In today's VUCA world, getting all those mental tabs under control is more important than ever. And there are things we can all do to boost our organizational skills. That's why our latest video series focuses on Being Organized. So check out the videos below to discover how to avoid common time-management pitfalls, bring harmony to your team, and organize your ideas.

Are You Making These Common Time-Management Mistakes?

One effective way to get more organized is to improve your time management. It's all too easy to fall into common time-management traps, like multitasking – a habit I'm often guilty of! – and failing to set goals. Discover other ways to improve with our new Time-Management Mistakes Video. And to get a more general idea of how well you manage your time, take our time management quiz.

Why Is Multitasking Bad?

You'd be forgiven for thinking that multitasking is a good way of getting two or more jobs done at the same time. But how effective are you really when you're juggling multiple tasks at once? Tackling two jobs in one go can lead to subpar results and a longer completion time because neither is getting your full focus. So instead, give your full attention to one job at a time, and close those other mental tabs!

How Does Goal Setting Help You to Be More Organized?

Goal setting might not seem like a time-management tool, but having specific goals to work toward helps you to know where to focus your time and energy. Once you set clear goals, you can start to prioritize your tasks. And, in today's VUCA world, having clear direction will help you and your team stay on track in the face of adversity and change.

To find out what the other common time management mistakes are, and how you can avoid them, watch our 10 Common Time-Management Mistakes Video.

The Dangers of Overpromising

Another mistake many of us make is overpromising. Taking on more than you have reasonable capacity for can throw you off balance, hinder your other projects, and lead to broken promises. It doesn't feel nice to say "no" when someone asks for help, even when you have good reason to, but failing to keep your word at work can damage your team relationships and your reputation. In fact, it can do way more damage than admitting that you have too much on.

So, consider what you've already got on your plate, and any upcoming holiday, before you commit to another task! Try saying "Yes" to the person, but "no" to the task to keep everyone happy. By protecting your time and energy in this way, you'll not only be able to focus on the right tasks, but you'll also earn respect from your peers by establishing boundaries.

Our video on Keeping Your Word at Work has more tips on how to avoid broken promises.

How to Manage Your Deadlines

However, sometimes things just don't go to plan and you may have to break a promise or miss a deadline through no real fault of your own. When this happens, try to limit the damage, and take any steps you can to prevent it from happening again.

One key way to set yourself up for success is to ensure you have the right support and resources before you get started. Do you have access to all the files you need? Who can help you if you get stuck? You can also mitigate any harm done by unexpected change by putting a contingency plan in place.

One missed deadline might not seem like a big deal, but it can trip you and your team up further down the road. Explore more tips on how to organize your time and commitments to manage your deadlines in our video, How to Meet a Deadline.

How to Organize Your Ideas

If you're a manager, you probably deal with large volumes of information, feedback and ideas on a regular basis. Especially when you're working on improving a service or fixing a problem. And while it's no bad thing to have a wealth of ideas from your team, too many options can become overwhelming. So, if you ever feel like you've got too many options and don't know which ones to prioritize, try using affinity diagrams!

Affinity diagrams help you to organize multiple ideas into common themes. This provides a bird's-eye view, making it easier to understand complex relationships, identify subtasks, and evaluate potential solutions. Learn more about how they can help you and your team organize its ideas with our Affinity Diagrams Video.

More Resources on Being Organized

If you want even more resources on how to be more organized and manage your time better, check out these related resources:

How to Take Care of Your "Social Battery"
Hurry Sickness
How to Be More Organized
Prioritization
Wheel of Life

The post 4 Tools for Being More Organized – Our New Video Series appeared first on Mind Tools.

I love the way a deadline helps focus my mind. Having a deadline enables me to plan my time and forces me to prioritize tasks – so I deliver my work to a high standard and on time.

My freelance work requires me to juggle several contracts simultaneously. Without deadlines, it would be virtually impossible to keep track of what needs to be done, and by when. I'd find myself making promises to clients that I couldn’t keep. And that would be very bad for my professional reputation.

Deadlines keep me on track and they allow me to prioritize, plan and perform well. And I'm not alone; anecdotal evidence suggests that most people like to work to clear and unambiguous deadlines. It helps everyone know what's expected of them and smooths the way for more effective teamwork.

Be Alive to the Downsides of Deadlines

The problem is, deadlines need managing. And when multiple deadlines clash, managing them effectively can become problematic. We hear people say they're juggling priorities or spinning plates when they're working on multiple projects at the same time.

Oh yes, we can see them doing their best to keep all their plates spinning, desperately going from one to the other to prevent a plate from smashing to the ground.

In reality, their plates are projects or pieces of work each with a deadline. A plate dropped is a failed project, missed deadline, or damaged reputation. Working like this may be manageable, or even motivational, in the short term. But long term it can become overwhelming and anxiety inducing, and result in poorer performance.

Rather than providing focus, having too many deadlines and unrealistic time frames often leads to no time to focus on the right things at the right time. We have to spend our time multitasking, doing "just enough" on each project to get by while taking extra time to manage everyone's expectations. It exhausts me just to think about it!

How to Make Deadlines Work for You

Love them or hate them, deadlines are here to stay, so it makes sense to make them work for us, not against us. Here's what I've found works for me:

1. Set realistic deadlines and, where possible, challenge/negotiate any that are unrealistic.
2. Plan what tasks need to be done and when, in order to meet the deadline.
3. Allow some contingency for unexpected interruptions or emergencies.
4. Communicate clearly to everyone impacted by your deadline.
5. Don't overcommit or allow others to impose deadlines on you.
6. Work smarter, not harder. Skipping meals, working late, and not taking rest will only work in the very short term.
7. As soon as it looks like you're not going to meet a deadline, take action. Reschedule, replan, renegotiate, and recommunicate.

Promises, Promises

How does it make you feel when someone breaks their promises to you at work? Let down? Upset? Angry? Disappointed? Yep, I hear you!

Failing to keep promises to colleagues or to our boss can seriously damage our workplace relationships. But from time to time, despite our best intentions, we find ourselves unable to keep the promises we've made. This happened to me recently and I really hated letting someone down at the last minute.

