I am impressed that tough economic times have increased the level of volunteerism in America.

I was at the Denver USO today, where engineers, doctors, teachers and many others make coffee and serve sandwiches to military service members and their families.   Many of the volunteers were military themselves, are or were part of a military family, have kids in the military, or took advantage of the USO when they were active duty and feel as though they want to help.   The Denver USO does not advertise for volunteers, and there is a waiting list of 160 people (over a year long) to be one of the volunteers. Wow! That’s intrinsic motivation.

The hospital where I volunteer is comprised of mostly professional or retired people who also just want to help.  Amazing!   The motivation of these volunteers to accept work a counter, fill in for others, deliver dinners, and be a comforting shoulder in times of crisis is commendable.

Watching the increase in volunteerism makes me believe that there is a strong correlation between the need for a community response and the desire for people to be part of a community solution.  When times get tough, we need each other more. Thanks to everyone who volunteers in their children’s schools, in churches, at hospitals, community centers, senior centers, welcome centers, airports, and everywhere else other people need a hand.

“I’m so busy!” “I was going to do it, but I ran out of time!” “Summer flew by!”

You hear it every day. People feel as though they are short on their most valuable resource: time. Time isn’t something we get back, so it is important that we seize the opportunities we have to make the most of our most precious commodity.

How do we find more time in every day? A few ideas:

1. Use your precious minutes wisely. No, not your phone minutes. Your life minutes. Life is a finite number of unknown minutes, so it’s important to use them wisely. There are probably things that you don’t need to do as often as you might think. I am personally guilty of over-checking my email accounts. I do not really need to check email 20 times per day. That wastes my minutes.
2. How do you use your minutes wisely? Make a schedule. Make a schedule that works for you – one that prioritizes the event that you need to do, the important things you are required to do, and the small things that you should do.
3. Make sure that the work you do is planned around your natural energy level that fluctuates throughout the day.There are certain times of the day when you’re probably more productive for doing certain things. Some people are better at making phone calls in the morning. Some people are better writing at night. I get a little sluggish in the afternoons, so I try to schedule meetings during that time, since generally, meetings are energizing to me. A lot of people know get sleepy in the afternoon (that may be partly due to dehydration so drink plenty of water). That may be a good time to schedule active activities. Make sure that when you plan your day that you’re planning it to your personal energy level for maximum productivity.
4. Don’t procrastinate. Nike was right. Just do it and do it now. Make that appointment. Return those calls. Respond to e-mail. One of my graduate school colleagues said that he needed time to reflect before he answered an e-mail. But then he admitted he frequently forgot to actually respond. He said, well, it’s the thought that counts. While that may be true for some aspects of life, the action lets people know about the thought, so do it now.
5. Trade work. If you find that you have some tasks that just don’t get accomplished, consider not doing them. You may be able to find someone else with whom you can trade a job, someone who enjoys doing the task that you don’t want to do. In the Kolbe instincts assessments on how to make decisions and solve problems, Kolbe analyzes people’s strengths to maximize both their work and personal behavior. In the strengths world, we try to find ways to a certain task that matches strengths to instincts. (See Meredith Masse’s website www.Mpower-consulting.net for more information on the Kolbe method.) The premise is that the jobs people do should match their natural strengths. That way, they’re happier and more productive. This is why, for example, very few of us are changing our own oil anymore. It takes us 10 times longer, is loads messier, and in the long run, probably doesn’t. We need to dispose of the oily mess and we have a harder time with going under the car. Thanks to $19.95 oil changes, this work has become predominantly outsourced for the majority of people.

Treasure your minutes! Use your time wisely!

One of the main reasons I like NASCAR is that the teams racing each other try hard.  The teams truly exert effort to make their driver successful.  Driving a car 600 miles at 200 mph with less than 2 feet separating you from the next guy is hard to do for hours on end.  And the teams have to support that driver by trying to get him the best car possible, with the best pit stops possible.  Changing 4 tires in 13 seconds with 5 lug nuts each is hard work.  Performing a wedge adjustment while the car is getting fueled and the tires being changed is hard work too.   The NASCAR pit crews practice what they do, and everyone working to meet a 13 or 14 second deadline takes precision, concentration, and mostly, a lot of effort by everyone involved during an adrenaline-filled race.

And I enjoy the fuel strategies and the teamwork and crew chiefs and the ramifications of various cautions and who gets the Lucky Dog.  I like and appreciate all that.  But what I really applaud is the sheer effort that every team exhibits every single week.  I like to think that they try hard because they love what they do and take pride in their accomplishments, as we all should.

I tune in to NASCAR races because there is more to it than GO FAST, TURN LEFT.   It is great to see people who work hard, race hard ,and try hard to be successful at what they do.

(Oh, and yes, I do have a favorite driver…)

Comments anyone????

Mary Kelly

www.ProductiveLeaders.com

Mary@ProductiveLeaders.com