rescue time: how to save yourself from drowning in urgency!

What is Time Management?

RESCUE TIME:How To Save Yourself From

Drowning in Urgency!

© 2014 Brilliant Leadership



Why we don’t innovate.

“I don’t have enough time!”

What does this mean?


Why we don’t innovate.


I’m too busy, I have no time for….

...creating new products/services

...innovating processes and the way I do business

...entering a new market

...integrating new technologies

...starting my own business

...innovating myself, my people, ...


Reason No. 1


I’m too busy, I have no time for….

…securing the future of my business.

…securing my future success.

(Market, Technology, Talent Development, Processes)



Blog:http://www.brilliantleadership.net/busyness-is-laziness-moving-beyond-our-fear-of-innovation-change/


Busyness Is Laziness

http://www.brilliantleadership.net/busyness-is-laziness-moving-beyond-our-fear-of-innovation-change/

http://www.brilliantleadership.net/busyness-is-laziness-moving-beyond-our-fear-of-innovation-change/


I’m busy = My current activity/task is too important.

I’m busy = I’m giving myself an excuse. Don’t interrupt me.

I’m busy = I’m afraid. I have no clear priorities, goals, purpose.


3 Excuses


As quoted from buddhist teacher Reginald Ray, this is

“…because when you are busy you can turn your brain off. You’re on the treadmill. The only intelligence comes in the morning when you make your To Do list and you get rid of all the possible space that could happen in your day. There is intelligence in that: I fill up all the space so I don’t have to actually relate to myself!”.


http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/09/dr-reggie-ray-busy-ness-is-laziness/


“Why do we turn our brains off and fill up all of our creative space?”

Information Age = Interruption Age


Reason No. 2


‘The American Info Diet’

● Average American consumes approx. 70 GB of data per day

● 9 DVD’s per day

● Approx. 150,000 words cross our eyes each day

● Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ is only 460,000 words

● 15.5 hours of media consumption per day

● We sit in front of the TV, while watching a Youtube video,

responding to work emails, texting with 3 friends, and ‘liking’ the

latest Facebook tweets.




and many more...


Interruption Statistics

Cubesmart Study: Social Interaction and the Loss of Productivity

● One interruption every 8 minutes

● 6-7 interruptions per hour / 50-60 per 8 hour day

● 5-15 minutes per interruption

● 500 minutes of interruptions per day = approx. 8 hours

Brain:

● 23 minutes to get back on track...

● 23 + 30 minutes to get back into the flow your where in before…

Cost:

● $588 Billion lost in business per year



Why do we allow these interruptions?



We are ‘Addicted’ to INFORMATION(Texts, Emails, Facebook, Twitter, Google,...)



Dopamine Loop

● Dopamine = original: enjoyment, pleasure,

● Dopamine = new research: want, desire, seek out, search

● Search for concepts, knowledge, new ideas, curiosity

● Opioid system makes us feel pleasure



Dopamine Loop

● Wanting (Dopamine) vs. Liking (Opioid) are complementary

● Wanting (Dopamine) is stronger, keeping us alive - LOOP

● Email, text, twitter - instant gratification

● More brain activity when ANTICIPATING than RECEIVING

● No satiety, Unpredictability stimulates, Cues,



How Most People Manage Their Time



How most people manage time

● Managing daily activities based on incoming email/other interruptions

● 28% of work week is spent on reading and responding to emails

● Mentality: Everything is important and urgent

● Urgency determines PRIORITY “I just need to respond to this,...”

● ‘Get it done and out of my way approach…’



How most people manage time

● No active control over time and priorities

● ‘Monkey Mind’ - Jumping from one task to another

● No continued focus on most important activities

● Little/No Awareness about higher purpose and bigger goals

● NO PLAN & NO STRATEGY = fall back to URGENCY

Root of the problem is YOUR email behavior



Focus

Purpose

MIT = Most Important Tasks

Stimulus/Interruption






Lose FOCUS


Effects of this behavior

● Overwhelm and stress

● Feeling of never getting things done - “I always feel behind..”

