Get Focussed!

Wow – did I have a great time yesterday! It started badly: the kids all finished school on Friday, the sense of summer holiday overwhelm had started to kick in: I was hot and bothered, and then the Sunday nanny arrived (you remember her, she comes on Sundays at 5 so that I can do a bit of office preparation for the week ahead, while she washes hair, does homework, finds the missing shoe etc)

Anyway, when the Sunday nanny arrived I sloped off into my office and just sat there wondering how on earth I was going to get through the next 8 weeks of looking after my wealth motorway with the children in the house. Now I suppose I should get something clear – my children are not devils, they are ordinary kids, and we do have child care in place, and weeks booked at summer camp, and drama school and so on – so its not that they are around me all the time, but its just that they are around some of the time and that disrupts me. I find when they are in and out – and even if they are in another part of the house, I don’t concentrate so well. Also, I never know when I am going to be distracted enough to leave what I am doing and join in with their activities.

So the summer holidays are a distracting time, and my challenge is that I never really know each day how much time I am going to have available for my work. So I sat there last night and thought that I had to plan my work in order of importance so that if I only get an hour I know I’m working on the critical stuff first.

So I started one single lever arch file – called focus, and in it I put the 4 or 5 things that HAVE to get done whatever. I then re-filed everything else, cleared my desk, threw out loads of old paperwork and allowed myself just three ‘in trays’ being: personal have to, work have to, and gem resources.

So on Friday I had everything to do and today I only have 4 things. The thought of time pressure forced me into re-evaluating my outstanding work into stuff that matters and stuff that doesn’t.

What a lesson to be reminded of and now I feel great, and in control and able to cope.  It also made me realise how much time I spend just ‘fiddling and doing’ on stuff that seems urgent but frankly isn’t that important.

All simple lessons about planning, prioritising and control that we all know and understand but sometimes we have to have a little domestic crisis to drive the learning a little deeper!

Comments

[Valerie Lothian]

Hello Gill,

It was lovely meeting and talking with you at last nights seminar (Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury).

In my haste to get home and start writing out my seminar notes, I forget to ask if you'd like to make an entry and write a Tesimonial about your networking outcomes for my women's networking book -

"Turn Your Networking Stress Into Positive Energy!TM"

If you'd like more information or to be included, please feel free to email (above) or contact me on 07716 489 936.

Kind Regards,

Valerie Lothian
Stress Manager
Focusivity

[sophia kent]

Oops!
Thought I was writing you an email.
Had no idea it was going to be posted on the site.
Hello world - goofed again!

[sophgia kent]

Hi Gill,
I've had the builders in and it's been chaos, but now the house is warm and dry.
I think we had a conversation on the phone but i can't find your phone number (see above).
Would appreciate a short chat.
Have been in touch with Carmel Warren. Was it you that recommended her?
Can't remember.
Please could you let me know your phone no, or phone me or email me.
01424 429587
artobject@innovate.fsbusiness.co.uk
beautifulplanet@fsmail.net