Planning for the New Year

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

For most of us, this has been an incredibly long year. I remember my optimism in January for kicking off “2020: the Year of Vision and Clarity.” Then we were blindsided by COVID-19. While 2021 will be a fresh start for our goals, we’ll need to consider the next several months while continuing to stay safe at home and imagine a transition to the “New New Normal” post-pandemic.

My 2020 personified what many will remember as the “Year of the Pivot” and “Year of the Zoom Call.” By March, I was halfway to my goal of giving four workshops for the year. Which was actually a stretch goal for me. In April, my in-person professional development training for a medical device company was cancelled. It took me three months to pivot to online webinars. Without a nudge from the Impact Hub MSP, it could have been much longer. In September, I gave my first workshop for Twin Cities Startup Week. The following month, I started facilitating the 6-week series of Productivity Through Presence workshops. Transitioning to online formats allowed me to do more events and reach more people. That said, there were several other goals that became unattainable and had to be scrapped during the pandemic.

Prior to COVID, the top reasons why so many people failed to achieve their New Year’s resolutions were:
1) they didn’t have a clear plan of action
2) they didn’t assess their progress

When a colleague introduced me to a unique process more than a decade ago, it intuitively made sense to me. Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art of Non-Conformity, addresses these challenges in his Annual Review. While it sounds like a retrospective of what you’ve accomplished this year, this resource facilitates planning for success with clear and actionable steps.

Guillebeau, along with a high percentage of entrepreneurs, is a Rebel. He is also a perfect example that Rebels can do whatever they put their minds to. To learn more about leveraging the Four Tendencies framework for goal-setting you can watch the Owning Your Success workshop.

A summary of the steps to complete your Annual Review:
1) Make a list of what went well and what did not go well
2) Choose categories to focus your plans on such as Business, Friends/Family, Health and Service
3) Identify “Actions Required for Each Goal”
4) Plan for monthly and quarterly assessments of your progress and add them to your calendar
5) Optional: Choose a theme for year
7) Optional: Metrics you want to track such as Income, Charitable Giving, Number of Books Read, etc.

For a spreadsheet and more details on how to make use of this exercise, read Guillebeau’s original post.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it is! I am setting aside a few blocks of time to complete this process in December. This is an investment of time that will provide great returns by clarifying your goals in order to more successfully meet your personal and professional objectives. Having an accountability partner can help. Reach out to someone in your inner circle and invite them to complete their own Annual Review.

Cheers to a New Year! If you’d like support in completing your first Annual Review, message me on LinkedIn or schedule a complimentary Strategy Session.

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

 

 

A Quiet Thanksgiving

Posted by Tamara on with 2 Comments

Knowing that we wouldn’t be celebrating with extended family, we planned to take the Thanksgiving weekend to drive south. While we are working and learning remotely, why not take a break from the Minnesota winter and go someplace warmer? When the CDC warned against travel, we knew we had to cancel our plans. Even though the intention is not to visit family, it didn’t seem right to drive through half a dozen states as if the COVID rules didn’t apply to us. After all, our travel was not essential.

I wasn’t up to the task of cooking a turkey for the three of us. Fortunately, my partner saw a social media post that a local restaurant was making individual Thanksgiving meals with all the fixings. I had never eaten at this 24-hour Diner, but the line outside told me it was a popular place. It seems like life has slowed down in so many ways during COVID and waiting on long lines is just one example. Growing our patience can be seen as another way we are building character during the pandemic,

Dinner was delicious and clean up was as simple as putting the compostable takeout containers at the back door. After eating, we played some card games, had a Zoom call with the local extended family members that we usually celebrate with, and watched the movie “Home Alone.”

Being home for the holidays means not just that we HAVE to slow down but that we GET to slow down. After canceling our hotel stays, I felt somewhat relieved that we wouldn’t be spending 8-12 hours each day driving the next leg of our trip. There’s finally time to organize the basement and take a load of clothes to be donated. I can’t follow the usual rule of “if you didn’t wear it in the last year, you don’t need it.” There are several items that I wished I had worn but never had the occasion while staying safe at home. I’ll need to queue up a good audiobook as I’ve heard the donation lines at Goodwill are also quite long.

