Balance

Webster’s defined balance as “a state of equilibrium between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements”. Equilibrium is a reactive thing. As a force pushes, it adjusts.

When people talk about life-work balance, they inevitably talk about amounts of time designated to certain areas of their lives. If they draw it out, it will take the shape of a pie, with slices allocated to sleep, work and family.

Stasis

Balance is not about stasis. If you were to remain fixed and static, and a force pushed against you, you would fall over.

Why, therefore, do we try for fixed proportions when we talk about life-work balance?

Small Corrections from a Good Starting Place

Let’s take a look at a unicycle rider. The person must first get up on the cycle, initially balance, and then you will see him adjusting the cycle with his torso and the pedals.

Without that initial balance, the cycle rider will fall. Without the adjustments, gravity will take over.

Just as a rider on a unicycle must adjust himself to stay upright in the same general location, we also must learn to move from an initial starting position and adjust ourselves in small ways if we are going to remain in balance.

Balancing Life

In order to get a good life-work balance, you need to start in a sustainable position. Look at your pie chart of activities as they are now. Is there anything that can be changed? Is there anything that could be changed? If you are working 80 hours a week and have no down time, it may be time to adjust your job. If you have a large chunk of time labeled “television” or “internet” it may be necessary to cut back on those to get that initial balance.

Once you have your initial balance, work on small adjustments. If you are toiling hard one week on a work project, make sure to adjust the next week and take some time to do something else.

And remember, it is never too late to get off the cycle and restart.

Photo by Karl Horton

When I first began to use computers, multi-tasking didn’t exist. You opened a computer program to solve a problem or accomplish a task, and then you closed it. Much like a typewriter-you only have one sheet of paper, one document, in the typewriter at a time. With today’s operating systems running on today’s computers, multi-tasking is a given, even when we don’t want it. I get some of my most productive writing done when I don’t have access to the internet (like at 39,000 feet) precisely because I can focus and don’t have to multi-task.

The key to successful multi-tasking is some form of project management-the ability to keep track of and press ahead on a number of tasks or projects all at the same time, without losing track of progress made or approaching deadlines. Because of the collaborative nature of most work these days, seldom are we able simply to press ahead with our own tasks, from conception to completion, without needing to interface, connect, consult or communicate with others. You can think of a project under management as a combination of tasks, handoffs, meetings, and processes.

Tasks: these can be discrete tasks, like “make coffee,” or more complex projects like “Create Newsletter” which may have a number of discrete subtasks.

Handoffs: sending a document from one person to another, or from an individual to a group, is a handoff. Collaborative work is often tracked and document changes should be cumulative, with each document version improving upon the one before, but not irreversibly.

Meetings: another form of handoff, where updates and reports are given, feedback is received, and decisions are made.

Processes: Many larger projects combine well marked paths with new approaches or content. The well marked path is often a process, itself the product of previous projects under management. Processes such as annual reviews, customer surveys, monthly newsletter production, budget approvals or contract closings help to guide collaborative projects and to link the specific project into the larger corporate context, where necessary.

The key to a successful project management software tool is that it is as simple as possible, but not simpler than required. If you are not coordinating groups of people or multiple teams, you probably will only need a simple task manager and to-do list. If your most complex management requirement is the need to schedule meetings with others, a simple scheduler or calendar program may be sufficient. Below is a list of free or low-cost (less than $50) tools to get you on your way, depending on the level of need and complexity. Almost all of the tools below work through the cloud, and are operated wholly or at least in part as web applications.

Tasks:

• Ta-da List is a very simple web-based task list, more appropriate for quick and easy lists than any kind of project management. No deadlines, no priorities: just lists that can be checked off. Intuitive to use, but of limited functionality.
• Remember The Milk (RTM) is a web-based task list, with a set of three main lists (personal, work, study). There are limited collaboration options for multiple projects, but you can send tasks to others who are also using RTM.

