2010 February | The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

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Find Time to Manage Change … Just Ask Paula!

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Paula, under Ask Paula, Transitions and Time.

Finding time for dialogue with members of the Finding Time community is one of my favorite things! We invite readers’ questions and comments – and I love highlighting them here, most Thursday’s. Read on – and please feel invited to join in!

Here’s a question about dealing with sudden change, from Theresa in Chicago:

Dear Paula,

I need your help for a sudden change that my family is confronted with! My partner must relocate to Atlanta within weeks to keep his sales manager position.

He is our main breadwinner, and his saying no isn’t an option in this economy. But I have no experience moving to a new location, and must ready my 2 school-aged children, as well!

My head is spinning, I’ve lost my appetite and I can’t think or sleep. But everyone is counting on me! Can you please advise me how to make it through this ordeal? I hope you can answer this right away.

Thanks so much.

Theresa

And here’s my response …

Hi Theresa

You certainly have a lot on your plate! Here are some ideas for you to consider, as you navigate this challenging time!

The first thing I would suggest is to stop and find a comfortable place to sit, perhaps in a favorite room. Close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. Make sure you are breathing deeply and from your belly.
Next, create an affirmation that you can take with you at all times. For example, “I’ll get through this one minute at a time,” or “Step by step will get me there.” Use this as a mantra and a guide. Also, don’t be shy about changing it as things evolve. You can adapt your tools to your needs at each stage!
Be creative about options, and flexible. Family members may be unsettled for a while. So it may help to relax your expectations a bit until new routines can be established.
Concretize everything in writing, including an ongoing list to record items as they come to you. That frees up your mind for other tasks. Focus on one thing at a time. Validate even the smallest successes. This is key!
Delegate tasks and ask for help. Engage your children in age-appropriate activities. That helps them develop understanding and ownership of the move.

I hope you find this helpful.

Best of luck to you … I’ll be thinking about you as your move unfolds!

Paula

What kinds of sudden changes have you had in your life? How did you cope? Do you have time questions you’d like me to explore here? Please drop me a line at paula@thetimefinder.com – I’d love to hear!

Oh, and don’t forget to join me on Wednesday, March 3 at 7PM ET as I interview Certified Life Coach and Professional Organizer Maggie McCauley, LICSW about moving yourself “From Chaos to Peace—Creating an Inspired Workspace.” Maggie will let you in on the secrets to stop letting chaos and clutter drain your time and energy, sap your creativity, and cost you money! Be sure to grab your free seat and join us!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for your FREE Finding Time Success Kit. It puts 3 key tools for your time success right into your hands! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

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Find Time to Cut Through Clutter and Chaos with Inspiring Insights!

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Paula, under Time and Energy.

Finding time to dig out when clutter has overtaken the spaces in your life is a little like dealing with a snowstorm! (Funny how metaphors just spring to mind sometimes!)

This morning, as a mix of freezing rain and heavy, wet snow blankets the Northeast, wreaking chaos, overturning plans, and creating stress … I am extremely pleased to be letting you in on an upcoming Finding Time Special, Virtual Event! But before I share the details, here are a few questions to ask yourself …

Are you ready to explore the ways that you can free yourself from clutter and chaos and move into inspired productivity?
Do bulging file cabinets and overflowing in-boxes send your stress level to the ceiling?
Does your cluttered desk sap your creativity every time you look at it?
Would you love to develop efficient systems that let you use yourtime and energy productively?
… and just what DO you do with all that paper?!

Join me in my Finding Time EducationRich & HeartBased Interview Teleseries as I interview Certified Life Coach and Professional Organizer Maggie McCauley, LICSW about moving yourself “From Chaos to Peace—Creating an Inspired Workspace.” Maggie will let you in on the secrets to stop letting chaos and clutter drain your time and energy, sap your creativity, and cost you money!

When? Wednesday, March 3 at 7PM ET.

Where? From the comfort of your cozy home!

Be sure to grab your free seat here: http://thetimefinder.com/Interview.html to join us!

Imagine how you’ll fly once you’re unshackled from chaos and clutter. Picture what you’ll accomplish once you create the space for your inspiration to soar!

Watch for more information on this exciting and info-packed teleclass in the coming days. I sure hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity. Be sure to click the link and reserve your spot! http://thetimefinder.com/Interview.html

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Prepare for the “Expected” Unexpected: 3 Tips

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Paula, under Time Management Skills, Transitions and Time.

