How is your Balance? - Follow up
Last month I raised the topic of Work/Life balance, something that we all deal with whatever our lifestyle.
During most of February, I was out of balance - my life was strongly in favour! It was a milestone birthday for me and my commitment to myself was that I would celebrate it for a full month! I had a packed social calendar, and of course although my work was still a priority, February just flew by. I enjoyed every moment, but it just happened too quickly!
Thanks to all of you who completed the questionnaire, it made for interesting reading and a real mixed response.
From the results it was clear to see that many of you recognised imbalance in your work/life and felt empowered to correct it.
Even if sometimes it was accepted that it was an appropriate time for the lack of balance.
If you didn't get a chance to complete the survey and want to, click below:
http://is.gd/5XNEk Personal Productivity We've all heard the phrase "time management", but actually, its not necessarily about managing time, its about managing your personal productivity levels to make the most of it! Believe it or not, personal productivity is one of the main areas that clients recieve coaching on. It often under other headings such as time management, work/life balance, stress management and many others. You might be reading this and wondering what all the fuss is about? Lucky you!! Some of you will have a real strength in this, appearing ultra organised, always in control and get what you need to - done. There are others who might find it really difficult to finish tasks, often leaving completion until the last minute, or take work home more often than not. In addtion, maybe you know someone who often seem to have a long to-do list and can never see the end of it! Whichever description seems most like you, we can all benefit from a gentle reminder in how to boost our personal productivity! Use your commute wisely Make the most of your travel time - it doesn't always mean working. A previous client of mine used to take work home every night from work to complete during his train journey home, however he realised that he was still in work mode when he got home, which in turn wasn't helpful to his family life. He took an action to try something different by using part of his journey to work and part to relax and read the paper. As a result he felt more focused on his work and more relaxed when arriving home. Make the most of technology Many of us now have mobile phones that can help us be more productive, the trouble is, we dont always make the most of it! By doing little things such as checking emails on the move, it can save you minutes or even hours depending on the volume you recieve. You can stay up to date by making use of the calendar feature, or social networking too. Write it down How frustrating is it when you think of something you need to do and then forget about it again later? You could note it using mobile technology - one option, or alternatively carry a good old fashioned notepad with you! By simply taking the action of writing down what you need to achieve, your mind will feel less cluttered and you will also gain the additional satisfaction of crossing off the items as you complete them. Work out how you are using your time currently If you are really serious about working out how productive you are, you can keep a log of all your activities. You can do this over a day, a week or longer depending on how committed you are! It might seem tedious at the time, however its a really worthwhile exercise. Ensure Balance I'm not going to go on about this, but ensure you get enough 'me time'. I know it can be easier said than done, however even a few minutes can be enough to keep you sane! I've had my own battles in the past with productivity, and there are many influencing factors, not limited to motivation, importance of task and number of activities. However recognising where you want to make an improvement is the first step to becoming more productive and ultimately getting what you want. | Valentines Day- Do you Celebrate it?
Great to hear your comments on Valentines day through Twitter, some people felt it was just commercialised hell, whereas others saw it as an opportunity to celebrate the time you have with loved ones.
Thanks again for sharing your opinions.
(If you haven't contributed to my blog, or tweeted with me - dont be afraid, get in touch!) Update - E-book Many of you will have recieved the Creating Great Goals e-course when you signed up to the newsletter. I am now re-writing this into an E-book, so watch this space. Wondering how you you might benefit from receiving some coaching to help you boost your producivity? Contact me to find out more Your tips? If you have a great tip to share around personal productivity, share it with me and I'll feature it on my blog as well as in the next newsletter! I've attached a template for you if you want to give this a go To explore your own approach to productivity and make significantly more time, contact me today to arrange your first session. |