M.A.D. Moments

M.A.D. Get Back To Nature

2010-09-27T16:00:00.001Z

There's something very energising about getting back to nature. The feel of the warm sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair - even the rain can be revitalising.

Image by . SantiMB . via FlickrWe spend so much time shielded from it in our cars and air-conditioned offices, walking along streets and pavements full of cars and people, surrounded by brick, concrete and metal that it's easy to lose track of the changing seasons.

Here in the UK the hedgerows are full of berries, the fields full of mushrooms and the colours are changing from Summer to Autumn.

Many of us could benefit from getting out into the fresh air and closer to nature more often. Not only does the fresh air do us good but it has a calming effect if you're feeling stressed. It can also have an uplifting effect on your mood. It's hard to feel depressed when you're surrounded by beautiful scenery and wildlife.

- Take in the scenery on your way home.
- Get out to a local park in your lunch break.
- Go for a walk or cycle when you get home.
- Get out into the countryside at the weekend.

Even if you don’t think you have the time, make the time. It’s worth it for the physical and mental boost you’ll get.

Take up gardening it's a great way of getting outside on a regular basis and a perfect way to watch the changing seasons and keep things in perspective.

Work Hard Play Hard - Live Longer

2009-11-23T16:09:00.001Z

Do you prefer to work hard, play hard and not worry about the consequences or do you look after yourself so you can live life to the full for as long as it lasts?

While healthy eating and fitness doesn't guarantee a long life, many people are living longer and enjoying a disease free old age.

Giving up short-term health and fitness and long-term plans may mean you enjoy drinking and eating what you want without worrying about the long-term effect this might have on your body as you get older - diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure.

These days - retirement certainly isn't the time to wind down, put your feet up and wait for the inevitable. More and more people are enjoying their retirement and the freedom it brings.

Children are grown up and have families of their own. They're not tied to a job and they have the freedom to travel, can spend time with their grandchildren, family and friends.

So do you think looking after your health is a waste of time or a good long-term investment in your future?

What's That You're Eating?

2009-11-16T21:41:00.001Z

Living in today's fast paced world we grab snacks, eat on the go and throw ready meals in the microwave in order to save time.

No wonder obesity is rising. 'Fast food' and processed food is often full of fat and sugar - just what we should be avoiding.

Be aware of what you're putting your body. Something that's low in sugar is likely to be high in artificial sweeteners. Food low in fat will have fat replacements, to replace the bulk and texture as well as flavourings.

Ready meals can be full of chemicals to maintain the flavour and act as preservatives and have been treated to extend their shelf life.

Don't believe the labels that claim 'healthy', 'good for you', 'low fat', 'low sugar' - sometimes it's nothing more than marketing. If it's low fat doesn't mean it's not high in sugar. Labelling something as 'natural' or healthy and providing a suitably enticing image doesn't necessarily make it so.

Check the label - if the list of ingredients is longer than the average supermarket shopping receipt or contains things you don't recognise, avoid it.

Parents should be even more aware of what you're giving your children. It may be easy, convenient or colourful but is it really good for them?

Fresh is best and variety is the spice of life ... or a good diet.

Be food aware and label savvy.

Go With The Flow

2009-11-02T21:36:00.000Z

I'm just back from my tai chi session this week. Much of the practice is about going with the flow and not putting up resistance.

It's good to remember this in our day to day lives. When we resist or go against the flow - like walking the wrong way in a crowd of people going in the opposite direction, or swimming against the tide - things become hard, we constantly have to watch where we're going, adjust and get stressed - it's like trying to push water uphill ... a waste of time and energy.

When you encounter resistance in your life - relax and go with the flow. Much less like hard work. Ride the current - don't swim against it.

Daylight And Autumn Leaves

2009-10-26T21:53:00.001Z

Apparently this Monday is one of the gloomiest in the year because here in the UK we switched to daylight saving time this weekend. We get an extra hour in the morning but the evenings are darker earlier.

However, the number of daylight hours is the same - it's just shifted. So, why would it really make a difference. I have to admit, I don't like getting up in the morning when it's dark but then you do get a chance to see the sunrise or to experience the quiet of a morning as the dawn breaks and the sky brightens, before everyone else gets going.

Even in the dark evenings, there's something cosy about glimpses of light through windows. Make the most of the daylight hours to get out during your lunch break or to enjoy a walk at the weekend.

Notice the changes all around us as we switch from one season to the next. We miss these when we're enclosed in a car or shut away in the office day after day. At this time of year the summer migrants have left and the winter visitors are starting to arrive. Enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the Autumn. It's less than two months until the winter solstice, when the days will be getting longer again.

Pay attention to your own internal seasonal cycle - there's no reason to feel gloomy - adjust to the shorter days and the change in temperature.

Do what you need to do to nurture yourself.

Put Yourself Out

2009-10-19T20:53:00.002Z

Sometimes we feel too safe, comfortable and cosy in our comfort zone or go along in our usual day-to-day routine without venturing out into the 'wider world'

Often when we do something a little differently - something unexpected happens. After all - if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got - as the saying goes. So - if you do something different, you might get something different!

Also think about those times when you're not sure if you've got the energy or motivation to get out there and do something - either in your personal or business life. Make the effort and you might be surprised at the opportunities that pop up and the chain reaction that can occur from one apparently random contact or connection.

Do something a little different, try something new, go somewhere you wouldn't normally go. Put yourself out there and see what happens.

10 Minutes At A Time

2009-10-05T21:38:00.000Z

We often say we don't have time and there's always plenty that we don't get round to. Even when we have a task to do, we often get distracted and end up wasting time.

So how would you like to do something different? Set an alarm or timer for just 10 minutes. Stay focused, you know the clock is ticking, so there's no time to waste and you'll be less inclined to waste time.

In just 10 minutes a day you could:

Create your action list.
Plan your day.
Tidy a room.
Do the laundry.
Clear things away.
Do some filing.
Tidy the garden.
Start a report.
Skim read a magazine.
Enjoy a cup of coffee.
Do some paperwork.
Go for a brisk walk.
Meditate.
Make a phone call.
...

The first two will make your whole day more productive, so definitely worth spending time on them if you don't already. See how much you can do in 10 minutes. You might not finish the task in 10 minutes but you'll be 10 minutes closer.

Set a goal you'd like to achieve and allocate just 10 minutes a day to it. See what a difference you can make. You could even have more than one goal - two or three sets of 10 minutes throughout the day.

Let me know how you get on.

Right here, right now

2009-09-22T06:44:00.004Z

We all have long-term goals of where we'd like to be in 3, 5 or 10 years time. Even if they're not written down, we have an aspiration of where we'd like to be or what we'd like to be doing.

But what would make a difference to your life right now ... today?

What can you take from your long-term goals, desires, aspirations and dreams and move a few steps closer to them today?

You might be able to make a few changes to your life and be able to have what you want right now and not in several years time.

A different job - what can you change about your existing job to make things better?
A new house - time for a repaint, declutter or a bit of DIY. You might not be able to buy your dream home today but make the most of where you are now.
More holidays - plan to take regular breaks, more often.

If you want more freedom and flexibility to enjoy the things you like doing - how can you give yourself more time to do them?

Why wait - a few simple changes, a little thought and planning and you can have more of what you want today.

Refresh, Review, Revitalise

2009-09-07T20:18:00.003Z

One of the things that's come out of the recent Time Audits is how useful it is to take a step back every now and then. The process of just answering the questions has helped identify a few blind spots.

Having the obvious held up in front of you can be enlightening. Even if you think you know it all - take a look in the mirror every now and then - literally or proverbially. Talk to someone else about what you're doing and see if they can shed some light or give you a new perspective or as someone once said to me - "shining a light in to the dark corners".

You may think life is ticking along but why not spend a few minutes taking stock. When you're back refreshed after your summer break is a good time to sit down with a friend or partner. Think about what's good, what's working, what's not. Write it down. What would you like to change?

You may be surprised what you come up with.

You can get your free copy of the Time Audit on my website.

Walk A Mile ...

2009-08-11T11:07:00.003Z

... in someone else's shoes.

We see the world through our own two eyes. How we interpret it is based on our own experience and knowledge of the world. That experience is developed as soon as we open our eyes at birth and start to understand and learn about the world around us.

Other people will have different experiences from us. They see the world differently and will interpret it based on their own knowledge, experience and values.

Someone's behaviour may seem strange or upsetting to us but not only does this tell us something about how and why we react in a certain way but it also tells us something about them.

Think before reacting - seek first to understand.

How To Be Idle

2009-08-03T20:43:00.004Z

This is the title of a book I picked up over the weekend - it's written in a very tongue in cheek way but while it might be the sort of book you think I'd be recommending you read, there's a lot to be said for the lost art of idleness.

In today's busy, busy world, we're constantly on the go from morning until night. We get bombarded with information from all directions and never seem to get a moment to ourselves. We cram so much into our day that we rarely have time to stand and think. We're often so physically and mentally drained that we don't get the opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate where we're going and look at ways of changing.

Part of 'managing' your time more efficiently and productively is also about having more time to do nothing. Instead of thinking about how to do more, think about how to do less.

Listen To Your Body

2009-07-20T21:28:00.005Z

I've just returned from my weekly Tai Chi session. We've been practising outdoors for the last couple of weeks which is a different and more inspiring session, with the sounds and sights of nature all around us.

One of the things said tonight is that we spend too much time 'in our heads'. We do have a general tendency to think too much and we're constantly bombarded by audio and visual stimuli from a variety of different directions. A constant stream of conscious thought, babbling self-talk, sorting out the activities of the day, wondering whether you left the iron on, did you lock the door, turning over problems and all the other thoughts that go on.

Sometimes it's good to focus on what the rest of our body is telling us - not just what's going on in our head. I practice both yoga and Tai Chi on a fairly regular basis and have done for many years. It's a great way to switch off. To spend time getting back into our bodies. Feeling the tension in muscles, the imbalance between one side of the body and the other, aches and pains, the little niggles. Taking time to focus on breathing ... properly. Relaxing and really letting go - harder than it sounds when you spend most of the day in a state of tension.

It's good to get a balance between physical and mental exercise. Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation enable you to exercise both the body and mind. Find some time for quiet contemplation in your day. Listen to your body.

Six Months To Go ...

2009-07-13T20:16:00.005Z

For some reason today - I've had three calls from journalists writing articles on the topic, not surprisingly of time management.

Now as someone pointed out, it may because we're halfway through the year, summer holidays are coming up. People may be more aware of the passing of time, as they try to fit everything in to the time remaining before they go away or they realise there's less than six months until the end of the year.

So what are my top tips for getting the most out of the remaining year?

Write down what you want to achieve in the next six months. How much, how many and when?

Spend time planning each and every day and make sure what you're doing fits your plan.

Set aside time in your life for the important things - not just work.

Schedule in blocks of time for the things you need to do - not just meetings and appointments but tasks too.

Learn to say no by setting boundaries around your time and stick to these.

Be aware of your distractions and interruptions and try to reduce them.

Do more with less - you can't do everything, so be selective - focus on what matters.

What do you plan to achieve in the next six months?

What Distracts You?

2009-07-06T20:10:00.003Z

Distractions and interruptions can take up a large part of our day and come from many different directions.

Email interrupts us constantly from the moment we open our computers to the moment we shut them down.

Phones can interrupt us throughout the day and they're hard to ignore when they do.

People interrupt us who have their own agendas, deadlines and priorities and don't think about the affect of their interruption.

The internet can be a great source of distraction. It's too easy to go off at a tangent with so much information available at the click of a mouse.

Meetings distract us from our work, especially when they're not run efficiently.

Distractions around you cause you to lose focus - sounds, sights, boredom, stress, too much on your plate.

Even though an interruption may only last a few seconds or minutes it still takes a few minutes to get back to the task in hand. That's if you haven't been dragged off onto something new or end up with even more to do

If you get interrupted several times a day even for just a few minutes each time, you could be losing 1-2 hours each day.

Make a note of all the interruptions you receive in the next week. Where do they come from? Does one person or thing interrupt you more than others?

Take steps to reduce those interruptions and take back control of your time.

Keep It Simple

2009-06-29T21:19:00.003Z

In this age of technology and information overload, we can sometimes forget the simple things in life - thinking that more is better. If we have more, we can do more. If we do more, we can achieve more.

This doesn't just apply to material things but applies to the way we use our time. Is it better to be constantly busy, making the most of every waking hour in the race for success or is it better to do spend a few hours each day working in a really focused way?

Do two or three things well, rather than try to do too much and end up either doing none of them particularly well, having to drop things at the last minute or end up suffering from complete overwhelm as you try to cram them all in.

It's not necessary to have every technical gadget, in the hope that it will make your life easier. Look what happened to email - the end to all that paper ... instead we still have the paper but now we have 'all that email'. Gadgets are great and I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a techie really but sometimes the simplest scheduling and information gathering tool is a pen and paper.

Don't make your life more complicated than it needs to be, keep things simple.

What Are You Worth?

2009-06-15T21:07:00.005Z

I was running a seminar last week - looking at how you can make more money by using your time better. In one form or another you charge for your time. Whether you work for a company, who pays you a weekly or monthly salary or your work for yourself, you're paid for the time you spend at work and the services or product you provide.

Sometimes it can be quite surprising to work out what your hourly rate is - especially when you take into account, preparation, travel time, follow-up, admin and marketing.

Think about how much time you waste in a day. Every hour you waste is money lost - to you or your employer. On average, people are only 60% productive. That means they're losing two days a week - through distractions, interruptions, inefficiency, lack of focus and poor planning.

Make an effort this week to reduce all those distractions that waste your time - email, phone calls, people and see if you can increase your productivity and your earning power.

