belong. Dorie Clark, author of “Reinventing You,” recommended doing just that — volunteering in areas of interest where you want to take your career. “It can help you pivot,” she noted. She also recommended creating a networking plan and being strategic about who to spend time with and who you want to learn from.

Carrie Wilkerson, who wrote the “Barefoot Executive,” recommended picking one person and intentionally following them through the year, whether you invest with them or not. Currently, I personally pay a monthly fee to be part of an inner circle in which I get tips on earning positive media coverage. You could also follow a person’s blog or buy their book. The key, Wilkerson said, is to listen and not try to be on all the lists (of course, that’s easier said than done after participating in this summit!)

An underlying theme was the importance of developing and implementing routines. Doing so makes execution as effortless as possible, McKeown said. Turns out our mothers were right to line up our clothes for the week.

My takeaways were many, and I’ve put them on a master list so I don’t lose sight of them. Some of the items are action items, and I’ve assigned due dates to ensure that I follow through. Mostly though, I came away inspired.

Finding your slow

When is the last time you did nothing?

Sitting and checking your Facebook updates or reading email is not nothing.

Today we are all so wired and connected that we forget to slow down. If we don’t slow down, though, we don’t recharge, which keeps us from being at our best.

Here are a few suggestions for slowing down:

Feed the birds. In “Mary Poppins” an old lady sits on the steps of St. Paul’s and sings, “Feed the birds, tuppence a bag.” It’s good advice. I have several bird feeders and I sit and watch the birds come to eat. It’s fun to identify them and watch how they interact with each other. I often sit for 20 minutes or longer simply watching. I don’t think about anything.

Unplan your vacation. Yes, you need a destination and you should know something about where you are going and where you will stay. But after that, don’t plan anything. Wake up each morning and then decide. Better yet, walk out the door of your hotel and start walking. We did that once in London and came upon the premiere of one of the Star Wars movies. Outside the theater were Storm Troopers so we had our photo taken. I think that day we had planned to go to the Tower of London. It’s been there since 1078, but how often do you get to hang out with Storm Troopers?

Eat at a table. This does not mean your desk. Take time to eat lunch. In the evenings, even if you pick-up your dinner, sit down at the table and eat it, preferably with no television. If you ordered carry out, take the food out of the plastic and Styrofoam and put it on a plate. Enjoy the taste, the sight and the smell of your food. In other words, slow down and savor the meal.

Adult coloring books are a great way to slow down (photo by Cynthia Price).

Adult coloring books are a great way to slow down (photo by Cynthia Price).

Connect with nature. This can be anything from walking in a park to planting a small garden. If you don’t have room for a garden join a community garden. The idea is to play in the dirt, feel the grass beneath your feet and look up at the sun and clouds.

Color. The latest trend is coloring books for adults. I’ve been coloring my entire life. I have always find it relaxing. I guess I was just a head of the trend. I often purchase a child’s coloring book from the dollar store, but now there is an entire line of coloring books for adults. I just bought “Splendid Cities: Color Your Way to Calm” by Rosie Goodwin and Alice Chadwick (artists). Not only does it relax me it lets me daydream about my next travel destination.

How do you find your slow?

6 ways to learn

Keep growing is a piece of advice Joel Osteen offers in his book, “You Can, You Will.” He notes that we have 86,400 seconds each day, and urges us “Redeem the time.”

One way to do that is to create a personal growth plan. You don’t need to attend a conference to learn new skills or sharpen the ones you have, although if you can, it’s a good way to grow professionally and also network and gain a fresh perspective.

Here are six other ways to help you grow and learn:

Start by signing up for free webinars through companies such as Cision or Ragan Communications. I recently watched a great one about PR pitching by Michael Smart. The catch is that you may receive emails from the companies pitching their products. It’s a small price to pay and, sometimes, you’ll discover that you would benefit from the product or service.

TED Talks also are free and you can view them anytime. I’ll often watch a few while on the treadmill or elliptical. Of course, it’s a challenge when I want to take notes! If you are fortunate to live someplace where TED Talks are being offered, I would encourage you to attend. Not only will you learn about interesting topics, you will discover different presentation styles. Two of my favorites (and that of many others are “The Power of Introverts” with Susan Cain and “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” with Amy Cuddy.

Another great way to find speakers is through the business calendar of your local newspaper. The one I read publishes such a calendar each Monday. Organizations provide details about their speakers, and, you can usually attend as a guest for a fee.

If you are looking for tutorials, one of my favorite sites is Lynda.com. This site provides web tutorials on hundreds of topics. You can subscribe for a month or a year. I subscribe for a month when I realize I need to learn about a specific topic. I spend a few hours learning through the site.

Another great resource is your local university or community college. Check their online calendars for guest speakers. Often the lectures are open to the public at no cost. I have heard the author of Berkshire Beyond Buffet, a POW, and a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist. (Full disclosure: I work for a university so I receive notifications automatically.)

One last suggestion is to schedule learning interviews. You can do this with a colleague or through an introduction. It’s a great way to learn more about a person’s position and specific responsibilities. I reach out to the person via email and request a meeting. If I don’t know the person, I may ask for a 20-minute coffee meeting. If I know the person, I might suggest lunch or drinks after work. I always explain that I’m interested in learning more about their work and that I have no hidden agenda. I find the conversations insightful and energizing, and I think the other person does, too.