Career education

#1 Time management “systems” often fail because they are born of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations.

For instance, some people don’t initiate a time management approach until they’re already falling behind in their work; they undertake time management as a means of catching up.

Their initial plans tend to cram in everything they have to do without appropriate regard for the time required. The unrealistic plans that emerge from “catch-up time management” amount to little more than an expression of renewed motivation for change but without the structure to support it.

Those who try to follow crammed schedules often fall seriously behind their intended pace and abandon the plan altogether, resulting in continued time trouble. Some conclude somehow that these strategies of planning don’t work for them.

But, what is important isn’t being perfect, it is making and using a plan that helps you accomplish your goals. One of your best options for time management systems is to begin with the process of goal setting to establish a context for managing time.
I find that I have to stay on top of lots of different types of news and content that fit with the different types of people that I meet. My company pulled together a website for me that pull’s in RSS feeds, news and articles for dozens of different topics. We created an info section on our web page for me to quickly review. This saves me time, I don’t have to search. It’s in one place for me.

What’s your business plan? Even if you don’t own a business lets assume that your life needs to be run efficiently and organized and that you need a return on investment (ROI). Step one is goals, both long term (5 years) and short term (1 year). Let’s get started. Stop reading this article whenever you need too. First you need to create a sheet with 2 columns and 2 rows. Label the columns professional and the other personal, then the rows under them should be labeled long term and short term. Know what you want to achieve in life. Remember balance in life as well. Do your goals include exercise, financial, career, education, entertainment, religion, charity? List all that fit. Make sure that each goal is clear, positive and achievable. But, reach and grow, don’t set the goals to low. Remember and learn to celebrate your success too. As you achieve these goals take time to enjoy the satisfaction of your achievements.

This section of the program should take a few days. Get started on your goal list today, come back and visit it a couple of times to really make it the best that you can. After you have revisited it a few times now prioritize and number the list in the order that is most important for you to achieve over all success. Adjust how you think about time, improve your awareness of how you use time, and make change for peak performance. As you encounter time troubles, keep in mind that some are predictable, some are not; some are controllable, some are not. For those that are not controllable, keep your cool and get back on track as soon as possible. For time troubles that you can control, and particularly those that occur predictably, deal with them directly and forcefully so that they don’t prevent you from achieving your goals. Examine the following list of troubles: the tips and strategies associated with each one can help you shift your time back to your goals.

Procrastination often emerges as a means of distancing oneself from stressful activities. If you’re overwhelmed by the volume of work on your to-do list, you might benefit from making a “one-item list”: re-write the top item from your list at the top of a blank page and work the task to completion, then repeat.

It can be difficult to start working. Most of the time, however, not starting seems to be related to fear of poor results or negative evaluations than it is to the actual difficulty of the work. Aim to subdivide tasks into small steps and convince yourself that to get started all you need is 10 full minutes working on a task. Often, the 10 minutes will elapse and you’ll be right into the swing of things, prepared to continue on productively.

#2 The next phase of the system involves tracking time and developing awareness for where you spend your time.

How do you currently spend your time? You need to know. For the next week you need to keep a log of what your whole day looks like. Take a notebook and make notes all during the day. Also make a note in the logs about your moods. Don’t rely on your memory, that doesn’t work very well. After the week is over you’ll need to really dive into the log and split the entries into professional and personal. You might be surprised as to how much time is spent on reading junk mail, and chatting with the office chatterers or doing less than organized activities. It’s interesting to compare your energy levels when you review the logs. Productivity may be tied into your eating habits. Now how much is your time worth? Take your pay or if you’re at home, what your pay should be and divide it per hour, ? hour and each 15 minute section. Examine the log and how much does it cost for you to deal with that junk mail or chatting and being social in non-productive discussions? Of course we all realize that we are human, and need social interaction. This is just a guide of what time management means in terms of costs. Here’s where your return on investment is important. You’ll return to this log to restructure your day.