What's Your Plan B?

2009-05-28T20:03:00.004Z

You may think you have things under control, that plans are perfectly in place - but what happens if things don't quite work out as planned - do you have a backup or contingency plan? While you don't want to waste time and effort planning for every eventuality, it can save those moments when either life gets in the way or your original plan doesn't quite work out, if you have a Plan B.

"The best laid plans of mice and men ..." or so says Robert Burns and as the motto for the Boy Scouts says - 'be prepared'.

What if the technology goes wrong?

What if that payment from Client X doesn't come through in time?

Now technology is always good for needing a Plan B - you just never know when it's going to blue screen on you or your broadband goes down just at the critical moment, the phone line goes down, you're out of network coverage or the battery goes dead. How would you carry on?

Can you still give your speech or presentation without technology? Do you have prompt cards in case the Powerpoint presentation suffers from technical gremlins or you can't get connected? Have an alternate way of getting connected. Fully charged batteries, spare one's just in case.

Build a little flexibility into your week. Try to avoid planning everything right down to the line or putting all your 'eggs in one basket', so when things don't work out, you're either thrown into chaos, because you have no time left or you feel as if things have fallen apart because Plan A didn't work out.

It's another good reason NOT to leave things until the last minute, when you're likely to find you need more than the 'last minute'.

Learn to go with the flow and try not to get too tied in to the outcome. Even if things fall apart there's usually a solution if you step back and take a fresh look to find your Plan B.

Ready, Set, Focus

2009-05-25T21:07:00.003Z

Super charge your day and power-up your productivity. Set aside one day and make a list of all the things you need to get done. Whether you just want to clear the decks, finish off a project or just clear a few things off your action list, get rid of the distractions and get really focused. It's also a good way to get through those tasks you've been putting off for a while.

Set a date and time - it doesn't have to be a whole day. Team up with a friend, colleague, mentor or coach and check-in with each other, on the hour every hour (works well by phone). Spend a few minutes checking in with each other and agree what you're going to do in the following hour.

You'll be much less likely to get distracted when you know the clock is ticking and you'll be more motivated knowing that you're being held to account next time you check-in.

Other People's Deadlines

2009-05-25T20:54:00.006Z

Respect other people's time in the way you'd expect them to respect yours. Everyone is busy these days and has demands on their time coming from all directions. They are not there sitting waiting for your email to land in their inbox, so that they can instantly respond. They're not waiting for your phone call just so they can respond to your every request.

Plan ahead. If you need something done by a particular time, give yourself a bit of slack. If it involves someone else, this is even more important. Don't dump something on someone and expect them to turn it around to meet your timeframe - especially if you haven't discussed this with them first.

I've seen people dump something on someone at the last minute or only with a few days notice and expect them to given an instant response or meet their deadline. Yes, sometimes we have to work to deadlines and at short notice but make this the exception not the norm.

Don't make your problem (or lack of planning) someone else's deadline.

Share Your Passion

2009-05-11T19:36:00.006Z

If you do something you're passionate about it's easy for other people to get caught up in your enthusiasm and they'll get more from the experience.

I was out last week with a group and I wanted people to get the most out of their experience, to learn and to enjoy what they'd come to be part of. Now nature is never predictable and you can't guarantee that it will turn up to perform but it's a case of make the most of what's there - enjoying the small moments and not just the spectacular ones.

I had a great evening and others did too and what really put the icing on the cake is that they took the time to say so. They appreciated the effort I'd gone to to make their evening memorable.

Apply the same enthusiasm and attitude to your work and your passion. Go the extra mile.

Getting Back To Nature

2009-04-27T21:24:00.005Z

It's been a glorious weekend here in the UK and no better time to get out and about and enjoy the sunshine, fresh air and nature bursting into bud in every corner. The summer visitors are on their way - swallows, cuckoos and the nightingale. The spring flowers are in bloom - carpets of bluebells and clusters of primroses.

We spend so much time in our offices, sat at computers, breathing recycled air that when the opportunity arises, we should get outside into the fresh air and re-acquaint ourselves with the cycle of life that goes on regardless of the state of the economy, falling property prices and the rising cost of living.

When you're shut away in an office, apart from noticing that it's now light when you leave work, it can be difficult to notice the passing of the seasons unless you're looking forward to your summer holiday in the sun or your winter skiing trip.

Sunshine is good for us. Going for a walk in the fresh air revitalises tired bodies and minds. Make a point of spending time with your family and friends at the weekend and enjoy a bit of nature - it's free and it's better than either spending the weekend indoors ... still working on the computer or trekking round the shops buying things you don't really need.

If you really want to enjoy nature - how about growing a few vegetables? Anyone can grow tomatoes, you just need a large pot (or two) and there's nothing better than picking them straight from the bush. Beats anything you buy in the supermarket. More people are growing their own these days and you don't need a lot of space to get started with just a few salad vegetables.

I'll be doing just that again this year in my little patch of Edible Garden. Not only will you have the pleasure of eating something you've grown yourself but you'll find a great way to unwind after a busy day.

Take Time To Make Time

2009-04-20T21:32:00.000Z

"The greatest saving of all is better utilisation of our time. This directly affects practically every phase of the business in terms of expense and profits" Leo Burnett

Two of the things that people always want more of is time and money, so if you save one you could get more of the other, if you use that saved time wisely.

When people are busy, rushed off their feet, too much to do - is exactly the time when they need to stop what they're doing and actually take stock but is often when they feel they can't afford to stop what they're doing. It will save time if

So, if you are really busy and it's become the 'norm', think about what it is that your doing. Are you focusing on the right things that are going to make a difference? Are you busy being busy with no real plan or purpose, wasting time on lower priority activities that won't give you the results you need or are you simply just doing too much?

If you want more time - take time to make time.

How good is your time management - compare your results with the quick and easy Time Management Audit.

Mums - Look After Yourself

2009-04-06T19:13:00.003Z

I often find myself talking to Mum’s who are not only running their business but looking after a family and juggling their time around children and childcare, organising a home and never consider having time out for themselves. In fact, many of them actually feel guilty about doing anything just for themselves, so used are they for doing things for everyone else. They'll always consider everyone else and make sure they're fine before they think about themselves.

No wonder they’re tired, worn out and exhausted at the end of the day. So this week, if you’re a working wife and Mum, take some time out for yourself. Whether it’s just a break to meet up with a friend for coffee or lunch in a child-free zone, to put your feet up for a couple of hours or go to bed early with a good book, or relax in the bath with your favourite music.

If you’re partner to a working Mum, yes, I know you’re working hard too but how often does your partner get a total break just for herself. Having time to totally relax and unwind is important for all of us but this week – especially for Mum’s.

Drink More, Breathe Deep

2009-03-30T19:17:00.004Z

At this time of the year, we've spent a lot of time indoors, with central heating and are probably more sluggish and inactive than in the warmth of the summer.

If you're feeling tired and low in energy, there are two important things that you need that you might not be getting enough of.

Water and air.

It's also something that's been mentioned by other people today and my nutritionist, last week mentioned that I was dehydrated. Admittedly, I go through phases of drinking more and then finding that I've gone through the day and not had anything to drink since the morning. So, I'm back into paying attention to how much I'm drinking.

Increase your water intake, rehydrate your body and mind and see if it improves your overall wellbeing. That doesn't mean more tea and coffee but plain water, herbal teas or diluted fruit juice. Small quantities throughout the day rather than large quantities in one go. Keep a bottle or glass of water to hand at all times and drink it throughout the day.

Start the day with a few deep breaths to get the oxygen flowing around the body. Breathe deeply into the stomach, ribs and top of your chest, not just the usual shallow breathing that we do when we're not thinking about it. If you can get out into the fresh air during the day, so much the better.

Get A Life Offline Not Online

2009-03-23T12:10:00.002Z

More and more of us are getting online and developing a network of contacts around the world, whether it’s on Facebook, Linked In or on Twitter. While these are a great way of keeping in touch or getting your message out to the wider world, they can’t replace face-to-face contact.

Get out in the real world – develop your real-life relationships and don’t let your online world take precedence over the real world. The touch of a keyboard and the exchange of online messages can’t replace the touch of another human being and a real conversation, even if it's meeting new people at a networking or business event. While it might be useful to spend a couple of hours on Twitter what else could you be doing with your time?

As the days are longer and warmer, it’s a great opportunity to spend time outside not in front of the computer. Don’t cut yourself off from real life and while you’re at it, take the kids with you. Show them that there’s more to life than the latest computer game, MSN Messenger, MySpace and Facebook friends. Real life friends are important. They can’t give you a hug when you’re feeling down, they can’t share your excitement when something goes well – emoticons just aren’t quite the same.

When you work for yourself or work from home, it’s easy to find yourself working every day of the week, because you can and it’s too easy just to check your emails or check-in with your online network. Set aside at least one day a week to totally switch off from work.

How good is your time management - compare your results with the quick and easy Time Management Audit.

Giving To Others

2009-03-16T18:33:00.005Z

This Friday was Red Nose Day, an annual event to raise money for worthy causes in both the UK and in Africa. Considering the current economic climate with people worried about their jobs, cutting back on spending and worrying about having enough money to pay the bills, it's heartening to see this year they've raised over £58M so far - more than last year.

Even when times are tough, there are always those who are worse off than ourselves. However much we're able to give, it can make a big difference to those who have less. Just a few pence can make a difference to someone in a different part of the world and isn't something that we're going to miss. The cost of a morning coffee - put to a worthy cause.

Whatever you do and I'm sure many of us do, whether you give your time or money, find a cause you believe in and support it.

Time For A Spring Clean

2009-03-09T15:46:00.000Z

Spring is most definitely in the air – we’re now into March and in the northern hemisphere at least, things are starting to change, as the days get longer and warmer. It’s a time for fresh starts and new beginnings in more ways than one, as nature comes out of it's winter dormancy.

What new perspective could you take on things?
Do you need to throw out the old and bring in the new?
Have you been stuck with old habits that no longer serve you?

Look at the different aspects of your life, both personally and in business, internally and externally – what works, what doesn’t.

What do you want to change?
What do you want to do differently?

Assess where you are now by completing the Life Balance Wheel or taking the Time Audit and decide what you’re going to change and when. Think about the difference it would make to your life if you made these changes and then resolve to do something today – however big or small, to take you one step closer to making that change.

Sometimes just doing something is better than doing nothing at all and if you feel stuck, overwhelmed or lacking in energy, even a small thing can make a big difference.

The Quality Of Your Communication

2009-03-02T22:01:00.000Z

I was on the phone recently to a company about a mistake they'd made. Now being a large, relatively faceless, global corporation, I was expecting it to be a "it's your problem, not ours" conversation.

After jumping through hoops with the inevitable voice response system, I was put through to a very polite person in customer services who dealt with my complaint in an efficient manner, acknowledged that there had been a mistake and was able to fix it. None of the "There's nothing I can do ... it's not company policy" attitude that we so often encounter.

That's what makes the difference between a company who treats it's customers with respect, admits their mistakes, acknowledges any complaints and deals with them in an efficient manner and one where a company is difficult to get hold of, has an arrogant, couldn't care less attitude and assumes they're always right and doesn't listen to their customers.

It comes down to the quality of communication. There are certain situations where if handled correctly a drama is prevented from turning into a crisis, however when handled incorrectly a storm in a teacup can become a hurricane. When emotions are running high, it's even more important to ensure that communication is clear, direct and timely and this can make a real difference to the outcome. Make it easy for communication to happen both ways and remember to listen and understand and don't just wait to speak.

Turning a bad situation round can save a relationship and maintain a reputation, making a bad situation worse will damage both the relationship and the reputation and it won't stop there. A disgruntled customer will tell more people than a happy one.

So keep your customers happy.

It's Starting That Matters

2009-02-23T16:38:00.002Z

This weekend I took part in the Brighton Half Marathon. The prospect of running 13.1 miles (21km) is pretty intimidating at the best of times, especially when you haven’t done a lot of training leading up to it. So last week I decided that rather than risk injury, I wouldn’t be running. The longest run I’d done in the previous wintry weeks was 50 minutes – only a third of the time I was likely to take. However, my fellow runners persuaded me that I could always drop out if I wanted or walk it.

Now as a coach, who encourages my clients to challenge themselves, this might seem like a defeatist attitude but actually what I find tends to happen, is that if you take the pressure off achieving a goal, what seems like a real challenge becomes far less intimidating and you’ve taken out the emotional and mental pressure of achieving it. All I was going to do now was go out for a “gentle Sunday jog” and if I ended up walking it that was OK too. This meant that I didn’t have anything to lose and was under absolutely no pressure from myself (at least) to complete it.

Of course having other people I knew taking part helps as a motivator but as I set off, I didn’t worry about the entire distance or even completing it (well, not much), I settled into my pace (slow) and focused on just getting from one mile marker to the next. Each one taking me one mile closer to the finish line. If I had to slow down and walk that was OK too, as long as I didn’t stop completely. Having made it to eight miles there were only five to go and then four, three, two and then into the home stretch and I was hardly about to give up with the finishing line in sight.

So, if you have a big goal that seems just a little overwhelming or you can’t see the end point when you start off, just think about the first few steps and take one step at a time. You don’t have to go full tilt all the way, if you need to slow down or go at your own pace and not everyone else’s, then do that. No one says you have to come in first, it's starting and finishing that matters, not how fast you do it.

Random Connections

2009-02-16T20:30:00.001Z

Recently I’ve been spending time in the world of social media. As well as being the latest way to keep in touch and connect, it’s becoming a more accepted way of marketing your business – if you look at it as an additional tool for promoting your business and not just for social purposes. Although it can end up being just another distraction to an already busy day, it can also be another example of where random connections can make a difference in unexpected ways.