With the best of intentions, I'd overcommitted myself – only to find I couldn't possibly deliver on everything I'd promised, when I was expected to. I had no choice but to communicate the issue in the best way I could and explain that I needed more time.

I felt terrible; I beat myself up about it for hours. And I didn't like not being able to deliver on my promise and judged myself harshly as a result. The thing is, the person I'd "let down" didn't feel let down at all. Because I was able to communicate the issue clearly and in a timely manner, and offer a solution, they were very understanding and no harm was done.

I Promised to Learn These Lessons

There are two very important lessons here for me about making and breaking promises at work:

1. We're often our own harshest critics. As long as we act with good intentions and communicate respectfully, people generally understand that life happens and are open to forgiveness. After all, who hasn't missed a deadline or broken a promise at some time or another?
2. Broken promises every now and then are an inevitable part of working life. However, if we regularly break our promises to others, we'll be seen as unprofessional, untrustworthy and unreliable. When we approach our work and our deadlines by being organized, motivated, values-driven, and honest, people will trust that we did the best we could and will be willing to find workable solutions.

You may find the following articles helpful for reflecting on your own deadlines and promises. You'll need to be a Mind Tools Club or Corporate member to see all of the resources in full:

How to Meet a Deadline

Keeping Your Word at Work

Managing Conflicting Priorities

The post Deadlines and Promises – a Mind Tools Coaches' Blog appeared first on Mind Tools.

I took one look at the heap of bills and unanswered correspondence, rolled my sleeves up, and... found something else to do. Anything else. All the time. It was only when court summonses started rolling in that I finally started making panic-stricken phone calls. My stress levels went through the roof. Everything seemed out of control.

Searching for the Causes of Procrastination

It shouldn't have been that way. A normal person, I told myself, would make lists, set priorities, and actually do something. Not me. What was wrong with me?

I've always tended to ride deadlines. Been afraid of committing to action. I'm probably even writing this blog much closer to the copy date than most of my co-workers would. Down the years, I've had a few tries at improving matters. I've written action plans and endless to-do lists. And though this enforced self-discipline has had some effect, the underlying problem doesn't go away.

So what is wrong with me?

The Problem With Emotion

In the past, I’ve fielded plenty of opinions. They usually focus on personal organization, and specifically time management. So is that the answer? Set enough goals and deadlines, tick off enough achievements, and everything will be OK?

Maybe not. Because research suggests that the root cause of procrastination may not be as simple as poor time management. It's about poor emotional management.

Procrastination as a Coping Mechanism

Professor Fuschia Sirois and Dr Tim Pychyl are leading researchers in the field of procrastination. In their 2013 research paper, they suggest that individuals often resort to procrastination as a coping mechanism to deal with negative emotions associated with stress, anxiety, fear of failure, or even boredom.

By postponing tasks or avoiding them altogether, people temporarily relieve these distressing emotions. This short-term relief, however, comes at the cost of increased stress and anxiety as deadlines loom.

One of the worst things about procrastination is that, most of the time, we're aware we're doing it. This self-awareness reinforces our sense of shame and promotes self-blame. And that reinforces the negative emotions that led to procrastination in the first place. It's a vicious circle.

We Don't All Procrastinate Alike

At this point, it's important to note that not everyone experiences procrastination in the same way. OK, so almost everyone does it from time to time. But for some people it's a serious problem. And the causes aren't always the same.

People with ADHD, for example, have an increased tendency to procrastinate. But research suggests that this is more to do with the difficulty they experience in paying attention than with emotional problems.

If you're managing someone who struggles with procrastination, or if you're prone to it yourself, it's worth bearing all possible causes in mind.

So, what can we do about all this? If it's a problem with managing our emotions, then we need to start by acknowledging that. Here are a few ideas about coping with the emotional roots of procrastination:

• Recognize and acknowledge your emotions. Think about the emotions that arise when you're faced with a task. Take a moment to reflect on the feelings of anxiety, fear or self-doubt that influence your decision to procrastinate. By acknowledging these emotions, you can begin to develop healthier coping mechanisms.
• Be kind to your future self. Research shows that our brains aren't good at thinking about our future states. We literally see "future us" as different people. So spend time making that future self less of a stranger. How will they feel if you don't get that project finished, or skip your gym session? Likely not great. So be kinder to them, and visualize how actually getting things done will benefit you down the line.
• Reframe negative thoughts. Negative thoughts and self-doubt often contribute to procrastination. Challenge these thoughts by replacing them with more positive and realistic beliefs. Remind yourself that progress, not perfection, is the goal and that even small steps toward completing a task are valuable.
• Practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself when faced with setbacks or difficulties. Recognize that everyone encounters obstacles and that mistakes are a part of the learning process. Practice self-compassion by forgiving yourself for past procrastination and focusing on the positive action you can take now.
• Regulate your emotions. Use effective emotion-regulation strategies such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, or journaling. These techniques can help you to navigate negative emotions more skillfully, reducing the urge to procrastinate.

Establishing Good Practice to Beat Procrastination

OK, so you procrastinate because you don't handle negative emotions well, not because you're a lousy time manager. But there are a few techniques that can help with the practical side of beating procrastination. For example:

• Set realistic goals. Vague goals can be demotivating and increase the likelihood of procrastination. Set clear and achievable goals that outline what you need to do and when. Decide what your future self would want to see, and develop a clear plan of action to make that happen.
• Break tasks into manageable chunks. Overwhelming tasks can be paralyzing, and lead you into the cycle of procrastination. Break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. This approach not only makes the task less intimidating but also provides a sense of accomplishment as you complete each step.
• Plan specific actions to overcome obstacles. For example, if you need to work on a challenging project, you could establish a specific time and place for working on it. This approach helps you to create a concrete plan that reduces ambiguity and makes it easier to start.
• Enlist the support of others. Make yourself accountable to co-workers to enhance motivation and commitment. Sharing progress, setbacks and deadlines with a trusted individual or group can provide both support and extra accountability.

