schedule - 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.

Find Time to Avoid Productivity Traps -5 Time Tips for You to Use Today!

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Management Skills.

Finding time to work at your peak productivity is a time challenge that we all face. Last week we explored some of the productivity traps that we can fall prey to – and how to avoid them.

This week I’d like to continue … with 5 timely tips that you can use to stay on track, especially when the going gets tough! The reality is that the busier we get, the more likely we are to be pulled off course. Not only that, but often what is going to be most helpful to us when stressed is exactly the opposite of what our initial, knee jerk response may be.

So, what helps? Here are 5 tips to get you on track … and keep you there:

Define your task: Envision your end point, and brainstorm what you need to reach it. What is the most direct route? Write it down.
Let simplicity be your guide; include only the items necessary to accomplish your task. Too many details can lead to overwhelm and procrastination. If you get tangled in the minutiae, tell yourself to shift gears and refocus on translating thought into action.

Staying Focused Means Saying No: Just keep saying YES to your focus and NO to your distractions. You need boundaries to stay focused, and practice really helps.
Keep a notepad nearby so you can jot down things that tug at your attention. Promise yourself to come back to them later. Set a specific time for doing this. Make it a reward for staying on track now! When you can trust that you’ll come back to something later, you’ll be more willing to let it go in the moment!

When You’re Tempted to Accelerate, Put on the Brakes: Learn to recognize feelings of overwhelm and stress. When you feel them, take a breath.
Stopping to gather yourself puts your feet back on the ground and puts YOU back in charge of your time. Working from a proactive, rather than a reactive, place always enhances your energy and creativity … as well as your productivity.

Your To Do Lists Should Serve YOU (Not Vice Versa): Only put on your list what you can realistically do and are motivated to do.
If you can’t finish a project today, don’t put it on today’s list. Or just enter the small portion you can accomplish. Anything else goes onto your weekly or monthly list, in doable chunks! Your To Do List can help you stay focused and productive. To do that, it needs to be something that you want to look at – NOT a source of guilt.

Don’t Just Put on the Brakes, But Give Yourself Breaks: If you don’t GIVE yourself regular breaks, you can rest assured that you’ll find ways to TAKE them.
Schedule a specific time every day for spontaneous pleasure. The more consistently you enjoy this special portion of your day, the easier it will be to reject impulsive choices.

And when all’s said and done, don’t forget to give yourself a friendly pat on the back as you look at your To Do List, with Today’s Tasks all checked off. Remember that you are in charge, and you really can find time to get everything done!

Are you inspired to find time and increase your effectiveness? Here’s a new option for following The Time Finder … we are now available at Amazon, so you can follow The Time Finder on your Kindle. You can try it out for 14 days FREE, then continue to receive new content, right on your Kindle, every time we post!

So, 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 …

Find Time to Avoid Productivity Traps and Keep Moving! (thetimefinder.com)
Finding Time Can Mean Saying No, Even When You’re Scared to Death! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Learn that 24 Hours Really Can Be Enough: 7 Time Management Tips! (thetimefinder.com)
16 Great Tips That’ll Add More Hours To Your Day (dumblittleman.com)

Paula's Signature

7 Comments

Find Time to Welcome the Spring Light with 3 Tips!

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Paula, under Time and Energy.

Finding time to welcome the return of Daylight Saving Time always feels positive, and can be a challenge at the same time. We’ll be doing it again in the wee hours of next Sunday morning, and it’s always good to put a little thought into preparing ahead of time.

The ritual is that every year, on the second Sunday in March, many of us in the US and Canada (there are actually quite a few variations throughout the region) set our clocks ahead one hour. In the US, Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday in November. In other geographic regions, the start date and the duration may differ. For example, in much of Europe “Summer Time” begins at 1 AM GMT on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

What is a common thread, no matter where you live, is the fact that this time change entails a significant adjustment as it ushers in a period of longer days. It may not seem like much, but your body has gotten used to the rhythms of Standard Time, and the loss of an hour as you spring ahead is something you’ll do well to plan for.

It’s tempting to leap ahead with the clock and pack lots of tasks and activities into that “extra” hour of light at the end of the day. You’ll get there, but try to remember that slow and steady wins the race!

Here are 3 tips to help you make a smooth transition into this expansive time:

Plan Ahead: It’s important to realize that you actually will have a shorter day on the day that you set your clock ahead. Plan accordingly. Don’t expect to get as much done; you are only working with 23 hours! Aim to go to bed a little earlier on Sunday night if you can. This change can be very disruptive to sleep patterns and to morning routines. Paying special attention to your sleep schedule can help you catch up with yourself!
Stay Healthy: Don’t underestimate the impact of the loss (or gain) of an hour. The more you pay attention to your body’s needs for exercise, hydration, nutrition and rest during this time, the better off you will be.
Be Careful: Expect your stress level to increase as your routine is thrown out of whack. You may have less patience, or you may find it difficult to focus and stay on track with tasks. There is evidence that more accidents happen when people are making this transition. Build time into your schedule to rest and reflect. Pay attention to how you are feeling and if you find that something isn’t working for you, make the necessary adjustments.