It doesn’t only happen online. Out in the real world, you don’t know where a conversation or chance remark might lead, or where talking to a stranger at a network meeting, in a queue, sitting next to someone might take you. I’m often coming across opportunities which seem to pop out of nowhere and as a result of random connections.

How many times have you had a chance meeting or conversation. which has then lead to something unexpected. Keep your eyes open for them.

Show Them You Care

2009-02-09T22:17:00.005Z

It's that time of year when everything's coming up roses, cards, chocolates, compilation CDs of love songs, perfume, diamonds, tables for two, as long as it's pink and heart-shaped. Well, it is if you're thinking about your loved one and preparing a special surprise or treat for that certain day.

However, showing someone you care about them shouldn't be for just one day. Make time to connect with the special person in your life - even if you've been together for years, don't take each other for granted just because you're so familiar with each other. Reconnect with why you decided to spend time with this person in the first place. Have children and the day-to-date routine of life prevented you from really appreciating each other. Are you too busy, too tired, too stressed to enjoy each other's company?

Resolve to spend more than one day a year treating your partner. It doesn't have to be cards, flowers or chocolates but something that shows you care. A little something, a big surprise. Make time to do something special every once in a while.

And if you're single ... treat yourself. You deserve it too.

Time Flies ...

2009-02-02T21:04:00.001Z

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." [Michael Altshuler]

There's another saying, "time flies when you're having fun" and that's something else we tend to notice. When we're absorbed in the moment, we're not so aware of the passage of time. However, when we're waiting for something to happen, or the kettle to boil - it seems to take ages.

You're in control of where your time goes, what you do with it and how you spend it. Use it wisely. Once it's gone you can't get it back and unlike money, you can't make get more of it. We're all likely to waste time in the day, either intentionally or unintentionally. Saying you never have enough time is an indication that maybe you need to look at where you're currently spending your time and where you'd rather be spending it.

How much time do you need to make a difference? Look at small ways in which you can save time and little things you can do that will make a big difference. Rather than waiting for the kettle to boil or a file to download use those few minutes to do something productive.

When time flies - make sure that you're going in the right direction.

You're Never Too Old To Learn New Skills

2009-01-26T19:05:00.004Z

Learning is an important aspect of our lives. We learn from experience how to do every day things. We’re born knowing nothing and have to learn to do everything for ourselves. This doesn’t change as we grow older – yes, we often get to a point in our lives where we feel we’re sufficiently capable and know enough to go off on our own, leaving the safety and security of our home – those key life changing moments when we take leaps in our learning – going to school, leaving home, first job, having children. There are always things we can learn at whatever stage in life we’re at and you’re never too old.

I was on a course this weekend where the importance of learning being one of the criteria for success in business was mentioned. Whether you work for a company or work for yourself, it’s always worth taking time to plan your own self-development. You may already do this as part of your annual goal-setting and appraisal process, if not – decide which skills you would like to improve or learn this year to keep your job, earn a promotion, improve your business - communication, marketing, sales, leadership, finance, technical, practical ... the list is endless. Talk them over with your boss, your business partner or a colleague. Look at the options available – courses, workshops, mentoring, working with colleagues to learn how they do it. Time spent on personal development is never wasted.

What's on your list this year, what new skills would you like to learn to develop your business?

If you’d like to get on my goal setting teleclass tomorrow and even if can’t make the time, you can still register and you’ll receive the notes from the call.

Blue Monday

2009-01-19T18:53:00.006Z

Well according to the general press - today is Blue Monday - the day of the year when the post-Christmas and New Year blues hit.

The bills from all the Christmas spending are landing on the doormat. Relationships already strained over the festive period may have reached breaking point. The days are still short, the weather (at least in the Northern hemisphere) isn't at it's best and the New Year resolutions are starting to slip. This year of course we have a global economic downturn to add to the mix.

But lets look on the bright side. Things could be a whole lot worse. The day's are getting longer as we head towards Spring. We can book a summer holiday to look forward to. We can take pleasure in the simple things in life that don't cost much or are free: spending time with family and friends, getting out for some fresh air and exercise - wrap up warm and wear appropriate clothing.

If those New Year resolutions are getting you down - don't think about what you're giving up but about what you're getting - a healthier, fitter body, a more stream-lined life, less stress, more time.

If things are getting you down - think about what you can do to change them and take one step towards making it happen.

Online Overwhelm

2009-01-12T21:22:00.000Z

One thing I’ve been doing more of recently is using Twitter. Now I’ve got several tools set up to make my life a lot easier and save time but there’s no doubt that it’s another source of potential overwhelm. There are only so many people you can follow and so many tweets you can read in a day. If you really did want to keep up with your tens of hundreds or even thousands of followers, you wouldn’t have much of your day left to work.

Yes, it’s a great way to stay in touch with people, you get a quick and easy update about who’s doing what and when and you can respond quickly, ask questions, get answers. Far more quickly than by email or through reading a blog. It’s also a great way to find out useful information but as I said, there’s only so much additional information you can take in and most of us are suffering from information overload already.

Add it to your online marketing arsenal or use it as a tool to keep in touch but be careful about how you’re using it and how much time you spend on it. How does it fit in to your day to day business plan? How are you going to use it to grow your business or keep in touch? There are plenty of people on Twitter who can tell you how. Follow them, learn from them but know what’s really going to make a difference to your business and do that first.

Plan For Your Success

2009-01-05T21:16:00.000Z

I hope you’ve all had a good break over the Christmas and New Year Holiday and didn’t have to get too bogged down in work, while you were meant to be relaxing. I certainly didn’t. In fact I didn't touch my laptop for a whole four days.

If you were working last week and got a chance to have a tidy up and a sort out, you’re probably ready to get going for 2009. No doubt the thought of New Years Resolutions may have passed through your mind at some time over the last few days. These thoughts may have passed swiftly on because you just know you’ll have given them up by February.

But if you reviewed your successes from last year you can plan your success and plan of attack for this year. Knowing where you want to go, means you can at least work out how you’re going to get there and have an idea of which direction you’d like to go in.

Create a plan.

Set a few goals - make them specific and set a completion date against each one.

Think about what achieving these goals will mean to you - personally, financially, emotionally and imagine how you will actually feel when you’ve got there.

Tell someone about it - or at least write it down. Sharing it with a friend, colleague, mentor or coach makes it more likely to happen than just having it as a vague idea in your head.

Now you can decide how you're going to achieve them. Break it down into achievable and realistic steps and develop an action plan to take you from A to B … and beyond.

Importantly - track your progress - make yourself accountable. If you've got someone keeping tabs or nudging you along, you're far more likely to achieve your goals and stay on track. I use checklists as I find this is a good way of keeping me motivated as I tick off each action.

If 2009 is going to be a tough year, it's even more important to make sure that you take time to make time for what you want to achieve and don’t forget to have fun along the way.

You can find more on Goal Setting on www.clareevans.co.uk/articles.htm.

Celebrate Your Success

2008-12-22T21:16:00.001Z

I’m sure most of you are in holiday mode right now. I certainly am. Things are winding down for a few days over the holiday period, so I’ll keep it brief this week and probably next. Take the opportunity of having customers and clients on holiday to tidy up lose ends for the end of the year and put things in order for the beginning of the next. Or perhaps you’re as busy as ever in the last few days of the year.

Now is the time to take a look back at what you’ve achieved this year and what you’ve learned from your experiences – good and bad. Although it’s hard to think of it at the time – there’s no such thing as failure, merely an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

So have a look at what you’ve learnt, how close did you get to meeting or exceeding your goals? What unexpected challenges presented themselves, what great opportunities did you take advantage of?

Give yourselves a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved, no matter how big or small. It doesn’t matter what anyone else has achieved – they’re not you and although it’s good to have something to aim for and to aim high, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve fallen short. Life happens. Perhaps with a little more support, knowledge or guidance you could have done more but what you’ve done is good enough.

Have a great holiday – wherever you are and whoever you’re with.

Take Time To Make Time

2008-12-15T21:23:00.001Z

A lot of people think that when you’re busy you don’t have time to stop and start doing things differently. But when you are busy and rushed off your feet with too much to do is often the best time to stop and take a step back and look at what you’re doing.

Have you been doing the same thing, the way you’ve always done it and not surprisingly getting the same results i.e. working long hours, reacting to the demands of your clients or customers, always playing catch-up?

If you’re like most people, you probably are. You’re just happy to get through each day and hope that at some point things will slow down long enough for you to catch up. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. While it might seem hard, take time to make time. Find time to refocus and get motivated.

You’re probably busy right now getting things finished off in the last week before Christmas. Don’t wait until you’re no longer busy when you likely to forget how hectic things were and then fall into the same pattern when it happens again, do something about it now.

A problem shared is a problem halved – talk to someone and see if they can provide some insight and give you a different perspective so that you can find a solution quicker and actually save yourself time.

Just In Time

2008-12-08T19:36:00.000Z

No matter who you are, at some time or other you’ll have found yourself putting things off. Usually it’s something boring, mundane or routine. Something that doesn’t particularly excite us but something we know we really need to do or else …

This topic came up again with a client last week. They were stuck – always leaving everything to the last minute and then piling on the pressure as they scrambled to get it done in time, working late and generally putting themselves under stress every time.

Now, we all do this to a greater or lesser extent, so don’t beat yourself up about it but you can get yourself out of this habit. Start by planning what needs to be done. How much and when i.e. how much work is involved and when do you have to do it by? Now, assuming this is something you want to do, there’s a purpose in doing it and a reward of some sort when it’s complete, start by breaking it down into chunks. Whether it’s a year’s course of study or a project at work – it’s easier when you can see it in small pieces rather than one huge piece of work. Spread the ‘chunks’ across the time available and each week look at the specific actions you need to get done.

That way you know what to expect and have less of an excuse to put it off. You can check your progress and you can avoid leaving it until the last minute.

Make Do And Mend

2008-12-01T20:34:00.001Z

I read a blog today by someone who had just fished out their favourite jumper – now the days are definitely getting colder and discovered holes in the elbows. There question was repair it or dump it. Now one benefit of the credit crunch is that people are trying to cut back and the old mantra of ‘make do and mend’ is coming back into vogue. We should now be reluctant to just chuck things out because they don’t’ work any more or are slightly worn.

During the war, there wasn’t the luxury of buying new and along with everything else, clothes were rationed, so it was necessary to make do and mend. I think people have forgotten how to use a needle and thread or a sewing machine these days and in the throw away society that we live in, we’d never consider repairing anything electrical. It’s cheaper to buy new and just stick it on credit … and pay more for it later. Actually a whole industry of repairmen could now arise out of the ashes of burning credit cards.

That other old adage – waste not want not will also come in to play. So talk to your grand- parents, get their best tips on making things go further. We’ll be a less wasteful, throw-away society. See there’s an upside to even the impending depression.

What You Really, Really Want

2008-11-24T21:18:00.000Z

I’m in the process of reading Tim Feriss’s – 4 Day Work Week and one of the things that strikes a note is that we work so hard to have the things that if we just took time to look around, we’ve already got. This always reminds me of the tale about the fisherman. If you already know it, I apologise for repeating it here but it’s always worth being reminded.

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "only a little while."

The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15-20 years." "But what then?" The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." "Millions.. Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

So, if you had more time – what would you fill your life with?

Just Relax ...

2008-11-17T18:42:00.000Z

I’ve spoken before about having thinking time or needing to allow time for creativity but this is about having time to mentally switch off. Something busy people rarely have time for is to do nothing. When we’re busy and pressed for time there’s a tendency to always be on the go. Never stopping to rest from morning until night. Active and driven people will often feel guilty if they’re not doing something, they easily get bored and have a need to fill what they see as empty space and feel uncomfortable if there’s nothing going on.

However, working at full tilt isn’t always healthy or effective. It leads to a build up of stress and often results in mental and physical overload. Have you noticed that when you stop, you get ill?

Try and find a few minutes in each day when you can sit quietly. I know that’s easier said than done, especially if you feel you don’t have enough time as there is but there are benefits to switching off every now and then. One way to do this is to take up yoga, pilates or tai chi where you naturally have to slow down or to start simple breathing or meditation exercises. It doesn’t take a lot of time or space.

Deep Breathing – Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor. Take a few deep breaths during the day when you're feeling tired, losing concentration or to calm yourself. Correct breathing is known to have beneficial effects on physical and emotional health - increasing energy levels and reducing stress and anxiety.

Breath Counting - Another easy meditation is to count your breath. Sit in a relaxed, comfortable position and count each inhale and exhale. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four or five and then exhale for a count of four or five. Practice breathing slowly, rhythmically and evenly and then include a pause between each in and out breathe. Breath in for a count of four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four … repeat.

Breath Walking – count your breath (as above) but as you walk, matching the rhythm of your steps to your breathing.

Try one or two of these for a few minutes each day.

Invest Your Time In Others

2008-11-10T17:26:00.001Z

Something that’s come up a few times in conversations over the last week, is how you can free up your time by delegating. Many people don't like to delegate tasks, as they think it's quicker to do it themselves but if they actually invest the time to hand over the task, spend a little time on training it will pay off in the end.
Think about how much an hour of your time is worth. Delegate the jobs that someone else could do cheaper, quicker and more efficiently than you.

At home: Pay a cleaner to clean and tidy your house for a couple of hours will be worth more than what you pay them. You’ll not only have a tidy house but more time with your family. Get a gardener to come in weekly or monthly to give you more time to enjoy your garden. Share the housework with your partner and children.

