How do you feel about meetings at your workplace? How about the ones that are really unnecessary?

Are you unable to complete your work because these meetings leave you exhausted and are eating up your time?

Meetings are important but just like adding too much sugar to your coffee or tea can make it taste poisonous, too many meetings spoil their effectiveness.

You end up working late to make up for lost time. Most probably, the quality of your work suffers from being tired after all those meetings.

And it’s not just in the corporate world. I remember an article from almost a decade ago in the Delhi edition Hindustan Times that caught my attention.

It was in the Government news section and titled “It’s official, far too much time goes into meetings”.  The article was based on a survey conducted by a serving Indian Administrative Service officer and claimed that 60% of officers believed that they held more meetings than necessary.

It made for interesting reading.

You don’t have to be in the corporate world or anywhere for that matter to hold time wasting meetings.

Way back in the days when I was doing a consulting assignment in Belarus, the firm for which I was doing the project had a tendency to hold too many meetings at the whim of the Managing Director.

I had to attend each of the meetings which went on for hours without achieving much. The saving grace was a shot or two of vodka with caviar at the end, but the rest of the day was not very productive.

Considering the timelines of the assignment and the fact that from what the translator was telling me during the meetings, I finally summoned up the courage to talk to the owner of the company.

Using the skill of leadership presence, I made a case to be excused from the meetings unless my work was a part of the agenda.

Things smoothened out and I completed the project in time.

Research shows we are spending too much time in meetings and too little on actual work

Meetings are a daily or weekly part of the regular schedule for most workers.

However, these meetings might actually be detrimental to the workplace, especially if they have no clear purpose.

There are logical reasons for why meetings tend to multiply. They provide an opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.

However, when they start to feel overwhelming or pointless, they may actually lower morale and productivity.

Research done by Zippia in 2023 on meetings, whether virtual, zoom, in-person and productivity revealed some amazing statistics.

While the focus was on the USA, I’m sure the numbers would be similar to other countries. Check them out.

• In the United States, there are around 55 million meetings held each week. That’s at least 11 million per day and over 1 billion per year.
• The average time spent in meetings per week is 3 hours, with 30% of workers reporting that they spend over 5 hours per week in meetings.
• Organizations spend roughly 15% of their time on meetings, with surveys showing that 71% of those meetings are considered unproductive.
• An estimated $37 billion is lost per year to unproductive meetings.
• Workers spend an average of 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings.

Here are some further insights their research uncovered:

Imagine what your workday would be like if meetings were less frequent and more productive!

While you may be diffident about telling the boss all those meetings are eating up precious time, it doesn’t mean you can do something about it within your sphere of influence or persuasion.

There are steps you can take on your own to cut down on meetings. However, you’ll probably make more progress if you work as a team.

Try these suggestions for transforming your approach to meetings.

5 ways to claw back time by reducing frequency of meetings

These are tactics that work when applied pro-actively.

1. Consult your boss. Ask your boss if they’re interested in developing an overall strategy to make meetings more relevant.
2. Clear the calendar. Do you attend weekly meetings whose origins are shrouded in mystery? It may be time to start from the ground up. Review each recurring meeting to ensure that it still serves a valid purpose.
3. Call first. Make a quick phone call to see if you can resolve the relevant issues before asking your colleagues to attend a meeting. You could also try handling it on your own or asking another employee for assistance.
4. Create meeting-free days. Take a day off from the conference room. Some companies have made a commitment to at least one day without meetings each week. This gives employees more time for tasks that benefit from deeper thought and fewer distractions.
5. Opt out. If you’re tactful about it, you may be able to turn down meeting invitations without causing any friction. Explain your conflict and propose an alternative like using project management tools or creating internal reference materials. It also helps to have a supportive boss.

Be a real leader and make meetings more productive

What if you are responsible for arranging the meetings and driving them?

Applying your power base to get consensus and making sure you’re commanding the room from the beginning is a good start.

In addition, use the following tips to keep the meeting purpose and length under control.

1. Prepare an agenda. Keep your meeting on track by circulating a written agenda. It will provide a sense of direction and help participants to stick to the main subject.
2. Limit attendance. Most experts believe that meetings are more effective when they’re limited to about 8 participants. Larger groups often experience more difficulties with communication and decision making.
3. Shorten the time frame. Why schedule an hour-long meeting when 45 minutes will suffice? Having less time encourages greater focus and fewer conversations about items unrelated to the agenda.
4. Finish early. Give your colleagues an incentive to be concise. Make it a habit to end meetings ahead of time when the work is completed.
5. Stand up. Try conducting some of your meetings standing up or walking around. You’ll be less likely to want to linger on a cushioned seat because you’re sleepy. You may also think and speak more clearly when you’re on your feet.
6. Ban browsing. Do you want to join the ranks of companies that prohibit phones and other devices from meetings? On the other hand, you may be satisfied with a policy for muting phones and using devices only for tasks relevant to the meeting.
7. Upgrade your technology. Then again, some technology may enhance your meetings. Use video conference calls and screen sharing applications to keep things interesting and accomplish more in less time.

One doesn’t have to have a title to be considered a leader as I’ve pointed out in one of my earlier blog posts. Our ability to demonstrate the qualities of a good leader are enough.

Real leaders care about their teams and co-workers time utilization

They strive to bring out the best in everyone. So, one other idea is to suggest providing leader training. Talk with your employer about providing training for employees who conduct meetings.

Meetings can encourage collaboration and strengthen professional relationships. Work with your employer to ensure that your meetings are essential and successful.

Resources Mentioned in the video

Quick Win Resource: Time Management Bundle 

5 Step Method to win your Time Management Challenge Course 

Prefer to read? Here’s the full Transcript

What does the best version of you look like? Seriously, think about that for a minute. Your current reality might be good, but you know it can still improve. You want to do something to change in some way so that your experiences change. You realize your relationships, financial picture, or health can improve.

So, you’re taking action. For people that are driven to create significant and positive change, effort or desire is never in low supply. You’ve probably tried to do things in the past to create change.

Maybe you succeeded at some level. Many of us who attempt to create better versions of ourselves will find early success, only to eventually return to the undesired reality where we started.

There’s a reason for this.

It happens when our priorities are out of place.

You know what you want. You consciously desire to become better. So, you gather the knowledge. You take action and are determined to create the desired result. That can’t happen if your priorities aren’t in line with what you tell yourself you want to accomplish.

I have seen it happen with different clients who hit a roadblock and while they talk about productivity at work and loss of work life balance, they often overlook where their tasks, actions and relationships lie on their priority list.

Hi, I’m Vatsala Shukla and today we’re going to be looking at how our priorities are holding us back from doing tasks which really matter.

For sure this is a time management issue but what happens when using the Blanchard or Covey Quadrant doesn’t work?

