Blog of Roger Hyttinen » Productivity

My Schedule

Roger — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:45:14 +0000

Image courtesy of david.orban

Yesterday, I posted about the importance of keeping a schedule. I later received an e-mail asking me how specific the schedule should be. My answer: as specific as necessary to make it work for you. If you feel that you need the discipline to plan out every moment of your day, then by all means do so. The important thing is that your schedule succeeds in keeping you on task and helps you to accomplish your goals. While I do have a set time for my daily goals, I keep my schedule flexible enough so that I can rearrange things and times if need be.

Below is my schedule at the current moment in time. It is continuously open for review and modification:

5:00 a.m. Wake up. Morning Meditation.

6:00 a.m. – Coffee, check email, read blogs.

7:00 a.m.- Exercise (aerobics, or bike ride). Shower

8:00 a.m.- Get ready for day. Check e-mail again, post blogs, journal. Eat breakfast.

9:30 a.m.- Check e-mail again before shutting it down. Begin fiction writing, Continue with occasional breaks until harp practice.

11:00 a.m. Harp Practice

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m.- Quick check of e-mail. Work on at least one section of Courseware.

3:30 p.m. – Work on Spanish Lessons.

4:30 p.m. – Check e-mail, Web. Work on/finish up any other pending projects. If none, I’m done for the day!

6:30 p.m. – Dinner

Rest of evening: Free time for reading, study, social events or whatever.

Schedule can be adjusted for errands or appointments. Sometimes, my bicycle rides can run long so everything will get pushed back an hour or so.
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Importance of a Daily Schedule

Roger — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:40:16 +0000

Image courtesy of silent-penguin

One of the most important things that you can do to be more productive is to create a daily schedule. When I first started working for myself, I had a standard “To-Do List” – a list that included all of the things that I wanted to accomplish during the day. For some reason however, I was never able to get through my list. Some days I did fairly well and got through the majority of the items on my list. Other days, I was only able to get through one or two items. At this time in my life, I felt that since I worked for myself, I didn’t have to follow a set schedule. I wanted to be free, spontaneous and not feel that I had to structure my life.

I enjoyed the ability to do whatever I wanted but still became frustrated by the fact that I just wasn’t able to accomplish my daily goals. This was when I realized that in order for me to manage my time effectively, I would need to create and follow a schedule. I came to understand that there are different types of freedom and that if I did not learn to discipline myself to follow a schedule, I would not have the freedom to accomplish my goals. Eventually, this would mean that I would have to go back to working for someone else and adhere to someone else’s schedule – something I definitely did not want to do. While working at home meant I could set my own schedule, it did not mean that I could abandon a schedule all together.

Working for yourself allows flexibility but it is still important to keep on task and accomplish your professional as well as personal goals. To establish a schedule when working from home, you need to look at family needs and ensure that you set aside time to take care of your family obligation – including spending time with your children and your spouse. They may mean having to schedule your work time around the needs of your family: preparing meals, driving children to and from events, picking up children, etc. It is also important to let your family know when you will be working so that you can minimize distractions.

Because I work from home, I include personal time as well as working time in my schedule: time for exercise, meditating, study, working on hobbies, relaxing and meals.

Some Principles for Creating a Schedule

Be realistic

Your schedule should be attainable, not just a wish list of things you would like to achieve. If you find you are not able to follow your schedule, revise it. Working with an unrealistic schedule will just cause frustration and eventually, you will abandon it completely.

Assign tasks to certain times

A list of things you have to do is not a schedule, it is a to-do list. To create an effective schedule, write out everything you want to accomplish during the day and assign a specific time period when you will work on each task. At first, this will only be an estimated time period as it may take awhile to determine how long a particular task actually takes.

Be flexible

Things undoubtedly will pop up which will cause you to deviate from your schedule. Allow yourself the flexibility to move things around on your schedule or work later if need be.

Start slowly

If you are used to getting up at 10:00 a.m. and now want to start getting up at 5:00 a.m., you will need to begin by getting up 9:00 for an entire week, then at 8:00 the next week, until you have reached your goal of getting up at 5:00. It takes time to learn a habit – some say 30 days of continuous practice – so give yourself time to adapt to your new routine.

Schedule personal time

If you schedule only your work time, you may become frustrated that you are not achieving your personal goals. Anything that is important to you – and this should include time for recreation and relaxation – should be a part of your schedule.

