Time Management Habits of Creative Minds

When people think about creative people and their working habits, many assume that they live as hermits, closing themselves off from the outside world to finish their latest masterpieces.

This couldn’t be further from the truth for some of the greatest creative minds the world has ever known; Beethoven got eight hours’ sleep per night and spent around four hours prior to that socialising.

Next time you find yourself falling into the trap of working far too long and neglecting everything else, have a look at this great infographic from In Info We Trust.

The work/life balance of some of the greats:

• While writing Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert slept for 7 hours a night, 5.5 hours writing, 5 hours reading and 4.5 hours eating and socialising.

• Thomas Mann definitely believed in the powers of a good night’s sleep, eight hours a night and an hour-long afternoon nap during his average working day. He also spent 6.5 hours per day socialising and eating, with just 3 hours spent writing.

• Beethoven, as mentioned earlier, also slept for 8 hours per night, walked for two hours after dinner and worked for another eight hours. He didn’t skimp on socialising either, spending 4.5 hours reading in a tavern on an average evening.

• Sigmund Freud devoted less of his time to sleeping; indulging in just six hours per night. He spent a massive 12.5 hours per day working, but took breaks regularly to spend time with his family or to take a brisk walk.

• Charles Dickens generally spent 7 hours sleeping, 5 hours writing, 3 hours walking and 9 hours socialising and eating.

If they could achieve such great work without giving up their family time, social life and sleep, so can you!

All you need to do is learn how to manage your time and how not to let one aspect of your life take over. For regular tips, sign up to our blog and newsletter now.

Alternatively, why not book one of Andrea’s individual time management and productivity sessions? Her availability can be found here, just click and select a time that suits you.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

Time Management – Best Back to Work Strategies After Easter

We hope you had a fantastic Easter holiday, and are now feeling wonderfully relaxed and refreshed.

The break you have just had away from the office may have seen a lot of change happening, particularly if you work in a fast-paced industry. With this in mind, it’s important to get yourself back up to speed when you return.

Schedule a meeting with your manager or your team members to find out what has been going on while you have been away. What do you need to deal with urgently? What useful information do you need to know?

When you decide to tackle the behemoth that is an unmonitored inbox, remember to employ the 4 Ds:

• Do it
• Delete it
• Delegate it
• Defer it

Read our blogs on spending less time your inbox to learn more about effective email management.

Revisit your plans and objectives for the rest of the year. How is progress?  Are the goals still relevant? If not, now is a great time to update them. Make sure everything you do has value when it comes to achieving these objectives and furthering yourself.

Book your next holiday!

Yes I know we’re talking about catching up after your last one but having something to look forward to is an unbeatable motivational tool, so make sure to use it on yourself. Whether you want to plan a special night out, a short city break or a mammoth road-trip, get in touch, we’ll make sure you have something worth working incredibly hard for.

Start as you mean to go on – create a to-do list and stick to it. Don’t let your time management skills slide because you’ve been away for a while. Make it a fresh start, a new beginning and the next step to becoming the best you can be!

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

Why are you working today?

The extra long Easter weekend is here, bringing with it two (2!) bank holidays, however, if you’re reading these words you clearly haven’t taken the day off.

Why?

Instead of reading this and carrying on with business as usual, you could be spending quality time with your family and friends, catching up on that Game of Thrones box set, relaxing on a well-deserved weekend away or just lounging around doing absolutely nothing.

In other words, you could be doing anything you want to do, so why are you at work?

There’s nothing wrong with loving your job (we do!) but you need some you-time too.

Make sure you don’t make the same mistake when the May bank holidays arrive – outsource some of those time-consuming tasks to us and earn a few extra hours peace for yourself. After all, it’s a bank holiday and chances are your customers aren’t working and you’re not doing high-value, income-generating work!

From compiling and managing spreadsheets and databases to creating and implementing an efficient filing system and from managing your email account to keeping your clients informed with blogs, newsletters and social media updates…anything else that needs to be done.

We could have done what you’re doing today.

Email us today to invest in some expert business support and start planning what you’ll do next bank holiday Monday…

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

Time Management – Be Productive Even Though It’s Friday

If you’re suffering from a Friday slump, you’re not alone. Many of us find the last day of the working week a bit of a struggle, particularly those of us who work in offices with a Dress Down Friday culture and are already in our weekend clothes. It’s surprising how much of a difference a change of clothes can make!

Anyway, slump or no, you still have 20% of the working week to go and it’s time to pull your socks up and make the most of it. That may seem like we’re being harsh but, really, we want you to be able to start your weekend at 5pm sharp. What are your plans? Pub? Shopping? Family time?

Whatever this weekend has in store for you, be productive this Friday and get as much time off as possible.