I remember a client of mine doing the Covey Quadrant exercise and then reporting back that everything was falling in the Urgent and Important part of the quadrant.

So, the next question was, what’s more important in terms of priorities?

Now here’s the thing, we may make the most of our time and possibilities by carefully selecting activities. However, if we make poor choices, we may become bogged down in time-consuming, low-yield tasks that prevent progress. An “Action Priority Matrix” can help in this situation which I’m going to share with you.

But first, let us look a little more at the priorities.

Now when you change your priorities you can change your experience.

And if you want a better, more fulfilling, and healthier relationship, what are you doing to make that happen? Do you have a detailed game plan? Or do you work on strengthening your relationship whenever you think about it?

We are talking about are priority. You may desire a wonderful relationship more than just anything else. That will not happen if your actions reveal that you prioritize other activities ahead of strengthening your relationship.

Now that is just one area my client was having problems. But another one which I’m going to share with you is that perhaps it is the work side. You might be working too much. And you have an idea that the harder you work, the better are your chances of getting promoted. Or the more money you can make, the better reality you can give your family.

So, you pour yourself into the work. You’re working long hours, weekends and all. But, when it comes time to getting promoted, the promotion is given to someone else. Somebody who has more poise and charm and you find that you’ve been had.

Now that isn’t really going to help you much, is it? But there is a simple tool that you can use to overcome this challenge. And this tool will help you to figure out your priorities and what actions will actually move the needle for you. It is a tool that works both for your professional and personal life. I mentioned it a little while back.

It’s called the Action Priority Matrix.

The Action Priority Matrix is a straightforward tool for determining which actions to prioritize and which to delegate or remove. And it’s going to permit you to get most of the chances you have.

Now, if you know how to chart your To Do List activities on a Covey Quadrant, then this matrix will take it a step further to show you what tasks need prioritization.

When we use the matrix to choose activities wisely, we spend more time on the high-value tasks that keep us moving forward. And you can apply it quickly and intuitively to new jobs and projects. And that is what we actually did with my client, and she finally started to get hold of her time and productivity and her relationships. So, it’s not a tool to just laugh at.

In fact, it’s so simple. It can be a basic chart that compares urgency and importance or a complicated grid that considers various factors.

Businesses use Priority matrices for various purposes, including work delegation, ranking possible projects by importance, and ensuring project visibility by documenting the decision process. So, it’s a multi-purpose tool.

And here’s how you’re going to create it. You create this matrix using two components.

First, you draw a graph that measures effort along the x-axis over here and impact along the y-axis over here. Next, you add boxes to the graph, two stacked on top of the others.

And with the finished diagram, you can plot all of your initiatives to see if they are high impact and low effort, high impact and high effort, low impact and low effort, or low impact and high effort.

And I’ve given it on the screen. You can note it down or take a screenshot of it.

So here is the breakdown, the 6 steps and they are easy.

The first step is you make a list of the major tasks that you want or need to perform. And then you assess the impact (from 0 to 10 for the most significant effect) and the effort required (from, say, 0 for no real action to 10 for a substantial step). And then using your scores, you plot the actions on the Action Priority Matrix.

You set suitable priorities and delegate or eliminate the low-impact tasks. And then, make rapid wins your top priority. Tasks in the top left square require less effort but have a more significant effect. And once that is done, the sixth step is to use the time left over to work on your essential tasks.

Now this is quite simple. A bit of effort is required in the beginning but depending on how dedicated you are you’re learning curve can be quite fast and you’ll start seeing results. But sometimes other questions do arise.

And I’m going to look at them now.

What about if you’re using this for a team?

In this case you’re going to consult your team members and coworkers and find out what would assist them in completing each task. And then assign tasks based on their role and follow up to maintain momentum. Simply delegating a task doesn’t mean that you hand it over and run away.

Remember to also add any practical task that might be required. And this is a point I want to make because what may seem like a thankless task when you are plotting it on the matrix can become important later as you complete your high priority tasks.

This could include you know filling up milestone sheets and other documentation required in order to be able to go back and check later on if something goes wrong.

And another one is what should you do first – the Quick Wins or Major Projects?

Now this question comes up often and is worth considering based on your particular situation because there is no right or wrong answer. If completing a major project will take up a lot of your time but has a very high impact on the rest of your work, then you might decide to leave the quick wins and focus your attention on the major project.

On the other hand, if you can get a number of quick wins out of your task list, then that combined set of wins could have as great an impact as a major project. It would also help you build your momentum to get more work done. It all comes down to your particular situation and task at hand.

Additional Resources:

Now, I have some resources that I can share with you because ultimately, this is a time management issue combined with productivity and peace of mind.

So here is a quick win. That’s my Time Prioritization Bundle and I suggest that you download and apply the guidance in this small but effective Time Management Bundle where you’ll learn the 8 commandments of Time Management and also how to prioritize your life.

And you’ll also be getting Priority Planner with it. For a limited time, I’m also gifting you Karmic Ally Coaching’s Setting Priorities and Maintaining Perspective guide. It’s not available for sale elsewhere on my website. Details on how to get your bonus will be provided further down on this page. (Scroll up for details on getting the bonus)

And if you’re looking for a long-term project, then I’ll also be sharing with you how you can acquire my time management course for busy professionals but for now, let us focus on a quick win and get you a jumpstart.

So, my final words on the topic for today are that you should look at what you do habitually.

You might not consciously prioritize activities and habits that deliver a negative experience. It may be happening unconsciously. And if things you do regularly aren’t creating the best version of yourself, then change your priorities.

When you prioritize making changes that relate to your core values and beliefs, you’ll see more success in creating that reality. And the same holds for work and tasks that you have to do. So it’s not just life, it’s also work and this is how you’re going to get that elusive work life balance too.

This is Vatsala Shukla for Karmic Ally Coaching signing off. To your best version of yourself and utilization of your time. Bye for now.

Multi-tasking is an essential skill in the current corporate world and cannot be ignored as I had pointed out in an earlier post.

Your challenge then is how to do it without adversely impacting your Executive Presence or productivity.

But Multitasking does have its drawbacks.

According to The Harvard Business Review, this behavior can lead to as much as a 40 percent decrease in productivity. It takes workers time to switch mindset from one task to another, and doing so may not be in the best interest of your work group. In addition, it can negatively impact your company’s bottom line.

An article I read about the impact of multi-tasking in the workplace, points out how this can raise stress and anxiety in a worker and even possible burnout.

I’m not surprised. Clients who engage me as their coach for building their Executive Presence always have time management issues.

The side-effects of multi-tasking also have to be addressed.

That’s because multi-tasking over stimulates your brain function and you lose your ability to differentiate between the important and not so important tasks. It also blurs the line between tasks that are urgent and not so urgent.

