Finding Time E-zine Articles | 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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Finding Time for Balance

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles.

The Finding Time E-zine fires today at 11:45 AM – always an exciting day for me! I love sharing information, ideas, and tips about time. To give you a taste of our e-zine, I’ve been posting archive articles from time to time here, and today I’d like to share an article about Finding Time for Balance.

Oh, and if you would like to receive our monthly e-zine (along with weekly tips) in your in-box, just sign up in the sidebar. If you do so before 11:45 today, you’ll receive our latest edition! Now, on to the article …

Remember when you played Statue as a kid? It was an exhilarating challenge to run around and then to freeze, holding your balance, when the whistle blew. Anyone who moved was “out”.

And have you ever seen the old-fashioned balance scales? The purchase of fruits, vegetables or meat on one side was counterbalanced with lead weights on the other side. When it balanced, both sides became level with one another, and ceased moving.

Notice that both of these examples require stillness, stasis, no movement. Many equate work/life balance with an even split (50/50) of activities for work and those for home. But it’s seldom that simple. And what’s difficult to grasp is hard to add to your life.

Let’s try a short exercise:

Ask yourself what balance means to you.

Quickly jot down the first five to ten words you think of when you think of balance.

Next, write down three times when you have felt balanced in your life. Describe the situations or activities that helped you feel balanced. How do these descriptions match the words you listed? What do you discover?

I approach balance from the vantage point of energy. We have both feminine and masculine energy, or yin and yang, within us. Masculine energy is usually associated with logic, work and taking action. Feminine energy is equated with creativity, intuition, nurturance, and compassion.

The goal to reaching balanced energy is to observe yourself and notice when you are involved with only one kind of energy in your life. For example, are you thinking about work continually? Driving yourself to do more, succeed more? Or do you spend most of your time engaged in creative daydreaming, nesting, and thinking about how you relate in significant relationships?

To achieve balance, you need to build a bridge, joining these two poles. For example, as you combine work activities with self-expression and exploration, you are both creating and doing, dreaming and acting. In this way, you develop balance by integrating both masculine and feminine energy.

I invite you to objectively observe yourself as you move through your day, noticing where and how you integrate these energies. How does that feel different from how you generally move through your day? I’d love to hear how you are moving toward more balance in your life.

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Personal Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

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Find Time to Make a Successful Beginning

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles.

Did you find time to attend last night’s teleclass with Melissa McCreery and me on Honoring Your Time with Boundaries? If not, we’ll let you know when the MP3 becomes available. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and hope that you will, too!

As we discussed last night, time boundaries give shape to your priorities – they put your priorities into effect.

But what happens within those boundaries, when you are ready to start on a project or priority? How do you start? Here are some helpful tips on making successful beginnings, from a Finding Time E-zine article. Enjoy!

The toughest moment in any project or activity is taking the first actual action step. Despite mental rehearsal and preparing the optimal environment, the first step is a big challenge for many people.

There are traditional methods for overcoming this hurdle. Approaches vary from one person to the next. For example, many would say that the best way to get mobilized is to sit down and write an outline of your project. However, in the initial stages of many projects, too many elements remain uncertain for outlining to be either easy or productive.

Other people highly recommend a Zero Draft. They believe you should simply start writing, not thinking about spelling, format or structure. Once you have something on the blank page, they reason, it’s easy to edit.

Neither of these approaches uses your time wisely.

Instead, begin a project by defining desired outcomes. Identifying your goal allows you to effectively visualize the overall result. You don’t become mired in the topics you need to address, the resources you must consult, or the specific methods you will use. This definition of desired outcomes becomes the framework of your project. In fact, once the outcomes are defined, you can work backwards to lay out the needed action steps.

How does starting by defining desired outcomes ‘find time’ for you? You are engaging in a form of goal setting that is flexible. You avoid false starts, going off on tangents, or feeling obligated to follow traditional steps in order to achieve your optimal results.

Give yourself permission to define the desired outcomes in terms of what you want. This automatically activates your powers of visualization. You are creating the picture of what you plan to create.

