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“If you don’t know which direction you’re going, you’ll end up exactly there.” — Unknown
TWEET ME: @andrewjmellen
THE DHARMA OF SIMPLE
Starting 2015 With A Clean Slate, Strong Intentions & A Clear Mind
More Love, Less Stuff!
80% of papers and information that we keep, we never use. Staff wastes 3.9 weeks a year looking for misplaced docs. Management wastes 6 weeks per year looking for lost docs.
3% of all documents are misplaced or lost. Forever.
US workers are interrupted by communications technology every 10 minutes.
It takes 23 minutes to recover from each interruption.
Americans waste one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items.
Solutions Costs Of Disorganization
“Happiness is a how, not a what.” Herman Hesse
Abundance.
“Have to” becomes “gets to.”
Clutter = Deferred Decisions
The Story I’m BUSY. I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have control over my life. I’m not happy with my life. I don’t feel I have achieved anything that matters this year.
No Story, Just Facts.
The Problems Basing your choices on comfort rather than values.Saying yes to requests even when unsuitable.
Having considerable difficulty making decisions.Allowing your surroundings to become disorganized and messy.
Undertaking tasks as they appear, rather than in order of priority.
Accepting unimportant interruptions when working on an urgent task.
Putting off tasks which are uninteresting.
Dealing with the same material several times rather than dealing with it in one sitting.
Wasting considerable time on unimportant phone calls, emails and other tasks.
Not knowing your concentrative limits so you can budget time accordingly.
The Solutions Your calendar is to time what your budget is to money.
Doing the right things rather than worrying about not doing things right.
Controlling your choices, rather than being driven by your circumstances.
Enjoying the journey—every day of it, not deferring to a perfect day in future.
Having right life integration rather than chasing after work-life balance.
Focusing on what’s important instead of what’s urgent.
Allowing and/or planning for the unplanned—staying adaptable to changes.
Eating the frog—getting the important things done first.
Having clearly defined goals for all your time buckets.
If you had only 6 months live, what would you do?
A Simple Life
= Simple Choices
1 Gigabyte: A pickup truck filled with paper 1 Terabyte: 50,000 trees made into paper 10 Terabytes: The printed collection of the US Library of Congress
Size Does Matter
Source: InfoTrends.com
Getting organized is about doing less.
Comfort, Convenience or Beauty
Urgent vs. Important
What’s At Your Core?
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DEFINING AND LIVING YOUR CORE VALUES
What is important to you? This is not a rhetorical question.
Your core values lie at the very center of who you are. If you’ve ever heard anyone mention their moral compass, core values provide direction for that compass. When what you do and what you value are in sync, your life is in balance and the direction and purpose of your life are easy to articulate and pursue.
In relation to unstuffing your life, once you know your core values, you can eliminate activities that don’t align with them. Such as accumulating things that don’t really serve you or support you in achieving your goals. Such as spending time on activities that distract you from accomplishing the things you’re passionate about, or paid to do. Or doing things you are passionate about but not adequately compensated for, and then feeling like a martyr or growing resentful. We may at any time experience acting in opposition to our core values for any number of reasons—feeling that we “should” do something we know isn’t right, or doing something we’re “expected” to do, when we feel pressured or when we feel we have no choice, or even without thinking, because it’s something we’ve always done.
What follows are some questions and a list of values. The values list is not exhaustive, but it’s comprehensive. If something is missing from it, feel free to write it in.
There are no universally right or preferred answers. The right answers are the truthful answers for you. If you value something that you judge as unappealing or wrong or stupid, either shift your feeling or shift your values. Circle fifteen words to begin with, from the list below, that most strongly express the ideas that you value.
Abundance
Aesthetics
Acceptance
Accomplishment
Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Adaptability
Adventure
Affability
Altruism
Ambition
Appreciation
Articulation
Assertiveness
Authenticity
Balance
Benevolence
Beauty
Boldness
Calmness
Camaraderie
Candor
Caring
Casual
Challenge
Charity
Chastity
Clarity
Cheerfulness
Cleanliness
Cleverness
Collaboration
Commitment
Community
Compassion
Competence
Competitiveness
Composure
Conscientiousness
Consideration
Consistency
Constancy
Contribution
Cooperation
Courage
Creativity
Decency
Dedication
Democracy
Determination
Dependability
Dignity
Discipline
Diversity
Ease
Education
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Elegance
Empathy
Energy
Entrepreneurship
Environmental concern
Equality
Ethics
Excellence
Excitement
There is enough time for what’s important.
