Spend Less Time Working

but Get More Done

Peggy Duncan

Personal Productivity Expert

Pizzazz! Dynamic! Knows her stuff! These are words audiences use to describe Peggy Duncan.

She is a personal productivity expert, international conference speaker and trainer, author, consultant, coach, and founder of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute. She travels internationally helping busy people spend less time working but get more done. She was formally trained at IBM and was recognized by the chairman for improving procedures that saved the company close to a million dollars a year.

Peggy has appeared on NPR, CNN, TODAY show, Black Enterprise Business Report, and the U.S. Virgin Islands PBS affiliate. She is an award-winning technology blogger (SuiteMinute.com), and her expertise has been cited in O-The Oprah Magazine, Smart Money, CNNmoney.com, US News & World Report, Real Simple, Essence, Fitness, Self, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Peggy received a BBA degree in marketing and a train the trainer certification from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

PRODUCTIVITY

Spend Less Time Working but Get More Done

Get Organized So You Can Think! TECHNOLOGY

Advanced PowerPoint Blogging Bootcamp: WordPress Training

Computer Magic! Tips in Word, Excel, PPT, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat Conquer Email Overload with Outlook

Get Started with Video and Build a YouTube Channel Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself SEO (Search Engine

Optimization)

PRODUCTIVITY Get Organized at Work Made Easy The Time Management Memory Jogger™ TECHNOLOGY Blogging with Windows Live Writer (an online course, TheDBI.com)

Computer Magic: Tips in Word Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2007 Create a YouTube Channel (now an online course, TheDBI.com) Just Show Me Which Button to Click! In PowerPoint 2007 Shameless Self-Promotion: DIY SEO Up to Speed on Your BlackBerry

www.PeggyDuncan.com

404-492-8197 training (at) PeggyDuncan.com

For hands-on training, visit

www.DigitalBreakthroughs.com

Training and Traveling Internationally. Webinars also conducted.

www.PeggyDuncan.com www.DigitalBreakthroughs.com ©Copyright PSC Press. All Rights Reserved.

Peggy Duncan, Founder

Atlanta GA 30349

404-492-8197 SKYPE: peggyduncan

training a-t PeggyDuncan.com

Twitter: @peggyduncan

“The Biggest Time Management Mistake You Make Is Not Realizing How Much Time You Waste!” – Peggy Duncan

You’re busy, timing things down to the minute, sometimes with only seconds to spare. Sure you’re getting things done, but at what cost? Is this the life you want to live? What can you do? You get in front of each problem and develop smarter ways to do the work. You have to take time to create time.

TIME WASTERS

Identify time wasters that affect your everyday productivity.

1. Check the ones you can relate to. 2. Then circle the ones you can do something about!

Organization - Clutter

Cluttered Computer Files

Cluttered Workspace

Snail Mail Overload

Voicemail Overload

Clear Goals and Priorities

Conflicting Priorities

Inability to Say No

Lack of Focus

Shifting Priorities

Unclear Goals

Processes and Procedures

Improper Training – Yours

Improper Training – Staff

Inefficient Processes

Micromanagement

Mistakes – Mine

Mistakes – Others

Poor Planning

Red Tape

Unreal Time Estimates

Work Habits

Indecisiveness

Interruptions

Lack of Self-Discipline

Lack of Delegation

Multi-Tasking

Poor Listening Skills

Poor Communication

Procrastination

Socializing

Technology

Email Overload

Improper Training – Yours

Improper Training – Staff

External Issues

Needed Answers

Equipment Breakdowns

Improperly Trained Staff

Meetings

No Authority to Make Changes

Other People’s Work Habits

What Do You Want to Have More Time to Do?

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Training and Traveling Internationally. Webinars also conducted.

www.PeggyDuncan.com (my books) www.DigitalBreakthroughs.com ©Copyright PSC Press. All Rights Reserved.

