DISCOVER YOUR ZEN
Time Management – Day 2
1. Stop multi-tasking to get more done.
When you can focus on a task and give it your all, you’ll be able to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. The truth is that multi-tasking can make tasks take much longer than they ordinarily would and leave you frustrated and angry.
Multi-tasking can also be hazardous to your health and well-being. For example, when you’re driving a car and trying to text on the phone at the same time, accidents can occur because of your lack of focus. In this harried age, most of us try to multitask or think we’re falling behind. You are falling behind – but it’s because you’re constantly multi-tasking.
When you get used to the idea of focusing on one thing at a time, you’ll notice that you think more clearly, get more done and it will even improve your relationships because you’ll be turning off your phone when you’re socializing.
2. Buffer some time between tasks.
Take time to gradually move from one project to another by putting away all the old files and information and preparing for the new. Researchers for time management have noted that those who rush from one task to another don’t feel good about how the new task was begun.
Taking a walk between tasks or meditating/exercising can make a big difference in the way you begin the new project. You’ll likely be able to jump right into it because you’ve taken the time to rid your brain of the old thoughts.
It’s not a waste of time to clear your mind after completing a large project or task. In fact, it will serve to put you on track and waste less time when you do decide that it’s time to begin.
3. Skip the unimportant details and avoid getting bogged down.
You could be risking precious time by getting dragged down in a mire of insignificant details – especially when completing a project. When you need to meet a deadline, it’s particularly important that you include the main parts and ensure they’re correct. Later, you’ll likely have time to correct any problems such as typos or other minor corrections. This is especially important when branding a product or creating a name for yourself or your business.
Also, consider hiring someone to help you with the tasks and details that bog you down. For example, if you’re writing your own content for a website or blog, but hate to edit because it takes so much time, consider hiring an editor to look it over for final touches.
Bogging yourself in details can waste your time and make you frustrated about not meeting your goals on a timely basis. Avoid it by better planning or delegating tasks.
4. Pare down your conversation time.
The art of timely conversations isn’t always easy, but conversations between colleagues, friends and family can be time wasters that can muddle anyone’s perfectly prepared schedule.
You’ve likely experienced picking up the phone to a friend’s call and spent the first 30 minutes listening to a long essay about what’s happening in her office, how the kids are and who’s going to be at the party over the weekend, etc…
You don’t want to hurt her feelings, but you’ve got to stick to your schedule if you’re going to meet goals and deadlines. She may be having a leisurely day, but you aren’t. It’s important you keep the relationship in tact while tactfully ending the conversation.
The trick is to remain polite, but forceful – stating that you’re sorry, but you have things to do and can’t talk right now. Suggest a time in the future when you won’t be so busy and can chat. Then, say “Goodbye,” and hang up.
5. Strategize your time to create more time.
To maximize your busy schedule, you need to know how to strategize your time so you’re not wasting it. That will help to create more time in the day for you to get things done – or spend time doing what you love. Maximizing your time doesn’t mean that you rush through the day at breakneck speed. You need to enjoy some of your time enjoying life – that’s never a waste of time.
Strategizing your time properly means that you don’t become a slave to a clock or calendar, but that you’re mentally prepared to focus on projects and tasks and get them done.
First, no matter what you need to do, make yourself accountable for it. When you follow through with every project in a time you set for yourself, you may leave some things undone such as reading emails or returning phone calls.
Mental preparedness and strategizing your time also means you’re tough on not letting distractions keep you from what you need to do.
6. Don’t be late! It wastes your time and everyone else’s.
If you’re the culprit who is always late for everything, it’s time to stop this annoying habit and take responsibility for yourself to be on time – always. Being late wastes your own time, and others!
First, you must identify the cause of your lateness. Sometimes the answer is clear and other times you may not realize you’re setting yourself up for it. Pay attention to your patterns and the history of your tardiness when preparing to go to work or other place you need to be on time. Then, begin to consider appointment and other set times as non-negotiable.
Begin with one appointment or set time such as arriving at work on time. Prepare or do everything you must do to get there on time and when you achieve that goal, think about how you felt.
Now think about what you must to and how you must think about your new time commitment and do what you have to do to replace the old habit with a newer, more productive one.
7. Become organized to save time.
Clutter results is more time wasting than you can imagine. Professional organizers recommend that you set up three boxes for items you want to keep, toss out or give away. Throw the clutter into one of these three boxes.
Now that the clutter is gone, determine you’ll only handle something once and then either throw away, delete, act on it or file it. You’ll find you’ve got more time for things that matter when clutter is kept out of your life.
Spending time hunting for papers, files and items are a waste of time you can avoid if you set your mind to it. Organizing is one of the best time management tools you can treat yourself to.
