Incorporating Essentialism Into Your Standards

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Essentialism

 

 Essentialism isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.

 

Are you looking for a strategy to help you do less and own less but you are not a minimalist?  I have found that Essentialism works for me! It gives me the opportunity to do what I love and own what I love.

 

What is essentialism?

I have been a  proponent of essentialism for a while now. Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is about prioritizing, which is knowing who, what and why something is essential. “The Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.”  I read this many years ago and it has stayed with me.  I find that drilling down to essentialism keeps me purposeful, intentional, and productive.

 

What does essentialism have to do with our next steps?

Before COVID-19, we have to admit we were on a hamster wheel with an endless list of actions and endless opportunities to purchase. Now we know what it feels like to do less.  It gives us the opportunity to be selective about what we are doing, who we are with, and what choices we can make.  We can regain control of our choices to use our time and energy to make a difference. Even more, after time has passed since COVID, we want to live intentionally and purposefully.

 

Where can we apply this concept?

Wonder where I apply the concept of Essentialism? It starts with what is in my home and what I own. I consider what is essential to my work and self-care. For me what is essential is a limited number of work clothes and play clothes. Limiting these helps me save time and money. Digging deep into my core values, I know that it is essential for me to spend time with family and stay connected to friends. My calendar reflects these essentials. I love that I can define these elements and stay true to my purpose in what I own and what I do.

Here is an example of where I have used Essentialism for myself. A product comes to mind that will make my life easier. I sit with that idea for a day, thinking about how essential that is to my daily life. I research the cost and prioritize the improvement it might make. I purchase it with intention and when it arrives I place it where it will be used frequently. It is now essential to what I do each day. I have deemed this item absolutely essential to my well-being and the order of my life. That item might be a new keurig pod flavor or a new bag to travel. The process works well for every purchase and every new activity in my life.

 

Where can I learn more?

Learning about Essentialism and its role in others’ lives helps you evaluate for yourself. Check out this podcast to learn more and be inspired.

3 Tips for Reducing Cognitive Load

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reducing cognitive load

 

Have you heard the term cognitive load? “Cognitive load” is the amount of information that working memory can hold at one time. The term is often used in the learning environment. However, we have an ever-increasing amount of cognitive load, especially since the pandemic. We are holding a lot of information in our heads, often novel information that is being processed. The information in working memory is more and more complex. Because we are incorporating and processing the information, it feels unwieldy to think.  Happily, there are a variety of tools to help us reduce that load.

 

Use a reliable, easy-to-use capture tool.

Write stuff down. Use an app to capture information. The less we keep in our heads the more we free up the cognitive load. First capture, then prioritize the information. By capturing information it is no longer in working memory. By evaluating you shorten your list of tasks.

  • Be intentional about your paper capture tool. A notebook keeps all the information together. A disk binder system creatively gives you the opportunity to create sections for information. Your binder becomes a safe place for all information.
  • Use apps wisely. The Notes app is an easy-to-use system.
  • Use your system consistently for the best off-loading of cognitive load. That is to have a routine to add to, delete and review your information. GTD, Getting Stuff Done, uses a capture and review system with a weekly planning time.

 

Add routines to daily living.

Daily routines lighten your cognitive load by creating an auto-pilot for daily and weekly self-care. Routines add consistency which adds serenity.

  • Use a checklist for your daily routines. Dry erase board checklists can help start or end the day. Your family will benefit from this as well. No more yelling at your family to get stuff done too.
  • Create a parallel schedule for your day with getting up and going to bed at the same time. You will be sure to be well rested and better able to think.
  • Track your success with visual signs of success. Whether it is a checkmark on your planner or a habit tracker app, you will enjoy your success knowing this data.

 

Be intentional about new information, tasks, and projects.

Intention can lighten your cognitive load. Paying attention to the purpose and related actions that are behind a task brings clarity. Limit new projects to no more than 2 simultaneous projects and have pre-set rules for decisions as new information comes along. Remember that anxiety can affect your cognitive load and create stress and paralysis. When you give yourself time to process and create a plan, you gain control and create successful outcomes. Intentional actions include giving yourself time to plan, time to process information, and time to act on the plan. All of this can be accomplished with a fresh perspective and time blocking.

 

Remember the phrase, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Ultimately, that is the remedy for reducing cognitive load.

 

Getting Derailed and Getting Back on Track

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getting derailed and getting back on track

 

You are moving forward, being productive, getting stuff done, and taking care of yourself. Then all of a sudden – poof! – this vanishes. It could be from being overwhelmed, being unprepared for life’s circumstances, being unmotivated, or just because. All of a sudden, after so much effort, you feel derailed and unsure of what to do next. So what to do to get back on track?

