Delegate, Eliminate, productivity, Reduce Stress, Time Management

The 9 Ds of Processing: Turn Your Excessive Time Demands into Manageable Tasks

August 4, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

43 unread emails, 1713 emails in out inbox, 18 new letters in the mail, 33 ideas in our head, 4 piles of papers on our desk, 36 items on our to do list and a blinking answering machine. Our inboxes (electronic and physical) are constantly being filled with more demands on our time. To keep our sanity and be productive we must take a short time to “process” our overflowing inboxes and get it empty (or as close as possible). This will ensure that our task lists are filled with manageable tasks.

Here’s a quick mnemonic to making this process go faster and efficiently- use the 9 Ds: Delete, Deposit (file), Deflect, Deter, Delegate, Defer, Designate(calendar), Do Now, (To) Do List.

Delete

If an item is junk or you’ll never need it, get rid of it right away. Newspapers are trash(yesterday’s news is worthless), old magazines are trash(you’re not going to get to it anyway), junk email should be vaporized, old clothes go to good will, you get the idea. Bonus: figure out how to never deal with it again (e.g. unsubcribe from lists, sign up on do not call lists etc.)

Deposit

File your reference information. Many of the files on your desk or old emails are no longer needed except as a reference just in case. If you think you’ll need it someday- just put it in a obvious file folder- out of site so when you’ll need it you can quickly find. Get it out of the way so it’s not cluttering your workspace.

Deflect

If you are definitely the wrong person for this task then quickly point the requestor to the right place and get this out of your boxes. You don’t to do this immediately so you don’t hold up the project.

Deter

Learn how to say no. Not every request that comes to your inbox means you must do it. See if it fits within your responsibilities and/or goals. If not just say “no”.

Delegate

There are some tasks that should be done but someone else can help you with it. If someone on your staff or your spouse etc can do it let them help you especially if they can do it better. Some people get in the mindset that only they can do a task, that they do it best. Given some else a chance. Keep in mind when you delegate you are not completely giving up the task, you will still get the last word and should keep a follow-up on your task list so the issue is done on time with quality.

Defer

Some tasks are interesting but it’s not important or urgent. Put it on your “someday/maybe list”. This way you’ll still have it on your radar but it wont clutter your mind. Examples of items to defer are painting the house (you dont have time for it now anyway), launching a completely new product etc or other tasks that you know aren’t needed in the near future.

Designate

Designate a specific time for an appointment. Just put it on your calendar and move on. An appointment should sit in one central place so you dont double book your time or miss appointments.

Do Now

Any task that takes two minutes or less should be done quickly. No excuses- do it. It will feel great to shorten your to do list.

(To) Do List

All other tasks go on your “to do” list. Just get it out of your inbox.

This post was inspired by: Matthew Cornell’s post The Path of Maximum Productivity: Seven tensions, and how to resolve them. Thanks Matthew.

photo credit: nate steiner

Invest

Relationship Builder: Let Your Friends Know You’re Thinking Of Them

July 31, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

Recently I received an email from a reader of Success Making Machine:

Hey Heshy,

When I saw this article I thought of your blog so I thought I would share it with you. i hope you like it.
10 Coaches That Could Be Exceptional CEOs

–Paul

This email gave me a good feeling. Not only was a reader thinking about the site even when he wasn’t on it but he thought of me and was kind enough to email me. Plus the article was interesting.

In today’s hectic world we lose track of friends quickly and struggle to maintain relationships. Sometimes a simple reachout can enhance friendships.

Moral: Think about people and let them know it. Giving to people doesn’t have to cost anything.

Thanks Paul.

photo credit: Untitled blue

Goal, Principles

Getting Dreams Done Part 2: The SMART Way To Reach Your Dreams

July 30, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

In this series you will learn the steps needed to turn your dreams into reality. In the first part of this series we saw how to define your dreams. Dreams give you something to shoot for and strive for. In this part we’ll take dreams and turn them into goals. Without goals you wont know what needs to be done to achieve success.

SMART Goals
Let’s take the “standard” dream “I want to be rich and happy”. That’s actually touching two parts of your life (some would say one leads to another but that’s for a different post): financial and personal. We’ll take your financial goal first as that is easier to quantify. We need to turn rich into something we can quantify (not necessarily in terms of dollars but in terms of actions). Your gut reaction may be “I want a million dollars” (or even a billion if you’re “ambitious”) but is that really what you want? You probably want what that money can buy. I’m not talking about physical assets- a car, a boat, a house in Italy. I’m talking about a life style. When you take out the physical items what you really want is the independence, fun, excitement, prestige etc that goes with those objects. As you peel layers off your dream you find out what you really want. Then you can start defining your goals. Goals are the subset of results you want. In this case you may say: “I don’t necessarily need to be rich, but I want to be able to retire when I’m young and spend my time traveling- then life would be grand”. There’s a simple way to make the dream more realistic and aligned which what you can achieve. Let’s make the dream SMART- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely- then you’ll succeed.

