Take back control of your inbox, your phone & your LIFE using simple productivity techniques & efficiency tactics – that work for even the most attention deficit people (like Michelle).

1. GET MORE DONE
& STAY SANE!
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2. what could
you do with
more time?
7

3. how much is
your time
worth?

4. Base Earnings Target 250000
Number of work weeks 45
Number of work days/week 4
Work hours/day 9
Productivity 1/3
Value of YOUR hour $462.96

5. think about that every time...

6. think about that every time...

7. think about that every time...

8. the
MULTI-TASKING
myth
10

9. ADD
Interesting article on ADD & Evolution
here: http://borntoexplore.org/evolve.htm

11. • tasks that take 5 or 10 minutes get done
• give feeling of “accomplishment”
• tasks that take concentration & focus, get delayed
• delayed tasks are usually more important
• we spend most time on unimportant tasks
• most productive work is done in longer chunks
“staccato work environment”
(Julie Morgenstern)
Julie’s online videos
have great info

12. “Legado Tasks”

13. It takes the human brain two to
four times longer to recognize
and process information when
switching from one task to another.
Time lost increases with the
complexity of the tasks at hand.
– Harvard University & University of Michigan Studies

14. In 2007, a group of Microsoft workers
took, on average, 15 minutes to
return to serious mental tasks,
such as writing reports or computer
code, after dealing with incoming
email. They wandered off to reply to
other messages or browse the Web.
– New York Times, 3/25/2007

15. People who regularly juggle several
streams of electronic information do
not pay attention, control their
memories, or switch from
one task to another as well as
those who prefer to focus on one thing
at a time.
– Stanford Report, 8/24/2009
Study by Clifford Nass, Eyal Ophir & Anthony Wagner

17. the vacation phenomenon

18. forced switch
+ fixed time
= best results
increased
results
Stephen J. Payne, Geoffrey B. Duggan, Hansjörg Neth (2007). Discretionary task interleaving: Heuristics for time allocation
in cognitive foraging. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136 (3), 370-388 DOI: 10.1037/0096-3445.136.3.370

19. the point is...
• create deadlines
• set specific amounts of time for tasks
• schedule specific times for tasks
• shut off interruptions

20. time burners
email
meetings phone
procrastination people
menial tasks repetitive tasks

21. taking back control
of your inbox

22. what is email?

24. how many emails do
you get a day?

25. email batching*
50 messages/day = 1 message every 10 minutes
9 am II IIIII III I IIII I I III I II I I III I I II II IIIII II IIIIII III 5 pm
* Tim Ferriss, The Four Hour Workweek

26. email batching
productive productive
time productive productive
time 12:30
time time
9 am II IIIII III I IIII I I III I II I I III I I II II IIIII II IIIIII III 5 pm
productive productive productive
time time time
productive productive
time time

27. email batching
9 am II IIIII III I IIII I I III I II I I III I I II II IIIII II IIIIII III 5 pm
productive time productive time
batch batch
email email

28. email scheduling
• least productive way to start day
• start day in “reactive mode”
• never regain control
• avoid email for at least first hour
• what really can’t wait 1 hour?
• reserve first hour for most critical
• if people really need you... they will find you
• bad news travels fast
• “single most powerful way to regain control”

29. write down one thing
that would make a huge difference
in your career/business/life...
(i.e., gym, write book, strategize)

30. do THAT first every day instead

31. Sincerely,
Michelle Villalobos
(vee - ya - low - bos)
phone/fax: (888) 531-3830
email: michelle@mivistainc.com
website: www.MichelleVillalobos.com
Note: In an effort to be more efficient, I now “batch” my
emails and check twice a day (usually at 11 am and 4 pm).
If your matter is urgent (really urgent!) please call me
_____. Otherwise, thank you for understanding & helping
me in my effort to become more productive!

32. the auto-responder
Thanks for your email.
In an effort to free up time and become more efficient & effective, I'm outsourcing my inbox ;)
Patti & Corrisa will be monitoring my incoming business emails, booking my speaking
engagements, scheduling appointments, & answering most incoming emails for the time being.
Should you urgently need to speak with me, text me at xxxx@txt.att.net. I will answer or call
you back at my earliest convenience. However, I am "batching" communications and
responding once or twice a day at most. Please do not add this email to any subscription lists
or mailing lists.
I appreciate your helping me to automate, outsource and delegate all non-essential
tasks in an effort to "upgrade my life." If you are interested in performing your own
experiment, here are a few book recommendations:
1. The 4-Hour Workweek
2. Upgrade Your Life
3. Never Check Email in the Morning
Thank you!