The season of Thanksgiving also reminds us to be grateful for what we have. In my case, good health, a comfortable home, and my family so I’m not “Home Alone.” While we definitely drive each other crazy being in close quarters practically 24/7, I remind myself of their endearing qualities. My partner is generous to laugh at my jokes that only merit a groan. He’s also taken it upon himself to insulate the windows and doors and improve our home security. My 13-year-old daughter is spending a lot of time connecting virtually with her friends on video games, something she never did pre-pandemic. She has decided that she wants an archery set for Christmas and is determined to practice in the backyard through the cold weather. At this point, we would consider practically any alternative to screen time.

Like many teenagers, my daughter can go from sunshine to surly in an instant. Fortunately, she tends to have a naturally happy disposition. I’d like to think some of my attempts at humor are helping her hone her own comedic skills. She’s been doing virtual learning since March but last week we drove past her school on an errand. “Remember when you used to be here every day?” She quipped, “Oh, Mom, school is so last year!” Turns out this was an original thought, not a meme or a TikTok video. I couldn’t be prouder.

Tamara Torres is passionate about helping busy professionals align their values with their schedules to have the time and energy for what matters most. Her background in psychology and integrative medicine, along with 10,000+ coaching sessions and 20 years of mindfulness meditation has honed her unique skill set to help her clients create purposeful productivity and meaningful time. Her personal values include Connection, Wellbeing, Inclusion, Growth, and Autonomy.

Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash

 

Get Your Tech in Check

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

Technology is a great servant but a poor master. Here are three quick tips to get your tech in check and create some focused time for productivity. I encourage you to implement at least one of these tips, every day this week.

#1 Put your computer and phone on do not disturb. Ideally put your phone out of reach and out of view. Research shows that just having your phone in sight can be distracting.

#2 Set a timer for 45-55 minutes and do not check email or social media or anything not 100% related to the task at hand. On your mark, get set, go! When time is up, take at 5-10 minute break. You earned it!

#3 Set an out-of-office responder at the end of your workday. Let people know you are offline and will not be checking email until the following morning Then, follow-through! If you respond to emails in the evening you’ll continue to receive emails in the evening. This is an important part of boundary-setting, respect the boundaries you set for yourself and others will learn to respect those boundaries as well. Boundary setting is a must when growing our business and trying to maintain work-life balance!

Photo Credit: Christina@wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

A Simple Strategy To Jazz Up Your Team Meeting

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

How often have you been exhausted by back-to-back meetings with little to show for it at the end of the day? There is lots of data to support that meetings waste valuable time and money.

Optimal meetings facilitate the synergy of participation, further the objectives of the team, and leave participants with actionable next steps. So how can we have more effective meetings? The key is to have clearly defined roles.

‍Pre-Meeting

Share the agenda with the participants at least one business day in advance of the meeting. Every agenda should include:

1) Specific purpose and objectives

2) Time allotment for each meeting topic

3) Identify meeting roles

Invite only the individuals that absolutely need to attend. There may be others that don’t need to attend but can be kept in the loop by receiving the meeting minutes.

Primary meeting roles:

1) Facilitator: creates and shares the agenda and moderates the meeting. Traditionally, this role has determined the success of the meeting. But this doesn’t have to be the case if everyone else understands how to contribute.

2) Recorder: takes notes.

3) Timekeeper: ensures the meeting is progressing as planned.

4) Contributor: can be everyone else but ideally, each of these individuals is clear about their responsibility. Contributions can be made by sharing research, updates, perspectives or brainstorming ideas as determined in advance by the meeting agenda.

Additional meeting roles may include:

5) Decision-Maker: responsible for confirming and stating the decision or clarifying the next action and the Directly Responsible Individual so it can be documented before the meeting ends. This may also be covered by the recorder in smaller meetings.

