Maximizing Your Time for Vacation

The weather’s warming up, flip flops are emerging and kids are out of school. For lots of people, that spells vacation season. But not for everyone.  Many of us get so wrapped up in our worklives that we don’t take all the time off we’re entitled to….or need.  In fact, Americans only use about 77 percent of their paid time off, which translates to almost 430 million unused vacation days annually.

Demanding workloads, and the drive to compete lead many to believe sacrificing time off is the key to job survival.  But peak performers know the opposite is true: folks who take most or all of their vacation time perform better, are more productive and more satisfied.

Still, it can be hard to take time off because we’re afraid of falling behind, and paying for it when we get back.   The key is to be organized in order to fully enjoy and maximize the benefits of time off:

• Think of your vacation as an investment in your performance. When you are recharged and rejuvenated, you have more energy, make fewer mistakes, and come up with more creative solutions to workplace problems. As an added bonus, the deadlines (of a flight or vacation time) force you to focus, eliminate unnecessary distractions, and get more done. Just think how clear your desktop gets right before you leave for vacation!

• Vacation in short bites. Even two days away can improve your wellbeing, so consider scheduling a series of wonderful long weekends throughout the summer, if you can’t swing a full week or two. These mini-breaks refresh your spirit on a regular basis without sacrificing any work momentum and motivate you to stay focused during the workweek.

• Prepare the people you work with. Starting one to two weeks before you leave, remind key players you interact with (supervisors, co-workers, key clients) the days you will be out of the office, so that they get deadline driven assignments to you in advance. Meet with any colleagues covering for you to pass along projects, giving them clear decision rights on things they can handle in your absence, and what constitutes an emergency worth contacting you for.

• Pull the Plug. Ensure you are able to relax and recharge by limiting your contact with the office while on vacation. If you must check-in, give yourself a time limit like every other day or five minutes per. If you have prepped your colleagues and shared your contact information, they should be prepared to handle things while you are out and know how to find you should the need arise.

• Build in re-entry time. Minimize the wall of stress that can hit on our first day back from vacation by planning. Get home early enough to unpack and get a good night’s sleep. Avoid meetings for the first half day back at the office. You’ll need time to catchup on what happened while you were gone before taking on new projects and assignments.

The good news is, it’s not just our time away that benefits us; we get an emotional reward from anticipating a vacation.  So, get some use out of those flip flops—it’ll help your career, and your sanity.

Look better, feel better, do better

It’s what on inside that counts—but appearances sure make a difference. I learned this the hard way several years ago. Okay, it could’ve been worse, but my ego took a hit: Before releasing my first hardcover business book, my agent suggested I get a makeover.

After the initial sting (was there something wrong with the way I looked?!), I went to see a stylist. I was shocked when he suggested I upgrade my perfectly-professional-but-generic suits to designers like Armani. How could I justify that expense? But he made the case that owning even 3 designer suits would serve me better that 15 lower priced ones. Taking a pure leap of faith, I went for it.

To my genuine surprise, upgrading my wardrobe transformed my business. In those elegant threads, I had a whole new presence. Whether walking onto a stage to give a speech, or into a client meeting to close a deal, I was stunned at the attention and respect I seemed to command before I had even opened my mouth. When we look better, we feel better, and carry ourselves better. The suit—and the confidence and energy it gave me—projected a powerful message, Here’s a competent, successful person you can trust.

The results were tangible. My revenue tripled in a matter of a few years. I attracted bigger deals. I won more successful clients. The Armani and Chanel investment paid for itself many, many times over.

Wardrobe isn’t the only tool in our arsenal of making a good impression. Both being organized and looking organized can impact our professional success. My clients view their organizational tools and systems as confidence building “battle gear.” Trial lawyers who appear in court with elegant, high-end binders containing all their case material arranged within perfectly labelled tabs make a tremendous impression on the judge, opposing lawyer and jury. There are accountants who, organized binders in hand, have intimidated auditors with their preparedness; I’ve even heard of the right organizational tools shortening audit times because the accountant looks so in control.

As professionals in the knowledge economy, we’re responsible for synthesizing and referencing a massive amount of information. Our clients, bosses and colleagues are relying on us to take care of them. When our knowledge is contained in beautiful, visibly organized materials, it projects to everyone in the room “I have you”, “I’ve got this.” Nothing feels better than when a client or boss trusts us, and nothing feels worse than being second-guessed.

For better or for worse, presentation matters. And sometimes, in suits, binders, and life, spending a little extra on the “Armani” option pays big dividends.

