Practical Applications and Working Smarter, Not Harder

1
Practical Applications and Working Smarter, Not
Harder

• Making the Most of This Job and Maintaining the
  Reality of the Rest of Your Life

2
I dont know the key to success, but the key to
failure is trying to please everyone.

• Just say no
• Set priorities
• Learn to delegate

3
What makes life hectic?

• Work?
• Family?
• Fun?
• Expectations from others? (Are they real or
  imagined?)

4
Busyness vs. Productivity

• Busyness has you moving, all the time, without
  stopping. You go from one activity to the next
  without taking time to think about what youre
  doing.
• Productivity is deliberate, proactive and
  conscientious. Your movements are well thought
  out and each one brings you closer to one of your
  goals.

5
Whats the Point?

• Being busy is a disservice to your family, your
  colleagues, your friends and most importantly
  YOU! When youre busy, no one and nothing gets
  your undivided attention. Those who matter
  receive only a part of you and sometimes you feel
  as though you are failing at everything.

6
So What?

• Stop being busy and start being productive.
  Spend your efforts in activities that will help
  you realize your dreams and goals. Think about
  what it is youre agreeing to before you do it.
  Do the things that matter and just say no to the
  rest!

7
How do you know whats important?
8
Ways to make your life manageable

• Use your calendar
• Look at how your time is used
• Plan your phone calls
• Define your meetings and agendas
• Deal with your email
• Handle your mail once
• Identify your prime work time

9
Stop the Madness! Maintain a Healthy Life Work
Perspective

• Managing Time and Energy
• Improving Your External Environment
• Improving Your Internal Environment
• Improving Your Physical Condition

10
Managing Time Energy

• Prioritize projects and their value
• Listen to your body feelings for signs of
  stress
• Be aware of high stress habits
• Schedule time for recreation fun
• Enjoy the moment enjoy where you are
• Combine tasks when possible
• Purchase services when possible

11
Improve your External Environment

• Get enough rest sleep
• Improve the way you relate to others
• Build a support system develop friendships
• Enjoy what you do do what you enjoy
• Procrastinate constructively

12
Improve Your Internal Environment

• Learn to take it easy
• Set aside quiet time
• Talk out your worries with others
• Set your goals on inner peace learn to accept
  what you cannot change
• Keep a sense of humor
• Focus on Communication

13
Improving Your Physical Condition

• Do regular exercise
• Develop a healthy eating habit
• Initiate relaxation exercises to restore energy
• Take a walk after work

14
How Do You Face the Day?

• Your thoughts manifest action
• You wouldnt eat garbage out of the dumpster, so
  why would you fill your mind with it?
• The average adult has 60,000 thoughts a day 90
  of them are from the day before
• All the water in this world cant sink a ship,
  unless it gets water inside it.

15

• Life is for LIVING, LOVING, LAUGHING not for
  whining, worrying or working
• If you dont feel good about yourself, others
  dont feel good about you either.

16
Scenario 1

• Youve been on the job for 10 months and feel
  like youve been on the run constantly. While
  visiting with a parent, you mentioned how glad
  you were to have the coming weekend free for the
  first time in 3 months. She responded, Youre
  single and have no one to claim all your time,
  what could you possibly have been doing all those
  weekends?

17
Scenario 2

• As you are leaving a community music festival on
  a Saturday evening, a 4-H dad approaches you and
  asks the time of the meeting on Thursday evening
  and would you please send him a Farm Account
  Book. Also, would you mind taking some 4-H
  records with you to the office, he has them in
  his car.

18
Scenario 3

• As is typical in Extension, your calendar leaves
  you with little time to breathe. Youve written
  in personal events to make sure you get to them
  as well. At a committee meeting, the group is
  struggling for a common date for the next
  meeting. Youve got a birthday party scheduled
  for your second mom but everyone else can meet
  and applies pressure for you to be there. What
  do you do?

19
Scenario 4

• Its Day Three of County Fair and a fair visitor
  approaches you and says that they just saw sheep
  out of their pens and no one was around. The
  gates on the end of the barn appeared to be
  closed, but it was about five sheep that were
  running around the barn. You were just on your
  way to the Foodstand after a distress call from
  the manager and you needed to stop by the beef
  show to see how things are going. What should
  you do?

20
Scenario 5

• Your child gets sick at day care and you need to
  take her home. You have 4-H Committee meetings
  scheduled for that evening. There isnt anyone
  else available to stay home with your child
  tonight. What should you do?

21
Scenario 6

• You need to contact 4-Hers with last minute
  details about the County Fair. A couple of the
  parents of these 4-Hers are very talkative and
  you know if you get on the phone with them, a
  half hour phone conversation is ahead of you.

22
Scenario 7

• The horse leader just happened to be in the
  Courthouse to pay his taxes and thought he would
  stop by to tell you what is going on in his 4-H
  club. Its the day before a big event at the
  school that you are coordinating.

23
Scenario 8

• Where do you draw the line? You havent had
  supper with your family in three days and your
  child thinks her mother is the child care
  provider. The weather has been so bad, youve
  had to cancel three meetings this month. Your
  desk at the office is piled high with paper and
  messages. The APL called and asked you to serve
  on a committee.