Include long-term goals

We all have a list of things we want to accomplish in our lifetime – perhaps learning a foreign language, learning to play a musical instrument or another hobby we wish to learn. We often tell ourselves that “someday” we will get around to it. The only way to make it happen however, is to add it to your daily schedule. If you want to learn a language for instance, schedule a half hour or hour a day to devote to it. Remember – if something is out of sight, it is also out of mind.

Allow your schedule to be a work-in-progress

Evaluate your schedule from time to time to see how it is working for you and whether it is realistic. Very often, we tend to underestimate how long something will take. For instance, you may think that it takes you 45 minutes to do your grocery shopping, where in reality, it is closer to two hours. Revise your schedule as necessary.

Don’t be afraid to eliminate

We often have an unrealistic picture of how much we can accomplish during the day; there are, after all, only twenty-four hours in a day. If you find it impossible to accomplish everything on your schedule, you may need to remove some things. Don’t try to force yourself to achieve more than realistically possible.

Use timers or calendar reminders

In yesterday’s post, I talked about using a timer to remind yourself to take breaks. You can also use timers to remind you when it is time to move on to your next task. Instead of (or in addition to) timers, you can send yourself reminders via your electronic calendar program. Both Outlook and iCal include this feature.

By using a schedule, you can determine whether you are on track with your goals, and if not, what you need to do to get back on course.
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Productivity Tip: Taking Breaks

Roger — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:34:16 +0000

Image courtesy of modomatic

For many of us, we do not like to be interrupted when we’re working and on a roll. I am one who is guilty of this and could easily sit for hours at a time at my computer without a break. This type of a routine however, can cause all types of problems: burnout, headache, extra stress, muscle problems (carpal tunnel anyone?), eye strain and more. By the end of my workday, my eyes used to sting terribly, my back would ache and I would often get shooting pain up and down my right arm (my “mouse-clicking arm”). I would also find myself extremely irritable with a very low patience level.

I then read an article about how vitally important it is to give yourself breaks away from the computer at regular intervals. I now set a timer for 45 minutes after which I take a 5 minute break (okay…sometimes it’s 10 minutes) during which I walk away from the computer, stretch, get a glass of water, have a snack, etc. It has made a world of difference and the symptoms I mentioned above seemed to disappear overnight.

I have a little timer program for the Mac called TTimer, which I set for 45 minute intervals while I’m working. The application also allows me to set multiple timers (so I can time my laundry and the pie in the oven at the same time). This type of application is ideal for those who get so focused on their work that they lose track of time. I’m sure there are many such programs available for Windows users as well.

So give your eyes, muscles and stress level a break – by taking a break!
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Save Money Using a Wish List

Roger — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:15:07 +0000

Photo courtesy of Prakhar

It was Elaine St. James, author of Simplify your Life, who gave me the idea of the Wish List. That is – rather than purchasing something on sight, I wait a minimum 30 days. I was extremely guilty of regularly making impulse purchases and then regretting it afterwards. I had many of those “what the eyes see, the heart desires” moments, only to be followed later by “what was I thinking?”

Awhile back, I started using the wish list concept. I do not allow myself any impulse purchases whatsoever. If I decide I want to buy something, I put it on a list where it has to remain for at least 30 days. Quite often, I completely forget about the item or decide later upon reviewing my list that I really didn’t want/need the item after all. I couldn’t begin to tell you how much money I’ve saved doing this or how much less clutter I have brought into the house.

When I am at a physical store, I carry a little notebook that fits into my pocket and if I should happen to see something that I want to purchase, I write it in my notebook. It is then added to my main wish list on my computer when I get home. In order to make this work, you have to be strict in adhering to the rule of “No impulse purchases of any kind, under any circumstances, for any reason.”

The only time that I don’t hold myself to the wish list is if I’m on vacation. If I see a cool t-shirt or unique memento, I’ll buy it. Although these days, I’m more about experiences and less about souvenirs.

If you want to control impulse spending, give the wish list concept a try. What I like about it is that it not only saves money but helps with the clutter as well.
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Using the Ta Da List

Roger — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:44:48 +0000

Photo courtesy of skidrd

For many years now, I have, like many others, kept a daily to-do list to help me accomplish my daily tasks as well as my long-term goals. This doesn’t mean that I am always able to accomplish everything that’s on my list. On the contrary – more times that I care to admit, I am unable to cross off more than a couple of items. Now in the past, I used to get extremely frustrated with myself for slacking on my to-do list and would constantly beat myself up over my inability to accomplish what I had promised myself I would do.