Peggy Duncan, Founder

Atlanta GA 30349

404-492-8197 SKYPE: peggyduncan

worksmart a-t PeggyDuncan.com

Twitter: @peggyduncan

The Time Log The biggest time management mistake you make is not realizing how much time you waste. If you don’t believe you waste time, spend 3-4 days (or longer) tracking it in the same way you mind a budget by tracking your spending. If you spend $5 here, $12 there, and $17.50 over there, that money adds up. The same thing happens with time.

By tracking your time, you will:

Realize patterns and trends in your daily workflow. You may find that you’re spending 45 minutes every morning getting coffee, chatting with co-workers, and reading the paper. What important work could you have finished with that much time to spare?

Become better at estimating how long things take. Once you are aware of how long things actually take, you will not cram as much into your schedule. You should spend some time streamlining any work you do often.

Discover how much you multi-task. Instead of staying focused on a project that requires blocks of time so you can think, you may find that you are jumping from one task to the next without finishing anything.

Uncover the interrupters. Who constantly interrupts you the most? Is this to be expected such as an administrative assistant, or is this someone who needs more training? Are you interrupting yourself (e.g., social NOTworking)?

Create a Time Log

1. Create a form that captures the information (sample included). Create columns for the time spent, the activity (include whether the activity was planned or not and how much of a priority it was on a scale of A being most important to D), and, if interrupted by someone, who was it?

2. Record the time you spend on all activities, including interruptions, time spent looking for lost documents…everything.

3. Group similar actions at the end of each day (or tracking period) to determine the percentage of time you spent on each type of activity.

4. Analyze your findings and think through the changes you’ll need to make.

Are you spending sufficient time on your core activities?

Is it taking you too long to finish tasks, whether simple or complex?

Who interrupts you the most? What are they asking for? What can you do to get them to interrupt you less (ask them to stop, simplify processes, give them more authority, train them better, move their office, etc.)

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Training and Traveling Internationally. Webinars also conducted.

www.PeggyDuncan.com (my books) www.DigitalBreakthroughs.com ©Copyright PSC Press. All Rights Reserved.

Peggy Duncan, Founder

Atlanta GA 30349

404-492-8197 SKYPE: peggyduncan

worksmart a-t PeggyDuncan.com

Twitter: @peggyduncan

My Time Log

Time Activity Planned? Priority (A-D) People Involved

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

AM PM Yes No. I was interrupted A B C D

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PEGGY DUNCAN

Atlanta GA 404-492-8197 training (at) PeggyDuncan.com

www.PeggyDuncan.com

WWHHAATT DDOO YYOOUU WWAANNTT

TTOO HHAAVVEE MMOORREE

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Every second has to count, and you’re wasting hours! But you can pull yourself together, set up logical systems for getting things done, and have time for the life you want.

o Analyze how you’re spending your time. o Organize everything around you so you can think. o Prioritize and set goals so you can move past just deciding to do the work. o Systematize with streamlined processes, and eliminate useless work. o Computerize the right way and finish work six times quicker.

Clutter – The Number One Time Waster It makes you late. It makes you forget. It makes you procrastinate. It makes you interrupt yourself all day. It makes people dread working with you. It keeps you frazzled and stressed out. Clutter has got to go!

o Clothes Closet. o That Mess on Your Desk. o Computer Files. o Email Overload. o Your Mind.

Clothes Closet – The Mess on Your Desk – Computer Files Regardless of the organizing project, you’ll use the same methodology.

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PEGGY DUNCAN

Atlanta GA 404-492-8197 training (at) PeggyDuncan.com

www.PeggyDuncan.com

Principles of Organizing

o Purge often, keeping only things you love, need, or have to keep for legal reasons.

o Keep like things together.

o Give everything a home, and keep it there when you’re not using it.

o Put everything near its point of use, and make it convenient to get to it. Sometimes you might have to buy two.

o Use the right product for storage.

Keep It or Trash It?