Priority tasks get mingled with activities that aren’t really urgent and sadly, the Covey Quadrant or Blanchard Quadrant approach to prioritization of tasks doesn’t work for these professionals because they aren’t able to think with a clear mind.

Having said that, there’ll always be jobs where this skill is essential for completing tasks, like customer service representatives, nurses, bank tellers, bartenders, receptionists, and other front-end roles for examples.

To serve customers better, they must attend to several tasks at once.

But this same skill can become a hindrance for professionals who need a high level of concentration at work such as accountants or data entry specialists, to name a few.

I mean, have you ever heard of a surgeon multi-tasking on patients in the operation theater?

Focusing on one task at a time is necessary for these roles to produce quality and accurate outputs.

The era of multi-tasking has generated a disturbing phenomenon – our inability to focus on just one thing at a time and experiencing scattered brain syndrome.

Even if we aren’t willing to admit it openly, most of us feel scattered a good portion of the day. That’s because we’re always juggling many things at once and never have our brains entirely concentrated on one task at a time.

5 Tips to stop feeling Scattered & start feeling in Control

While I have an entire course on effective time management for professionals, here are 5 tips to help you learn to focus.

#1. Remove Distractions

Before you embark on becoming more focused, identify the things that are most likely to distract you.

Do you find yourself always looking at the notifications on your phone? Turn them off.

Do you constantly browse social media when you should be working? Install a plugin on your browser that limits how much time you spend on specific sites.

Turn off anything and everything you can that can be a distraction, including ringers, pop-ups, and other noises or visuals that pull you out of your zone.

If you focus better while listening to music, put your headphones on and select your best tunes before you start working.

Whatever it is you need to do, get your environment set to be as distraction-free as possible.

#2. Prioritize Your To-Dos

This one is often on the top of lists related to productivity for a good reason. The act of writing down what needs to be done helps to declutter your mind and get a handle on everything rattling around up there.

After it is all down on paper (or your phone) prioritize what needs to be done first. These are your tasks that MUST be done today (or by lunch, etc).

Prioritizing also tells your brain to stop worrying about those pesky things way down on the list and to focus on what is essential.

#3. Pick One and Break it Down

Start with your most pressing goal. Simplify it into its most basic steps or actions, which should take no more than 20 minutes for each.

If a step will take longer, break it down even further. Once you have a clear outline of how to accomplish the goal, you are ready to begin.

#4. Start Working. Focus on One Step at a Time

Since you know exactly what needs to be done and how long it will take, you do not need to rush, and you can focus on one thing at a time. Focus on getting that first step done.

It will take less than 20 minutes, which means your brain can concentrate for that long without interruption. Do each step deliberately and do not try to do anything else while you’re at it.

Once you are done with that step, evaluate how you feel. Do you need a break? Are you ready for the next step?

#5. Break up the Day

If you start to feel agitated or anxious, it is okay to break up your time by getting up to move or doing another very small task.

But do one little thing and then come back to your priority.

The more you neglect the important stuff on your list, the more scattered your brain will feel. After you have completed four steps or tasks, you should take a real break.

During this time, you can check your social media, read blog articles, or indulge in your guilty pleasure that you have been avoiding while you were working.

Bonus Tip: Focus on Tasks, Not the Clock

It doesn’t matter what time it is or how long you have been working. Focus on checking off the steps in your list or the tasks you have prioritized.

If you need some boundaries, set a timer for 20 minutes and work consistently until you hear it go off. Take a short break, and then return and start again. The more you practice this, the easier it will become as you build your stamina for focus.

Retraining a scattered brain takes time and diligence, but it can happen.

Be assured that you will slowly but surely start feeling like your mind can focus and you do not feel so scattered all the time.

Taking small breaks improved my focus and productivity while preparing for my 10^th Grade Board Exams. Many of us were feeling overwhelmed with the study load and the importance of this exam. God Bless our class teacher who devised a system for us that worked.

We drew up a weekly timetable with different colors for each subject. Each subject was to be studied for 45 minutes and then switch to another subject.

I loved the idea of crossing out the boxes with a black marker pen as we went along.

But the clincher was the 15-minute breaks after every 2 study subjects. In other words, we got 15 minutes off after every 90 minutes of study.

The system worked and I topped my class without stress. Better still, the method still works after 40 years.

The only difference is my timetable is now on an Excel spreadsheet on my laptop. I still love crossing out the boxes!

Since then, I’ve learned some other strategies to go with this simple method helping me stay focused and efficient. And so can you.

The Dilemma of staying Productive in an Unproductive environment

We all want to be productive and efficient in the workplace. The good news is our bosses want that from us too.

The bad news? Even with the best of intentions, bosses sometimes can’t always create environments that facilitate productivity.

In the days when open office plans were the rage, the best they could do is tell you to work in the meeting room or if even work from home.

That doesn’t mean you can’t create your own productivity formula, though.

In fact, by taking small breaks regularly throughout the day you’ll be able to maintain your focus, thus being a more productive person.

I think our teacher knew that taking regular breaks during our study time would refresh our concentration and retention power. It would also help us to get more studying and revision done.

Years later, I found external evidence too in favor of regular breaks and even the duration of the break.

How often should these small breaks occur?

While there is wide range of opinions on this, there are 2 that answer this question.

MIT Sloan’s Robert Pozen recommends a break after 75 (to 90) minutes.

The Energy Project’s Tony Schwartz also recommends a break after 90 minutes.

Schwartz’s research shows that humans naturally move from full focus and energy to physiological fatigue every 90 minutes.

Our body sends us signals to rest and renew, but we override them with coffee, energy drinks, and sugar… or just by tapping our own reserves until they’re depleted.

That’s when we experience burnout and literally collapse.

While Schwartz suggests we purposefully take short breaks every 90 minutes throughout the day to drink water, walk, or to eat healthy snacks, even pausing to do a short meditation or power nap would do wonders.

I love his mantra is, “Pulse and pause.” It’s this idea of pulsing energy that’s behind the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo.

With the Pomodoro method, you set a timer for 25 minutes, work on a single task with your full focus, then take a 5-minute break to get up, move around and maybe drink some water. Then, you repeat the cycle.

These experts believe that working for up to 90 minutes at a time will take advantage of the brain’s focus and consolidation modes.

Quite simply, there are 90 minutes of focus, and a 15-minute break allows your brain to consolidate and retain that information efficiently.

Not every position or schedule will allow you to take regular breaks at specific times. If this doesn’t describe your job, then simply take breaks where possible.

If someone is running late for a meeting, that’s your opportunity to grab five minutes to yourself.

That’s a technique I used in the office when leaving the desk for a full 15 minutes or so wasn’t possible. It also helped prevent a back problem or carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands.

I must point out that a lot depends on the culture of the company that you work for. Many owners and managers frown upon breaks.

