FIVE STEPS TOWARD HAVING THE BEST MONTH OF YOUR LIFE

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When my wife and I got married, we had the unfortunate compilation of two educational loans, colliding to create an actual sum bigger than its parts. We knew we had to dress this head-on in our marriage.. Thankfully, I was already familiar with this guy named Dave Ramsey who was famous for his 7 baby steps to becoming debt free. We immediately purchased his online class which initiated our life of cash budgeting which we still practice five years later.

The greatest lesson we learned from Dave Ramsey was that if you want your dollar to have the greatest impact in your life, you need to assign every dollar to something intentional and concrete before it is spent.

Initially we thought this would make our life incredibly inflexible and rigid. Not only were we mistaken, the result was exactly the opposite. It immediately felt like we had received a fifteen percent raise. If that wasn't satisfying enough, we also felt an enormous amount of freedom knowing that all our financial responsibilities were being cared for through the month. We could spend our "recreation" money completely guilt free. If something came up, we could always renegotiate the budget in five minutes time.

What Dave Ramsey does for people financially, I do for people who are in debt to time. Nothing provokes more anxiety than seeing a laundry of things that must get done with no time to do them.

If we really want to have the best month of our life, it must start with creating a "time budget" where we become more intentional about how we spend our time.

I have often heard, "I don't like that kind of structure. I don't want to be held to a schedule. I want to be able to be free to do what I want to do." The irony is that those same people never end up doing anything they really want to do. In the same way that budgeting puts you in control of your money rather than money in control of you, by budgeting you now control your time rather than time being in control of you.

So, if you are tired of looking back month after month with regret, wondering if you did anything meaningful, then it is time to make a change. These five steps, I believe, will feel like you have earned a a fifteen percent raise in your time.

Step One: Allocate Time to The Important Stuff First

It is amazing how our calendars fill up with meetings and obligations before we even get to plan our our day. The best way to prevent this is to allocate time to the important things first, before a day is filled with the other less important things .

Before the month begins, assign dates and times to the important things of your life. Carve out time for exercise, prayer/meditation, reflection, reading, relationships, and recreation. Once inserted into your calendar, these events become immoveable barring real emergencies.

If you have a family, make sure this approach is shared by your spouse and children. In that way, your family will operate from the same basis. By the time you have finished your monthly overview, you should be excited because it includes plenty of time for yourself, family (i.e. date nights, family excursions), friends, and anything else in which you may want to invest your creative energies.

Step Two: Fill In Daily Blocks of Time for Your "One Thing”

While we haven't spoken about what your "one thing" is, don't worry. For now, just block out an uninterrupted time each day (or at least each workday) for doing some creative work. (Again, don't worry about the content of this yet.) We are reserving this time now so that no one or nothing else takes its place and priority. This block of time should be at least two hours with four hours being the ultimate goal. All the calendar event needs to say is "One Thing."

Step Three: Determine Three Outcomes for the Month

Now that our time for the month has been protected, let’s think about what we would like to get out of this month. What are three results you would like to see by the end of this month? The goal is to have only three per area of responsibility. Generally, try to keep areas of responsibility broad enough not to exceed three for this purpose (i.e. personal and work).

Step Four: Narrow the Lens with Three Outcomes for the Upcoming Week

Now that we have a frame for the month, let's look at JUST this upcoming week. In light of the three outcomes above, what are three outcomes for the week that you would like to see which help fulfill the outcomes for the month?

Step Five: Determine the One Thing for Tomorrow

It is always helpful to review your calendar for the next day the night before. In that way, you are not not blindsided by time specific obligations. This is a time too for setting setting any additional reminders for events to ensure smooth and stress-free meetings, and transitions between meetings. I write more about this habit in another post here.

In reviewing your calendar, this is also the time to review your tasks for the following day. In particular, this is a time to determine what your "one thing" is going to be. Find something that requires creativity and needs a block of time investment. Never use the "One Thing" time block for administrative work. This is all about investing in something great that you never have time for. You do now!

Alright, let's do a quick review:

• Before the month begins, assign times and days to all the important things in your life (i.e. reflection, recreation, relationships, etc.). These are immoveable.
• Assign general blocks of time for your daily "One Thing," not worrying about the content yet.
• Determine three outcomes for the month.
• Determine three outcomes for the week.
• Review next day’s calendar and tasks, and assign the one thing for tomorrow.