So will all this lead you (and me) to be better at getting things done? Only time will tell. I do believe that my future self would like to be a bit less stressed by my current self's inaction. Believing that is a start.

So it’s back to the piles of paper and the urgent phone calls. But at least I've got an idea of how to get through it, and what to focus on. And that helps. A lot.

To help you learn more about tackling procrastination, Mind Tools members have a range of resources to choose from, including:

How to Stop Procrastinating

Are You a Procrastinator?

Overcoming Procrastination Video

Emotional Intelligence

About the Author

Simon has been researching, writing and editing non-fiction for over 30 years. In that time he's worked on educational courses, scientific journals, and mass-market trade books about everything from popular psychology to buying houses in Bulgaria. In the past 20 years he's specialized in simplifying complex subjects, and helping readers to learn new skills. Away from work he listens to good music, watches bad football, and is fascinated by medieval history.

The post Tackling Procrastination – at the Root appeared first on Mind Tools.

Well, it's a Friday for one. So instead of slapping on sunscreen and sipping my Pimm's in a sunny beer garden, I'm chained to my laptop. Just praying that my cooling fan doesn't run up my energy bill too much this month!

But what if we weren't constrained to the traditional Monday to Friday grind? What if we had the option of extending our weekends and making the most out of sunny days like these? What if... we had a four-day workweek? And still got paid the same?

Four-Day Workweek on Trial

And it's no daydream, either. In June this year, the nonprofit organization, "4 Day Week Global" launched a six-month pilot program trialing a four-day workweek.

The hope is that organizations can use this study, based on more than 3,300 workers at 70 British companies, to build a business case around reducing workdays. Crucially, while still maintaining their employees' current salaries.

As the trial continues, and employees across the country anxiously await the results, we asked the Mind Tools team their views on the subject. It sparked a keen debate around the virtual office. Here's what our team had to say:

Four-Day Workweek: The Pros

Since the pandemic, we've already seen a huge shift in the way people work, with many organizations adopting a hybrid working model. So what benefits do MT managers see in taking the next step, to a four-day workweek?

Head of Acquisition, Claire Minnis, said, "It fits in more with modern life. We don't live or work the same way as we used to, so why not change things?"

Head of Product, Kirsten Wilson agreed, highlighting the role technology plays in the way we work. She said, "Improved technologies mean that a five-day week seems unrelated to the needs of the modern workforce."

One of the obvious upsides of a four-day workweek is increased free time, time that people can spend doing what they value most. The resulting boost in people's overall wellbeing helps to create a happier workforce. Unlocking all the benefits that spring from that.

MT editor and writer, Jonathan Hancock is on board. He said, "I like the idea of having longer weekends. I think it would help people to relax more fully, spend more time with family and friends. They could travel further or even just spread their chores over three days rather than two!"

Gain a More Focused, More Productive Workforce

The opportunity to really get a mental break was another benefit of the four-day workweek for campaign marketing manager Abi Radford.

She said, "Employees could spend more time relaxing at weekends, with the ability to actually switch off from work before Monday comes round again."

"OK, what's in it for us?", say employers. MT's client experience manager Austin Wolf thinks giving people more time to recharge would improve organizational success. He said, "It would lead to a greater work-life balance, as well as higher productivity during the four days of work."

Why? Well, Jonathan Hancock offered, "People would be more focused and strategic during their working week. They would make sure they got everything done to a high standard, in less time."

Four-Day Workweek: The Cons

Although there are many benefits to a four-day week, any change to working patterns comes with a fair number of challenges. Not least of all keeping it cost-effective.

A lot of organizations panic at the idea of a four-day workweek, fearing they'll be less profitable with the loss of working hours. They, not unreasonably, reason that they may have to find ways to cut costs. Maybe reducing office space or closing the office on days when most employees are off.

But it's not just the loss of potential profits that is cause for concern. Some Mind Tools employees were uneasy about a lack of alignment when working with others.

Client experience partner Lee Murphy said, "It limits availability for working with clients and colleagues," while account director Gillian Reid added, "Not being aligned to the majority could cause major disruption to workflow and hamper getting projects over the line. "

Claire Minnis raised logistical questions that organizations would have to solve ahead of making these changes. She said, "Which day do you decide to have off? Do you all have the same one off? Can it be flexible in regards to which day is taken?"

But product manager Sean Brown believed the four-day workweek could work, as long as organizations are flexible. He said, "Our clients or consumers may not be on a four-day week so we need to ensure that we can still cover client/consumer needs."

Time for Change, for Some

Another major concern that surfaced was a lack of time to do the job. People and culture business partner Emily Moore said, "Everyone already says they are so busy, so how could we do what we do in four days?"

While Abi Radford said, "There's the danger that we keep the same workloads and amount of meetings and just squish them into four days, which could result in working excessive hours."

As far as Jonathan Hancock was concerned, where there's a problem, there's a solution. But while challenges can be overcome with a will and a creative approach, the four-day workweek would not work for everyone.

He said, "Any organization could make it work, by being clever about staffing patterns. They'd have to show creativity in recruitment and consult closely with their staff. But not all will decide that it's right for them. And many may be better off exploring different types of flexible working."

Are you for or against a four-day workweek? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Does a Four-Day Workweek Work? appeared first on Mind Tools.

Take the article I wrote yesterday. It should have taken me three hours or so. But I had all day to do it – and guess what? It took me all day to do it! A bit longer, in fact, as I was still tidying it up 15 minutes after I should have finished my working day.

Mixed Feelings About Multitasking

I suppose I didn't just write that article. I kept on top of my emails and instant messages throughout the day, did some research for several other projects, and planned a blog that's due next week.

And part of me thinks that switching between jobs like this makes me more productive, because it keeps me energized and on top of all my work.

But another part knows that I could have written that article in one go. If I'd given it my full attention, and only then moved on to other things, it may well have been more coherent as a result. And I'd likely have closed up my laptop on time.

Lessons From Expert Voices

Mind Tools Expert Voices is the podcast series where we explore our 200+ Expert Interviews, on the lookout for insights that are particularly relevant now.

