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How to Manage Your Time and Stay Productive

If you could control time, would you go back to change the past so you could revisit a memory or redo a mistake? How awesome it would be to freeze that moment and have all the minutes to do everything you want with hours to spare! Managing your time and staying productive would not be a problem for you.

A 60 Minutes/ Vanity Fair poll in 2015 found that people would like to go back in time to prevent catastrophes such as the sinking of the Titanic and the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Some people would like to witness firsthand events such as the opening of King Tut’s tomb and the first landing on the moon. Overall of those polled, 53% were more interested in their future than in what went wrong in the past.

It’s possible to experience time travel vicariously. Stephen Hawking, H.G. Wells, and Charles Dickens are all associated with time travel theories and stories. Fantasies about visiting yesterday and tomorrow abound. However, for the average person, is it possible to hold power over time?

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that time management is an important skill. Employees have set work hours, such as 9 to 5; after that, they can forget about work for a while. In contrast, entrepreneurs have to set their work hours, and sometimes work time can easily seep into personal time.

Staying busy versus productive

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is IMPORTANT.” – Stephen Covey, businessman & author

We all have the same amount of time every day. If every minute of your day was worth a dollar, would you waste it? Stephen Covey says that we should invest time, not spend it. You need to prioritize your tasks and decide what you absolutely must finish and what you don’t need to do each day. Keeping busy is not the same as being productive.

One key to time management is finding blocks of time in your day that could become investments. Author Scott Turow wrote a book during his long commutes in New York.

What could you be doing while you take the train or the bus? A friend of mine used to do sit ups and push ups while we were talking. That amounted to a 20-minute workout. Similarly, if someone were late for a one-to-one meeting with me, I would send follow-up texts to clients while waiting at the coffee shop.

Knowing the difference between being productive and being busy is a way to manage time. The key is identifying what your long-term goals are. Checking your phone for messages and news updates over a quick lunch break isn’t necessarily productive. What messages are you looking for? Confirmation of your meeting tomorrow? Or a reply from your friend to say that she did buy a pet dog?

Time is a resource to invest in

“Either run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn, entrepreneur & author

Managing time as a precious resource means prioritizing your day. You won’t have the energy to do everything you ideally want to. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to others. Everyone has their special skills. Ask a business associate or a family member for a favor. Don’t wear yourself out attempting to do everything on your to-do list. And don’t forget to thank those who assist you.

You can also use a timer and set office hours. It is easy to spend hours on social media promotion. I am guilty of this because social media is one way to promote your business, so I tell myself I am being productive, but I need to keep track of how much time I am spending on it.

Setting office hours is also critical to your health and well being. If you can work from anywhere, it is all too easy to fit in some work time before or during a family dinner. Instead, draw boundaries on when you are devoting time to work, and when you are devoting time to family and friends, and set aside enough time for yourself.

It’s not yet possible to jump into a time machine and set a date to which we can jump forward or backward, but we can prioritize time. Stay productive, and you will look back on your life and see fewer regrets. Too many people wish they’d had the energy to fit in a 30-minute jog before the day’s end. But no one regrets not watching a TV show by the end of the day.

Tick tock! What will you achieve when the clock strikes midnight tonight?

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How to Dress for Remote Work – Fashion Trends for Pandemic Life Part 2

After a year of remote work, are you ready to set aside your hoodies and sweatpants and dust off your business suits? I miss how dressing up for client meetings made me feel. Let’s capture that feeling again! If you’re still working from home, start off the new year by looking powerfully stylish. Here are some fashion trends for pandemic life to release the negativity of the past year and dress you up for remote work.

Masks and Fresh Faces

Like Superman and Clark Kent, or Supergirl and Kara Danvers, the pandemic has given me a new fashion trend and a new identity. Bear with me for a few paragraphs while I explain. I miss wearing full makeup when I go out. Wearing lipstick and then smearing it on my mask seemed counterproductive. Instead, my mask became the fashion accessory for the lower half of my face.

A disposable mask says, “you’re practical.” A homemade mask with patterns or solid colors became an extension of my wardrobe. Mixing and matching clothes and masks is now the “in” thing. I learned to smile with my eyes as a new way to connect with people, instead of smiling with my mouth. Walking into a bank with a mask on was finally acceptable.

A half-hidden face was like a Supergirl identity. I revealed the real me when I got home. I could wear makeup and try a new hairstyle for my next virtual meeting. The camera was my fashion runway. My secret identity, my entire face, was exposed to the world only in the virtual world. When I next go out, I’ll be disguised again, at least, until this pandemic is over.

Recycle It or Do It Yourself (DIY) Fashion

A fashion trend I’m seeing on Instagram and TikTok is making old clothes new again. Most of us have a shirt or a cardigan. Now if you tuck in that shirt or cardigan just above the waist, you’re accenting your waist and wearing old clothes a new way.

Updating old looks is easy if all we have to do is find what we have and wear it differently than before. These days, with restrictions on our social lives and where we can go, it’s handy to be able to shop at our own homes and be trendy. For those of us hit hard financially during the pandemic, being able to refresh old items is especially good news. Recycling is also good for the environment.

Do it yourself fashion is also a trend. Creating new looks seems as simple as watching a video and following a few steps. I’m a bit hesitant to cut away at old items or colour old items to create something new that I’ll wear in public. But if you’re handy with your hands, DIY is an option to look into.