At work: If you work for yourself - pay someone to do your book keeping or accounts. What you'll pay them for a few hours of their time is probably less than you charge your clients. It gives you more time to spend earning money for your business and working with clients or just to work less. Use an admin assistant - they work for themselves and will work for as many hours as you need - often not even needing to be in the office - filing, emails, newsletters, sending out and chasing invoices can all be handled by someone else.

Don't expect perfection and just because they don't do it exactly the way you do, doesn't mean it's wrong. You might need to show them more than once but be patient - it's worth investing the time to get it right. Be specific, give them the information they need and a timeframe to work to. Don't delegate tasks that are confidential or sensitive in nature or core to your business.

Make sure you stay in control but don’t micro-manage.

P.S. There's a whole chapter in the book on delegating if you want more detail.

Manage Your Mailbox

2008-11-03T18:38:00.001Z

Emails can be a great time waster and provide a constant source of distraction throughout the day. It’s a constant theme when I’m talking to clients and often one of the first habits that they need to change.

How often have you found that you start checking your emails and as you work your way through them, you find yourself taken off in any number of different directions as you respond to an email, follow a link to read a report, check some information on the internet, pick the phone to make a call, get reminded of something and go off to do that before coming back to your email.

If you're going to make the most of your day then one way to increase your productivity is to manage the amount of time you spend on emails. Keep this to a minimum. At least minimise the time you spend ‘checking’. Only check two or three times a day and this is just to review what’s come in and decide what action you need to take. Read, Action, Dump, File - much the same as with paperwork. A quick scan will tell you what’s important and what’s not, what needs a response now and what can be dealt with (read or responded to) later. Set aside time specifically to deal with emails. Set a time limit and stick to it.

And if you haven’t already switched off those automatic alerts, do it NOW.

If I Had The Time I'd ...

2008-10-27T18:12:00.002Z

As I was driving back from Manchester last week – a long drive, so I had plenty of thinking time. I was listening to Radio 4, as I often do, I find it easier to listen to on a long drive, and prompted by the conversation, I started to think of all those things that we’d like to do … if only we had the time. Now I’m not talking about all the "101 things To Do Before I Die" things – which was the topic of the show, swimming with dolphins seems to feature on most people’s lists but all those other things that we never quite get round to. Not on the grand scale of climbing Mount Everest or doing a round the world trip but on the smaller scale of putting up that set of shelves, learning a musical instrument or a new language, finding time to exercise regularly, getting home in time to read a bedtime story to your children.

Time is often a sticking point or an excuse when we don’t get round to doing something but it’s always about choice. We chose how to use our time. If we don’t have time for something it’s because we’ve chosen to do something else instead. Whether that’s answering our emails instead of chasing up overdue invoices or reading a book or watching TV instead of learning a new language. All those jobs, activities, hobbies that get put to one side. Is it a matter of delaying tactics for jobs you’d rather not do (we all have those) or is it about really not having the time?

So, have a think – what would you do … if only you had the time?

Why would you like to do it and what stops you … other than time?

Answers on a postcard or just add a comment here.

Do Something Scary

2008-10-20T19:54:00.003Z

We all have a tendency to want to stay in our comfort zone, to stay safe, comfortable and secure in our own cocoon, the environment that we know well. Sometimes though it’s good to just get out there and be brave. Knowing that – everything will be all right and we are probably stronger than we think.

Since I’ve been running my own business, I have a voice inside me (no, it’s alright you don’t have to drag me off in a strait-jacket) that tends to pipe up and say ‘Yes, I’ll do that’ when actually my gut reaction is probably to do the opposite – ‘Oh no, I can’t do that’. For me it usually revolves around getting up in front of people and speaking.

I remember going to my first official breakfast network meeting – you know, where you have to stand up and talk about your business for a minute. I didn’t know what to say and was very nervous. However, a few months later and I’d agreed to stand up in front of about 50 businessmen and talk about what I did – that really was scary. Breakfast meetings no longer hold the same fear. When asked to speak at my local Chamber last month, I said yes – then thought Yikes!

Now as a time management tactic – saying no is a good thing to do but I’m talking about saying yes to those opportunities that present themselves, getting out of your comfort zone by doing something you know is going to be challenging. Even if it’s just going out for the evening instead of staying in, especially when it’s cold, wet and raining outside.

I was reminded of this again today when I read about doing something scary every day. It doesn’t have to be as extreme as going bungee jumping, or abseiling off tall buildings but confronting something that scares you or that you wouldn’t normally do or perhaps have been putting off. Now I’m not talking about doing anything illegal or that is a risk to life and limb or anyone else but just doing something different, trying something new.

Do one thing this week that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Switch Off

2008-10-13T22:19:00.002Z

Away this weekend and I left the technology behind for a whole four days. I even survived without the mobile phone for much of it – only using it to contact fellow travellers and make arrangements and once to send a twitter message from the top of a hill, when we took a break in the sunshine.

I did of course come back to a full inbox of emails – mostly junk but quickly dispatched. I’ve never had email on the move, from choice more than limited technology or capability. While it might be useful at times – there is rarely anything that’s so urgent that it won’t wait until I return to the office and clients rarely want or need to contact me out of hours and if they did the phone is a quicker and more reliable means of contact.

I know some people can’t survive without constantly being in touch or being able to send and receive emails at any time of the day and night but there are always other things I can be doing when I have spare time on the move rather than checking emails. I even leave my mobile phone behind or switched off at times and I purposely don’t have all the whizz-bang, bluetooth headset, hands-free, technology. In that respect I’m probably technologically backward but actually, I want to decide what to do when, not have technology deciding for me.

Now the demands of my work are probably different from yours but how attached are you to your technology? Are you really in control of your time and the technology or is it controlling you? While it’s there to make life easier, if can also make it more demanding. Do you find it hard to switch off in case you miss something? How much of a difference will it really make to be instantly contactable?

Think about the technology you use and the way that you use it - could you use it less, have more time for yourself without reducing your productivity?

Money Tips To Beat The Credit Crunch

2008-10-06T18:13:00.001Z

As we’re all being hit by the current credit crunch – markets are going into free fall and people are now suffering from an age of overspending and easy credit. I thought it would be timely to share a few of my money tips.

If you’re not sure where your money goes each month then write a money diary for the next week. Make a note of everything you spend each day and then add it up at the end of the week, so you can see exactly how much you spend even on the little things – your daily newspaper, snacks as well as bills paid, cash withdrawn.

Use cash or debit cards. If you know the money is going to come straight out of your bank account, you’re less likely to spend excessively. Credit cards only have to be paid for later and while the ‘easy monthly payments’ may seem tempting you’ll end up paying a lot more for the goods that you buy. Get into the habit of only spending money that’s actually yours … not someone else’s like the banks or the credit card companies.

Get onto Ebay, post local ads, go to car boot sales and sell what you don’t need to boost your funds. Recycle what you no longer. Buy second hand rather than new and save money or even better look at getting something repaired rather than throwing it away and buying new. Sometimes repairing something might be more expensive than buying new but it’s always worth checking and there are people who are happy to ‘fix’ things.

If you don’t have one already, create an Emergency Survival Fund. This is a pool of savings that you can dip into should an emergency arise – an unexpected bill or repair or if you were to lose your job. It should be equal to the amount that would cover all your basic financial needs (mortgage, rent, utility bills, food) for a minimum of three months.

Buy what you need, not what you want and as the saying goes waste not, want not.

If you’d like more tips and strategies for improving your finances – take a look at my e-book – More Month Than Money.

Bit By Bit, Chapter By Chapter

2008-09-29T17:57:00.003Z

Last week I officially launched my first book.

Looking back there was a point when the goal of actually writing my book seemed like a distant dream, something almost too big to possibly contemplate. Deciding what to put in the book, finding a publisher, finding the time(!) to write, getting the chapters together and going through the process of getting it into print. One of those many things that you say to yourself - “One day …” as a delaying tactic because it just seems too much to think about or you’re just too busy.

I was lucky enough to be approached and actually asked to write the book by a publisher. However, there were still times when my resolve was wavering and I wondered if I’d actually complete it. There was a certain element of not looking at the end result, which seemed like a huge task and just focusing on getting the next chapter written and sometimes even that seemed almost overwhelming, as I starred at a blank computer screen waiting for the words to come. Again, just spending a few minutes writing down bullet points and random thoughts meant that slowly but surely they developed into something coherent that took shape on the page and four months later ended up in a printed, yellow and black book with my name on it. :)

If you’re not the sort of person that plunges into new projects with enormous determination, motivation and energy, set your goal and just focus on taking one step at a time.

Slowly but surely you’ll make progress towards your goal.

Write It Down

2008-09-22T21:19:00.002Z

I’m reasonably good with dates and generally have a good idea of what’s happening when but it's a lot easier if I write everything down. Usually it’s the personal stuff that needs to get done during the day that I’m more likely to forget, if I don’t have it written down on my list of actions for the day.

I might think I’ll remember something but if I've written it down I don’t have to worry about forgetting it. I’ve often thought "Oh, I’ll remember that" until I can get back home or get back to my computer but invariably there’s so much going on or I get distracted and before I know it – I can’t for the life of me remember what that important piece of information was that I needed to remember. So, now I write things down – phone numbers, people I meet, appointments, things I need to do.

Unless you’ve got a photographic memory or a finally honed brain that can remember ten decks of playing cards at a time or recall the entire contents of your phone book, it makes sense to write every thing down. Carry a notebook with you – write down ideas, thoughts, things to-do when you think of them rather than missing the moment, or use your mobile's text msg or notes function. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a blinding idea or remembering something important when you’re busy doing something else, only to have it disappear from your mind when you’re back in the office or back at home.

Tips on improving you memory later ...

Information Overload

2008-09-15T21:18:00.003Z

With so much information bombarding us from all directions we can’t possibly give our attention to everything that goes on around us but we feel that we may be missing out if we don’t, therefore we join every new group, we sign up to every social networking site going and we register for every newsletter, magazine and free piece of information that’s out there in case we miss out on some golden nugget of information that’s going to make a huge difference to our life.

I don’t know how many newsletters I’ve subscribed to over time but it’s a lot – now I know which one’s I like, which one’s I find useful and which one’s suit my style of working. There’s nothing wrong in unsubscribing from those you don’t either have time to read, or no longer find useful. We also have blogs, in fact there are hundreds, thousands out there – all of which you could end up subscribing to.

But when are we going to find time to take in all this additional information, read all these newsletters, blogs, contribute to all the discussion groups, attend all the network meetings? Don’t even attempt to. Fit what you can into the time you have available without pushing more important tasks to one side. Choose the ones that matter, one’s that are interesting and useful and don’t worry about the rest.

Remember Pareto’s principle … 80% of the information you need is contained in only 20% of what’s in your inbox!

Keep It Simple

2008-09-08T21:35:00.002Z

One of the things I find happening more and more, is doing less and less. Not necessarily for myself but for many of the clients I work with.

Although we’d all like to be more efficient and do more with our day, because of course we always have so much to do, what we actually need to do is less, so rather than increase someone’s efficiency so that you can actually fit in all the hundred and one things

The trouble with living a busy, hectic lifestyle and either running your own business or working in a busy organisation is that we often take on too much. We say yes to everything. We try to not only have it all but do it all. No wonder there are so many people stressed out, overwhelmed, worked out and running round trying to catch up with themselves, with never a minute to spare.

Try doing less. Stop doing things that you really don’t have time for. If you have a tendency to take on too much and then underestimate how long it’s going to take, halve the amount of things you say yes to. Apply this to both your business and personal life and start to really enjoy more time.

Holiday Intentions

2008-09-01T19:48:00.000Z

The schools here go back this week and many people are now back from holiday. If you’ve managed to get away for a few days break or even had your summer (what summer) holiday – did you managed to take some time out while you were away?

I’ve often found that holidays can be a great opportunity to not only take a break from your business or job but to think about the things that are really important to you, spending time with family and friends who you don’t have as much time for when the nose is to the grindstone, time to exercise and eat more healthily … or perhaps not if you’ve been over indulging. When we get a chance to get away from our day-to-day routine, it can be a lot easier to take a few steps back and step off the treadmill for a while. As well as New Year, holidays can be a time when we decide to make changes to our lives – whether it’s to exercise more, work fewer hours, go for a career change or get a promotion. The trouble is that when you get back to work and back into the daily routine, it’s easy to quickly forget all the good intentions, as the memory of the holiday quickly fades.

Write them down, before you forget them (see Getting Accountable – 18th Aug). Even if they’re not something you’re in a position to do anything about right away, there are probably one or two small things you could do now to make a difference or at least get you moving in the right direction. If you want to get fit – book time for exercise in your dairy. If you want to work fewer hours – commit to a starting and finishing time and stick to it.

Another opportunity for change. Don’t let the enthusiasm and intention fade away without trace.

Getting Accountable

2008-08-18T20:18:00.000Z

Having goals is all very well and good but if you don’t do anything with them then they’re nothing more than an idea until you put them into action. Many people’s dreams and ideas stay as just that. One way to increase the likelihood that you’ll actually do something about your goals, achieve your targets and reach your aims is to make yourself accountable.

You can do this by actually writing them down. Getting those thoughts and ideas out onto paper makes them more real but your not answerable to anyone but yourself and you don’t have the added incentive of someone else holding you accountable and it becomes too easy to let yourself off the hook.

The next thing to do is to actually tell someone about it. Whether it’s a friend, colleague, mentor or coach. Tell them what you’re going to do and when and agree that you’ll report on your progress or meet up for a review on a regular basis.

Now if you really want to give yourself an incentive and additional impetus to take action, give yourself a compelling reason to achieve a task or complete your goal, especially if you have a tendency to put things off. If you DON’T complete the task – agree that you will do something that would give you a certain amount of pain. Not so much a reward or ‘carrot’ but a stick.

