The #1 time management question to ask yourself when approaching any task is, “How long is this going to take?” Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to dramatically under- or overestimate how long tasks take based on how we feel about them. In order to be effective at time estimating, you must take your feelings out of the equation. These two exercises can show you how.
In the journey from chaos to order, people often find it easier to organize space than time, because space is something you can actually see. Stacks of papers, piles of clothing, and shelves full of knick knacks are visible. You can pick things up and move them around in your space to see how they fit. You can easily see when your plate (or your closet) is too full. Time on the other hand, is completely invisible. It’s something you feel and it feels … utterly amorphous. But, not anymore! It's time to make time tangible.
It’s one thing to learn how to productively work-from-home as an individual, but; collaborating with others in a remote workforce is an entirely different challenge. Not only must we learn to stay in sync with remote colleagues — many of whom may be operating under different hours, work-loads, or circumstances than ourselves — the vast majority of us must also learn to navigate working from home alongside our roommates, partners, parents and children — which presents another unique challenge. While some of our pre-existing systems can be applied to our new working conditions, it is also necessary to develop new and specific protocols to ensure that we can work with others — both within and outside of our households — in a productive, collaborative, and harmonious manner.
We’re all working with the same 24 hours in a day. But subtract time for sleep, personal and household maintenance — such as eating, showering, cooking, cleaning, etc. —, and work, and we’re left with precious few hours remaining. Naturally, we all want to make the most of this time; yet, you might be surprised how much time clutter is stealing from you. Understanding the root of the problem will help you release it for good.
Ok, ok, so your belongings seemed to multiply over the winter this year. Your pantry is so overstuffed, you can’t tell how many jars of peanut butter are hiding in there. Your closet is so overflowing with who-knows-what, it’s hard to find anything to wear. And your home office, let’s not even talk about those towering piles of paper you can’t bring yourself to look through. But there’s no better time than Spring to indulge the urge to purge — to rid yourself of all the stuff weighing you down, getting in your way, and stealing your energy rather than fueling you when you try to relax at home.
With great power, comes great responsibility. Twenty years ago, we may not have imagined a world in which every person could hold great power in the palm of their hand. And then came the smartphone… providing us with a whole lot of power, and a responsibility we may not have been prepared to accept. Ultimately, our devices have the power to allow us to connect or disconnect at will. And it’s up to us to decide how we use technology in our everyday lives — whether we allow it to lift or limit the quality of our social interactions.
A 75-year study at Harvard University, known as the Grant Study, found that close relationships — more than money, fame, IQ, or genes — are what keep people happy and healthy over a long life. It’s one thing to cultivate close relationships with people who live under our roof or within our community. But staying close to those who live further away is a whole different challenge. Often, we tend to rely on social media to do the heavy lifting, keeping us up-to-date on the lives of our friends and family members. But that can’t be all there is. For our long distance relationships to go the distance, it’s important to actively prioritize and nourish them.
The Beatles had it right… “All You Need is Love.” But not just the romantic kind. People thrive on friendships and human connection. Strong personal relationships are essential to our health and wellbeing. Yet, many of us are so overwhelmed by the demands of our day-to-day work and personal lives, we neglect to put the effort into our social lives. All too often, Friday night rolls around, and we realize we haven’t made any plans for the weekend. One of the best ways to ensure you connect with others on a regular basis is to create routines and habits that zap planning from the equation.
Often, we feel that our homes are not conducive spaces for socializing or nurturing our relationships. Just think, how many times have you wanted to invite guests over, but the living room was buried under a pile of clutter too time consuming to tackle? Or wanted to sit down and relax with your partner after a long day, but there was nowhere for you to just sit and be without your eye being drawn to a screen or something to clean? The good news is, you don’t have to reorganize your whole home until it looks like a perfectly manicured Pinterest board in order to create a space for connecting. In fact, all you really need is one or two spots dedicated to peaceful retreat. The elements that make up your space can be completely personal — the key is simply that the space be instantly relaxing, functional, and easy to maintain.
Having thousands, or tens of thousands, of unread emails piled up in your inbox can be debilitating — it’s overwhelming to sort through and navigate and just the thought of doing so is enough to zap your energy, causing you to feel defeated before you’ve even begun. But it doesn’t have to be this way! You can gain back control of your inbox without spending hours and hours, sorting through email by email, or creating a complex filing system. In fact, a small investment of time can allow you to hit refresh near-instantly, without losing any critical information. Here’s how…
