Sharpen up your Decision Making Skills

Last week I presented at one of our client's offices.  The subject was 'Effective Decision Making' and I covered:

• How to create a work-life balance that really does work
• A 7-step plan for determining priorities
• How to say no while keeping everyone happy

Those who attended the presentation said:

• An extremely valuable event
• Would like a longer session
• Very useful, very relevant to my work role
• Really helped me think about my prioritisation skills and new ways of getting things done
• Very useful resource material to refer to in the future

We covered a lot of material but there was one key piece of advice that was applicable to everyone.  I'm happy to share it with you.

The ability to make effective decisions will be dictated by how energetic, focused, engaged and in control you feel.  To ensure you remain in this positive frame of mind at all times, create clearly defined appointments in your schedule to review your effectiveness.  

A simple pattern to follow is:

• 1 hour review time per month.  At the beginning, end or in the middle of the month, you decide.

• 20 minutes review time per week.  Recommended to be in the middle of the week rather than Monday morning or Friday afternoon.

• 6 minutes review time per day.  This can be broken into three mini-reviews of 2 minutes each to keep you track throughout the day.

In total that's just 52 review / planning hours per working year.  Less than 3% of your time if you work a 35 hour week.  52 hours invested in yourself that can make an enormous difference to every single minute you spend at work and which will also have a positive impact on your life outside of work.

With summer coming to a close and many of us heading back into the school run and busy work schedules, this is a crucial time to plan how you make the best decisions for your life.

What are you waiting for?  Get reviewing and get effective.

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Life's too Short to be Busy

Read this great article HERE - a fantastic way to put the busy world around us in perspective.

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Create a Healthy Work/Life Balance (Part 3)

In the final part of our ‘Health Life Balance’ series, we will look at how to create a healthy mental attitude for a busy work life. It’s important to get the job done, but you don’t want to burn the candle at both ends and end up so stressed that you are no longer productive.

Here are a few ways to get more done each day, leave work on time and go home satisfied you've achieved a huge amount without being frazzled at the end:




1. Set realistic, manageable goals.
We all have a ‘bucket list’ of dreams and goals we want to achieve. This is a great strategy for thinking of the big picture, but for day to day life management, it’s easier and more rewarding to set smaller goals. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you tick the items off your list and track your progression.




2.  Set time limits 
Rather than starting a task and allowing it to take as long as it takes, decide in advance how long you are willing to spend on each activity. If you’re clear with yourself with what time you want a job completed by, you’ll focus and avoid distraction to make sure it’s done in time. Emails could take no more than 5 minutes; calls no longer than 10 minutes and meetings no longer than half an hour. If you don’t set time limits you can find yourself at the end of a day still trying to complete something you started first thing. 




3. Take breaks 
If you arrive at work in the morning and the day stretches out ahead of you as one big block of busy-ness, you can feel overwhelmed. Planning regular breaks means you’ll work effectively in short sharp bursts of productivity punctuated with slots of doing something that takes your mind off work and clears your head ready for the next round of activity. 




4. Move on quickly 
One person we worked with had a 40 minute time limit for everything he did during a day. Whether it be proposals, costings, meetings or lunches; whatever he was doing, he’d move on to the next task after 40 minutes. He claimed that after this time he stopped having useful thoughts on each task so he’d move on to re-energise his brain. He also built in a slot during each day to return to any tasks with thoughts that came into his head while he was thinking about other things. 


The key to success with getting more done is to maintain energy and focus throughout each day. This is best achieved by making progress so always keep in mind how each task you take is moving you forwards. If at any stage you feel you’re not making progress, your energy and motivation will wane and results will slow.


You're at work to get things done and achieve a something, but you don't want to spend all your time there and hours thinking about the office when you get home. 


Do it, Get it Done, Get home.

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Create a Healthy Work/Life Balance (Part 2)

If you started your plan last month, you should start to see some differences in your work/life balance. It can take time to adjust to a new way of thinking, but once you establish a routine and stick to it, the results come quickly.

In part 2 of our ‘Healthy Life Balance’ series, we’re going to look at quick interventions that really make a difference.

  

1) Exercise

In your schedule, identify two or three slots each week for exercise.  These slots can be as little as 30-minutes.  Plan in advance what you will do during these slots and make sure that each workout includes 5-10 minutes of high intensity training - exercise that really makes you breathe and sweat. You will also want to do some weight bearing exercise to strengthen your muscles and bones. You don’t need an expensive gym membership to get and keep fit. Here are some alternatives to consider:

·         Walking outside. This is a free and easy way to exercise. There is virtually no way to injure yourself and most people of any fitness level can do it. If you can walk outside during your lunch hour or after work, you will also get your daily requirements of vitamin D.

·         Swimming. Another great way to exercise and it’s an excellent cardio workout. Try alternating different strokes to keep your heart rate up.