#3 The third phase of the cycle is plan making, and this could include making to-do lists, weekly plans, monthly plans and longer-range plans.
Your new plan. Using the log to analyze your time you’ll now need to see where you can improve on your time management. Remembering the goals that you created in step one as a guide, we need to start using a to do list. You’ll need to revisit your master goals list several times during the year. Those goals are not carved in stone and can be changed as your life becomes more organized. Many people talk about multi-tasking, but be sure that you schedule quality time to complete your tasks completely. Your to-do list is your business plan of essential tasks for the week or for the day. Set time aside just once per day to process your postal mail, set time to read and responded to e-mail, unless you are in a service position that requires it more than once. As you look at the tasks that you need to schedule think about if this is a task that you enjoy and are you good at it? Are there some tasks that just should not be on your to do list? Would your personal ROI be better served if you showed someone else how to do this task? This is important because you will be more effective on the important tasks that fit your role in the organization and or family. It will also increase your satisfaction of a day well spent. Your new business plan should concentrate on your strengths and tasks that really matter to your job and home life and support the goals that you identified in step 1. In order for you to do this well you may need to review your job description purpose and meet with others to learn what is most important in increasing your value to them. How would you be able to exceed expectations? Consider this as you create your to do list. What are the most important deadlines? Are you part of a team and how does your time management skills relate to projects. You should know if there are resources and budgets available to you to support exceeding the expectations. If you manage people or are a family caregiver this all needs to be scheduled. This is a lot to consider and should be done over a period of time, perhaps a week. But, don’t procrastinate. Let’s get it done. Time management is important. What type of to do list will work best for you? Choose either a weekly or daily list based on the method that will be most effective for your management style. As you create your list consider that:

1. It makes sense that the person with the time, skill, talent and knowledge does each job. Bear in mind however that one person can not do everything.

2. Teach the person how to do the job, including shortcuts.

o Have the best tools, supplies, and equipment for doing the job.

o Consider what jobs people already do.

o Never re-do a job (unless health and/or safety is threatened). If you do, you’ll get the job back.

o Realize others may not meet your standards, but if you have truly given up the job, accept that your standards no longer apply.

o Praise people; let them know their work is appreciated.
3. There are plenty of people who would enjoy being paid for a job you would rather not do.

4. Apply the motto “Less is Best,” so you have fewer possessions to manage. Evaluate if the world will come to an end if the job just does not get done.

Divide your goals into time frames – and then subdivide into manageable pieces.

While it may seem challenging to take in the whole scope of that convergent goal, thinking of your goals in this way helps to reinforce the idea that there is a connected path linking what actions you take today and the successful completion of your goals.

Seeing these connections can help you monitor your own progress and detect whether you are on track or not.

The final phase of the cycle is time shifting and adjusting (i.e., changing where you spend your time to better match your intended use of time) in which you make corrections to the system before starting the cycle again at goal setting.

Taken together, these phases permit you to initialize a process of gradual, performance-based improvement in time management skill.

Everybody wants the “quick fix”, but the complexity of changes involved in really getting a grip on your time management process will take some time to move through.

Resist the urge to cast aside strategies that don’t promise instant results; like it or not, change takes time.

Now make the to – do list. Once your list is complete prioritize the list using numbers where #1 is most important. As you implement your new business plan start with most important. If at the end you don’t get to do the least important tasks examine how important they are and if you are the right person to be doing the task. Can you and should you delegate that duty?

#4 Now that you have your list created use technology and tools. How do you schedule your time? Do you use a calendar, a daily, weekly, monthly planner? Do you use computer software, pda, or smart gadget? If you have these tools but don’t know how or do not use them, make time on your list for this learning. If your life is fast paced or stressful, remember to allow time for balance. For many people, sports are a fun activity. We created a fun website that’s a sports portal for when you only have a few minutes. We called it adventurezonesports. It’s a great collection of extreme sports. It’s a fun few minutes escape from work. If you need a walk or workout time schedule this, don’t try to do it while you’re eating lunch! Quality time management includes:

Physical (exercise, nutrition, sleep)

Intellectual (cultural, aesthetic)

Social (intimate and social relationships)

Career (school and career goal directed work)

Emotional (expression of feelings, desires)

Spiritual (quest for meaning)

It is important to keep in mind that the purpose of scheduling is not to enslave you to your planner, but rather to record your decisions about when certain things should happen.

