Been to the post office lately?

I have.  Yesterday, in fact.  I had 3 packages to ship out-of-state, and I decided to do it the old-fashioned way: at the post office.

Thinking I was sly, I selected a small neighborhood retail station that I figured would be quick.  (Or as quick as you can expect on December 14th!)  I knew not to arrive at opening – there would be a mob of folks hitting the station before work.  And I knew not to go around lunchtime, either.  Target: 10:15AM. 

When I arrived, there were only 15 people in line ahead of me.  Not too bad, right?  The way the line curved, it was difficult to see to the counter area, but I could hear a well-natured, high-energy postal employee chatting it up.  So I figured I was in the right place. 

Fifteen minutes later, I had moved about two feet in line.  But it was far enough to see the counter area.  And Mr. High-Energy.  Despite the three cashier stations at the counter, his was the only one open!

I was frustrated.  That little voice in my head chastisted me (don’t act like you don’t have one, too):

“Great idea, coming here! What were you thinking! Why did you choose this post office?  Why didn’t you get those packages ready last week?! What made you think mid-morning would be the best arrival time? Why don’t you go to another station? Why not spend the extra money and go to the UPS Store?”

As much as I don’t like to hear that little voice sometimes, at least it’s in my head.  No one else can hear it. 

Unfortunately, the other folks in line with me - who I had already determined were retirees, based on earlier conversation - shared their thoughts out loud. 

“This is ridiculous! One window open at Christmas? They should staff better.”

“I can’t believe this.  How long is this going to take!  They make budget cuts and we have to pay for it.”

 ”They need to open more windows.  Don’t they have more workers back there?”

 Although I had been willing to deal with a long wait, I wasn’t sure I was willing to deal with a long wait while listening to these people. An internal battle over whether or not to bail ensued.  I gritted my teeth & stayed.

In between joking with customers, singing along to piped-in music, and doing the jobs of three people, Mr. High-Energy explained to someone that his other two team members had called in sick for the day. Someone in line commented about how cheery he was, considering the situation.

“Well,” he said. “I can make it a terrible day, or I can make it a great day. Not much sense in the first choice.”

Turns out I was right after all:  I was in the right place.  With that reminder from Mr. High-Energy, I switched from gritting my teeth to focusing on my to-do list for the day.  And there was no more grumbling from the other folks in line, either.

Sometimes a person’s words seem to conflict with their actions.  In this client’s case, I nearly took it personally!  But then I learned what was really going on, and ended up admiring him instead.

Someone once asked me, “You’re a professional organizer, what’s the most common issue you see with your clients?”

That’s an easy one: not having a plan for their day.

It’s not only the most common issue, it’s also our biggest issue.

What I mean by this is, too often, we walk into our office, open up email first thing in the morning, and let whatever fun surprises are in the inbox direct our day. We may know of one or two things we need to accomplish, but  often we are too casual with our time and those things get set aside. Without even realizing it, we become reactive, dealing with problems as they arise each day, and failing to prioritize more important (yet quieter)objectives.

I’m not a naturally disciplined person, but I’ve learned the importance of walking into my work day with a purpose - my mission to accomplish x, y and z.   And I always knock out at least one of those top priorities, before doing anything else that day, including checking my email.  While it’s not a natural habit (neither was flossing, but I finally adopted that habit, too!), the results it brings me are well worth the effort.  My clients echo this opinion.

If we don’t decide how we want to use our time, someone else will decide for us. Would you let someone else make decisions on how to spend your money? Of course not! Same goes for your precious time: it’s hugely valuable, yet irreplaceable, so you must have a plan for how you’re going to spend it. If we aren’t consciously choosing how to use our time, it will disappear wastefully, leaving us wondering at the end of our day, week, year, or life – where did it all go?!

If you face this challenge, it’s easily fixed: select your top 3 priorities for completion (or progress) each day, and ensure that at least one of them gets the required attention at the start of your workday, before you do anything else – including email. Especially email.  Did I mention email?

Good luck, and please share your results with me!

Are you always racing to the finish line?

I recently worked with the owner of a PR firm who was extremely overwhelmed. After our initial consult, she recognized that her biggest obstacle was the way she spends her time. She reported that she had been consistently working weekends, but she knew she wouldn’t have to do that if she could just use her time more efficiently.

This client discovered that though she had a lot on her plate,  it was not the typical case of having more to do than time to do it.

When asked what kind of change she was seeking, her reply was “I don’t want to always be racing to the finish line.” 

It’s very common to survive your workday, day in and out, squeezing things in at the last minute, without a master plan for the day – or the weeks.  But just because it’s common, doesn’t mean that it’s actually a recommended approach. 

Try this: invest ten minutes at the start of your day to identify 3 top priorities to accomplish.  This small investment will save you hours later on.  I’ve seen this one habit make such a difference in entrepreneurs’ lives!  This is an excellent way to keep better control of your day and duties, without feeling like it’s all getting crammed in at the last minute.

Adopt this habit for just one week and I predict you’ll no longer have to race for the finish line every time!