Get A Timer

In our Juggling Elephants training program we have a section where we work through "bad acts" that have crept into our lineup. Things that inhibit our ability to get more important things done. In recent weeks I have increasingly heard the act of "Facebook" or "MySpace" shared as one such act. Of course we clarify the bad act as "too much time on Facebook or MySpace" because in and of themselves, these sites are not bad. How we use them determines their impact (positively or negatively) on our lives.

The classic line most people give in a training session is, "I had a couple minutes so I went to my page and then found myself still sitting there an hour later. Time just flew by." It is so easy to do.

If you're trying to limit your time with social media, web surfing or other activity, consider getting a timer. I have an inexpensive digital one that I keep on my office desk and also one in my home. Set the time you are allowing yourself to have for an activity and then you have a steady reminder that your time is dwindling. You will also find that you prioritize what you want to get done (or do) because you have limited time resources. And the shrill "beep beep" will be enough to remind you that it's time to go to the next act in your lineup. Yes, you have to have the discipline to pull yourself away from the activity-you're the ringmaster of your circus.

I also use it for conference calls, working on projects or anytime I need to manage the time I spend on any task.

Blaming The Audience

Can you believe this? A girl falls into a manhole while texting. You may have seen an earlier blog on our frustration with rude texters, so this one caught my attention. After finding out that the girl only suffered a few scrapes I was relieved, although I was frustrated that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking-in other words she wasn't being a good ringmaster of her circus (texting is the wrong act for your lineup while walking).

What really raised my eyebrow, however, was learning that her family plans to sue the city! She and her family accept no responsibility for the young lady's action. What if she had been walking toward a cliff and fallen over it because she was texting. Who would be blamed in that incident?

While I wanted to be angry with the teen and her family, I had to be honest with myself. There are numerous times I seek to blame other circumstances for a less than successful circus lineup. It might be a person, an organization, the economy or other external factor. Focusing on those factors saves me from the tough task of analyzing my own poor judgment, laziness or just bad timing. It's almost like blaming the audience for a less than successful performance because they didn't cheer enough.

What about you? As you reflect on the current challenges in your circus, who or what are you blaming instead of evaluating your own performance as the ringmaster of your circus?

The Circus Must Have An Act-Now!

The next time you are struggling with which "act" to bring into your lineup, remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt:

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

If The Ringmaster Is Running Out Of Energy

If you start your day with the mental mindset that you are going to have a stellar performance but your physical energy just won't cooperate, here's an article that gives good advice on staying energized all day. As we say in Juggling Elephants-Your circus is only as good as your NEXT performance.

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/yahoofreshpicks/1829/top-10-eating-tips-to-stay-energized-all-day

Delete and Delegate

In the spirit of keeping things simple, try just two ideas as you begin planning for next week.

1) Delete the unnecessary. Look at your list of "stuff" to do. What can be deleted? What projects are just not important and can be gotten rid of? Sometimes we brainstorm tasks that can be done and forget to ask the question, should they be done. Remember, there is no shortage of acts for your circus. You can't do it all. We have to pick, choose and prioritize.

2) Delegate. What can be given to someone else to do? Who has excess capacity that can help out? Who can you budget to pay to take care of some less than productive tasks that will free you up to accomplish more critical things? Delegate or die! Let others be part of your circus.

Focus on these 2 ideas next week and see what kind of a difference it makes in what you are able to accomplish. You might just find you are getting more standing ovations from yourself.