Winners Do What They Have To Do.
Willingness & Consistency
It gets bigger before it gets better.
A Timer & A Stopwatch Are Your Best Friends
The Organizational Triangle®
One Home For Everything
Like With Like
Something In, Something Out
Your dad is not the clock.
Nothing freely given is a burden.
Vague is not your friend.
Top 7 Time Thieves
1. Interruptions: telephone, e-mail, colleagues
2. Meetings, particularly without agendas
3. Lack of priorities, goals, and planning
4. Crisis management
5. Attempting too much & over-committing
6. Inability to say “no”
7. Lack of self-discipline or consistency
Time Thief: Interruptions
How to Avoid Interruptions
Utilize voicemail, email & chat strategically.
Disable automatic email checking.
Don’t go online unless necessary.
Isolate yourself for concentrated efforts.
Use a timer to determine your optimal work session.
Time Thief: Multitasking
It Isn’t You.
Or You.
Multi-Tasking Decreases Productivity
Nat'l Academy of Sciences: Brain Bottleneck Brainfacts.org: The Multitasking Mind NPR: The Myth Of Multitasking Wired.com: Multitasking PBS.org: Is Multitasking Bad? Forbes.com: Worse than Marijuana? Interfaces.com: Multitasking Myths
Institute of Psychiatry at the U of London studied 1,100 workers at a UK company. Multitasking with electronic media > IQ decrease than smoking pot or losing a night’s sleep.
Time Thief: Poor Planning
What Matters To You?q Work & Productivity
q Friends & Family
q Self-Care
q Self-Development
q Giving Back/Volunteering
q Spiritual Practices
q Creative Expression
q Home Repair/Improvement
q Life Maintenance/Errands
q Financial
q Medical
q Organizing & Simplifying
Add It Up
How Are You Spending Your 168?
Your 168 Life: Sleep Life: Work Life: Spiritual/Religious Life: Education (1st Time or Continuing) Life: Medical/Dental Appointments Life: Fitness Life: Leisure Life: Volunteer Work Life: Commuting, TravelLife: Grooming/Bathing Life: Getting Ready For Work Hobbies/Interests: 1 Hobbies/Interests: 2 Hobbies/Interests: 3 Kids: Getting Them Ready For School Kids: Getting Them To School Kids: Getting Them From School Kids: Activity 1 Kids: Activity 2 Kids: Activity 3 Kids: Homework
Family Time: Nuclear Family Time: Extended Friends/Social Activities Meals: Prep Meals: Eat Meals: Clean Up Chores: Laundry Chores: Yard/Home Maintenance Chores: Cleaning Chores: Mail Chores: Bill Paying Chores: Filing Chores: Organizing Chores: 2nd Home? Errands: Dry Cleaners Errands: Post Office Errands: Grocery Shopping Errands: Other
168 Exercise Example 168! -49 Sleep! 119! -45 Work! 74! -7 Commute! 67! -2.33 Grooming!64.67!
FREE Time Tracking Apps ATracker Toggl
Apple Only Apple & PC
To Do Lists & Planning Change expectations.Lists grow, they don’t go away.
Be thorough.Write everything down once—empty your head.
Be singular.Do not have multiple lists on the same topic.
Be specific.Rate items by priority (123, ABC, RYG).
Be strategic.Review today’s accomplishments when planning tomorrow.
To-Do List Bucketsq Work & Productivity
q Friends & Family
q Self-Care
q Self-Development
q Giving Back/Volunteering
q Spiritual Practices
q Creative Expression
q Home Repair/Improvement
q Life Maintenance/Errands
q Financial
q Medical
q Organizing & Simplifying
Case Study: Andrew Mellen
“Someday” Doesn’t Exist.