6) Agitator/Inciter: asks the questions that others may be afraid to ask. Giving a title to this role creates some psychological safety and encourages the participant to step up and fulfill the responsibility stating “since I’m the agitator, I think we should consider XYZ.”

7) Observer: may be less active during the meeting but their superpower is to step back and provide some perspective on process improvement. Was the meeting too long, did one person dominate the discussion or were all voices heard?

During the meeting

We’ve seen that stats, and have experienced firsthand, attention spans are short. When we don’t have a clear sense of our role, it’s easy to go into a passive mode and mentally check-out. It seems like the other attendees have it covered, and you may ask yourself, “Why am I even here?”

It’s not unusual to find ourselves multitasking during a meeting. We can minimize distractions as easily as we can minimize our windows, but having clear roles and responsibilities helps us to avoid the temptation of checking our email, texts, or social media. Every attendee should view themselves as a key participant and with valuable contributions to make.

The best teams take turns filling each meeting role. This means that each individual contributes to and is accountable for the success of the meeting. In addition, rotating roles allows participants to practice developing new skills and share diverse perspectives.  It’s a low-risk way to practice new skills.  Let’s use a weekly team meeting as an example.  Many of us could use a little more jazz in our weekly meetings.  What happens if we switch up who has the roles in our weekly team meeting?

Think about it- if you aren’t normally the person taking meeting notes, you might kick back and relax.  But if today you are responsible for the notes, you will be paying very close attention to the conversation. This is a great way to change it up for your brain.

If you are not normally the time-keeper, you might let conversations extend too long and have the meeting run over its allotted time. If your role is to make sure the topics are covered while ending on time, you’ll start watching for this.

If you are a more junior team member, you might not often get a chance to moderate or facilitate meetings.  If the roles on say your weekly team meeting rotate, this is an easy way for you to start practicing that skill. You can learn and see where and how conversations might go off track and practice navigating to get them on track.

Clearly defining roles is one of the most effective ways to execute meetings. These meetings also conserve valuable time, energy, and resources. Optimal meetings facilitate putting ideas into action and leave participants and teams confident there was time well-spent.

This article was originally published on BellaScena’s Blog.

Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash

The Evolution of Productivity

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

The workshop “Productivity with Heart: Aligning Your Values with Your Schedule” has been one of my foundations for teaching time-management. This is the perfect starting point for entrepreneurs and busy professionals who want to create more time. I’m looking forward to sharing this event as part of Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW).

As the world changes and priorities are shifting, some people have more time than ever. What’s lacking is presence. It can seem almost impossible to focus on work while you are trying to help your kids through virtual school. Or maybe you are working more because your home office makes it hard to create boundaries between work and home life.

After 20 years of meditation practice, I’ve seen the benefits of improved clarity to focus my time and presence to connect with myself and my loved ones. Now I’m sharing what I’ve learned and helping others bring more mindfulness to their personal and professional lives.

I’m excited about these upcoming collaborations with Luis Moreno and Sylwia Borowy:

Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness for Personal and Professional Relationships

And the first TCSW event in Spanish:

Cómo aprovechar la Inteligencia Emocional y la Atención Plena para Tener Relaciones Profesionales y Personales Más Efectivas

Another event that will be a fun way to bounce back this year with some positivity, is the Collaboration Coaching Group’s 2020 Reset!

I know you will love the insights and perspectives that Susan Kavanaugh shares when we discuss mindfulness and conscious communication on 9/22.

I can’t wait to connect with each of you at these upcoming events. And, stay tuned for details on my mindfulness for productivity course launching this fall!

Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash

 

Nobody’s free until everybody’s free

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

I was not really feeling the “Independence Day” celebration this year. Independence for whom?

