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Contents:

1. A Note From Shawn

Help others, by giving yourself the gift of better time management

2. Our Featured Quote

by Carl Sandburg

3. Article: Staying on top of your game

by PS Head Simplifier Shawn Tuttle

4. Your Simplification Tip

Time management quickies

5. In the News

By cutting clutter, you can help others; Taking on the time bandits; and Holiday guests? It’s cleanup time

6. Featured at ProjectSimplify.com

Red flower

7. Keep Smiling

The Bobs

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1. A Note From Shawn

In a Toastmasters club, for every speech given, another member does an evaluation of the speaker. The most important goal of evaluations is to aid the speaker in his or her development. The word “criticize”—a word that tends to highlight shortcomings and thus has a deflating effect—is not allowed. Instead, the evaluator highlights what the speaker did well and offers suggestions for improvement. This is done in the spirit of support and encouragement—the same spirit with which time management skills can best be utilized for yourself. Consider this perspective: Strategize your time management skills in the spirit of supporting and encouraging yourself. Being kind to yourself helps you be kind to the people who are unknowingly considered “distractions”.

This issue’s article looks long, but it’s an easy read. I realize that with holiday demands increasing, the amount of time you have to give for your own self-improvement diminishes. The article and tip, then, can give you the tools to make sure you still get your stuff done. And of course, remember to take time for yourself! The happier you are with yourself, the more you can share with others. :-)

In the spirit of peace for all, enjoy,
Shawn

Shawn Tuttle
Head Simplifier, Project Simplify
Co-editor, The Simplifier

 

 

 

2. Our Featured Quote

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

-Carl Sandburg 

 

3. Article: Staying on top of your game

By Shawn Tuttle

Have you ever thought about what the term “time management” really means? You can manage a herd of cows, you can manage a baseball team, you can try to manage a bunch of angry people at a meeting. But how do you manage time? You can’t change anything about it. You can’t tell it to go this way or that. You can’t make it behave differently. We each get 24 hours a day. Period. 

What you can manage during those 1,440 minutes a day is what you do and, just as importantly, how you do it. 

The game you don’t want to play
Imagine playing a game in which the objective is getting to the other side of an island by midnight. You come up with a plan to go through the forest, cross the river, and then climb over the mountain. It’s a small island and your plan is totally doable. You get going first thing in the morning, but then half way through the forest, a mysterious character shows up and entices you in a different direction—then takes off! You find your path again…but then another character jumps in your path and lures you in another direction. Sounded fun at the time, but now they, too, have disappeared and you have no idea where you are. You wander around until your watch beeps midnight—you’ll have to try again tomorrow. You feel a bit like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day when he kept waking up to the same day—over and over again.

The metaphor is simple. Sticking with your plan gets you where you want to go. Getting distracted repeatedly leaves you wondering what happened to the day and all the important things you wanted to accomplish. 

Your work most likely involves interacting with others and work that you do on your own. If you are like many others, you have a tough time carving out sufficient time for the work that you need to do alone. Scheduling time for your key work creates a little island for you to protect from intruders. Keeping people at bay during these times doesn’t mean you don’t ever want to associate with them. On the contrary, it means that you recognize there is a better time for them in your schedule. 

To better understand what we mean by “time management”, let’s rename it “the art of staying on top of your game”.

The most common external distractions are: email, phone, and people. 

Email (a.k.a. the ultimate intruder of the 21st Century)

Is email a blessing? A curse? Both? A wonderful accomplice to procrastination, email can suck you into a time warp in nothing flat. Discipline and determination can keep this king of distractions under control. 

Designate email processing times—for example, three times spaced out over the course of the day. (Of course, if you’re expecting time-sensitive e-mails, it’s OK to take a quick glance more frequently.) “Processing” means treating your email inbox like your paper inbox—reserved for items that you haven’t looked at yet. Each email you open is assessed and then either moved to trash, dealt with immediately (if it will take less than 2 minutes), or moved to a Take Action folder to deal with later. 

And NO browsing! The habit of browsing will find you looking through the same email 5 or 6 times before you feel like dealing with it—a big time waster. Very few email messages deserve that kind of attention.

tip summary: 
Designate blocks of time for email. 
No browsing!
Treat your email and paper inboxes the same way—i.e., each item is: Trashed, Done now, or Moved for later action.

Phone (a.k.a., a ringing phone does not mean “jump!”)

There are many types of calls that don’t need to be answered while you are in key work mode: wrong numbers, telemarketers, callers simply responding to a quick question you’ve asked, etc. Plus, if it’s a potential client, do you think you’ll give a better first impression when you are prepared for the call, or when you are engaged in another project?

This may seem like basic phone skills 101, but you wouldn’t believe how many small business owners I’ve talked with who take the call every time the phone rings!

tip summary:
Let calls go to voice mail during key work time.

If you have an assistant who answers your phone…

Create a system for screening calls. For example:
-if your door is closed, take a message. 
-if you are expecting an important call, let them know. 
-if you are selectively available, write down a simple script for your assistant to follow. For example, when someone asks for you: “Who’s calling, please?” “Thank you, Barbara, I’ll see if she’s available.” If you’re not free: “Barbara, she’s not available right now. I’ll tell her you called. Would you like to leave a message?” “And the best number to reach you?” (Again, this may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised…)

assistant tip summary: 
Train assistants on phone screening.

People (a.k.a., What am I? Your hairdresser?)