33. email organization
archive
inbox follow up
hold
best tool: search!

34. email filters
archive
filters inbox follow up
hold
later
“bacn”
best tool: gmail

35. filter,
eliminate,
consolidate,
batch

36. IMAP
(instant message access protocol)

39. it took me 5 hours (from 2 pm to 7 pm)
to finish this set of 3 slides!!

40. effective writing
• use bullets
• anticipate & offer choices
• use “if so” or “if not” construction
• if it’s emotional, call or email always
• use a meaningful subject line
• use shortcuts (EOM, NRN)

41. subject lines
x Important! Read Immediately!!
x Hola!
x Following-up
x The file you requested.
"Confirmed for Tuesday but need to
change location to Starbucks” EOM (end
of message)

42. email recap
• don’t check in morning
• attack most important task in morning
• batch
• outsource
• inform with signature & auto-responder
• filter
• “zero inbox” (i.e., 3-folder) system
• write better (anticipate)

43. 20

45. phone problem signs
• you answer any & all calls whenever, wherever
• you have notifications set for email (vibrate counts)
• you leave on (and out) during meetings
• you have your cell phone on your business cards
• you’re in sales ;)
your phone is controlling you

46. eliminate,
consolidate,
filter,
batch

47. eliminate
• don’t give out your cell phone number (mask)
• requests email or text instead of v-mail message
• voicemail transcription service
• refers to an assistant (or transfer)
• turn the ringer off/phone off!

48. phone to email

50. consolidate
• have one input point (i.e., single number/v-mail)
• several output points (“find me follow me”)
• retrieve (from anywhere, anytime, any device)
• check or batch as needed

51. one
number
incoming call

52. IMAP
(instant message access protocol)

53. Jane Doe
Director, Business Development
janedoe@abccorp.com
tel 305.555.9000
direct 305.555.7979
toll-free 888.555-8000
mobile 305.555.4869
ABC, Corp. fax 888.555.1678

54. Jane Doe
Director, Business Development
janedoe@abccorp.com
305.555.9050
ABC, Corp.

55. “find me, follow me”
(“hide me, shield me”)

56. filter
• set automatic forwards (days, times)
• conditional forwards (i.e., for CS press 3)
• special treatment for specific numbers
• outsource/delegate
• phone spam filtering! (i.e., virtual ring)

57. phone filters
spam
voicemail (batch)
one filter text
number
assistant
you
i.e., Google Voice (free, personal), Nexogy (business)

58. batch
• choose a time to check messages & return calls
• retrieve (from anywhere, anytime, any device)
• when do you like to talk on the phone? i.e.,
commuting with headset of course ;)
• set availability times (like office hours)
• batch check & batch return as needed
• if too tempting, turn off ringer
15

59. vampires*
hey, got a minute?
*Dan Kennedy: The No BS Guide to Productivity

60. impromptu meetings

61. Tungle.me

62. Google Calendar

63. batch
OFFICE HOURS
please bring specific issues/questions
you’d like to address & resolve
Monday: 4 to 6 pm
Wednesday: 8 to 10 am
Friday: noon to 2 pm

64. eliminate
just say no!

65. eliminate

66. plan

67. evaluate

68. who interrupts you?
• log 1 week
• every 30 minutes (=10-15 data points/day)
• probably find it’s the same people
• figure out ways to manage them better

69. “The squeaky wheel gets the oil”
(and isn’t usually the best or most productive wheel)

70. general principles
7

71. your work day
• set boundaries; shorten workday; get more done
• think close to revenue line
• break the habit of total self-reliance (“no task too
big or too small”)
• free up time for the highest level tasks
• release perfectionism
• handle interruptions (& other nibblers)
outsource, automate, delegate, filter, batch!!

72. efficient vs. effective

73. * Steven R. Covey

74. productivity toolbox
batch
outsource filter
automate plan
delegate eliminate
5

75. recommended reading

77. one
number
incoming call

80. want this
slideshow?
i’ll email it to you
or sign up at
www.MichelleVillalobos.com
& get access to all of my slideshows
Copyright Michelle Villalobos, Mivista Consulting, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.
To Reprint, Distribute or Repurpose, visit www.MivistaConsulting.com and click “Contact Us”.

81. Communicate More Powerfully
(Without Being A Bit%$)
The Workshop
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gotham Steak, The Fontainebleau Hotel
workshop 4 -6 PM, networking after
“When a man expresses his opinion, he’s a man.
When a woman expresses hers... she’s a bit%$”
– Bette Davis
register at:
www.TheEmpoweredWoman.info