No, That’s not a typo.  StayFocusd is an app available through the Chrome Web Store.  I.Love.It.

An important part of my job is staying on the cutting edge of productivity products and research.  You wouldn’t believe how much there is to learn about attention, perception, learning and communication styles.  I dedicate several hours a week to reading up on these topics.   My job is also to try out productivity apps and software, so I can make appropriate recommendations to my clients.

Tell me you know someone who never surfs at work, I will answer that I have a bridge to sell you.  StayFocusd is an app designed to help people self-impose boundaries on their web-surfing, in order to get back on track after a deviation.

To illustrate, I regularly buy printer ink on Ebay.  I also love to shop for deals.  On anything I need, and some things I don’t.  StayFocusd gently interrupts my surfing at intervals I choose, and hints “Shouldn’t you be working now?”.  I much prefer that to Instant Boss’ sharp “Back to work!”.  Certainly better than wasting time when I could be getting valuable stuff done.

I first learned about the TimeTimer while researching time-awareness and attention aids for children with developmental disabilities.  Difficulty sustaining attention (with or without a diagnosis) is a hallmark of modern life.  With so many competing priorities, and (way!) too much information coming our way at all times, many people find it difficult to simply hanker down and get done what matters most.

The TimeTimer is simple and effective.  Unlike a standard alarm, the TimeTimer allows you to visually track your time without having to read it.  Interestingly, this small difference in appearance makes a huge difference for our neurological processing.   Not only are these visual cues quicker and easier process,  but, as a result, they are also minimally distracting.

Its frankly amazing to me how we can all benefit from these simple tools.  If you’re struggling with productivity at work, the TimeTimer is worth a try!

There’s a story of two travelers cruising on the highway:

The passenger says, “I think we’re lost.”

The driver replies, “We are lost, but we’re making great time!”

Productivity is not about doing things faster.  It’s about choosing the right actions (or inactions, sometimes!) to get you where you want to go.  Obviously, the first step is trip planning is to know your destination.

I love helping people get clear on their big picture, by asking how they can be most effective in the different roles they play, at work and at home.  By taking on the habit of exploring possible actions and outcomes, you will be on track to stop chasing after your life, and start leading it.  Imagine that!

If you don’t have these clear in your mind, then just going faster wont help.  You’ll still feel like you’re spinning your wheels.  But, once you have a better sense of the big picture, getting organized and efficient will definitely get you where you want to be sooner.

As a productivity coach, I specialize in helping you get clarity on your own vision, and work together with you to make it happen.  Sound like a plan?  You are one click away from learning more about Productivity That Works.  Go for it!

If you aren’t yet familiar with Randy Pausch’s lecture on Time Managmenet, you are in for an amazing treat.  As Randy said, “what counts is not to getting more done, it’s to get the right things done”.

This is potentially the most impactful 1 hour and 16 minutes you will experience today, or even this week or month.  Hopefully, it will mold the way you consider the value of your time, and of time management.

Just click on this blog entry’s title to view the video.  Or, download the MP3 and listen to it at a better time.

There is no shortage of information available on procrastination.  Amazon.com lists 50 titles of self-help books addressing different aspects of procrastination.  Now, if I’m late on a project deadline, the last thing I need is to snuggle in with a book.

I’d like to empower you by telling you that not procrastinating is entirely a matter of decision.  That is to say, procrastination is a result of indecision, more than anything else. Fear, fatigue, perfectionism, disorganization, poor time management, discomfort, and distractions make decision making even harder, but the bottom line is adopting a mind over matter attitude is your first step towards success.  You are in charge.

People do who don’t procrastinate are usually great at intellectualizers. They instinctively pave over excuses with practical solutions, and so quickly they don’t even know they’re doing it.   But, for many people this is a conscious process.  I don’t believe that people who don’t procrastinate don’t experience fear, fatigue, perfectionism, disorganization, discomfort, and distractions.  However, they don’t let these things stand in their way.

Coaching is a great vehicle for help in decision making. Rather than analyse your fears and challenges, coaching works with your self-awareness to develop decision-making steps that are right for you.

Whomever has had the burden of scheduling a meeting with several participants knows it’s like herding cats.  And then there came TimeBridge, the ultimate online scheduling assistant.  “So easy”, says Demogirl.com “it’s disgusting”.

Watch the TimeBridge screencast demo!  It’s only a few minutes long.

“TimeBridge has introduced the first Personal Scheduling Assistant designed to help busy people find a time to meet — fast. This innovative, new web application works across calendaring systems, companies and time zones.”

