Tag Archive for: reduce stress

The Art of the 7 Minute Meeting

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Me and Terri Trespicio with Gary Vaynerchuk at our friend Farnoosh Torabi's launch party for her new CNBC show Follow the Leader. She interviews Gary in it.

Me and Terri Trespicio with Gary Vaynerchuk at our friend Farnoosh Torabi’s launch party for her new CNBC show Follow the Leader. She interviews Gary in it.

I talk a lot about the biggest time wasters in the workplace.

You know them well.

There’s checking Facebook or your email, trolling the internet for nearly anything, chatting with your co-worker, a “quick” game of Candy Crush… the list goes on and on.

But what’s the ultimate time waster?

Meetings!

Think about it.  How many time have you sat in a meeting that was supposed to finish an hour ago, but one person keeps asking questions that aren’t really relevant? (There’s always one!)

What’s more?  The majority of meetings end up going nowhere. Too much talk and nothing ever gets done.

That’s a huge pet peeve of mine — I’m all about the execution.  Give me the checklist to get things done! Read more

Four Boundaries Worth Setting Right Now

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private-20115_1280When it comes to list making and my general time management and organization I like rules.

I like things to be clear cut– black and white.

Rules save me time, because I’m not sitting there wondering whether to take the call, go to the meeting or have another glass of wine.  

I have a rule in place so it’s either happening or it isn’t.

I recently did an event for my book Listful Thinking with the National Association of Professional Organizers in New York City and a common theme struck a cord.  Boundaries.

I’m often asked about what I call my “rules” and I find that the idea tends to resonate with a lot of people, especially working mothers. Probably because these rules allow me to set these boundaries in both my personal and professional life.

It’s something a lot of people have trouble with. Read more

Free Up Time Now For a Fabulous Summer

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summer-still-life-783347_640The days are starting to get longer, the weather’s a bit warmer – summer is on it’s way! I always love summer not just because of of the vacations, slower pace and sunshine — but I’m a summer baby. My birthday is in the summer so it’s always a fun time.

Are you ready for the summer? If you want to make sure you have the best summer possible you need to start planning now! I know it sounds ridiculous but I’m a firm believer in planning for vacations, events and fun in advance. It’s why I start my Christmas shopping in August!

Here’s how to guarantee that you have a fantastic Summer 2016! Read more

5 List-Making Tricks

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81tRJpB37MLLists can be useful to people in lots of different ways. I use lists to help me be more organized and more productive, but that’s not their only purpose. Lists can be an investigation into your ideas or priorities. They can be a way to help you de-stress at the end of the day.

That’s how my friend author Brett Blumenthal uses her lists. She goes into detail about this in her book 52 Small Changes For The Mind.  When you’re feeling overwhelmed by a seemingly endless number of tasks, writing a list can give you a sense of control over the situation.

Here are some of Brett’s top list-making tips from her book, which I urge you to check out:

Keep It Simple – The more complicated you make lists, the less likely you are to follow it. Overstuffing lists causes stress and confusion and may even sabotage your efforts to get things done. Of course it’s important not to go the other way and be to vague about your tasks. For larger issues it’s important to to break it down into smaller tasks. For example ‘lose weight’ isn’t a task, it’s a goal that can be broken down into tasks. As you make progress with each smaller task, you will stay motivated to keep forging ahead to complete your goal. Read more

The Best Way To Prioritize

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cards-1076921_640Having taken more than a month off work after my appendix burst, I’ve had a lot of time to think about my priorities.

I used to think prioritizing was the order I’d assign to my to-do list items.  Or maybe what I’d be doing in the next five minutes or later that day.  

But really we should all be taking time to think about our priorities in a broader sense.  

Zoom out to see the big picture.  

Before my medical ordeal — I was going to several networking events a week. Most evenings I would go straight from work and not get home until late.  At the time, building new connections and leaving no stone unturned for new opportunities was my priority.

After my illness I’ve realized it’s crucial for me to slow down a bit. I’m still planning on attending networking events here and there, but nowhere near on the scale that I used to.  I’m much more picky about how I spend my time. 

Right now my health is my priority. Read more