I began this morning by inviting people to keep it simple for today and choose their disruptions wisely.

A meeting I had in the morning, finished earlier than I expected, my to-do-list was moving along nicely and by early afternoon, I found myself with time in my hands. I should have known there was trouble around the corner.

I decided that I wanted to change some things on my website and took to task. The website designer I have worked with for almost ten years, is wonderful and very supportive. Over the years she has given me much more leeway that’s good for me. Keep reading and you’ll see why I say that!

All in all, it took me less than ten minutes to get into trouble. Whether the code I altered was small or not, the website looked like it got hit by a hurricane. No, wait, it did get hit by a hurricane . . .Me!

I called Terry and she took care of it within minutes. Never once did she seem annoyed -  and she had every right to be. When it was all said and done, I was left aware of the simple fact that not only I hadn’t chosen my disruptions wisely but I had created unnecessary drama for somebody else.

Here’s what I was reminded of today:

• Busy work is just that . . . busy work. It undermines our focus and peace of mind without contributing to the quality of our life or the accomplishment of our goals;
• Disruptions are like pebbles thrown on a calm pond. You throw one in and it creates ripples. The drama we create doesn’t just disrupt our life but the life of those close to us;
• Free time is a gift. It is to be honored and used wisely; and
• Some things are meant to be delegated to those who know better.

If you’ve ever taken the time to go through your file system and get rid of all the paperwork you have collected throughout the years, then you can relate to what I’m saying.

Clearing emotional and physical clutter gives one the sense of lightness and renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Where to start? Choose one area of your life that has been in the forefront of your mind. What would you like done?

• Are you fed up with how much paper is piled on top of your desk? Put a timer for 10-15 minutes, grab a pile and go through it. Recycle what you can, discard what you don’t want, and do something about the rest. Don’t think too much, just go through it.
• Is your filing cabinet overflowing? Don’t look at the whole thing unless you’re ready to put a few hours or days worth of work in it. If all you have is 15 minutes, open the first drawer, take out the first three folders and go through them. Again, recycle, discard, re-file what needs to stay. Repeat the process the next day.
• Look around your space. Are there items laying around that just clutter your space? Be merciless. Take a bag and clear the surfaces. Don’t forget to put the bag in the trash.
• Go through your closet. If it doesn’t fit or you just don’t like it anymore, get rid of it. Donate, discard, de-clutter. Make room for the new.
• Look through your refrigerator. What needs to go to the compost pile? Do it, the very moment you lay eyes on it. While you’re at it, think of the diet adjustments you want to make for the new season.
• Consider your daily routine. Do you find yourself lingering at the computer, checking your e-mail every half hour, and browsing through the internet without a specific goal or intention? Do the computer and the internet serve as distraction and time wasters at times?
• Identify your emotional drains. Are there people or situations in your life that make you feel drained and tense? Are you tired of feeling this way? What would you like instead? Is it time to introduce better boundaries or even let go and move on?

This is the season for new beginnings. It’s a time of growth, nurturing, and enjoyment. We just have to give ourselves permission to engage. Go for it!

I remember at the beginning of my corporate career, the constant state of frenzy and adrenaline rush.

On certain days of the month, I had to drive to Boston, three hours each way, to be at a meeting. I would sit in this two-hour meeting thinking of everything that had to be done and wondering why on earth I was there in the first place. I ended up working weekends or late nights, trying to catch up. Somethings we have control over and some we don’t.

Getting back to the three hour drive to Boston. I somehow had convinced myself that it would only take me two and a half hours to get there. We can analyze why that was or we can just accept the fact. I was convinced that it would take me two and a half hours, period! The meetings would be scheduled for eight or nine in the morning. That, of course, meant . . . morning traffic! Try getting into Boston at that time in the morning. It can be hell.

Best case scenario, I would arrive there right as the meeting was starting. No time for me to settle down, take a deep breath, relax after a long drive, or acclimate myself to my environment.