We’ve gotten into this habit of scarfing down a quick lunch without even walking away from our desks.

All in the name of productivity. All to be seen to be doing the right thing. The right thing, though, for your health and your productivity, is to take your breaks!

The right way to take regular breaks

Plan to take a break at least every 90 minutes. If you want to be productive and maintain your focus, then you will protect your concentration by taking regular breaks.

The key lies in making the right decisions and not use it as an excuse to do wrong activities.

Resist every urge to hop online when you are supposed to be working. Don’t be tempted to check emails when you’re supposed to be focused on a project.

Another way to protect your focus is to resist eating junk at lunch. A burger may be quick, easy, and delicious, but it isn’t feeding your brain.

All of these decisions and choices that you can make throughout the day adds up to maintaining your focus and concentration.

It’s all about training your willpower and building up that muscle.

That, of course, includes those regular breaks.

The Pomodoro technique advocates for breaks after 25 minutes. Some experts suggest a break after 50 minutes.

That’s well and good if you work from home or have an understanding boss. 90 minutes is your goal.

It’s worth noting that DeskTime research found that the most productive employees worked 52 minutes (on average) before breaking for 17-minutes.

Why? It might be that we are more focused and remain focused because we know there’s a break coming.

If you think about a traditional working situation, then you know exactly how you lose focus as a break approaches.

Your body and brain are desperate to get to that break and you start to lose focus. You completely shut down and turn off, watching the clock for the magic number.

It’s different when you enjoy regular breaks. You don’t watch the clock because you are refreshing your concentration regularly. Try it out and see how much of a difference it makes.

Make those break time minutes matter. Most organizations have firewalls on their servers and internet so checking social media or watching puppy and kitten videos might be out.

Here are some better ideas:

Exercise: Do small workouts within your office space. If that isn’t possible, how about walking up and down the stairs for a few minutes?

Walking: Take a walk to clear your mind and get some genuine Vitamin D. This will improve your concentration powers too.

Chat with your colleagues: Research shows that employees who socialize are happier at work and are able to do as much as their non-socializing co-workers.

If you aren’t sure whether your boss will allow you to do this, you can try it at home with a project.

The difference it makes to your performance might be enough to help you convince your boss to make the change in the office.

Frequent breaks are part of the survival kit for every office worker – they can improve your eyesight, reduce back pain, arthritis, stress levels, and even the risk of heart disease.

Simply put, working non-stop for long periods of time can lead to cognitive boredom and that’s when we tend to make mistakes most.

The human brain isn’t able to focus for 8 hours at a time. Besides giving your mind a break, it gives you a chance to take advantage of the Zeigarnik Effect, another productivity hack.

More importantly, your body gets a chance to rest and even boost your productivity.

Isn’t that worth taking regular breaks?

The Hindi word for Balance is Santulan, something that is very challenging right now for many of us. Nobody can say I’m exaggerating when I say the world went upside down thanks to COVID-19.

If the first wave wasn’t bad, the second one wreaked havoc and especially in India in recent weeks.

Life became even more bizarre for many of us in Delhi but one soldiered on. My connections turned friends on LinkedIn shared equally upsetting stories about their countries.

We’re all sailing in the same ship, hoping the wind will change and take us in a better direction.

My 2 cents?

Stay positive and strive to find balance – even if it a new balance.

Normal societal and cultural traditions were swept aside during this second wave.

Many of us found ourselves in bereavement without the social support of friends and relatives who would normally be there during the funeral or cremation, condolence visits and the fortnight of rituals that are done to help the departed soul while bringing solace and comfort to the grief-stricken family.

Around that time, I had a chat with a professional who was looking to explore a greater meaning to his life and career.

The great ‘life happens’ had hit him, and all his plans have gone haywire. His Dad had a pain in the side and when they reached hospital, apart from discovering an inoperable problem in the torso area, he’d been diagnosed as having COVID-19 which means no biopsy was possible.

His priorities changed.

While the long-term vision and goal was still there, the focus was on the immediate now and how to find balance between work commitments and family responsibilities.

His story is not unique. Many of us were holding down jobs while looking after family members especially the vulnerable like children and elderly parents. We wondered what would happen next and if we had the resilience to deal with it.

The vaccine arrived but that wasn’t the shield to prevent catching COVID-19. It simply helped to lessen the impact from being a disease to an infection. Even then one couldn’t guarantee one wouldn’t die due to complications.

Like I said, many of us in that situation utilized the Payoff Method to prioritize our tasks and maximize the return on our efforts (read more about it here).

Balance – is it a myth?

If you think about life being balanced, you might envision a seesaw in the position of being directly balanced in the middle with no ups, no downs, and simply managing to stay in the middle ground.

Of course, life doesn’t work like that.

There are ups and there are most certainly downs. Sometimes you might feel as though you just want to jump off the seesaw and lay on the ground for a little while just to gain your equilibrium back.

What does it mean to be in balance, if life has its difficulties?

When you are in balance, you maintain your equilibrium while life’s ups and downs come to visit.

Of course, you go through the various emotions as circumstances both good and not so good work their way through your life.

However, being in balance means you get to choose how long you stay in the down position.

Of course, realistically, you can’t always stay up on the seesaw of life, but you can choose how you feel and what your action steps are going to be while you’re down.

Being in balance means intentionally, no matter how hard it is, choosing how you will show up under any given circumstance.

How do you really achieve balance?

You can achieve balance in several ways:

• Feel your emotions and move quickly through them – it’s perfectly fine to become emotional when the roller coaster of life gets too fast and too furious. Feel what you need to feel but move quickly on to the next step. The next step after feeling is action.

• Choose an action step to recreate the scene. If you’ve lost a job, fire up your resume. If your home needs a repair, start asking family and friends for referrals on contractors. Don’t just sit and stew about what happened but take the appropriate time to recreate what happens next.

• Don’t regurgitate facts and stories repeatedly – the more you talk about what happened, how unfair it was, and what a nuisance it was, the more energy you expend. This energy could be used for better purposes.

• If you find yourself faced with a problem, take the energy needed to create some sort of answer rather than dwell only on the issue at hand. Click the image below to download this worksheet – it will help.

Make a choice and make some change. If you really want to achieve your goals and enjoy life to the fullest, you must choose where your energy will go.

Make a choice that seems best in the moment and follow through with it.

Make a choice with the information you have in front of you and take action steps toward that choice.

And if you feel overwhelmed, use the Payoff method here to reduce the stress and get results.

5 Tips to give you enough energy to get through your day

Finding balance at any time, whether normal, during a pandemic or a world turned upside down requires not only energy but also making sure you have the required energy and don’t end up in burnout.

In other words, store the energy for the time when you need it most.

This energy needs to include all forms in order to help us stay balanced – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

What about you?