The weekly objective list is a to-do list with additional features to further decompose tasks into smaller units and to record time estimates for the task.

Construct your plan to follow a rhythm.

Pick a time each week to plan your schedule. Even with unexpected occurrences that can impact your schedule you assist yourself in making decisions that are governed by your desire to reach your goals.

Once your week is planned you will experience clarity of focus, your tendency to be distracted will be reduced and you will be certain of your reasons for doing the things you had planned. Committing yourself to a plan you’ve made represents a renewal of your motivation for the goals and tends to increase your time on task.

#5 The last phase of the system is self-monitoring your action. Self monitoring involves paying attention to how well you are working your plan, how accurately you have planned, how well you have forecasted for various events and so on
For many people motivation isn’t a prerequisite to action…it is a result of it!

You’ll spend a lot of your time waiting in lines. At the library check-out, waiting for the bus, waiting for the light to turn green at an intersection, buying tickets, and even waiting for the professor to arrive at class… you find yourself just waiting. If you carry around a book, some photocopied reports, spreadsheets, your pda smart gadget with this MP3 management program you could be actively using time that would otherwise escape you. Plan ahead with an activity to fill this empty time.

The key to commuting time is, simply, use it or lose it. Books on tape or MP3 training are a wonderful way to multitask if you are driving, or if you are riding, the list is endless of little chores that can be accomplished. The challenge is to use that time for something productive.

Helpful tips:

OFFICE
When chatterers show up unannounced in your office be firm but polite. Suggest that you wish you had time to chat right now but absolutely do not. You realize that it’s important to get together and take your calendar out and suggest a time that might work for you because with your new time management program right now you have something scheduled.

Always putting out fires? Maybe others in your office or family need to learn how to have better time management. Chaos is normally due to poor planning. Offer to schedule a team time management planning session.

FOOD
Develop and use a rotating menu system which can include complete meals or just main dishes.
Photocopy a master shopping list so you just have to check off needed items.
Buy and cook in quantity.
Do only one large shopping trip each month for basics and staples?
Prepare quick and easy but nutritious breakfasts only.
Use food preparation and storage equipment to the maximum such as a slow cooker, freezer, microwave, food processor, and pressure saucepan.
Prepare as much in advance as possible such as lunches the night before and quantity cooking on the weekends.
Get everyone in the habit of rinsing dishes immediately after use.

CLOTHES
All family members above the age of three put away their own laundry.
Multiple hampers or baskets coded for the type of washing machine settings such as “warm wash, cold rinse” or “cold wash, cold rinse” cuts sorting time.

Locate laundry near the bathroom or the kitchen.
Put away coats, boots, etc. as soon as possible when entering the house.
Make it a house rule that what goes into the laundry basket inside out, gets washed and dried inside out — socks, underwear, T-shirts, etc.

HOUSE
Set Friday night or Saturday morning as house cleaning time for everyone.
Develop a flexible cleaning schedule so everything eventually gets done.
All family members over the age of three are responsible for their own bedrooms.

Use shelves instead of cabinets or drawers for storage; it’s easier to put something away if you don’t have to open a drawer or door.
In each room have either all or no carpeting.
Decorate with darker colors especially in high traffic areas
Use quilts or sleeping bags for easier bed making.
Wipe the bathroom sink after each use.
Clean the tub or shower before you get out of it.
Make the bed right after you get up.
Use throw rugs with rubber backs in heavy traffic areas.
Change filters on the heating/cooling system frequently to cut down on the amount of house dust.
Keep multiple sets of cleaning supplies and equipment especially if the house has more than one level.

YARD
Simplify landscaping; consolidate several flower beds into a large one.
Use low maintenance plantings.
Keep lawn care equipment in top-notch working order.

CAR
Schedule the next routine car service appointment each time you pick up the car left for servicing.
Develop a car care calendar for routine service and seasonal maintenance.
Use a master calendar to schedule chauffeuring of family members.