In episode three, "Take Charge of Your Time," my colleague Rachel Salaman guides us through a range of strategies for using our days well, getting more done – and staying healthy and happy in the process.

In Charge of My Time

I've always had a fair bit of flexibility in my role, and I appreciate it – most of the time. I enjoy organizing my own writing and editing schedule for the day, and I'm pretty good at getting everything done and coordinating with my colleagues.

But recently – like many people – I've gained even more choices about how to organize my time. And it's made me look more closely at how well I'm really doing it.

A Flexible Future

Using lessons learned in lockdown, our company has recently adopted a flexible working policy, meaning that we all get to choose where we work from and, to a large extent, when we do it. It's great: we can plan our time to be as productive as possible. And we can integrate our work and life, so that they complement each other rather than cause conflict.

That's the idea, at least. However, for me, the first few weeks of the policy have shone light on some less-than-perfect time-management tactics.

So I think it's time to be honest with myself.

My "Switchtasking Syndrome"

If I've got all day – or longer – to get something done, why does it need to take that long? In the past, I've told myself that it gives me a better chance to be sure of my ideas, and time to keep tweaking my writing until it’s perfect.

But instead of continually pausing while I flit to other things, what if I just focused on one thing until it was done?

That would make scientific sense, says management expert Dave Crenshaw. "The brain is just not able to handle multiple active tasks at the same time," he explains.

Productivity guru Chris Bailey agrees. "Single tasking is one of the best ways, in the moment, to bring more attention to what's in front of you and not more time. Productivity is the process of working more deliberately and more intentionally." 

Time Management – Moment by Moment

According to Ashley Whillans from Harvard Business School, instead of energizing me, my task shifting may actually be opening up spaces for time to slip through. She recommends "… being more deliberate about small moments of free time that we often waste, the gaps in between meetings where we'll just answer emails as if they were urgent but maybe not pick up the phone and call a friend." 

Since I'm being honest, I'll admit that checking emails is sometimes just a delaying tactic – however much I tell myself that I'm coordinating or collaborating with my team. And when I'm switching between tasks, coffee always seems that bit more tempting!

Can I Be Flexible and Focused?

Maybe I'm valuing my new-found flexibility a bit too much, and not paying enough attention to the value of my time.

Being able to work when and where I want certainly helps to keep my stress levels low. But if I end up taking longer than necessary, and spreading my attention thinly, is flexible working really working for me?

One answer, according to podcast guest Patricia Walsh, is to look more to the bigger picture. A champion athlete – and blind since the age of 14 – Patricia maps her day-to-day tasks to her longer-term ambitions – the things that she's really passionate about achieving. That, she says, helps her to get through her To-Do List efficiently, because she can always see how those tasks are getting her closer to her most important goals.

And performance coach Andy Core is someone else who recommends staying "in the zone" rather than swapping between tasks. "Take one thing at a time," he says. "Plug it in – and don't give up and don't let yourself be distracted."

Maybe that's the way I should be energizing myself, rather than switching between tasks. As well as ensuring that I finish on time, it might also help me to push forward my longer-term goals. I love Andy's description of motivation being "just momentum in disguise."

Time to Break the Law?

Forward movement is all well and good, but we also need to know when to stop. Like me, Chris Bailey often fell foul of Parkinson's Law, until he experimented by working some 90-hour weeks, and some 20-hour ones. Although he felt much more productive putting in 90 hours, he found that he actually got only slightly more done than when he stopped at 20.

So, as excited as I am about flexible working in general, I've decided to start being a little less flexible about my use of time.

I'm still going to embrace the extra independence I've got to organize my day. But I'm going to "taskswitch" less, and stay "in the zone" more. And I'm going to use my long-term goals to spur me on through my To-Do List.

I'm hoping that this will help me to recalibrate the way I value time, and become more disciplined about when I switch off. I want to protect my time away from work – so that I'm fresher and more effective when I turn on my laptop again.

That's the plan, anyway. Whether I'll be able to stick to my good intentions... well, I guess only time will tell.

Listen to the Latest Episode of Mind Tools Expert Voices

Mind Tools Club Members and Corporate Licensees can listen to the full Expert Voices podcast now.

If you’re not a Mind Tools member, you can join the Mind Tools Club and gain access to our 2,400+ resources, including a range of audio features. For corporate licensing, ask for a demo with one of our team.

Taking Charge of Your Time: Have Your Say!

How well do you use your time? Can you accomplish what you need to, and want to, every day? Is it helpful to have more choices now – or is it harder than ever to make the most of your time? Please find a moment to share your experiences, insights and tips, below.

The post Take Charge of Your Time – Mind Tools Expert Voices appeared first on Mind Tools.

The fact is, we all have the same 24 hours in the day. But it can feel very different for each of us, depending on our responsibilities, commitments and goals. If we're juggling domestic tasks with a full-time job, for example, can we ever feel in control of our time?

Ashley Whillans believes we can. As an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, she focuses on happiness and well-being in the workplace. Her new book, "Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life," offers insights and practical tips on how to turn "time poverty" into "time affluence."

Finding Time Affluence

For Ashley Whillans, time affluence is, "The feeling of having enough time to do all of the things that you both want to do and have to do." And the word "feeling" is key because there's a large psychological component.

"There's been this disassociation over the last couple of decades where we're actually working fewer hours as compared to the 1950s or '60s – and that's true for both men and women and regardless of profession – but we feel more time stressed than we ever have before," Whillans observes.

"It's something that is really in our minds, this feeling of having enough control over our lives, that we can do everything we want to do. It also means that a lot of the solutions for these feelings of time poverty, or the strategies by which we can gain time affluence, are under our own personal control."

I have a good friend who struggles with time management at the best of times. When the pandemic hit, she started working from home, just as her two boys began remote learning. Everything took longer than expected, and she found herself working into the night, just to keep on top of everyday tasks.

I remember her wondering if there was anything she could do to regain control of her time – and her life. For example, technology is supposed to help us work faster and smarter, but it wasn't working out that way for her.

The Technology Trap

That's no surprise to Whillans, who says technology can be a double-edged sword in our quest for time affluence.