Handoffs:

• Google Docs allows you to edit documents on-line and never worry about data loss. You can share documents and spreadsheets in a variety of ways, through inviting people to the document or sharing the link. There is limited formatting,, but documents created/edited in MS Word can be uploaded to Google Docs.
• Dropbox is helpful for storing or sharing large files or for remote backup and usage for teams that work via the cloud. If your team needs a “single view of truth” and is often losing track of the latest document version, view Dropbox as your shared server, especially for large projects with multiple large files.

Meetings:

• Tungle and Timebridge offer meeting scheduling solutions that are simple, elegant, and free at the basic level of service. Though their collaboration models are different, they both help you to communicate with people who use a different calendar program than your own.
• Google Calendar and ClearSync offer collaboration functionality by sharing calendars with colleagues, teammates, friends and family. Google uses a sharing model that allows you to share one or more calendars with individuals, while ClearSync offers the flexibility to allow you to share your calendars with groups and to be subscribed to by a group of related project or team calendars. Both offer calendar publishing and notification capabilities.

Processes and overall project management:

• ProcessMaker is an open-source business process management tool that allows you to document your business processes in a simple and intuitive way. Any repetitive, standardized or critical process can be documented and outlined simply.
• Excel-Based Project Management is a solution that involves no purchase of new software. Rather, this is an MS Excel template that you can get cheap. It has the advantage of being based on a familiar software tool, and it requires little time to get up to speed. For most simple project management needs, this will get you started.

If you actually need a full project management software package, you will probably need to buy one. But for many people, getting their start at project management, one or more of the above solutions will enable you to increase productivity, manage complexity, and keep costs down. A three-way winning solution!

What are your favorite tools? Do you use an all-in-one solution or do you prefer to combine “best of breed” tools into a custom solution? Or have you rolled out your own in-house all-in-one solution? Please share your experiences with us in the comments section below. Thanks!

Note: The author of this article has no affiliation with any of the programs mentioned.

Photo by hill.josh

A friend and I were having lunch when I told her about my inability to throw out an orchid. A gift, it had stopped blooming a few years ago, although putting forth healthy shoots. I gave my husband another orchid, but when he asked if I would get rid of the other one, I said no. After all, all the special needs animals seem to collect at my house. Why would I give up on a plant just because it no longer bloomed?

My friend introduced me to the stock purchase theory of decluttering. I have her permission to relate it here.

The Stock Theory of Decluttering

If you are considering buying a stock, you decide partly on how much it costs now.

In the Stock Theory of Decluttering, you decide if you would buy the object today, at today’s prices, knowing what you know about the usefulness and the current state of the item. If not, it should leave your house.

Applying the Stock Theory Of Decluttering

Applying It to Clutter

The first application of this theory is to the stuff laying around my house. Inspired by Simplify. 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life, I have been working on getting rid of stuff. Applying the Stock Theory gives me one more way to consider the items I am assessing: do I love it? Do I use it? Am I taking care of it? and now, Would I buy this today knowing what I know about it, in its current state?

Applying It to Activities

The Stock Theory can also be applied to other areas of my life. Activities, for example. Would I have gotten involved with creating specifications for a non-profit’s sound system knowing what I know now? No. Would I be a Brownie leader? Possibly. Would I write this blog? Yes. Would I continue to teach at my summer retreat? Yes.

It has been very interesting to apply this new theory to simplifying my life. I keep finding ways to apply it, and it is making things a bit easier as I go through the on-going process of simplifying.

Photo by jm3

Too many people think organizing is too easy or too hard. Simple Mom had a great article“7 Organizing Myths Debunked”. The three I think most important and most overlooked: “Once you organize your home, it just stays that way,” “A good organizing system will work for anyone,” and “There is a right way and a wrong way to organize.”

Digital photos are starting to get out of hand at my house. With three people taking photos, and them all ending up on my hard drive, things are getting ugly. Small Notebook’s “How to Organize Digital Photos (the easy way)” has some great tips and a great reminder: “The best tool for organizing your digital photos is the delete button.”