This usually involves money or a prized possession. For instance if you didn’t achieve the goal you’d set yourself, you’d agree to give away your car – lock, stock and barrel, no quibbling, no changing your mind later. It needs to be something pretty significant like that or you wouldn’t do it. The impact of losing something that means a lot to you, is far more likely to keep you accountable and focused on the task in hand.

As Samuel Johnson said "Nothing focuses the mind like a hanging." A slight extreme but you get the picture.

Inspiration To Change

2008-08-11T19:42:00.001Z

Well, the Olympics launched in great style on Friday with an amazing Opening ceremony and while I’m not particularly into sports on TV, I’ve been avidly watching some of the more obscure sports that we don’t usually get to see – especially if you don’t have satellite or cable.

However, watching these athletes who have trained for years and I’m thinking that I really need to get out more … and exercise. My running (well, it’s like running, only slower) has dropped off, as has the cycling – mainly due to the constant wind which makes cycling to and fro from town too much like hard work. Also my diet needs a boost and having discussed the best places to have coffee and then got onto the subject of detox diets – I could do with loosing a few pounds. It definitely hangs around more as you get older ladies!

So, not only have I just agreed to run the Brighton Half Marathon in February next year but I’ve also decided to give my diet an overhaul this week. Not that it’s all bad – just a few too many cakes and lattes creeping in. OK, I know it’s not New Year but you don’t have to leave your resolutions for just once a year. You can set your goals at any time of the year. I’ve printed off my training chart, stocked up on fruit and veg and got through one day without a tea or coffee.

What inspires you? What would you like to change? Set yourself a challenge and then do something about it.

Early Bird Or Night Owl?

2008-08-04T21:03:00.001Z

We all have different times of the day when we have more energy than at others. Some people are at their best first thing in the morning - a good time for creativity and others do their best work late at night, when it’s quieter.

Getting up an hour or so earlier may give you an extra hour at the beginning of the day but not if you’re a night owl. Don’t burn the candle at both ends and go to bed late or force yourself into an unnatural routine by constantly working late if you’re naturally an early bird.

Try not to fight your natural tendency for when you work at your best. If you’re an early bird, use the morning to do tasks which require you to be at your best or need your concentration. Don’t set aside time to work on a complex report or jobs which require your concentration in the afternoon when you’re more likely to hit the post lunch slump or in the evening when you’re tired. If you’re a night owl and need quiet time for your creativity, leave it until later in the day.

If you’re tied to traditional office hours then when you start and finish work may not have the level of flexibility to accommodate early or late working. However many employers now offer more flexible working patterns. If you work for yourself you have more flexibility around when you work but still need to be able to deal with other people’s normal working day both in business and at home.

There may be certain days of the week when it makes sense to schedule in particular tasks. For instance - you might hit the ground running on a Monday morning but be ready to go home by Thursday. You might find you have a peak of activity on a Friday when you’re keen to clear things out at the end of the week and go home with a clean slate.

Know when you’re most productive time of day is, when you prefer doing certain types of tasks and plan around those times.

How Much Time Have You Got?

2008-07-28T20:25:00.001Z

We all know there are only twenty-four hours in a day, no matter how hard you try or wish there were just a few more. Having worked out how much your time is worth last week, let’s think about how much time you have each day to get things done.

From the time you wake up to the time you go to bed there are about sixteen hours in each day, unless you’re the sort of person who can manage with very little sleep.

Work will take up a large chunk of this time, together with travel time, which could be anything from two minutes, if you’re lucky enough to work from home, to two or three hours if you have a daily commute. Allow about two hours for personal tasks, such as washing, cooking, cleaning and eating.

Sleep – 8 hours
Work – 8 hours
Travel – 2 hours
Personal – 2 hours

Total = 20 hours

That only leaves four hours or so, to do with what you want. Four hours to fit in exercise, seeing friends and family, shopping, relaxation, doing the things you enjoy and if you have a family with young children, probably even less, so it makes sense to use it wisely.

While watching TV can be a good way to relax and unwind it’s also a good way to suck up much of that free time that could be spent on more productive or beneficial activities, such as getting in some exercise or spending time with family and friends, socialising or just ‘switching off’ completely.

If you can’t seem to find enough time to get everything done – take a look at how you’re spending those ‘spare’ hours and see if there’s a way to re-prioritise what you’re doing.

What's Your Time Worth?

2008-07-21T20:59:00.000Z

Do you know how much your time is worth and would you be inclined to fritter it away on things that don't add value if you knew what it was costing you?

If your time is charged at an hourly rate – how much is each hour of your time worth – to either you or your boss? To get some perspective on where you’re spending your time, know what your hourly rate is.

What is your annual salary? ____________

What is your weekly rate? ____________
(Based on working weeks in the year)

What is your hourly rate? ____________
(Either that you actually charge or the number of hours you actually work on your business).

Now you know what your hourly rate is, use it as a guide when you’re looking at how and where you spend your time. If you could find an extra hour a week or even an hour a day, what would that really be worth to you? How much more could you achieve?

Think of where you could delegate your time rather than spending an hour of your time on admin or doing your accounts when that hour could be spent earning money for your business.

Happiness Is A Warm Puppy

2008-07-14T20:35:00.002Z

You know some people like to have the latest gadgets and gismos as soon as they come out.

They seem to have the very latest of everything, mobile phone, computer, TV. Apple launches their i-phone, they’ll be first in line with their credit card, everyone seems to have the latest plasma, wide-screen, HD TV (except me), latest dishwasher, new cars every couple of years, going to the latest hot spot for their holiday. I know someone like this, they’re always buying gadgets and updating their computer. Ask them if their happy and the answer is a muttered “not really”.

When asked what makes people happy – the answer isn’t … the latest gadget or a new widescreen TV – it’s spending time with their partner, friends and family. Simple things like enjoying a glass of wine in the sunshine with friends on a summer’s evening or being in a beautiful part of the world or hearing their children laugh.

Do more of what makes you happy, less of what doesn’t and spend your money on what makes you and those close to you happy, not for short-term, short-lived satisfaction.

I'll just go and find a warm puppy! :)

We're All Going On A ... Summer Holiday

2008-07-07T21:04:00.002Z

It’s coming up to that holiday time of year when in the next couple of months, most people will be looking forward to their annual two week holiday. Make sure you’re in a position to wind down before your holiday with time to finish all your tasks so you’re not having to work long hours just to clear the decks before you go away.

Be realistic about what you can achieve in the last few days before you go. Do the important tasks first and don’t waste time on things that can wait until your return or be done by someone else. Write out everything you need to do – including updating your voicemail message and setting an auto responder. Hand over work to a colleague if that’s practical. Don’t dump work on them.

If you don’t want to be inundated with unnecessary emails from your online networking groups – switch off any email notifications before you go, as you certainly won’t have to time to catch up with all those messages and it’s unlikely any of them will be that important.

And don’t even think about going away and taking your work with you. Taking your phone and laptop with you just so you can catch up or keep on top of things isn’t the best solution. You might feel your business will fall apart or your office won’t be able to function without you if you’re not in touch for a few days but is that really the case or an unfounded fear? If it’s the former then you really need to do something to change that. Even if it’s your own business you can still take a break without worrying about business, it just takes careful planning. Let people know in advance when you’re going away and plan work round your holiday time.

Make this year the year you go away on holiday having completed all your tasks in good time. Leave your laptop and office phone at home and really enjoy the break.

Get more detail, tips and information in July's newsletter.

Are You Hot(mail) Or Not?

2008-06-30T22:03:00.002Z

What’s your business email address?

I’m always surprised when I come across a business and see that they’re using a Hotmail, BTinternet or Aol address. Now for some small businesses and trades, like my local window cleaner or handyman, this may be fine but what sort of impression does it give to an apparently professional company if your main business address posted on your business cards and literature is a Hotmail or Btinternet email address?

I recently received a professional and impressive looking email promo in my inbox only to see that the business email address is on Aol. What’s more puzzling is that like many of these business, they have a website, so why couldn't they have a info@websitename.com email?

Now, I use several email addresses including Hotmail, Yahoo and Google as a way of organising and filtering my email. But my business cards, leaflets, newsletters, website etc. have an email address connected to my website name.

Perhaps you don’t have a website but it’s easy to register a domain name, set up an email address and then redirect that address to your preferred email account, without having to create and host a website. It doesn’t mean that you have to log in to multiple email accounts – just redirect them to one account.

If you’re in business take the time to create an email address that connects to your business. It gives a better, more professional impression.

Exhibiting At Your First Event

2008-06-23T20:32:00.003Z

Last week I took part in our local Chamber’s first tradeshow or Showcase as they preferred to call it. A mix of thirty local businesses from Banking to Website Design, covering not just business but also the home.

Attending a trade fair or business event as an exhibitor can be a significant and costly decision. You need to have a balance between the cost and effort involved. It’s not just about the cost of the event itself but also the cost of the advertising, display materials, handouts, products, samples and your time in preparation and marketing for the event.

If you’ve taken the decision to book up your first event then here are a few tips, to make sure you get the most out of the event when you’re actually there.

1. What is your main objective for attending the event? Write it down.

2. Get rid of the chairs behind your stand. There’s nothing more off putting than someone sitting behind their stand, quite possible not even making eye contact with the people walking by. Stand up. Get onto the same eye-level as the people passing by.

3. Even if people aren’t going to buy, don’t let them just walk away or move straight on to the next stand. Entice them to try and buy. Have testers or samples available or something they can sign-up for, information they can take away.

4. Give something away in exchange for their contact details. Have a prize draw for some of your products or services.

5. Engage with your visitor. If someone takes the time to stop at your stand and shows an interest – start a conversation. You don’t need to launch into a sales pitch. Talk about your products – find out about them. Discuss the weather. Anything that will start a conversation.

6. Smile! There’s nothing worse than someone on a stand looking bored or fed-up and it can make a real difference to whether people stop and take a closer look or walk straight past.

7. Oh and if all else fails – have a bowl of sweets. It kept visitors and other exhibitors coming back. :)

Don’t forget to follow-up afterwards and also look at whether you achieved your objective (1), what worked and what didn't.

Meet Your Public

2008-06-16T21:27:00.000Z

I had the opportunity to be on radio last week. That was certainly something new for me. Several brief interviews, which actually wasn’t that different from talking on the phone – headset on, voice on the end of a phone/microphone.

I spend most of my time working with clients over the phone, which works well but it can become very comfortable, working from home, networking online, writing emails and answering calls but I’ve recently rediscovered the benefits of meeting up with people face-to-face. Not only does it get me out and about – apart from my regular networking meetings but last year, I ran a couple of workshops locally and got a buzz from the synergy that gets created in a group. It’s no longer just about you, your knowledge and expertise, it’s about what else people bring to the group – challenges, ideas, inspiration.

While it’s a well-documented fact that most people don’t like public speaking, there’s no better way to get your message across than talking to people face to face, especially if your business is you and not a product. Whether it’s small or large groups – show your expertise. Talk to people you wouldn’t normally talk to – I’m not necessarily talking about total strangers but groups of people that you may not usually approach. You might find a whole new audience.

It doesn’t have to be that scary. Even the most accomplished speakers get nervous and had that sense of dread when they first started. Build up your confidence with a small group of people you know, practice, get feedback and then find other groups to talk to, who want to hear what you have to say.

Alternatively, if you normally do a lot of talking, try a different from of communication

Have A Gold Star

2008-06-09T21:52:00.001Z

Do you remember when you got a gold star at school for doing a great piece of work? The sense of pride and achievement when you did something really well and the inspiration to do even better or get another gold start for your next piece of work.

When was the last time you gave yourself a gold star for doing something really well. You have your goals, your daily actions and you tick things off as you go but who gives you a pat on the back when you’ve completed a project or achieved everything you set out to on a particular day or on a week? Create some added focus and motivation by giving yourself a reward when you do something a little bit different. We spend so much time doing things day in day out that we rarely stop and give ourselves a reward even if it’s something as simple and as visual as a gold star.

What actions this week would result in a gold star? Achieving something that stretches you more than usual. Managing to tick off a new habit on seven consecutive days. Completing a task or project ahead of time.

How many gold stars can you get this month? Give me a call if you'd like a virtual pat on the back - I have several gold stars to share this week - would you like one? :)

Can Your Business Survive Without You?

2008-06-02T22:04:00.002Z

I was talking to a client the other week about how they’ve been in a state of confusion since one of their staff went off sick. They’re a relatively new and growing business and are in the process of moving over to automated systems but at the moment a lot of the information is held in people’s heads or on scraps of paper. Little things get forgotten, the odd order gets missed. When a business is small, this isn’t too much of a problem as most things can be recovered or sorted out at the last minute but as a business grows it needs to be more organised.

If you or one of your key staff got hit by the proverbial bus – would your business continue without you/them? How much information is the sole domain of just one person?

While not everyone needs to know everyone else’s business – important information shouldn’t be in people’s heads or on scraps of paper. Have a way to keep track of what goes in and what goes out – whether it’s paper or computer based and can cope as the business grows or when you’re busy.

Having documentation or at least trackable systems and processes also makes it easier to delegate tasks and particularly at this time of year, might even mean you can allow yourself to go on holiday and relax.

Get Out And About

2008-05-26T20:43:00.004Z

It’s been another holiday weekend here in the UK and of course being a Bank Holiday – mixed weather. However, there’s nothing quite like getting out into the Spring sunshine when it’s there, whether just to relax in the sunshine or to enjoy some fresh air and exercise. Many of us could benefit from getting out into the fresh air and closer to nature more often. We spend so much time shielded from it in our cars and air-conditioned offices, walking along exhaust fume filled streets, that we lose sight of the changing seasons.