4 Tips for Friday Productivity

• It’s too late for this one today, but try it from next week. Adjust the time you leave home in the morning (and possibly the office in the evening) to avoid as much traffic or public transport congestion as you can. Don’t waste time travelling.
• Try to avoid planning meetings for Friday afternoons. Use the time to tie up loose ends and finish off the week’s tasks and projects instead.
• Make the most of the quieter day to get more done. Having fewer people in the office and on the telephone means you will be subjected to fewer distractions. Always use this to your advantage.
• Finish Friday afternoon by planning for next week. Not only will it round your week off nicely, it will also make Monday morning a slightly less bleak prospect!

Don’t think this doesn’t apply to you if you don’t work a standard 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday job. 5pm on Friday may not be that magical “start of weekend” time, but applying these tips to the last day of your working week will be just as beneficial if it’s a Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday!

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

How to Travel Like an A-Lister

Hands up who actually enjoys travelling through an airport? While the shopping opportunities may be a novelty if you only fly occasionally, it doesn’t take long for the shine to wear off through regular visits. If you fly a lot, whether for work or pleasure, there is a way to make it an awful lot more enjoyable. Skip the fast food and security scrums and fast-track yourself straight to luxury by using a VIP service. As always, these are just a few of the options available; for more information or alternative suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Virgin Atlantic Guest List

If you’re planning to travel from Gatwick or Heathrow to San Francisco, New York, Boston or Washington, it’s well worth looking into Virgin Atlantic’s Guest List service. Members can avail of chauffeur driven cars to and from the airport, use of the service’s private security screening (avoiding the inevitable smelly feet in the standard queue!), access to the Clubhouse and more. Even your luggage will be treated like a VIP.

Lufthansa Guide Service

Travelling to Frankfurt or Munich? If you’re worried about your lack of German, why not book a Lufthansa Guide to navigate you through the airport? The English (or other language, as required) –speaking guide will prove invaluable as you come to the realisation that Frankfurt airport is particularly tricky to find your way around! In fact, it would be quite handy to have a golf cart service too…

Heathrow VIP

The next time you fly from Heathrow, have a look at the VIP service. Rather than being limited to those flying with a particular airline, this service is available to anyone holding a premium ticket with any one of the Heathrow-based airlines (that is, flying in a cabin other than economy). The service includes use of the Windsor Suite in Terminal 5, with limousine transfer to other terminals where required, use of a private lounge, baggage handling, catering, VIP security and more. Transfers from home are not included as standard but can be arranged on request. However, you will be driven to the door of your plane and boarded through a private VIP entrance.

Gatwick First 

Be treated like a celebrity next time you travel through Gatwick by availing of the Gatwick First concierge service. A uniformed concierge will greet you on arrival and lead you to a private check-in desk, before escorting you through the premium security channels and onwards to the international departure lounge. Any personal shopping or food requests can be dealt with by your concierge, who will finish the service by accompanying you to the appropriate departure gate. An arrivals concierge service is also available.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

 

10 Lifechangers You Can Learn in 10 Minutes

If you find yourself with an unexpected ten minutes or so to spare, how do you normally spend it? Do you automatically gravitate towards Facebook, Twitter or a favourite news website or make a quick phone call home? We’re not saying you should stop these activities completely, but we would like to point out that you could be spending those ten minutes far more productively.

Here are 10 new skills you can learn in 10 minutes.

1. Master some Gmail keyboard shortcuts. These particular ones will need to be activated in the settings menu before using.

Press Shift along with:

• C to compose a new message
• R to reply to email sender only
• A to reply to all
• J and K to move up and down through the messages in your inbox
• Tab+Enter to send a message

2. Learn CPR from this Vinny Jones video

3. Learn 6 ways to tie a tie

4. And 6 ways to fold a pocket square

5. How to remember which side of your car the petrol pump should be on. Most dashboards have a handy arrow, which many people completely fail to notice.

6. Make contact with one person you met at a networking event but didn’t follow up

7. Use LastPass or a similar app to generate some really secure passwords

8. Revisit your Facebook friends list and remove people you’re not really interested in being friends with. We (well, those of us who use Facebook!) all have a least a few who we accepted out of obligation or added out of sheer nosiness.

9. Use a mug and a microwave to make a delicious chocolate cake

10. Declutter one area of your home or office, using our top tips

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

What to do in London this March

Did you know every March is Veggie Month? Will you be taking the Big Veg Pledge?

If that’s not quite your cup of tea, how about participating in National Bed Month instead?

While you’re deciding whether to fill your month with veggies, pyjamas or both, here’s what else is happening in and around London in March

Dates for your diary

5^th March is this year’s World Book Day, so make sure you have some excellent reading on the go. Susan can highly recommend The Miniaturist.