As you start to sort and purge, ask yourself the same questions every time you consider keeping something.

1. When was the last time I referred to this (or wore it)?

2. Do I need to keep this for legal reasons, or is this something I value or love?

3. Can I get this information somewhere else?

4. If I get rid of it and need it later, can I live with the consequences of having thrown it out?

Create a Logical Filing System

Everything needs to have a home. For the papers on your desk, that means a good, logical filing system. One principle of organizing requires that like items be kept together. For a filing system, this means keeping similar subjects together. You’ll start with the broadest categories, break them down, then break down the subcategories as needed.

Anytime you’re trying to decide where to file a document, think broadest category first, then how it will be retrieved. Here is a list of the broad categories. You may or may not need all of them. You’ll also need to add your own based on your work responsibilities.

Broad Categories (you’ll add a few more based on your work)

Work Folders Human Resources Meetings

Accounting Legal Projects

Administrative Marketing Reference

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PEGGY DUNCAN

Atlanta GA 404-492-8197 training (at) PeggyDuncan.com

www.PeggyDuncan.com

Create a Simple Breakdown for Your Work. What’s the broad category? Then

subcategories?

Computer Filing

System. The broad

category “Marketing” is

broken down into

subcategories. The

subcategories are broken

down as needed.

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PEGGY DUNCAN

Atlanta GA 404-492-8197 training (at) PeggyDuncan.com

www.PeggyDuncan.com

Mind Clutter – Use Your Brain for Thinking, Not for Remembering

You have to clear your mind. Use your brain for thinking and use external cues for remembering. Everything you have to do should be on your calendar, a to do list, a checklist, in a tickler file or project folder, or set up as an electronic reminder. Batch Similar Work- Multitasking Does Not Work

If you get in a writing mode, keep writing. If you start making phone calls, keep calling. In fact, schedule your work so you can work on similar tasks. Stop multi-tasking. It doesn’t work…not when you’re doing work that requires you to focus, to think. Finish what you’re doing, or get to a good stoping point before moving on to something else.

Process Clutter – Is Your Way Working?

You often choose working hard over working smart. You’re too busy to stop and think about what you’re doing and why. Don’t just think things up; think them through.You have to stop, think, plan, then do—the way crooks get things done. Then once you have a clear plan that makes sense to you, you’ll be able to delegate more work and make it make sense to them. Technology Clutter – Connected 24/7. When do you think?

As you go through this process of creating time, you’ll reduce the need to stay connected. And the more you learn about the technology you touch every day, the quicker you’ll finish everything you do. Email Clutter – New Messages Coming in Aren’t Your Problem

The problem with email overload is not the new messages coming in, but rather the mess that’s already there. Your Inbox is for the temporary storage of messages and not a to do list, calendar, database, filing system for unfinished projects, or tickler file. You have to clear it and establish a routine to keep it that way. Free Templates on My Website Will Help You Get Organized!

Join my private email list and receive a link to these free templates and save hours! http://www.PeggyDuncan.com/Subscribe.asp

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Thanks for your input! www.PeggyDuncan.com

EVALUATION Peggy Duncan, Personal Productivity Expert Date Your Name

Please only judge me on the things I had control over (e.g., not because you wanted it to be longer).

Overall Program Rating–Please Circle 5 4 3 2 (5 = Excellent 4 = Very Good 3 = Good)

With what you learned today, what is the FIRST thing you’re going to do to change your life? Suggestions for improving this session. What specific information was of the greatest value to you? What specific information was of the least value to you? What additional information would you like to see covered? Were you with us today or distracted by outside influences? Do you have a testimonial we can publish?

P L E A S E P R I N T Will you tell others about this training?

I sure will! Not at this time.

Would you like Peggy to contact you about a speaking engagement? If so, please provide contact info. Thanks. Would you like to subscribe to Peggy’s free Webzine? If so, print your email address here.

Yes, and please send me the link to your free stuff!