When you get derailed by too many projects

Additional projects are added to your responsibilities at work. In your enthusiasm, you add on more home chores like repairs and home renovation.

Use your task list wisely. If you are overwhelmed, make a list of all the responsibilities and tasks. Then assign these to time blocks for getting these started and completed. At home, take on no new responsibilities until you feel more in control. There are many project management apps that can help you organize your projects and time. 

 

When you get derailed by a lack of motivation

Lack of motivation can occur when you feel overwhelmed or lack purpose behind a project. You might start with a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and then those emotions wane.

Break projects into small steps to feel consistent success. When you see your success, it builds in motivation to continue. If you come to a point where you don’t remember or see the end goal, use a mind map to reconsider the outcome and what is important to you about the completion of the project. Bring in additional team members to add interest and motivation.  

When you get derailed by vacation

You have really enjoyed your time off, and now it is time to get back to work. There’s so much to do and you are not ready to roll.

Set up for success with a catch-up day. On the first day, you return, establish a no meeting policy. Set a time to catch up on email and connect with colleagues on projects. Use a task list continuously or start now to keep a list of all responsibilities. 

 

When you get derailed by “life happening”

“Life is happening!” That is when there is a new relationship, a loss of a family member, a job change, moving to a new home, or multiple circumstances happen simultaneously.

Self-care is the key to getting through situations. First, start with a good night’s rest and get support. Support can be meeting with a therapist or coach, seeking medical attention, adding a team member to your work group, or delegating to a paid helper. There are times that there is too much for us to handle. 

 

When you get derailed in general

You are a marvel at your task list, getting to the gym, and eating healthy. Then you stop.

Everyone gets derailed at some time. Don’t fret about it –  just do it (whatever that was) and start again!

Getting Back into Work Mode

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getting back into workflow

 

This summer record numbers of people are taking time off and going on vacation. Being away has so much value in helping us reset. However, getting back into the workflow can be difficult after vacation. Check out these strategies to help you transition back to work more quickly.

 

Write vacation preparation notes

Set yourself up for success with notes before you leave. Additional notes on the next steps help you catch up upon return. Share these notes with colleagues who are on your team.

 

Schedule no meetings the first day back

Give yourself time to go through email, check your schedule and set priorities the first day after vacation. By prioritizing getting organized you are ready to get back into the workflow. From my own experience, you are not ready to get back to full speed that first day. Pace yourself with having a buffer day.

 

Review your planner and your tasks to prioritize

Returning from travel, at work, you are likely in the middle of many projects and at home you definitely need groceries. Review your planner to catch up on what is next for your planner. At home, check in with what is needed immediately to run smoothly. Taking this review time gives you a sense of direction and where to spend your time first.

 

Set a reasonable schedule for the week of your return

Don’t overdo and overbook your first week back. Diving back into a full schedule seems smart because you have been away. Give yourself ample self-care and breaks during the first week back with extra time for walks, preparation for each day, and lots of hydration.

 

Set aside time to work through email

Email is the most difficult part of the return to work. Having a plan helps you gain control. Be sure to set your out-of-office reminder so that your colleagues know you are not going to respond until you return. Then, use divide your time to work through email when you return. Set aside a time block for a high-level review of email and learn what is urgent. You can respond to this quickly. Then, set another time block to calendar dates, add information to projects, and work through what has come in while you were away. By creating two segments for your email, you can feel more in charge and be more responsive.

 

Return to routines quickly

Unpack your luggage, order groceries, start laundry and get to bed on time. Returning to your routines quickly helps you ramp up your productivity.

 

Give yourself grace throughout the first week back to work. It is going to take time to regain momentum. Having these strategies will help you be proactive about your workflow after your time away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Organized with Contacts, Email and Snail Mail Addresses

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organize your contacts, information and addresses

 

No one remembers your 7 – 10 digit phone number or your Venmo account name. Happily this is all automated for us now.  Your contact list is a combination of your closest connections and lots of possible vendors and business people. Keeping your list up to date makes it easier to work together and also saves you time trying to find information. Here’s how to organize this area to make it easy and seamless for you.

 

Consolidate

You want your information in one place. Currently it could be in many different locations such as icloud, gmail, or any other email system. This might be the hardest part of this project. Where do you want to keep your contacts? If you have used Outlook, it’s often the easiest place to keep this information.  Google and gmail are a good choice if you use gmail as your native email account. Google syncs with all phones and transfers easily.