If you are willing to experiment with this alternative to writing outlines and Zero Drafts, you will begin your project with the two most useful states of mind: “awareness” of what you want, and “flexibility” in how you achieve it.

In summary: free yourself from the obligation to follow the rules. Experiment with this alternative approach. The creative focus you develop through this process will enhance your success.

Let’s explore time together …

Finding Time to Start Your Project

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles, Time Management Skills.

This Friday we are sharing another adapted article from our Finding Time E-zine. Today’s focus? Getting started on a project.

When faced with a new project, do you find yourself stuck before you begin? Whether you stall out or rush in, you’ll find these tips about preparation extremely helpful.

You benefit in a number of ways by engaging in thoughtful mental and physical action steps prior to starting your project. You maintain your motivation and momentum, and you establish a physical environment conducive to productivity.

For example, have you ever sat down at your desk to begin working on your project, only to realize that you need to immediately get up and get something you need? Whenever this type of break in the action occurs, momentum is lost and the motivation is diminished.

Instead of encountering this familiar and frustrating situation, prepare in advance. Avoid ‘timing difficulties’ by maintaining commitment and focus. We will explore two key elements in your preparation today.

The first is mental preparation. We are all familiar with the process of world-class athletes, and experienced public speakers, going through a mental rehearsal as an important first step in preparing for success. This same cognitive process brings equally beneficial results when used prior to beginning your project.

Get into the habit of opening your imagination to ideas about your intended activity. For several days or several weeks, encourage yourself to creatively think about the desired outcome of your project. That way, ideas emerge and frameworks begin to develop over the course of your everyday thoughts.

Also, carry a small notebook. Any time intriguing ideas and other components relevant to your project surface, make a quick note to yourself. By harvesting the best of your ideas in advance, you begin your project enriched by several pages of thoughts, questions and conclusions to build upon.

Second, mentally prepare your physical landscape. Envision your ideal setting, where everything you need to maintain your focus is right at your fingertips. Concretize these items by jotting them down in your notebook. What supplies and resource materials will you want close at hand? Some necessary items to include might be:

A computer
Several blank lined tablets
A paper calendar on which you can make notes
Several pens or sharpened pencils, depending on your preference
A clock
Sticky pads of different colors, shapes and sizes
Resource materials
Green tea, water, and even aspirin.

This list, compiled over time as you think of the different items you need, will enable you to set up your environment quickly, and ensure that it is uniquely suited to your preferred working style.

Your mental and physical preparation should prevent the two most common obstacles to achievement: a blank page with no ideas to jump-start your thinking, and frustration over the limitations of your working environment.

How do YOU prepare for projects? Are there other barriers that you’d like to see discussed here? Please feel invited to drop me a line – I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Address Procrastination Using a Template!

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles, Time Management Skills.

Finding Time to address the challenge of procrastination head on will boost your productivity and reduce your stress in one fell swoop!

This Friday we are sharing another adapted article from our Finding Time E-zine. It offers 3 practical questions for getting a handle on procrastination – and finding time for what matters most!

Having templates for ongoing or seasonal activities is one of the biggest time savers you can possibly institute for yourself. But, what if you are a procrastinator?

Then, even if you created a template, you might find it hard to use it effectively. You may read your list and review your template, but if you don’t complete tasks in the time allotted, your list and template become sources of stress themselves.

So let’s look at a template for fighting procrastination!

First, recognize when you are procrastinating about a task. One clue is noticing that there is one task on your To Do List that you immediately and continually move past. This task is probably the one you keep transferring from one day’s list to the next. If you find yourself doing this three times, circle that task. Then on the fourth day, when you see that circled task, begin to prepare yourself to stop procrastinating.

Start by transferring that single circled task to a blank piece of paper. Then, underneath that task, list questions to ask yourself that will enable you to identify why you are procrastinating. These questions become your ‘Stop Procrastinating Template’.

You’ll probably develop your own questions, but here are 3 to get your template started. Be sure to answer each question in writing so that you’ll have a framework for moving toward completion of the task.