Task & Project Mgmt Apps Asana – Task Mgmt https://app.asana.com Basecamp – PM https://basecamp.com/ Breeze – PM http://www.breeze.pm/ Celoxis – PM http://www.celoxis.com/
Comindware – PM http://www.comindware.com/project/ Evernote – Productivity App https://evernote.com/ Trello – Task Mgmt https://trello.com/ Wrike – PM http://www.wrike.com/ Comparisons/Reviews
http://online-project-management-review.toptenreviews.com/ http://project-management-software.findthebest.com/ Alternatives http://alternativeto.net/
Time Thief: Not Saying No
No is a complete sentence.Give a reason, not an excuse.
Be diplomatic.
Suggest a trade-off.
Don‘t waffle.
Don’t procrastinate saying it.
Remember, saying NO to something is saying YES to something you value more.
Time Thief: Email
No Such Thing As An E-mail Emergency.
14 Ways To Use E-mail Smarter 1. Check e-mail only when you have the time to review it and reply to it.
2. Check e-mail on demand—disable automatic checking.
3. Don't read and answer your e-mail constantly throughout the day.
4. Don't answer e-mail at your most productive time of day.
5. Inbox means inbox.
6. Automate filing e-mails by setting up your app’s rules or filters.
7. The more e-mails you answer, the more e-mails you receive.
8. Reply when necessary.
9. Read the entire thread before responding.
10. Use complete information in the subject line. URGENT, RESPONSE NEEDED, Etc.
11. If message is less than 15 words, make it the subject line. EOM.
12. Automate responses to frequently asked questions.
13. Publish your preferred methods for contact.
14. Reduce your use of e-mail as much as possible.
http://andrewmellen.com/library/
BEST PRACTICES FOR MANAGING E-MAIL 1. Check e-mail only when you have the t ime to review and reply to it .
• Do not open e-mails unless you have time to process them and answer them as well. • Start and finish dealing with each new message when you first see it. • EXCEPT WHEN content is too emotionally charged for you—never press SEND for replies
composed in the heat of the moment. Give yourself a cooling-off period to review and edit, post-upset.
Excluding the above exception, these three steps should guide your e-mail process.
• Read it. • Reply to it. • File it (or trash it).
2. Check e-mail on demand—disable automatic checking. When NOT checking e-mail, close your e-mail program completely, turn off automatic mail checking and turn off all announcement features, such as sounds or pop-up screens that herald the arrival of e-mail. 3. Don’t read and answer your e-mail throughout the day. Establish a particular time or times each day and an appropriate duration for the review and answering of e-mail. Set a timer, and when the time is up, you’re finished. 4. Don’t answer e-mail at your most productive t ime of day. Answer the following question: I’m most productive between ___________ and ___________. Now that you’ve defined it, that time is sacrosanct. Do not answer e-mails or take on conflicting commitments during this time. 5. Inbox means inbox. Your inbox should show only unread messages. It is not a task list, a shopping list, or a reminder area for lingering “to-do” items. 6. Set up your e-mail program to manage your e-mail as much as possible. Configure e-mail “rules” or “filters” to direct e-mails to specific folders based on sender, subject, and/or content. 7. The more e-mails you answer, the more e-mails you receive. Train yourself NOT to respond to e-mails that don’t require a response.
GMAIL http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=6579 http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-ways-to-use-gmail-filters.html http://mashable.com/2012/06/22/gmail-filters/ Gmail lacks a filter such as "delete emails older than x number of days" but you can install an "email purger" google script (http://goo.Gl/cm2vf). You can use sub-labels or nested labels to further categorize/tag emails. ‘How To’ Video: http://youtu.be/jlQo1ztwZVU
Setting Filters Within Email Clients
YAHOO http://help.yahoo.com/tutorials/mmail/mmail/mm_filter1.html OUTLOOK http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/embed-in-or-link-to-a-video-from-your-presentation-HA010374729.aspx#_Toc261431673 iCLOUD MAIL http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2650?viewlocale=en_US APPLE MAIL http://www.macworld.com/article/1159394/mailrules.html
Setting Filters Within Email Clients
Setting Filters Within Apple Mail
Time Thief: Faulty Filing
Superior Filing Tools
Before Filing, Ask:
Why do I want it?
Why do I need it?
Why is it significant?
Does it exist & can I obtain it elsewhere?
