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It’s Not Working…

by EvieBurke, posted in habits, Tools

Evie's DeskI’m wondering what you think my desk looks like.

Do you think it’s completely clear? Clutter has been ruthlessly eliminated and only a sparkling desktop remains?

If you’ve ever lived with me (Hi Mom!), you probably have visions of piles of paper, stacked precariously.

Like many things, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

While I aspire to have the sparkling and clear desktop, I rarely do. That picture above is what my desk currently looks like. Most of it is a result of not taking the time to put things away at the end of my day.

I remember something my previous mentor said about the state of her desk. She said something to the effect of: It only says something about me if I decide it does. Meaning she wasn’t judging herself based on the state of her desk – clean or messy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I prefer a clean desk to a messy one. I can find things on a clean desk. The stacks of paper generally happen when I don’t have somewhere to put them that’s convenient to my desk.

So, generally anytime I find myself with a really messy desk with stacks of paper, I know it’s time to look at how my desk is organized and adjust.

The process looks something like this:

  1. Notice somethings not working for you.
  2. Review the possible reasons why it’s not working.
  3. Brainstorm possible solutions.
  4. Determine the simplest workable solution from the brainstorm session.
  5. Create a plan.
  6. Execute the plan.

What does this look like in action?

  1. I have a piles of notebooks and paper on my desk (which I noticed when I couldn’t find a specific notebook or piece of paper).
  2. I don’t have a good place to keep my notebooks. I tried the stackable desk trays, but it was just as bad there and I never wanted to put anything back because finding it again was a pain. And I don’t have a good system for the paper.
  3. Well, I could file the notebooks vertically. They still need to be on my desk though. And the papers could be grouped by like topic and kept in labeled file folders.
  4. I tried setting them up between book ends, but it didn’t do a good job of keeping them together. Hmm, I think I have some crates in the basement that I bet they’d fit in. And the file folders could sit in there too.
  5. I’ll go get the crates tomorrow, clean them up and then clean up my desk.
  6. Do work in step 5.

And what does this mean for you?

Well, the thing that’s not working for you might be the state of your desk or something else entirely. The process is still the same.

Don’t judge yourself because something isn’t working quite right. It’s not good or bad, it’s just the way it is right now. And when you’ve identify what’s not working, you can take the steps to change it.

Sometimes having another person to go through this process with is extremely helpful. Their not emotionally involved in the situation and processing things out loud with someone can help you answer the questions quickly.

I’d love to know how you’ll apply this to your business or life. Share in the comments below!

Celebrate – Because You Are Amazing

by EvieBurke, posted in Overwhelm, Time

FireworksLast week didn’t go as planned for me.

I found myself sidelined one day by a stress headache and all the tasks on my to-do list ended up being tossed that day.

It left me feeling frustrated and even more stressed (no wonder it wouldn’t go away!). However, the next day I took a deep breath, reassessed, created a new to-do list and kept moving forward.

Reviewing my postponed plans with my personal coach I shared how differently I would have handled that situation (and others) a couple of years ago. We spent a couple minutes chatting about that and she asked me if I had a coaching request for the week.

Well, we ended up creating a list of how far I’ve come over the last two years and I found the exercise to be wonderful.

So, if you’re willing to play along and toot your own horn a bit ask yourself these questions:

  • What do you easily do now that was really difficult one or two years ago? What changed?
  • What situations no longer throw you off balance?
  • What have you accomplished?
  • Where do you surprise yourself?
  • Where are you now professionally?
  • Where are you now personally?

We dismiss our accomplishments too easily sometimes. So, take the time to truly think about these questions.

And if you’re having problems with the exercise, ask yourself: if you were talking with the you from two years ago, what positive things would you tell them they have to look forward to?

The last step is to CELEBRATE! You truly are amazing and deserve to be acknowledged for that.

I would absolutely love it if you would share some of your accomplishments in the comments below!

Do You Need Seasonal Habits?

by EvieBurke, posted in Changes, habits

summer girlIn the past, summer has been one of my least productive times. With the sun shining and the weather being so nice, my office (which seems so nice and cozy in the winter) feels too warm and not sunny enough.

