The greatest advantage of strategically, and creatively, planning your life is that it allows you to simplify.  You can delegate and eliminate those activities that don’t contribute to your goals and values, or that you simply don’t enjoy.  I’ve talked about this in the past, and I’ll be explaining strategic planning in detail very soon.  Today, I want to talk about another, often overlooked, method of simplification, and that is, combining tasks.

Even when you are at your very best with regards to time management, you still have a lot of little tasks that only you can do, or that maybe only you should do.  Here’s an example.

Gourmet cooking is one of my favorite hobbies.  In the winter, when I can’t garden, I love focusing on trying new recipes and developing my cooking skills.  However, I despise grocery shopping.  Nothing against our local Kroger, it’s just the crowd and confusion and hustle that gets to me.  Ideally, my personal chef would do the weekly grocery shopping, but I haven’t hired him or her yet.  While I’d love to delegate this one to my husband, well, let’s just say, I’d have to become an even more creative chef.  I could send my two cats, but they can’t drive.  So I’ve learned a little trick.  I used to go shopping when everyone else went shopping.  Now, I stop in during everyone else’s working hours, and pretend I’m a Food Network chef choosing top quality ingredients for a very special meal I’m going to prepare while the camera crew captures every unedited moment!  (And YOU thought I was just going to talk about running all your errands at once didn’t you?)

This little “fantasy” world I create while at the grocery store serves two purposes.  One, well, obviously, I get my grocery shopping completed.  Two, I do it in a way that’s fun and playful, so my attitude and energy level remain high.  When I get home, I’m in a good mood, instead of worn out.  I can go on with my regular work, top 20 or not, and get a lot more accomplished.  What two tasks am I combining?  Grocery shopping and having fun.  Yes, I’m a Type A personality who has to put “having fun” on a list in order to get it accomplished!  I know there are others of you out there, admit it!

Another example is walking on the treadmill while reading or, for me, practicing a speech.  I especially like practicing my speeches while walking because I know if I can do both without becoming winded then I will certainly be able to deliver the speech while just walking around the room.  I got this little gem of an idea from my future self.  Reading works too, though.  Thirty to sixty minutes on the treadmill is twice as motivating because not only is the exercise increasing your endorphins, but if you choose to read something motivational, your brain will kick in to super-high gear.  I am ready to face anything after one of these sessions.

In Write It Down, Make It Happen, Henriette Anne Klauser, devotes an entire chapter on getting near water to write.  Henriette explains that, for whatever reason, the negative ions in water helps energize our brains and increases our creativity.  She recounts a story where a friend of hers had a shower stall built into his office, at first claiming it was for nights when he was running late and had a dinner meeting in town.  He finally admitted that it was really a “think tank.”  The shower was a place where he could go, even in the middle of the day, to work things through, to think things out.  Where do you think I’m going with this one?  That’s right.  I often use my shower time to write articles.  (Sorry if that’s a little too personal)  But I too can think more creatively while the water is running.  (I’ve tried tabletop fountains, but they collect too much gunk with the treated water in this area.)  So when you take a shower tomorrow, just light-heartedly focus before you get in on a problem you’d like to solve and see if the creative solution comes while you’re in there.  I bet many of you have had this happen before.

Now, it’s your turn.  I’d love to hear from you.  What creative ways have you found to combine tasks?

Posted under Inspiration, Motivation