One great advantage of working from home is that it’s a lot easier for me to get out and experience the seasons – even if they do seem to disappear at a rate of knots – or is that just a sign that I’m getting older?

If you work in an office all week, the evenings (in the northern hemisphere) are still getting longer and there are good couple of hours of daylight to get outside and enjoy it.

- Take in the scenery on your way home.
- Get out to a local park in your lunch break.
- Go for a walk or cycle when you get home as a way to unwind instead of collapsing infront of the TV.

Even if you don’t think you have the time, make the time. It’s worth it for the physical and mental boost you’ll get. If you’ve read my nature blog – you’ll know that I regularly get out for a run, walk or just to sit outside in the garden. Open your eyes and be more aware of your surroundings, especially where nature comes into it.

P.S. If you want some inspiration – sign up for Monday Moments from the RSPB - http://www.rspb.org.uk/moments/

Mind The Gaps

2008-05-12T16:44:00.002Z

Last week I was busy putting the finishing touches to my book. Every time I’ve been the process of writing a chapter, it seems to be the key topic that one or more of my clients is dealing with. I know that it’s the equivalent of buy a red car and all you see is red cars but I found that because I’d just been honing my writing to deal with a specific topic, I could make it even more relevant to the next conversation and equally, it prompted me to add something to the chapter.

Anyway, that's a bit of an aside, one thing that I learned is that creativity cannot be squeezed into a neatly ordered time slot. In fact my attempts to write a chapter in a few hours failed miserably because while the content was pretty much there, it definitely needed a number of writing sessions, periods of mulling over in-between, reviews and read throughs until the final version was ready to be sent off. I also noticed that when I hit a block, the best thing to do was get up and go and do something else and then come back to it a few minutes or even a couple of hours later.

If you’ve got a similar project you’re trying to get underway – treat the gaps as being just as important as the actual writing. While the physical putting pen to paper might only take a few hours, spread it out over a few days, so that you have plenty of time to think about it, add to it, review it and read it through before you’re finished.

Making Assumptions

2008-04-28T20:38:00.000Z

We make assumptions all the time. Taking for granted things around us because we think we understand a particular situation or person. When you make assumptions about something or someone what you’re actually doing is guessing. It might be an educated guess, based on the facts and information available at the time. We make decisions based on assumptions and if these assumptions are wrong we can end up in hot water.

However, we need to test our assumptions every now and then to confirm that we do have a correct understanding and actually asking questions can be a good way to make sure that we’re not assuming or presuming too much. If you’re not sure or you think you’re making an assumption then ask. Ask your clients, your friends our your family. Don’t assume that you know all the answers.

What assumptions do you make about situations that you find yourself in every day. What assumptions do you make about the people around you?

You Are Who You Are

2008-04-21T21:35:00.000Z

Following on from last weekend’s work it’s stirred up some interesting discussion and awareness. When you take a step back to look at the bigger picture, it often results in a desire for change. It doesn’t always mean that a whole transformation is going to take place – at least not overnight. There are things that we can change - learn new skills, adopt new habits but our basic character is harder to work on. Certain beliefs are so hard wired into our system that they’re harder to change.

It’s far easier to accept who you and what you have rather than strive for more and more. When you do, you’re likely to find that when you get there – you’ll want more. There’s never enough or you find something else that’s not quite right and put off allowing yourself to enjoy the moment because there’s a better one ahead.

Stop where you are and look at the positives that you already have. We can be our own harshest critics, far tougher than any one else. Be grateful for what you have and for the people around you but also be grateful for the freedom you have, your thoughts, feelings and emotions even the challenges you face.

Give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved, for what you’ve learnt and how far you’ve come already.

Life Changing Moments

2008-04-14T18:18:00.001Z

I stepped in at the last minute to run a course this weekend. Eight people took two whole days out of their busy lives to take a step back to look at their lives and start creating changes. We worked through the Life Balance Wheel, created a Big Picture of their ideal life and spent most of the second day creating meaningful goals and actions.

A group of people who didn’t know each other at the beginning, spent two days, being challenged and sharing some fairly personal details about their lives. Not that I asked – it was just part of the process. They came out with clarity, focus and had time to reflect on some big issues in their lives. They listened, shared, reflected and supported each other – it was wonderful to see their growth over the weekend, how they opened up and some of the realisations they made.

Of course, now the hard work really begins. So often we attend courses or read an inspirational book but it’s all too easy to slip back into the daily routine. I’ve given them tools, tips and strategies to keep the motivation going but as the saying goes “You can lead a horse to water”. They took the first step in signing up for the course. I will certainly be keeping in touch to make sure that they’ve at least completed the actions that they committed to this week.

While I was exhausted by the end of the weekend, so were they. It’s not often that we put so much mental energy into focusing on our lives. If you haven’t done so already – give yourself some time and space to take a step back. Look at how balanced your life is – is there one area that could do with some attention? Don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper below the surface, you might be quite surprised at what turns up.

Can You Survive Without Technology?

2008-04-07T21:56:00.001Z

We’re surrounded by technology 24 hours a day. Mobile phones mean that we can be contactable wherever we are day or night (as long as they’re switched on and in range). Laptops mean we can work anywhere. We can be working even when we’re not in the office.

However, there’s a downside to all this technology and being constantly contactable. Firstly if it goes wrong you’re stuck. How do you carry on if the technology fails? Secondly, being constantly around technology means that we can never get away from it or we feel a reluctance to let it go – hence we end up taking it with us … just in case.

How many people take their mobile phone, PDA or laptop away with them on holiday? Perhaps your business is so critical that you can’t possibly be out of contact for a minute. What would happen if you left your mobile phone at home or on your desk while you went to a meeting? Would it really matter if you didn’t answer that email as soon as it arrives in your inbox or respond to a phone call. OK, I appreciate that in some instances you need to respond promptly in order not to lose business but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Make sure that you’re not totally dependent on your technology. Put a process or system in place to handle things if you’re without it for a while – either for a day or when you’re on holiday. Backup essential details and information, so that you can maintain contact in the event that your mobile, PDA or laptop is lost, stolen or crashes.

Lose An Hour, Gain An Hour

2008-03-31T20:55:00.001Z

The clocks have just changed here in the UK. We’ve lost an hour as we switch to British Summer Time. It’s darker in the mornings (although it was already light enough at 6.30am) but lighter in the evenings, which gives a whole new feel to the end of the day.

How would you feel if you lost an hour every day? What would you do if you gained an extra hour in each and every day – and not just once a year? Do you feel as if you’d really like an extra hour every day and what would you want to do with that extra hour?

When I’ve asked this question before, most people say that they’d use it to exercise or sleep. Something most busy people find they don’t have time for – to exercise regularly or to get enough sleep. Well, why not find that extra hour starting from today?

It doesn’t have to be an hour every day but perhaps start with a couple of hours each week. Take a look at how you currently spend your time and see if there are certain activities or times when you’re easily distracted or less productive. Could you fit more into one part of your day to free up some time in another part – perhaps at the beginning or end of the day?

You probably lose an hour every day but don’t really notice it, as you either rush from one thing to the next or get distracted or waste time on unimportant activities.

Set aside one hour to do exactly what you need to do – whether that’s to be totally focused on one task, to use it to exercise or to go to bed earlier.

Once the time is gone, you can never get it back so use your time efficiently and productively – don’t waste it.

Set Your Office Hours

2008-03-17T22:35:00.001Z

If you work from home it can be helpful to have a flexible working day to fit in around family and home life but don’t blur the lines between the two. Create a structure of core hours.

Start work at roughly the same time each day. By all means take breaks during the day to have some ‘home’ life, or time to get chores done. But place a time limit around these. Set a fixed start time and finish time to your working day or your likely to end up working late into the evening – just because there are still things to be done.

Plan your time at the beginning of the week and if you need to take a half day for home based tasks or school commitments – sports day, school play, car servicing etc. Book this in and plan your work around it. How many hours do you work in a week? Spread them out across six days rather than five or work four long days and have three days off.

When working from home you can at least choose the hours you want to work but make sure it’s not getting in the way of the rest of your life. Working at weekends can be a good time to catch up on things at the end of the week, or spend some time planning for the week ahead. There’s no reason why you need to stick to 9-5 but make sure that you don’t end up working a 50-60 hour working week.

If your family and friends are complaining that they never see you, take a look at whether you’re really using your time effectively.

Efficient Meetings

2008-03-10T23:17:00.001Z

We know that people spend far too much time in meetings and that quite often the time spend in travelling to and from a meeting can be greater than the actual meeting itself.

A great way to save time spent on meetings is to set up a meeting using either group conference call facilities or a call over the internet. Rapid changes in technology mean that people across different locations, countries and continents don’t have to travel to take part in the same meeting. Saves huge amount of time for everyone involved if you multiply up the travel time involved in traditional face-to-face meetings.

Teleclasses, workshops and teleseminars can all be presented online with notes displayed in an online ‘classroom’ format with a trainer holding the call and students calling in.

Group conference calls enable people to meet, communicate and discuss key objectives without having to be in the same room. Because there are no visual cues these need to be handled carefully to ensure that everyone is allowed to participate, key points and actions are documented and communication is clear.

Video conferencing – were you can see people at the other end of the phone line – can be useful but can also be distracting and the quality of the technology can make an impact on it’s effectiveness.

If you’re going to use this technology, test it out ahead of time or as a dry run to make sure it works and iron out any hiccups before the actual meeting. There’s nothing worse than trying to sort out the volume and picture signals at the start of the meeting.

Save you and your colleagues time and money and think about the most efficient way to hold your meeting.

Stress Less

2008-03-03T18:42:00.000Z

Stress is something that we’ve all experienced. What is stressful for one person can be enjoyable for someone else. People can handle different and varying levels of stress, there's no 'one-size fits all' approach when dealing with stress and it can vary depending on our situation at the time.

A certain level of stress is good - it stirs us into action and gives us a push to meet deadlines, deal with confrontations and adds spice to life. However, too much stress affects the body both physically, mentally and emotionally and causes a loss of performance and ultimately a breakdown of the body resulting in illness.

Look after yourself:
- eat a healthy, balanced diet
- avoid excessive stimulants - coffee, tea, cigarettes and alcohol
- take regular exercise - include gentle exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi
- allow time for yourself, your family and friends

Adjust your workload:
- work less hours
- learn to say no
- take responsibility
- start being pro-active instead of reactive
- "don't sweat the small stuff"
- improve your skills
- work within your own ability

Know what causes you stress and then find ways to reduce it or learn how to deal with it better.

Toxic Friends

2008-02-25T23:31:00.001Z

Do you know someone who actually isn’t the sort of friend you need to have around you? While you may have known them for years – you’ve fallen in to the habit of being friends and the friendship may not actually work any more.

They’re the sort of people who probably don’t even realise they’re doing it but they have a negative outlook on life or worse than that they may spend their time running you down, being negative and taking every opportunity to ‘put you in your place’ whether obviously or in subtle ways. We all have our down times when we might have a moan and whinge and be negative and need to lean on our friends but people who always burden you with their problems and suck you in to their negative way of thinking, are not the sort of people you need in your life.

There needs to be a balance. If a person is consistently unsupportive, demanding, over critical, lets you down and you feel emotionally drained after you’ve spent time with them, that’s not a good friendship to have. They can affect your own self-esteem and affect you physically and mentally. To keep the friendship, you’ll need to tell them when they’re behaving badly, set clear boundaries, learn to say no and make sure you’re looking after yourself.

If they’re not willing to change or accept what you’re saying, then you may need to think about ending the friendship or at least putting some distance between you and see less of each other. If you want to keep the friend, recognise them for who they are and choose how much time you decide to spend with them. Take responsibility for how you feel and if it’s something you can manage.

You can change yourself but you can’t change your friends.

How Many Hours Do You Spend Networking?

2008-02-11T23:05:00.000Z

There are more and more networks starting up all the time – social and business, online and offline. Every week I seem to get an invite to yet another network.

The perceived wisdom is that you should be in as many networks as possible in order to extend your influence across as broad a platform as possible. This might well be true but some of us actually have work to do as well, so deciding on the most appropriate networks for your business is important if you’re going to make the most of your time.

If you frequently attend offline networking meetings, take into account the cost and time involved in getting there as well as the cost of the meeting itself. If you have to travel an hour to attend an hours meeting – that’s at least three hours out of your day – given preparation and planning time. If you have the time available – that’s fine or if you can combine it with another meeting in the same area.

If you participate in online networking, manage your online time in the same way that you manage any other area of your business. What is your reason for being online? Set yourself specific objectives – posting a certain number of blogs or messages, growing your network or participating in groups relating to your area of expertise. Limit your time for each network

Networks – both online and offline can also be a source of advice, support and information as well as potential clients, customers and suppliers. Sign up for as many as you like, find the ones that work for you and then participate on the handful that give you the most value.

Don’t give up if you don’t get a response straight away – relationship building takes time and people need to get to know you before they’ll do business with you.

How Many Hours Do You Spend Working?

2008-02-04T23:34:00.000Z

We're renowned for working longer hours in the UK than our counterparts in Europe. As many people now run their own business - do you work longer hours than you would if you were working for someone else because it's your own business or are you happy with the hours you're working.

Or do you chose your hours, you have the lifestyle you want and have plenty of time for family, friends and to enjoy the rest of your life? Many people who run their own businesses feel that in order to make a success of the business they have to put in long hours in order to make it work.