How will I use it?
Is it timely, accurate, reliable & quality information?
Do I need it for more than a few days?
http://andrewmellen.com/library/
© 2011, Andrew Mellen. All rights reserved. You’re invited to share this document freely—please just attribute it properly to the author. More love, less stuff!®
!
!!
SUGGESTED LABELS FOR PAPER & DIGITAL FILES
BANK NAME: BUSINESS Checking Savings
Money Market Overdraft
BANK NAME: PERSONAL Checking Savings
Money Market Overdraft
BANK NAME: INVESTMENTS Brokerage 1 Brokerage 2
BANK NAME: RETIREMENT Account 1 Account 2
BOARD SERVICE: ENTITY NAME (One folder per board) Articles of Incorporation
Bylaws Insurance: Board, Liability, Etc.
Correspondence Projects Budgets
BUSINESS NAME Articles of Incorporation
Bylaws Contracts
Business Plan Budget
Correspondence
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Project/Product 1 Project/Product 2
COMPUTER/ELECTRONICS Receipts
Service Records
CORRESPONDENCE Personal
Professional
CREATIVE PROJECT: NAME (One folder per project)
CREDIT CARDS Bank 1 Bank 2
EDUCATION CV/RESUME: Current
Historic, including transcripts
8 Kinds Of Receipts To Keep
There are only eight (8) kinds of receipts that you need to keep: 1) Capital improvements to a piece of real estate you own. 2) Major purchases, such as appliances, equipment, etc. 3) Service and repairs to a home or vehicle. 4) Tax-deductible expenses. 5) Reimbursable expenses. 6) Medical expenses where documentation is needed. 7) Cash receipts. 8) Items you haven’t committed to keeping that you may return.
Time Thief: Procrastination
Why Do You Procrastinate?
Your Reasons
Feels too much like work Hope it will go away Don't see the value Fear of not working out as I want Fear of the outcome, either good or bad Not knowing where to start Hate the assigned task Anticipation of conflict & escalation delays Waiting for the perfect time Too confused/ill to attempt Not in the right mood Lack of perceived space Lack of perceived time
Impatience Perfectionism Not sure how to do it Fear of too much space or time Tired Resenting the task/not my job Overwhelmed Prefer to do other things Prefer to spend time outdoors Fear of others’ judgment A sense of entitlement Distracted Deadline romance Lack of expertise
What Can You Do To Stop Procrastinating?
Your Solutions Eat the frog Reward yourself with something meaningful Scheduling an appointment to actually do it and keeping the appointment Service to others Processing your feelings and getting clear Reassurance/feeling safe Prayer/meditation for support Experience response prevention A graded approach of gradual increasing challenge/difficulty Companionship/support from another even if they're not actively doing anything Domestic harmony Avoiding conflict Thinking through "what's the worst thing that could happen…" Breaking down the task into smaller, manageable chunks
Stop Multitasking Do one thing at a time and focus. Know & Live Your Core ValuesComplete core value exercises and use your values to guide your decisions.
Use Email & Voicemail Strategically And Effectively Complete and transparent communication means less back and forth filling in missing pieces.
Prioritize, Assign Time Value & Schedule • A/B/C, 1/2/3, Green/Yellow/Red • Assign a specific time value to each task • Make a discrete appointment on your calendar • Schedule your day either the night before or first thing in the morning Choose Work-Life Integration Get off the see-saw and think about how you can better integrating all valuable activities into your day.
10 Secrets to Time Management
Eat The Frog Do the thing you dread the most first thing – the rest of the day can only get easier. www.eatthefrog.com Create Workarounds To Your Feelings Waiting to feel “in the mood” or motivated to do something? Think Olympic athletes. Yes or No Is a Complete SentenceStop wasting time by explaining what doesn’t need an explanation. When Is Good Enough Good Enough? Don’t let perfectionism derail earnest effort. What can be delegated and successfully completed by someone else?Say No to Meetings Without AgendasDon’t waste time in meetings that have no focus or defined purpose.
10 Secrets to Time Management
And An End.
Every Task Has A Beginning…
When everything is precious …
nothing is precious.
Thank you!
TWEET ME: @andrewjmellen
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