Often we think that once we make up our minds to change it just magically happens. I know I’ve tried it myself plenty of times. Then I get bored or it’s too hard or I get in my own way and I stop and go back to what’s easy. Even if what I’m doing that needs changing is actually harder for me, I feel it’s easier because that’s what I know.
Change happens gradually and with practice. A habit takes 30 days to form. Sometimes it can take even longer when someone is resisting the process. Those of you who would love to be more organized but are finding it difficult or challenging to start or how to start, may be relieved to discover this process doesn’t happen overnight.
I used to go into a new client’s home or office and take a look around. I’d listen to what he or she would tell me about their organizational process and the difficulties they were having. I’d make suggestions and we’d get to work. For the most part this was a good process. Things looked really great after we were finished.
What went wrong was I wasn’t teaching them the skills they needed to continue on their own. They quickly went back to their old methods of organizing and felt defeated. It’s purging when there’s a problem or about buying a new filing system from the Container Store. It’s about designing a system that works for you. Actually changing your habits from piling paper upon paper until you spend 15 minutes looking for an important item you just had “right in front of you a minute ago” to consistently filing those papers in a way that when you need to find a piece of paper it can take you less than 30 seconds to find it. That’s a system that works and keeps you motivated to continue.
A good system should allow you to know where your keys always are. A good system should get you to take responsibility for everything you own so you can actually find it.
I now simply consult clients on how to change their habits. I teach them how to figure out for themselves what they do to prevent themselves from living a fuller, easier and more stress free life. I teach them to manage their time, create with them systems for making decisions easier, systems to increase productivity and as a result, I have allowed those I work with actually make life lasting positive changes in their lives. It’s amazing.
If you are looking to make positive changes in your life, contact me at: info@gothamconcierge.com or 646-831-9625 to schedule a free 30 minute consulting session or sign up for biweekly sessions with me and see how working together and truly making a difference in organizing your time, space and life!
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How I Use Time Management to Keep My Sanity
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have become an expert in time management and productivity. Yes, I do enjoy helping people make their lives easier but more importantly it’s made MY life easier and less stressful.
As my business continues to grow and things become busier and busier, it becomes difficult to navigate everything that comes at me. Every week I have 20-40 offers of various networking opportunities I can go to. Which ones do I choose? I have personal responsibilities as well as professional responsibilities and which ones come first? How do I make time for myself, get enough rest, exercise, get all my work done and not collapse at the end of the day or week?
It’s not easy finding your own path when there are so many options that were never available before. It’s confusing and overwhelming and how do you make everyone else happy while remembering you need to be happy as well?
For myself, I had to not just learn time management and productivity skills I had to learn how to stand my ground and remember to think about myself. It is true you have to take care of yourself in order to do any good for others. Yet sometimes that feels like the most difficult task I’ve ever faced. It’s so easy to put off taking care of yourself when you have so many other responsibilities. However, it’s vital to continue to place yourself as a priority.
So, how do you get those productivity and time management skills to work for you? Well, when faced with so many opportunities, the best way to figure out which ones to go for and which ones to avoid is to break them down. I always think to myself, based on my past experiences, which types of networking meetings worked for me? Who is my target audience? Which businesses can help me gain more customers? Who do I need to meet? What times of day are easiest for me to meet others? Then I let the other opportunities go, as they are someone else’s opportunities, not mine.
This lesson I had to learn the hard way. I stayed in networking groups for too long because I ignored my gut instinct that told me I was on the wrong path. I instead chose to allow others to tell me that it was my fault if I got no business from the group. I wasn’t trying hard enough, I wasn’t a good business person, I wasn’t this, that, and the other thing. Once I stopped listening to the negativity and started focusing on what was fact, it became easier to see the direction I should have been in all along.