Is your typical workday more like a marathon than a short sprint? Has Work from Home and Remote working blurred the lines between work and personal life?

If you have a job with long work shifts—longer than the usual 9 to 5 workday—you’re not alone.

A wide range of jobs, from banking to auditing to IT services and many more, require workers to put in longer than average workdays. That’s a long time to have to be alert and at the top of your game and more so during lockdown.

That was my challenge not only during my Article days in London but throughout my corporate career when an 80+ work week was part of the requirement to climb up the corporate ladder.

I got into Transcendental Meditation which led to my interest in Chakra Balancing other metaphysical techniques. This was way back in 1988 – long before the internet exploded with gurus teaching all types of techniques.

I’ve detailed my techniques which I still use in my book Stress Management with Chakra Balancing Exercises.

But my game plan wasn’t all ‘woo woo’.

I had 5 more areas covered and I recommend you follow these tips.

Tip 1 – Make your sleep non-negotiable.

I’d say get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep but not everyone needs that much sleep. Determine your optimal sleeping time and stick to it. You’ll know what that is if you wake up refreshed in the morning.

Tip 2 – Get some exercise on a daily basis.

Many people have the wrong idea about exercise—they think it’s an energy drainer, and that working out will only make you tired when you’re through. However, the opposite is true!

A fit and active lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise on a regular basis will help kick your metabolism into overdrive and boost your energy levels—perfect for getting through those long work shifts.

Start small—try taking regular long walks and building upon your exercise routine a little at a time. Make sure you have your mask on!

Tip 3 – Eat properly!

Maintaining a regular balanced diet is also a powerful way to keep your energy levels high and consistent—this includes what you eat when you’re off duty as well as on the job.

Make sure that your diet includes plenty of high-quality protein and vegetables, and try to keep processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar to a minimum.

The former helps your body maintain a consistent and reliable level of energy throughout the day while a diet high in sugar and refined carbs (like candy and cola) causes your blood sugar and energy levels to peak and plummet as the day drags on—like a roller coaster.

Tip 4 – Learn to take breaks when you start to feel tired.

Strategic work breaks, even if it’s just for a few minutes to take a deep breath, stretch, and clear your head, can make a world of difference when you’re facing a long work shift.

I make sure that I get up for 5 minutes every hour and walk to the kitchen to get water or do something that gets me away from the computer.

Tip 5 – Store the extra energy you’ve created using meditation for use when you’re hitting a slump using the simple technique called Tan T’ien.

It works for spiritual energy created by prayers too. This post explains the technique.

It can be a real struggle to get through a long work shift and stay alert and at the top of your game—add in all the other things going on in your life that eat away at your time and energy and you may be facing an uphill battle.

It’s even more of a challenge during pandemic times when the world feels it’s turned upside down like the cruise ship in the movie The Poseidon Adventure.

But you can do it! Start with the tip which is easiest for you and build on it.

The bottom line is, you can find balance in a world gone topsy turvy. It means finding your unique equilibrium.

That requires commitment to yourself. Are you ready?

Additional Resource to help with time management and making your life a priority

Actually, it’s not so secret. You’re most probably using it without realizing that you’re using it or that it has a name.

Did you watch Dallas in the 1980s?

Remember the Season Finale which ended with the question Who Shot JR?

That dear reader is an example of The Zeigarnik Effect.

A simple technique, it’s something that’s commonly adopted in TV serials where cliff-hangers guarantee that viewers will return to the program because they want to find out what happened and get closure.

Last year I saw a series of Nescafe ads that used this effect to perfection. In the story, the famous Indian actress Deepika Padukone has a new neighbor who is aware of her celebrity status and how they become friends over a mug of coffee.

There’s a minute worth of advert with the signage ‘to be continued’. Of course when the ad came on, our eyeballs were glued to the Idiot Box.

I love Nescafe and if I hadn’t, I’d certainly have gone and bought some.

Closer to home, let me ask you a question.

Do you remember the work you’ve done or keep fretting over the tasks that you have to complete and are either incomplete or not started?

If you answered affirmative to the latter, then you’re experiencing Zeigarnik Effect.

In psychology, the Zeigarnik Effect states that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks.

Moreover, if we are doing a task, in an interested and motivated way, and have to stop doing it, we’ll find it hard to settle until we get back to the task and finish it.

The Power of Observation – How the Zeigarnik Effect Was Discovered

The Zeigarnik Effect is named after Bluma Zeigarnik, a Russian psychologist, who worked with Gestalt psychologist Kurt Lewin in Vienna.

One day in 1927, while sipping coffee in a restaurant in Vienna, she noticed that all the waiters seemed to remember all the orders which were unpaid and in the process of being served. When completed, however, the orders evaporated from their memory.

Back in the laboratory, Zeigarnik decided to test the theory on her students. She set them a range of tasks such as solving puzzles and stringing beads.

In some tasks, she allowed them to finish; in others, she interrupted them half-way through. Afterwards, she discovered that the students were more likely to remember the interrupted tasks than the completed ones!

Are you brave enough to try this experiment? It’s easy, you do nothing!

The best way to prove a point is to try it. Here’s my challenge to you.

I suggest you purposefully leave an activity or task that you know you need to complete unfinished for just 1 hour (if you’re braver, then for the whole day) and observe how you feel.

Do you feel relaxed or uncomfortable? At ease or uneasy? Do you think I’ve suggested something crazy to you?

You WILL feel uneasy and disconcerted and I promise you, the activity that you’ve left incomplete will be top of mind for you.

You’ll experience task-specific tension.

Lewin’s field theory states that a task that has already been started establishes a task-specific tension, which improves cognitive accessibility of the relevant contents. The tension is relieved upon completion of the task. If the task is interrupted, the reduction of tension is impeded. Through continuous tension, the content is made more easily accessible, and can be easily remembered.

This explains why some professionals are great at multi-tasking and maintain their productivity too, even though at times they feel they’ve become jugglers. (I’ve shared precious tips to fulfil Multi-tasking Job Skill requirements while exuding Executive Presence in this blog post.)

Coming back to the subject of my post, the Zeigarnik Effect suggests that not finishing a task creates mental tension, which keeps it at the forefront of our memory.

You can only alleviate this tension by completing the task.

As such, the phenomenon proposes that making a start on something – no matter how big or small – keeps it ticking way at the back of your mind until you reach the end.

And the same goes for your seemingly impossible task. Just make that first step and the rest will follow.

I use the Zeigarnik Effect whenever I really want to get an important task done but feel my energy is wavering.

For example, when I’m working on a blog post on a topic that I’m passionate about, I start writing it, research the images and quotes that I want to use and then stop. I commence on another activity using the Pomodoro Technique or just take my dog out for a walk.

My mind is still on the task at hand and while I’m enjoying my furry friend’s company, I am eager to get back to the task at hand and relieve myself of the tension created by incompletion.