What is your next step to increase your effectiveness and find time? In Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management I share my proven system for harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them. I am so excited to offer this unique and actionable information to you!

The in depth interviews contained in this book provide practical and heart-based ideas to get you moving as you embrace yourself and your own uniqueness! Give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success in 2011, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone … just click this link to get the details!

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 …

Paula's Signature

1 Comment

Find Time to Keep Fear from Stealing Your Moments

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Paula, under Time Choices.

Finding time both takes courage and gives courage. What do I mean by that? Read on …

Don’t you just love it when you feel energized, alert and confident? You easily say no to distractions. You meet your challenges, and flow from one task to the next. And there’s that special glow when you review everything you got done … you close out your day feeling content and grateful.

But then, along comes a day when nothing seems to go right. Your productivity stalls, ideas dry up, and you feel desperate and on edge. (Not only that … but what happened to your schedule?)

At times like that, I suggest that you take a moment, grab your magnifying class, and try a bit of detective work. Check out the usual suspects. Could fear be stealing your time? The more carefully you look, the more clues you will find. And you may be very surprised by where you discover this culprit!

For example, fear-fueled urgency is a sneaky time thief, because it’s disguised as a desire to save time. You might hear yourself say, “I’ve just got to do this RIGHT NOW!”

Yet, as you have probably learned, when you do jump in impulsively, you can commit time-consuming errors! Although urgency seems brash, it is really a fear-induced behavior. Understanding this gives you the power to stop urgency in its tracks.

Here’s an Urgency Antidote: Next time you feel like leaping first and looking later, ask yourself:

“What are 3 other options I have that don’t require rushing ahead?”

Notice how this helps you refocus on your own abilities. Focusing on your areas of capability reduces anxiety, because you are experiencing the abundance of your resourcefulness, instead of fearing a loss from somewhere “out there”.

Also, when you consider new options, you take a fresh look at the situation. Perhaps you will see things you overlooked, back when you were in overdrive. And those details might be just what you need to keep you on track to success.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but you can save a lot of time by slowing down and asking yourself timely questions!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here’s something special for you – my new book, Stepping Stones to Success! The in depth interviews contained in this book provide practical and heart-based ideas to get you moving as you embrace yourself and your own uniqueness! In my chapter – Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management – I share my proven system for harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them.

I am so excited to offer this unique and actionable information to you! Through February 21, we are offering Stepping Stones to Success to readers of The Time Finder for a special, low investment. Don’t miss out – click this link to get the details! Give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success in 2011, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …

February is Time Management Month and every small business owner and work-from-home professional I know (including me) needs all the help he or she can get with effective time management! I am pleased to announce that, starting today, you, and anyone you would like to pass this post along to, can get lots of FREE information and resources on time management from experts all across the country. Just go to http://www.TimeManagementGiveaway.com and choose from a great collection of absolutely FREE gifts!

Let’s explore time together …

Paula's Signature

1 Comment

Find Time for Gratitude … Especially When the Unexpected Blizzard (or Two) Strikes

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Management Skills.

Finding time to deal with the unexpected is a time management skill that we all do well to develop and practice. And in many areas of the world, and most areas of the US, it seems, the weather is presenting us with plenty of opportunities to do just that!

Here in the Northeast, this morning, we are seeing the beginnings of a storm that has enveloped the midsection of the country, shutting down schools and businesses, snarling traffic, and (from a time management perspective) wreaking havoc on people’s plans and schedules. How do you respond when your plans are disrupted?

For many of us, when a packed To Do List gets knocked off-schedule, our first reaction is to panic. “How am I going to fit everything in NOW?” you may think to yourself. And it’s true, that will be a challenge. However, in a situation like a snowstorm, it’s good to remember that just about everyone’s schedule is going to be out of whack. You aren’t alone.

If you recognize feelings of overwhelm or victimization wanting to settle in, take those feelings as a sure sign that it’s time to:

Make yourself a cup of tea,
Sit quietly for a few moments, then pull out a notebook or your journal, and
Make a list of at least 5 things that you are grateful for right now … even as the snow flies.

You will be amazed at how different your day will look to you after engaging fully in this simple exercise. Why does it work?

Well, first, pausing and making yourself a cup of tea shifts your focus from the unexpected upheaval (whatever it is) to YOU. It’s a powerful moment that puts you back in charge of yourself and your time. Right there, feelings of victimization are given notice that they aren’t going to hold sway today!

Second, letting yourself think about what you are grateful for in this moment offers another fundamental and energizing shift in perspective. As you engage in this exercise, you begin to see the opportunities, rather than just the downside, in the upheaval that you are experiencing. Your day takes on a different cast, and you’ll find yourself truly able to “greet” it and make the most of each moment.

What a simple and powerful way to let gratitude transform your world!

