Diane Rolston Coaching
  • Home
  • Coaching
    • Million Dollar Woman Program
    • She's Goaled: Coaching Mastermind
  • Services
    • Performance Training >
      • DynamicYou >
        • DynamicYouProgram
      • DynamicYear
    • Speaking
  • About Diane
    • Customer Reviews
  • Connect
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Success Book
  • Confidence Book
  • Be an Author

 

Get focused with this time-saving technique

4/23/2019

3 Comments

 
This post was originally published June 2015 and was updated in 2019 and republished.
​
Do you have a hard time focusing at work? You’re not alone.

Women constantly tell me how they have a hard time focusing at work, and I can see why! We have so many pressures, wear so many hats and want to do a good job.

However, with our brains full of "to do" lists—not just ours, but our spouse’s, kids’ and maybe even friends—it’s not surprising that even with a task as simple as reading, our minds wander.

According to Canadian researcher Jonathan Schooler, we get distracted from a task at hand anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the time (source: The Associated Press).

On top of that, we pride ourselves on our multitasking skills. Not good—it turns out that multitasking actually kills our ability to focus and get things done. True focus can only be achieved by concentrating on one task at a time.

What I want to share with you is one of the most valuable time management skills you can learn. It will help you get more done in a shorter amount of time, without getting distracted!

Sound good?
Then let's get to it!
My time-saving tip is the Pomodoro Technique. Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato and refers to the timer that is shaped like a tomato. Why? Because this technique involves using a timer to break down your workload into 25-minute intervals, separated by 5-10 minutes breaks.

Choose a task that can feasibly be achieved in 25 minutes. For example:
  • Research blog topics online
  • Return client phone calls
  • Write a blog outline
  • Get to InBox zero
  • Schedule social posts for the day
  • Create a poster for an event.

Of course, you don’t have to use a Pomodoro timer, you can use a stopwatch or your phone, anything with an alarm to signal the end of the time.
Picture
The premise of the Pomodoro method is that you commit to completing the task within the 25-minute timeframe. When you first start practicing this time management skill, your mind will start to wander. Every time this happens, place a checkmark on a piece of paper, and go back to the task at hand. Do not satisfy your wandering mind! Each and every time you lose focus, put a check mark. As you practice this technique more and more, eventually you will have no checkmarks!

After 25-minutes, the task will be complete, so take a mandatory 5 minute break. 

Do this three times in a row for a total of 90-minutes, after which you take a 10-minute break. 

Get up, walk around, get a drink, use the washroom - whatever you do, leave your desk, stretch your legs, and satisfy your wandering mind. 

I promise that with this laser focus, you will be surprised how much more you can get done in 25-minutes.  

The Pomodoro method has some key advantages:


  1. You will get more done, because you are under time pressure.
  2. If you are finding yourself unmotivated, having a timer to tell you exactly how much time is left will push you to keep going.
  3. Likewise, if you are too engrossed in a task, you will have to end it within the timeframe, keeping you more concise.

If you divide your entire 8-hour day using the Pomodoro technique, you will complete 14 tasks in a day (assuming you want to take a lunch break). Imagine how much you could get done!!

I truly believe that this is one of the most valuable time management skills as it will focus your time and enable you to get more done in less time, and isn’t that what all busy women want?

For Functional music to improve

Focus in 5 minutes

Try Brain.fm's science-first approach creates music that sounds different–and affects your brain differently–than any other music. Check it out here: brain.fm/invite/N10nxwBrLK

Try these techniques today and finish the week with your tasks checked off!

Mwah!
Diane

P.S. Need some clarity even knowing what to focus on or a structure for your week? This is often what I do with my clients. 
Connect with me or email me so we can focus on you! diane@dianerolston.com

If you enjoyed this blog, here are 3 more of my most popular posts:
  1. 6 tactics to get more done in less time
  2. A woman’s guide to business survival
  3. Is your business taking over your life?
3 Comments

Work when you can: 6 tactics to get more done in less time

4/2/2019

0 Comments

 
I write this as I miraculously got both kids to nap at the same time (Mom's get this and will cheer!). I now have time to write this blog… the clarity of what to say is pressured by a child who could awaken at any moment.  

So what do I do with time to spare?  