Finding time to deal with sudden change and the unexpected is a time management challenge that we all face from time to time.

But what about the “expected unexpected”? For example, here in New Hampshire, a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain is predicted just about every day this week. Some days are expected to be messier than others … but we could have some wintry difficulties ahead, with all of their attendant tie challenges.

Or maybe not. Last week on the strength of the weather predictions many area superintendents closed the schools … only to have the storm wait until pretty much the end of the school day to arrive. The kids were happy, but a school day was lost.

So, what’s the best way to respond when disruption can be anticipated, but isn’t a sure thing? Here are 3 tips to consider:

First and foremost, put yourself into the mindset of acceptance. This doesn’t mean being passive. What it does mean is letting in the fact that “this could happen” and building from there. If you are in denial about the blizzard, it’s bound to disrupt things even more. Acceptance provides a base for moving forward as creatively and productively as possible. It also helps address the anxiety that the “expected unexpected” can produce.
Second, scan your upcoming schedule, prioritize, and develop contingency plans. Having accepted the possibilities ahead, you’ll be able to bring your most creative and proactive self to this challenge. You may find that you make unexpected, helpful discoveries as you do this. Maybe there are ways that you can streamline your schedule … even if the “expected unexpected” doesn’t materialize!
That being said, remember the NH school superintendents, and gather as much information as you can before making decisions. Strive to be agile and grounded in calm acceptance so that you don’t over-react to the possibilities. This can be a big challenge, though. So also be sure to forgive yourself if and when you guess wrong!

Being prepared for the expected unexpected is a challenge that we face with some frequency in our lives. How do you handle it? Drop me a line – I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Start Supercharging Your Blog This Cyber Monday

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Paula, under Time and Technology.

Finding time to make your mark, and then make money, in the blogosphere is a quest that many, many people embark on … and one in which not-so-many find success.

Why is that? There are probably as many reasons as there are bloggers. Before you start blogging, or even if you’ve been doing it for awhile, wouldn’t you love to have a guide … AND know some of the pitfalls?

Enter Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips fame! He’s written an excellent (and FREE) step-by-step e-book titled “How to Make Money Blogging.” It’s a 54-page roadmap to blogging success filled with practical tips, down-to-earth advice, and lots of excellent links and resources.

What first impressed me about “How to Make Money Blogging” was its absolutely realistic tone. As Daniel notes: “Making money blogging is no different than making money with any other venture, be it online or offline. As such, it will take time and require a heck lot of work.” That he doesn’t mince words about the time and energy involved lets me know that I can count on his advice to be grounded in reality!

The chapters offer a clear path for bloggers, beginning with early considerations like what software to use, how to sharpen the focus of your content, and issues about the design and usability of your blog. In the “Usability” section, one of the sub-headings I found most intriguing was titled “Usability Mistakes.” I don’t know about you, but I often learn as much or more from my mistakes as from my well planned and executed successes. The specifics here were very helpful!

The hallmark of the Networking chapter … and really of the entire blogging effort, if you think about it … is summed up by Daniel’s advice to “Give before you ask.” In concrete terms, what this means is that it helps to link to other bloggers’ blogs, to comment, to offer to write guest posts, and to reach out and connect in as many ways as you can think of (Daniel shares lots of good ideas that might not occur to you immediately.) On the subject of guest posts, Dan offered an especially helpful 8-step, structured process for this in his “Promotion” chapter.

Last but not least, your investments of time and energy bring you to the monetization stage in the evolution of your blog. Lots of things need to be in place before your monetization effort will be successful – and Daniel lays it all out in detail in his last chapter. The ideas here, as elsewhere, are very practical and do-able!

Bottom line? You CAN make money with your blog – AND it is likely to take lots of time and energy to get there. That’s why it’s so important that (going back to the beginning) you are blogging about something that you are passionate about.

“How to Make Money Blogging” is an excellent e-book for whatever stage of blogging you are at. The advice is clear, practical, and actionable. You’ll want to digest it and refer to it often as you move ahead with your blogging practice.

Let’s explore time together …

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have no material connection with the brands, topics, or products that are mentioned here, and have not received any compensation for writing this content.

Find Time to Remember to Use Your To Do List-Just Ask Paula!

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Paula, under Ask Paula, Time Boundaries.