According to the Declaration of Independence of the United States, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

If you know me as a productivity coach, you may be confused by the topic of this blog. Since I am a fierce advocate for meaningful time, this encompasses clarifying our goals and taking action. We must each ask, what parts of myself do I need to bring to the table or to the world today? As a mixed-race person, raised in America by an immigrant mother, I have often felt that my background made me different. I grew up believing that my ancestors did not contribute to the historical oppression of Blacks in America. However, as a light-skinned person that has always been afforded white privilege, I need to recognize my own unconscious biases. I also need to question if I contribute to the oppression of black and brown people today or if I am truly practicing antiracism and inclusion.

In the past several weeks I have been focusing on unlearning and relearning #Americanhistory from different perspectives. Better late than never, right?

It is my responsibility as a parent and role model to educate my child and teach her about antiracism. Together, we are reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning.

YWCA of Saint Paul has some amazing resources in their 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge. Week one discusses voter rights. I’ve considered myself a feminist since the 1990’s before it was so trendy. I was proud of the women who fought for our right to vote until I learned that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton focused on white women’s suffrage over voting rights for all women. There were many instances where black women were excluded from participating in the voter’s rights movement. So much for solidarity.

You may have heard of the literacy tests that were given to black voters until they were abolished during the Civil Rights movement. My daughter and I tried to take the literacy test given in Louisiana. We had 10 minutes to complete 30 questions. At the top of the exam, it states that one wrong answer can disqualify you from voting. Imagine the pressure! Many of the questions were unclear. When our 10 minutes were up, we had completed 23 questions without 100% certainty.

Recent injustices of police brutality have helped shed light on the fact that this country has a long way to go to even approximate equality. In June, I updated my email signature at work to (finally) include my gender pronouns, my personal values, and acknowledge the celebrations of Juneteenth and LGBTQ+ Pride Month. I brought up the need to further Diversity, Equity, Inclusion initiatives in our weekly team meeting at work, and shared resources on the history of African American Inequality in the United States as well as the historical timeline of the LGBTQ+ community.

Each one of us has the responsibility to educate ourselves and advocate for Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness for all. We are not separate and as the Civil Rights activist, Fanny Lou Hamer, says, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

The 52:17 Rule for Productivity

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

Have you noticed that the more time you have, the more likely you are to waste it?  Since I started creating time blocks for meetings or focused projects, time feels more finite and I am more productive. If I only have two hours before my next meeting, I want to make the most of that time.

In 2019, I started tracking my time. Using the Toggl app on my phone or Chrome extension on my computer, I tracked everything in categories from work, to sleep, exercise, family time and commuting. I shared on my blog the experience of discovering where my time went. One unexpected advantage was that the simple act of tracking improved productivity. Especially when working on my own business. When I hit the timer button it was like I was clocking in and I wanted to make the most of this time, even if I wasn’t billing for those hours.

In 2020, I implemented a modified Pomodoro Technique. I had resisted this method because working only 25 minutes before a break did not feel like enough time to get into deep work. However, revising the method to 50 minutes of work and 10 minutes of break added a huge boost to my productivity. I downloaded the Focus To-Do app which not only improved focus, but also improved clarity by forcing me to identify my task for the next interval. According to Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable, we can’t claim to be distracted unless we are clear about what we are being distracted from. Preparing a presentation, for example, could include tasks like outline, research and slide creation. This technique got me back on track after a slump at the beginning of sheltering in place during COVID-19.

My modified Pomodoro technique was validated by research from the  Draugiem Group. Their DeskTime product tracks the logs of users’ computer programs throughout the workday. They studied the workflow of the most productive employees by analyzing data points from thousands of logs. These individuals didn’t get more done by working longer, but rather by working smarter with more frequent breaks. On average, this meant 52 minutes of productive work followed by 17 minutes of break. The key to making this work is 100% dedication to the task at hand, without allowing any distractions such as email or social media, followed by a 100% break.

Ideally, a break should be stepping away from your computer. The best options are a walk outside or brief period of exercise along with socializing with colleagues or grabbing a healthy snack. You can also meditate, listen to a podcast or read a book. Checking your social media or watching cat videos can be considered a mental break but these options don’t have the added benefit of reducing eye strain and may not get you out of your seat.

