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!!

 

10 minutes to regain time with 5 Android productivity apps

Earlier this month we published a blog about iPhone and iPad productivity apps and how they could help you to regain some inefficiently-used time. If you use an Android device, here’s our pick of the top five productivity apps for you.

Give at least one of them a try and find out how investing just ten minutes could enable you to reclaim a significant amount of wasted time.

Evernote (From Free) 

Exactly as we said in our iOS blog, Evernote has featured on every productivity app blog we’ve published, and it will continue to do so unless something drastic happens. Evernote is a virtual notebook in your pocket, enabling you to save photos, web pages, videos, reminders, PDFs, documents and pretty much anything else you can think of. Everything you save can be accessed from the web, desktop or mobile versions of the app, making it incredibly easy to stay on top of things, no matter where you end up working from. The basic version of Evernote is free, with paid options available to those who require increased functionality.

Asana (From Free) 

Asana is a must for team working and remote collaboration. Ditch email and communicate via the app, sync tasks, update projects and even send notifications that a task is complete. Asana works with a range of software, including Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Slack and more to keep you, your team and your work up to date and instantly viewable, no matter where you are. The mobile app is free, pricing for Asana depends on the number of users required.

SwiftKey (Free) 

A custom keyboard may not seem like the most productive of apps, but wait and see how much time you save once it starts to learn your vocabulary and actually auto-complete words you want to use. Once you get the knack of the swipe keyboard, it will make typing an awful lot faster too. Remember, all those minutes will soon add up!

LastPass (From Free) 

Security is important when all of your work and confidential communication is carried out online, which is where LastPass comes in. Each time you access a new website, LastPass will remember the password and enter your details automatically next time round. Record important information, back-up secure documents, generate strong passwords and share logins with other LastPass users when necessary. Increased functionality is available on paid versions of the app.

Cloud Print (Free) 

This app is incredibly simple and that’s partly why we love it. Install this app on your Android device and print anything you like to a Google Cloud Print-enabled printer. It really is that easy!

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!!

 

10 Minutes to Regain Your Time With These iOS Apps

Smartphones and their apps are often cited amongst the biggest productivity drains known to mankind, but we firmly believe in their power to do good. All you need to do is download the right apps and be very strict about how you spend your time. That means no sneaking onto social media and news websites when you’re meant to be updating a project or adding events to your schedule!

Here are 5 of our favourite iOS productivity apps. Android users, keep an eye out for our top 5 Android productivity apps, coming soon.

Evernote (From Free)

This has featured on every productivity app blog we’ve published, and it will continue to do so unless something drastic happens. Evernote is a virtual notebook in your pocket, enabling you to save photos, web pages, videos, reminders, PDFs, documents and pretty much anything else you can think of. Everything you save can be accessed from the web, desktop or mobile versions of the app, making it incredibly easy to stay on top of things, no matter where you end up working from. The basic version of Evernote is free, with paid options available to those who require increased functionality.

Timeful (Free)

Not only will Timeful help you to keep track of the tasks you need to complete, it will also learn your habits and make suggestions on how to better manage your time. Ideal for those times when you can’t have our expert advice on hand! The more you use Timeful, the more productive it can help you become, so make it one habit you start now.

Wunderlist (Free)

Another favourite of ours, Wunderlist syncs across all of your devices, and allows you to collaborate with other team members or your family but works just as fabulously when you’re working alone.

Things (£6.99)

Much as we are advocates of keeping things as simple as possible, sometimes life is too complicated for a basic to-do list and this is where Things comes into its own.  What we love most is the ease at which it combines powerful features with ease of use. No wasted time!

Day One (£2.99)

If you want to keep a photographic memoir of your days for blogging or website purposes, Day One is an excellent app for the job. Record your life as you go and keep it all in one handy place for when you next need it. Day One lets you sync with Dropbox or iCloud and export your journals as PDF

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!!