A simple tip... for meaningful productivity

After some years of being somehow glorified, multi-tasking is gradually losing appeal. I am not fond of multi-tasking, as I understand we are not naturally wired that way (the multi-tasking term is related to computers, right?).  Nonetheless, sometimes I find it very hard to let go of trying to multitask  since there is usually so many things going on in my  life (or in my brain, at least) that I often find myself in the multi-tasking void.  I think I am not alone in this feeling, so I would like to share a simple trick that helps me to be more centered while feeling productive at the same time:

Read more »

4 comments simple tips

Is time management only about prioritizing?

Marão Montains | Portugal

There are times when I can't help feeling behind on some areas of my life.  And sometimes, I think I'm just plain crazy for adding even more in my agenda. But I do get so excited for doing new things, I can't help myself. And the notion that time management is only about prioritizing fails to work for me.

Usually, my way of dealing with things is to have a clear perception that there are times when things lend on some priorities over another's. Sometimes is family, sometimes is work, and sometimes is plain rest time or whatever... The past two weeks have been slightly insane at work, so the house is a (liveable) mess, we ate leftovers from our mother's house, and the kindergarten activity I must do this month with my son is still on the asap list...

In times like this I realise how important it is to have routines in my life, they are the base that keeps things hanging on while I don't have the proper time to address them like I want to. (Because - yes, ) there will be time for everything in our lives, just not at the same time. And for those of us who want to prioritize too many rocks, it's important to find a way of not letting them fall while our focus shifts, hence the need for established routines. So routines are the key factor in my personal time management system. I believe they set me up for success instead of failure. And they do so well on allowing the flow...

For me it works (for the most part at least), although I understand this may not make sense to many people.

Are you a pro-routine person? Or do you believe they take out spontaneity and creativity? 

2 comments simple journey | thoughts, simple tips

The problem with big rocks

On a recent talk about time management, I was addressing Stephen Covey Big Stones story. This is one of my favourite stories to start the discussion about time management, because it sets people on the right state of mind: it isn't just about try harder, or try better to do everything in have in your plate, or to use every single space you have to do something, but about choosing your big rocks and prioritize them.

But more and more, I have been realizing that we simply can't put all our big rocks. Let's say, you're a women. And you have a boyfriend/husband. And you have a child. And you have pets. And you have a career.  And you like to be active. And you have a constant need for knowledge and creativity. And you need some rest and quiet time.
If you're something like me, you have all this big rocks to put in your limited jar. Yes, these are too many rocks, but these are important, they are all BIG (to me, of course), and no, they don´t all fit in the jar at the same time.

I am a pretty organized women. With the help of GTD and Evernote, I can be quite productive. Sometimes I get asked how do I do it. The truth? I don't. There is always something I am not doing, and I am really aware about it. And I accept it.

 I understand that this provably isn't the advice anyone wants to hear, but it's the truth: there´s a big probability that you will never be able to do it all, no matter what system or tools or time you have in your hand.
The good news? It's perfectly OK! You can still achieve a lot, and above of all, be happy while doing it.

This post is a reminder and a self-note on my recent failure on catching up with the simple living challenge...

Leave a Comment simple tips

Simple tip... to better mornings

I shared a bit of my mornings here. Calm mornings, slow mornings...
But the truth is, there is a lot of intentionality in these mornings. I worked my way into a routine that allows morning actions to flow without the need of thinking on what I'm doing.
Here is a simple hack that helped me minimize the time to get ready and the anxiety of not being sure if I had put deodorant that day, for example (not a random example, unfortunately).
This tip comes both from common sense and applying work productivity strategies to our personal lives:

How do I apply it to my mornings:

I keep all my beauty items in one pouch, that I place at my left side. After I use an item from the pouch, I place it to my right side, so, at any given point at my left are the items I have to use and at right the item already used. When I'm finished, I just throw everything back in the pouch, ready for next morning.

Note the advantages:

• This routine allows you to get ready quickly - everything in one place, you're not reaching different places for your stuff; 
• Confidence that you did everything you're suppose to do, without double checking your mind. 

Bonus advantages:

• Clear countertops, neat to look at and easy to clean; 
• Unreachable items for a curious toddler. 

So, this is one of the ways I hack this tip in my everyday life. I also use it for cooking and on my work desk (inbox- left, outbox- right). I think of this kind of tips as working with the natural tendency of our body, enhancing the flow.

(I also find curious that my sweet boy plays like this with puzzles and legos despite I never encourage this behavior, which seems to support this theory, but I guess it can just be mimic).

Do you also apply this kind of tips daily? Do you think they are useful?

4 comments simple tips