“What am I waiting for?” Take some time to think about this question. Then, being as honest with yourself as possible, write your answer. Read it over. Write down anything else that comes to mind.
“When will be the right time for me to do this task?” (“Never!” is not an acceptable response.) Again, think carefully and then write your answer.
“How will I know when it’s the right time?” This is the most important question. Before answering it, go back to read your answers to questions 1 and 2. Once you have answered question 3 you should know how to get past your procrastination.

Make a commitment to yourself to complete the task. Set a doable date for completion. And let me know what happens - I’d love to hear!

Let’s explore time together …

Finding Time to Use Your Lists Wisely

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles, Time Management Skills.

Finding Time to make lists is one thing – and finding time to use them well is another, as you are probably well aware! This Friday we are sharing another adapted article from our Finding Time E-zine. It offers 3 practical tips for using your lists wisely!

1. Look at ongoing tasks.

Every list, whatever its category heading, should contain ongoing tasks. Even if they are part of your routine, be sure to include them. Otherwise, they can slip your mind in terms of the time it actually takes to accomplish them.

Be prepared to be flexible as unexpected tasks and activities change your priorities.

Remember that it will be necessary to realign your lists when unexpected events have to be dealt with immediately, therefore changing your original priorities. Stay with your original lists as much as you can, but no list is ‘etched in stone.’

2. Use your lists to anticipate.

Many people forget the time it takes to gather the materials or the information required to complete a task or simple time-consuming activity, like travel time to and from a destination. Look at your list at the time you’ve set to review it. Then jot down time-consuming tasks that are essential to successfully completing the activity. For example, driving children to piano lessons or sports events may take one half hour each way. Make sure you include this travel time in your estimate of how long these activities will take. Otherwise, you may lose an hour and be rushed as you move to your next task.

3. Share your list with the other people in your life who will be affected by your planned activities.

A good idea here is when you review your list, take a few minutes to share it with your partner, your co-workers, or your children – anyone who may need to know when you will not be available to them.

How do you do with managing your lists? I invite you to try one or two or three of these tips! I’d love to hear how it goes – so please drop me a line!

Let’s explore time together …

Finding Time for Your Priorities When Sudden Change Hits!

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Paula, under Finding Time E-zine Articles.

From time to time, here at The Time Finder, we are going to share adapted articles from our Finding Time E-zine. They offer great time management tips and ideas – and reading them, you’ll get a taste of what our free, monthly e-zine is all about. Hope you enjoy our first offering!

Finding time to set time priorities is an important time choice. Setting your priorities wisely gives you the power to find time for what’s most important.

But what happens when an unexpected event sends your life into a spin? How can you prepare yourself for sudden change, so that you can steer your life back on track?

Most of us feel comfortable when we know what is most important for us to do and why we are doing it. But without warning, our plans, priorities and patterns, can be sent flying in all directions. This is what sudden change does. It shakes up everything. Suddenly these choices are no longer relevant or realistic.

For example, let’s look at a most frightening sudden change. Serious illness strikes someone close to you, and you find yourself in the middle of a terrible whirlwind. Imagine how this affects your daily life and tasks. Sudden change stirs up emotions that cloud your ability to think clearly and make wise time choices. All your priorities and established tasks now must take a back seat to the immediate, unanticipated, often unknown choices you must make about how to use your time.

Life’s unpredictability can blind-side us if we don’t expect the unexpected. To choose wisely we need to learn to plan for the possibility of sudden change.

As a first step, consider two sudden changes. Sudden illness could be one, and the loss of a job could be the second. In a general way, explore some adjustments you could make quickly if life demanded it. Use techniques like visualization, staying fully aware of your personal boundaries and recognizing basic tasks that need to get done every day.

This kind of contemplation helps to clearly re-establish your personal relationship with time. From that clarity, you can create effective options for managing your time choices when faced with sudden change.

After all, your relationship with time is not just about becoming more efficient by creating short-term lists and long-term planning. It is about knowing yourself, your priorities, and your core values.

Start strengthening your relationship with time today. Equip yourself with the basic resources you need to navigate sudden change with clarity and flexibility. Try setting aside some time to practice this skill. I’d love to hear how it goes!

Let’s explore time together …