Most list of time-wasters at work include the internet. Not so at Unclutterer’s “Three time-wasting traps at work”. These three actually were brand new to me. And very potent reminders.

I keep looking for a way to get my daughter’s toys under control. I have yet to be successful. A succinct guide to the most popular methods is at Unclutterer: “Keeping children’s toys from overwhelming a room”. My daughter simply doesn’t want to let go of the junk. Sigh.

I’ve been working on not pushing against the river in many areas of my life. Zen Habits has a great take on how to manage the noise of life: stillness. It can be a way to push back against the buzz of the world, to take control. From “Stillness is a Powerful Action”.

The 4 Hour Work Week chafed me in many ways. Zen Habits has an article that talks about the antithesis at “9 Unconventional Steps to a Thriving, “Very Small” Business”. I’ve never wanted to work from an exotic beach. This makes being in business for myself much more do-able.

Dr. Pepper’s 10-2-4 rule is applied to focus management at Everyday Simplicity’s “Time Management Tip: Returning Calls, Emails, and Text Messages on Your Schedule, Not Theirs”. Summed up: “Constantly reacting to your phone – voice mail, text, email – can have you bouncing through a day like the small white ball in a pinball machine. ” Set a schedule and forget about the rest.

Photo by Mike Boehmer

One of my main barriers to being productive is I consistently take on too much. And as with any juggler with too many things in the air, something is going to drop eventually.

Autofocus and Dismissing Items

When I was looking at Autofocus (see Autofocus 2…An Initial Report), there was a notion of “dismissing projects.” The oldest block of tasks you hadn’t worked on were put “on notice”, and anything not actioned on by the next day are just dismissed. Gone.

Changing My Mind

What a concept! To give myself the freedom to change my mind after I had committed to it.

I find that it gives me a great relief to know that I can give up on things.

No Autofocus, but Applying Dismissal

I don’t follow Autofocus anymore, because I find it doesn’t help me move forward on the big picture items. But who’s to say that I can’t apply parts of it?

Applying Dismissal to my List

My list is out of control again. I have several projects on there that are not making progress. It’s not that there are things on the list that I really don’t want to do. It’s a matter of not having enough time.

Tonight I sat down and looked at my list. Everything I looked at, I asked myself if I was truly going to move forward on them. There are things that simply have to wait. Not indefinitely, but for the time being.

Leave a comment if you like or dislike this method of paring down projects…

Photo by eva101

Sometimes I need a day to catch up. I’m in my first year as a Girl Scout leader, and it is cookie season. After spending Saturday afternoon at a cookie booth, then delivering cookies to one organization on Sunday morning, then delivering my daughter’s Sunday afternoon, I got nothing done this weekend. Sunday evening rolled around and I was exhausted, and faced with a pile of things that needed to be done. So I called in “not fit to come into work” on Monday and spent the day getting caught up. It was well worth it.

I try to leave myself notes about what I need to do the next day at work. So last Friday I dutifully made a note: ” Monday: figure out why table x is duplicating.” Only problem is that when I got to work on Tuesday, I had no idea what this note meant, or where I was in the process to cause me to notice the data duplicating. Note to self: leave less cryptic notes.

Photo by 1Happysnapper (photography)

I have gotten in a nasty habit of eating lunch at my desk. I spend the time eating, reading blogs, or catching up on email. What I have found is that when I eat in front of the computer, I eat more, and I am hungry about an hour later. It got me thinking about my lunch break: my employer insists we take a full hour for lunch. And when I actually leave my desk for an hour, the day seems shorter, and my afternoons are more productive. If you routinely eat at your desk, here are 5 reasons you should take your lunch break:

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Lunch

Give Yourself Physical Space

If you spend all day doing the same type of task, like typing, getting away from the computer will allow you to use muscles other than your fingers. Stretching and walking will ease sore muscles and energize you.

Prevent Overeating

When I eat while focused on something else, I will always overeat because I am not conscious of how much I am eating. Getting away from my desk and focusing on the taste and smells of lunch allow me to experience the food and feel full (not overstuffed) at the end.