With the holidays in our midst, now more than ever is the time to begin working on this life changing habit! I would love to hear feedback at the end December about how your month was different because of this.

Of course, if you have any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment. I would love to help to make this December the best month ever!!

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FOUR REASONS WHY YOU AREN'T GETTING CRAP DONE AND HOW TO CHANGE THAT

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As my wife and I prepare for baby number two (Irish Twins, pray for us!), I have been noticing a particular todo being relegated to the backburner each week. Even though I clearly know the importance of this task as we prepare for a larger family, that knowledge seems to have no impact on the priority. As I stopped to think why, I discovered four ways in which we often get stuck with getting things done:

Home Field Advantage

"One of these tasks is not like the other," is what I noticed when comparing the lingering todo with all the other tasks I was hammering away at day-after-day. In the end, home field advantage goes to the task with the greatest simplicity and specificity. The reason why I was delaying an important todo was not because I was procrastinating, but rather because of the task's lack of clarity and specificity. All the surrounding tasks were vying for my attention with their clarity of direction. If I'm rushing through my list and I see one task suggesting to "Mow the lawn," and the other one suggesting to "Build a Dog Run," I'm no soothsayer, but I'm sure I'll be picking "mow lawn."

If we want to be most effective with our day, we need to ensure that we do our best not to create favoritism between tasks. To do this we must regularly examine our todos, giving serious attention to the lingering ones. Generally, the reason why we get to some tasks and not others is because the unattended tasks weren't tasks to begin with, but rather projects. The golden rule is that if the task takes more than one step to complete, then it ought to be converted to a project. When I did this with my hanging task, I immediately began seeing progress. Rather than "Clean Basement," tasks like "clean out desk drawer," or "label bins on shelf" became much more appealing, and were thus quickly flagged for that day's list.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Founder

Sometimes our initial passion for a task quickly wanes. If that is the case, it is no longer necessary to keep these tasks in the foreground, taking up mental real estate. The best way to remove these tasks from sight is to either defer them out to a later date, or to send them to a maybe/someday list which is reviewed much less often.

Task Hoarder Anonymous

People ascribe more value to things simply because they own them. This has become such a well known reality that it has its own label: The Endowment Effect. This "endowment effect" can also make a mess out of todo lists. As soon as we write down a todo, we "own it." Now that we own it, we ascribe unprecedented value to it. Eventually some of these tasks become old and outdated. Rather than deleting them, we keep them lingering around just in case, never really having an idea of what the case might be for needing them. My two rules are these: If that task did not exist today, would you add it to your list knowing what you know now? If not, delete it. In addition, if the added/created date is a year old, seriously consider deleting it unless it is an active recurring item. Some people will include ideas in their task lists. I'm strongly against using any task management system for anything other than actions. All ideas, thoughts, inquiries, notes, and resources should be stored someplace else. Keep things clean, keep things tidy, keep things going.

S#*@ or Get Off the Pot

Sometimes the task is specific, clear, important, timely and relevant, yet we still are not making room in our day to get it down. When this is the case, we are left with two options:

1. Is this something that can be delegated? If so, delegate it and document the delegation accordingly in your task management system for regular check-ins.
2. If the task cannot be delegated, yet it needs to be done, then it is time to take more drastic measures. Get out your calendar, and find a block of uninterrupted time that you can formally designate for this task. Block it out, and make sufficient notes in your event to ensure that there is no question what this block of time is meant to be used for. Now, GET-IT-DONE.

Reading this was the easy part. It's your turn now. Open up your task list and take a serious look at those lingering tasks. Now increase clarity and specificity, defer them, delete them, delegate them, or do them. Good luck!

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Five Ways Evernote Can Make You More Relational, Intentional, and Prepared

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I love Evernote! I love it because it works, and it works well for me. Evernote is the place I store nearly every piece of important information that comes my way. While I could give a list of the top fifty or a hundred uses of Evernote, I want to share how Evernote has made me more relational, intentional and prepared for some of life’s curve balls.