But wouldn’t we get more done if we worked 8 hours straight? In reality, working for longer periods decreases engagement with the task and increases cognitive boredom. Whereas breaks refresh our focus and attention. Or as DeskTime puts it “Concentration is like a muscle – it needs to rest to be able to function, and it shouldn’t be overworked. Otherwise, it’ll simply burn out and take longer to get back into the swing of things.”

In recent years, health researchers have dubbed sitting as the new smoking by increasing our risk of heart disease and diabetes. Trading two minutes of sitting for two minutes of light-intensity activity each hour lowered the risk of premature death by 33 percent, according to a study from the University Of Utah School Of Medicine. Moving throughout the day can reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Walking or gentle exercise also stimulates endorphins, which are the body’s natural mood elevators.

I encourage you to experiment and see if the 52:17 method works for you. Or, if you’re like me, you may want to round those figures down to 50:10 to create hour-long time blocks. The bottom line is, in order to get more done, get completely engaged and focus on the task at hand. When it’s time to take a break, give that 100% of your presence as well. To learn more, attend the Impact Hub’s virtual event on 7/27/20: Productivity with Presence: Discover the Mindful Advantage for Work & Life.

 

Photo by Bonneval Sebastien on Unsplash

Building Resilience

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”

Life during a global pandemic has resulted in a multitude of challenges and changes. Even those that haven’t been directly impacted by illness, face adversities from social isolation to job loss. Resilience involves bouncing back from difficult experiences and can result in meaningful personal growth. Fortunately, like a muscle, we can grow our resilience with intention and time. The following are ways we can change our thoughts, behaviors and actions in order to become more resilient.

Create Connection

Remember that social distancing creates physical distance but does not mean social isolation. Create time for connecting with others safely. You can strengthen the relationships you have or participate in supportive online communities to develop new connections.

Promote Wellbeing

Support your physical health by attending to the pillars of nutrition, exercise and sleep. Cultivate your mental health with mindful practices including meditation, prayer, yoga or journaling. Pay special attention to the positives in your life and what you have to be grateful for. Don’t use negative outlets to numb your feelings such as consumption of drugs and alcohol or overindulging in the media.

Find Purpose and Take Action

Helping others by dropping off groceries to a neighbor in poor health or volunteering by sewing masks are a few ways we can gain perspective of the bigger picture and take the emphasis off ourselves. While accepting your emotions during difficult times, you can also notice opportunities for self-discovery. Find ways to take small steps and move forward.

Cultivate Healthy Thoughts

Accept that change is inevitable and focus on what is within your control. Don’t over-personalize a negative experience. An optimistic outlook helps you to look forward to and create better circumstances.

Seek Professional Support

Our social circles can be a wonderful source of support. However, there are times when a mental health professional with specialized knowledge and resources can help you work through your thoughts and emotions.

Strengthening your resilience takes time but it’s worth the effort. What’s one small step you can take to get moving on your new path?

Adapted from the American Psychological Association

For student resources, visit the Cornell University page on building resilience.

Photo by Garrett Anderson on Unsplash

 

 

Managing Stress During the COVID-19 Crisis

Posted by Tamara on with 0 Comment

April is stress awareness month. Needless to say, just about everyone is experiencing new stressors while we adjust to life during the global COVID-19 pandemic. It may not be a coincidence that this is also alcohol awareness month, as there is a correlation between stress and alcohol use/abuse.

Happy hour, even virtually, is a common ritual for celebrating the end of the workweek. While we may feel like just getting through each day is a victory, we should avoid developing the habit of a daily self-congratulatory toast. However, if you’ve found yourself indulging with more alcoholic beverages than before, you are not the only one. In the third week in March, the United States saw an increase in alcohol sales of 55% as many states were adopting stay-at-home orders. But sheltering in place is going to be marathon, not a sprint. Below are some healthier alternates to manage stress and maintain good health.

