Time management will change as you change careers

Some time ago I read about research that was designed to answer this question:

“Who’s most likely to donate time to charity? A lawyer bllling $400 an hour; an accountant billing $100 an hour; a parking lot attendant earning $10; or a teacher earning $45000 a year?”

The answer may surprise you. It turns out that volunteering is not related to wealth or income but to a style of framing perceptions about the value of time. Once you start working hourly, or billing your time by the hour, you start to be conscious of the value of time. My own suspicion: Those who are paid hourly but in fact work consistent hours are probably less conscious of their hourly rate.

I’ve noticed this response when people shift from free lancing to take a regular job, or “J.O.B.” They’re very conscious of the way employers waste their time. For instance, one friend was putting together an online program. She was told to, “Check the links to be sure they’re okay.”

“Aren’t there computer programs to do that?” she asked. She was shocked as she considered the value of time she was being asked to contribute to this mindless task that a low-cost piece of software could accomplish more accurately.

Going the other way, new entrepreneurs often have trouble making sure they use each hour effectively. “Time is money” takes on more meaning when you aren’t drawing a fixed salary.

On the other hand, some people go the other way. They are very conscious of how they spend personal and leisure time as well as business time.

Learn more from my book on time management: http://www.midlifecareerstrategy.com/timebook.html

Have you read any of those know-it-all Time Management books, where you can revolutionize your life and end procrastination with just a few simple steps? Yeah, right.

Doesn’t work for me either.

I wrote my own Time Management Makeover Guide because I believe that we each face time challenges for different reasons. Why do you need to get organized (and maybe you don’t)? Why do you need to make the calls or read these files? When you know why you want something“ — and you really want it — often your energy and focus come naturally.

But sometimes we need a way to fit a new project into a busy schedule. In my experience, one size does not fit everyone.

What’s your time management profile? Answer these questions to find out.

1. Swiss Cheese or Chunks

Swiss Cheese people find holes in their day – “ ten minutes here, half an hour there. They concentrate easily and actually get something done while waiting for lunch.

A Swiss Cheese person says, “I will work on this project for 15 minutes a day — consistently. And eventually it will get done.”

Chunk people need a whole afternoon, maybe even a whole day, to get something done. The Chunk person says, “I will devote every Thursday afternoon to marketing.”

2. Desktop or Filing Cabinet

Desktop people like papers spread all over a desk. They tend to have visual memories so they reach into a pile and find whatever they need. They look cluttered but they are functioning efficiently.

Filing Cabinet people demand a clear desk. “A sign of an organized mind,” they say, as they slide documents neatly into folders every evening.

3. Weekly Updates or Grand Finale

Weekly Update people like systems for accountability. They enjoy calling a coach or friend to report on how much they’ve done and they will stay focused because they know they will be reporting in.

Grand Finale people often become dysfunctional when faced with demands for interim reports. They rebel and stop checking in. “Just give me a deadline,” they say. “Stop looking over my shoulder!”

So…who’s right?

Well, everybody, actually. What’s important: Understand your style. Don’t bother trying to change because you probably won’t. Some psychologists believe the brains of Desktop and Filing Cabinet people are actually wired differently.

If you’re a chunk person with a filing cabinet mind who likes weekly updates, you can keep project notes in a file folder that you explore once a week. But if you are a Swiss Cheese person with a Desktop mind and a Grand Finale motivation style, you will get everything done…at your own pace.

Or let’s say you’re a Swiss Cheese with a Desktop Mind. You can set up little piles of projects on your desk. Your “To Do” list might be a set of stickies. If you are a Weekly Updater, you can report on how you moved the piles around. Grand Finale people feel rewarded when they move a sticky from one pile to another…every day.

Most important: Don’t waste time with an accountability coach if you’re a Grand Finale type — and hire one at once if you are a Weekly Updater. Don’t berate yourself over the state of your desk if you are a Desktop person; if the Fire Marshal leaves you alone, you’re doing fine. And don’t try to master those 15-minute maneuvers if you’re a Chunker…or waste a Thursday afternoon fidgeting if you’re a Swiss Cheese.

This post is just the beginning. You can learn more when you download my 21-Day Time Management System.

What’s the greatest challenge most mid-career professionals face when changing careers?

The answer is … time management.

Here’s the reality. If you’re working 70 hours a week and you have any kind of personal life, ask yourself, “How can i change careers?” You need to be able to attend professional meetings, network and go on interviews.

For other career changers, the time is there. They just need to set priorities and create some systems to deal with overwhelm.

Did you know that time management is the number one reason people hire coaches?

I’ve put together a 21-day program so you can be your own coach. Check it out here.

Have you read any of those know-it-all Time Management books, where you can revolutionize your life and end procrastination with just a few simple steps? Yeah, right.

Doesn’t work for me either.

I wrote my own Time Management Makeover Guide because I believe that we each face time challenges for different reasons. Why do you need to get organized (and maybe you don’t)? Why do you need to make the calls or read these files? When you know why you want something“ — and you really want it — often your energy and focus come naturally.