 

Name

Consistent naming helps you remember who and what to look up in your phone. You might be storing contacts for a new roof or doctor. Or you could have met a contact at a recent event and want to connect later. Having a consistent practice for entering information into your contacts helps!  Decide if you want to enter Name, Business (business name and what that business does).  That would be Ellen Delap, Professional-Organizer.com, paper organizing. Keeping consistent also helps you keep the clutter in your contacts to a minimum.

 

Edit

Editing is a tedious job, so it’s a task we can do while sitting in a carpool line, waiting on a prescription or when we are low energy. Look through contacts and delete those that are not used or you can’t remember when you last contacted that person.

 

Update

When it comes to updating, it is best to take a minute and update as soon as you see new information. It’s easier to do this right away because your contacts are always current.

 

Backlog

Before you add new contacts from business cards or other scraps of paper, be sure you review first. Adding names and businesses just in case will not help you.

 

Power up

According to SalesForce, “Contact management is the process of recording contacts’ details and tracking their interactions with a business. Such systems have gradually evolved into an aspect of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, which allow businesses to improve sales and service levels leveraging a wider range of data.”  If you are overwhelmed with contacts in your small business, it’s time to power up to a CRM to help you with contacts and leverage this information.

2022 Word of the Year: Strategic

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word of the year strategic

 

For many year’s now, I have chosen a word of the year as a guide for my intentions and purpose. A word of the year keeps me grounded and committed to a big thought for the year.

 

Why a word instead of a goal

I am a big fan of SMART goals and tracking data. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based. You can accomplish your goals with milestones, accountability with tracking, and time lines to prioritize what to do and when to do it. According to Essentialism’s Greg, Mckeown, if you empower your goals by connecting to your core beliefs, its more likely you will be successful. Tie your “why” to your goals to ensure success.

 

I chose a different route over the last few years. As my friend Janice Simon says, the word of the year sets an intention rather than a goal. That intention guides you to stay true to your values and focus decision making. Our word of the year influences our mindset at home and at work, keeping us on track. It is a holistic way to shape the year.

 

How to choose a word of the year

Take time to reflect on what you want more of or less of in your life this year. Some years it is more about my professional rather than personal needs. I typically begin thinking in December of my word and wrap up in early January. Give yourself time to choose your word.

  • Pay attention to what you are paying attention to, says Adam Grant and John Green. What have you been saying to yourself that you need to do more or less of? Where have you been spending time or need to spend time?
  • According to Inc writer Minda Zetlin, ask yourself these questions: What do I need, not want, but need? What’s in my way? What has to go? What needs to be done in me and through me
  • Narrow your list of possibilities that have meaning to you. I usually narrow down to 2 or 3 words, then to my one word.

Once chosen, place your word where you can see it regularly to reflect on it and use it. That might be in your planner, on your bathroom mirror or your computer desktop. Use it in your weekly planning as you review your tasks and week ahead.

 

For 2022, I chose the word strategic. Strategic is defined as carefully designed or planned to serve a particular purpose or advantage and of great importance within an integrated whole or to a planned effect. This year I want to view my personal and professional life with an advantageous overview.

 

Previous Word of the Year

2021. Niche. Moving specifically to a tighter focus.

2020. Expand. Expand my horizons.

2019. Shift. A slight shift in direction can bring more opportunities.

2018. Possibilities. What’s possible?

2017. Thrive. Thrive in all ways.

2016. Momentum. Keep going.

2015. Fifteen. Fifteen years in professional organizing and productivity

2014. Flourish. Flourish in life.

2013. Fabulous. Fit, fabulous and fun!

 

What is your word of the year?  I look forward to hearing from you!

Starting the Year with Self Care

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Start the year with time for self care

No matter how busy you are, time for self care is an important priority.  It is easy to overlook and requires scheduling and routines. Make this intentional care taking that ensures you are at your best.

 

There are five types of self care to consider. Keep in mind your physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual care. We must take care of our bodies to stay well. Keeping connected is important to our well being. Being mentally sharp and our mental perspective influence our psychological well-being. Nurturing our spirit through spirituality keeps us connected to purpose and meaning. Maintaining and cultivating coping skills  to deal with the many emotions we experience are part of our emotional self care. Think about these many types and where you fit on the continuum of each. Assess your needs and determine small steps to move forward in one of these areas.

 

Self care tips for those with ADHD

  • Start with a great night’s rest. Neurodiverse brains work best with adequate rest. Don’t compromise your well being for an hour of television, games or TikTok.
  • Food is fuel. Protein is important for energy and productivity. Include protein in every meal.
  • Partner with a buddy for exercise. That includes a class, a walk or youtube.
  • Intentionally set a daily time for self care. You may feel too busy to do this, however this is what keeps you productive and your best self.
  • Write a list of what self care is to you and post it where you can see it. You are reinforcing this intention.