If I’m suitably motivated, I’ll return and complete the post, images and upload it to my blog within 30 minutes. Otherwise I leave it till the next day.

As a social scientist and student of behavioural psychology, I was keen to find out how I was actually getting more done and more importantly, how to guide others to do the same.

I discovered there were 3 critical factors involved – my motivation level, nature of experience and the amount of work I had done before I stopped.

Whenever I’m passionate about something or highly motivated, then I return quickly to the task to hasten completion and enjoy the sense of achievement.

If I’m not excited, then I have to commit to a time schedule or I’ll procrastinate. For example, paying bills is something that I’ve slotted a day of the month and scheduled in my diary to complete no matter what.

While I enjoy development and business tasks, I don’t want to let maintenance tasks fall to the side. I teach my entire Time Management Strategy and Tactic in my course.

I also discovered that how far I had gone in doing my task mattered. If I had completed at least 10%, then the probability that I would return to it sooner increased and so did task completion. There has to be some skin on the teeth and it’s easier to complete what one has started rather than feel a sense of disappointment or failure.

If you love reading research, then this article by Will Joel Friendman, PH.D is one that you will definitely want to check – The Zigarnik Effect and Completing Everything.

3 Step Plan to apply the Zeigarnik Effect to reduce anxiety and being productive

Step 1: Make a list of all your pending tasks for the day – the good, the bad and the ugly. It doesn’t matter at this point how you feel about the task, just the task.

After you’ve brainstormed your list, take a good look at it and decide which ones are priorities and cross out the superfluous tasks.

Assess the amount of time required for each task. If it’s a short one, do it immediately. If it will take time, then move to the next step.

Step 2: Start the task but stop at a point when you’d really like to go on and take a break doing something completely different. All through your break, your subconscious brain will be quietly sorting out how to complete the unfinished task (like the blog post example I shared earlier).

Things will then fall into place allowing you to complete the task more efficiently than if you’d carried on without stopping.

Step 3: This step may sound counter-intuitive but leave a task unfinished at the end of the day. This will motivate you to pick up that incomplete task the next day and finish it faster. It’ll also give you the momentum to start new tasks because you’ll already have that sense of achievement and good feelings are the best motivators I can think of.

Your turn – how do you maintain productivity and avoid anxiety?

PS. Did you notice how I used this technique in the blog post? 🙂

In my early career days, I often found myself being loaded with extra tasks because my boss knew I would deliver. I had the reputation of being reliable, organized and a lot of other nice attributes but I felt overwhelmed at times and experienced work overload.

When I cribbed about it to my father, he told me I had to be more assertive and find ways to manage my work overload if required.

Then he shared a quote Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said that has stayed in my mind, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

There are always those times in the workplace when urgent and important tasks need to be completed which can overwhelm even the most efficient and effective employee.

This doesn’t necessarily need to be at the year-end but there are those seasons and days when it all comes to a head.

Here’s a 4 step approach to  effectively reduce stress, overwhelm and even avoid burnout

Overworked and overwhelmed

Take Stock of the Situation & Prioritize

Instead of going headless chicken, take stock of the situation and see if the workload can be lessened in order to give you the breathing space to concentrate on the most important task at hand.

The first step would be to find the time, preferably outside of the workplace and start making a list of all the tasks that need to be done and the stretch deadlines in free flow writing. Then mark them by numbering in terms of priority. Sometimes, simply putting things down in writing provides the required clarity and eliminates possible panic attacks.

My post, 5 tips to manage Time Targets will also help.

Delegate effectively

Once that is done, start looking at which tasks can be delegated based on the resources available to you at the office. Consider the competencies of your team members and write their names against it. Since there are deadlines, other people may also be busy and I suggest noting down, if possible, names of two colleagues whom you may ask. Do remember that the ultimate responsibility still rests with you.

If you find that your own tasks even after possible delegation is still overwhelming then consider asking your manager or immediate superior for help in prioritizing those tasks. Armed with your list, make your appointment with them to engage their assistance.  Since the higher reporting rests with your supervisor, they are in a better position to further streamline the priorities to enable your workload to become more manageable.

No boss under the sun likes unpleasant surprises and by showing your commitment with your action plan you maintain your credibility and commitment. Make sure to take notes during your meeting so that you have evidence of the agreed plan of action if required later.

Build Self-Management into your daily routine

Self-management too is an area to work on to handle stress and time pressure adequately. When planning your day, make sure that you build in some ‘me time’ as well and engage in activities that help you to relax and wind down. Depending upon your personal preferences, this could include going to the gym, power walking or less high impact exercises including yoga and Pilates. Make sure that your family life is not compromised and make sure that you spend time with them. Eat sensibly and get the right amount of sleep.

Learn the art of saying ‘No’

This is one area which many of my clients find challenging. Learn to say no to those activities that are not high up in your priority list or just eat up time without any benefit.

It means establishing personal boundaries.

The bottom line is engage in activities that work for you. There may of course be times when your saying No can affect an entire process or project. So use this skill with discretion.

To sum up, while pressure and stress cannot be eliminated completely, taking steps to action areas that are within our control can help to mitigate their impact on our lives and our health.

How do you handle situations of work overload in your office? Are there any strategies or tips that you can share with me and other readers?

PS. Think you might be heading for a burnout? If yes, then I suggest you try the Burnout Self Test. This simple self-assessment will point you in the right direction along with strategies that you can starting implementing immediately. Like the saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine”.

Do you believe you might have burnout?

Then Karmic Ally Coaching’s Burnout Self-Test is meant for you.

It will give you a no-obligation peek into the Karmic Ally Coaching experience. This test is used in the Effective Stress Management and Career Coaching Signature Program.

Gift yourself an insight into your stress levels by completing the form and we will take it from there!

In addition to the Self-Test, you will also get tips to take immediate action. A total value of $27 gratis!

You’ll be added to my subscriber list and receive my weekly email with tips, resources and special offers that are exclusive to my subscribers.

Be assured your email and privacy is safe with us and you can unsubscribe anytime you want  by using the unsubscribe link present at the bottom of each of our emails (though we hope you will stay!).

You can get more details about Karmic Ally Coaching’s Privacy Policy here. 

Marketing Permissions

The information you provide on this form will only be used to provide you with updates and personalized marketing. Your privacy is important to us! Please let us know how you would like to keep in touch:

Email

 

We will send you the Burnout Self Test and weekly emails with more resources. We will also send occasional emails about promotions, new products and important updates to keep you in the loop.

We use MailerLite as our marketing automation platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailerLite for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

I have read and understood what I’m signing up for and the Policies of Karmic Ally Coaching and Mailerlite

 

Yes, I want my Burnout Self Test

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Written By: Vatsala Shukla

This post was originally written in June 2012 and has been updated in May 2018 for relevance and new resources for the reader.