Don’t miss International Women’s Day on 8^th March. Not everyone is as lucky as most of us here in the UK are, visit the website and find out how to get involved with this year’s Make It Happen theme

It’s time to seek sponsorship and get your application in if you intend to view Royal Ascot from the Royal Enclosure

March events in London

1^st March – Capital One Cup Final, Chelsea V Tottenham Hotspur, Wembley Stadium. Contact us for VIP hospitality

1^st & 31^st March – Lionel Ritchie All The Hits All Night Long Tour, O2 Arena

6^th March – The Stranglers UK Tour, Roundhouse

6^th March – Unibet Long Sporting Lunch 2015, The Brewery. Contact us for more information

7^th-8^th March – Country to Country Festival and After Show Party, O2 Arena

10^th-13^th March – Cheltenham National Hunt Festival 2015

10^th March – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, O2 Arena

13^th March – Clean Bandit UK Tour, Alexandra Palace

13^th-14^th March – The Script UK Tour, O2 Arena

14^th March – England V Scotland, RBS Six Nations 2015, Twickenham

15^th March – North London Half Marathon, Wembley Stadium

17^th-18^th March – Spandau Ballet Soulboys of the Western World Tour, O2 Arena

20^th-21^st March – X-Factor Live Tour, O2 Arena

21^st March – England V France, RBS Six Nations 2015, Twickenham

22^nd-23^rd March – The Who Hits 50, O2 Arena

23^rd-28^th March – Teenage Cancer Trust, Various Events, Royal Albert Hall. Limited Tickets Available

27^th March – England V Lithuania, UEFA EURO 2016 Qualifier, Wembley Stadium

29^th March – Empire Film Awards 2015, London Venue TBC

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

 

 

 

 

10 Tasks to Delegate to Business Support

One of the most popular client choices when using cushion the impact is our business support. Also known as virtual assistance or executive assistance, our business support services prove invaluable in many ways.  You get on with what you do best and we do the rest!

Here are ten of the most common tasks clients delegate to us.

• Prepare and issue invoices
• Chase up outstanding invoices
• Answer and deal with incoming telephone calls
• Handle emails
• Standardise processes
• Organise paperwork
• Twitter campaigns
• Update LinkedIn statuses
• Update websites
• Publish blogs
• Any other (legal!) task which will free you up to run your business

We get plenty of unusual requests too, so don’t worry if the task you would like to delegate is a little out of the ordinary – we’ll be happy to take it on.

If you would like further information about how to delegate or to delegate tasks to our Business Support team, drop us a line or give us a call on 020 3218 0053.

For productivity and lifestyle tips directly in your inbox every Wednesday morning, sign up for our newsletter today.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

Top Tips for Honing Outstanding Delegation Skills

As we’ve mentioned, February is all about delegation and relocation here at cushion the impact. We have a number of handy hints and tips to share with you over the next month, starting with today’s five top tips for perfecting those delegation skills.

Developing great delegation skills will have a positive effect on your working life, so why not start today?

Embrace regular delegation – Rather than seeing delegation as another task on your list, integrate it into your normal working day. Make it part of your planning and training, not just something that you do when things get too hectic.

Trust your team – Let go of the belief that only you can achieve the required results. Train your team or your out-sourcerer (see what we did there?) to cover when required and trust them to do it.

Do not micromanage – Once a task is delegated, it’s delegated. Let the person you’ve delegated to know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. Keeping in contact is fine; breathing down their neck is not.

Recruit intelligently – By hiring people that you would feel confident in trusting, you will make delegation a lot simpler for all involved.

Communicate – Always remember that communication is key. Communicate clearly to make sure all people involved know exactly what is happening.

What are your favourite delegation tips? Do let us know in the comments below.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!

 

Secrets of Successful Delegation Part 2

Have you tried the secrets of delegation we shared in our earlier blog? If not, or if you haven’t seen it yet, it can be read again here.

If you have been practising your delegation skills and are ready to move on to the next steps, here’s part 2…

Invite discussion

Don’t be tempted to think you can delegate by emailing a detailed request and leaving it to the delegate to get on with it. Let them know that you are happy to answer questions. Not only will this help them to build a clear picture of your requirements, it also reduces misunderstandings and the need for changes five minutes before the deadline.

Communicate!

Keep in touch to make sure everything is going to plan and they are comfortable with what they need to do. Make use of collaboration tools, meetings, instant messaging, shared folders or email – all can help.

Keep records

The technology available means there is little excuse for not knowing where someone else is working on a project. By using sites such as Dropbox, shared calendars, other file-sharing systems and technology, it should be possible for you, or another colleague, to pick up the task if necessary.

Please do leave us a comment and let us know how you’re getting on, we always love hearing from our readers.

cushion the impact  provides award winning personal and virtual assistance and customised lifestyle management for hard working and hard living individuals and small business owners.  We know there aren’t enough hours in the day, so let us help you live an organised, efficient, & fulfilling life. Take a deep breath & call us today.  Your personal service awaits!!