John Fieglein from Annapolis, Maryland, writes:

Dear Paula,

When you write and talk about communicating time boundaries, one of the suggestions I like best is the use of the scarf on the door to remind people that you want to work undisturbed. Can you suggest a similar structure that would remind me to look at my To Do List?

Dear John,

Your question reminds me of how important it is to communicate, not just with others, but with ourselves! And yes – no matter how good our lists and systems may be, if we don’t remember to use them, they can’t really help!

There are a number of great ways to give yourself helpful reminders about your To Do List. One is to put a sticky note with the word “lists” printed on it in a place where you are sure to see it.

For example, if you want to review your list at night, perhaps you can put your sticky note on the mirror in the bathroom. This way, you will see it when you brush your teeth! Or, if you want to review your list in the morning, you might put your sticky note next to your coffee pot, your tea kettle, or on your orange juice container in your refrigerator.

Here are two other things to consider …

A bright color like fuchsia or fluorescent yellow helps the note stand out.
If you leave your reminder too long in the same place, it may just become “part of the landscape” – so be flexible and move it around if need be.

You can adapt this idea to whatever best fits your personal routine. Play with it and find what works best for you. And please let me know what you decide to do and how it works – I’d love to hear – and to share with other readers who have asked similar questions.

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Enjoy Whatever Your Day Brings

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Paula, under Time and Energy.

Finding time to appreciate what your day brings your way can be a challenge sometimes – but it’s well worth the effort!

As those who know me are pretty well aware, to say that I’m not a big fan of snow would be a bit of an understatement! It invariably throws schedules out of whack, makes it more difficult to get around, and adds layers of new complication to many daily tasks around the farm.

So, yesterday, as I watched the snow fall outside my office window, I had the opportunity to stretch, be creative, and find things to appreciate about this new development. I even started a list and quickly came up with three plusses!

Of course, there’s no denying the pristine beauty that new snow brings as it transforms the landscape.
I also love the incredible quiet, as the flakes drift to earth. Time seems to slow down … and the silence is peaceful.
One of my coaching clients was delayed – a glitch that, I realized, provided me with an unexpected opportunity to work on my upcoming teleclass. (It’s on March 3 at 7PM ET – stay tuned for more information soon!)

Having made my brief list, I could feel my mood lighten considerably as I turned from annoyance and frustration with reality toward acceptance and appreciation. What a difference that small pause made in the quality of my energy as I embarked on the rest of my afternoon and evening!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for your Finding Time Success Kit. It’s FREE, and it provides you with key tools for your time success! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

Finding Time for the Olympics-Yes You Can!

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Paula, under Time Boundaries, Time Choices, Time Priorities.

Finding time to enjoy cultural events like the Olympics can be a big challenge in your already-busy life, can’t it? These infrequent-and-thoroughly-engaging events bring up questions of time choices, time priorities, time boundaries, you name it!

The first thing to remember is that your time is finite. Adding something to your day means, realistically, that you’ll need to cut something out. This can be a challenging time choice – AND it can be very clarifying and empowering to make it consciously and proactively.

Ask yourself:

What could I let go of temporarily, to make room for keeping up with this once-every-four-years event?
Are there tools that I can use (like a video recorder or on-line access) to fit my Olympic time better with my day-to-day schedule?
Are there tasks that I could delegate to make more room in my schedule?

The fascinating thing about asking these questions and making these adjustments is that in exploring temporary tweaks to your schedule, you may well discover some permanent changes that you’d like to make.

What a great bonus! Not only do you find yourself time to follow these exciting and inspiring Winter Games, but you also give yourself an opportunity to review and refresh your time priorities.

Have you found time to watch any of these Olympic Games yet? Do you plan to? Let me know how it goes for you and what you discover - I’d love to hear!

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Use Hashtags to Find, Follow, and Join Twitter Conversations!

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Paula, under Time and Technology.

Finding time to create community and join specific conversations on Twitter is getting to be easier and easier with hashtags. Let’s explore that a little further this Cyber Monday!

What are hashtags? They are simply strings of characters preceded with the “#” sign. These tags, when used in a Tweet, identify it as part of a Twitter conversation.

John Haydon recently wrote about hashtags on Twitip. He included a helpful video in his post and a link where you can see a list of the currently trending hashtags. The video is clear and to the point – I recommend that you check it out!