SHOPPING
Run several errands at the same time.
Have a morning “launching pad” as a place to collect backpacks, briefcases, papers, money, etc. the night before.
Carry a list of current sizes for everyone in the household when shopping. Do as much routine shopping (bedding, underwear, footwear, etc.) as possible by telephone or mail.
Buy an entire season’s clothing in one trip.
Buy duplicates of gifts, cards, etc.
Organize important papers and records in a filing system.
Use “sticky notes” on the bathroom mirror or by the door to remind someone of something they tend to forget, or use magnets to hold notes on metal surfaces.

By Bob Therrien
? 2005, 2006
President
TrainingPASS Sales Corp.
http://www.trainingpass.com

By: Bob Therrien

Aristotle Onassis was one of the most successful, publicized and examined people in the world during the middle of the 20th century. Today, years after his death, he is principally remembered as an ultra-rich shipping magnate, touring the world on his magnificent yacht and for his romance with the diva soprano Maria Callas and marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. Before he attained business and social heights, however, he was a very rough, uncultured, non-work of art. His effort to change a dim future is worth a look: and is instructional as a teaching aid that anyone can utilize in pursuit of success.

Onassis was born in Turkey of Greek parents. At the end of World War l he, along with millions of others, was forced into refugee status and arrived in Argentina as a penniless immigrant. His Spanish was minimal, his education limited and his skills on offer were not highly prized. Nevertheless, he examined his circumstance realistically and with deep analysis. He recognized that out of post-war chaos would come opportunity for the agile and creative entrepreneur. Being broke was just an obstacle, not a closed door to Onassis.

As Onassis learned the ways of Argentine society and business he noticed that there were specific clubs, restaurants, hotels and theatres that were almost exclusively frequented by the successful business and political class. Always a keen observer of human nature, he realized that contacts and friendships of value to an ambitious fellow like himself could only be nurtured in this rarified realm. Onassis was determined to find a way in.

He worked mundane jobs, including a stint as a telephone operator. However, he was different from co-workers and other immigrants. He immersed himself in all things Argentine and he saved every cent he earned that was not needed for basic sustenance. Most importantly, he recognized the old saying; “the rich are different from you and me” was so true. He needed to emulate the rich in order to become rich. He never looked at successful people as the enemy. He had aspirations, not jealousy in his heart.

Onassis became addicted to quality in all areas of life. While still poor, he saved every peso until he could afford a Saville Row hand cut suit. He only had one suit, but it was elegant. He also observed that the rich seemed to appear healthier, happier. They seemed to sport suntan skin as a badge of their fortunate lifestyle. Onassis developed a lifetime addiction to pursuit of the perfect suntan. His tan was internationally famous long before the actor George Hamilton gained similar fame. To this day, a suntan is an emblem of the good life for the successful class.

A Saville Row suit, quality personal furnishings and a suntan that reeked of idle leisure and success were only a start. Onassis was still a rough cob. Nevertheless, he believed in his ultimate destiny. He would have a drink every night at the bar of the Intercontinental Hotel in Buenos Aires, the cities finest. Only one drink, because that was all he could afford. He still worked as a telephone operator, but he kept his parallel lives as a blue-collar worker and social status seeker firmly differentiated.

His nightly visits to the Intercontinental Hotel bar gradually lead to his building a network of business and social contacts. The famous Argentine soprano Claudia Musa frequently visited the hotel. She was an adored opera star and a cultured beauty. Onassis was basically nobody and a poseur. And yet, he pursued the beautiful singer, and with his usual tenacity he won her heart. This drive to win would be displayed in every area of his long and exciting life.

Onassis recognized that Argentine women preferred a type of sweet Turkish tobacco that was not widely available in South America. Utilizing his newly found relationships; he brokered an import deal for an inventory of the tobacco. He assembled the capital necessary to organize a small factory and began to market several brands of Turkish cigarettes. This small, but successful deal was the basis for his later international business prominence.

Onassis recognized that World War 11 was imminent. The movement of war materiel was going to become crucial to the Allies winning the war. Shipping would be highly profitable, if he could find an inventory of ships to purchase. With customary elan, he found a small fleet of sturdy but well used freighters on the St. Lawrence Waterway and arranged a tight line of credit to purchase the motley flotilla. He was on his way to becoming the most famous shipping magnate in history.