When balancing your schedule paying attention to what your body is telling you can help as well. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Perhaps walking away from an activity and taking a break is the best way to deal with it. Last week my computer crashed for no reason. I started to panic, thinking of all the material I had lost, the cost of finding someone to fix it, the possibility of spending more money on a new computer and getting it done immediately, which meant I was on the brink of freaking out. So I walked into my kitchen and washed my dishes. I did not allow myself to think of the “what-ifs” as there was no purpose in doing that. I did not know what the real outcome of my computer crashing was and therefore any thoughts toward my next steps was a waste of time. When I had calmed down enough to think rationally, I turned back on my computer (after taking a very large breath) and took a look at what had really happened. As it turns out, my computer had a minor bug in it that I could fix myself and everything was okay. Had I panicked and reacted, I would have wasted time and money getting someone in to fix a problem I could do myself. I also would have stressed myself out needlessly. Instead I forced myself to calm down and walk away until I was thinking clearly– a tool which is a huge time saver.
A few weeks ago I went to get my watch repaired. I’ve had it for well over 10 years and the battery was dying and I needed the clasp fixed. I took it to the company headquarters where they have a department which repairs the watches and expected to walk out 15 minutes later with a fixed watch and $30 less in my wallet. Instead I found out the whole watch needed internal repairs which would cost $350. I again began to panic and then utilized the 10-10-10 rule I learned from an article in Glamour magazine. I thought to myself, okay, I know the original price of the watch and what a watch from them costs now ($1,300). I know this is a very good watch maker. If I choose to walk away and not repair my watch, how would I feel 10 days from now knowing I’d have to spend more money on a new watch and spend time finding a watch I liked when I already had one I loved? How would I feel 10 months from now? How about in 10 years? I decided that I loved my watch and it was worth spending the money to be repaired. The good news was that I had a client who happened to work there. I asked her some questions about general upkeep so I wouldn’t be surprised by such a large price tag in the future and she was kind enough to give me a discount. In the end, I saved time by keeping myself calm and being honest to myself about how I would feel not just now, but in the future about my decision to keep my watch. I’m now back wearing my watch and loving it!
With everything that comes flying at us these days, there are so many decisions to make. The best way to keep yourself on task, stop everything from becoming too overwhelming and keep your stress levels at bay is to be true to yourself. Know what you really want from life, cheerfully say no to things that aren’t of interest to you and continue to move forward. Don’t be afraid of someone reacting badly to you saying no, of unexpected things that pop up and always make sure you take care of yourself. When you are well rested, eating well and exercising regularly your ability to make decisions and ward off stress are at their highest peak.
Everything that comes flying at you becomes your decision. Your decision on how to react to it, your decision to choose whether or not to dwell on a bad situation, your decision to turn a negative into a positive, and your decision to choose to make the world a little better, a little less stressful and a little more fun. Life isn’t easy but if you have the proper skills and tools and the ability to keep a positive attitude, it sure is a lot easier.
If you are looking to learn time management and productivity skills, contact Alison Kero at: 646-831-9625 or info@gothamconcierge.com. To learn more about Alison and her company, Gotham Concierge visit http://www.gothamconcierge.com.
As my business continues to grow and things become busier and busier, it becomes difficult to navigate everything that comes at me. Every week I have 20-40 offers of various networking opportunities I can go to. Which ones do I choose? I have personal responsibilities as well as professional responsibilities and which ones come first? How do I make time for myself, get enough rest, exercise, get all my work done and not collapse at the end of the day or week?
It’s not easy finding your own path when there are so many options that were never available before. It’s confusing and overwhelming and how do you make everyone else happy while remembering you need to be happy as well?
For myself, I had to not just learn time management and productivity skills I had to learn how to stand my ground and remember to think about myself. It is true you have to take care of yourself in order to do any good for others. Yet sometimes that feels like the most difficult task I’ve ever faced. It’s so easy to put off taking care of yourself when you have so many other responsibilities. However, it’s vital to continue to place yourself as a priority.
So, how do you get those productivity and time management skills to work for you? Well, when faced with so many opportunities, the best way to figure out which ones to go for and which ones to avoid is to break them down. I always think to myself, based on my past experiences, which types of networking meetings worked for me? Who is my target audience? Which businesses can help me gain more customers? Who do I need to meet? What times of day are easiest for me to meet others? Then I let the other opportunities go, as they are someone else’s opportunities, not mine.