If you have never given Evernote a try then begin with a couple of these suggestions. I don’t think you will regret the time invested. In fact, if you are like me, the more time you invest with Evernote, the more possibilities surface for its usefulness in managing the daily barrage of information that comes our way. Give it a try, and you just might find yourself managing less, and creating more!

Giving Thoughtfulness Substance

Before Evernote, I relied on my memory to remember when family and friends expressed an interest in a product, piece of clothing, or some event. That part of my “memory” failed me nearly regularly. Now, I use Evernote to help me create thoughtful and memorable gifts for others. If I am out with my wife, and she points to something she really likes, I take a picture of it. That picture goes directly into Evernote geotagged so I know exactly where that item is physically located. Later on in the day, when I have time, I quickly tag and file the picture as a gift idea for my wife. I continue to collect these gift ideas the moment she expresses interest in them. When it is time to give a gift, all I do is look at all the gift ideas tagged in Evernote and pick the one I want to get. Thoughtfulness with substance!

Turning Ideas into Innovation

The problem with great ideas is that they not only come but they also go. Before Evernote, ideas became like empty wishes that I would never fulfill. The principle reason for not following through with these ideas was because I would eventually forget them. With Evernote, I never forget an idea. As soon as an idea occurs, I enter it as a note on my phone. That note automatically gets filed into an idea log on Evernote. I now regularly review my ideas to decide which one I want to act on this month which often becomes my “One Thing” for the month.

I now have a number of different idea logs. For instance, when I am reading or listening to something, I am often inspired with an idea for a blog post. I quickly enter the basic information of the idea, where I received it, and then file it away as an idea for a post. When it is time to compose a post, I check my idea log and pick from the dozens there. No more scrambling for ideas!

I often thought that I didn’t have any good ideas. Now, I realize that it wasn’t a lack of ideas, but rather that I never recorded my ideas. If you believe that you don’t know what you want to do in life—or even for the next month—keep an idea log and be persistent in its use. You will quickly realize that you have a bounty of ideas for a more meaningful, purposeful, and passionate life! What you need is to become aware of your ideas by recording them.

Making Recreation Intentional

“What do you want to do?” “I don’t know. What do you want to do?” Hours have been wasted with friends and family with this give-and-take game of “recreating to nowhere.” Now, with Evernote, I record every recommendation someone gives me—whether a book, restaurant, band, music, movie, wine, event to attend, or any other suggestion. When someone says, “Hey, have you ever seen/heard/been to/tasted…” I immediately get my phone and begin to type the recommendation. This goes directly into Evernote with a screen click and is automatically filed as a recommendation. When the question, “What do you want to do?” comes up, I check my recommendations on Evernote, and I immediately have a list of great suggestions.

Making Memories

On Christmas Day of 2014, my wife and I received our great blessing for the Boettger family—the birth of our son. (The best Christmas present ever!) Since that day, we’ve been trying to keep memories which we never wand to lose. While all the pictures and videos are managed through Photos on my Mac, both my wife and wanted to keep up with all the “firsts” of baby life. While I’ve tried a number of stand alone applications, I kept returning to Evernote because of its simplicity. Whenever there is a moment to remember, I simply record it on my iPhone and send it directly to Evernote with the appropriate tags. If our son makes a super cute sound, I record it on my iPhone with one tap, and send it directly to Evernote with one more tap. When my wife and I want to review all those great firsts (and even listen to them), I open Evernote and select the “memories” tag and filter by our son’s name and year.

Embracing the Unexpected

In the summer of 2013, my wife and I were privileged to spend two romantic weeks in Maui. At the same time, we were on the cusp of closing on our new home. About midway through our holiday, we received an urgent phone call from our mortgage company stating that they were missing a critical document which would disqualify us from the loan if not received within 24 hours. In addition, they quoted an interest rate that was higher than what they initially gave us. Fortunately, before we left for vacation I had scanned every possible document needed by the mortgage company into Evernote. In addition, I kept a call log, including the actual recorded conversation, in Evernote with a record of every important conversation pertaining to this matter. Instead of ruining our holiday in paradise, I calmly found the document in Evernote within 30 seconds, sent it to them along with the recording of them quoting me the original interest rate. I politely commented that this should be more than enough information to correct their errors. Everything was resolved on our end within three minutes—on their end within an hour.

While the demands for documentation can be unnerving, scanning every document into Evernote keeps an ongoing communications log for all important documents and phone calls. With thoughtful tagging, everything becomes easily and quickly accessible. My Evernote call log has saved me countless hours and thousands of dollars. Most importantly, I have significantly reduced the stress of the “unexpected” in my life, enabling me to live more in the present even in times of urgency.

What is one piece of information that stresses you out not having it quickly accessible? How might Evernote be a solution to this stress?

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Eight Tips For A Day Worthy of Being Called Good

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Do you know for certain that what you are doing today is the best use of your time? If not, here are eight tips to ensure every day is a day worthy of being called good.

1. Don’t Look At Your List — You read that right. A todo-list worth doing is a todo-list worth deferring. Let your first hour of the morning be todo-list free. This time is exclusively reserved for establishing the proper foundation to approach the day. Consider spending time in meditation and/or prayer, journaling, and exercising. Every morning is an opportunity to embrace the gift of life anew. Life is not about getting stuff done, but rather about leaving the world better off from when it began that morning. What is the one thing you can do this morning that will leave someone you will encounter feeling as if they are better off for having spent time with you?
   
   
2. Clarity is Key — Ready, Set, …. Wait, What am I suppose to do? If your todo-list is full of vague cryptic todos, you’re starting out on the wrong foot. Your todo-list should present clear and concrete steps to success. Begin each task with a verb like, “Pay medical bill,” or “Research Audi A4 on Consumer Reports.” Tasks like, “medical bill,” or “Audi A4” give no direction, and without direction the mind will naturally gravitate toward skipping it. The clearer you are with your todos, more likely it will be for you to do them.
   
   
3. Simple is Super — If you had two tasks on your list, one being to take out the trash, and the other to do your taxes, which one would you most likely choose? While tax evasion is pretty scary, taking out the trash seems more appealing. The reason why we avoid doing things is because the defined action is not concrete enough. Home field advantage is always to the task that requires the least amount of deciphering. To give every task equal weight, ensure every todo is a single step action, relegating multitask todos to projects. Instead of “do taxes,” a better action might be to “Scan all receipts to QuickBooks.” Now this task competes nicely with “Take out the trash.” Heck, I might even do both!
   
   
4. Ready the Resources — If the task needs any additional resources to be completed, add them to the task itself. If you have to call someone, add the number to the notes section of the todo. If the todo refers to a document, either add the document directly to the note section as an attachment, or give the precise location of the document. Research has shown that if we have to search for anything to finish the task, we will naturally skip it for a less complicated one. By placing all todos on an equal playing field, we have the freedom to choose the best one rather than the simplest one.
   
   
5. Overcoming Optical Overload — Preparing for your day by looking at a list of 150 todos is like finding inspiration through meditating on your educational loan. It just won’t happen! Simplify your list by filtering it. Defer what can be responsibly deferred to a future date, delegate what you can, delete any old irrelevant tasks, move wish-list todos to a “maybe/someday” list, and group the rest according to contexts. Have an “Office Only” list and “Home Only” list of todos. Consider having a separate list for errands, calls/texts, communications, et cetera. The goal is to break things down into bight-sized pieces to make your list more manageable. After all, what is the point of seeing what I need to do at home when I’m at work? All that does is reduce my focus, making me think of things that are outside of my control. Stay focused, stay clear, stay happy!
   
   
6. Start — You have a clear, concrete and filtered list. Now what? Start! Rather than aimlessly checking off todos, block off a period of time each day to work on that which is most important to you. Ask the question, “What is the one thing I could do today that would make everything else in my life easier, or unnecessary, and make me happier?” Do not stop until this question is answered concretely with a single action step. Now start! Everything else can wait until later.
   
   
7. Breath and Be Better For It — Amidst all of this, remember to breath. Take a 15-20 minute break every 50-90 minutes of your work day to remain focused and creative. Get outside and take a short walk if the weather is nice. Connect with co-workers, friends, and family. Meditate, pray, journal. Set an alarm and make sure to stick to these breaks, and know what you are going to do before the break. Do this and you will have greater creativity, more focus, but most importantly you will embrace your humanity. Times of solitude are life-giving but isolation is life-draining. Connect with others regularly, and you will be more connected with yourself.
   
