Leveraging our time is as much about getting organized, as it is getting clear on what’s important. Against the backdrop of complexity, ongoing change and disruption, getting ruthless with our time management can be so important to many.
As a business owner, or remote worker, this is especially true. We can’t get our time back. So, when we go down a rabbit hole (whether it’s doing too much research online, following a shiny red object or thinking we just need to learn “one more thing”), the costs can be tremendous. Not just in NOT getting things done, but in terms of our focus, our motivation and also our profit line!

Discernment is about getting clear on what’s important and what’s not. It is about being clear of what’s going to provide impact now, later or never.

As a remote worker or virtual business owner, we are do often have greater control over our time. Our colleagues and/or superiors may be hundreds of miles away, or several time zones ahead. As remote workers, it’s not always about how we manage our time, but how we get our results. Those who feel the crunch in getting something over the finish line is usually only us (and those loved ones around us!).

With this in mind, what is the cost of not being discerning around where your time goes, or how clear your projects are, or what is a more important priority than another?

As we embark on new projects, or start a new week, it can be useful to ask ourselves, and our stakeholders:

• What’s most important today?
• What are the top 3-5 things I want to get completed?
• What are the MUST Dos?
• What will success look like with this project/task?
• As it relates to this project/task, what’s important?
• Have I considered the short-term, medium-term and long-term in making decisions?
• What would my colleague/boss/peer/customer say is most important to focus on today?
• What impact will this activity have? And that one?

 
What questions do you want to ask as you decide one priority to another?

Let us know using the comments below!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

With another winter storm day here, many workplaces are giving people the option to work from home. In today's global space a snow day rarely means a day off - it just means we need to get things done from where we are.  In some ways this can be more stressful for some, than trying to get into the office.
If you do have an unplanned remote work day, take advantage of what may be an even more productive day for you, without the stress of a bad commute!
#1 - Make sure you have a dedicated workspace. The distractions when working remote may be different than that at the office. While you might not be getting pulled into meetings like you do, the distractions are real. From being surrounded by a household list of things that could get done, to maybe having kids home from school as well.
Find a space where you can work efficiently. Close to a power source, with good lighting and space for you to work. An added bonus is having a door you can close if there are
#2 - Set a timer and take breaks. While you may not have the usual interruptions. Itcan be important to take scheduled breaks like you would at the office. Set the timer so you can get into your work. Some productivity experts recommend working in 50 minute blocks, others assert 1.5 hour blocks are even better. You get to decide, but make sure you can get some focused work in, and take breaks regularly.
#3 - Stay in touch - As you would normally, stay in touch with colleagues as appropriate
#4  - Create agreements around what remote work expectations are. This may involve times for work, remote connection to the office, security around data and connection,and what expectations are in terms of staying in touch.
#5 - Use the time to get heavier tasks done. Consider what projects you have not been able to tackle due to interruptions and schedule these in. This might be the day when you finally can check things off your list!
#6 - Consider what will help you be even more efficient next time! Days like these can be a blessing, illustrating how much actually gets done in the remote space without as many (meeting) interruptions. What do you need to be even more productive next remote work day.
As we say here, winter's not over yet!

Let us know what your favorite tips are for working remote, by sharing in the comments.

Enjoy
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

Continuing in the theme of this month around time management and productivity, today our attention turns to Organizing Your Remote Workspace.
​As a virtual or remote worker, having an organized workspace can be challenging. Sometimes we may be working out of a space that serves many more people (think – the family or room mates), sometimes we may be on the move, and other times we may be needing to work off-hours.

Getting organized in your virtual space is key to productivity success. This may look different for each one of us. Three areas you will want to consider getting organized around includes:
·         Reducing Distractions
·         Files
·         Email
 
#1 – Reducing Distractions – Take note of the workspace you have and the distractions which are common. If you are working in a shared space, what can you do to minimize interruptions from others, or enhance privacy? Could this mean changing your working hours, or flow of work?
There can also be many visual distractions, from clutter to the pull of what’s around our periphery. Investing in regular time for clean up and decluttering can do a long way. This could also mean investing in a screen or other item that could serve as a barrier.
Consider other elements which will add to your workspace including lighting and a clear and comfortable space to work at. Power sources and chairs may round out the list.
 
#2  - Files
Files and materials take all different shapes and forms. From digital to paper based, what are the files you are needing to keep at hand?
How can you access them?
What can you do to ensure they are secure?
What organizing do you need to complete with them?
 
#3 – Email – Email can become an all-consuming entity. While some jobs require that you are on a significant part of the day, can you experiment with windows where you shut down email? Dr. Gloria Mark found that when distracted, it could take us upwards of 22 minutes to get back on task. When you need to focus on “deep work” (reports, analysis, creating, thinking) what windows have you created for yourself?
What else is going to help you focus and thrive in your remote work-space?
Share with us the one thing that has made all the difference in your working remote.