● Feeling of never being in control

● Can’t let go - constantly thinking about what didn’t get done

● False feeling of accomplishment



Effects of this behavior

● Even harder to take off - “There will be more emails when I’m back!”

● Dissatisfaction and frustration

● Waste of talent - “I’m not doing what I’m best at”

● Disengagement - resigned in your ability to catch up

● Email Apnea = More Stress (Business Insider, 2014)



Dangers for the business

● Not being able to drive innovation and securing the future of your

business or work.

● Not being able to execute strategy, achieve goals, fulfill purpose

● Responsive mode - remote-controlled

● Unhappy employees, team members, superiors,...

● Increased cost from inefficient operation

● Loss of sales from lack of priority ($580 Billion)



Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.


What is Time Management?Productivity Quadrant


ACTon the IMPORTANT

ACTon the IMPORTANT

ACTon the IMPORTANT

ACTon the IMPORTANT

IMPORTANT AND URGENT

IMPORTANT, but NOT URGENT

URGENT, but not IMPORTANT

NOT IMPORTANTand NOT URGENT

Source: FranklinCovey


30-Day Brilliant Leadership™

Innovation Challenge



Commitment:

● Invest 15-20 minutes per day on ‘Rescuing Time’ and increasing your

awareness of your behavior.

● Set a specific innovation goal you want to tackle.

● Make the goal trackable.

● Write everything down and have it in front of you daily.

● Challenge your email behavior.



Step 1: Understand your Dangers.

● How do these interruptions and the ‘Busyness’ Mindset affect you?

● What are the 5 biggest consequences you are facing?

● What could happen if you don’t change your behavior?

● What are the things you’d like or need to do but never get to?

Take 10 minutes and answer these questions. It’s more impactful if you

handwrite on a piece of paper. Once you’re finished read your answers

out loud and contemplate on how this feels.



Step 2: Get Clear on Purpose and Goals.

● What is your purpose and your bigger vision?

● What are the 3 biggest opportunities in your business and work?

● Choose one opportunity for the 30-Day Challenge.

● What will be the benefit in accomplishing this goal?

● Create an ideal and realistic milestone to reach within 30 days.

● Reverse engineer the 30-Day milestone with step by step activities.

Take 15-30 minutes to write down your answers.



Step 3 : Start a Mindfulness Practice.

● Spend 5-10 minutes each morning at your desk before you start work.

● Contemplate the consequences of being stuck in the Dopamine Loop.

● Calm your breathing. Inhale and exhale through your nose.

● Take 7 breaths for each round. You can do 1, 2, or 3 rounds.

● Set your intention and focus on your innovation goal.

● Repeat if you want around lunch time.

● Optional: ‘There’s always enough time.’

● Video on our blog.



Step 4: The Power of Chunking.

● 60-90 minute Focus Sessions 4-6 per day

● 15-30 minute Sprints 3-4 per day

● 15-30 minute Rest & Recovery Session 3-4 per day

● 1 Focus Session per day on your innovation goal

● Add up to 1 hour in un-scheduled time (not being used for emails, etc.)

● Check emails after your first Focus Session. No emails during.

● If a response to an email takes more than 5 min. - put it into FS

● Be flexible. Variate. Try it out. Find out what works for you.



Step 5: Track Your Progress.

● Spend 5 minutes at the end of each work day before you leave work.

● Review how much time you have spent just on that one important

innovation goal you set out to achieve.

● Be curious and reflect on what did/did not happen.

● Reassess your plan and next steps.

● Understand your pitfalls and think about what you can do tomorrow

to avoid them.



What is your 20X?



Questions?

Email: [email protected]


rescue time: how to save yourself from drowning in urgency!

Leadership & Management

people manage

2014 brilliant

innovation

time management

dont innovate

dopamine loop

email behavior

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