Entrepreneurs, in order to succeed, often must change elements of their personal lifestyle. We have all heard the old adage, “success breeds success”. No one practiced this truism more fully and instructively than Aristotle Onassis. He bought one high quality suit. He squired beautiful women. He went to the finest clubs, even though he could not afford much more than one drink. He used his new environment, new contacts and network to benefit his single-minded pursuit of success. Why did Willy Sutton rob banks: because that was where the money was! Onassis also made the elemental decision to hang out where the money was.

I work with entrepreneurs from all walks of life: no two are alike. One of the most difficult aspects of the entrepreneurial process that must be overcome is the need to adjust lifestyle. Sacrifice today will pay dividends tomorrow. Venture capital usually will not be found in a pool hall. The necessity to improve one’s self-presentation and to network continually is paramount. You must be constantly closing the sale, improving your skills and totally focus on achieving your goal.

Aristotle Onassis worked blue-collar jobs, spoke Spanish as a third language, was a displaced immigrant on a strange continent and had zero personal assets. Nevertheless, he organized a personal plan to overcome his obstacles and lead a life of legendary accomplishment.

I spend a great deal of time in my marketing and funding consulting work coaching inventors and entrepreneurs to overcome self-imposed hurdles. Some easily recognize the need to change habits and to utilize pieces of the Onassis template. They often have the ability to succeed. Many more unfortunately, decide that they know best, markets will adapt to their wants and a shortcut to success can be taken. They always fail. This is an absolute observation.

Contact me to discuss this article, other topics related to entrepreneurial pursuits or a specific project. Geoff Ficke, 407 260 1127, www.DuquesaMarketing.com

By: Geoff Ficke

Determining where someone would like to be, and how to get there in five to 10 years, takes much conscious effort, however, identifying goals that will help someone grow, whether it be?educational, professional or personal is very important. Several steps are involved in order to be successful, such as, defining the goals, determining the optimum time frame and putting the plan into action. Combining personal beliefs and values into defined goals and refusing to turn away from these beliefs during difficult times will lead to feelings of true achievement once the goals are attained. With any serious goal, support systems and mentors must be determined and utilized, to avoid becoming overwhelmed when challenges arise. Chitty and Black (2007) states “Make sure your goals and expectations are realistic. Unrealistic goals are self-defeating. Make sure the goals are measurable, manageable, and meaningful to you, not to please somebody else.” (Chapter 10, p. 266).

Nursing philosophy is clearly understanding your personal truths, thoughts and goals and determining how they relate to your professional career as a nurse. Each nurse has unique experiences that influence his or her personal choice of profession, but in general, nurses are drawn to the profession because of the nurturing characteristics that the profession embraces. My philosophy of nursing may vary from other nurses depending on their culture, religion or ethnicity, but the combination of the diversities makes nursing special. In my personal view, the nursing profession is a highly respectable profession, which should always place the holistic care and concern of the patient as the top priority. Continuing education is mandatory for nurses to be able to provide high quality of care and to provide the latest improved treatment techniques. Whether through treating, teaching, advocating or supporting, patient care is directly impacted through nursing care on a daily basis. Nurses also must accept the responsibility of leading others in the care of patients in order to maintain a high quality continuity of care.

Baccalaureate prepared nurses are better prepared to accept positions that require more leadership skills. Obtaining the Baccalaureate degree also shows commitment to the profession, which shows strength to the employer. As stated by Cynthia O’Neal (2004), “In today’s health care environment, baccalaureate nurses must be prepared to use essential leadership skills to manage and coordinate teams of care.” The increased amount of training that is focused on nursing ethics, nursing foundations and history, and nursing professionalism promotes the knowledge to organize the responsibilities of several team members successfully, without appearing overbearing. Providing this leadership may not be overly accepted by everyone on the team, and may in turn cause temporary conflict, however, in order for the team to function in an efficient and organized manner, and provide the practice with a productive department, and the patient with high quality of care, this is a change that must take place.

