Managing My Circus With A Quad Pen

One tip that I have found to be simple but helpful in managing my 3 ring circus is to use a quad-pen on a master calendar. A quad pen has 3 colors of ink (usually black, blue and red) and a pencil all built into the same writing device. I write all of the activities going on in my life on one calendar but I use the colors from the quad pen to differentiate the three rings of my life. I use black for my work appointments, blue for my "self" activities and red for the activities that relate to my relationships. I use the pencil for appointments that are tentative and have not yet confirmed.

This method keeps my calendar organized but also gives me a great visual way of seeing what is going on and where my rings are having conflicts. A real danger is having multiple calendars that are not in sync (like a work calendar, a pocket calendar and a family calendar). One organized calendar will reduce the stress of wondering what ring I should be in and when. If you use an electronic device or PC for your calendar, the same concept works using color labels.

But I Have Four!

A recent question sent to us through our website was, "I need to know if you can apply these tactics to a four ring circus?" Here was our response:

In response to your question about if the tactics can apply to a 4 ring circus, the technical answer is.... Of course!!!

Seriously, Juggling Elephants is a parable and is written so that people can pick and choose what parts of the story are meaningful and helpful to them. If you see your life (circus) having 4 rings, the way you approach it would be the same as 3. You know you have limited resources (can't Juggle Elephants), so you have to allocate those resources where they are most needed at any given moment (i.e. Which ring should I be focusing on right now?) You're still the ringmaster and have to take control of the acts-or the circus will be running you-regardless of the number of rings. You still need the performers in every ring to be giving their best-esp. with 4 rings because it will be even harder for you to take the lead with the acts in all the rings.

Lastly, the need for an intermission would be even more critical. When I get too busy working in 1-2 rings, I often miss looking at what acts are needed in the neglected ring. With an intermission, you can step back and review the performance, and make plans for a better "next half."

Just Improve "A Little"

A small idea as we look to improve ourselves in 2008 and beyond is to think "baby steps". We want to lose that extra 20 pounds by next week or write a novel by the end of the month. We want to improve relationships today and be perfectly organized in just 15 minutes. This can be overwhelming and not realistic.

But, something that does seem doable is to focus each day on just doing a little more, being a little better, doing one element of a big goal. A simple task can go a long way as you pace yourself for life’s marathon rather than a sprint. It might take a little longer but at least daily progress moves us closer to a great performance.

Pet Peeve Number 2 In The Office

The need for people in the office to "get their act together" when it comes to time management just got validated again based on an article on Yahoo.

A poll conducted by Harris Interactive found that the second biggest pet peeve (54% of respondents) in the office was poor time management of employees such as making personal phone calls at work or surfing the internet during work time. The top seven list was as follows:

• Gossip (60%)
• Poor time management (54%)
• Messiness in communal spaces (45%)
• Potent smells like perfume, food, smoke (42%)
• Loud noises such as speaker phones, loud talking or loud phone ring tones (41%)
• Overuse of electronic personal communications devices in meetings (28%)
• Misuse of e-mail (22%)

Who do you know in your office that needs to hear the message of Juggling Elephants?

A Nifty Time Management Tool

Ever been driving and want to make a note to yourself? How about that moment when you forgot to send an e mail to someone in the office and now all you have is your mobile phone and it doesn't do e mail? What if you wanted to communicate something to every key member in your office immediately but don't have access to e mail? Do I have the answer for you!

I found a free (yes, free) service called Jott (www.jott.com) that allows you to call an 800 number and record a message to yourself. Instantly, an e mail and/or text message is sent to you. You can also create lists of key people in your life and when you call the number, give their name, and then leave a message. The e mail and/or text message sent will have the audio attached in addition to the transcription (text) of your message.

Try it today. It's wonderful!