·         Dancing. This can be done in the privacy of your living room, or in Salsa or ballroom class. Dancing is great for your heart and is a social activity that most people enjoy.

·         Games such as squash, tennis and netball. If you prefer to exercise with others, join a local team, or get a partner to play with you in the local leisure centre. You’ll burn calories and having fun with friends or associates.

·         Yoga. There are many benefits of yoga including: lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, releasing endorphins and generally making you feel more relaxed and less stressed.

2) Healthy Eating

Make sure your schedule guides you to eat every 2.5 - 3 hours.  Plan what you will eat at each of these times ensuring the portion size is appropriate for each meal or snack.  Making sure you have what you need to prepare your meals; this will include some shopping for home or for food supplies at the office. Here are some quick tips to help you prepare:

·         Plan a menu for the week and stick to it as much as you can. This will help you choose from a variety of meals so you don’t get bored with the same thing, and it will encourage you to avoid the temptation of fast food

·         Make your lunches the night before work, or first thing in the morning. This just saves time and leaves you more time to have a proper lunch break.

·         Take a variety of fruits and healthy snacks to keep you going throughout the day. You don’t want your blood sugar levels to drop because you’re hungry.

·         Avoid office snacks such as cakes and sweets. If you want to treat yourself once in a while, that’s ok, but don’t over indulge.

·         Beware of hidden sugars and calories in low fat foods. Start reading food labels so you know exactly what you are eating.

  

3) Sleep

Establish a regular bedtime and then work out a routine for the evening that will ensure you are able to go to bed and fall asleep at your designated time. You should know at what time of the evening you turn off the TV, computer, phone etc. in order to wind down in time to sleep well. If you are ‘wired’ right until bedtime, you will find it difficult to unwind and get yourself ready for a restful sleep. Here are some tips to help you get your zzz’s.

·         Keep your tv and computer out of the bedroom, or at least limit their use at bedtime. This is your sanctuary so make it as quiet and peaceful as possible.

·         During the week, try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, but if you aim for an uninterrupted 6  - 8 hours, then you are more likely to wake refreshed and ready to take on the day.

·         Limit alcohol in the evening. Excessive drinking can knock you out, but you will also wake up in the early hours feeling groggy and disoriented.

·         Read or meditate to help you relax before bedtime.

Looking after your physical health is crucial if you want to cope with day to day stress and strain. Once you feel better about yourself, you will have the energy and enthusiasm to manage a busy schedule without getting easily depleted.

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Create a Healthy Work/Life Balance

When I am coaching clients in the corporate world, I often come across a common complaint: “I have lots of good intentions, but I just can’t seem to find the time to create a better work/life balance”.

Unfortunately, this is a result of working in a fast paced career environment. We know we need to eat healthily, exercise and reduce stress levels, but it won’t happen without some planning. 
Here is the first part of a series of tips on how to manage your time effectively, so you can lead a healthier lifestyle and still have energy for fun without burning out.

1) Decide what you want

People often speak of things being out of balance but don't often take the time to understand what balance means for them.  Set aside time to make a plan of what a good week looks like including work hours, time for exercise / activity, healthy eating, family time, sleep and socialising.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when putting your plan together:

•  How do you want your life to look?
• Who is important to you?    
•  Which activities do you enjoy?

If you thrive on adrenaline and need exciting hobbies to energise you, make sure you put that in your plan. If you prefer a more relaxed approach, make it a priority. The more focused you are on achieving high priority items on the list, the happier you will be with your choices. If something is low on your list, you may need to consider eliminating it all together. When you focus on the goals you really want to achieve, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment and you’ll enjoy life more.

  

2) Take instant action

Highlight one area of your plan and take action today to making your desired balance a reality. This could be taking some exercise today, eating differently, drinking more water or taking a time out.  Just do something positive for yourself today.

You may find it helpful to use an online planner to keep track of your goals, or if you are a visual person, you could invest in a small dry wipe board to hang above your desk or in your kitchen.

It’s far better to take baby steps with new goals, than to be over ambitious and abandon the whole plan because it’s overwhelming.  The goal is not to over schedule  yourself, but to lay a clear path to living the life you really want. Once you start to make small changes, these will build up over time and before you know it, you will have more control over what you do with your time, and it will give you a sense of satisfaction.

3) Set aside time to review your plan regularly

The more often you engage with your plan and take action towards your ideal situation, the quicker you'll find that you experience a sense of balance.

It’s all too easy to ‘fall off the wagon’ or ditch the new healthy eating regime when temptation strikes, but if you consult your plan on a daily or weekly basis, you can keep track of your progress and make changes to suit you.

Don’t feel discouraged if you stumble along the way. Changing a lifetime of bad habits is not easy, and you can always start over again, or tweak your plan to reach more realistic goals.

Stay tuned over coming weeks and we'll help you fine tune each element of your plan.

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