"Technology was offered as this promise to free ourselves from the nine-to-five and to offer us complete freedom, and instead technology has, in fact, become a trap. Instead of being in our offices nine to five, we carry our offices with us 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she points out.

This is a particular blight for people using the same space – home – for both work and leisure, which so many of us are doing these days. My friend found her precious family time interrupted by pings and chirrups, as her work goals encroached.

"This idea that I should be working when I'm hanging out with my family, or I should be hanging out with my family when I'm working, these feelings of goal conflict are one of the drivers of time poverty. Our phones, our iPads, our tablets, really facilitate [this]," Whillans says.

Reclaiming Your Time

But there are ways that technology can help, and Whillans tells me two of her favorites.

Firstly, she uses her computer to schedule a time when she'll turn off her phone, shut down email, and focus on whatever feels important. She calls this "proactive time," and putting it in her calendar makes her feel more in control of her time, "more time affluent, more productive, and happier." That's quite a list!

The second trick is "even more helpful," she says, and that's "downloading an app on your phone that will not let you check your email, not let you go to certain social media sites at key hours of the day."

After recording our podcast, I passed on these tips to my swamped friend. Lately, she says she's coping better, and while not yet time affluent, she's not feeling so time poor.

Time Smart

Using technology to help us, rather than letting it hinder us, is one of Whillans' tips for finding time.

Her book also explores "funding time" (by outsourcing activities that others can do) and "reframing time" (like counting vigorous gardening toward our fitness goals). Whatever way we decide to tackle time poverty, the changes don't need to be big or disruptive.

"My research over the past several years has shown quite the opposite," Whillans says. "It's small decisions around the margins, even small mindset shifts, that can have huge downstream consequences for our time use and our happiness."

Listen to Our Interview With Ashley Whillans

Discover fascinating insights from some of the world's leading business figures with our monthly Expert Interviews.

Mind Tools Club and Corporate members can listen to the full 30-minute interview with Ashley Whillans in the Mind Tools Club.

If you're not a Mind Tools member, you can join the Mind Tools Club and gain access to our 2,400+ resources, including 200+ Expert Interviews. For corporate licensing, ask for a demo with one of our team.

The post Take Control of Your Time: Our Expert Interview With Ashley Whillans appeared first on Mind Tools.

One competitor’s mind is full of doubts and uncertainty. They are preoccupied with their fears of what lies ahead. All these distracting thoughts will almost certainly damage their performance.

In contrast, the other athlete is calm, focused and ready to go. Rather than dwelling on the "what if," they have chosen to focus on the task at hand. They know that they are ready and they are prepared to give it their best shot. They will likely perform better because they have a clear mind, free of distractions.

The difference between the two individuals is where they choose to direct their attention. Thankfully, attention is a habit that anyone can adopt. The key is to select which thoughts you listen to and which ones you disregard. You can also regularly stop and ask yourself, "what am I paying attention to right now and is it helping or hindering me?"

"Starve your distractions. Feed your focus."

Unknown

Focus on the Sunny Side

During the past few months, with all the stress, fear and worry caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I have often struggled to concentrate. No matter how many strategies I put in place to avoid distractions, I couldn’t seem to get work done. No amount of asking myself "does it help or hinder?" was effective when I couldn’t drown out the worries in my mind.

So, rather than beat myself up for lacking focus, I acknowledged that we are living in exceptional circumstances. When times have been tough, I have chosen to pay attention to what is good in my life and be grateful for the simple things. I have chosen to focus on what I can control. This shift in attention helps me to move forward in a more positive and productive manner. It is progress, even if it isn’t perfection!

Attention and Focus

During our #MTtalk Twitter chat last Friday, we talked about attention and focus in a world of distractions. Here are the questions we asked and some of your most insightful responses:

Q1. What do you need to pay attention to – and how easy is that?

@_TomGReid Sustained leaders remain situationally aware. You notice everything and can immediately assess whether it is critical or noise-level. You pay attention to everything, but prioritize those that can move the needle.

@PG_pmp One needs to have focus and a "to do" attitude... it is easy if you love your work.

Q2. Do you think technology causes us to overuse our attention span? Why?

@WonderPix Tech can certainly help us tax our attention span... but even without it, our brains can quickly bounce back and forth between things.

@lg217 It can, depending on how the technology is used. Most people use technology to do certain tasks. Others use it as a distractor. It depends on the use.

Q3. How do you know if others are paying attention? What do you feel?

@TheCraigKaye Eye contact, paraverbals, body language, professional curiosity, inquisitive questions, smiles and nods, exploration.

@MaryEllenGrom When others pay attention you feel relevant, respected and valued.

Q4. What or who distracts you the most?

@Midgie_MT The accessibility of social media distracts me. Rather than simply pause, look out the window and then get back to what I was doing, it's easy to hop onto social media for that break and then find I've spent way too long there!

@VardhanPande It is my inner chatter which distracts me the most.

Q5. How do attention management and time management differ?

@MicheleDD_MT Attention is a combination of behaviors: mindfulness, presence, focus, flow. Time management is a set of tools.

@lsmurthy99 While similar to time management, attention management changes the focus of your time to how you are engaging.

Q6. How can you shift your attention between tasks without losing focus?

@aamir9769 Quite difficult until you're smart enough having skills to handle it. Keep a notepad, write down where you left off and what you were doing, and then move onto another task to carry out. Don't do 10 tasks at the same time, we are not robots. Accept only what you are able to digest.

@ColfaxInsurance Have relating tasks back-to-back so when you do switch it doesn't derail your productivity and you can continue working smoothly.

Q7. What role does self-discipline play in your ability to focus?

@JKatzaman Citing lack of discipline is just an excuse to give yourself a pass from responsibility.

@PmTwee Don’t know it is self-discipline or not, firm expectation should enable one’s ability to focus.  

Q8. What's your strategy for dealing with distractions?

@jasonbrewster My approaches to dealing with distractions: 1) Self compassion - we're human. It happens; 2) headphones in when I need focus time on a task; 3) contract about your response times to different messaging types - email I’ll reply in a few days, messages same day.