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Author of several books including: PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized  - Specializing in support to virtual and remote teams, leaders and entrepreneurs
Award-winning Coaching Skills Training
Book a call with Jennifer

It’s the last day of 2018 and time to turn the page (metaphorically) to a new chapter. Before we do, try to grab a few minutes today to wrap things up and wind things down.
Here are some of the questions I like to include at the end of the year. I’ve taken them from Teams365 Blog – post # 1091, at the end of 2016.
Here are ten questions to support you in taking a look back at the last year:
1. What's been your biggest success this year?
2. What are you most proud of accomplishing? OR What were your greatest results?
3. What habits have most supported you this year?
4. What three adjectives sum up the year for you?
5. What were key relationships instrumental to your success and experience this year?
6. What has been your biggest, and most important, learning this year?
7. If you were to give this year a book title, what would it be?
8. What do you want to make sure you keep doing in the new year? What do you want to stop doing?
9. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for?
10. What and how will you celebrate the successes of 2018? With whom?
​
Have a wonderful last year of 2019 and I look forward to stepping through 2019 with you, with regular blog posts and ongoing calls to support you in becoming more focused and intentional in your work.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Now Available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner – Pick up a copy today on Amazon
 
Is 2019 your year to move things forward through group learning and accountability? Join me for one of our annual groups -
The Teams365 Leadership Lab (focusing on team leadership, virtual teams)
The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design)
or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on  business development)

​At this time of year, a lot of our focus shifts to year end planning, but what about planning for Q 1?
If you have taken time in the last few weeks or months to capture your annual plan, now is the time to pull it out again, and open it up. What had you highlighted for Q 1 – January, February or March?
What are the:

• Key projects and activities you have planned?
• What relationships are important to take note of?
• What opportunities exist?
• What is important for you to prioritize?

For those that have a copy of the PlanDoTrack Workbook, you’ll note that there are four sets of Quarterly Planning Tools. Each of the quarterly planning tool sections includes:

• Space for you to note key projects and activities.
• Space for you to reflect on past learning you want to carry forward, opportunities you want to focus on for the quarter, as well as space for you to note opportunities and key learning.

Another segment of the Quarterly Planner gets you to break down the key priorities for each week of the quarter (usually about 12 or 13 in total) so you can get a “big picture” view, and then flesh it out further in the monthly calendar sections.
With the launch of the Coaching Business Builder in Summer 2018, a sibling edition of PlanDoTrack (for professional coaches), I’ve been intrigued to see different people’s affinity to planning at different levels. Some professionals first turn to the quarterly view, and others to the monthly view. What do you prefer? What’s the window that helps you plan?
As you go about your planning for Q 1, be sure to reflect back on the last blog posts around Winter Planning Questions. 

Best,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Now Available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner – Pick up a copy today on Amazon
 
Is 2019 your year to move things forward through group learning and accountability? Join me for one of our annual groups -
The Teams365 Leadership Lab (focusing on team leadership, virtual teams)
The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design)
or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on  business development)

As we step into winter this week, there is the opportunity to do some planning and stock taking for ourselves, our team and our work.  Part of the philosophy and foundation of the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner is that short bursts of planning allow us to undertake more focused effort. By the same token, focused bursts of action, done consistently, create momentum and movement towards where we want to go.
If you are not yet in the habit of undertaking quarterly planning, I hope that you will consider starting to take 5-10 minutes each equinox (usually around the 20th or 21st of March, June, September and December). The great thing about this is that it’s usually about a week to ten days in advance of our next quarter, another key planning point.
For the past five years I’ve posted daily blog posts for Team Leaders and Members over at the Teams365 Blog. Each quarter I like to include some questions to get your planning juices flowing here are several questions to consider as you go about planning for Winter 2019:

• What are the key projects which will take your time, attention and resources?
• What relationships are important?
• What habits will help you be successful?
• What’s the one thing you want to do every day (or several times a week!) this winter?
• What do you want to make sure you leave space for?
• What do you need to (and want to) say no to, so you have space?
• What is the theme you want to embrace this winter?
• What is the one thing you want to try this winter?
• What else is important to note about Winter 2018?
• What pieces of this are important to share with others? Who are they?
• What accountabilities do you want to commit to?
• Fill in the blank: By the end of Winter 2018 (March 20, 2019) I want to:_______________________

For regular ideas and daily prompts, please follow along at Instagram at my daily #90DaysPlanDoTrack. You can find them at my Instagram handle @CoachingBizBuilder. 
For weekly journaling prompts, check out the Saturday posts at the Teams365 Blog.

​Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Now Available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner – Pick up a copy today on Amazon 
I'll be hosting the last 4 hour PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreat on Thursday December 20th from 1 - 5 pm ET, just in time for year end and Q 1 planning.
​
Is 2019 your year to move things forward through group learning and accountability? Join me for one of our annual groups -
The Teams365 Leadership Lab (focusing on team leadership, virtual teams)
The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design)
or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on  business development)