Worse case scenario, I was 10-15 minutes late. Major embarrassment. Did people know I had a three hour drive? Yes, they did. Did they understand I had to leave the house at five in the morning? Yes, they did. Did it matter? No!

It didn’t take me long to realize that I had to address this before it became a problem. I loved my job and I respected my colleagues. I couldn’t say no to the meetings. I had to change how I approached this. Living under the stress and going on adrenaline was affecting my health. Not an option.

I had learned by then, that even a small change can make a difference. I started by facing the fact that getting to Boston takes closer to three hours. Then, I began to schedule time for travel and transition. When I penciled in a meeting, I also included time for travel plus fifteen minutes. This practice allowed me room to breathe, settle down and deal with the unexpected when it happened – which often did!

Trying to squeeze as many things as possible in a tight time frame makes us inefficient and causes us stress and anxiety. How effective can we be then? Not much.

When you schedule a meeting, pencil in extra time for travel (before and after), preparation and for dealing with the unexpected. The amount of time for travel is up to you, as long as you don’t convince yourself that it takes you less than it takes. Schedule fifteen minutes to breathe and gather your thoughts. You’ll be a lot more productive when you take time to get into the mindset for that particular meeting, review your strategy and even touch base with the “players” before the actual meeting.

If you are one of those people who run from one thing to another with no time to catch your breath, you may want to rethink how you go about the little things. Just because things have always been a certain way, it doesn’t mean that’s the only way to go about it.

Living in balance is not about having a myriad balls in the air, at the same time. That’s not balance, that’s juggling. It’s like running uphill constantly, hoping your legs won’t give. At the end of a day’s juggling, one feels out of breath.

A person in balance is hardly ever out of breath because, at any given point, he knows that he is in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.

To achieve balance, one has to be willing to drop some balls. It requires clarity and the willingness to put what’s really important ahead of the nonessentials that usually fill our days.

To be clear of what is essential, we need to get to know who we are and who we want to be, in every aspect of our lives. We need to evaluate and decide what activities support or undermine our well being.

It takes no time for things to creep into our daily life and our schedule. That’s why it’s important to review and revise constantly. By keeping a watchful eye, setting clear boundaries and eliminating the nonessentials, we ensure that, what we invest our time and energy in, reflects our priorities and goals.

No aspect of our life and work can ever flourish without our attention. When we work on a project where other people are involved, we make sure to meet and discuss the details, deadlines and progress. We make sure that, every action point and every step we take, brings us closer to the successful completion of the project. When it comes to working on the project of our “life” though, we forget all we know.

Let’s begin by taking a good look at our habits and determine what activities and daily habits qualify as “nonessential.”

Invest 5-10 minutes each day to review and revise. Eliminate the “nonessential” or at least move them to the bottom of your to-do-list…. Give priority to what really matters – at work and at home.

When someone asks you to make a commitment, think carefully before you say “yes.” Saying “no” is a lot easier than you think and pretty soon you’ll be very comfortable doing that.

There is a lot more you can do but for now . . . Stop juggling and be truly productive!

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

The more I work with people the more I see how caught up we are in an unforgiving pace of being. The art of pausing and taking in the landscape, sort-of-speak, is lost in our to-do lists.

We’ve all had the experience of going through a day and not having a moment to breathe. Even the language we use to describe a day like this, is quite revealing. We say: “I didn’t get the chance to breathe today” or “What a day! I’m out of breath.” How can that be? How can we go through a day without breathing? Let’s see.

How does it feel to go through a day at high speed? Some of the physical symptoms can include anxiety, a sense of not being able to take a deep breath, exhaustion, headache. Emotions can range from annoyance to agitation and resentment. Our ability to focus and be truly effective, is compromised. We may find it difficult to be patient, tolerant or understanding towards other people.

I don’t think our appreciation of life runs high when we’re spinning our wheels, waiting for landing. How can we appreciate the present moment, when we go through our day waiting for when we’ll be somewhere else, doing something completely different?

That’s when the practice of “pausing” can make all the difference.