Multi-tasking has received a lot of criticism in recent years. Studies have demonstrated this skill is anti-productive, results in loss of memory and reduces attention span.

Contrary to popular belief that multi-tasking saves time, it can result in poor quality work. This in turns requires redoing which means ultimately, you end up using twice the time.

Switching tasks forces your mind to change into the right mindset for the new task. You have to take the time to remember where you left off and end up losing productivity.

Please note, this is not to be confused with the Zeigarnik Effect which is intentional for problem solving and productivity.

Multi-tasking makes it difficult to focus entirely on each task you are doing.

You’re thinking about emails you have to respond to when writing a report. And the phone calls you need to return even while you are thinking about the next task on your to-do list.

This type of working environment doesn’t do anything but cause you stress. Instead of multi-tasking among several tasks, prioritize your tasks and break them up into workable time chunks.

In a study done by the late Harvard Professor Clifford Nass, it was revealed that multitasking leads to attention and memory loss. According to the study people who use online social media and other forms of electronic communications have trouble focusing their attention. They have lower scores on memory tests.

Given a choice, I prefer to focus on 1 task or thought at a time based on priority and the time management rule of doing important but not urgent tasks first.

In other words, to do monotasking. Being focused helps create a better result for each task and saves precious time.

It’s an open secret – Employers prefer Multi-Tasking Professionals

Yet employers seek multi-tasking employees. Job candidates are often asked about this ability during interviews.

Frankly speaking, this doesn’t surprise me. Businesses globally try to cut costs and improve profit margins. If they can get 1 employee who can do the work of 2 or 3, why wouldn’t they want to hire a person who has what they are looking for?

Years ago, when I was still in the corporate world, I used to see job ads that asked for qualifications and experience that were relevant to the job. This as well as added qualifications for tasks that belonged to a different department or task set.

So ambitious professionals would study further and have 2-3 degrees just to ensure they got a job interview.

It meant that if they were hired, they multi-tasked spending long hours at work switching hats and responsibilities as required. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when these employees fall ill or quit quoting work life balance in their exit interviews.

In a competitive job market where, competent professionals are trying to rise above the noise, multi-tasking skills are considered an employable asset.

In Five Skills You MUST Convey In A Job Interview, Nathan Newberger refers to 5 key “secret skills” that employers keep an eye out for, interviewers examine and how to demonstrate those skills, Critical Thinking, Communication, Interpersonal and Multi-Tasking.

4 of these 5 skills are important for Leadership roles and for demonstrating Executive Presence. The inclusion of Multi-Tasking cannot be ignored.

Karmic Ally Tips to Multi-Task without hindering your Executive Presence

Let’s accept that multi-tasking will always be a requirement if you want to survive the corporate world and rise up the corporate ladder. But knowing the downside of multi-tasking, how do you use this skill without it affecting your Executive Presence?

For starters reframe the way you look at multi-tasking. You aren’t expected to be a juggler; you are expected to be able to

• Work on a variety of tasks concurrently, switching between them when necessary to ensure that they are all completed.
• Combine high priority tasks with low priority tasks so that the most pressing jobs get done quickly, while you make progress with the rest of your work. This means those small tasks don’t take up permanent residence on your to-do list.

Think of any cooking challenge on television where the cooks are expected to do multiple dishes. It means you should have the ability to be flexible without losing concentration.

Observe how the contestants create dishes with multiple parts and multi-task right from the word go. Finally, plating their dish for the judges and you’ll understand what I mean.

Tip 1 – Be realistic about your ability and task requirements

Remember that you are a human being and not a machine. Know how many tasks you can do in the allotted work time. Then prioritize what really needs to be done and what can be deferred without affecting your productivity.

Make sure you have a goal for each task that you are planning to do and let go of any distracting activities.

When charting out the tasks that will be included in your multi-tasking sessions, assess if the task can be done without compromising quality in tandem or in sequence with other tasks or if it will require 100% attention. If it is the latter, allocate specific independent time for it.

Tip 2 – Strengthen your ability to stay focused

Earlier in this post I wrote about staying focused on 1 task or 1 thought at a time.  The ability to concentrate on any given task is a blessing especially if you work in an open office.

One of my favorite exercises to build concentration is to use visualization exercises. This simple exercise that we use for Creative Visualization also works for improving our focus and memory.

In my example, we’re using a chocolate cupcake although you can use any other object to do this exercise.  The technique is described in this video.

Give this exercise a shot and I guarantee you will see an improvement in your focus and attention levels.

Tip 3 – Master the art and science of Effective Time Management

As you go up the corporate ladder and want to demonstrate leadership skills, multi-tasking becomes an asset and this means you need to master your time management.

This includes but is not limited to

• Prioritizing tasks
• Allocating time slots to complete a task or part of it. Note down what needs to be done when you return to the task
• Delegate tasks that can easily be done by others provided you give proper instructions and review the work
• Adopt a time management technique that will help you deliver results without creating stress. One of my favorite techniques is the Pomodoro Technique where tasks are allocated 20 minutes each and then a switch to another task. One returns to incomplete tasks again as per your planned timetable.
• Learn how to manage your time instead of running around the clock and becoming susceptible to time eating vampires. Karmic Ally Coaching’s Time Management Online Course will help you chart out your strategy for Tip 3!

If you use these 3 tips, you will be able to combine multi-tasking with other skills required to demonstrate your Executive Presence – guaranteed!

Do you multi-task at work? How do you make sure you get your work done and maintain a positive Executive Presence?

Effective leaders and managers know the value of time and utilize this precious resource effectively and efficiently to create results.

Things can go haywire when our productivity is dependent on others. That is what happened with this particular client of mine.

During a recap of the previous week’s action plan with a client of mine, a new problem surfaced which he had not associated with the original need to get a grip with his time mismanagement.  

A hardworking individual who managed to fit in a lot during the course of the day, but still wondered where his day went, there was utter chaos. Our common goal was to bring order back into his day so that he had a chance to step back and look at the big picture like a true business owner and leader.

A whole session of brainstorming with 22 action points was produced. The client was given the option to implement any 3 of them based on his own priorities and what he thought he could achieve.  One of the actions he chose was the To Do List.

A week later, he was able to confirm that the days when he prepared his To Do list were much better and more productive for him. He was directed to celebrate and give himself a pat on the back.

But by Friday of the week, he had slipped from the wagon. He hadn’t prepared the list since his Thursday had been a day from hell.

Even with a robust To Do list, why did the day become so bad?

There were many reasons, which included putting in too many things for action.

But more importantly, there were tasks that had to be urgently completed. The employee responsible for preparing it had not done it. The excuse?

He had other things to do compelling him to go into a firefighting mode at 6 pm since the documents had to be submitted to a statutory authority.