   
8. The Prepare Protocol — To ensure the mornings remain a time of todo free mental and spiritual renewal, plan your tomorrow tonight. Take 15-20 minutes each evening to look over your calendar and todo-list. This is a time to confirm appointments, select the one thing you will work on during your designated block of time, and to simplify your list to a more management size. Your tomorrow is now ready to work for you rather than you having to work for it!

Good luck and here’s to a day worthy of being called “good.”

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Triggering Timeliness: The Art of Being Present to Yourself and Others Through Time Commitments

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Are you an adrenaline junkie? If so, this post may not be for you. If you are anything like me, the “rush” of suddenly realizing I agreed to be somewhere ten minutes ago is NOT . . . is NOT the kind of rush for which I’m searching. The amount of energy I spend stressing, fretting, worrying, and assuming feelings of guilt zaps me of any mental capacity for the rest of my day. Combine the mental stress with the physical stress of running all out, trying to reset the clock by showering at lightening speed, does not help create proper conditions for full engagement at an appointment. How on earth could anyone live like this on a consistent basis?

Yet, we do. I’ve learned a lot these past eight years on how best to use a calendar to create one incredible week after another—even in the midst of chaos. By committing to the following five best practices, you will not only avoid being late, but you will leverage your week to work for you rather than you working for your week.

The Unschedule

We seem never to have enough time to do the things we want to do. Part of the problem arises from wasting time on trivial matters, and, therefore, reducing the time available for important work We rarely schedule the important things in our life first, allowing the unimportant “obligations” to use up our available time. The best solution I have found for both these problems is called the “unschedule.”

With the unschedule, the important things are scheduled first. In other words, before the week begins with a blank calendar in view, I begin adding those things that are truly important first: working out, time with friends, prayer, meditation, date nights, family nights, get aways, vacations, and blocking out time for creative work. Once these are set in place, I then fill up the remainder of my time with the extra stuff: meetings, appointments, errands, chores, etc. This way I gain control of my week, allowing it to work for me rather than me working for it.

One caveat is that I often have to schedule “unimportant” meetings and appointments weeks in advance. To get over this hurdle, I don’t just plan my next week, but try to advance the calendar each week for the next four to six week period.. In this way I’m nearly always ahead of the “unimportant obligation curve.” My wife and I incorporated this into our weekly routine by planning two weeks in advance each Sunday. It has been a liberating experience. Previously we struggled with finding time to do enjoyable things, because we always felt burdened to stay in and “get things done.” Once we scheduled the important stuff first, we worked extra hard to ensure those scheduled events were kept firm.

I also highly recommend scheduling the each day’s most important thing. Each evening I choose one thing for the next day to work on which for me is most important. I have a general block in my calendar in the morning that says “One Thing.” This is a sacred time for investing my best daily energy in something that is creative and gives me life. I do this in both my personal and professional life. After the time of working on my “one thing” is over, I then move along to the more trivial matters of the day. I believe that if you want to take control of your week, incorporating the unschedule and the one thing into your routine is absolutely critical.

• If you started your “one thing” tomorrow, what would you choose to work on?

Record Every Event! Seriously, Record It!

This requires little explanation. If we are hap-hazard about what we add—or fail to add to our calendars, they become useless for all practical purposes. We need to have one calendar system in which every event has a set time and day. It may not sound romantic to schedule “date nights,” but the truth is that whatever is on the calendar is a reflection of what we view as important—so why not date nights?

Depend on Lots of Reminders

Every event recorded in your calendar needs to have multiple reminders set. When each event is recorded, think about where you might be before this event. If you will be home and the event is thirty minutes away, set a reminder for 35 minutes before the event, reminding you it is time to go. If you think you’ll need to get ready for the event and it takes you 30 minutes to get ready, set an additional reminder for about 80 minutes before the event, letting you know it is time to transition into getting ready.

For office meetings, I will often set two reminders: one for 15 minutes out, gently reminding me to begin closing up the conversation if I’m already in a meeting, or, if not, to begin last minute preparations for the upcoming meeting. I then set a second reminder for 5 minutes out for travel time to walk over, or to settle in my office. In this way, I am generally stress free when a meeting begins.

