Multi-tasking

How I Spend My Day

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

Cloud SmileysRealizing that I have two ways I can spend my day, I decided to pay attention to the result of each. How did I feel? What was my mood? What did I accomplish? What did I gain?

One day goes something like this. I get up early. Jump out of bed and begin my morning routine, get dressed without much thought, have my usual bowl of cereal while reading only the headlines on my iPad then I have a cup of coffee as I walk to my home office. I check my email and spend a lot of time responding to what I find there. Organizing my desk and taking care of the obvious To Dos on the top of my desk takes a bit of time as well.

Now I think about the most pressing, urgent, etc. issues. By the way, something being urgent or pressing does not mean that it was important. Typically it is urgent and important to someone else or something I must get done by the due date.

By now, my head is swimming with information from everything I already placed a moment of my attention. I look at my very long to do list that adds more thoughts to my mind. Then other things come to mind. I start doing things I don’t mind doing one after another.

The phone rings and my attention shifts again to that request and so my day goes. I am very busy, doing a lot of work, feeling tired, growing less and less focused. At the end of this day, I can say I was busy, did a lot and accomplished nothing!  I can say that I do not feel good about the results of my day.

Another Kind of Day

Another way that I spend my day, I wake up and lay in bed for a moment to gain my focus and perspective. How am I doing? What must I do today? What would I like to do?  What would help me to take a step to accomplish my vision of success? How would I like to feel today? With that intention, I get up and make sure that I am approaching each step mindfully. My cereal, headlines and coffee are still in the routine but I am more conscious about each step.

Look around my home, I put things away, clean up so that my living space is clear. Now is my time to meditate in a quiet, comfortable space. When I feel calm in my body, have cleared my thinking from the day before and set my space to enthusiasm then I am ready to create my plan for the day. I meditate on my vision and my goals. Where am I now and what can I do today that will have the greatest impact on achieving them? What am I resisting? What steps am I not taking? Who is on my side and can I engage in helping with my goals? With this clarity and feeling grounded I move into my office.

Clearing and organizing my workspace does not take much of my time. I do a quick and cursory scan of my emails, addressing only those that support my goals for this day. The others I will look at later. Now is the time to take on what I call high value tasks and make some magic. I know from experience that focusing on a single high value task to completion moves the dial that much closer to the result I want to achieve. The challenge is not to avoid the task just because it is difficult, pushes my limits or makes me feel uncertain. I take a deep breath, ground, center, focus and begin. It is amazing to me how a very difficult task taken one step at a time unfolds, opens up so that I can see the next step, then the next. None of the steps is as daunting as I expect.

At the end of this day, I am smiling, inspired, assured and energized. I can see the distance I have come. Now I am ready to close the door for the day. Collect up my energy from the days work.  It is time to play.

The first day I described I am justing going through a routine with barely a second thought, doing a lot and accomplishing nothing. The second day describes my way to taking ownership of what I intend to create and making it happen.

If you have ways that you spend your day that support, your vision of success, please share your thoughts.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Help Me Focus

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

0012photonicaMaking sure that we get an important project done can be a challenge. A group of business owners were seeking peer support for issues that challenge us. Christie’s concern is quite common. When she has a project, she finds it difficult to create a time to get it done.

The group offered several great suggestions including creating a workspace conducive to working on the project; start your day working on the project; break it down into smaller projects, etc.

As I watched and listened to Christie intuitively I saw that she is easily distracted, reacts to anything and everything that comes her way.   Her energy and her focus are constantly changing in response to whoever or whatever grabs her attention.   Her attention and her energy changes each time she changes her focus. What I saw is this affected more than this project. It affected all of her efforts to complete something that required focus.

When we want to create something new that requires some planning, thoughtfulness and mindfulness then distractions sabotage that effort. Our ability to create a space of quiet and to harness our attention and energy in one way is critical to completing something new, something we have not done before. An intuitive description would be to create an energy “bubble” around our workspace, not move out of that bubble and not let anything to distract you.