This used to lead to me doing a lot of work on my laptop at various locations around the house. With piles of whatever I was working on being left at the most recent “work” location. That was fine, until it was left on the kitchen table or on the couch my husband generally watches TV from. Because he knew he couldn’t move it and I didn’t always get around to moving it very quickly.

There’s nothing wrong with working on a laptop, I did it happily for a couple years. However, the traipsing around with it generally meant my posture wasn’t very good. So I’d end up with a sore neck or back. And I would quickly develop terrible habits, usually involving a computer game, Facebook or watching TV.

No wonder summer wasn’t productive for me! If I wasn’t trying to find a new spot to work, I was sidetracked with something else.

This summer things have already started to change. It was time to replace my seasonal habit of being a wondering worker. I decided to stay in my office, it’s where I’m most productive and have fairly good habits.

And, with that decision I realized I needed a new seasonal habit or two. Here are the two habits I added to my day:

  1. I adjust my environment daily.
    My office is on the east side of our house, making it pretty warm in the afternoon. So, after lunch, the window shade goes down and the ceiling fan goes on. Those two small adjustments make a big difference in the feeling of my office.

  2. I take regular breaks.
    One thing I’ve learned about myself is if I’m spending a lot of time on distracting websites, I’m probably not taking quality time for myself. So, if I take a break, I make it count. Meaning I leave my office for at least 15 minutes.

    Generally, this break involves a book (I’m always reading something) and sitting outside on the deck enjoying the sun when the weather is nice. I grab a light snack, set my timer and read.

    My brain gets a break from whatever I’m working on and a change of scenery. And, amazingly, I’m less likely to spend a lot of time on those distracting websites.

Do you have problems staying focused during the summer? What are a couple of small seasonal habits you can adopt?

Share your ideas in the comments below!

Are You Comparing Yourself to Others?

by EvieBurke, posted in comparisons, motivation

ID-100154196Ever compared yourself to someone else? We all have.

Comparisons can be tricky things though. I see them used one of two ways:

  1. Beat Yourself Up
    This usually takes the form of “Why aren’t I as successful as they are?” or “Why do they get to do/have that and I don’t?” or “Why is it so easy for them and so HARD for me?”Whatever words you personally have for it, the general feeling is the same: I’m not good enough. And we beat ourselves up with someone else’s success.
  2. Motivation
    This can take the form of “That means it can be done!” or “Hmm, I wonder what I can do to have similar results?” or “I bet I can do that too!”In this case, the general feeling is excitement or curiosity. You see lots of possibilities and you have confidence in yourself.

The difference between the two? Well, besides the obvious, beating yourself up can be the start of a downward spiral (ohh yeah, I’ve been there!). If that happens take a breath, identify what is happening with a very brief description and decide what you want your next action to be. Then do it!

And remember that you’re comparing someone else’s outsides to your insides. You have no idea what obstacles they’ve overcome or are currently in the midst of – despite how perfect everything looks on the outside.

Now, going back to motivation, it can be the start of an upward spiral. Here, you let other people’s successes and experiences carry you forward. Notice when this is happening too! And enjoy the process.

Obviously, if I were to pick how you make comparisons, I’d pick motivation.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Image courtesy of feelart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
popping wow

How Will You Astound Yourself?

by EvieBurke, posted in inspiration, Miracles, Quote

popping wowIf you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know that I’m a big fan of quotes. I share one daily. I’ve been doing this for a couple years now, so I’ve developed quite a list of quotes. And on Monday I was browsing through and one jumped out at me:

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. – Thomas A. Edison

I replaced the quote I had planned for Monday with that one. The Edison quote didn’t hit me in the gut, it hit me in the heart.

Do written words ever do that to you too?

So, as I ponder what I’m capable of that I haven’t yet recognized, I invite you to do the same.

How will you astound yourself? This week? This month? This summer? This year?

Sit with it, journal with it, walk with it. Spend time with it however you best process new thoughts or ideas.

What new goals or projects might you take on as a result?

And, of course, I’d love to know what you come up with or what other questions it opens up for you. Share in the comments below.

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net