This lesson I had to learn the hard way. I stayed in networking groups for too long because I ignored my gut instinct that told me I was on the wrong path. I instead chose to allow others to tell me that it was my fault if I got no business from the group. I wasn’t trying hard enough, I wasn’t a good business person, I wasn’t this, that, and the other thing. Once I stopped listening to the negativity and started focusing on what was fact, it became easier to see the direction I should have been in all along.
When balancing your schedule paying attention to what your body is telling you can help as well. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Perhaps walking away from an activity and taking a break is the best way to deal with it. Last week my computer crashed for no reason. I started to panic, thinking of all the material I had lost, the cost of finding someone to fix it, the possibility of spending more money on a new computer and getting it done immediately, which meant I was on the brink of freaking out. So I walked into my kitchen and washed my dishes. I did not allow myself to think of the “what-ifs” as there was no purpose in doing that. I did not know what the real outcome of my computer crashing was and therefore any thoughts toward my next steps was a waste of time. When I had calmed down enough to think rationally, I turned back on my computer (after taking a very large breath) and took a look at what had really happened. As it turns out, my computer had a minor bug in it that I could fix myself and everything was okay. Had I panicked and reacted, I would have wasted time and money getting someone in to fix a problem I could do myself. I also would have stressed myself out needlessly. Instead I forced myself to calm down and walk away until I was thinking clearly– a tool which is a huge time saver.
A few weeks ago I went to get my watch repaired. I’ve had it for well over 10 years and the battery was dying and I needed the clasp fixed. I took it to the company headquarters where they have a department which repairs the watches and expected to walk out 15 minutes later with a fixed watch and $30 less in my wallet. Instead I found out the whole watch needed internal repairs which would cost $350. I again began to panic and then utilized the 10-10-10 rule I learned from an article in Glamour magazine. I thought to myself, okay, I know the original price of the watch and what a watch from them costs now ($1,300). I know this is a very good watch maker. If I choose to walk away and not repair my watch, how would I feel 10 days from now knowing I’d have to spend more money on a new watch and spend time finding a watch I liked when I already had one I loved? How would I feel 10 months from now? How about in 10 years? I decided that I loved my watch and it was worth spending the money to be repaired. The good news was that I had a client who happened to work there. I asked her some questions about general upkeep so I wouldn’t be surprised by such a large price tag in the future and she was kind enough to give me a discount. In the end, I saved time by keeping myself calm and being honest to myself about how I would feel not just now, but in the future about my decision to keep my watch. I’m now back wearing my watch and loving it!
With everything that comes flying at us these days, there are so many decisions to make. The best way to keep yourself on task, stop everything from becoming too overwhelming and keep your stress levels at bay is to be true to yourself. Know what you really want from life, cheerfully say no to things that aren’t of interest to you and continue to move forward. Don’t be afraid of someone reacting badly to you saying no, of unexpected things that pop up and always make sure you take care of yourself. When you are well rested, eating well and exercising regularly your ability to make decisions and ward off stress are at their highest peak.
Everything that comes flying at you becomes your decision. Your decision on how to react to it, your decision to choose whether or not to dwell on a bad situation, your decision to turn a negative into a positive, and your decision to choose to make the world a little better, a little less stressful and a little more fun. Life isn’t easy but if you have the proper skills and tools and the ability to keep a positive attitude, it sure is a lot easier.
If you are looking to learn time management and productivity skills, contact Alison Kero at: 646-831-9625 or info@gothamconcierge.com. To learn more about Alison and her company, Gotham Concierge visit http://www.gothamconcierge.com.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Fall Into a New Productive & Organizational Routine
A lot of opportunities tend to come our way in the fall, lot’s of school related events involving our children, networking opportunities for ourselves as well as social opportunities. How do we handle all that comes our way without completely collapsing exhausted, stressed, disorganized and unhappy?
The first way to handle all these opportunities is to remember that we can do anything, but we can’t do everything. Saying yes to everything means you’ll be unhappy and exhausted and your family will too. Pick and choose which activities to say yes to and make sure there is plenty of time for rest, relaxation and exercise. If you overexert yourself trying to do everything you’ll be rundown, highly stressed and probably working at half the capacity you’re capable of. Don’t short change yourself or your family. Take care of yourself. You’ll be setting a great example for them.