Yes, I am a big fan of not doing work that does not need to be done, or can be delegated to a computer (which will never resent it like a co-worker who actually had in mind to leave early that day).

Wishing you a meaningful and productive weekend,

Lauren

“Of course I don’t look busy.  I did it right the first time.”

One of easiest ways to improve your time management in a group context is to become a pro at expectations management.   It’s exactly what it sounds like: everyone is clear on what to expect from the other, and what the other expects from them.

After all, time management boils down to prioritizing and planning.  We may take for granted that our team knows exactly what we mean, or that they will figure it out for themselves (after all, that’s what they are paid for, right?).  Some people want their staff to be ultra-autonomous, but still act as an extension of the manager.  That sounds like quite a feat to me.

As I told a client last summer and another client just last week, “when your boss says ’do what you think is best’, they often really mean ‘know what I would think is best, and do that’”.  This is neither good nor bad – it’s reality.  The people who can squeeze the expectations out of their leaders are often the ones  who get the job done right the first time.

• If it’s not clear why intelligent, skilled employees are not delivering results on time, or
• deliverables dont’ turn out the way you want the first time, or
• if you don’t know how or where to begin to improve your team’s productivity through expectations management, just give me a call and ask.  It’s my job to help!

“-then assist those around you”.  

Why so selfish?  Well, look at you.  You may be taking better care of your pets than you do of yourself.  That leaves you overtired, crabby (that’s the nice word for it), malnourished, forgetful to an extreme, and feeling like a pinball (remember those?) being flipped from bumper to bumper.  You might feel like you aren’t doing anything well these days, that you’re just treading water.  Career, family, friends, finances, future, my blood pressure rises steadily with each word.

Putting on your own oxygen mask first means taking reasonably good care that your own needs are met, in order to be able to meet the needs of others.  This is as true at work as it is certainly true at home.  We are the best people we can be, for ourselves and others, when we take care of our own basic needs first.

Get to bed earlier

Get outside for some fresh air

Get healthy with a balanced diet and wellness routine.

Get laughing with positive people who inspire you

Get going: set goals for yourself, and get things done!

The first step towards living the life of your dreams is being in condition to see it and handle it.  If you don’t know where to start, there’s no one like a personal coach to help you.

Isn’t it time you got ARoundTuit?  Have an awesome evening!

For most people, it’s frustrating to talk with someone who interrupts.  Even people who enjoy fast, excited conversations may feel short-changed by the interruptions. 

Because it is impossible to think two things at the  same time (go ahead and try if you want), we can not at once listen and formulate a response.  What often happens is that something someone says creates a gut emotional reaction fur us, which comes out like a missle, without warning.  Other times, we actually tune out the speaker in order to formulate our response, which we state just as soon as the speaker is done.  While this is not interrupting per se, it is not listening either.   

You can probably think of one or two people in your circles who are exceptionally enjoyable to talk with, no matter what the subject, and whether you agreed or disagreed.  Very likely, what made you feel so good was that the person simply listened to you and gave you a thoughtful response.

People who listen are focused on understanding.  They stop what they were doing before you started talking, and make eye contact with you.  They pause their own thoughts, and concentrate on yours.  You may hear a significant pause before they first respond to what you said.  People who listen respond with validation, because they are primarily concerned with understanding before responding.

How does this affect productivity?  Plenty of time and energy is wasted every day due to miscommunications and unclear expectations (“but I thought you said/wanted/thought..”).  The obvious first: good listening promotes better understanding and hence, fewer misunderstandings.  Second, good listening improves morale.  After all, who doesn’t want to be heard?

This week, try to become a better listener.  Concentrate on what your partners in conversation are saying, and ignore your gut feelings and the litte voice that wants to cut them off and react.  When the speaker is done, that’s your time to take to formulate a response. 

Let me know how this works for you!

Well, thanks to my meeting this morning with the great Miriam Salpeter (http://keppiecareers.wordpress.com/), I find myself at long last propelled into the blogosphere.

Our meeting was exciting, full of positive energy and inspiring.  That is the kind of energy I am hoping to give you, dear readers, through this blog.

ARoundTuit Organizing is an Organizing and Productivity Consulting company in Atlanta, GA. I am Lauren Davidson, your professional organizer and coach.  I help people who are struggling with mental and physical clutter, as well as people who are not struggling per se, but who are ready to take their lives to a higher level through coaching.

In this blog, I’d like to give you organizing tips and ideas, but as well some food for thought on organizing as a means to an end: purposeful, meaningful living.  That’s the whole point, after all!

I hope you’ll enjoy sharing this ride with me.

All the best,  Lauren