for this book, research by neuroscientists and psychologists that supports what I assert in my book, a glossary, apps and software programs that might be useful tools, suggestions of helpful office supplies and great books, quote sources, videos, and more.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS…
Throughout my book, I’ll present various case studies from my client base. Some of my clients work for big corporations. Some clients work for small businesses. Some clients telecommute. Some clients own their own companies. Some clients own their own franchises. No matter what your situation is, you can learn from others’ experiences in order to improve your current personal and/or work life.
Some of you will receive tremendous affirmation because you’re already doing some of what I mention. Celebrate! Others of you will slap your forehead and declare, “Brilliant! I never thought of that!” And some of you might say, “Well, duh! That’s simple. There’s nothing new. We should all be doing that!” So then the question for you becomes, Are you? Every day?
Applying just one of the concepts that I share with you in this book will save you — at a bare minimum — at least 60 minutes each workday…which is five hours per week, 20 hours per month, 240 hours per year. That’s six workweeks! Who wouldn’t want all that extra time?
The majority of clients I work with don’t have the time to read this book in one sitting. And that’s perfectly fine. If you fall into that category, I encourage you to set aside 15 minutes at the same time each day — perhaps right before or after breakfast, during lunch, or in the evening — to pick up this book and read a little each time. If you commute via train or metro, wouldn’t this make a good read — and a perfect distraction from any smelly folks who plopped down near you?
It’s important to understand that everything you’ll be doing here is ongoing. It’s not a one-shot deal. After all, we’re human. We evolve. We change. Our responsibilities change. Those around us change. I encourage you to come back to revisit this handbook whenever you start to feel a little off-kilter.
The time you invest in reading this book is an investment in your career, your personal relationships, and your physical and mental well-being. If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to read all this,” that’s exactly why I strongly encourage you to read it all — because the strategies and tactics in this book will give you the time to do whatever you want!
Have your pen, highlighter, sticky notes — whatever tools you need — ready to help you to interact with the text. If you’re reading the digital version, hopefully your system has a bookmark and note-taking function. If not — or perhaps in addition — don’t be shy about carrying around a journal or spiral-bound notebook to take notes and develop your plans; or you can utilize the companion activity guide.
MY COVER STORY
I love adventure. Every summer my husband and I travel for three weeks, completely unplugged. We journey off the beaten path to “nonnormal” destinations like Bran, Romania, and Mostar, Bosnia. What I learn about people, cultures, and political and ethnic divisions around the world helps me relate to people and become a better teacher of behavioral modifications.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles and was known for my sports prowess (four varsity sports my senior year of high school), not my smarts. I was the kid in AP class who had to study her tail off in order to make decent grades. I had my brainiac friends, jock friends, and thug friends. This mixture was my introduction to figuring out different types of people in order to get along with them.
I grew up a tomboy, rarely wearing dresses or makeup. I preferred cleats and a shaved head. As an adult, I watch Aggie football every Saturday and the Dallas Cowboys every Sunday. I’ve only recently learned about girlyness, and I’m still learning. My hair and makeup look good in my headshots because I paid someone to do them for me on picture day.
After graduating from high school, I made the crazy move to “Cowtown” in order to attend and play soccer for Texas A&M University, where, between my extracurricular activities and what I perceived as my lack of smarts, I struggled to make good grades. Heck, I even got kicked out of the dorms one summer because of low grades. (My soccer career ended after one season when I blew out my ankle.)
I told my parents during the first semester that I wasn’t moving back to L.A. because I loved the laid-back pace. I eventually settled in San Antonio — which to me was the most relaxed large city I’d ever visited — and became a teacher.
It was not until I started studying brain research in grad school that the light-bulb came on, and I figured out how to process new information in a way that I could remember it and make adjustments in my routines as necessary. An easier way to learn and modify behavior and manage time is what I taught to my high school students in the first half of my adult life and eventually to my clients in the current second half.
Looking back on my life thus far, I realize that I’ve always been a teacher: as a babysitter growing up, a resident adviser in college, a teacher for 11 years in a Title I school, and an educational consultant.
I’ve always had an interest in business: holding summer jobs managing all the stations at a fast-food restaurant, assisting the tailors of men’s suits in a national retail clothing chain, working behind the scenes in the insurance and banking industries, and studying during grad school how to run a school campus like a business.
I’ve also always been an entrepreneur. When I was a kid, I set up a highly profitable Kool-Aid stand and sold wood carvings to my neighbors. In high school, I unofficially ran a designated-driver service for my friends. For a while, I sold Mary Kay cosmetics so that my friends and I could get a discount on the products. After meeting many teachers who struggled during retirement, my husband and I (back in my teaching days) invested in rental houses, and we ran that “company” for several years. In 2001, I founded an online wedding accessory business after developing a bridal emergency kit.
Finally, these worlds of teaching, business, and entrepreneurialism merged in 2006, when I became a productivity consultant. At last, I’d figured out what my passions were and what I needed to do for a living to be happy. One focus. One goal. Success. Happiness.
I love helping people to become more efficient, which allows them to find peace and calm in their lives.
And time for travel, wine, and good food.
And learning how to ride a motorcycle.
It’s on my bucket list!
What’s on yours?
I share all this with you for multiple reasons:
First, it’s easier to learn from people and carry on a conversation with them when you know more about them and make even the smallest connection. Since I’m not sitting across from you at a café or a bar, this is the start of our connection and our conversation. It’s nice to meet you!
Second, have you ever been to a training presented by someone who hasn’t actually experienced what he or she is training you in? That’s annoying. That happened all the time back in my teacher days. Presenters would come in and tell us how to do things, even though they’d never been a teacher. In the business world, I’ve been to marketing sessions presented by people who’ve never had to market for themselves. What the—? In addition to all my training for and experience as a Certified Professional Organizer®, productivity trainer, and consultant, my knowledge of how entrepreneurs and business folks roll has come from