Pausing, even for five minutes, can drastically change our perspective of the present moment and situation. It’s easier to pause before we react or speak than wishing we could go back in time (rather impossible) and do something differently.

Taking the time to pause and take in the landscape of a situation, a relationship, an exchange can strengthen our mental clarity and empower our decision making in ways we can’t even imagine. Giving ourselves the gift of a few deep breaths in the midst of chaos, can ground us, infuse us with energy, and remind us of everything we have to be grateful for.

Give yourself the gift of pausing throughout your day. Life is not meant to be lived on automatic. Time stretches for people who live every moment to its full capacity. Be one of them!

We have computers and wireless communication, in general, all the technology we need to help us stay connected 24-7. We are expected to deliver results in less time and at all times. We have fast cars, fast food restaurants, and instant access to more information than we can ever use or need.

We live at dizzying speed and our ability to focus on any one thing for long periods of time is weakening. “Long periods of time?” we ask. Five minutes is all I have to give you.

Under these circumstances it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when I ask my clients what they do to take care of themselves, their answers range from the “I know how to take care of myself but can hardly find the time to do so” to “I don’t have time to take care of myself.”

So, let me understand this. We take our cars for regular check-ups because we understand that if we let it go for too long, the car will break down and will not be able to take us from point A to point B. Plus, if we let it go for too long without maintenance or addressing a specific problem, fixing the problem could cost us a large sum of money.

We perform daily maintenance on our computers because we understand, and some of us have learned the hard way, that if we don’t take care of our computers and back up our work, we can lose hours and hours of work. Or, the system may break down and need replacement and that’s an expensive proposition, never mind the long hours we find ourselves disconnected from the rest of the world.

If our cell phones stop working, we panic. OMG, how can anyone reach us? We feel isolated.

I’m sure by now, you know where I’m heading. We understand the importance of taking good care of our computers, cars, and cell phones, among other things that occupy the food chain of our daily existence. We make time to take good care of them. But, when it comes to our bodies and minds, we push self-care and good maintenance to the back burner.

If our health, state of mind, and quality of emotions start “malfunctioning,” what then? Isn’t it time to start looking at our priorities with a new pair of eyes? Have we gotten it all backwards? What really matters here and what are you going to do about it?

Oops, my time’s up!

Now, I will not sit here and pretend to be a financial wizard. One thing that has always worked for me though, is knowing how much money comes in, where it goes and what my financial priorities are. I find that to be a good starting point.

I treat time the same way. There are twenty-four hours in a day and, nothing I ever do or wish, will ever change that. The next logical question then is: “What do I have control over and what is the best investment of my time?”

When I work with clients who find time management to be a major challenge, the first thing I ask them to do is an inventory of where their time goes daily. Knowledge is power, after all.

Documenting your daily activities in detail, allows you to see clearly how you invest or spend your time and the effect your time choices have on the quality of your life and your sense of well being. When you look at, how your days go and how easily things can get out of hand, it’s easy to see why you may be on the verge of burn out.

Effective time management is close to impossible if we lack the conviction of our values and true priorities. That’s why the next step includes an honest look on what your true priorities are and how they compare with your daily choices. Most people are surprised to see how little their daily activities reflect their life priorities.

By gaining clarity on what we truly value and want to have in life, we become able to make the choices that make every hour of our day time well spent.

1. You don’t like the nature of the task and you consider it a waste of  time. The task maybe boring or time consuming. You just don’t want to do it and that’s that.

Figure out what it is you don’t like about the task or the project. Think of alternative ways of dealing with it. Delegate it, ask for help, or find a way to get it off your plate once and for all. If all else fails, break the task into smaller steps, schedule time to tackle each step at a time, and reward yourself for completing the cycle. Find a way to motivate yourself and make it interesting.

2. You’re afraid of the outcome.

Consider the possibility that you may be afraid of what it means to complete this project. Is there something that’s working behind the scenes that you are not clear about? Are your concerns realistic? Are you making things worse by procrastinating?

