"I think that Build the Life You Want and Still Have Time to Enjoy It! would make a great gift for someone that you know who is overwhelmed by having a lack of time. It is also a great gift to give to oneself."

More Tips for Gaining Control

Pick One Thing to Work on at a Time—
We suggest that only pick one or two new tools or approaches be implemented at one time. It has been shown that it takes roughly a month to change a habit. Too many changes at one time make it difficult to sustain the change.  Not to mention, if you try and create a new system over night, it may become overwhelming and encourage procrastination.  Build a system that really works by adopting one or two new things a month.

Getting Organized is NOT One Size Fits All
Understanding the pros and cons of your working style will help you select tools that may be more manageable for you.  This will help you take advantage of your strengths while minimizing exposure to the “monster” who likes to disrupt your productivity.  You may learn more about yourself, learn to look at yourself in a more positive way, and be more effective in accomplishing your assignments.
                                                 
Understand that Everyone May Not Be Ready for the New You—
Co-workers, friends, and family members may be used to you just the way you are and may not prepared for the new and efficient you.  They may even say or do things to discourage change because they are afraid of how it will reflect on them. They may be more comfortable with the “way things have always been” and may even have an investment in it, or mediocrity has been the norm.  Regardless of their motivation, we call these people Joy Pirates™.  Don’t let negativity derail you from being the best you can be.

Break the Cycle of Circular Thinking—

It is lunacy to try to solve a problem
in the same frame of mind
in which it was created
-Author Unknown

Sometimes, we can become so consumed by work, we loose perspective of what a “normal” life looks like.  Circular thinking sounds something like this, “there is no other way” or “this is my reality.” 

You mean people actually sleep more than four hours at night?  Airline peanuts do not constitute a meal? Being tired and overworked does not contribute to a positive perspective on affecting change and regaining control over one’s work life.  You have the power to create your own reality—for the good or bad.

While it appears in a diagram to be circular thinking, from the outside, it often looks a bit more like a downward spiral.  When you are so deeply entrenched in being overcommitted and overwhelmed, you may not realize that the quality of your personal and professional relationships are suffering, the long hours may be taking a toll on your health or at least your waist line, and the quality of your work may not be what it could if you were more balanced.  In other words, you may be working harder, but the extra time may not be adding up to the results you think.

Again, referring to the first tip, you don’t need to change your entire working style overnight, but as you read through, pick one thing to work on each month.  Little changes make a big difference!

Take a New Perspective—

When your current perspective looks chaotic, take a step back to get a new one.  A quick break can often allow us refreshed perspective and the energy to come at our work with new ideas and solutions we would not have thought of while we were so deeply engaged in the rush to the finish line.

Some people work in crowded offices and the act of actually going outside of the building often provides the opportunity to renew energy and perspective. 

Protect Your Focused Work Time
It can take up to 30 minutes to build concentration.  If you are interrupted by email, fires, or visits, you have to start the process all over again.  Be protective of your focused work time.  Consider posting office hours, asking visitors if they could wait until after your work time, send an email notifying co-workers that you will be busy during certain times, or come in when people are not in the office.

M2E Life Saver—
Back up!! USB drives are available for under $25 at most office stores and they can hold much of the data on your computer.  If one computer fails, you take your USB drive (about the size of a stick of gum) and you can work on any other computer.