Change Your Space

As a good friend of mine is about to move into a new home, I've been
thinking of how space affects productivity. Have you ever walked into
someone's office or home and wished you hadn't? Perhaps it had piles of
paper everywhere or a home improvement that never quite got checked off
on the to-do list. Whatever it was- we all know an unproductive space
when we see it.

This year I've been trying to change my space.
To keep productive, our brain and body need ebb and flow and if your
space doesn't "work" for you and if you don't change it up every so
often, productivity will do more ebbing and less flowing.

As a
teacher/administrator in a Catholic school, I have some concrete
time-slots during which I have meetings or teach classes but the rest
of the day is up to me and how I schedule my work. Having a big office
with couches doesn't always help as people are more prone to pop-ins so
I have to be creative as to how I can get my work done.

What I
do to get maximum work done during the day is to work in different
spaces. I might start in my office for an hour, then grade some papers
in the library or find a quiet room off of the teacher's lounge. Shift
gears, change it up and stay on your game. So far, it's working for me
and definitely worth a try.

Success Begins Today has a nifty way of getting more out of your work space.

*You can also find today's post on the CE on Time productivity blog.

Change Your Pace

Yesterday we looked at the role that physical space and layout play in getting the most out of your day. Today, let's shift gears and talk about how we prep for success.

One of my New Year's focus areas has been to "prepare for success". I wanted something that would push me to procrastinate less and plan more.

So far, I've had some projects where I've been able to work on far in advance and others which have taken me right up to the final buzzer to complete. I love the former and hate the feeling of the latter. My key: keep at it and things will progress. I know that sticktoitiveness is a personal development virtue.

How do you get ready to be successful? Some ideas include:

* Getting things ready today for your schedule tomorrow (laying things out, getting breakfast and lunch in order, checking your calendar)
   
* Practicing the "weekly review" each weekend (looking back, looking forward, looking within)
   
* Keeping your lists up to date (someday/maybe, errands, calls, birthdays, etc.)
   
* Watching for opportunities (are you doing something today that will get you ready for "the next big thing" in your life? i.e. working on a degree, reading a great book, taking a seminar, creating something wonderful, improving a relationship, praying big prayers)

The DailyPlanit has a great post today on getting ready -- pace-wise -- to be successful. Worth a click or two.

Clean at Work?

Career Journal
online has a rather scary article outlining how many germs are found on
the typical work desk- here's a hint, it's got about 400 times more
bacteria than the average toilet seat. Ouch.

I
occasionally eat at my desk and can do a better job of cleaning with
some kind of disenfectant wipe or spray. I've heard it said that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Maybe the one who coined the phrase was on to something.

 

What's
your 'work' space like? Does it work for you? What could you change
today to make it cleaner or more conducive to zoning in on your most
important tasks?

GTD in Daily Life: A Snapshot

Many readers of this blog (as well as the CE on Time community) are
fond of the GTD (Getting Things Done) system of David Allen. I had a
GTD moment this past week. Here's the skinny:

1. I was in the waiting room at a doctor's office.



2. Rather than twiddle my thumbs, I began to read a magazine about cell phone plan swapping.



3. Lightbulb- I feel like I pay too much for my cell contract- what would it look like to "someday/maybe" swap with someone else?



4. Collect-
   rather than let this moment pass or simply ignore the connection
   between my desire for a cheaper bill and the article I was reading, I
   decided to take action.



5. Process- I found a piece of scrap paper and wrote down the websites that the article recommended.



6. Once I got home, I spent about 10 minutes reviewing the websites.



7. After that, I entered into a list on my Palm Treo the items I wanted under the heading "Cell Trade In".

For
GTD purists, this represents at least a snapshot of how the system
works. Gather, collect, process, take action. Simple as that. Rather
than letting good ideas get lost in the sauce, GTD allows you to
streamline and then integrate them in meaningful ways.

“Productivity
is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to
excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” Paul J. Meyer

One Thing at a Time

I found myself this past Saturday at my favorite local hangout, Mark's
Barbershop. I know, some people enjoy a trip to the movies or a stroll
through the drive through at at that "unbun" fast food establishment
but not me.

I like the barbershop- what can I say?

In
front of me was an 11 or 12 year old boy waiting for a haircut. In his
hand was a car magazine and on his ears a pair of headphones. He was
multitasking, doing two things at once. The catch of course with
multitasking is that we end up doing two things poorly rather than
getting more things done.

Some great resources for curing a multitasking addiction are found at:

What's the Next Action
Breathing Space
Set Higher Standards
The Chattering Mind

As
you start your week, consider doing one thing at a time. While you
won't get two things done at a time poorly, you can at least say that
you got one thing done well.