There are hundreds of ways to organize and one of them is sure to work for you. Go online to find multitudes of organizational tips. Choose the right one for you and stick to the plan.
TODAY’S ACTION STEPS:
1) If you already completed the Week 3 Workout Plan, then you are doing the Week 4 plan this week. Log in to the Fitness App on your COMPUTER – https://doctorvenus.com/app-login/ – to access the Week 4 Workout Plan. Note that this week, the recommended number of cardio workout days increases to 4 days. In the Fitness App, if you click on the “notes” icon next to each “Day #” heading, you’ll see a detailed description of this:
“Warm-up prior to every workout. See Sample Warm-Up attachment. Do Weight training 4 days this week. Do Cardio training 4 days this week. Cardio should consist of 20 minutes (moderate intensity exercise such as recumbent bicycle, elliptical machine, walking at about 4 miles per hour, etc). If you choose to do Cardio training on the same day as Weight training, then do Cardio after Weight training. Recommend no more than 2 Weight training workout days in a row (i.e. take a day of rest after 2 straight days of Weight training).”
2) You should be exercising according to your planned routine. (You can use the workout plan I provided, if it works for you.) If you’re not ready to go FULL OUT with the workout plan yet…that’s OK. If you’ve been trying out my suggestion of creating a habit, then you may want to add on another step if you haven’t done so yet. Read through the Week 4 – Day 2 module if you’re not sure how to create this “habit chain.”
So…every time you wake up, or finish washing your dishes after dinner, or whatever that regular activity is that you choose as the one to trigger your workouts…put on your workout shoes. (That’s the first link in the chain.)
Then do the next step you’ve been practicing. If your chosen workout is taking a walk after dinner each night, maybe you are heading to the front door and grabbing a jacket. If you want to do a home workout from the exercise plan I’m giving you, then maybe you’re putting on some workout clothes – a top and a bottom. (That’s the second link in the chain.)
NOW, do the next step. (That’s the third link in the chain.) If you plan to go for a walk, just step outside your front door and stand on your porch…and celebrate! If you’ll be doing a home workout, then grab your mobile phone (to access the Fitness App) and stand in your home exercise area…then celebrate! Whatever that next step is just do that. Every day. Every time you put on your workout shoes…AFTER every time you do that trigger activity (washing dishes, waking up in the morning, etc). Remember to celebrate every time you get to the end of this “habit chain.”
If you need a little more time to reinforce those first 2 links in the “habit chain” (e.g. putting on your workout shoes, then putting on some workout clothes), that’s fine. Just keep doing that and don’t worry about adding on right now.
3) If you’ve been receiving the meal plans, the Week 5 (and 6) Meal Plan has been uploaded to your Fitness App. You should be going through the Week 5 Meal Plan right now. (The Week 6 Meal Plan is the same as Week 5; so if you haven’t done so yet, you can begin planning, shopping, and preparing for Week 6 because it will start next Monday.)
4) Continue to meditate for at least 5 minutes each day. As I suggested in Module 6, you can now have a goal for your meditation; for example, you can aim to make this goal a better awareness of yourself (by using mindfulness) or you can aim to quiet your mind and learn to block out stressful thoughts (by using transcendental meditation).
5) Get organized! Well…at least get started. Choose one area of your home, or perhaps your desk at work. Get 3 boxes and designate them for items you want to keep, throw out, or give away. Each time you enter that area this week, go through a few items and place them in one of the three boxes. Set yourself a deadline for completing the task of going through all the items in this area. It doesn’t have to be by the end of this program. Make it a reasonable deadline for yourself.
6) If you have any questions about anything…let me know in the Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamDrVenus/
Previous ACTION STEPS:
(Not a complete list, but some important highlights.)
1) Log in to the Fitness App on your COMPUTER – https://doctorvenus.com/app-login/ – and go to the FORMS tab. If you haven’t completed the Client Agreement form and the PAR-Q form from Day 1’s ACTION STEPS, do that today and sign them. Be sure to click SAVE when you’re done. (You can not receive the meal plan and workout plan when they are released until we have those completed forms on file.)
2) If you haven’t done so yet, send an email to team@DoctorVenus.com and state whether you want a vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal plan. It will be sent to your Fitness App by the next day.
3) If you haven’t done so yet, send an email to team@DoctorVenus.com and let me know whether you want an exercise plan for weight loss (focused on burning calories) or for building/maintaining your mass. So you just need to indicate whether you want a BURN or BUILD program. It will be sent to your Fitness App by the next day.
4) Download the Set Your Goals Checklist and complete it. CLICK HERE to download.
5) Download the Program Planner that you can start using, if you wish. CLICK HERE to download.
6) Download the Kitchen Clean Out handout and use it to guide the clean out of your kitchen BEFORE you start your meal plan. CLICK HERE to download.