Do you do this? Do you feel guilty when you are unable to accomplish everything on your list?

What I think is important to remember – to think about – is not how much we didn’t get done during the day but rather how much we accomplished. Awhile back, I was reading one of Julia Cameron’s books and she mentioned a favorite tool of hers: The “Ta Da List”. Rather than list out everything we need to get done, the Ta Da List celebrates everything that we accomplish throughout the day.

As I tend to journal at the end of the day, I began to get in the habit of ending my journal with a Ta Da List and I was actually more than surprised at everything that I did during the day. I helped me to realize that I was in fact accomplishing quite a bit every day. It also helped me to understand that I am only human and there will be those days where I just can’t quite get around to everything I had intended. People stop by, emergencies pop up, customers demand extra attention – these little things are a part of life and life is about the unexpected.

The Ta Da List not only allows you to celebrate what you have done during the day, but it also helps you to understand where you spend your energy during the day, perhaps pinpointing those little time-wasters in your life.

Here is an example of my Ta Da List so far today:

Did 45 minutes of morning meditation
Took 3 mile walk
Wrote 2 pages of my new book
Wrote out two sections of courseware
Practiced harp for an hour and a half
Began learning a new song on the harp
Did my Spanish lessons
Did two loads of laundry
Did the breakfast and lunch dishes
Had a phone consultation with a client
Emptied out my e-mail inbox
Wrote 3 blog posts
Paid my visa bill online
Made lunch
Made breakfast
Sorted/discarded the mail
Swept kitchen floor

And there is still more of my day left…

You can also do a Ta Da List for an entire year. This is exactly what I did at the end of 2008 and when I finished my list, I was elated to discover that I was able to achieve almost all of the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of the year.

The Ta Da list can help you to become more aware of and grateful for what you do accomplish for yourself and for others throughout the day. Since I have started using this tool, I feel much more energized and motivated when I see everything I have done during the day.

So I say, sit back in your chair at the of the day, write out your list, put down your pen and say “Ta Da!”
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How I Went Paperless

Roger — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:06:59 +0000

Photo courtesy of Rob!

I was sick and tired of rifling through piles of papers to find what I was looking for so I decided that I had to do something about it. Thus, my goal for 2008 was to move to a paperless office. I feel that I have pretty much accomplished that goal – and surprisingly, it was mostly painless. These days, my inbox consists of bank deposit envelopes, Priority Mail envelopes and a manilla folder into which I place items that must be scanned. Additionally, I have gone from a file cabinet with 4 overstuffed drawers to only 1 drawer containing a couple of file folders (tax returns and legal documents such as birth certificate, passport, etc.)

The process was fairly straight-forward – here are some key tips that I used:

1. Set up a digital database

I purchased DevonThink Pro Office, an awesome intelligent database solution for your digital files. In my goal to have a “paperless office” (or paperless as much as possbile, anyway), it is indispensable. It allows me to store all of my digital files – graphics, sound files, movie files, spreadsheets, word processing documents, pdf’s, etc. in one repository – and retrieval of information is almost instantaneous. You can also easily collect and store data from the Web and from your e-mail application with just a couple of keystrokes.

2. Get a good scanner

I got the Fujitsu Scansnap S510M scanner, which allows you to convert paper archives into searchable .pdf files (there is a version for both Macs and PCs). When used in conjunction with DevonThink Pro Office, you can use OCR recognition so that the text of your .pdf’s is searchable by DevonThink (and Spotlight as well). Plus it is simply an awesome scanner!

3. Do not allow any papers to accumulate.

When I piece of paper comes across my desk, I use one of the rules of GTD – I ask myself “Is this actionable?” If it is a reference material or something that I may need to refer to in the future, then I add it to my “to be scanned” folder. If it is a bill or something I need to mail out, I take care of it right away (I have discovered that paying your bills immediately is a major stress reducer). Otherwise, the item gets recycled. I also scan receipts, warranties booklets and appliance instruction booklets.

4. Keep a “to be scanned” folder

I don’t scan items immediately when I get them. Instead, I have a manilla folder on my desk into which I place paper that needs to be scanned into my database. When I get about 10 or so items in the folder, I then scan them in.