Secondly, learn to say no to opportunities you won’t enjoy, don’t have time for or just don’t want to be involved in. There are so many ways to say no in a way that doesn’t make the other party unhappy. “Thank you for offering this opportunity to me, but I unfortunately do not have the time to give this project the type of attention it deserves. I hope you think of me if another opportunity arises” is one of them. Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty for turning down an offer either it’s a time and energy waster.
Third, start a routine for your morning hours. Most of us don’t wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, so having a routine takes a lot of the stress out of weekday morning madness. Use timers, prepare as much as you can the night before, offer less choices and have your children help as much as they are able. Not only are you teaching them to share responsibility, but you’re teaching them great organizational skills that will last them a lifetime. Often using a reward system for being on time and being organized will work. No major gifts, just something small that keeps things interesting and fun.
Be creative and use what works for you and your family. Have a happy and healthy fall.
Alison Kero, founder of Gotham Concierge, helps business professionals get organized. While she learned to master time and organizational management in her own career, she also came to recognize that many others struggled with these skills which became their career Achilles' heel.
On a mission, she launched her firm to help business people eliminate the barriers that keep them from growing in their career. She consults and trains on the skills that drive both personal and corporate productivity. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), she provides a real-world perspective on both time and organizational management and is frequently sought by the media to share her vision of this passion with others.
For more information visit: http:/www.gothamconcierge.com or you may contact Alison Kero at: info@gothamconcierge.com or on her cell at: 646-831-9625.
The first way to handle all these opportunities is to remember that we can do anything, but we can’t do everything. Saying yes to everything means you’ll be unhappy and exhausted and your family will too. Pick and choose which activities to say yes to and make sure there is plenty of time for rest, relaxation and exercise. If you overexert yourself trying to do everything you’ll be rundown, highly stressed and probably working at half the capacity you’re capable of. Don’t short change yourself or your family. Take care of yourself. You’ll be setting a great example for them.
Secondly, learn to say no to opportunities you won’t enjoy, don’t have time for or just don’t want to be involved in. There are so many ways to say no in a way that doesn’t make the other party unhappy. “Thank you for offering this opportunity to me, but I unfortunately do not have the time to give this project the type of attention it deserves. I hope you think of me if another opportunity arises” is one of them. Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty for turning down an offer either it’s a time and energy waster.
Third, start a routine for your morning hours. Most of us don’t wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, so having a routine takes a lot of the stress out of weekday morning madness. Use timers, prepare as much as you can the night before, offer less choices and have your children help as much as they are able. Not only are you teaching them to share responsibility, but you’re teaching them great organizational skills that will last them a lifetime. Often using a reward system for being on time and being organized will work. No major gifts, just something small that keeps things interesting and fun.
Be creative and use what works for you and your family. Have a happy and healthy fall.
Alison Kero, founder of Gotham Concierge, helps business professionals get organized. While she learned to master time and organizational management in her own career, she also came to recognize that many others struggled with these skills which became their career Achilles' heel.
On a mission, she launched her firm to help business people eliminate the barriers that keep them from growing in their career. She consults and trains on the skills that drive both personal and corporate productivity. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), she provides a real-world perspective on both time and organizational management and is frequently sought by the media to share her vision of this passion with others.
For more information visit: http:/www.gothamconcierge.com or you may contact Alison Kero at: info@gothamconcierge.com or on her cell at: 646-831-9625.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Learning to Respect Your Own Time
Learning to respect your own time. Sounds like a really basic concept and not hard to do at all, and for some this is true. I, however, struggle on a daily basis to respect my own time and I am a professional organizer who specializes in time management. I am also a people pleaser. For years I gave up my free time to help others. Whether it was running into the city to meet friends who were always at least unapologetically 20 minutes late despite the fact that they lived 10 minutes down the block and I had just spent 45 minutes racing in to get there on time, or spending more time working as secretary on a board of directors than I was on my own business. What was I doing, and why?
I ended up getting angry at my friends for not respecting my time and I would complain bitterly each month as I prepared the agenda for the next board meeting because no one ever bothered to send in their materials in a timely manner. I finally quit the board when my mother pointed out that I wasn’t enjoying myself, so what was the point?