@letusthink2 Do not multi-task...that becomes your biggest distraction. Focus on one task at a time.

Q9. What/who should you pay less attention to/focus on less?

@saikatsaha I should pay less attention to anything that is not part of my present moment. Everything apart from this tweet chat is less worthy of my attention presently.

@Yolande_MT  Don't focus on what you don't want - you'll get more of it.

Q10. What could you achieve if you could focus on the right things?

@DhongdeSupriya Could identify first what are those right things, and then enjoy the focus.

@carriemaslen What a great question to print out and put on my monitor as a constant reminder!

To read all the tweets, have a look at the Wakelet collection of this chat over here.

Coming Up

Many people find it difficult to pay attention to what's important NOW. However, circumstances sometimes force us to do it. For our next #MTtalk, we're going to discuss salvaging your career after COVID-19.

In our poll this week, we'd like to know what worries you most when you think about salvaging or re-building your career? To see the poll and cast your vote, please click here.

Resources

In the meantime, here are some resources relating to attention and focus that we discussed on Friday. Note: some of the resources below may only be available in full to members of the Mind Tools Club.

Minimizing Distractions

In Flow

Managing a Person With ADHD

Effective Scheduling

How to Get More Done in Less Time

Is This a Morning Task?

Perfectionism

The post Attention and Focus – #MTtalk Roundup appeared first on Mind Tools.

But what happens if new leadership opportunities arise at work – when home feels like it's already taking everything you've got?

New Parent, New Job

Three of my biggest upward steps in leadership coincided with new babies. Our first son was born in the same week that I was put in charge of a team of broadcasters.

Then a couple of years later, shortly after I won promotion to a senior management role, our daughter arrived. Eight years after that, having switched careers, I stepped up to be the Deputy Principal of an elementary school – just as we welcomed son number two into the fold.

I remember each of these periods as being incredibly happy and extremely tough. On one hand, life was exciting, and I felt lucky to have the chance to make a difference. People needed me, at home and at work, and I was determined to do them proud.

However, on the other hand, each day was a whirlwind. I was being pulled in all directions. I was constantly exhausted. And there were many times when I felt like I was letting everyone down.

Being a Working Parent is Tough – for Everyone

From conversations I've had with friends and colleagues, I know that this is a common feeling among working parents. I was also reassured to read about it in "Parents Who Lead," by Stewart D. Friedman and Alyssa F. Westring.

As they point out, parenting is the only legal 24/7 job! It comes with little or no training, the job specs keep changing, and the drain on your physical and emotional resources is intense and relentless.

Trying to combine it with your actual job is bound to be a big ask, whichever number child you're on and however old they are.

In our case, we somehow managed to maintain a (mostly) happy family life, and we kept hold of our jobs.

There were often tough decisions to make about which parent would pick up which responsibility. For example, who should take the day off work when one of the kids was suddenly sick? Or who was better placed to go part-time during the baby years? As my colleague Suzanne White has recounted in an eye-opening blog, "Working Moms and Daddy Day Care," these are problems that many co-parents grapple with.

In our case, we mixed-and-matched as best we could, confronted some of our own assumptions as well as society's "norms," and somehow stayed friends (most of the time).

But it often felt like we were both making sacrifices – at home and at work.

Working Parent Power

With a family, life's unpredictable and often messy. It doesn't seem to provide the ideal backdrop for a successful career, especially when you're taking on new leadership roles.

But I've found that it's not all negative. In fact, there are moments when being a parent is an advantage at work, and times when your professional skills come into their own at home.

I know that I grew in confidence from being a parent, for example. After all, if I could prep for a meeting while putting out breakfast, then defuse a toddler tantrum on the way to pre-school, and still get to my desk on time, how hard could the rest of the day be?

And if I could mediate between team members with different views, surely I could sort out an argument between an eight- and a six-year-old about which cartoon to watch?

There were even moments – often more by luck than judgment – when everything came together beautifully. "Parents Who Lead" calls these "four-way wins."

Four-Way Wins

These magical moments happen when you do things that turn out to be good for you, your family, your organization, and even your community.

One good example for me was getting involved in my son's soccer club. It was great for my health. He loved having me there, while it was obviously a good way to strengthen community links, too.

Rather less obviously, it also helped me at work. It provided new insights about team working, for instance. I even made valuable business contacts simply by chatting to the other moms and dads.

I spotted four-way wins at work, too. One time I led a partnership putting on a new music festival – which turned out well for my organization, and for me. It let me indulge my love of live music, give something back to the community, and maybe even talk to my teenagers!

The Best of Both Worlds?

In my experience (and often through getting it wrong first), parenting breeds resilience. It teaches you to prioritize, and enriches a wide range of communication skills. It also equips you to deal with all the different – and sometimes difficult – people that you meet at work.

If you let it, your work can enrich your parenting. Why not borrow a few professional time-management techniques for home life, for example? Once or twice we've sorted out home issues by running family meetings. Don't leave all your hard-won work skills at the office, if they could help you at home.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned is to ditch the idea of "work-life balance," and aim for "work-life integration" instead. Purely in scheduling terms, there aren't enough hours in the day to achieve everything – if you try to keep family and work distinct.

So, find a few ways for them to overlap comfortably, and both will seem that bit more manageable.

Stand Up for Working Parents

The parents on your team may have bags under their eyes, and you may spot them glancing at their watches toward the end of meetings. However, they're likely developing new skills and experiences to bring to their job. So, support them when life is tough, and guide them in putting all the things that they're learning to good use.

Talk to them about what will help most. A working parent may need more time to do something, more help with part of their role. Or they may just need a little more flexibility for a while. Then again, they may need more challenge at work – and be ready for it.

With the right support, work can help parents to keep going. It provides co-workers to talk to, tasks to interest and challenge them, and chances to prove themselves beyond their parenting role. Emerging from lockdown, these are things that many parents must be longing for!

Meanwhile, with each new stage of family life, parents will likely be growing into even more confident and competent professionals. After all, they're receiving some of the best leadership training it's possible to get!

Downloading Our "Parents Who Lead" Book Insight

We review the best new business books and the tested classics in our monthly Book Insights, available as text or as 15-minute audio downloads.