For some people, having multiple reminders is not enough. In this case, where reminders would normally serve well, add an actual event. For instance, instead of setting the reminder for 80 minutes before the event, serving as a reminder to get ready, add an actual event called "Get Ready." Then, set a "Get Ready" reminder for 15 minutes before the "get ready event" begins, providing transition time. Now, instead of seeing a reminder for the actual event 80 minutes before, you will see the words "Get Ready" which will serve as greater motivation to do just that.

Check Tomorrow’s Calendar the Night Before

The “rush” of suddenly waking up already late for a meeting is a “rush” better avoided. To prevent this, it is useful to spend five minutes (or less) the prior evening looking at the next day’s calendar events, mentally preparing for the day. This review is also the time that reminders can be quickly confirmed or changed if necessary. If time permits, sending confirmation emails to people involved in a forthcoming meeting prevents travel to a potential meeting at which no one is present.

Create A Calendar Per Area of Responsibility

One of the many advantages of having a digital calendar is being able to create multiple calendars within one calendar system. While not necessary, I have found it very helpful to have my calendars broken up into general areas of responsibility: Work and Personal life. In addition, I have created a shared “Family” calendar that contains all family functions, and a shared “Chores” calendar that distributes household chores within the family. If you are in school, create an “education” calendar to record separately all your classes, quizzes, projects, and exams.

Take the first step of gaining more control of your life by taking control of your time through a consistent use of a calendar, and prioritizing the important over the unimportant things. Next week, I will share with you how I maintain laser-like focus when bombarded with hundreds of tasks. This week we mastered our time; next week we master our tasks. See you then!

• What is one thing you can do this week that will reduce the stress of rushing and/or being late? What’s one thing you can add to your calendar for next week that you’ve always wanted to do but simply haven’t had time?

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Why You Are Not Where You Want To Be and How to Get There

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I Have A Confession To Make

I have a confession to make. I love shiny new objects. When it comes to organization, their is a real temptation to spend the majority of time looking for new tools to streamline work rather than working. The lesson here is that being organized is not the goal. The time wasted in learning system upon system is a practical result of viewing organization as an end rather than a means. If you have a system that works for you, then great. Don’t change it!

The suggestions here are for those who feel as if their current system is not keeping up with current obligations and desires. If the management of life is causing stress, then it is time to reevaluate the methods used. What’s that saying again? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Yes, that’s it. If, over the past year or two, significant progress has not been made in the most important areas of life, then it’s time to reevaluate. After all, you want to move forward, don’t you? I’m confident you do!

Two Words That Can Save

Two words sum up the well organized life: triggers and focus. Research has shown that the human brain can only maintain four to eight “things” in active memory at once. To make matters worse, the average home contains 300,000 items. We would be fooling ourselves to think the myriad of material possessions do not make claim to our lives, both in mental and physical energy. The modern man or woman requires a simple yet robust system to externalize all necessary triggers, reminding us of actions needing our attention. Moreover, getting things done is not the goal of a life lived in the real. Real living necessitates a system that offers laser-like focus. If I have checked off a dozen things off my list, but have not done anything meaningful, the day is all but wasted. In the end, a system is needed that provides exceptional focus while triggering less important responsibilities at the proper time. This way focus comes with ease, relying on the system to work for the person rather than the person becoming a slave to the system.

Triggering Your Life Back

Over the next four weeks we are going to look at the four main areas of responsibilities through the lens of triggers: Triggering Timeliness (events), Triggering Focus (actions), Triggering Thoughtfulness (resources), and Triggering Responsibility (email management). Each post will offer techniques that will not only save exceptional time, but will help achieve extraordinary focus. Above all, though, these posts will simplify life by placing you back in the driver seat of life.

Join me next week as we discuss triggering timeliness; the art of being present to yourself and others through time commitments. This post is too important to miss! Why? Because I’m going to share with you the most critically important habit that could quite literally give you your life back. See you next Wednesday, and sign up below to ensure you receive this post.

Question: What seems to be your achilles-heel when it comes to managing all life’s responsibilities?

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