Specific

Use the 6Ws (Who, what, where, when, why and which) and how to get as detailed as you can about what you really want. Here you will pick the lifestyle you want your dream to achieve. You may decide that retire doesn’t mean not working- what are you going to do if you don’t work? Retirement may mean working the hours you want at a job you want. You may decide you want to teach or freelance etc. Perhaps you’ll want to join the peace corp- you get to experience more of the world, fulfill your consious and it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Measurable

What gets measured gets done.

How will you know when you reach your dream? I’m sure you’ve read about all these quotes from rich people. I just need a few more millions and I’m done. Then when they achieve it they keep trying until they work themselves into the grave. Usually this translates to a date and/or a number. What number is “young”? A 90 your old can consider himself young and a 26 year old can consider herself old. What age do you want to retire 30? 40? 50?

Achievable

Are you able to do this? Is it reasonable? Do you truly believe it can happen? Can you reach a billion dollars? You can’t assume that you’re salary will be increasing at 100% a year without some major changes.

Relevant

Is this something you can make an impact with? Is it important?

Timely

Give yourself a deadline. Nothing gets done without a deadline.

With a SMART goal you are more likely to know what to do to get it.

As far as your happiness goal. The more you succeed at achieving your dreams the happier we’ll be but I offer you this quote by Abraham Lincoln: “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

photo credit: krisdecurtis

Automate, Layering, Principles

Downtime? What’s That? 7 Ways To Maximize Downtime

July 29, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

Web Worker Daily had an interesting post on Using Your Down Time Effectively. I don’t remember the last time I had downtime. Here’s the ways I turn my down time into up time.

1. Documentation and Clean up

Write documentation for your previous project. Write down the steps you took to complete it (if they’re complex) in case you need to redo it. Get rid of old versions of documentation and coding. Get rid of or file the old paperwork.

2. Review your Previous Project

See what went right and wrong. Learn from it. Improve your process or knowledge. This is like an accomplishment review for a project.

3. Improve Processes

Take the opportunity to improve processes. Think about what can be done better. What takes too long? What processes are error prone? Improve it.

4. Keep Learning

Is there a skill that will make you more marketable? more productive? Is there a certification that can make you stand out? There’s always something new to learn: learn more about the tools you use. Learn to type faster. Learn about personal finance.

5. Do Your “Somedays”

Have you ever said to yourself, “I don’t have the time to do this now, but I want to do this someday”? Your someday has arrived. Start planning your downtime in advance- while you’re working. If you come up with an idea put it on your “someday/maybe” list. (This is “Getting Things Done”(GTD) language for a list of things you may get to in the future). During down time review this list. See which projects will help you most and start working on it.

6. Follow up

Check in on your previous completed projects. Make sure that the results are being used correctly. There may be opportunities for improvement. Your “customer” will be impressed by your dedication quality.

7. Start Building a Machine

When you build a machine you take your downtime to a new level (super-up-time?). When you build a machine you create a long term system. For example if you are a web designer and bid for projects frequently, create a “job making machine”. Building a machine will get you more jobs with less effort. Your machine could include a standard introductory letter, sample web sites by category, a list of testimonials, an up to date web site, follow up letters, sample proposals by target market. You get the idea. Put together everything you need to bid on a project so that it takes you little time to place a bid.

Don’t just start this machine randomly. Launch one step at a time (see layering) e.g. start with one follow up letter at a time. This way if you get interrupted (by a new project) you can take advange of your previous successes that you’ve already accomplished. Then at the next down time you know exactly where you left off.

Using these seven techniques you can eliminate downtime and maximize your efforts.

When was the last time you had downtime? What did you do?

photo credit: Aaron Jacobs

Goal, Principles

The Last Legacy: How To Live Forever

July 28, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Steve Jobs

2005 Stanford Commencement

I always had a problem with the people who advised “live each day as if it’s your last”. That’s ridiculous. If today was your last day you would you go and start a project like creating a new computer that will take a year to come to fruition or would you meet your loved ones, say goodbye and try to convey your ideals and wishes for them? I think the best way to phrase this is “live each day as if your time is limited”. That’s true no one knows if they have a year or 30 years or 60 years. The goal then is to be with your loved ones and leave a lasting legacy and continue to build toward a greater tomorrow.