3. You may not feel equipped to do something well.

Think about the project or task and be honest with yourself. Are you concerned that you may not do a good job with this project? If the answer is yes, identify the area of concern and think of the resources that you have at your disposal. Are your fears realistic? Is there someone you can go to for additional guidance and support? Would it be worth passing the project to someone else?

4. You lack the resources.

Think it through. Make a list of what you need to complete the task or project. Identify what additional resources you need. Get everything you need in place and schedule time to complete the project. If you can delegate parts of the work, then delegate it!

5. You think that by avoiding something it will just go away.

By now, experience has taught you that you can’t bet on this one. It could go away but how can you be sure? Is it worth the risk? Read reasons 1-4 and see if there is anything there that’s of use to you.

6. You like the rush of going up against a deadline.

Take a mental journey into your past and determine whether leaving things for the last minute is a habit of yours. If it is, accept it and ask yourself whether you are willing to keep up with this pattern. Is it worth the rush? Are you ready to make different choices? It’s up to you.

7. There is something you get by not completing the task that you are not aware of.

It’s possible that procrastinating with a particular project or task is the clue to something bigger. Is this a project you should be doing? Does it serve your original intention or personal goals? Does this project hold a message for you? It’s worth finding out!

The key to dealing with unproductive habits is not beating yourself up or avoiding the truth altogether. Take some time, think it through, and get to the bottom of it.  You’ll be amazed.

As you go through your day, there are people to talk to, decisions to be made, projects to review, and problems to solve. Events will transpire that will distract you, demand your attention, drain your energy, and eat up your time. You will try to focus on what’s right in front of you but. . . what about the “unfinished” business?

What about the items that linger in the back of your mind? You know what I mean. I am talking about procrastination; the items on your to-do-list that have not yet been accomplished but are hanging in there, gnawing at you!

Things like the bill you forgot to pay, the phone call you dread to return, the expense report that was due last week, the broken appliance that needs to be fixed, the doctor’s appointment that keeps getting pushed back, the difficult conversation you need to have with a colleague, a family member, or a friend.

I am not writing all this to depress you. Unfinished business can drain your energy and darken your spirit even before you get out of bed in the morning. Unfinished business lingers in the back of your mind, works on your subconscious, and eats you up until you do something about it.

What to do? The simplest and fastest way to bring these items out of hiding and into the light is to write them down. Take five minutes and write down everything that you have been putting off. When you finish writing, take a deep breath, and scan your body and your mind. Do you feel lighter?

Writing down what’s on your mind frees space and energy for you. Instead of allowing your fear of something to control your actions, you are able to examine it from a distance and make a decision.

Look at your list, pick one thing you can do right now, and do it! We can talk at length about why we procrastinate, how we allow things to get out of hand, and what unfinished business really is all about, but that’s for another entry. For now, pick one thing, and do it!

1. Do you always feel you don’t have enough time?
2. Are you working on too many projects at once?
3. Do you procrastinate and then push to get something done at the last minute?
4. Have you been dropping the ball lately and forgetting things?
5. Are you on edge emotionally?

If you answered yes to at least four of the five questions, chances are you are running on adrenaline.

“Adrenaline is a hormone produced in high-stress or physically exhilarating situations by the adrenal gland in our body. The term “fight or flight” is often used to characterize the circumstances under which adrenaline is released into the body. It is an early evolutionary adaptation to allow better coping with dangerous and unexpected situations.”

Research shows that it’s important to “work off” the adrenaline that is being released into our system when we experience stressful situations. Failing to do so results in high amounts of adrenaline staying in the body which, in turn, results to “insomnia, anxiety, depression, and a suppressed immune system.”

Now that we got the scientific part over with, it’s safe to say that people can become addicted to this “adrenaline rush.” It becomes a habit and many use it to get through the day and accomplish all that is expected of them.