5. Start scanning the contents of your file cabinets.

By doing a few items a day, you’ll be amazed at how fast you can empty out your file drawers. In my case, it had been years since I even looked at any of the contents of my files and discovered that a good majority of the items were no longer even relevant or useful. So I was able to toss them rather than scan them.

6. Stop printing out your e-mail messages

I also apply the actionable rules to e-mail. I either respond to it right way or put it in a Pending Folder in my mailbox. Once I respond or otherwise take care of it, I import it into DevonThink for storage (the program comes with a plug-in to easily import your mail into the database). If the mail item is not something I will need later, I simply delete it.

7. Scanning Magazine Articles

I never let magazines pile up. After I receive a magazine, I read it and if I come across any articles that I want to keep, I will cut them out and add them into my “to be scanned” folder. It’s amazing how pleasant it is to have a nice clean coffee table.

8. Get rid of the newspaper

Okay, this one may not be for everyone. I personally no longer subscribe to newspaper delivery. Instead, I subscribe to a couple of online news blogs and receive updates throughout the day from the New York Times. This more than meets my news needs.

9. Have an offsite backup plan

If you are digitizing IRS documents such as receipts, contracts, etc., you will need to obtain an off-site backup solution. I personally use Amazon’s S3 service in conjunction with Jungle Disk. Other popular options are Mozy for both Mac and PC users users and Carbonite for Windows users only (although I do believe there will be a Mac version in beta soon ). When getting rid of your paper documents, it is essential that you have some sort of backup plan in place. So if you don’t back up to an offsite storage facility, at a minimum backup to an external drive. I used to tell my computer students that there are two types of people – those who backup and those who wish they had.

The trick to making this work is to to be diligent- take those scraps of paper, those letters, those magazine articles – scan them in and then toss them out! Once you go paperless, you will never want to go back to the way things were before.
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Accomplishing Goals A Little At A Time

Roger — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:51:42 +0000

I write computer training manuals for a courseware company and each day, I tell myself that I will write at least one section. In fact, I do not allow myself to go to bed at night until I have written my one section (I remember a night or two being at my desk at 1:00 am, frantically writing my section so that I could go to bed). Now, this doesn’t mean that I cannot write more than one – in fact, most days, I write 4 or 5. But the point is, that I must write at least 1.

A few years ago I began the task of transcribing my paperbound journals into an electronic journal application. I have drawers and drawers of journal notebooks. But as part of my daily routine, I key in one entry. By chopping away at this a little at a time, I have almost completely finished entering them in – that’s 20 years of journals we’re talking about.

5 ways to accomplish goals “a little at a time”

Make a promise to yourself that you will do your daily quota – no matter what. Tell yourself that before you go to bed, you must have kept your part of the agreement.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure your daily goal is reasonable. Planning on writing 25 pages a day may not be an attainable goal in the long run.
Put it in writing. For many of us, if it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. Put your daily goals on paper or in electronic format so you can review them later.
Review your list regularly. This is the key in making regular, daily progress on your goals. Post your list where you can see it or send yourself an e-mail reminder to occasionally to review your list. Some people may want to add a daily reminder on their electronic calendars.
Don’t add too many daily “to do’s” on your list. If there are too many goals on your list, you may become frustrated, short on time and end up abandoning your list completely. I recommend including no more than 3 items on your daily “must-do-no-matter-what” list. When one goal is accomplished, add another.

By using the “little at a time” concept, you can easily accomplish your goals – even the big ones.

5 ways to accomplish goals “a little at a time”

Make a promise to yourself that you will do your daily quota – no matter what. Tell yourself that before you go to bed, you must have kept your part of the agreement.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure your daily goal is reasonable. Planning on writing 25 pages a day may not be an attainable goal in the long run.
Put it in writing. For many of us, if it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. Put your daily goals on paper or in electronic format so you can review them later.
Review your list regularly. This is the key in making regular, daily progress on your goals. Post your list where you can see it or send yourself an e-mail reminder to occasionally to review your list. Some people may want to add a daily reminder on their electronic calendars.
Don’t add too many daily “to do’s” on your list. If there are too many goals on your list, you may become frustrated, short on time and end up abandoning your list completely. I recommend including no more than 3 items on your daily “must-do-no-matter-what” list. When one goal is accomplished, add another.