What took me years to learn was this: it wasn’t my friends or colleagues disrespecting my time, it was me. I never said or did anything to change what kept occurring over and over and over again and how can things change when YOU don’t change? I had to be the one to let others know my time was valuable and then act accordingly.
I finally had a break through recently. I had plans with a friend to see a movie and early on in the day I sent her an e-mail with the times and places around the city of the movie we wanted to see. I heard nothing until 4 pm when she sent an e-mail asking if we were still going. Apparently my e-mail had gotten stuck in spam. I then resent her the information and she took 2 ½ hours to send back a reply. I live in a different borough than her so I need time to travel and I also own my own business so I need to plan my work schedule more carefully than others. By the time she replied about the movie, it was too late for me to get there.
It wouldn’t have mattered. By that point, I was so irritated by her lack of respect for my time that I was too angry to have sat through a movie. Instead I left my cell phone at home and took a nice long walk. On this walk I realized that I was right in not rushing out of my home at the last minute to see a movie with someone who wasn’t being respectful towards me and had I gone, I would have been telling her that my time wasn’t valuable to me, so why should it be to her?
I also realized I needed to let her know that it wasn’t acceptable and how I expected to be treated in the future. So I wrote her back telling her that I had gone for a walk and missed her e-mail. I also told her that I needed more planning time because of my work and because I needed to allow for traveling time. I asked that in the future plans be made much further in advance.
The good news was my friend apologized and moving forward it will be easier to make plans with her. The great news was I owned my own power and my own time and it’ll be easier in the future to continue down this path of positive change.
I also will recognize that in the future, if I let someone know that I expect to be respected and they continue to be disrespectful of my time, I will know that it is time to walk away from that relationship because any relationship that doesn’t have both parties providing equal parts give and take isn’t healthy.
This story may seem like a baby step to some, but for me, who has spent a lifetime more concerned with everyone else’s needs than my own, who has been taken advantage of and used continuously, it was a groundbreaking huge step in the right direction toward taking care of myself first in order to give more to those around me.
You can’t give if you have nothing to offer. I hope this article helps someone understand that the first step in time management is respecting your own time and yourself. It’s not just a concept but a way of being. I teach in my seminars and webinars that the oxygen theory is a vital theory to have in your life. Take care of yourself first and then you are fit to take care of others. It’s a simple theory but the practice of doing so can be really challenging for those of us trained to give first and take care of ourselves later.
If you’d like to learn more about how time management can lead to achieving your goals more quickly, having more time to achieve what you want in life, reducing your stress levels and much more, contact me, Alison Kero at: info@gothamconcierge.com or by phone at: 646-831-9625. I do at home or in office consultations in the NYC area, offer seminars nationwide and do private phone consultations. I wish you the best of luck in improving your time management skills!
I ended up getting angry at my friends for not respecting my time and I would complain bitterly each month as I prepared the agenda for the next board meeting because no one ever bothered to send in their materials in a timely manner. I finally quit the board when my mother pointed out that I wasn’t enjoying myself, so what was the point?
What took me years to learn was this: it wasn’t my friends or colleagues disrespecting my time, it was me. I never said or did anything to change what kept occurring over and over and over again and how can things change when YOU don’t change? I had to be the one to let others know my time was valuable and then act accordingly.
I finally had a break through recently. I had plans with a friend to see a movie and early on in the day I sent her an e-mail with the times and places around the city of the movie we wanted to see. I heard nothing until 4 pm when she sent an e-mail asking if we were still going. Apparently my e-mail had gotten stuck in spam. I then resent her the information and she took 2 ½ hours to send back a reply. I live in a different borough than her so I need time to travel and I also own my own business so I need to plan my work schedule more carefully than others. By the time she replied about the movie, it was too late for me to get there.
It wouldn’t have mattered. By that point, I was so irritated by her lack of respect for my time that I was too angry to have sat through a movie. Instead I left my cell phone at home and took a nice long walk. On this walk I realized that I was right in not rushing out of my home at the last minute to see a movie with someone who wasn’t being respectful towards me and had I gone, I would have been telling her that my time wasn’t valuable to me, so why should it be to her?