Gain Insight

Just because you are not at your desk doesn’t mean that your brain will quit working. Getting physically away from a problem can give your brain unconscious space to think about it. I have discovered many programming solutions while out walking the dog, taking a shower or gardening. I also find that after coming back from a lunch break code that was snarling when I left seems to resolve itself.

Lower Stress Levels

Getting away from your desk can pull you mentally away from stressful situations. When I worked with a local public safety department, I learned that the 911 dispatchers are required to take several breaks per day in which they are required to leave the dispatch room. This physical separation allows them to mentally separate from the stress that is in the room.

You Deserve A Break

Working parents work hard. Our lunch hours are sometimes the only time we get a chance to relax and talk to adults, or do something for ourselves. You work hard, and you deserve a break. Take it!

This post was originally posted at LauraEarnest.com and has been migrated here in preparation for when I shut the LauraEarnest blog down.

Photo by goatopolis

Picking up can be a hassle.

I know of no young children, who when given the task of picking up their toys, will not try to get out of it. The sad truth is that without some sort of strategy to corral toys, they would quickly take over all living space. Some parents cope with this by limiting the mess to a room where the door can be closed; others ignore the problem completely; some pick it up themselves; others nag.

I have to admit, I was in the last category. My daughter has designated play spaces, but when the toys make it into rooms where they are tripped over, I insist that they be picked up. My daughter, however, will do anything in her power not to pick things up.

One evening after my daughter had gone to bed I had grabbed a spare laundry basket and I was putting stray toys in it. The idea was that I would use it to transport them all upstairs. But another thought hit, and the Saturday Basket was born.

What Is The Saturday Basket?

The Saturday Basket is simply a laundry basket. Any toy that I find in the non-toy areas (kitchen, office, music room, living room) after bedtime gets put into the basket. The basket is stored on a high shelf in the closet, and on Saturdays the basket is taken down, and my daughter has to put everything away in its proper place. If a toy ends up in the basket repeatedly, it will be quietly removed and given away, at my discretion.

No More Nagging

It took me a few weeks to break the nagging habit, but the system is working fine. We all know the ground rules, and we abide by them. We have not had to give away any toys, and I have a more peaceful and less cluttered living space.

2010 Update

I have used the Saturday basket for several years with great success. I still have to remind myself not to nag, and there have been times when I have found the entire contents of the basket stuffed into her closet or under the bed. However, it has now gotten to the point where there are weeks without anything in the Saturday basket. This is progress in my eyes.

This post was originally posted at LauraEarnest.com and has been migrated here before I shut the LauraEarnest blog down.

Photo by Bird Eye

Another haiku about Productivity can be found at Skelliewag’s “Productivity in 11 Words”.

A step-by-step process for getting your inbox pared down can be found at Lifehacker’s “Empty Your Inbox with the Trusted Trio “. This is a modification of the Merlin Mann method, but it is very simple and straightforward.

Zen Habits also tackled the email issue in “Email Sanity: How to Clear Your Inbox When You’re Drowning”. This is a step-by-step getting-through-the-backlog method.

I’ve always been good at leaving time to get to places, but Lifehacker talks about other buffers I hadn’t considered in “Why You Need More Buffers In Your Schedule”. This is a good practice: I am always feeling behind as I get to work and have nothing planned out. Building time into events is a good way to get yourself back on track without being overwhelmed.

It comes down to the basics in “Don’t Try This at Home: The Organizing Tip that Won’t Help You” over at SmallNotebook. The quote: “if you need a catalog of your stuff to remember what you have, then you have too much.” It’s not about making lists. It’s about paring down.

Photo by Sam Ilic

If you want to be in the drawing for a copy of the DVD that goes along with The Spark, please:

• Do something you’ve been putting off for a while
• Leave a comment saying what you did here or on the original post.

It’s that simple. From the comments I have received by midnight EST on Mar 4, 2010, I will randomly select a winner to receive the DVD.