3 Time Management Lessons from Mr. Brown

               The most common goal of executives who hire me for time management coaching is to free up time to invest in their teams and to spend with their families.  Intuitively, they know that time spent with people forms crucial bonds, enables personal development and reduces fire drills.   Yet, daily urgencies frequently preempt time reserved for weekly 1:1’s, for “walking the halls” to stay visible and getting home in time for dinner. 

               Protecting time for others requires a willful shift from being reactive (to every distraction and mini-emergency) to being proactive about long term priorities. Is it easy? No.  Is it worth it?  Yes.  To inspire us all, I can think of no better role model than my beloved elementary school Principal, Martin. K. Brown.

               I met Mr. Brown on my first day of 6th grade. My family had just moved to Center City, Philadelphia, and I was nervous about entering a new school where all the kids had been friends since kindergarten.

                Wearing my coolest pleather jumper and a burgundy pullover, I took a deep breath and walked in the front door of Greenfield Elementary School. And there, waiting at the top of the steps, was Mr. Brown, my new principal. “Hello Julie,” he said. “Welcome to your first day!”

                The warmth of that greeting is emblazoned on my memory.  I was stunned; not only was the Principal stationed at the entrance, but he knew my name!  I felt safe, I felt important, and I felt that I belonged. My time at Greenfield ended up being the most formative of my life— a defining era that even now, I can go to in my mind to connect to my most authentic, capable self.

                Not too long ago, Mr. Brown surfaced alive and well on Facebook.  His profile became a super-magnet to students from around the globe.  Within months, hundreds descended upon Philadelphia for an elementary school reunion.

              As I reconnected with friends who looked exactly the same as when we were ten years old (I swear), and alumni from across the decades, one thing was apparent: Mr. Brown had made a similar lifelong impression on every single student who passed through that school.  The accolades revealed that it wasn’t just because Mr. Brown was such a wonderful, wise person…it was because of how you felt in his presence.  

          "When Mr. Brown was around, you just knew everything was going to be alright” 

           "He created an environment that allowed us to soar." 

           “Mr. Brown represented high ideals, and inspired us to do our best” 

                 I sat down with Mr. Brown recently, and asked him how he approached his job, to see what we could learn from him.  His primary goal, he said, was to create a positive environment -- a place that kids (and parents) would remember and feel good about.  To make that happen, he spent his time and attention in three very particular ways. 

• He invested time getting to know each student personally. He learned our interests, personalities, strengths and dreams. And because our leader recognized us, we felt we could be ourselves. Even 40 years later, at the reunion, we marveled that he not only knew each of us by name, he remembered the names of our siblings and parents. He made us feel like we mattered.

• He organized his day around “being there.” No matter what else was on his plate, Mr. Brown did not want students to see him only when they got into trouble. He stopped by classrooms and made sure we saw him in the hallways and lunchroom and at recess. We felt safe, seen and taken care of, because someone was visible and present.

• He promptly resolved issues with love. Because he had taken the time to establish a good rapport, when kids acted out, he didn't need to yell or threaten. Instead, he'd say (with a glint in his eye), "I know you can do better." He meant it, and we listened. Conflicts were resolved quickly, with everyone’s dignity intact.

Certainly, Mr. Brown had a rare gift for understanding human behavior and what people need.  But his vision and grace translates to three concrete behaviors we can all practice, whether we are leaders, managers, parents or friends.  No matter how demanding our jobs, it's important to remember that devoting time and attention to people is the best investment you can make. It inspires everyone to be the greatest version of themselves, and leaves a lasting legacy.

Five Ways to Build a Better Bedtime Routine

Labor Day’s late arrival was a mixed blessing. It extended the lazy days of summer with extreme generosity—but now we feel pressured to make up for lost time. As we rush into fall routines, I’d like to suggest you focus on a critical task: Sleep. 

That might seem counterintuitive when you feel like you never have enough hours in the day. But sleep deprivation is epidemic , and it steals your energy and productivity. Studies also show it can lead to weight gain, memory problems, irritability, and even illness.

A  sleep study released just last week found that people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold, compared to those who spend more than seven hours in slumber land. 

Here's how to get the sleep you need:

• Change your mindset. Consider whether you think of sleep as the end of one day, or the beginning of the next? Folks who think of sleep as the end of the day often have trouble letting go at night – like little kids who refuse to leave a party for fear of missing out on some fun. Try flipping your thinking—when you view sleep as the beginning of the next day, you can’t wait to get into bed and recharge your batteries.

• Give yourself time. If you have kids, put them to bed at least 90 minutes before your own bedtime so you can chill out.  

• Unplug. Set an alarm to go off at least 60 minutes before bed, which indicates it’s time to shut down all devices….no more email, social media, online shopping, or cat videos. While we often turn to them to unwind, research shows they stir us up. Cover all electronics that emit light in your bedroom (alarm clocks, laptops, cable boxes, etc.) Those hazy green lights can make it hard to relax.

