Done!

We all need space, peace and quiet from time to time, and even more so when involved in something which requires our full attention and concentration. But making sure to work undisturbed at times can be difficult, especially if your colleagues are used to you always being available. Today's Done! is about how to get that un-interrupted time without stepping on any toes.

It is easy to dismiss reading as something you do continuously, in passing or "when you have time" and hence it tends to not qualify for the to-do-list. This is a mistake often leading to piles of materials we "will get to eventually". Today's Done! is about regarding reading as a task just as all other tasks on our to-do-list, getting to those accumulated reading-piles and what good will come from doing so.

Sharing our knowledge and expertise can sometimes be scary. We may be afraid of becoming superfluous and of not being needed (since our colleagues now know too). But doing the exact opposite of these fears often proves the contrary. Today's Done! is about how to make yourself dispensable and by doing so gain more time, energy to do what we really want to and more trust from our colleagues.

Being kept waiting, on hold or standing in line for something is to most people both frustrating and irritating. But rather than letting a situation out of your control get to you, there are ways in which to change your focus and use the time kept waiting contructively. Today's Done! is about channeling that aggravated energy into doing something which moves you forward while you are waiting.

Getting back from the vacation offers the ideal opportunity to put the perspective you have gotten while being away from work into practice. Today's Done! is about how to refresh your overview and get going with what you wish to accomplish during the fall.

Have you experienced returning to the office after a few weeks holiday only to find that the e-mail inbox is virtually overflowing with hundreds of unread e-mails? Today's Done! is about how to handle that situation swiftly and efficiently by being just a bit proactive.

Most of us have folders or even entire filing-cabinets filled with materials classified as "what might one day be good-to-have". Keeping our various types of materials organized is essential to being able to use them to their full potential, and our reference material is no exception. Today's Done! is about two methods in which to make our reference material more accessible.

Keeping track of what you have to do is one thing. To then actually do the right thing once you are doing something, is another matter entirely. Today's Done! is about a single question which can and will help you get back on track when you have lost your focus.

What isn't urgent doesn't get prioritized. Does this sound familiar? We tend to put the things which might be important in the long-run on hold, postpone them over and over again, in favor of more pressing matters, but there is a way to get these vital issues attended to as well. Today's Done! is about how to overcome the constant procrastinating and get ahead of yourself doing the things which may be important but not urgent.

Most people have and use an e-mail account, but even though the larger part of us use e-mailing in our daily communication with people, most do not have the structure and routines in their mail-habits necessary to make this vital tool efficient rather than a nuisance. Today's Done! is about how if all would abide to these simple guidelines, our communication via the web would be both smoother and easier.

I am sure that there are many masters of procrastination out there, and I am certain every one has experienced the consequences of putting things off which really should have been attended to immediately. Today's Done! is about the things you should do sooner rather than later to avoid unnecessary pain and agony.

When we are over our heads in papers, the piles are mounting, the trash can is overflowing and the to do-list no longer is legible, it's time to do the one and only right thing - clean out! Today's Done! is about how to do the seemingly simple, but very important, task of cleaning up in order to get a clearer view of things.

Getting started may often be the part of a project or task which induces the greatest amount of reluctance. Helping yourself to make the transition from inertia into motion as smooth as possible is the key to getting more done in a more constructive and easy way. Today's Done! is about how to reduce that initial disinclination to get started, to lower the thresholds.

To know, or not to know, that is the question! Knowing where you are is by extension knowing where you are going, and knowing where you are going is an absolute requirement to get to where you want to go, to be who you want to be. So Hamlet's existential reasoning applies in our context of having good personal structure as well. Today's Done! is about how knowledge is power, and how it helps us acquire the overview necessary to advance in all our engagements and endeavors.

Orderly structure, by all means, but sometimes doing things a little differently will only do us good. Turn things on its head to get a new perspective and to, so to say, "burn the candle in both ends" intentionally. Today's Done! is about getting rid of all the items that get stuck at the bottom of the pile in a smart and simple way.

Most of us strive to acheive goals, to move forward in our lives, to become the best we can be, and there is nothing wrong with this, but in order to be able to excel, we need to be able to appreciate the process, the road we walk to get where we are going. Today's Done! is about allowing ourselves to enjoy what we have accomplished.

For all procrastinators, the inefficiency springing from the mere fact that we do not act, tends to be familiar. Not acting, making a decision on what to do, is the root of many evils, but do not fret ? here is a simple and direct method as to how to get moving whenever inertia has got you in its grip! Today's Done! is about how to get ourselves going, and get going immediately.

There are hindrances in everyone's way at some point, but the question is how to get passed them? How to get rid of the piles, to get an empty inbox and our things in order without the anxiety re-organization sometimes is accompanied by. Here's the solution - Play with it! Today's Done! is about how to get into the relaxed mode of playing our way to a new way of doing something which we all knew as children.

Disturbances can come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common; they distract you in your work. But there are methods to avoid unwanted interruptions. Today's Done! is about how to create a temporary oasis of serenity and calm, allowing you to work undisturbed.

A brilliant idea never announces its arrival on beforehand, and honestly, how many can claim to get these epiphanies on command? Today's Done! is about how to better pay attention to great ideas when you get them and make sure to give them an opportunity to grow.