I also realized I needed to let her know that it wasn’t acceptable and how I expected to be treated in the future. So I wrote her back telling her that I had gone for a walk and missed her e-mail. I also told her that I needed more planning time because of my work and because I needed to allow for traveling time. I asked that in the future plans be made much further in advance.
The good news was my friend apologized and moving forward it will be easier to make plans with her. The great news was I owned my own power and my own time and it’ll be easier in the future to continue down this path of positive change.
I also will recognize that in the future, if I let someone know that I expect to be respected and they continue to be disrespectful of my time, I will know that it is time to walk away from that relationship because any relationship that doesn’t have both parties providing equal parts give and take isn’t healthy.
This story may seem like a baby step to some, but for me, who has spent a lifetime more concerned with everyone else’s needs than my own, who has been taken advantage of and used continuously, it was a groundbreaking huge step in the right direction toward taking care of myself first in order to give more to those around me.
You can’t give if you have nothing to offer. I hope this article helps someone understand that the first step in time management is respecting your own time and yourself. It’s not just a concept but a way of being. I teach in my seminars and webinars that the oxygen theory is a vital theory to have in your life. Take care of yourself first and then you are fit to take care of others. It’s a simple theory but the practice of doing so can be really challenging for those of us trained to give first and take care of ourselves later.
If you’d like to learn more about how time management can lead to achieving your goals more quickly, having more time to achieve what you want in life, reducing your stress levels and much more, contact me, Alison Kero at: info@gothamconcierge.com or by phone at: 646-831-9625. I do at home or in office consultations in the NYC area, offer seminars nationwide and do private phone consultations. I wish you the best of luck in improving your time management skills!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Learning to Say “NO” To Solve a Problem
Have you ever tried to accomplish a task that seemed to be problematic from the start? In my business that task was errand running. Unless I know the client, I can’t seem to finish a request without major problems arising, despite the fact that I’ve done my research and asked as many questions as I could prior to beginning.
It was after my last errand running task that I realized I was wasting a tremendous amount of my time and I needed to stop providing this service. The errand I had said yes to seemed simple enough, but ended up taking 2 days and never did get finished due to a whole host of unexpected complications. I had given the client a 4 hour quote, so I lost a fair amount of money on this unfinished task. I could have sat around and chastised myself for not accomplishing the errand for this new client and concentrating on how much time and money I wasted, but instead I realized something far more important and positive than beating myself up; I hate running errands. Worse than that; when calculating time spent to the money I earned, I was losing money each time!
What? Give up? Should I give up? Should I say no to errand running requests in the future? Was I being lazy, unhelpful, selfish, or a bad business owner? No! I was finally accepting the conclusion that I can’t be great at everything. I realized that not being great at everything was more than okay, it was normal. What wasn’t okay was continuing to say yes to requests I didn’t enjoy doing and I didn’t find rewarding. I can help people manage their time and I can help people get their homes and offices organized because I see the value in my time and theirs when I help them this way. I see no value when I’m trying to locate a red hot chili pepper or various parts to a wardrobe at Ikea.
I also realized I was wasting a tremendous amount of time and energy on a task I disliked, yet continued to say yes to similar requests. How many times have you continuously pushed yourself to be good at something you’re not? How much money have you spent trying to, “do it yourself” when you should have been hiring an expert? How much time have you wasted saying “yes” to something that is not within your area of expertise? How much money have you wasted by continuously saying “yes”?
When you have a task to perform always ask yourself, “do I like doing this,” “is it cost effective for me to perform this task” and “will it take less time to hire a professional”? If the answer is “yes” to all, then by all means go ahead and do that task! However, if you say no to 2 or more of those questions, then it’s time to outsource or say no.
If you have a task to perform at work, ask yourself if it’s worth it to continue doing that task. Is there someone else who can perform this task better than you? At a lower cost than your time is worth? Is this something you offer that perhaps you should walk away from?
Sometimes the best way to save time and money is to accept that you cannot do everything and you cannot do everything well. Then walk away and walk towards those things you do excel at, that you make money at and you enjoy doing. Sometimes saying “no” is the best time saver of all.