But sometimes we need a way to fit a new project into a busy schedule. In my experience, one size does not fit everyone.

What’s your  time management profile?  Answer these questions to find out.

1. Swiss Cheese or Chunks

Swiss Cheese people find holes in their day – “ ten minutes here, half an hour there. They concentrate easily and actually get something done while waiting for lunch.

A Swiss Cheese person says, “I will work on this project for 15 minutes a day — consistently. And eventually it will get done.”

Chunk people need a whole afternoon, maybe even a whole day, to get something done. The Chunk person says, “I will devote every Thursday afternoon to marketing.”

2. Desktop or Filing Cabinet

Desktop people like papers spread all over a desk. They tend to have visual memories so they reach into a pile and find whatever they need. They look cluttered but they are functioning efficiently.

Filing Cabinet people demand a clear desk. “A sign of an organized mind,” they say, as they slide documents neatly into folders every evening.

3. Weekly Updates or Grand Finale

Weekly Update people like systems for accountability. They enjoy calling a coach or friend to report on how much they’ve done and they will stay focused because they know they will be reporting in.

Grand Finale people often become dysfunctional when faced with demands for interim reports. They rebel and stop checking in. “Just give me a deadline,” they say. “Stop looking over my shoulder!”

So…who’s right?

Well, everybody, actually. What’s important: Understand your style. Don’t bother trying to change because you probably won’t. Some psychologists believe the brains of Desktop and Filing Cabinet people are actually wired differently.

If you’re a chunk person with a filing cabinet mind who likes weekly updates, you can keep project notes in a file folder that you explore once a week. But if you are a Swiss Cheese person with a Desktop mind and a Grand Finale motivation style, you will get everything done…at your own pace.

Or let’s say you’re a Swiss Cheese with a Desktop Mind. You can set up little piles of projects on your desk. Your “To Do” list might be a set of stickies. If you are a Weekly Updater, you can report on how you moved the piles around. Grand Finale people feel rewarded when they move a sticky from one pile to another…every day.

Most important: Don’t waste time with an accountability coach if you’re a Grand Finale type — and hire one at once if you are a Weekly Updater. Don’t berate yourself over the state of your desk if you are a Desktop person; if the Fire Marshal leaves you alone, you’re doing fine. And don’t try to master those 15-minute maneuvers if you’re a Chunker…or waste a Thursday afternoon fidgeting if you’re a Swiss Cheese.

Download Your 21-Day Time Management Makeover.

FREE 5 Career Change Secrets Most Coaches Won’t Tell You. .

Mid-life career changers often feel totally overwhelmed when they contemplate all the things they have to do. In fact, the reason most career change fizzles is related to lack of time. If you’re working 40 to 50 hours a week, how will you squeeze in your search for a new career? And where do you start?

– Career change time doesn’t work the same as career success time.

When you have a job in a corporation, you often realize you need to focus. Your mission is to “get the job done.” But when you want to find a new career, openness is more important than focus. A distraction may turn out to hold the key to your next life.

Serendipity used to be considered woo-woo and even a little silly. But browse through serious academic journals of career research and you will find a surprising number of people find a new career by accident, not through a step-by-step careful process.

For some reason, though, working through a step-by- step process can trigger a serendipitous experience. You consider a career that combines your love of math and mechanics with your fascination with medical miracles. One day you meet someone who enrolled in a degree program for biomechanical engineering and you have an “aha” moment you could never have achieved by deliberate planning.

– Think of juggling several balls in the air, not pitching one of them at a time.

When you’re just getting started on a search for your next career, you need to explore multiple options simultaneously, not sequentially. For instance, you might be considering a return to school for an advanced degree, a temporary job to pay the bills while you start a business and a new role in your current company.

When you focus on just one option, you may need weeks or even months to sort out the possibilities. Any of these options could turn into a dead end. If you just focus on one thing at a time, you’ve lost weeks and months with little to show for your efforts.

– Make career planning your number one priority.

Recognize that you may have to give up some recreational activities and personal time. Remove nay-saying friends from your life. Get the family on board even if you have to hire a counselor or relationship coach.

Mid-Life Career Strategy can be especially challenging because the rules keep changing as you move in new directions. Now you can download a FREE gift, “3 Secrets of Successful Midlife Career Change,” at Mid-Life Career Choice. For a proven time management system visit Time Management For Careers. From Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., an author, speaker and career consultant who specializes in helping mid-life mid-career professionals and executives navigate career journeys.

Many mid-career executives and professionals are miserable in their jobs and frustrated with their careers. They wake up each day, dreading to go to work. They swear they’re ready to make a change. They buy a ton of self-help books. And nothing happens. Here’s why.

Mistake #1: Feeling desperate (and hopeless at the same time). You think, “Well, I’m so comfortable… Then you realize, “I’ve been here three years. I can’t wait another day. I’ve got to get out of here. Clients sometimes say things like, “I don’t care if I get fired,” or, “Maybe I’ll go bankrupt. So what?” What they mean is, “The situation is scary. I’ve waited so long…and it seems hopeless.