My suggestion to Christie was to start her day meditating because I saw that she had so much going on in her space that it was hard to be grounded and focused. Christie is a healer, an empathic and a problem solver so if anyone places their attention on her needing something she was immediately distracted. By starting her day with meditation, she could clear her space, let go of everyone else’s needs, be clear about what she wanted to do that day and visualize how that would go. In this way, she could start her day with a clear space and the ability to focus on what was most important to her.

I wrote recently about multi-tasking. That is very different from being distracted and responding to everything and everyone who grabs our attention. The ability to focus is the single most important ability to success. Learning to meditate helps a great deal to be grounded, center, own your space (bubble) and to be clear in present time.

If you find you have trouble getting to something or completing a project start you day with meditation and see how that changes things for you.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation

Multi-tasking done right

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

multitaskingRecent have said multitasking is bad, and I rejoiced. Researchers said  that multi-taskers were less successful. This was shocking. I was raised to be a multi-tasker. Wasn’t multi-tasking was a virtue? Everyone valued someone who could get a lot done.  Right?  I was a lifelong multi-tasker and saw this as my chance to stop working so hard. After years of working fast, completing multiple projects at one time, this was my way of saying that I needed to make things simpler. I could relax. What I found was quite the opposite. I was not relaxed. I was not as productive nor did I feel as accomplished so I decided to learn more about this phenomenon called multi-tasking.

To begin, I observed myself multi-tasking and not multi-tasking and the results, accomplishments and how much I enjoyed what I was doing. I observed others in the same way. As a coach and consultant I had lots of opportunities to observe others. As a result I was to ask the researchers two questions. Did you measure the difference between men and women? Did you assess the value to the tasks they were doing?

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Recognize Your Success

In my observation and my experience, women are natural multi-taskers and men are not. Women have by our nature and physiology a higher energy level. Women have a higher energy level in our bodies to create life. We are wired at a high energy level, so multi-tasking is natural, can creative and rewarding when done correctly. Men, on the other hand, do better when singularly focused. This is not less of an ability just different, and the world is better for these two different ways of being. Multi-taskers and persons who are singularly focused are both needed for success.

Multi-tasking of itself does not create success, so I agree with the studies in this regard. Focused multi-tasking does work. Whether you are a multitasker or a single focus person, your success depends on what you spend your time doing. Just being busy doing whatever presents itself is of no value and has no long-term result. On the other hand, when multi-taskers or single focused persons chose high value tasks they create success. High value tasks are those that will make a difference in your efforts to achieve success versus other tasks that are just busy work or someone else’s need.

So men feel free to be singularly focused on high value tasks if that feels right to you. Women, I say go ahead and multi-task focused on high value tasks if that feels right for you as well.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. For me, I have returned to multi-tasking, and I am much happier, getting more done and finding greater success.

Best wishes, Kay

Take the Time to Make Time

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment
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There is no topic less interesting than time management and yet I was recently part of a discussion on this.  Most of us hate the idea of time management and others seem to manage their time with no effort.  What if I said there is no such thing as time?  That time is simply a construct we create to organize our thinking.  There is science behind this concept but that is not the point of this blog.

Choices

On a practical level one person in the conversation did not understand why people have a problem with time management.  To him it is just about making the right choices each day.  For him it is simple.  For others they just know they do not have enough time.  Still others have the time but time flies without accomplishing what they intended.  I am sure there are other scenarios as well.

Intuitive Perspective

From an intuitive perspective each of us are programmed in our concepts about time.  Our thoughts are often unconscious and so they become a habit.  We react in the same way in relationship to time, each and every time.  During the discussion the organizer polled us on various questions related to time management.  Everyone answered and they summarized the poll.  Intuitively I saw that we would answer those questions the same no matter when we were asked, last week, last year, next year, etc.  We are each programmed to think and react to time in a particular way.