After dressing down for almost a year, it’s time for a change. Some people are dressing up with brand name yoga wear. It’s still casual, but trendier. I’m ready to update old clothes – wearing my skirt, shirt, and cardigan 2021 style. Dressing up to work at home can put me into a professional and productive mindset.

Online Vs Brick and Mortar Trend

Another fashion trend for pandemic life is online shopping. For those who have a sense of what clothes fit them just by eyeballing photos, online clothes shopping is both convenient and safe.

You can avoid the malls and lineups. If you have health issues, online shopping keeps you safe. Most conveniently, you can shop during your coffee break while you work from home.

As an entrepreneur myself, I would encourage people to shop brick and mortar small businesses, such as clothing boutiques.

Summary

It’s time to refresh your look for the new year. If you’ve been working remotely for a year, you can liven up your pandemic life by trying out some new fashion trends. Dressing up can make you look and feel good. Most importantly, we can recapture how wonderful it felt to look fantastic while at work.

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Mindset Monday: Dealing with Distraction

Distractions can be relaxing. Distractions can be harmful. How you deal with distractions determines if you can manage your time or watch it slip away on you. This week, keeping myself focused has been challenging, but I’ve been able to stay on task by working on three key things.

First, I divide my life into compartments to avoid distractions. My personal life stays in its own room and my work life lives in another. This week a close relative has been very ill and I’ve been tired from running errands on her behalf. The situation has been stressful for the family. I’m constantly worried about how she’s doing. However, when it’s time to work, I mentally go into my work room, close the door, and focus only on the task at hand.

Second, I deal with negative distractions by making a list of priorities and assigning an amount of time for each priority. What work tasks do I need to get done by today and which tasks can be done another day if an emergency arises? Sometimes I need to drop what I’m doing and deal with the family situation. Often this means letting go of original plans and revising my list of priorities and tasks to complete.

Third, I set aside time for self care. You could also say I give myself time to become lost in happy distractions. Most times I can keep different aspects of my life in different rooms, but sometimes my mind wanders while I work and I start to worry about my family and how we are all coping with the situation. Setting aside time to do something you enjoy, such as listening to music, watching a movie, or savouring your favourite dessert is a needed break.

What do you do when distractions pull you in multiple directions?

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How to Make New Year’s Resolutions You Will Keep

Should you make New Year’s resolutions? A quick search on the internet revealed that only 8% will achieve their resolutions for the year. That statistic suggests that it may be easier not to make resolutions at all! However, by making one small change, you can make New Year’s resolutions that you will keep.

I admit that I’ve made resolutions in the past and failed to achieve them. Over the years, I’ve alternated between making resolutions and deciding they are a hopeless cause. For 2021, I’ve decided to return to making a few New Year’s resolutions that I will achieve by year’s end. Here is my strategy for making this year a successful one for setting goals.

Firstly, I’m going to make my list compact and realistic. I have a habit of making an ambitious list with 10 to 20 items, a smorgasbord of personal, professional, health, and financial goals. The list was more of a description of my ideal reality instead of what I really could accomplish. For example, writing a fiction novel was one of my resolutions for many years. But as the years progressed, time and time again, I got sidetracked with writing projects that immediately paid the bills.

This year, I’ve chosen three main goals that are achievable. To check if my goals are achievable, I’ve made a list of questions for myself. For example, is my goal aligned with my career priorities? Is my goal aligned with my life priorities for 2021 (not any time five years into the future)? Have I made a step-by-step plan that I can easily follow from day to day and week to week? Goals are easier to complete if you break them down into smaller pieces.

With only three main goals, it’s easier to track what I’ve done. Each week, I’ll check how much progress I made on my goal. I will reward myself for working on the goal, even if my progress is as small as baby steps. Sometimes we judge ourselves too harshly and we become discouraged if we don’t get as far as we like.

Finally, have a clear end point in mind. “Writing a bunch of blogs” does not have a clear end goal, but “writing five blogs a week” is crystal clear. If I have been writing five blogs a week for twelve months, then at the end of 2021, I will have succeeded at my goal.

Flexibility is important also. If I find writing five blogs a week is too overwhelming, then I’ll change or modify the goal to make it more achievable. For example, I’ll write five short blogs instead of long ones, or write only three long blog posts.

Resolutions are achievable! Keep your resolutions simple and realistic and constantly track your progress.

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Pandemic Year Fashion: What to Wear New Year’s Eve

What will you be wearing to say goodbye to 2020 and to usher in the new year? After nearly a year of working from home and spending most days at home, I’m craving sparkly party dresses, heels, make up, and a night about town. A return to the normal, so we can pretend this past year never happened.

Reality has different demands. In this part of the world, large parties have been cancelled and at-home celebrations with immediate household members have been encouraged. That demand from health authorities may be a relief to some.

Especially in a year of economic hardship, this year may be more difficult than in the past to out-do yourself with party planning. Elegant New Year’s Eve wear and extravagant NYE events can be stressful for more than your pocketbook. Now we have an excuse to tone it down and not spend hundreds of dollars on fashion and venues.

If you’re planning on your party at home with your family and household, will you be dressing up for a night about ~~town~~ home? I want to be optimistic about the coming year. We all want life to return to normal.

Let’s celebrate that and put on our best New Year’s Eve party wear. For you, that may be New Year’s Eve formal black tie or cocktail wear. Or it might be your best shirt and jeans. Doesn’t matter. Mindset is what matters on the inside. On the outside, we project what we believe. Let’s look our best to say goodbye to 2020 and an optimistic hello to 2021.

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