With any growth, there will be challenges and barriers. Choosing strong mentors is a very important step in reaching goals. Victor Ghebre (Dec, 2008), instructs us to “find a mentor or someone who can inspire you in the area of personal development, and try to associate yourself with other people who are on the path to self growth.” During the education experience, academic advisors or facilitators are wonderful mentors, and during the professional career experience, introducing yourself to staff development coordinators, physicians and management staff can facilitate introductions to such mentors.?Having a strong support system within the personal relationships of our daily lives is also important.?With growth, growing pains will happen, and having support during difficult times will encourage the growth to continue. Having a healthy expectation of the challenges that may be present and a plan of action will lessen the effect when these challenges occur. Family, and the responsibilities that family involves, is a large challenge to overcome when attempting to grow in a professional aspect.?Learning to meet these responsibilities satisfactorily, while working toward professional goals is possible.

Identifying goals and becoming committed to achieving these goals lead to life changing events, bringing satisfaction and personal fulfillment. People are surrounded by goals from birth, learning to walk and talk, to planning for life after retirement or even death. Continually setting new goals and attempting to achieve them is what prevents complacence. For some, complacence may be the goal, but for others, setting new goals is a means of growth, and growth is necessary in embracing life. Goals do not have to be anything as important as a new profession.?Goals can be as simple as deciding to start walking daily, and planning where to walk, or making a goal to learn to sew. Making realistic goals and attempting to attain these goals while abiding within certain beliefs and values introduces several areas that continue to add value to life, such as special friends, strong support systems and learning to overcome challenges. Goals are an important part in life in that it promotes growth, and combining professional goals with personal goals can create holistic peace within self and family.

References:

Chitty, K. K., Black, B. P. (2007). Professional nursing concepts and challenges. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. St. Louis, MO: Saunders, Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2009, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, NUR391- Professional Nursing Practice website.

Ghebre, Victor (December 1, 2008) How to obtain important life goals to help you grow. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/how-to-obtain-important-life-goals-to-help-you-grow-666497.html,??

O’Neal, Cynthia.? (November 2004). Creating Leadership Skills in Fundamental Courses.?Journal of Nursing Education 43(11),?524.? Retrieved March 19, 2009, from Career and Technical Education?database. (Document ID:?739662121).

By: Gail Scarlett

If you work in higher education, you are probably already a pretty successful person, and have some pretty good ideas about where you want to go in life. Teaching positions require graduate education, and many administrative posts also require at least a master’s degree.

You’re also surrounded by many great resources, including experienced colleagues, supervisors, and even students who help inspire and motivate you. Teaching and advising are activities that stir your soul, as well as your mind. You are periodically, if not frequently, reminded of your purpose, and you probably have more opportunities than some to pursue your academic and professional interests.

So why would you need a career coach? Aren’t you already smart enough to help yourself? Can’t you connect with plenty of people who can help you, who won’t charge you a fee?

Honestly, on some levels, the answers lean toward an argument against spending your time and money for a professional coach. But these answers are also mostly likely arrived at upon a surface-level examination of your life and career, and a certain level of buy-in to some stereotypes and expectations that society applies to being a member of the faculty.

Look a little deeper, and you may discover some very compelling reasons to consider coaching.

First and foremost, getting a coach doesn’t say anything about your intellectual ability. Plenty of really smart people work with coaches to keep them accountable, help them achieve work/life balance, and set and meet personal and professional goals. Prominent CEOs hire coaches. Corporations do, too. In fact, many corporations are hiring in-house coaches to help their employees be more satisfied with their lives and careers and more balanced in their lives.

Second, it’s true that you have friends, colleagues, your supervisor, and your students to help and support you. But can these people dedicate the time and personal attention to you that you need? Will they commit to your personal success over their own needs or the needs of the department or institution? Will they support your personal and professional development, even if it means taking you away from your job, your staff and students, or the institution? Will they keep your concerns, aspirations and goals confidential? Will they hold you accountable for meeting your goals, or do they have their own things to worry about?

Getting a coach is a great way to put your dreams, goals, and even your barriers out there, and to explore them. It’s an investment in your success. It’s also a great way to hold yourself accountable in meeting your goals, so that you can achieve them.

So maybe the question isn’t “Why do I need a career coach?,” but instead “Don’t I deserve one?”

By: Sean Cook