Get started with these easy self care routines for those with ADHD.

  • Automate your meal prep by tapping into meal kits like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron or HEB Meal Simple. Order on the same day each week and prep on Sunday.
  • Keep a list with a variety of ways to exercise each week. Exercise is more interesting with variety.
  • Find activities to stimulate your interest and your brain including crossword puzzles, Sudoku or puzzles.
  • Create connection by sending texts or written notes to friends. Small gestures are important touch points.
  • Find a coach or counselor to help you process emotions and experiences.

 

With these self care tips, determine which areas of your life need more or less of something. As we experience uncertainty and go through life changes. these needs change too.

 

Have a Holly Jolly Holiday (With Holiday Self Care)

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have a holly jolly holiday with self care

 

The holiday season is filled to the brim with activities and time together.  There’s lots of excitement, not to mention lots of organizing and things to do. Your planning often is about taking care of others and insuring everyone’s happiness. This year we need to practice packing some extra self care with our holiday bags. Check out these ideas to add self care to your holiday planning.

 

Schedule time for self care

It is easy to think, with so much extra to do, when do I have time for self care? Self care is more important during busy times because it is the fuel that keeps you going.  Create self care routines at the same time daily. These priorities can be at the beginning of the day to give you a strong start to each day or at the end of the day to ensure your rest.

 

Keep your gratitude practice going strong

Appreciating the blessings in your life remind us of all that is good and positive.  Whether it is writing a text to a friend, writing in your journal or a note to yourself, keep your practice intact during the holiday season.

 

Acknowledge emotions

During the holidays we experience a range of emotions.  Whether happy, sad, overwhelmed or frenzied, it is good to  name emotions. We can acknowledge what we are experiencing and process this. Give yourself time to pause. Check in with your feelings, acknowledge and sort through the reasons behind these. Manage your expectations and keep these in line with what you can physically and emotionally manage.

 

Keep a list of self care options

When we start down a negative path, we want to have options to make a change. Make your own list of relaxation activities. This can include taking a walk to see holiday lights, sitting down with a hot cup of cocoa, putting on fuzzy slippers for the rest of the day, or any number of soothing activities.

 

Well being first

We all know that our physical wellbeing is critical.  Be sure you keep your health routines like sleep and diet as much as you can. While there are times for a late night and special treats, keeping to your regular bedtime and meals with protein give you the energy and emotional stability you need.

 

It will be a holly jolly holiday in all ways when you take time for your self care.

 

 

 

Hybrid Work Productivity Strategies for ADHD

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hybrid work strategies for adhd

 

The only things we can count on right now is change at home and at work. That is the current situation with working from home and working at the office.  There is an evolving hybrid work plan in most companies with days at home and days in the office.  As the uncertainty continues, start planning now for your organizing and productivity in  hybrid work spaces.

 

Tools of the trade

Start with trusted tools for your work, at home, office or hybrid. Your access to these tools ensures your success regardless of the location. Good organization makes it easy to transition between work spaces.

  • Pick a planner that works for you. You may choose digital as the way to go with planners and documents.  Thanks to Microsoft we can access Outlook in the cloud and on multiple devices. It’s easy to access online wherever you are and have alerts pop up on your devices as reminders. With Google and gmail, there is a suite of options available to assist you with planning your time and managing your resources.  If a paper planner is what is best for you, the Planner Pad gives you options for yearly, monthly, and weekly scheduling. There is space for notes and strategies for list making. You can add a TUL notebook for extra notes.
  • Create multiple sets of organizing supplies needed for work. That includes cords, chargers, pencils or any other supply you use frequently. Having these in both work spaces eliminates frustration and helps you get started on your work. A well established set up helps you get started on work.  If you need an additional set in your car that can help too!
  • Choose a work bag with compartments. One compartment is dedicated to your device, another to supplies, another to cords and chargers. Keep it compact and easy to carry. Use your setting up time as a an initiation strategy for work. Be sure to pack you bag each night in preparation for your transition to the office.

Managing projects

If you have lists of lists, it is time to think about a project management tool. Whatever the tool, it has to be easy to capture and categorize tasks. There are strategies like Getting Things Done with categorized lists or Kanban with To Do, Doing and Done. Asana, Trello and Click Up are digital tools to create and categorize tasks.  Whichever tool you choose, your frequency of use and agility with the tool make the difference.