Treat your key work time as seriously as you would an appointment with the Dalai Lama. While a spontaneous conversation can potentially replace several emails or phone calls, too often they are accomplices to procrastination. 

If you are wanting a short break, then great! Perfect timing. If not, come up with a gracious way of letting the other person know you don’t want to pause work right now. Try something like, “Hey, I’m making great progress on this project. Can we talk later?” or, “That sounds really interesting. Can we talk about it after I’ve finished this?”

tip summary: 
Respect your key work times.
Memorize gracious conversation stoppers.

Gracious conversation stopper #2…

You get a call you want to take but are walking out the door…
“Hi Kim, I’m glad you called! I know we have several things to talk about, but I’m going to a meeting right now. Can I call you when I get back to the office, around 4:30pm? Does that work for you?” That gives Kim the option to suggest a different time and even to ask a simple question while knowing that the rest of her questions will be addressed later that day.

When the desire to avoid the frustrating feeling of no-progress grows strong enough, it’s time to confront your distractions. Dealing with the external influences of other people’s requests is an important aspect of managing your daily 1,440 minutes. A little strategy and planning go a long way in protecting your islands of work-time, and in helping you get through the forest of your day. Now that’s being on top of the game!

—

Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify.

4. Your Simplification Tip

Time management quickies

In the spirit of time management, here are a few quickies to stay on top of your day.

problem: You’ve delegated to an assistant… who breaks your concentration regularly with minor questions.
solution: Have regularly scheduled check-in times to clarify assignments, get updates, and to answer questions.

problem: People are treating your office like the proverbial water cooler.
solution: Put a sign on the door - “leave a note or come back later”. If you don’t have a door to close, come up with something that designates this is “concentration time - do not interrupt unless the building is burning down”.  Maybe wear a goofy but obvious “concentration time” hat—why not keep it humorous?

problem: Certain people take forever to get to the point of why they called.
solution: When you answer the phone, help ramblers get to the point by asking, “What can I do for you?”

 

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5. In the News

Compiled by The Simplifier co-editor Lance Brown

By cutting some clutter, you can help others (The Chronicle-Telegram - Lorain Co., Ohio)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/247lf4   
Give it away. You aren’t using it. There is no better time than the holidays to purge your unused usables. There are people out there who will not just use, but indeed treasure, those things. And you will treasure the space you gain. Man, I do love the win-win situations. Don’t you?

Taking on the time bandits  (The New Zealand Herald)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2bfzy6 
This is practically three separate articles covering many aspects of managing your use of time.

Holiday guests? It’s cleanup time  (The Signal - Santa Clarita, CA)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/yp7ud9  
You already know it’s cleanup time…I’m sure the dates of impending holiday guest arrival are beating a tiny pulse in your brain somewhere. This article might give you some help getting ready.

If you know of something in the news that should be featured here, let us know!

 

6. Featured at ProjectSimplify.com

Red flower

from our “Simplicity in Nature” photo gallery

 

 

7. Keep Smiling

by The Simplifier co-editor Lance Brown

The Bobs

What do the following things have in common?

The Beach Boys, Yoko Ono, cult deprogramming, mall security guards, ramen noodles, bumper stickers, Johann and Mrs. Bach, hipsters, excessive gas, polyester suits, and the naming of sexual organs.

Haven’t quite figured it out? Would it help if I add hurricane cleanup, feline world conquest, space-borne livestock, Andy Kaufman’s wrestling career, tattoos, synaesthesia, food rental, lost socks, Oliver North, and spontaneous human combustion? How about Christmas in jail? Cowboy lips? Killer bees?

If you have any idea what all those things have in common, then you are probably already familiar with The Bobs, a.k.a., “the Beatles of the a capella world”. Those subjects (and many more) are all topics of songs by those terrifically talented and twisted performers, who have been performing and making albums for over 25 years.

Before you flee, with the notion of an a capella group as something along the lines of a barbershop quartet, try a taste of The Bobs, via their Grammy-nominated cover version of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”. (It’s OK if you don’t like the Beatles version; the resemblance is minimal.) There’s really no way to do justice to what these four vocalists are capable of, but “Helter Skelter” makes for a decent taste (from 25+ years ago). Though they aren’t mostly a cover band - they have 9 albums of original music. You can find links to other samples below and on their web pages. They have a new album (Get Your Monkey Off My Dog) as well as a very fun Christmas album, and they tour constantly. If they are ever near you, grab anyone who likes a good time and go check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

Nothing in the world can lighten my day as consistently as the Bobs have been able to over the dozen or so years I’ve been listening to them. Hopefully they’ll give you at least one smile of your own. Start buying their albums, and you may just find yourself getting addicted to their unique spin on life and music. I definitely have. :-) 

URLs:
Home page:  http://bobs.com
Myspace page: http://myspace.com/thebobsmusic 
Samples: Helter Skelter, Beluga, March and Fanfare (snippet), Hidden Bonus Track (snippet)

P.S. - For those who fear the unfamiliar, fear not - you have probably already heard at least one of the Bobs before. Band co-founder Richard “Bob” Greene provided the very deep voice for the immortal early 80’s TV commercial line, “Fall into the Gaaaaaap.” ;-)

 

 

 

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Thanks for reading!

Publication Information
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The Simplifier is published by:
Project Simplify
P.O. Box 597
Nevada City, CA 95959
phone: 530.205.5775
web: www.projectsimplify.com
e-mail: (newsletter@projectsimplify.com) newsletter (at) projectsimplify (dot) com