Getting out of my own way: 5 challenges for the self-employed and visual learners

October 1, 2010  |   Posted in Blog, health, productivity   |   View Comments  

Have you ever felt like you’ve been doing a lot of stuff but not actually getting a lot… DONE?

Yesterday started out like any other day…. I woke up, stretched, brushed my teeth, made coffee, brainstormed on a few upcoming projects…. and then I realized that it was the last day of September… I went into a small panic – What had I done versus accomplished during the month?

So, I spent the morning doing a personal review of my September including giving a hard look at accomplishments, failures (or things I needed to improve upon), opportunities and potentials…

And while I’ve been busy, I recognized I hadn’t been overall as productive…

I looked at things such as what (if anything) had changed in my routine (aside from my ridiculous traveling schedule)…. and suddenly, the light from above shined and the angels sang – and I had a total lightbulb moment and could see several big (albeit temporary now that I know about them!) productivity (both personal and business) problems… and I know  I am not the only person out there with them…

1. Technology Complacency: I upgraded to a new iPhone4 the day before going to Italy  but I had not updated all of my settings, apps and systems… So when we returned, I remained complacent with the new settings and just… did not proactively deal with it. Not ensuring and confirming regularly that Evernote as well as my various calenders were properly syncing created some serious scheduling problems in both pre-existing commitments and pending commitments.. It became an energy suck but when you are so busy, it’s easy to overlook things that are not an immediate crisis…. Had I been using my solution in item in #4 on this, I would have been able to “see” this problem versus “remember it…”
2. A couch is NOT A workstation: Having gotten so used to being accessible, mobile and workshifting from coffee shops this summer, when I’m in my home, I’ve been working on the dreaded couch. BAD MOVE! No wonder my back has been hurting.
3. Online networking and mental activity does not equal physical activity: Due to the traveling, I haven’t had the mental and energy capacity to be attending countless events and always on the go…. therefore, in the quest for some “down” time, it literally became “I”m going to relax… sitting down… alot.” which resulted in a much more sedentary month that usual…
4. Are you a visual learner? Know your style: I am SUCH a visual learner… yet I have completely neglected my dry erase board and the true joy that comes with writing out tasks, projects, to-dos and getting the satisfaction of visually crossing them off the list… If it’s out of sight, out of mind.
5. Making a plan versus planning to fail: It seems I failed to actually update my September calendar and schedule physical activity/walking/working out and treat them like business meetings. Instead, I’ve been trying to “fit them in…” and you probably know what THAT means… YEP, they are on the bottom of the imaginary priority lis. This is one of the hardest things for a visual scheduler in the virtual or electronic world.

It didn’t seem or FEEL like I was getting in my own way but when I REALLY thought about my month yesterday, it all became so clear. Now, I can see my obstacles and devise my plan of action...

And you BET I dragged out my dry erase board yesterday, jotted down everything from my head and WOW did it feel GOOD to not be holding onto that data any longer….

So, what about you?

• Can you identify with any of the challenges above?
• What things have you been neglecting or not handling that is making life or business productivity harder than necessary?
• What kind of learner are you and what tools do you use to help stay on track?