Promote your pillars of health

It’s no surprise that the usual habits recommended for wellness apply now more than ever. Stress management is considered one of the four “Pillars of Health” along with exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Exercise may look very different now given that we no longer have access to gyms. Outdoor exercise in safe spaces (while maintaining at least 6 feet of distance) is still recommended in most areas. In addition to the fresh air, we get a boost of vitamin D from sunlight and this helps support physical and mental health.

Routines

You’ve heard it before, even if you are working from home, get up at the same time, shower, dress, and be prepared for a “normal” workday. However, as Harvard researcher Karmel Choi notes, “We’re not just working from home. We’re working from home in a pandemic. If things feel different it’s because they are different.”

One of the best ways to manage stress while so many changes are outside of our control is to find ways to manage what is within our control. Creating routines helps to create a sense of calm, balance, and normalcy. Routines also help decrease ambivalence and decision fatigue. Once you have a routine of a healthy breakfast, you are less likely to consider unhealthy treats or skipping breakfast altogether. Creating routines can be a successful strategy for maintaining or improving the other pillars of health such as sleep.

Mindfulness and Meditation

If you don’t already have a meditation practice, you can get your feet wet with a free app like InsightTimer or paid subscriptions to Headspace or Ten Percent Happier. In our daily lives off the meditation cushion, there are many activities that we can do more mindfully. Daily chores such as sweeping or washing the dishes can become an opportunity to be fully present with the task at hand. We can also be mindful of our consumption by limiting unhealthy foods, alcohol, and negative news or social media. It’s helpful to be aware of the stressors that can be a trigger for emotional numbing and mindless consumption. To combat this, set limits such as portion controlling sweets or only scrolling news media for 10 minutes at a time.

Connection

Fear and isolation can lead to depression and anxiety. Remember that we are physically distancing, but can and should maintain connections virtually. Even if you consider yourself an introvert we are all social creatures to some extent. Make a point to connect with others regularly, especially friends or family who are living alone or may have less access to resources and support. Limit screentime and find novel ways to connect with members of your household such as walking together outside or playing board games.

If you needed a reminder of why alcohol is not a viable long-term solution, according to the World Health Organization: “At times of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviors, mental health issues and violence.” Alcohol use can also affect the general health of the body, leading to potential outcomes like sleeping less, and a weakened immune system. Additional resources on healthy alternatives can be found on the Stress Management Society website.

We are experiencing changes and challenges on a global scale like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetimes. If you are struggling to manage your time and energy to create good health and habits, connect with Tamara for a free Zoom call.

Photo by Yoab Anderson on Unsplash

 

Work From Home Tips to Start Your Day

Posted by Tamara on with 1 Comment

I started working from home a few days per week in 2015. I would still go into the office or a coworking space 3-4 days per week. Like many of you, I have now been solely working from home since mid-March for social distancing. It can be difficult to adapt when there are so many changes but I hope my work from home tips help with the transition.

  1. Get up close to your usual time for work
  2. Take advantage of some of the time you used to spend commuting:
    • Meditation/intention setting
    • Exercise (walk or at-home bodyweight exercises)
    • Eat a nutritious breakfast
  3. Change out of your pajamas into comfortable work clothes to get into work mode
  4. Maintain favorite morning rituals like a warm coffee or tea or refreshing shake
  5. Set aside 15 minutes before work to catch up on headlines
  6. End with a mental sorbet to cleanse your palate, like a funny YouTube video
  7. When you login for work, check your email and flag what needs a response today (but don’t reply until later in the morning)
  8. Set aside a 1-2 hour block of time to complete a project in the morning when your mind is the freshest
  9. Use a Pomodoro desktop time or app to help ensure focused blocks of time
  10. Take time for breaks, chat with your family, pet your cat, have another cup of tea. Productivity may decrease with the intention for connection, especially if you have family members at home. That’s okay!

Please stay home and help us flatten the curve. I invite you to connect for a free call as I am learning to better serve clients during these difficult times.

Photo credit: James Fitzgerald on Unsplash