Claire

Working with my client, Claire, I saw she was overwhelmed with the idea of no time or not having enough time.  Granted it is a busy season for her but I noticed that her body was tense.  Her energy was tight.  She seemed stressed.  She was not behind in her plans for the day because it was early morning and it had not started.  I asked her about her schedule for the day.  It was grounded and clear.  She had a well thought out plan for her day.  I asked about her priorities and what she needed to get done.  Claire was clear and knew exactly and in what order she needed to do certain tasks.  So why the tension?  This question caught her off guard.  She was not aware of how stressed she felt then realized that when she thinks about her schedule and her work she reacts in this way in her body.  It is automatic and without thought.

This is true for most of us.  When we consider time management, prioritizing our work, creating a schedule and a plan to get things done we have an automatic and unconscious way of being.  What is that for you?  Is it the way that you want to be? Is it causing you not to achieve your goals or in the way you desire?

Multi-Tasking Distorts Time

I admit I am one of those people who can get tense if I am not paying attention.  As a teenager and young adult I was taught that multi-tasking was a sign of being very capable so I learned to do many things at once, to have my attention divided.  That way of being is very stressful on the body because it requires that you are never present with one thing.

A New Approach

Later I learned that being this way I was busy but not accomplishing my goals so I changed my approach.  Now I focus intently on the most important task first to its completion then on to the next.  This is a very effective approach for me.   I also noticed that though my actions changed my thinking about time and how I felt in my body did not.  I still felt like I was multi-tasking and not having enough time.  I needed to change this as well.

Real Change

Meditation is a great tool for creating change.  I knew my thoughts and reactions were unconscious, automatic ways of being.  In meditation each morning I take the time to stop, get quiet and go within.  From there I notice my thinking and change it.  I become aware of how I am holding energy in my body and relax, release until the tension is gone.  Next I decide how I want to be and feel in my body, in my work and in my life this day.  The idea of present time (this day) is powerful.  How do I want to feel and be right now then feeling that way in my body and changing my thinking to support how I want to be?  Some days it is easier to do than others but I stay quiet until I can make these changes because if I do not then nothing changes.

Next Step

What is your relationship to time and time management?  What do you want to change?  Changing our time management skills happens on several levels so just deciding to change is not enough.  Real change happens in body, mind and spirit.   So create a time management plan to change your thinking (mind) about time then take the time to meditate to create change in body and spirit.  Making these changes in some miraculous way creates time.  This is not logical but it is very intuitive.  So take the time to make time.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Stop the DO to Be Successful

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

multitaskingWe have to get out of the DO before we lose everything!  Does that resonate with you?

My focus is your success so I am always watching and observing what we do that supports our success and what we do that gets in the way.  In this blog we are going to look at how being busy, doing lots of things, multi-tasking and focusing on details can get in our way.

I am a details person so I am not suggesting that paying attention to details is a problem but what is a problem is paying more attention to details than the big picture.

Success is a vision of something big we want to have, be or do.  It is the big picture of what we are creating, our blue print of sorts.  When we have a clear vision and can see it clearly in our mind’s eye it is manifesting.  Too often we lose sight of our vision and get lost in the details.  I love the term “loose sight” because that is exactly what happens.

When we lose sight our success begins to diminish and we wonder what happened.  Just as easily we can place our attention back on the vision and make that focus of our attention.  So rather focusing on sorting widgets and doing a really good job at it we can refocus on the big picture pulling our energy out of DOING things.

Being busy and working hard do not equal success.  I know lots of people who are busy everyday and work really hard but are not achieving their vision of success.  For the most part this happens when they confuse a good idea with a clear vision.  A good idea is a thought we have about what we want our success to be.  A vision of success is our ability to see that idea manifesting clearly in our mind’s eye.  We can imagine it happening and can “see” it happening.

When we get lost in doing things and being busy we lose sight of our vision, it is diminished.  We find that we are just busy, working hard and getting things done.  None of this will create success of itself.