Are you snowbound today? Here’s your chance to learn more Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management! That’s my chapter in the new book that I co-authored titled Stepping Stones to Success. In it you’ll find chapters by 19 experts who “share strategies for mastering business, life, and relationships.” I am honored to be among renowned authorities like Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Dr. Denis Waitley.

In Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management I share my proven system for harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you identify and prioritize your goals and create your path for achieving them. I am so excited to offer this unique and actionable information to you!

Through February 21, we are offering Stepping Stones to Success to readers of The Time Finder for a special, low price. Don’t miss out – click this link to get the details!

Let’s explore time together …

Paula's Signature

No Comments

Find Time for Some Writing Tips from Yours Truly!

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Paula, under Time Management Skills.

Finding time (this is for all the writers out there) to create content and keep it fresh, focused, interesting, and relevant can be a big challenge, don’t you agree? That’s why I felt especially validated to learn that my work had been featured on the EzineArticles.com Blog in their Case Study yesterday.

I’ve been writing and posting articles there since 2006, and if you are not familiar with EzineArticles.com, you should definitely take a peek at their site. It’s hard to think of a better venue for sharing your expertise with a wide and varied audience. As it says on their home page, what you’ll find there is “356,006 Expert Authors Sharing Their Best EzineArticles”!

If writing is a key component of your business … or if a writing career is something that you aspire to … check out the case study, where I offer 4 tips, including these 3 keys:

Establish a Writing Schedule for Yourself
Remember that Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Write About What You Know

Even beyond these keys, the 4th, and perhaps most important tip is to invest time in staying refreshed.

This can be hard to do, especially when you are working under pressure or within time constraints. But I can’t emphasize it enough! When you are refreshed … when you allow yourself this time and space … you are going to be much more productive. Stress and fatigue block your creativity. The ideas simply don’t flow – and you end up spending more time and getting less done.

It requires discipline to step away and refresh yourself. You may need to experiment, too – to find what works best for you. Maybe it will be going for a run or doing some stretches. It might be meditating, or doing some kind of free-flow writing exercise, or visiting your garden to do some weeding. Whatever you find that gives you a break and allows you to return to your work refreshed and energized … THAT is time well spent!

I hope this post was helpful, and would love to hear about how YOU refresh yourself and your writing routine! Oh, and I’d love to hear what you think about the Case Study, too - so excited about that!

Let’s explore time together …

Paula's Signature

3 Comments

Find Time When You Need It: Learn to Set Successful Time Boundaries

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Paula, under Time Boundaries, Time Choices.

Finding Time when you need it often boils down to a matter of saying “No” to one thing in order to say “Yes” to another.

These choices don’t necessarily involve other people. Maybe you are contemplating an internal time boundary – one where you need to let go of an old pastime so that you can create space in your life for a new interest or project. Or maybe it’s an external boundary and you find that you are dreading saying that “No” to others whose cooperation you’d really like.

Either way, here’s a tip that I find very helpful:

Successful time boundaries = Specific time boundaries.

Being as specific as possible about the boundary helps because it provides a frame for the change that you are initiating. Change can be a challenge – and it’s a lot easier to navigate new territory when the parameters are clearly defined.

For example, let’s say you are working on creating your Power Sanctuary. This is a change for you and, perhaps, for the people in your circle. Knowing exactly when your private time starts and when you’ll be available again helps define the size and shape of the change.

A clear time boundary relieves anxiety about the unknown for others … and maybe for you as well. In addition, knowing that you have set aside uninterrupted time will help you feel more relaxed and focused in the moment. So when you are planning to take time for yourself (or for anything that requires a time boundary), spell out the time frame you have in mind.

Setting clear-cut time boundaries sends a number of important messages. And, again, these are messages that may be as important for you to hear and assimilate as for others in your life!

It shows you’ve given this step plenty of thought.

It indicates that you intend to follow through.

It demonstrates that you know when your time choices affect others.

Clear boundaries enable you to follow through in a way that’s easy to see. When you follow through consistently, you are showing respect, strengthening trust, and nurturing good will.

Finally, it pays to do some homework before setting a time boundary. If you’re embarking on a new enterprise, see how realistically you can estimate the time involved.

So, if you’re staring a project, figure out how much time you will need to plan, get supplies, solve problems, and complete the work to your satisfaction. When estimating the time, be generous with yourself, and remember the Times Two Rule! It’s so much more satisfying to finish ahead of schedule than it is to run late and risk inconveniencing others. – undermining that trust and good will you had been building!

Finally – what’s the greatest thing about setting specific (and successful) time boundaries? Each time you practice this skill, you’ll feel encouraged to exercise still more positive power over your time. As you build your boundary-setting skills you’ll enjoy an upward spiral of success!

Do you find it challenging to set and maintain time boundaries? Why not give it a try this week? Start with something small and very specific … and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear!

Let’s explore time together …

Paula's Signature

1 Comment

« Older Entries