• Where’s Ann Michael?–I am helping people answer the question, “Why Can’t I Get Organized?” and working with overloaded professionals to develop a solution that works for them. The relief that I see on their faces is such a reward. I just love what I do!
• Feature Article – Productivity Lessons from Race Car Drivers
• Ann Michael Recommends –Joining her for a What’s a Wiki presentation to FreeNet Rochester on Tuesday, February 23 at the Pittsford Community Library, 24 State St, Pittsford, NY from 11:45 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. FreeNet Rochester is a fee-free self directed networking group that coordinates a variety of networking and professional development opportunities. You don’t need to be a member to participate, so come and join us!.

I’m married, the mom of two teenagers, and I own my own business. Juggling everyone’s schedule, work and career demands plus some volunteer work is enough to drive even the most organized person batty! Before you know it, there is no time for my husband and I. Sound familiar?

My husband and I now schedule a rendezvous – time for us to pause and reflect on what is going on and what we are juggling – a catch your breath moment. We check our schedules every Sunday evening and see when we can meet for lunch. It’s quite wonderful, a quiet lunch with my husband once a week! Sometimes we grab a coupon from the coupon book our daughter sold us as part of the orchestra fundraiser she did early in the school year. Other times we pack a lunch and meet for a picnic at a park halfway between our respective offices. That’s actually my favorite place – outside overlooking a pond, soaking in some sun, enjoying the horseback riders…just simply taking a break.

We both confess that initially it felt odd to have to schedule time with each other. Yet, because of our crazy overloaded lives, we were spending less and less time together and that felt even worse. It’s amazing to us how taking time to pause and reflect (and eat lunch!) reduces that overwhelmed feeling and gives us the clarity we need to manage our ever-growing busy lives.

Looking for a Guest Speaker?

Did you know that in addition to teaching, training, and coaching I do a variety of presentations and hands-on workshops? Most recently I presented to a local Rotary Club, a chapter of ASTD – American Society for Training and Development and conducted a Lunch & Learn at a local corporation. At the Lunch & Learn there was such a great response that we filled the auditorium and had to schedule an encore presentation to accommodate the waitlist! Nearly 70% of the attendees signed up for the tip sheet that accompanied the presentation so that they could begin implementing the productivity ideas presented.

If you know of an organization or professional association in need of a guest speaker, or if your company offers employees Lunch & Learn type programs, perhaps one of the topics noted below would be of interest:

• The 3 T’s of Getting More Done in Less Time. Tips, Tools, and Techniques to get you out of the office and home in time for dinner.
  
• Oh! I’ve Always Wondered How You Do That. Tips and tricks for using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, the Web, and more
  
• I Want it All in One Place! How many times have you said that? Explore how technique and technology come together to accomplish just that…everything at your fingertips! In addition to conducting these sessions in person, webinar options are also available. Interested? Contact me so that we can coordinate schedules.
  

High Efficiency

Years ago I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. The straight-aways were amazingly impressive; they seemed to go on forever. It was almost as if they called you to go faster and faster.

Doesn’t work feel like that some days? Beckoning you to go faster and faster so that you can get everything done. You decided this morning that you will get that project done today even while you juggle all of the incoming e-mails, the phone calls, and the interruptions. And the only way to accomplish that objective is to increase your speed.

Part of my tour of the speedway included a drive down pit row. As I sat there in pit row listening to the tour guide I couldn’t help but imagine what this track must be like on race day. The sounds of the engines as the race cars seemingly fly by at speeds in excess of 175 mph. Then the contrast of pit row, where the cars stop -- they come to a complete halt. How counterintuitive that must feel for the driver. Yet, the driver has to stop during the course of the race; no car is designed to finish the race with out making pit stops. Despite how challenged -- mentally, emotionally, and even physically -- drivers may feel about stopping, they know it’s the right thing to do. It’s a time to refuel, get new tires and any equipment that they need to successfully finish the race. It’s a time to refresh so that they have the energy and tools they need to win. Not stopping could actually be dangerous -- running out of gas and needing to get out of the way of other cars or blowing a tire and spinning out are just two possibilities.

So let me ask you… Is faster and faster working for you? Are you getting more done or are you spinning out of control? Does it seem like no matter how fast you go you aren’t getting anywhere? Maybe it’s time to take a lesson from race car drivers and stop. Just stop. Take a few moments to catch your breath, to assess where you are and where you want to be. Reprioritize your work if necessary, gather the tools that you will need -- turn off those that you won’t -- and then pace yourself. Come to think of it, many drivers who qualify for the Indy 500 do so by exceeding speeds of 220 mph. But when it comes time for the race, their speed drops by 40 or more miles per hour. It’s a combination of skill, tools, strategy, and the right pace that wins the race. The same strategy would work at work as well.

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Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and The Productivity Chef for Mise En Place -- an organization and productivity consulting firm devoted to working with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper, and workload so that they can "get cooking" at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

Her personal philosophy...let's get the work done so that we can go out and play is what motivates Ann Michael. If you liked today's issue, you'll love Ann Michael’s productivity tools, products, and training designed to help you improve your focus, organization, and productivity at work so that you have time to experience all that life has to offer.

Having the right ingredients – tips, tools, and proven techniques – to accommodate an individual's work style is what makes the difference. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is to find the recipe that works for you!