The truth is: waiting too long for a change can damage your career. When you are really unhappy, you can sabotage your own success, often unconsciously setting yourself up to be fired. But when I begin to talk with these clients, we almost always uncover realistic, hopeful opportunities. The answer is to get into purposeful, guided action. Once you start moving, the panic goes away. Just plan your trajectory so you aren’t spinning wheels.

Mistake #2: Feeling overwhelmed. When you think about career change, there’s so much to do. Networking. Phone calls. Interviews. Research. Career search is rarely linear. It’s messy and zig-zag. Think “playground basketball” instead of “pro football.”

The good news is: once you take the first action, it’s like pulling on a thread to release a knot. First one part unravels…and then the next. And you see daylight just when you are ready to give up.

I’ve written my own prescription for action:  21-Day Extreme Career Makeover.

Three time management tips. You may have heard them before but they’re still solid.

Do the most important thing first.

What is the most imiportant thing on your calendar? What will help you make fastest progress toward your number one goal? Work on this action item for one hour first thing – even before you read your email.  Not only will you be productive and get something started: it’s always easier to return to a task in progress than to start from scratch.

Manage your email.

You’ve probably been advised to read email just once or twice a day. But I recommend using filters to block email that you don’t want to cancel (such as required notifications from article directories or people whose feelings are sensitive). I also set up separate accounts to get Twitter notices so I don’t get distracted in my “main” account.

Guard your productive hours.

“Mornings are golden,” a productive friend says. “I don’t talk to friends or return calls when I’m in productive mode.”

Learn more about time management here.

We see many articles about jump-starting your own job search but this articles targets friends of job seekers. The author herself went through a painful job search. Now happily employed, she’s put together these very helpful tips. Just buying someone a hot chocolate or giving thm a ride can make a huge difference, she says. And definitely take a jobless friend to lunch.

Other tips include getting connected on LinkedIn, drafting a vision of your ideal job (even if this exercise seems hokey) and putting together a job search kit.

This article comes from the New York Times. You may need to register toread it, but the Times is very respectful of your info.  Go here to read the article.

Today I would like to recommend  excellent book by Peter Frost, a distinguished professor and consultant based in Vancouver, BC: Toxic Emotions at Work.

Frost begins with his own moment of awakening. Diagnosed with cancer after a stressful administrative job, he began to wonder if workplaces could really make people sick.

Frost interviewed dozens of managers and employees. Using a medical metaphor, he identifies “toxins” spread by vindictive bosses, disruptive working conditions, and budget cuts. He also describes “toxin handlers,” people who accept responsibility for helping and healing others who have been harmed. Toxin handlers often put themselves at risk because, in a spirit of self-sacrifice, they neglect to care for themselves.

I encourage you to look up the book, especially if you are a manager. However, it is important to understand that Frost tells only half the story: how manager can help workers.

Why wait to be rescued?  We can learn techniques to heal ourselves. As Frost says, most managers are not trained to be supportive. Often organizations need to prioritize technical and admin skills when hiring managers. Anyway, some managers will never be effective healers, regardless of training or motivation.

Ultimately, we need to learn to recognize and manage our own pain — and I think most people are better off taking charge of their own lives. Hire your own resource — coach, counselor, consultant. Stay healthy and learn to put on your own shield and armor to protect yourself from a toxic workplace.

And if you like this post, you will really like my ebook: Ten Things to Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job .

Often the biggest career change happens when you are not focusing on your career: you pay attention to the rest of your life. So with a career in the doldrums, here are some things you can do to explode yourself into a new life. I’ll blog more about each of these in the days and weeks to come.

You don’t have to take these steps in order. If you don’t feel ready for one step, just hold the thought and try another.

Here’s the first. Kill the television for 30 days.

Ouch. You have to be ready for this one.

I tend to be up and down about television. I count myself lucky: I grew up in a home without television. My college dorm had one set for several hundred students. So television didn’t enter my life till I took a job with lots of travel and a TV set in every room. Sometime around the mid-70s the color TV became standard.

So I have an off-again, on-again relationship with television. I’ll go a few years without no television, then get cable and watch for awhile.

For the past 3 years, I’ve enjoyed cable with ESPN capability and a DVR from Comcast. I first splurged to watch the Sopranos, then got rid of HBO. They gave me a deal when I threatened to cancel awhile back. But this summer, I realized I was paying about $70 a month to watch shows I could borrow from Netflix (or the public library).

And most days I’m not watching at all…just watching the recorded shows pile up.

So I pulled the plug. At first I noticed the silence. And suddenly I was reading all kinds of books. And I noticed that even a good murder mystery left me feeling more energized and motivated than watching television.

I miss C-Span and PBS. I loved Carrier. But they tell me podcasts are available and Carrier can be purchased as a DVD set.

Mostly, I noticed there’s a new energy in my home. Somehow there’s more space as well as time. I feel freer, more empowered and more productive.

So without changing anything in my career or business, I’m different…and my work feels different, too.

And I’d like to invite you to get started on your own career change, even if you’re not ready for this step. Check out my 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover.