Project Management
By Michelle LaBrosse
Here's my Top Five List of things we all need to get rid of:
1. Grudges
Are you holding a grudge for something that happened 10 years ago, and you can't even remember exactly what happened? Pick up the phone or write an e-mail and call a truce. Let this be your "Grudge be gone!" project. You'll feel 10 years younger after just two or three grudges are lifted.
2. Anger
Are you mad at the government or your next-door neighbor's dog? Ask yourself if this anger has done you any good? Then figure out how you can channel your anger into a positive project. Maybe you can get involved in your local community, so you can make a difference and not feel like what's happening in the world is beyond you. As for the dog, treats always work wonders. Ditto for people. A pan of brownies just may bring about world peace.
3. Fear
I think the biggest thing holding back the economy right now is fear. If we all shift our mindset from reactive to proactive, things will get better. Fear is a virus and so is hope. Let's spread more of the hope around and get a hope virus growing exponentially.
4. Woe is me
Turn "Woe is me" into "WOW is me." Maybe you've lost your job or taken a pay cut. Yes, that stinks, but only as long as you let "Woe is me" be your badge to the world. "Wow is me" looks for the opportunity. What kinds of companies are hiring now? How can you beef up your skills? How can you position yourself differently? When you change the lens you're looking through, you can see solutions instead of obstacles. Yes, life gives us obstacles, but we all have the power to come up with the ideas and the attitude to overcome them.
5. Time wasters
What are the ways that you waste time? For some of us, it's sitting in front of the TV, or for others, it may be surfing the web aimlessly. Identify your biggest time wasters and then choose three ways that you can better use that time. Maybe it's a bike ride, a walk or volunteering for a local charity. Whatever gives your life more meaning, spend your time there and stay away from life's empty calories.
Okay, once you have done some Spring Cleaning for your Soul, then you can sort out the clutter in your workspace or home.
Use the "5 S" approach to keep your life running smoothly:
Sort
Only have items in your work area that you use on a daily basis. Everything else gets put away in its place. Create filing systems for quick retrieval – for both paper and electronic based information. If you find you often get piles, the best way to stop them is to go through the piles and see what is in them. Once you know what is in them, then you can create a file, folder or designated space for those items.
Straighten
Have a designated place for all moveable items, such as desktop organizers. Everything is labeled in macro-work areas, and there is a logical workflow for shared office machines, such as copiers and printers.
Shine
Everything in the area looks like "new" condition and operates perfectly. Recycle bins and waste baskets are emptied nightly.
Standardize
This includes visual controls for common areas, such as how to use the copier, and wall planning calendars.
Sustain
Have a daily and weekly system to keep up with the improvements you have made. Give yourself the time to do the maintenance necessary to keep your space in top condition.
Wherever your Spring Cleaning may take you, remember that when we get rid of "dead weight," either literally or figuratively, we are lighter, more agile and can move quickly. You can't dance with lead weights on your feet. So, lighten your load in your life, and leap ahead to what's next!
Chief Cheetah Podcast Is Yours for the Downloading
Want to hear what Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, and Chief Cheetah has to say about Spring Cleaning for Your Soul? Download our podcast at http://podcast.cheetahlearning.com/podcastgen/ and hear the words straight from the Cheetah's mouth.
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About the Know How Network and Cheetah Learning
Copyright (c) 2009, Cheetah Learning. The Know How Network monthly column is written by Michelle LaBrosse and distributed to hundreds of media outlets around the world. Visit www.cheetahlearning.com for more information. You can also get your career in gear with CheetahWare, free Project Management tools from Cheetah Learning.
About the Author
Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is founder and Chief Cheetah of Cheetah Learning and author of Cheetah Negotiations and Cheetah Project Management. The Project Management Institute selected Michelle as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the World and one of only two women from the training and education industry.
Cheetah Learning is a virtual company and has 100 employees, contractors, and licensees worldwide. Michelle has run her company virtually for the past 20 years, growing it 100-fold in the past 20 years. She credits her success to using Cheetah's Project Management method to better manage people and technology, and has made it fast, easy and fun for more than 30,000 people to learn and do Project Management.