Teach Your Children Well — Another Reason Not to Multi-task
Along with the mounting research that says that multi-tasking is ineffectual, let me add one more reason not to do it: your kids. If you want to teach them good manners and focus, you’d do well to practice a little mono-tasking. Maybe it’s just me, but I often have a hard time getting my kids to pay attention to what I am saying. At school, teachers instruct children to give “attentive listening,” while at home I find myself saying, “look at me when I talk to you” with ever more frustration. I was really getting annoyed with with my kids, and then I...
Read MoreSpecial Time on Your Own Doorstep
What makes an occasion special is not so much about what you do or where you go (or how much you spend) but instead about the quality of attention you bring. I already knew this truth, but I was reminded of it this weekend. After our second or third goodnight kiss on Saturday, Margot (age 5-1/2) called out again, “Mommy?” A typical stalling tactic, but I went back into her room. She asked me what we were doing the next day, and I told her I didn’t know. Her confident response: “But it’s going to be special, right?” “Yes,” I assured her....
Read MoreJack Welch is Right
“There’s no such thing as work-life balance,” says former GE CEO Jack Welch, throwing cold water on what so many American professionals aspire to – having it all. “There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124726415198325373.html Well, much as it pains me to admit it, I believe that Jack is right about choices. Part of being a grown-up is making choices and taking responsibility for their consequences. And yes, if you want to be the CEO of a giant corporation you may find, like thrice-married Welch, that other...
Read MoreTime Management Habits #4
We’ve come to my final installment on habits to create time and spaciousness in your day. Here’s one you may resist, but you probably know you need to do it: reduce your email, on-line, and television time. Many people tell me that after a long day they just want to unwind and veg out either online or watching tv or movies. I get that. But if you find that you are not connecting with your partner, or that you are feel like your personal growth is stunted, or that you’re out of shape ….. ask yourself if American Idol or Facebook are worth the trade-off. What values...
Read MoreTime Management Habits #3
When someone asks how you are, don’t answer “Busy,” it just reinforces your feeling of being squeezed and often turns into a busier-than-thou competition – ugh! You list all the things you have been doing, your friend then feels compelled to chime in with everything that he or she has been doing, each of you half-complaining, half-boasting. This is not a contest that either of you should want to win. Even worse than that, describing yourself as “busy” puts up a wall. The implicit message is, “Don’t ask anything of me; don’t take up too much of my time.” Is that what...
Read MoreTime Management Habits #2 — Make a Daily Schedule
Don’t allow yourself to come to the end of the day wondering what you did all day with no sense of accomplishment. Take charge of your time. Here’s one way: either the night before or soon after getting up, review what you need and want to get done. What is most important to you? Most urgent? Most satisfying? It sounds obvious, but establish your priorities and start with those items, building your schedule around them. Include appointments, chores, and even meals. And here’s a key: give yourself a reward or some downtime – a half hour to sip coffee and read the...
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