 

 

Managing time and energy

The more you use your planner, the more productive you will be. It is your guide for work. Add every event consistently and use your Weekly Planning Time effectively.  Use your weekly planning time to assess in what space you will be most productive given the work that week. The variety of spaces can be a bonus in productivity. Add a 30 minute recap time each evening to be sure you have added dates and information that came via email, text and other communication.

It seems like the amount of time we have and the speed at which things are happening are changing. This change feels unsettling. Have you notice how everything, from school drop off to meeting times, take longer?  Take this information and add extra time for this and transition time into your schedule.  Be sure you have accounted for the extra steps that we don’t remember like parking your car and walking to the office.

 

Managing communications

There is a greater need for empathy as hybrid work unfolds. Everyone is “going through something” right now and that empathy will help support you and those around you. Take extra steps to share how things are today, since every day is very different right now. Expect that some days you are going to need Plan B and C to feel productive.

Your home and office teams are going to need more support with general communication. Now is the time that family meetings are especially valuable. As things change so do responsibilities at home. Be sure your home team works well together by creating partnerships. Take extra steps to communicate goals and deadlines with easy to use visual tools such as charts. Be sure to include deliverables, responsible parties and deadlines.  Share these frequently to help your colleagues  manage deadlines and work in chunks.

 

Incorporating self care

Transitions create evolving self care. The bandwidth you have depends on the self care you do. Continued self care will help you through this transition and other changes that are coming daily.  Be sure to calendar in the time you end the day and the days you will take off for vacation.  If possible, give yourself the gift of one day to have no plan or time line.

 

Your mobility is a positive for energy and productivity. Your agility is an asset as you move between spaces to use the energy of that space to get work done. Being organized helps with high energy, positivity and productivity. It is all a work in progress as we transition, find patterns and look at new ways to be productive in multiple environments.  Most importantly give yourself time to adjust and ample self care.

Healthy ADHD Habits and Exercise Routines

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healthy adhd habits and exercise routines

 

Research has long shown that exercise and physical activity have a strong positive impact on the brain and for areas related to ADHD.  Exercise boosts executive function, attention and working memory.  So what is it that keeps us from regular exercise?  It is getting organized and creating better habits to incorporate exercise and movement into our daily lives. Creating new habits can be daunting. The consistency of habits are the most difficult. Think of all the ways to incorporate exercise that can engage you in multiple positive ways. Check out these many ways to incorporate exercise habits.

Use transition time for self care

Early in the day or early evening can be good times for self care. These are when other transitions occur, such as dropping off kids at school or coming home from work. Use this existing transition as a time for exercise.

 

Creating rules that reinforce goals

You can start exercising with small changes to what you already do. Make rules that enforce your commitment. These rules can be park farther away from the store to walk a longer distance when shopping.  Take the stairs when possible instead of an elevator. Walk to the farther bathroom in your home and office.  Any of these strategies accomplish the goal of walking more steps in a day.

 

Track your success

Our devices have built in trackers for us to acknowledge our success. You can see how many steps you walk in a day on any of these devices. Make it a goal to walk 10k a day from just your usual activities. Look each evening at your step count before you place your devices in the common charging area. Aim to improve rather than set a lofty goal.

 

Make it fun

Have you longed to go kayaking or play pickleball? Start a new exercise routine that includes competitive sports or games. This is especially valuable for brain health as you are learning a new skill and physical activity.

 

Buddy up

Work out as a family, join a Pilates class, or join a fitness group. There are many ways that people are partnering to get more exercise and create connections. As hybrid work continues, there are exercises groups continuing that started during the pandemic.

 

Start or continue with a challenging sport

Technically difficult sports have technical movements that include an array of brain areas that control balance, timing, sequencing, and concentration. These sports include ballet, martial arts, white water rafting, and gymnastics. As an athlete of a challenging sport, you are both overcoming symptoms of ADHD and building coordination.

 

Mix it up

Make exercise more engaging by having a variety of options. If you belong to a YMCA, you can try a variety of classes. At home you can play basketball or football with your kids, take a walk with your partner, or have a family dance party.  Variety keeps you going, especially if you decide you are tired of one type of exercise.

 

Make the commitment

The moment you realize that you are missing something in your day, you know you are committed to exercise. It’s a game changer for how you feel about your work and your day.

 

Remember its good to experiment

Looking at a variety of options helps you commit to exercise. The habit you are building is the habit of lifetime exercise rather than the rote activity. It’s not that you must be perfect at the routine, you are aiming for small daily commitment to exercise.

 

What is my exercise strategy?  I love my weekly Pilates and my class, as well as my daily walks listening to podcasts. On weekends I hop on my bike with my husband and check out the greenbelts in my neighborhood. When you look forward to this self care time, you love to exercise and work hard to never miss a day.