The next step is to take time each day to meditate and see clearly in your mind’s eye your vision of success.  Don’t think about it.  See it.  Imagine it.  Only then will the actions your take manifest your vision.

When we can see our vision happening then it is.  If we do not see our vision clearly it is not manifesting so working harder won’t make a difference.  Spend time meditating, clearing your thinking until you can see your vision of success.  When you see it then all the hard work you are doing and all the details will pay off.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Multi-Tasking or Being Successful!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

multitaskingAs an intuitive I pay attention to how we use our energy and if we are achieving our goals.  Those who are most successful are those who have the greatest ability to focus.

For many being BUSY and multi-tasking gives a great sense of satisfaction.  This does not, however, translate into success.  A study just came out of Stanford University on multi-taskers. “When they’re in situations where there are multiple sources of information coming from the external world or emerging out of memory, they’re not able to filter out what’s not relevant to their current goal,” said Wagner, an associate professor of psychology. “That failure to filter means they’re slowed down by that irrelevant information.”

To be successful our energy must be focused and directed to the specific actions designed to achieve our goals.  Knowing are vision of success and creating a plan to get there are the first two steps.  Now we have to ground our energy so that we can focus on our plan and not be distracted.

Sometimes we are just distracted by whatever grabs our attention or is on our mind.  Others may grab our attention to become involved in something of their choosing.  In any case, we are quickly off focus or multi-tasking.

When you focus 100% of your energy and attention on the vision of your success it will manifest.  On the other hand if you have a vision of success then you focus your energy not only on your vision but many other things then your vision has less energy to manifest.  Multi-tasking disperses your energy such that your efforts are scattered.   You may experience your successes being scattered.

Try this intuitive exercise to ground your energy and focus before you find yourself involved in multi-tasking or doing tasks that are not essential to achieving your goals.

At the beginning of each day take the time to meditate.

Close your eyes.  Take a deep breath and ground yourself.  Bring your attention into the center of your head.

See in your mind’s eye.  Don’t think.  See your vision of success.   See the steps you can take today to manifest this vision.

Stay in meditation until you have a clear vision for the day and you feel grounded in this plan.

Notice when you start to multi-task and refocus on steps to achieve your goals.

Multi-tasking is in your way!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

multitaskingResearchers at Stanford University published a study showing that the most persistent multi-taskers perform badly in a variety of tasks.  As an intuitive I agree with the results of this study and see this from a different perspective.  I have observed the importance of focus in achieving success and multitasking gets in the way of that because it scatters our energy and attention.

To those of us who have always been proud multi-taskers this a big blow!

Effect of Multi-Tasking

When we focus on our goals and the essential steps to get there we find success.  When our attention is divided, as in the case of multitasking, two things happen:

* Our energy is divided so no one goal has enough energy to manifest fully

* The vision of our success is diminished because we have other things in our mind’s eye as well

Importance of Focus

As a business intuitive I have also observed the effect of multitasking on the ability to create success. When we focus on our goals, our business plan, are not distracted and our attention is on this vision then our life force energy is not divided in multiple directions.  With focus we create success.

In the end we want to see our vision of success clearly, know the steps to get there then focus on our vision and take these steps.  The more focused we are the more successful we become.

Being grounded and centered in ourselves helps us to limit the urge to multi-task.  Try this intuitive exercise every time you feel the need or find yourself multitasking rather than focusing on your goals.

Intuitive Exercise

Find a place to sit.  Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and release.  Repeat the breathing until you feel yourself begin to relax.  Bring your attention and awareness onto yourself.  Begin to imagine the most important goal you are trying to achieve right now.  See it or imagine it.

Imagine bringing your energy and awareness off anything and everything that is grabbing your attention.   Focus on your goal.

See the steps to achieve this goal.  Take a deep breath and release.  Decide the step you want to focus on right now.  Open your eyes.  Take a deep breath.  Now focus that step.

Best,

Kay

There are specific techniques for grounding and being centered.  Contact me if you are interested in learning more about meditation.