This brings me to the point for this week on two aspects of efficient time management:

Firstly, the number of tasks on a To Do list should never be more than 8 or 10 unless the tasks can be completed quickly. More than 12 in a day is a sure way to fail and the associated feelings are not worth it.

Secondly, where a particular task requires inputs from others, make sure that the other person knows the necessity of his input to get the task done.

What may be an urgent and important task for you may be an urgent but not important task for the other person who will find ways to be busy with less important tasks which are worth doing but which are low on the priority list for you.

This is the combination of the arts of delegation and assertive behavior.

In other words, the strategy for time management where your success depends upon others requires, they be made aware of their responsibility to get the job done.  Be more specific, give timelines and THEN follow up at the specific appointed time.

Do not sit down to do the task yourself but insist that it be done. Your subordinate or colleague or even family member may slip up a couple of times but the message that you are being firm and assertive will get through.

Assertiveness is a key ingredient in this type of time management.  

Instead of doing the task, you have a talk with the other person. Do not ask why the task was not done, which would put the other party on the defensive.  Excuses such as ‘I was busy doing other things’ or ‘Sorry, I made a mistake’ will only provoke you into further frustration and reaction which you might not like when the dust has settled.

Instead, say ‘This document/report/letter had to have gone out by the end of today. What exactly stopped you from completing the task?

The answer could be anything from their not realizing the importance or even that someone else had delegated a task to them with a clearer sense of urgency.  Worse still, they might know that if they delay it long enough, they won’t have to do it since you will get around to it.

In the meantime, reassess your method of delegation. Give clear and concise instructions and set deadlines. Having been assertive, stick to your guns no matter what the provocation.

More importantly, the message that you are sending out will be clear.

As you can see, my client’s efforts at time management hit a roadblock when it came to managing others to manage his own time and he had to set up boundaries and conditions while delegating tasks.

What barriers come up for you when your productivity is dependent on other colleagues?

Are you a career professional, independently practicing professional, consultant, or freelancer who’s overwhelmed with all the tasks you need to complete during the day?

If yes, then you need to check out this course

5 Simple steps to win your Time Management Challenge

This post originally appeared on my blogger blog back in August 2011 and has since been updated for relevance.

Written By: Vatsala Shukla

Do you have a goal achievement routine to close the month and kick off a new month?

If not, I highly recommend you start one. Procrastination and going with the flow are not effective tactics.

Month-end is a time of reflection and planning for me. I wrap up the month that is ending, celebrating my wins and set clear intentions to guide my work for the new month.

This 1 ritual keeps me on track for my business and helps me to maintain my work life balance.

It also gives me a chance to reflect on what I want to achieve and how far I’ve progressed with my goals for the year following the guidance in Goal Achievement Simplified.

My theme and focus for May was goal achievement and I shared my strategies and tactics with Karmic Ally Coaching’s subscribers.

In this post, I’ll show you what I do to stay focused, especially when procrastination rears its ugly head.

It’s really quite simple, provided you have the Willpower to stick to it.

7 Step Process for getting monthly Goals and Tasks done

I love checklists and To Do Lists. There’s nothing like making big tick marks or crossing out actions and having a document that captures evidence of goals achieved and what needs to be tweaked to succeed. The image below captures the process.

It’s a simple 7 step formula which works because it brings your attention and awareness to where you are and where you want to go.

In fact, all Karmic Ally Coaching programs work on this premise – to move you from point A to B in the fastest and easiest manner possible.

I have another little practice that I use during steps 5 and 6 which works even for those of us who aren’t into metaphysical practices. It involves using the Power of Intention and Gratitude backed up by commitment to get the work done.

The details of this practice are given in my blog post Are You Intent on Intending?

This isn’t just a Law of Attraction or Creative Visualization Technique. It works well with time management strategies and I recommend you try it.

For example, 2 of my goals for May were to complete a new mini-course for you to help you decide what you want from your job, career or even business and launch a shorter coaching program for a career action plan that will incorporate my favorite metaphysical techniques.

I used the powers of intention and gratitude to raise my vibrations and completed these tasks while I also served my clients, had time for my family and hung out on LinkedIn and Facebook engaging in interesting Group discussions.

Are you game to try it too?

Fine-tuning your game plan for middle-term goals

When it comes to middle-term or quarterly goal achievement and results, I further fine-tune my ritual and practices for successful goal achievement.

I like to plan my main work for the middle month in any quarter and then use the 3rd month for the big push and get results.

Our business or career isn’t the only thing that is important in our life. Our life consists of various other aspects and it’s important to make sure our Wheel of Work doesn’t go wonky. (There’s an entire lesson dedicated to this in my Career or Job Change mini-course).

Considering the demands on our time whether it is work, business, health, family, community or time for spiritual practices, it’s important to run a tight ship or at least be in control of our time.

The cost of procrastination is too high!

Cost-benefit analysis approach to combating procrastination

Quite possibly it’s my finance background and love of numbers but many of my decisions are finalized after doing a cost-benefit analysis or CBA.

CBA doesn’t necessarily have to be a monetary one although money can be a cost or benefit. It’s also useful as a time management tool when we look at it from a task payoff perspective.

One thing that I do know from experience is that procrastination is a luxury that costs us more than it benefits us.

Delaying a task or action will definitely have some consequence on either our time or money.

1. Time – you’ll recognize this one from standing in long queues to pay your bills because you delayed it or thought you would do it online. But you didn’t factor the minimum banking clearance time provisions in the service providers rules
2. Money – ever missed the deadline for your credit card payment and got whopped with penalties and interest? Need I say more?

Not all our procrastination will cost us both at the same time but what if it did?

If you are prone to procrastinating, then the next time an urge arises to delay a task, ask yourself the simple question

Which of these 2 things will my inclination to procrastinate cost me? Time or Money or both?

Then work out the benefit that you will receive from procrastinating.

The only benefit I can think of is worry and that is not a benefit by any stretch of imagination!

Simply asking this question will raise your awareness of the issue and hopefully, you’ll take some action.

Procrastination is a habit and it can be replaced with a better habit – the habit of considered action.

There are many studies that look into the psychology of procrastination. It isn’t just a time management issue although procrastination gets bunched into it.

If you need some quick help, then my mini course How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now is a good starting point. If you need more help, then check out the additional resource at the bottom of this page.

Have you ever compromised the potential of achieving your goals by sacrificing them at the altar of Procrastination?

Or do you have a method to get back on track? Do share with me in the comments box below!

Additional Resource for Serious Procrastinators

If the habit of procrastination is deeply embedded and you need more support, then consider my How to Stop Procrastinating right now mini course. You get immediate access to this habit changing self-development course. Use it whenever the urge to procrastinate raises its ugly head.  Click here or on the image below to learn more.