By using the “little at a time” concept, you can easily accomplish your goals – even the big ones.
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The “I’ll Do It Tomorrow Syndrome”

Roger — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:38:06 +0000

Yesterday, I talked about how to accomplish your goals and resolutions. From my experience, one of the biggest obstacles that we have to overcome is what I call the “I’ll do it tomorrow” syndrome. You might also call this the “I’ll start on Monday” syndrome as well.

I can’t even begin to think how many times I have said these words to myself. Perhaps I’m was having an unusually crazy week or my schedule was a bit out of the ordinary. Instead of doing what was on my goal list, I would tell myself “I’ll start again on Monday” or “I’ll do it when my life quiets down again.” There will always be a “better time” to do what we have to do. There will always be tomorrow….or Monday….or next week. But like my mother used to tell me, “Tomorrow never comes”.

The trick of overcoming this obstacle is to first be aware of it. I probably was guilty of this for years before I even realized that I was doing it. It seems innocent enough, telling yourself that you can skip a day or two until things get back to normal. Then before you know it, your goal has completely fallen from your radar.

A few years ago, I was planning a trip to Mexico and promised that I would study Spanish. I started off with a bang but then I had “busy weeks” pop-up here and there, where I just couldn’t fit it in. But that’s OK. I’ll start again on Monday. Next thing I knew, an entire year had passed, my trip was imminent and all I could say in Spanish was “Where is the bathroom please”.

So when the “I’ll do it tomorrow” syndrome rears its nasty little head, you can smile, wag your finger at it and instead, move one step closer to accomplishing your goal.
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How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Roger — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:34:05 +0000

The majority of people have a difficult time keeping their New Year’s resolutions and after a few weeks, the resolution list is cast aside and forgotten. While looking over my Resolution list for last year however, I was pleased to discover that I was able to keep nearly all of my goals for the year. In order to keep ensure that you accomplish the goals on your list, here are some ideas that have helped me:

Review your list regularly
This is probably the biggest culprit. We write our list on January 1st, toss it in a drawer and that’s the last we think about it. It is important to review your yearly goals on a regular basis to see how you are doing. I keep my goal list in OmniFocus, a project/time management software program where I review my goals regularly. If you have a calendar program that allows for recurring reminders, set it to remind you to review your list monthly, biweekly, etc.

Set realistic goals
It is important that your goals be attainable. If you currently weigh 500 pounds and set a goal to reach 135 pounds in 6 months, you will most likely be disappointed. It is best to set your goals in small increments – say that I will lose 4 pounds a month. Setting unrealistic goals leads to frustration and then typically abandonment.

Don’s set too many goals
I have been guilty of this myself – setting so many goals that I become overwhelmed and then end up abandoning everything. Set only 3 or 4 goals for the upcoming year and focus solely on then – do not add any new goals until you have accomplished all but one goal. When you get down to one remaining goal, then feel free to add others. There’s no law that says you can’t add to your resolution list later on in the year.

Let others know your intention
Publicly announcing your goals to other helps you to accomplish them. When I quit smoking, I told everyone I knew. This helped ensure that I would not fail as it would have been embarrassing to show up later on with a cigarette in my mouth.

Create a daily schedule
Add your goal to your daily routine. If you use a paper or electronic calendar, add the goal to it – at least until it becomes a habit. One of my goals last year was to learn a new song on the harp every month. Thus, on my calendar I blocked out 10:30 to 11:30 every day to practice. Likewise, 4:00 to 5:00 is blocked out for studying Spanish.

Ask for help
Sometimes, it’s good to have a team of friends or family behind you. Support from others can often keep our goals at the forefront, especially if we have to report to our support group. Be sure to report in regularly with them and ask for a “pep-talk” when needed.

So this year, add a new goal to your list: “This year, I will keep my resolutions”.
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Faxing Signed Contracts without a Fax Machine

Roger — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:11:43 +0000

Yesterday, I posted an article about how I got rid of my fax and replaced it with an online service. A reader wrote to me and asked:

“That’s all well and good. But what about if someone needs your signature on a document like a contract? This would surely require a physical fax machine.”

As part of my business, I regularly receive contracts via online fax requiring my signature . The process I use is:

Print out the document.
Sign it where required.
Scan it into my computer to .pdf format.
Fax the signed .pdf document back to the person using my online fax service.

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