If you are one of these people, consider the following:

• Evaluate your commitments and let go of some. Consider that not every commitment is created equal.
• Review your schedule. See how you can shift things around to create time for uninterrupted work and planning.
• Evaluate your work habits. Are you good at delegating or do you pride yourself in getting the job done better and faster on your own?
• Minimize distractions. Don’t pick-up your phone every time it rings. Resist checking e-mail constantly and instead check email at regular intervals.
• Communicate your needs and expectations.
• Make sure you eat healthy. Keep nutritious snacks in the office.
• Make time for physical activity and exercise. Take a walk between meetings, before or after lunch, breathe some fresh air and clear your head.
• Give your mind a break; listen to relaxation tapes; read something other than work documents, look outside your window and notice what’s there.
• If all else fails, you can at least remember to take a few deep breaths before and after you engage in adrenaline producing behaviors.

Give it a try! Your body will thank you and the people around you will begin to exhale too.

I thought a lot about our personal stories as I read. We go on living our lives, going through the motions, dealing with unexpected events, checking off our to-do lists, and crossing paths with other people. Somehow morning turns into evening and we don’t know where the hours went.

When I stop and think that the present moment is all I have and I allow myself to be present, I realize how much of my life I have lived on automatic. I don’t like that. There is richness in every day living. I find that when I live in the past or constantly agonize over the future, I forget to recognize and appreciate the present.

I have also noticed that time stretches when I live in the moment. When my mind is not racing, thinking about what’s next or engaging in what has happened, I am at peace, I am focused, and I accomplish all I need to accomplish right on time.

I have come to believe that we have all the time we need in order to accomplish what we need to accomplish. This perspective involves acceptance for what is, presence of mind, right action, and the ability to know when to say no.

Don’t just shake your head, try it!

The average person in an office is interrupted almost six times an hour, all day long. Six times an hour!

Most people I talk to feel helpless when it comes to handling interruptions. People often complain about how much longer it takes to complete a task because of getting interrupted all the time. So, what can you do to help yourself stay focused and complete your tasks?

To begin with, it’s important to know what or who interrupts you the most in the course of a day. Is your main source of interruption other people, your own working habits, or both?

If it’s other people who constantly come to you with questions, requests, or just to chat, consider how you can minimize interruptions without undermining your relationships and effectiveness at work.

•  Schedule regular, short, meetings with your staff during which your can review the work load, check on progress, and answer questions
• Suggest that people bunch their questions together instead of coming to you every time they have something to ask
• Utilize email more effectively. Suggest that people email you a list of questions and promise to reply by a certain time in the day
• Let your staff know when it’s not a good time to interrupt. Open-door policy promotes communication and it doesn’t mean that you have to be at the mercy of everyone who decides to walk through your door
• When people come to you and it’s not a good time, let them know and give them an alternative time when they can have your undivided attention
• Model the behavior you expect from others and don’t interrupt your staff constantly
• Allow time for interruptions throughout your day
• Allow time for social interaction.

If, on the other hand, your own habits, such as constantly checking email or always picking up the phone when it rings, are becoming a nuisance, try:

• Checking your email and voice mail at specific times of the day. For example, when you first go to the office, before and after lunch, and around 3 pm
• Schedule 5-15 minute time periods throughout your day to reply to messages. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in 5 minutes
• When you email or leave a voice mail for someone else, be very specific as to why you are calling, what you want, and when you want it by
• Discipline yourself to get back on task as soon as you are through with an interruption.

Are you facing the challenge of being constantly interrupted and how do you handle it?

It pays to have a vision for how your day will be, how a project needs to progress, or how a team meeting will develop.

I once worked with a group of people who had difficulty keeping on task during team meetings. People were becoming frustrated and felt that most meetings were a waste of time. We discussed the problem as a group and decided to approach meetings differently.

• We worked on setting a clear intention and agenda for each meeting.
• The agenda was circulated prior to each meeting, giving people the opportunity to make adjustments.
• We assigned the roles of meeting facilitator, note taker and time keeper. Team members took turns in fulfilling these roles. This way, they each came to appreciate the challenge of being responsible for the group’s performance as well as their own.
• We established a follow-up process for action points generated during each meeting.

As they adhered to the process, their meetings became productive, communication improved, and cooperation was strengthened.

Why not try this approach before you go into another meeting?