I bring this up because Randy Pausch who I wrote about in The Last Lecture on Time Management is no longer adding to his legacy.

But he lived each of his last days to the fullest. His legacy will last forever in his family (especially his children), his students and even in the internet.

Are you living each day to it’s fullest?

Goal, Success

The Two Minute Guide To Success

July 25, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

Victory The Two Minute Guide To Getting Things Done(GTD) went through the steps to start being more productive. Here we’ll talk about how to become successful.

Rule 1: Write down what you want

If you don’t know what you want, you can’t get it. Take a paper and write down your goals.

Rule 2: Review your goals often

Be sure to schedule time to review your list, otherwise you’ll never get to it. The process of reviewing will keep your goals fresh and give you ideas on the next step to achieve them.

That’s it. This isn’t earth shattering. This isn’t anything you didn’t know. But this time I hope you do it.

Use your next minute to start your list.

photo credit: Georgio

Health

The Best Diet: Eat What You Love

July 24, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

Some diets say they’re the best but one I’m about to suggest really is and quickly you’ll agree. How do I know it’s the best? Simple, you choose the best foods- you’re favorites- and eat it. Try to do it in moderation, add your favorite fruits and vegetables and you’re all set.

Only Eat What You Love

We all know what’s healthy and what isn’t as healthy. The key is don’t eat anything that’s not healthy unless you really like it. Why waste the calories. This means don’t eat a mediocre steak- wait till you can get your favorite steak- add some of your favorite vegetables to complete the meal. This means if someone offers you good chocolate- don’t take it because it will prevent you from having your absolute favorite later in the day.

Add Fruits and Vegetables

At your meals and snacks add your favorite healthy fruits and vegetables. This will ensure that you get your nutrients and don’t over indulge on the main course. One key to this is preparation- make sure you have the sides dishes available. For those who are picky with fruits and vegetables- keep experimenting to find what you like. I don’t like leaves (e.g. the green vegtables that just look and taste like leaves) but tomatoes are good. I love pineapple, grapes and watermelon.

Drink

While you’re at it drink lots of water. Sometimes people think they’re hungry but they’re really thirsty.

Keep Improving

Keep looking for ways to minimize the unnecessary foods. Try to keep eating a little less each week.

This isn’t a revolutionary plan and you won’t shrink overnight- but it’s a way of life you can sustain:

Note: I’m not a dietitian- I just know what worked for me with minimal effort.

photo credit: heipei

Delegate, Invest

Raise Your Employees, Empower Your Kids

July 23, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

We work hard- day and night. At home, we raise our kids to be the best they can be. We nurture them and help them grow. We hold their hands and never let them get hurt. At work, we empower our employees. We give them independence and greater responsibility. We step back and let them succeed.

The downside to this one way pursuit is that there’s a good chance that your kids wont become independent (e.g. they need your constant supervision) and your employees won’t grow (e.g. they don’t learn). Now take a step back and think about switching those roles: Raise your employees and empower your kids. Sometimes employees need direction, training and hand holding and your kids need the independence to get further.

I’m not suggesting that you totally switch roles between kids and employees. I’m suggesting that you inject some of the techniques of one when dealing with the other.

Stay tuned for articles that will address how to raise your employees and empower your kids.

photo credit: Todd Baker << technowannabe

Principles, Success

The Best Success Is Yet To Come

July 22, 2008 Heshy Leave a comment

Over the past couple of days I’ve received nice write ups from the fine folks at LifeHack (which I read religiously) and GTDTimes (which is very useful so I’m now subscribed). But there’s more to this site than what they mentioned.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s article I have many drafts in progress. Here’s some of the titles I’m working on:

Raise Your Employees, Empower Your Kids(7/23)
The Best Diet: Eat What You Love (7/24)
The Two Minute Guide To Success (7/25)
How to Raise your employees
How To Give Your Kids Super Powers
The “Best” Diet
The Success Cold War: Stop the Rushins
The 9 Ds of Processing: Turn Your Excessive Time Demands Into Manageable Tasks
My Paperless Office: Trashing Paper, Completing To-Dos and Being Organized
QTime: The Mathematical Way To Guarantee Your Happiness Forever
How I automated myself out of a Job- and am thankful I did
How I increased my rate 10 fold and you can too
The computer ATE my work and now I’m successful
How To Increase Your EQ (Enjoyment Quotient)
Productivity Can (Should) Be Fun and Games

These and other articles will be send to my editor (my wonderful wife, Cindy) shortly. Your success will just get better if you keep reading.