So, if you're a Mind Tools Premium Club member or corporate user, download or stream the "Parents Who Lead" Book Insight now.

If you haven't already signed up, join the Mind Tools Club and gain access to our 2,400+ resources, including 390+ Book Insights. For corporate membership, ask for a demo with one of our team.

What's your take on the leadership challenges and opportunities for working parents? Join the discussion below!

The post Can You Be a Good Leader and a Good Parent? appeared first on Mind Tools.

Yes, we are all caught in the same storm, but we are a long way from being in the same boat. Nor do we know when the storm will pass, or what kind of world it will leave behind when the tide falls back.

This uncertainty is the one thing that we all share. It's the ultimate test of our resilience.

Fortunately, we live in a world where technology – and artificial intelligence, in particular – can help us in the race to to develop a vaccine. One that could, quite literally, save the human race.

Structure Your Day During Lockdown

Google's DeepMind AlphaFold project, for instance, is 3D-modeling the protein structure of COVID-19. Without the AlphaFold code, this would take longer than the age of the known universe to perform!

So while we sleep, eat, play, and stay home, war is waged nonstop on the Coronavirus. Meanwhile, our governments wrestle with the public health and economic fallout.

Our job, the bit we can control, is to keep the home fires burning; to keep ourselves and our families afloat. So far, in my experience, the number-one thing that helps me to cope with lockdown is structure.

To begin with, I kind of envied people furloughed at home. Now, I realize how lucky I am to be occupied with work and focused for eight hours a day. It feels reassuringly normal to be roused by my alarm clock, to be busy, to look forward to lunch and the end of the working day.

Find Your Purpose in Lockdown

And by the time I've been for a run or a walk, showered, cooked, eaten, and cleared away, it's well into the evening.

Time, to be honest, is not dragging for me. But I can see how easily it could be different without a purpose, a reason to get up. By now, I would most likely be keeping some very strange hours: up at noon on a good day, and up all night watching movies and a zillion box sets.

I've often thought it would be great to stop the world so I could get off for a few days. To gather myself, rest, and clear my head without missing anything. Well, now I know you can have too much of a good thing.

I also know I couldn't have lived like that for long. Guilt would have got the better of me and self-motivation would have kicked in.

Luckily, I'm also a born optimist. I always believe things will get better. And with the right attitude, approach and effort, they do. This too shall pass.

Lockdown: How Are You Coping? – Your Top Tips

We wanted to know how you are getting through lockdown. Here's a selection of some of the best tips and advice we received from our friends and followers on social media.

Think Positive, Be Positive

Our Facebook friend Galal Fahmy is treating this "time out" as a gift to do something positive with.

He told us, "The lockdown has taken its toll on everyone, physically, emotionally and mentally. But I don't believe that the answer is to succumb to the dark side of the quarantine.

"But rather we can engage our creative energies into our passions. We can meditate to explore deeper sides to our self, learn more about the world, spend more time with our loved ones at home, and reflect on our past and future steps carefully."

On Twitter, Janish Surana is also reaping the benefits of looking inward. He said, "Have taken up meditation. Getting up at 6 a.m.. Reading and learning about blockchain technology, electric vehicles, and graphene. Family. Daily chores. Quite busy these days. Smiling face with open mouth and smiling eyes."

Spirituality is also key for Minty Zeyya, who commented, "Keeping my body active and challenged, mindfulness in all daily routines, staying connected with loved ones. And of course mostly to stay connected with myself spiritually."

On LinkedIn, Izabela Twardowska revealed that she's focusing on the physical and emotional. She said, "Keeping active, making sure I do something for myself and others every day, staying connected with friends, family and team members."

Taking the practical approach is Adeiza Ahmed. "Making use of the time to keep busy learning new skills and more about myself" is helping him to cope, he told us on Facebook.

Spend Time With Friends and Family

Many of us are delighting in the extra time we have to spend with our friends and families, either in real life or online.

Faruk Abdullah Shohag is "reading books and watching movies! Quality time for family." As is fellow Facebook friend Mohammed Salman Ali, who said, "Spending valuable time with family. Watching series and writing stories."

Wendy Kelly is getting organized to make the best of her "new" time. She tweeted, "I'm scheduling time to get some fresh air by walking, as well as scheduling some virtual time with friends and family (e.g. movie night, happy hour)."

Reach Out to Others

Consultant Helen Lawson is flourishing in the "new normal." She said, "I'm so lucky to feel like I'm positively thriving through lockdown. I think a huge part of that is that as a well-being trainer and consultant, I'm getting to help others. Seeing the impact of that creates such a high.

"I'm one of maybe only a few that have the real luxury of finding this time enriching. My thoughts are with everyone less fortunate for whatever reason."

Empathy is the watchword for Wendy Barned on LinkedIn. She said, "Basically catching up on the things I didn't have time to do before. A lot of self-reflection on how I spent my time before lockdown.

"Connecting with people in a way of true caring, by actually reading and taking in their messages. Then responding with questions to find out more about them as a person."

Learn From Experience

Some folks are doing their best to take the whole thing in their stride – like Jessica Melton, who told us on LinkedIn, "Doesn’t seem to be much of an impact for me because I can and have worked from home. However, the kids being home all day, along with home schooling and the other jobs that a parent has, along with a full-time sales job, gets overwhelming at times."

This theme was echoed by Nicola McCall, also on LinkedIn. She said, "Strangely, isolation feels familiar to life as an expat. In that time I learnt to be self-reliant, work at home, cope with lack of communication and contact, be housebound (with a baby/toddler). 

"As an expat, I learnt so much about my values and needs. I feel it is seeing us through this period of being at home well. Of course, there was no pandemic occurring around us when we were expats. But there were a number of personal and professional trials (often in a second language) that we had to deal with, while living away from our normal support networks of family and friends."

Do you have any more tips or advice about coping with lockdown? Add your thoughts in the Comments, below.

The post Lockdown: How Are You Coping? – Your Top Tips appeared first on Mind Tools.

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of."