Haha! Time to spare? I have a huge list of to do’s and project after project along with two businesses to run. Plus I am running out the door as soon as my husband comes in to lead Dynamic Women™ in Action!


So it brings me to my topic: How do busy parents, or even people, get things done? How are they super productive? How do they run one or two businesses and still make family time?

The answer is simple. We work when we can.
We work when we can’t sleep at midnight. We work in the car waiting for kids to come out of school. We work when we should be watching soccer practice. We work when our kids nap. We work whenever there is a pocket of time that can be used productively. We try NOT to work on family time, but sometimes it’s inevitable.
I’m sure you have figured a lot of this out already, but my goal is not to earn authorship awards for AMAZING new ideas, but to make them more accessible, digestible and unforgettable. Working when you can is one of the most effective time-management skills you can have. It’s using every last second of time you have available in the day for getting things done, and not wasting a moment.  

​Let me break this down:
Picture
  1. Working in the car: After getting my new car (a Toyota RAV4) I finally had a Bluetooth option so my calls come through my car.  I explain it like this because my dad didn’t really get what I meant and maybe some readers won’t either. When I have a busy day and know I have calls to make I do it in the car.  I’ll reply to an email with, “Yes, of course we can chat. Let me call you at 1:30pm when I get on the road.” This also helps me to manage the time of my calls to the length of the trip.   I hope it’s obvious that I don’t coach clients this way (I wouldn’t be as effective), but calling a friend, a colleague, my mom or even the dentist to make an appointment makes complete sense. Oh and I’ve even been known to use Siri as my assistant and use the voice commands to text people, post to Facebook and listen to my voicemail.
  2. Working when you’re waiting: It’s actually sad that most people no longer bring books to waiting rooms, on public transit and when waiting to meet or pick up someone. Reading is hopefully not a lost art.  But in these moments I jump into my email and send 3 liners, delete emails that clutter my inbox space and add in special dates into my calendar. Of course I could call people, but we all know how annoying it is to have the LOUD person on their phone in public. Even being quiet is a little infringing on those around us.
  3. Working in pockets: Not pant pockets, but pockets of time.  You have an extra 10 minutes before you have to leave. Your next call is 15 minutes away. Your meeting finished early.  What do you do with these pockets of time? Don’t go on Facebook….. WORK. Set the timer, pick a task and DO IT! The problem is we can’t capitalize on these times if we don’t know what to do, so create a list of 10 minute tasks and start crossing them off.
  4. Working early or late: Get up early or stay up late.  Enough said. Make the choice and use the time to get stuff done.  Maybe don’t do both though because family time and sleep is super important.
  5. Double tasking: I absolutely love double tasking – taking a simple task that doesn’t require a lot of focus and combining it with a task that does.  Like a walking coffee date; you get your exercise and to chat with someone. Or data entry and listening to a podcast. This leads me to…
  6. Double duty: Doing one thing that crosses two things off your list.  Like recording a webinar and also getting it transcribed to use as blogs. Inviting someone you need to connect with to an event you are already going to.
 
So which of the six tactics for effective time-management did I use today? The car as we went to Costco, the pockets while the kids finished their lunch, the double tasking with the laundry and waiting for my child to go to sleep, and double duty because this blog becomes my social media posts.
​
Let me know which of these time-management skills you will put into play and which ones you already do.  Have another one? Tell me by commenting below and I'll add it to my list!

I hope you can find more opportunities to work when you can, so you can have time for all of your priorities, and, family time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, I love connecting with my readers!

​Mwah!
Picture
0 Comments

    I'm social, are you?

    View my profile on LinkedIn
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Business Development
    Coaching
    Entrepreneurship
    Mentoring
    Mindset

    RSS Feed

My services

Coaching
Get Goaled! Coaching Mastermind
Talks

Privacy Policy

I respect your right to privacy. Your email or any other information you submit will never be shared.

Coaching Resources

The Coaches  Community

Connect with me

Proudly powered by Weebly
Diane Rolston Copyright@2019
  • Home
  • Coaching
    • Million Dollar Woman Program
    • She's Goaled: Coaching Mastermind
  • Services
    • Performance Training >
      • DynamicYou >
        • DynamicYouProgram
      • DynamicYear
    • Speaking
  • About Diane
    • Customer Reviews
  • Connect
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Success Book
  • Confidence Book
  • Be an Author