A good, timely example of the use of the hashtag to create community and foster connection is this one: #Wtlead. It stands for Wealthy Thought Leader and connects you with the Twitter buzz and conversation associated with Andrea J. Lee’s upcoming Wealthy Thought Leader event in Vancouver, British Columbia! #quote is another example of a hashtag.

If you type the hashtag into the search box on Twitter you will be taken right to the stream of that conversation (i.e. any tweets that include that tag). Using one of the Twitter “dashboards” like TweetGrid or TweetDeck will allow you to follow several conversations at once.

Also – if you include a hashtag in one of your Tweets, your entry will be added to that stream, and will come up if someone else searches for that hashtag. It helps you join the conversation!

Have you tried using hashtags? They can be very, very useful – and provide yet another way to connect on Twitter! To get a taste, check out the buzz about Andrea Lee’s upcoming event. That’s March 18 to 20, 2010. It’s called “The Wealthy Thought Leader – Leveraging Your Business With Ideas Worth Selling” – and you can follow the ongoing conversation on Twitter at #wtlead!

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Give Your Dreams Some Landing Gear!

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Paula, under Ask Paula.

Not too long ago I had a Tweet from CozyCoach (aka Jennifer Scovil). Jen is a new Mom who’s also in the process of developing a website and a coaching practice. Her question?

@PaulaEder I wish you would write more about The Overambitious Goal. That’s me and I never go in with an understanding of how I’ll reach it.

This is a great question, because while we don’t want to shackle our dreams, it’s important to learn to fashion goals, objectives, and action steps that can make our dreams into realities. Anything less, and we’re actually sabotaging our dreams (in addition to frustrating ourselves). As CD Jackson has said:

Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.

So, what does that mean in practice? It means, in a nutshell, “chunking” your dreams down into goals, objectives, and actions steps ’til you get to doable pieces.

Of course, setting goals isn’t magical. And setting goals is not a requirement for being an effective and successful person. If your goals are “shoulds” you may find yourself rebelling against them. But, if your goals are steps toward your dreams, they are more likely to be aligned with your values and your energy … and you are much more likely to follow through on them!

Here are 3 tips to help you as you think about goal-setting:

Setting goals is based in what you want in your life. Try writing your goals in clear, concrete, and simple language. This helps you see exactly what you want, and creates an image of the outcomes in your mind.
Once you have defined the outcomes you want, it’s much easier to design relevant action steps. This is key! Be as concrete and incremental as you can, as this puts the feeling of accomplishment within reach as you complete each step!
Setting goals introduces two states of mind that can improve your life. They are “awareness” and “agility“. Awareness is what keeps our eyes on the prize. Agility, on the other hand, allows us to adjust to the unexpected things that arise along the way.

As a recipe for realizing dreams, remember these three concepts – chunking down, awareness, and agility. Hope that helps!

And before closing, I note that today is the anniversary of the untimely passing of Thomas J. Leonard, founder of Coachville and inspiration to thousands and thousands of coaches around the world. His spirit lives on in the work of Andrea J. Lee, and others … and here is a quote of his that captures, to my mind, some of his wonderful energy, humor, and wisdom!

Deliver what people expect and more; but don’t just give them eleven apples instead of ten, toss in a kiwi.

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for The Finding Time Success Kit. It’s FREE, and it provides you with key tools for your time success! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time for Agility and Nimbleness!

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Paula, under Time Choices, Time and Energy.

Finding time and being efficient is often thought of as a matter of developing systems and being steady and disciplined about sticking to them. And don’t get me wrong – those skills are very important!

But the recent blizzard(s) that have inundated and paralyzed the Mid-Atlantic region of the US provide a reminder of the need for agility in meeting the challenges that the world sometimes presents us with.

Finding time to be nimble in the face of the unexpected is a matter of time choices AND a matter of the energy that we bring to those choices. And I would add that our energy can be very much affected by the language that we use to describe our choices!

I love words like agile and nimble because they are so energetic, active, and positive.

Contrast them to a word like flexibility. It’s not a bad word at all – but it can have a slightly reactive feel, can’t it? Something happens and we are flexible in response to it. It just doesn’t have the same “in charge” feeling that a nimble response has.

The next time you are confronted with an unexpected wrench in the works … try framing your response as “agile” or “nimble” or some other active and in charge word that strikes a chord for you. How does it feel? I’d love to hear!

Let’s explore time together …