Even in the corporate world there's an unwritten expectation that if you're only working 9-5, you're not working hard enough. Eyebrows are raised or tutting occurs if you attempt to leave 'on-time'. The threat of job cuts and redundancy means that if you can give the impression that you're working really hard (because obviously if you have to come in at 7.30am and leave at 7.30 every day - you must be) then you'll be so indispensable your name won't be on the list should the worst happen.

Say yes to everything the boss throws at you - of course you can handle it - you'll just stay a couple of hours longer. It doesn't have to be this way - unless of course you enjoy working 60-80 hours a week (does that include weekends?).

Learning to say No - whether to the boss or to yourself (the boss) is one way to start cutting back.

Plan your time - appropriately and effectively.

Obvious - but how many of us actually do it or are you just reacting to things as they come in - dealing with them on a first come first saved basis or whoever or whatever shouts the loudest?

Get control of your time and you can reduce your hours.

How Do I Look?

2008-01-28T22:34:00.000Z

We form our opinion of someone in the first few seconds of meeting them. One glance and based on how they look, what they're wearing, posture and other clues, we're working out their occupation, social background, education, status and any number of other views, opinions about who they are and what they do. It's called stereotyping and although it's not an exact science and while everyone is unique we'd probably guess quite a bit about the person and be right.

We're meeting people all the time from different professions - how often do they conform to the social norm. If you walked into a room full of strangers could you pick out the accountant, the bank manager, the web designer, the PR person? If the Bank Manager turned up in jeans, T-shirt and trainers - what would you think?

How much does appearance affect the way you relate to a person, their skills and abilities to do their job? If you were interviewing for a job - how much would appearance and personality influence your decision?

There's a whole industry built around branding and image, so how we look and present ourselves is important - particularly in the business environment where there seems to be even more of a requirement to conform. In some companies - they even have/had a dress code - dark suits, white shirts and tie. The introduction of business casual has made things more relaxed from the more formal business attire of suit and tie.

Do you dress to reflect your profession or who you are? Have you ever felt discriminated against or singled out because of your appearance?

If you're out for a meeting or sitting having a coffee in the next week - take a look at the people around you and see if you can work out who they are and what they do.

Blue Monday :)

2008-01-21T18:33:00.000Z

Apparently today is Blue Monday - the most depressing day of the year. Credit bills have arrived after the Christmas spending spree, it’s cold and wet (especially wet if you’re in the UK), the nights are still dark, it’s months to go until your summer holiday, another week until you get paid and all those New Year Resolutions are slipping away.

Blimey – no wonder people are depressed. However, looking at it another way – there’s a whole new year ahead of us, the nights are getting longer and it’s definitely lighter in the evenings. You’ve got through Christmas – which was probably not all peace and tranquillity and if you’re anything like the majority of people I’ve spoken to recently, you were lucky if you avoided the flu.

Why wait until the summer for a holiday? It doesn’t take much to arrange a weekend away and why not plan several holiday’s this year instead of saving up all your holiday for one summer holiday. Make the most of the daylight and get out into the fresh air – nothing like a little wind and rain to blow the cobwebs away on a brisk walk – even if it’s down to the shops in your lunch break.

If you do happen to be feeling down – write down at least three things to be grateful for. As a minimum, you’ve got a roof over your head, food in the fridge and money in the bank – even if you have maxed out your credit cards.

Focus on what you’ve got, not what you haven’t and make the most of the simple things in life.

Start As You Mean To Go On

2008-01-14T17:17:00.000Z

While we’re all setting resolutions (or not), the beginning of the year is a good time to start as you mean to go on. If you’re intending to take regular breaks throughout the year – then look at your calendar and book the time out now. If you want to keep your office tidy – decide to spend the last few minutes of the day putting things away. If you want to keep your accounts up-to-date – book out time in your diary once a week or once a month to get them done.

If you want to finish work on time or not work such long hours this year – set a finish time and stick with it. Don’t plan meetings or take on additional work late in the afternoon when you know it will make you late.

If you want to start saving or clear your debt this year, take the money straight out of your bank account at the beginning of each month. Although it might be tough for the first couple of months, once you get used to it, you won't even notice it.

If you want to get fit or improve your health – book time out in your week for regular exercise and put it at the top of priority list.

While an initial burst of enthusiasm might dwindle after a few weeks, check your progress at the end of each month to see how you’re doing. Focusing on what you want and checking your progress at regular intervals means you’re more like to stick with it.

Sickness And Your Business

2008-01-07T18:25:00.000Z

Happy New Year to you all.

I hope you've had a good start to the year. Mine could have been better, I’ve finally succumbed to the cold/flu bug that’s been doing the rounds. Both parents had flu over Christmas, which I managed to avoid. Most of my friends seemed to have also had flu or at the very least a bad cold which has put a damper on their Christmas but after thinking I was OK, it hit me this weekend. One of the disadvantages of working for yourself is that it's not so easy to take time off 'sick' when you're not getting sick pay. There’s the temptation to keep working regardless. This of course doesn’t help things as it will take longer to get better, you’ll get more stressed out and you’ll probably make more mistakes if you're under par.

If you’re not feeling 100% - acknowledge this. Be gentle on yourself. Set yourself small goals and only aim to tackle one or two things at a time. If you can take time out then give yourself a complete break. What is so important that it can’t wait a few days? Cancel any appointments and clear your diary. People will understand, after all, we all get sick at some point. If you do feel the need to work - stick to the important things, don't work a full day and stop when you've had enough. See even my sense of duty can't stop me from getting this post out as usual but I'm now going to crawl back under the covers with a hot drink and some soup.

Stay well in 2008 and make sure you look after your health as a priority.

Season's Greetings

2007-12-24T12:00:00.000Z

Hopefully you'll all taking some well earned time out to relax, enjoy yourself and spend time with family and friends over the holiday period.

I'm not going M.A.D. this week but following on from last week's post, I've put together an Annual Review, which I'd like to share with you. You can download it from my website by clicking here.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Clare

If Only ...

2007-12-17T21:17:00.000Z

If only … I had more time. If only … I had more money. How often do you hear people say that or find yourself thinking or saying it?

Exercise often features up in the top three as one of those things that people would do more of, if only they had the time but often it drops to the bottom of the list. Spending time with partner, family or friends is often up there too.

At this time of the year it’s worth taking a look back at what you’ve achieved this year and what you would like to have done more or less of. Take a look at your Life Balance Wheel and see if there’s an area that you’d like to focus on in the coming year. Write down just three things you want to achieve next year.

Whether you want to get healthy, grow your business, learn a new skill, have more free time or something else, make a commitment to do these three things. Write it down. Tell someone about it. Create key milestones and accountability to keep you focused throughout the year.

What’s going to stop you or get in the way? Stay focused and turn your 'if only ...' into 'I have ...'

Set A Time Limit

2007-12-10T18:40:00.000Z

This is something that can be applied to various every day activities and can speed up your productivity and limit your distractions.

It’s all too easy to let time slip away or get side-tracked or distracted when working on a particular task – for instance when checking emails. While it might be important to get your emails responded to, do you often find you’ve just spent an hour going through your emails when you had something more important you needed to do.

Get yourself a simple kitchen timer and set a time limit for certain tasks. For instance - set a limit of 30 minutes to read and respond to emails, 15 minutes to start work on a report or just 10 minutes to get you going on something that you've been putting off or an hour for longer tasks. When the timer goes off switch to the next task. It makes a big difference when you know the clock is literally ticking, as you’ll get on with things and not get distracted.

It can also be useful to set an hourly alarm to remind you to get up, take a break, have a drink of water etc. or just to refocus.

As it's the season of good will, if you want to help a worthy cause, I just found that you can donate a digital timer through the Cancer Research website, so you get to improve someone else’s productivity and help a good cause at the time.

Don't Just Sit There!

2007-12-03T17:33:00.000Z

I was helping out at a local event yesterday. It was a Christmas event with a mix of arts and crafts, beauty products and several small businesses and a couple of charity groups. There weren’t that many people coming through the doors but I probably managed to speak to most of them and came away with a large number of contacts to follow-up. A successful event as far as I was concerned.

However, many of the other exhibitors were just sitting behind their stalls, waiting for someone to come and buy whatever it was they were selling. Mostly looking miserable and complaining about the poor response. Now, not everyone is looking for what they’ve got but it might have helped if people had at least stood up and attempted to engage with the people passing by. It’s the same in business – if you’ve got something to offer, then don’t just sit there waiting for the phone to ring – get out there and start connecting, whether in person or virtually. Even if you have the most fantastic product – unless you tell people about it, how will they know what you’re offering and how to find you?

So many people yesterday were missing an opportunity to get contact details from the people that were there. They wasting even more of the time and energy they’d invested in getting there by not making the most of the opportunity, even if the turnout was low. While people may not want to buy straight away, get their contact details so you can stay in touch. A regular newsletter is a great way of doing this, especially if you’ve got a special offer or prize draw.

What tips and ideas have worked for you at an event or exhibition?

Finishing on time

2007-11-26T23:18:00.000Z

If you work from home do you find that you’re getting tempted to work extended hours just because your office is just next-door or that you end up working sporadically throughout the day?

Just because you work from home doesn't mean that you can't create structure in your day. While you might not want to work 9-5, think about hours that work for you. How many hours a day do you need/want to work? Would you like to have some time off during the day/week? Make sure that you spend time planning what needs to be done each day and that it fits with your business plan and goals. What would be a good start time ... 7.30am, 9.30am? What is a good/reasonable time to finish ... 3.30pm, 6.30pm? If you’re in the habit of working most evenings, aim to finish work a little earlier on at least a couple of evenings a week. Take a half-day off during the week and work a little later one evening if you need to.

Make sure that you plan in breaks too. All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy (or Jill). You won't work as effectively or be as productive if you're working constantly and not taking breaks. Even if you work from home, so the 'office' is never far way, set yourself a cut-off time each evening and make sure you get breaks during the day. Take at least one day off at the weekend. If you're doing what needs to be done then you're working more efficiently, you won't get so tired out or feel guilty when you're not working. After all, why should you?

Think about what you need to get done, plan it in accordingly and don't work for the sake of it. If you want to cut down your hours - look at prioritising what's currently on your list of roles and responsibilities and see what you can change about the way you're currently working.

Reclaim yourself

2007-11-19T23:14:00.000Z

Some of the people I work with – particularly Mum’s have lost a sense of who they are. They’ve been working in the roles of wife and mother for so long they’ve forgotten who they used to be all those years ago. They rarely get time to do something just for them. Always thinking about someone else other than themselves or feeling guilty if they do.

Who were they before they became a wife and mother? What did they used to enjoy? Have things worked out as they’d planned? That said, I don’t think there are many of us who planned our lives and then find that things worked out as expected. Life has a way of happening just when we don't expect it.

If you’re a working mum, a busy mum or a dad for that matter – have you lost a sense of who you are? In fact this could be applied to most people who get stuck in the day to day routine. Reclaim yourself. Take some time out this week to do something you really enjoy and haven’t done in a while. Think about something you’ve always wanted to learn or try and enrol on a course or book it up. Get your partner, family and friends involved in doing something new.

Think about yourself this week.

Not Turning Up

2007-11-12T19:12:00.000Z

Last week seemed to be a week of cancellations and missed appointments.

Now I know that life gets in the way and we can't always allow for the unexpected but do you often end up having to cancel things at the last minute. People often seem to take the time and effort to book, register or sign-up for meetings, seminars and workshops and then just not turn up. Sometimes they may have a valid reason, sometimes it’s just a symptom of disorganisation, poor planning or over commitment.

If you've agreed to be there - the expectation is that you are going to turn up. If you have to change your plans or realise that you can't make it, call the person at the first and earliest opportunity to let them know. They've made an effort to arrange things in the first place, so respect the other person’s time as much as you would expect someone to respect yours.

Many people seem to say yes when what they actually mean is, probably not or they haven’t really thought about it but just say yes anyway. If you're always saying yes to things and then not turning up or letting people down at the last minute, start being more realistic with your time. Don’t say yes if you’re not sure. Don't over commit - make a tentative arrangement if you need to and then confirm nearer the time but agree this upfront, so that the other person isn't left in doubt or can follow-up if they haven’t heard from you.

What gets in your way to make you miss an appointment, you've committed to?

What can you change so that you don't make commitments you can't keep?

Ask For What You Want

2007-10-29T21:55:00.000Z

Do you say what you think or do you just leave it up to guesswork and hope that the other person will take note of your subtle hints. I’ve often noticed a lack of communication that occurs between some couples. They seem to work on the basis of either indirect comments or psychic abilities as their way of communicating with their partner. Surprisingly this rarely works and misunderstanding and needless arguments can occur as a result.

There’s an expectation that the other person will somehow realise how they’re feeling or what it is that they want or need. When they get it wrong, it is of course all their fault. How were they to know that their partner would like them to do the washing, pick up the shopping, doesn’t like something or hates that particular restaurant, if they’ve never said so or asked. Subtle communication doesn’t always work, even when people know each other well.

If the message isn’t getting through, don’t just shrug, sigh or assume they’re being insensitive and keep things bottled up inside. Think about it. Have you ever actually asked? Not with an indirect, ambiguous comment, made as an aside but saying clearly and simply what it is that you want.

Don’t expect people to get everything right first time either. Take some time to allow them to make mistakes and learn and perhaps lower your standards of perfection and be more forgiving. Not everyone is as perfect as you and so what if things don’t get done to your exacting standards – as long as they get done and your relationship improves as a result.

Get Over Yourself

2007-10-22T21:36:00.000Z

Sometimes we can take things a bit too personally – especially ourselves. We try to be all things to all people, both in business and in our personal life but it’s just not possible. As the saying goes:

“You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time”.