Reflecting on My Day

It was around 10 p.m. when I finally sat down to take stock of my day. As I ran through the day's To-Do list, I suddenly felt defeated. I had only managed to check off 11 of the 20 items on my list.  

That night I lay awake, wondering why I had become so ineffective. When I was younger, it seemed like I could do an almost impossible number of things in a day. What's gone wrong? What is wrong with me?

As my mind spiraled, the word "wrong" seemed to constantly appear in my thoughts and reflections. "Wrong, wrong, wrong." The word echoed around my head. 

Breaking Point

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of not being able to escape a burning house. I woke up crying and thrashing to get the "burning" duvet off me. Alarmed at the state I was in, my husband, in the middle of the night, declared, "You can't go on like this. Up to here, and now no further." 

The next morning, I protested against his suggestion that I should drop some of my activities. He calmly asked if I would mind sharing the previous day's To-Do list with him.

As we went through the tasks, he asked me how long it would take to complete each activity. The total came to 16 hours. That meant 16 hours without a break, without time to eat, without even going for a walk.

Considering My Values 

When thinking about it realistically, I knew that I couldn't do all of that in one day. Maybe at an earlier point in my life, I would have gotten it all done. But my values have changed.

Now I spend more time with my loved ones. It's also important for me to exercise every day, to prepare a good meal from scratch, and to make a point of reading for at least 30 minutes a day.

With this new, balanced lifestyle, it was unrealistic to have a To-Do list worth 16 hours of work.

Reassessing My Productivity

I also had to admit to myself that, when I was younger, I wasn't Superwoman: I often left things to the last minute, sometimes through pure procrastination, but other times because I was over-busy. I used the power of adrenaline to maintain that impossibly high energy level. This was never a realistic long-term approach to work.

We know that hard goals are more motivating than goals that don't challenge us. However, it's up to each person to find the balance between not overreaching all the time, and having enough to do to keep you motivated.

How Much Can You Do in a Day?

During our #MTtalk Twitter chat last Friday, we talked about how much you can realistically do in a day. Here are some of the most interesting and insightful responses:

Q1. What do you think you can do in a day? Is it realistic?

@JoanaRSSousa Nowadays, I do my best to have a realistic schedule. I write a To-Do list, every day, and make sure I have time between things, so I don't have to rush.

@Yolande_MT I often think I can move mountains in a day. Sometimes I can. Sometimes I can't.

Q2. In what ways do your personal standards of performance affect the volume of work you produce in a day?

@JThiefels It used to play a bigger role – I used to track my time and judge my "productivity" on how many hours I worked. Now, if I get all the high priority items on my To-Do list done, and I'm not stressed or anxious at the end of the day, I'm very happy with the day.

@PG_pmp Yes, personal standards of performance affect the outcome... so I believe in continuous improvement to increase productivity.

Q3. How much does the organization's (or team's) culture play into the workload you take on in a day?

@GThakore Leadership and teamwork have a major influence. The moment you feel that you are an asset to your team... your performance doubles.

@carriemaslen A patient manager helped me make the mental switch from quantity of work to quality. It's not about activity level, it's about results.

Q4. What impacts upon you not doing all that you planned to do in a day?

@realDocHecht If something gets in the way or laziness. Sometimes I just need to sit down and rest and then it's hard to keep going.

@Mphete_Kwetli The lack of actionable plans.

Q5. Is getting things done all down to discipline and self-control, or a lack thereof? Why or why not?

@J_Stephens_CPA We interact in a human world which has many variables.  Urgent and important can come up unexpectedly. Others can bring you interruptions and you need to be present to them‪.

@yehiadief Flexibility is a kind of discipline, but too much “self-flexibilty” can become out of control.

Q6. What role does being in a state of flow play on how much you get done?

@SayItForwardNow Being in a state of FLOW means that I am not resisting the work I am doing, but finding ways to ENJOY it.

@shamikv Flow is KPI of passion. It’s [the] power behind effortless success.

Q7. What strategies do you use to get more accomplished in your day?

@JKatzaman Set aside time for what you want to do and preferably for how long. That builds refreshing breaks into the schedule.

@SizweMoyo I write a list of things that need to be completed today, a list of things that need to be completed in general, and also prepare for what I could do if I can't complete a scheduled task. I've found that I get more done this way.

Q8. Why can we do so much before we go on leave? What can we learn from that?

@Midgie_MT I see that rush to get things done before leave due to wanting to not leave any loose ends or "unfinished business". We can create that sense of deadline also for regular work weeks.

@DrRossEspinoza Perhaps we think faster because we are thinking of the gratification we are about to have, perhaps we get more practical and see things clearly without attaching too much.

Q9. How do you decide when to end your workday? What factors do you consider?

@lg217 My workday ends once I feel a sense of accomplishment. Once you feel good about where you are at when the day ends, then your day is done.

@MicheleDD_MT If there’s an immovable deadline, I work until I am done. Then I reward myself.

Q10. We need to work smarter, not harder. What does working smarter look like?

@MarkC_Avgi THINK!! Find better ways to accomplish your tasks, whether it is through technology, people or new methods. This idea of working smarter is nothing new. My late father always told me to work smarter, not harder, when I was growing up.

@harrisonia Working smarter is saying NO (or not right now) when others commit you to projects or infringe on your time.

To read all the tweets, have a look at the Wakelet collection of the whole chat.

Coming Up

You need to be assertive to manage your time well. The topic of our next #MTtalk chat is “Assertive, Aggressive or Arrogant?” In our Twitter poll this week, we’d like to know which of the given characteristics you most associate with assertiveness.

Resources

In the meantime, here are some resources relating to the topic we discussed:

In Flow

How to Start Your Day

How Can I Stop Procrastinating?

Finding the Right Work Life Balance

Physical Relaxation Techniques

Effective Scheduling

How to Be Conscientious

Self-Sabotage

How to Get More Done in Less Time

Managing Conflicting Priorities

Is This a Morning Task?

Managing Interruptions

Minimizing Distractions

Self-Discipline

The post How Much Can You Do in a Day? - #MTtalk Roundup appeared first on Mind Tools.