Quote of the Week

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”
Henry David Thoreau

SIMPLIFY! SIMPLIFY! SIMPLIFY!
By Phyllis Sisenwine

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Spring is traditionally a time for “spring cleaning”. When was the last time you gave your office, your business and your life a spring-cleaning? Take a look at your physical space. What does your office look like? Are there piles of papers on your desk? Unread magazines from months ago? Look at your business. Are there projects you just don’t want to complete? New systems that need to be instituted that you’ve been putting off? Take a look at your life. Is it filled with activities you enjoy or things you do because you’ve always done them? What can you do to clean out the old stuff and simplify with the new?

Life-style spring-cleaning. Just say no.

To keep your energy up and your spirits high, it is important to know how you spend your time. What is a true priority for you? What are the things you feel you “must” do, not because you want to, but because they are expected of you. What are you doing that’s fun for you to do? There are so many events and possible activities that many of us could be busy morning, noon and night. That would be okay if you were doing things you truly enjoyed and you made sure to stop and smell the roses once in awhile. Yet, no matter how busy you are many of you still take on more and more and more, and not necessarily things you really want to do. Whether it’s a business function or a scout meeting or a project that you have no interest in, perhaps you find it difficult to say “no.” It’s especially hard to say no when someone tells you that without you it won’t get done. So, before accepting any new commitment, ask yourself if this is an absolute “yes”. If it is, great. If not, say, “no, thank you.” That’s all there is to it! It’s as simple as saying “no.” And learning to say no is vital to your success in business and in life.

Look at your life right now. If you are stressed out and don’t have enough down time you will not be effective. Review your activities, responsibilities and the way you spend your day. Consider your weekly schedule. Are there any blank spaces? Shouldn’t there be? Think of one activity or meeting you can clear out of your life. Once you start to say no to the things that are not truly important to you, it is time to say yes. Say “yes” to yourself. Say yes to a simpler life-style.

Physical spring-cleaning

What can you do this month to get organized? You might want to consider hiring a professional organizer to get you started on a plan. Look at your office and your home. Most of you are drowning in a sea of paper. According to a recent study 75 percent of all papers filed are never looked at again. Block out some time to get rid of all the junk mail, papers, magazines and stuff that you no longer need. Make time on your calendar for spring-cleaning. Not only does clutter cost you time when you’re searching for things, but it costs you energy. If you hear yourself saying, “I must clean up my office”, or “I can’t find anything,” know that it is taking energy away from your brilliance and creativity. The cause of clutter is often delayed decisions. The motto is “When in doubt, throw it out.” The best method to successfully cut the clutter is the 4Ds method. Make a decision with each piece of paper to either dump it, delegate it, delay it or do it! The task can seem so overwhelming if you’re knee deep in papers. Starting with a small area makes it manageable. One client of mine took every paper from the top of her desk and credenza and put it in several boxes. She then went through one box at a time over a period of several weeks. It was easier for her to organize with a clean desk.

THE 4Ds

Dump it

Dump as much as possible in the trash can the first time you handle it. Make a decision immediately about what to do with it.

Delegate it

If you have someone to delegate to have a tray in your office and put anything that you can delegate immediately in the tray. Break yourself of the habit of doing routine things that you can delegate.

Delay it

If you receive something that does not require immediate attention but that you will need for the future, set up a tickler file and delay it.

Do it

Do it now and you won’t have to handle that piece of paper again. Are you delaying a decision that might be costing you unnecessary time and energy? Anything you don’t do now is something you will have to do later. Develop a routine to sort through your mail at the same time every day and say no to clutter. As you simplify your office environment you’ll also be simplifying your life.

Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved. Phyllis Sisenwine, Master Certified Coach, can be reached at www.powerfulcoaching.com.

Coaching Call to Action

If you would like some company with your “spring cleaning”, come join us at “Pounce on a Project” on Thursday, April 29th. See below for more information. This week commit to at least of one hour towards simplification. One strategy I use is to put on lively music while cleaning. This way I don’t spend too much time in indecision over pieces of paper and it makes the whole process more fun! Do you have any strategies that work for you that you would share with other readers?

Community Involvement

April 29, 2009
Business as Unusual…Change Your Thinking, Change Your Bottom Line at NEMRA

Coach Andrea and Cheryl Dolan are co-presenting at the New England Marketing Research Association’s (NEMRA) annual day-long conference on April 29th. In the experiential lab they are offering, you will learn how to apply the connection between creativity and success. Using multi-sensory processes from neuroscience, adult learning theory, coaching, leadership, storytelling, and creative thinking, you will utilize tools designed to engage “out of the box thinking” to help facilitate new ideas and perspectives for your business in these unusual times.For complete information and registration go to the NEMRA website: www.newenglandmra.org, or contact John Zarrella (john_zarrella@researchresults.com; 978-345-5510).

April 30, 2009
Pounce on a Project IV – 2009

Last month we worked on marketing calls, getting started on taxes, office clean up prior to a move, and reviewing books to donate. Here are what a few folks said:

• “So helpful to break projects into chunks of time. It makes it manageable.”
• “It feels really good to get rid of stuff!”

What project would you like to get on top of and accomplish this month? Come to Pounce on a Project IV – - 2009. Join Coach Andrea on Thursday, April 30th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Eastern. We will join as a group by phone and declare what you want to accomplish: getting taxes ready for the accountant, cleaning out those boxes in the corner, getting your website finished or make cold calls.

During the morning, the group will gather by phone a few times to check progress and get any support needed to finish with a bang. At noon, the group will celebrate their accomplishments. Who says projects have to be boring and tedious? Bring your lightness and fun and join us for the energization.

To sign up or learn more, call or e-mail Andrea by noon on Wednesday, April 29th. Feel free to share this with friends and co- workers, the more the merrier. (Cost of the program is only the cost of long distance phone calls.)

Other articles you might be interested in:

1. Risk to Be Free
2. Delegate the Discipline
3. Leading with Presence

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