While we all want to get things right, some people will never be happy with what you do, what you say or how you say it, however hard you try. When I first started up in business I wanted to get everything right and wanted things to be perfect, so took every comment and criticism as a personal slight. These days I’ve toughened up a bit and realise that just because one person doesn’t like something I’ve written or said, it doesn’t mean that everyone else feels the same way and that I instantly need to make a change just to please them.

By all means listen to feedback or constructive comments – especially if you’re hearing it from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about or you're hearing the same thing being said more than once. If someone you don’t know and have never met says something against you, don’t take it personally. It may not be about you. Realise that the fact they're having a rant at you, is probably saying far more about him or her than whatever it is that you may have done. If you do tend to react personally and emotionally, take a deep breath, step away from the situation for a while and don’t respond until you’ve had time to calm down and think in a less reactive and more controlled way. Putting a little time between yourself and the issue or person can help.

Have confidence in yourself and what you do and as long as you can look yourself in the mirror and know that you’ve acted in good faith and with integrity, then stop trying to change yourself just to please everyone else.

Life’s too short.

An Extra Hour In Your Day

2007-10-15T20:11:00.000Z

If you had an extra hour in your day, how would you spend it?

When I’ve asked this question before – two of the most frequent answers people gave were exercise and sleep. Well, yes we could all benefit from more of these – especially if you never find enough time in the day for yourself.

So, this week what would you like to make more time for - friends, family, hobbies or yourself?

Take a few minutes now and plan some time for it into your week. If you don't include time for the important things (which aren't necessarily about work) then it's easy to let other things take priority. Ask yourself if you're really doing what you want and if you're not, do what you need to do to get the balance back.

It's important when working for yourself and working from home that you build in breaks, so that the day doesn't blur into a rush of work, work, work just because your home is also your office. If you create time slots in your day for specific tasks, you actually work more productively with the time that you have.

Use that extra hour to get out for a walk or get some exercise. Spend the time sitting with a cup of coffee in the garden (weather permitting). Read a book for half an hour or so. Listening to a few of your favourite music tracks or spend time with your partner, family or friends. Finding time for yourself allows you to relax and reduces your stress levels.

See what you can do with an extra hour – just don’t spend it working!

Step Away From The Office

2007-10-08T21:11:00.000Z

On Friday, I decided to take the day off and headed up to Birmingham for the Grand Design Live event at the NEC. I did wonder if I could justify taking a whole day out but hey, that’s what working for yourself is all about. The boss said I could have the day off!

It was six hours plus of driving on the busy roads around London up to Birmingham – that well known M25 car park. Not my favourite type of driving but it did provide the ideal opportunity to listen to nearly six hours of CDs that I’d bought a few weeks ago, part of a Home Study course I hadn’t yet had a chance to listen to.

Sitting in a car for a long period of time is an ideal use of that ‘spare’ time. You can listen while driving, without feeling that you need to dedicate a specific amount of time to just either sit and listen or attempt to multi-task while doing something that really absorbs your attention or just feel that you have to spend time totally in listening mode. Not that I’m saying I wasn’t concentrating on the driving but it’s an ideal way to make the best use of the time.

When you’re away from your usual office distractions it’s easier to step away from your day-to-day business routine and absorb new ideas and information. Sitting in the car or on a train for a long journey is an ideal way to let ideas form, think more creatively, work on projects and just get away from your business for a while. It gives you time to slow down and as Michael Gerber said – work ‘on’ your business not ‘in’ your business.

Escape from your blackberry, leave your laptop behind – yes, go on you can do it. Your business won’t fall apart without you for a few hours. Take time away from your business to get the bigger picture view.

Where you would like to go today or … next year?

Full Cooked Breakfast And A Shot Of Caffeine

2007-10-01T17:33:00.000Z

My usual weekly routine was thrown out last week, as I had three early mornings, (getting up at 6am is early enough for me) two business breakfasts and a trip up to London. Consequently I didn’t manage to get out for my usual exercise and wasn’t eating the healthiest of diets. Topped off with a weekend of family socialising.

I’m so glad that I don’t work in the City any more, or have to commute from home to office each day with the early morning starts, packed trains and delays. Doing that day in day out doesn’t make it easy to fit in a healthy routine when you’re grabbing a coffee to get you going after an early start, nipping out for a quick sandwich or fast, fatty food lunch and far from inclined to exercise that early in the morning or late when you return home.

If you’re stuck in the weekly commuting rut, you need to make sure you’re still planning time in your day to make sure that you’re not spending most of your time sitting at your desk or on the tub. Even small things like walking to the office from the train station instead of getting the tube or bus. Using the stairs at work instead of cramming yourself into the lift/elevator. Get out for a walk or run at lunchtime. Great if you have showers at work but even a brisk walk and some fresh air at lunchtime can make a difference. Get up from your desk and walk round to talk to a colleague, instead of picking up the phone or sending an email to someone who works in the same building as you.

Switch your drinks. I don’t know about you but I can’t take too much coffee or too late, unlike some people who seem to knock back endless cups throughout the day. Drink plenty of water in between your cups of coffee. Try decaffeinated after lunch or switch to tea. How about an occasional herbal tea? – they don’t all taste like dishwater and can be refreshing in themselves. If you mostly survive on sandwich lunches or business breakfasts (too many of those isn’t going to help your waistline), then take in some fruit and veg to munch on throughout the day and have healthy, home cooked meals when you can.

At least this week I can get back to normal ...

10,000 Hours

2007-09-24T21:45:00.000Z

According to experts that’s how long it takes to become a world-class expert or to excel in a particular field. Of course it doesn’t guarantee that you WILL become an expert in that time but if you don’t put in the hours you won’t make it. If you do make it, you will have put in the hours. At least that’s what scientific research has discovered. Even Mozart wasn’t instantly a genius when he composed his first piece of music. Picasso’s early drawings and paintings wouldn’t have earned the millions that his paintings now command, if he hadn’t put in the hours to learn his skill, become well known and then to succeed in his chosen profession.

10,000 hours. That’s only a mere 40hrs a week over 5 years or 20 hours a week over 10 years to become a world-class expert. No one who has succeeded and become world-class has done it in less time. There’s nothing to substitute for practise, practise, practise and to have the persistence to keep going, even when the rewards aren’t there.

No one is born a genius. They may have a genetic advantage but even the most talented performer, artist or musician has only got there through hours of practice. Put in the time, put in the effort and you will succeed. You might not be ‘world-class’ but you will certainly be an expert in your field and will be pretty accomplished at whatever task you set out to complete.

So, what do you want to become an expert in? What new skill would you like to learn?

Get started now, set the time aside to practice and start ticking off those 10,000 hours.

Watch What You Say

2007-09-17T21:26:00.000Z

I just came across this quote and thought it was appropriate, not just to the spoken word but here on the internet - particularly in the world of blogs and discussion groups where words - whether written in jest or not, can be open to a completely different interpretation from what might have been intended, when they land in someone’s inbox, discussion group or blog.

"Know that a word suddenly shot from the tongue is like an arrow shot from the bow. Son, that arrow won't turn back on its way; you must damn the torrent at its source." - Rumi

Don't jump to conclusions, just because you've read something that presses your buttons, particularly if you don't know the sender. I’ve seen several discussions that could be viewed as bullying or insulting that were actually friendly banter and tongue in cheek sarcasm but you would only know this if you knew the background and personalities involved.

Do they know each other and are you viewing a discussion as an outsider? Do you know the person involved? Do you know how they might be thinking or feeling? Re-read the text but take a different viewpoint. How would you read and interpret this message if it was written by a friend? Think about how your words could be interpreted by someone not in the ‘know’.

Remember that tone, feelings and the more subtle aspects of humour are difficult to convey in the written word. The same sentence read with different intonation and emphasis can be interpreted completely differently.

Looking back at the quote - if you have the habit of putting your foot in it it's worth spending a few minutes to think before you speak. At least take time to read what you've said before you hit send or be prepared to deal with the effect should the arrow find a different 'target' from the one that you intended.

If you have something important to say and you don’t want your message mis-interpreted, try it out on someone else. Sometimes we can have such a fixed viewpoint on something that we might be very familiar with, that we miss the obvious.

Go For A Walk

2007-09-10T18:31:00.000Z

This is something that came up again for me over the course of various conversations in the last week and while out on a walk with a very dear friend who’s been having a tough time of things recently. Not just taking a walk for healthy exercise but for the additional benefit of exercising and relaxing our brain too.

It’s generally accepted that the brain is divided into left and right activities.

The left brain is associated with words, logic, numbers analysis, sequence and lists – the intellectual, ‘business’ side of the brain.

The right brain is associated with rhythm, spatial awareness, dimension, imagination, daydreaming and colour – the creative, emotional side of the brain.

Walking or running is a right-brained activity. As the romans said ‘solvitas perambulum’ – solve it while you walk. Take a break and go for a walk. The fresh air, rhythmic movement of walking or running and the change of scenery will allow then more creative side of your brain to do it’s thing, solving problems while you get the additional benefit of some exercise.

I often 'create' topics for newsletters when I go out for a run or if a particular problem is going round in my head, getting out for some fresh air can be a good way to break the cycle and find a solution. Things can take a different perspective

Try it this week and see if it improves your overall sense of well-being, when you allow your brain to switch into a different mode for a while.

Get A Different Perspective.

2007-09-03T18:16:00.000Z

When we do the same thing day in day out, we often take things for granted and get into the habit of just going through the motion, not really concentrating on what we’re doing as we go into automatic pilot. We become desensitised and just focus on getting from one place to the other.

If you’ve just got back into work after the holiday break than perhaps things are feeling a little different anyway. It’s like starting a new term back at school – when you’ve had some time off things can look different, fresher, jaded, in need of a change.

Do you always take the same route to work or to the shops? Sit in the same seat on the bus or train? Do you always shop in the same store, drink the same drink, have the same sandwich filling?

If you’re a creature of habit, don’t just fall straight back into the same routine. Change things around a bit. Take a different route to work, so what if it takes a few minutes longer. Take the bus instead of the car. Go by foot instead of driving – you’ll have a different, slower, richer view of things. Do your shopping somewhere different - ok, you won't know where anything is

I recently walked down a road I often cycle down. I had more time to notice the houses and gardens, the space between them and the way the road had more curves and undulations in it than I'd been aware of.

Do something differently - even if it's just having coffee instead of tea. See how many things, however small you can do differently. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Holiday Emails

2007-08-20T10:46:00.000Z

It’s coming round to that time of year again, so I thought it was worth putting this up to help you deal with all those post holiday emails.

If you rely on email as part of your business, you probably dread coming back from holiday to hundreds of emails. The thought of spending the first week dealing with them all, so here are a few ideas to help you deal with the backlog.

First off – move ALL the unread emails into a Holiday Email Folder. That way you can clear your Inbox and quickly scan and deal with all the new emails as they come in.

Once you've planned out the important things you need to get done on your first day back, set aside an hour to go through your Holiday Email folder. Do your priority task first then deal with your email.

First scan - DON'T READ OR RESPOND TO ANY EMAILS ON THIS SCAN. Just go through quickly and eliminate the spam and any email you know you don't need to read. Use the sort function to sort your email by sender or subject, which makes it easier to delete the junk. This should take only a few minutes.

Second scan - pick out all the priority emails you need to respond to first and flag them or place them in a separate 'Action' folder.

Set aside time to respond to your 'Action' emails – start doing this now, as you should still have plenty of time left. Go through and respond to the emails, which only need a quick two-minute response. Leave emails requiring a longer response or more thought until later in the day when you’re next planned to deal with them.

Allow yourself a few minutes to take a quick look at any new emails - in case there is anything important that needs attention, but I mean a 'few minutes'. Don't get distracted!

If you’ve still got time in the hour do the third scan - if your filters haven't already sorted out Reading emails, now is the time to place all of these in the appropriate folder(s). Remember you don’t have time to read everything and the world won’t end just because you haven’t read this week’s/month’s newsletter. Now, might also be the time to unsubscribe to those you never get round to reading anyway.

Fourth scan - deal with what's left. Less urgent action emails can now be dealt with. Anything still left? If it's not action or reading - it's probably not urgent so can be deleted.

Once you've safely dealt with the backlog that came in while you were away, then you can apply the same process to the new emails that have come in.

Extend The Holiday Feeling

2007-08-13T20:40:00.000Z

If you’ve just come back from holiday – don’t allow yourself to get sucked back into the routine of work as soon as you get back. Try to keep the relaxed feeling you hopefully came back with, into the next few weeks.

Plan what you need to get done in the week – those things you absolutely MUST do but also plan to have some time for yourself. If you are in the habit of working in the evening – take at least one evening off this week. Actually giving yourself less time to do things or putting a limit on how much time you have available helps to focus the mind and you might be surprised to find you actually get things done quicker. Like when you’re going away on holiday and you go into overdrive to get things finished on time.

Something that we often take for granted, particularly if you’re working from home is to remember why you do what you do and your reason for working for yourself or working from home in the first place. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like having a couple of hours off from work. Sometimes it’s good to take a break during the day, (you don’t get the chance when you work in the corporate world), so make the most of it when you can. Come back refreshed and you’ll be more productive.

There's no problem with spending your time on work but keep it in perspective. As long as you know what you need to get done, it's up to you when you do it. If you need/want to take time out during the day, get up a little earlier or work a little later. I often find evening working is a great time, particularly if I'm focused. I create articles, do my online networking, catch-up on emails and can be hugely productive. During the day I may have chosen to spend my time meeting up with a friend, gone for a run, taken a walk or even got the shopping done. Much better when the shops are less crowded.

Spread your working hours across the week in a way that works for you. Make sure you fit in time to relax too, both for yourself and for family and friends.

M.A.D. Moments

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