• Establish a soothing routine. Try deep stretches, soft music, a cup of herbal tea or an almond-cherry smoothie. Lay out your clothes for the next day, walk around the house locking the doors, straighten the sofa pillows and bookshelves if that relaxes you. Try spraying your pillow with lavendar. Read a great book in bed (but not on a tablet that tempts you to surf!), or meditate.  

• Give it a month. Building a new routine takes time and practice. For the rest of September, keep a daily log of whether you succeeded in your sleep goals, reflecting on what worked, what didn’t, and why. Then make adjustments until your sleep routine is as automatic as brushing your teeth. The payoff: Fewer colds, sharper focus, and the energy to bring the best of yourself to your work, friends, family, and goals.

Let me know how these techniques worked for you. To sleep, perchance to dream!

3 Practical Ways to Break Your Email Addiction

I'm always asked about the title of my book, NEVER CHECK EMAIL IN THE MORNING. Why not? Should I really wait until noon? You don't mean check at all??? My point is that while email is an incredibly powerful tool, it is also highly addictive. Unless careful, it will derail us and prevent us from getting anything else done.

A recent study featured in the New York Times, Stop Checking Email so Often, provides new scientific evidence that you will save time, increase efficiency and reduce stress by resisting the temptation to check email every 5 minutes.

I'm not saying it's easy to break the email addiction, and even when you do, there's a strong chance you'll slip back into your old ways the minute you let your guard down. But, with all of these facts in mind, it's worth refortifying your effort.

Check out this video blog to learn more about three ways to break your email addiction and gain control of your schedule:

• Completely avoid email for the FIRST hour of the day. This will allow you to center yourself before the distractions of the day hit.

• Batch process email at designated times throughout the day. Treat email as a focused task -- in intervals that work for your life (e.g. every 2 hours, 3x per day, etc.).

• Completely avoid email for the LAST hour of the day. Science shows us that screen time overstimulates us and makes it hard to go to sleep at night.

Keep in mind that as with any "addiction," you'll suffer a bit of withdrawal for the first few days, distracted with worry about what you're missing when you are disconnected for an hour or more. But hang in there -- before long, the payoff (time reclaimed to think, create, connect and relax) will become self-reinforcing. Try it. You'll like it.

It's a New Year: Un-JAM Your Life

This is my tea cabinet. I love going into it every day. Looks great now, but last year, it was an overstuffed mess. Maybe it was the Polar Vortex, but that cabinet became jammed with so many boxes of different kinds of tea that it made my simple pleasure difficult.

In November, I finally took half an hour to get rid of the teas I had bought and crammed in on impulse but never really drank. (Luckily, a dear friend was happy to inherit my castoffs.) 

What I love about this cabinet now is how easy it is on me. It holds ONLY the teas that I use and enjoy. I don’t have to pull things out to see what’s in the back or reach past one box to get to another. That’s one less battle every day. One more way of taking care of myself.

As a professional organizer, I know all too well that New Year’s is the time for traditional messages about self-improvement: Set Big Goals and Achieve Them!  Make it a New Year, New You!  But in 2015, those resolutions seem vacuous and stale—like old cigar smoke lingering on the upholstery and walls.

Seven years following the economic meltdown, what we all need most is to be reminded to nurture ourselves.  We’ve been pushing hard for years, resolving to survive, reinvent, stretch budgets, learn new things. This is not the time to push harder—it’s the time to un-cram our lives to make room for the things that enrich us.

Yesterday, a wonderful, dynamic client told me that she has begun prioritizing sleep since our last session. As she was headed to bed, she’d fought her usual impulse to clean up a pile in the living room and instead climbed under the covers and read. Yes…I told her, remember that moment whenever you have the urge to jam something else in, and build more of those restorative choices into each day. 

My tea cabinet is a symbol of what I mean. Overstuffing anything—not only a physical space but also our time—is a way we put conflict into our own lives. Instead of shoving in another revision to an already good document, squeezing in an extra topic at a meeting, or wedging more projects onto your to-do list, leave some breathing space.

Choosing the peaceful path will slowly, subtly change the texture of your days—from one giant force of will, to a more fluid rhythm of effort and renewal, effort and renewal.  Rather than saving all your rest for bedtime, build in renewing moments throughout your day.

This creates a sustainable life. An enjoyable life. It makes you happier—and surprisingly, more effective in everything you do. Not the traditional way, but an easier one. Try it.

Here’s to a wonderful year.

Julie

PS—And if you don’t already have a tea cabinet, make room for one.

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