The Balancing Act

by Kathy Paauw

"The average office worker receives more than 200 messages a day via snail mail, email, express mail, cell phone, landline, wireless Web, bicycle messenger, singing telegram, you name it. Taking in information these days is like trying to drink from a fire hose."--Dr. Martha Beck

Did you know that one Sunday edition of The New York Times contains more information than all the written documents in the world during the 15th century? Does it seem like life is spinning out of control? The pace of life just keeps picking up! And with it, job satisfaction is on the decline, according to a Conference Board survey of 5000 Americans, released on August 21, 2002.

In an Associated Press article, Marc Greenbaum, a 50-year-old professor at Suffolk Law School, stated that "I'm personally happier but I observe more people that are more miserable. There's more pressure on them to produce, more problems with maintaining a boundary between work and family, even maintaining a boundary between work and the outside because of things like e-mail, voicemail and the Blackberry. They can't get away."

According to the Families and Work Institute, over 47% of U.S. workers surveyed feel overworked. In addition, 59% of Americans describe their lives as very busy according to an NBC news survey. According to Dr. Richard Swensen, author of Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, the average American will spend one year in his/her life searching through desk clutter looking for misplaced objects. We are working harder and faster than ever. Being more organized can help reduce stress, save time, and improve efficiency.

Most people think of "getting organized" as a physical act - clearing piles of paper, putting things away, etc. What many people overlook is the mental part of getting organized. And I always say that organizing your physical environment without first clarifying your priorities is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic!

Here are 8 tips to help you with the mental part of getting and staying organized. I encourage you to read through the whole list, and then go back and choose two or three ideas to implement.

1. Understand the difference between URGENT and IMPORTANT. If it's important, it may be a vital priority for you. If it's urgent, it's time-sensitive, but it may or may not be important. Be sure you are clear about the difference when deciding what deserves your time. Check out my June 2002 newsletter to view a time management matrix that beautifully illustrates the difference.

2. Find time for yourself. Schedule time away from your work and your family. Use this opportunity to tune in to what you want and need. Don't feel that you're being selfish; you have a responsibility to yourself to take care of your needs. Studies show that productivity dramatically increases when you are well rested.

3. Check for balance between these four vital areas of your life:
* Well-being -- caring for your physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs
* Family relationships
* Work activities
* Service activities -- volunteer work, being a good neighbor, practicing random acts of kindness

4. Live your life in the present! Quit saying, "I'll do this when I get around to it." I have yet to find a person who said on their death bed, "I wish I had spent more time at the office."

5. Increase productivity by planning your week and fine-tuning your workday. Block out time to handle priorities. Important tips to remember as you plan your week:- Have unscheduled time in your calendar for handling unexpected but important tasks.- Plan to work on creative activities during the time of day when you are at your best. After lunch is typically a "low energy" time. Not all hours of the day are created equal.- Plan ahead. If you know that you need to review a report before a meeting, be sure that you have that report on your desk in advance of the time you've blocked out to review it. Otherwise, you'll spend your review time searching for the report.-Schedule some "protected time" to work on projects that need your undivided attention. You may value having an "open door" policy for accessibility to your employees or customers. Who said the door must always be open? If interruptions are eating you alive, close your door and ask that people come back to see you at a designated time.- Temporarily turn off the audio feature on your cell phone and pager. Pick and choose when you respond and when it's appropriate to let calls go into voice mail.- Be realistic about your expectations. Don't set yourself up for failure by planning too much in one day. If you have extra time, you can always refer to your Perhaps List.- Leave work at a reasonable hour so you have time for those other three areas of your life - self-care, family, and service to others.

6. Reduce your stress by being underwhelmed. Here are a few tips to help you avoid getting overwhelmed:

- NO is a complete sentence. Don't bite off more than you can chew. When someone makes a request, buy some time before answering. Say, "Let me think about it," or "I'm in the middle of something right now. I'll call you back and let you know." This will give you time to evaluate the situation and decide if it's something you truly want to do.

- Delegate as much as you can. Focus your time on activities that you enjoy and are best at.

- Do it NOW! Sometimes it takes more energy to keep putting something off than to simply do it. Of course, not everything should be done now. Use common sense.

7. Stay out of e-mail jail. Here are a few tips to help:- Determine frequency of checking for e-mail messages. Some people choose to check it throughout the day and even use such devices as the Blackberry when on the road, while others only check for messages a couple times a day. You are the only one who can determine what will work for you.- Use the F.A.T. (File, Act, Toss) method to keep your email inbox from piling up. If a message needs to be filed for future reference, place it in the appropriate email subject or contact folder. Create an Action Required folder for those items you need to act on but don't have time to do right at the moment. Immediately toss (delete or forward) anything you don't need to keep.- Remove your name from subscription lists that do not provide value to you.

8. Set up your work environment to keep your focus on what's most important.- Arrange your workspace so you have the most commonly-used things close in.- Store things used less frequently in less accessible space.- Create a filing system that enables you to find things instantly visit http://www.orgcoach.net/products/find.html#software for more information. The

#1 reason that people pile instead of file is a fear of not being able to find it when they need it.- Create a tickler file system to remind you of important follow up at the appropriate time. The #2 reason that people pile is a fear of forgetting to do something that is out-of-sight, out-of-mind. A good tickler system reminds you to follow up on the appropriate date, and provides an alternative to that "I'll just set it here for now" pile.- Use the F.A.T. (File, Act, Toss) method to process your mail daily. Barbara Hemphill, author of Taming the Paper Tiger at Work, says that "clutter is postponed decisions." When processing incoming mail, decide immediately if it is to be (1) filed for future reference, (2) acted upon, or (3) tossed. If it requires action and you choose not to act on it now, place it in your tickler file for when you will take the next action required.- Keep only what you plan to focus on today on your desktop. Remove visual distractions from your workspace so your attention is not pulled away from what you've chosen to work on today! Everything else should be put away until it's time for you to focus on it.
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About Kathy Paauw
Kathy Paauw is an organizing & productivity consultant, certified professional/personal coach, & speaker.


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