Practising what I preach

I run a lovely time management workshop of which I’m really proud because unlike the usual “make a list” courses, mine encourages you to work with what you’ve got. That, of course, involves doing a bit of personal development: you need to understand your own particular style of working to be able to work with it.
My style is non-linear so there’s not much point in making a list, since it’s highly unlikely that I’ll use it — at least, not in the accepted way. My non-linear style is borne out of 30-odd years as a journalist, where it was impractical to work on one thing, finish it and move on to the next. I had to have half a dozen, sometimes two dozen stories on the go at any given moment; any of them could fall down by deadline, so I always had to be sure I had a decent back up, something else to work on. It meant juggling lots of plates and developing a style of working that drives linear folk up the wall.
It does, however, work for me. My desk may not be the neatest you’ve seen; my office may only ever be tidy once or twice a week, but I get stuff done. Doesn’t matter how you dress up ”time management”: it’s only worth bothering with if it means you get stuff done.  And I do.
Which is just as well, because I’m shortly going to be hitting my own deadline for edit completion of my first book, I’ve already got a brill idea for the next, I’m developing a new business coaching package, I signed up two new clients this week, my accountant is waiting for my usual tatty carrier bag of receipts and invoices, and I have to walk my dog.
But not necessarily in that order.

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