Although saying “no” is one of the things I teach in my time management seminar and tele-seminar’s, learning to use it effectively and often and with meaning is really difficult. I strive each day to use the powerful word “no” when I know it’s in my best interest, but that never means it’s easy to do. Practice makes it easier as does the feeling of empowerment I feel after I’ve said it.
The trick to saying no is figuring out what you want to do. Once you’ve figured that out, saying “yes” to what you want and “no” to what you don’t want it becomes much easier. I will be writing more on the subject of saying no to save time in the future since it’s a huge subject and there are many ways to use “no” effectively to get what you want, what you need and lower stress levels.
If you want to start making positive changes in your life to become more organized and in control of your time, join in on my monthly tele-seminar or contact me at: 646-831-9625 or info@gothamconcierge.com to learn about my in-person sessions or private phone consultations. Please visit my website at: http://www.gothamconcierge.com to learn more about how Gotham Concierge can help organize your time, space and life. Best of luck!
It was after my last errand running task that I realized I was wasting a tremendous amount of my time and I needed to stop providing this service. The errand I had said yes to seemed simple enough, but ended up taking 2 days and never did get finished due to a whole host of unexpected complications. I had given the client a 4 hour quote, so I lost a fair amount of money on this unfinished task. I could have sat around and chastised myself for not accomplishing the errand for this new client and concentrating on how much time and money I wasted, but instead I realized something far more important and positive than beating myself up; I hate running errands. Worse than that; when calculating time spent to the money I earned, I was losing money each time!
What? Give up? Should I give up? Should I say no to errand running requests in the future? Was I being lazy, unhelpful, selfish, or a bad business owner? No! I was finally accepting the conclusion that I can’t be great at everything. I realized that not being great at everything was more than okay, it was normal. What wasn’t okay was continuing to say yes to requests I didn’t enjoy doing and I didn’t find rewarding. I can help people manage their time and I can help people get their homes and offices organized because I see the value in my time and theirs when I help them this way. I see no value when I’m trying to locate a red hot chili pepper or various parts to a wardrobe at Ikea.
I also realized I was wasting a tremendous amount of time and energy on a task I disliked, yet continued to say yes to similar requests. How many times have you continuously pushed yourself to be good at something you’re not? How much money have you spent trying to, “do it yourself” when you should have been hiring an expert? How much time have you wasted saying “yes” to something that is not within your area of expertise? How much money have you wasted by continuously saying “yes”?
When you have a task to perform always ask yourself, “do I like doing this,” “is it cost effective for me to perform this task” and “will it take less time to hire a professional”? If the answer is “yes” to all, then by all means go ahead and do that task! However, if you say no to 2 or more of those questions, then it’s time to outsource or say no.
If you have a task to perform at work, ask yourself if it’s worth it to continue doing that task. Is there someone else who can perform this task better than you? At a lower cost than your time is worth? Is this something you offer that perhaps you should walk away from?
Sometimes the best way to save time and money is to accept that you cannot do everything and you cannot do everything well. Then walk away and walk towards those things you do excel at, that you make money at and you enjoy doing. Sometimes saying “no” is the best time saver of all.
Although saying “no” is one of the things I teach in my time management seminar and tele-seminar’s, learning to use it effectively and often and with meaning is really difficult. I strive each day to use the powerful word “no” when I know it’s in my best interest, but that never means it’s easy to do. Practice makes it easier as does the feeling of empowerment I feel after I’ve said it.
The trick to saying no is figuring out what you want to do. Once you’ve figured that out, saying “yes” to what you want and “no” to what you don’t want it becomes much easier. I will be writing more on the subject of saying no to save time in the future since it’s a huge subject and there are many ways to use “no” effectively to get what you want, what you need and lower stress levels.
If you want to start making positive changes in your life to become more organized and in control of your time, join in on my monthly tele-seminar or contact me at: 646-831-9625 or info@gothamconcierge.com to learn about my in-person sessions or private phone consultations. Please visit my website at: http://www.gothamconcierge.com to learn more about how Gotham Concierge can help organize your time, space and life. Best of luck!
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