Thursday, July 28, 2011

Oodles of Time Management Tips: July Nonprofit Blog Carnival Round-Up

I bet the Aztecs didn't have time management issues!
A big thanks to everyone who contributed a post to this month's Nonprofit Blog Carnival.  Below is a selection of folks' answers to this month's topic:  Time Management Tips. I've highlighted one tip from each post. 

5 Tips to Simplify Your Schedule by Ariana Pritchett of the Simply Living Coaching Blog

"'No.' is a complete sentence: You do not need to follow up with a laundry list of excuses, saying a gracious no can suffice. Actually I’ve found that in most cases people would rather you say no and then change your mind to yes then the other way around."

10 Time Management Tips for Nonprofit Communicators by Gayle Thorsen of IMPACTMAX

"Monday morning me-time. (Beg your ED not to schedule staff meetings on Monday mornings; Tuesday mornings are more productive. You’re all back into the swing of things and new questions will have arisen.)"

Are You It? by Sandy Rees of Get Fully Funded

"[P]lay to your strengths. Do only those things that you are really good at and get help with the rest. I know, I can hear you saying that you can’t afford to hire anyone. That’s alright. Recruit a volunteer or get an intern to help you" 

Effective Time Management for Nonprofit Managers by Joe Garecht of  The Fundraising Authority 

"Cut Back on E-Mail, Voicemail, and Social Media. As part of your job, you will be required to send and receive e-mails and answer voicemails, and you may need to be on social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The single largest time drain for any office worker today is switching from projects to e-mail, voicemail, and social media every 30 minutes to 'check in' and 'stay on top of what’s going on.' 

Every Day as a Social Changemaker: the Need for Space by Emily Lu of Medicine for Change

"Space is a hard-won resource in a busy schedule, but I consider that self-centered, me-based time to be fundamental to the inspiration essential to doing good work."

How Smart Benefit Auction Organizers Get More Done Before 9 AM Than the Army Does All Day by Sherry Truhlar of  Red Apple Auctions

"Timedriver – online appointment scheduling tool. Assume Caterer Cathy wants to talk with you. Send Cathy your unique Weblink (generated from Timedriver) and she’ll see the days/hours you’re available. She has visual access to the times you’ve pegged as 'available.'" 

How's Your Work/Task Balance? by Adrian Allen of No Donor Left Behind 

"Get away from your desk: Find a place to work that is not your desk, and keep that location secret if possible. More than just getting away from your usual distractions, people can’t ask you questions or interrupt you if they don’t know where you are." 

Juggling Priorities at Small Staff Organizations by Lori Halley of Wild Apricot

"Take the time to change your behavior. Apparently, it takes 21 days of repetitive activity for your brain to accept new behavior as a habit. So once you identify some time management rituals that work for you, give them a try for a few weeks to see if you can make it work or if it makes a difference."

Overwhelmed? Join the Club by Chapin on Nonprofit Chapin

"Use Outlook tasks. Emily Baime taught me how to use tasks back in the day, and my work life has been transformed. So many people still use a pad of paper, or worse, post its. Outlook tasks allows you to set deadlines for each task, mark priorities, and keep track of progress. Every week I update it according to priority (Monday of that week is high priority, Friday is projects on the backburner, etc.).

Playing with Time: How to Create a Time Budget by me

"If I think of my time budget like a financial budget, I only have so much time I can 'spend,' and a lot of things I want to 'buy,' so I have to spend wisely.  Some of my time has to go to regular 'expenses,' some of my time is an 'investment' that will pay off later, and some of it is just for fun.  Like any budget, I'll have to make adjustments as I go along. Unplanned time expenses will come up, as will time windfalls."

Save Time and Energy When Turning Interviews Into Content by Joanne Fritz on the About.com Nonprofit Charitable Orgs blog.

"Ask for the interview well in advance. Unless you're covering a breaking news story, you likely have the luxury of letting the interviewee know in plenty of time that you'd like to interview them. Most people are more comfortable if they have a few days to think about what they might say to you. I like to set up interviews at least a week out if possible. I email the person and provide information about who I am, and why I'd like to do the interview."

Three Ways to Keep Your Sanity When It Comes to Social Media by Katya Andresen of Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog

"Pass out the slingshots. I was on a panel with Joe Trippi last night, and he talked about empowering your champions to spread your message and do your work. He said it’s like handing out slingshots to an army of Davids. You don’t have to carry the burden of conversation alone like some Goliath social media guru. That doesn’t work well anyway. The more your supporters take over your engagement, the more effective your message—and the saner your life." 

Time Management Nonprofit Style on Xico Arte y Cultura

"Be Proactive, Not Reactive: Just because a deadline is a week away doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t already be working on it. Start early, use downtime to work on the projects that are usually not a priority, and have some idea of what is coming up in the near future. This allows for calm and careful planning instead of screaming panic." 

Time Management Tips I've Implemented This Year by Kivi Leroux Miller of Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog.

"Thinking Six Months Ahead. Planning our webinar programming six months ahead, instead of three, has saved me a bunch of time, because I’m not scrabbling as much. We still publish the schedule only three months at a time in case we do want to make adjustments, but behind the scenes, we have the programming sketched out through December."

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For more time management tips, be sure to read the contributors' full posts. Kivi Leroux Miller of Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog will host the August Nonprofit Blog Carnival.  She's looking for posts with Kooky, Quirky, and Off-Beat Ideas.

Flickr Photo of Aztec Calendar at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City uploaded by Michael McCarty.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Arts Activist Naomi Natale and The One Million Bones Project

 

"The fact that it actually happens today despite the "Never Again," rhetoric, despite the fact we apologize for how we didn't act in the past, that we allow it to happen again.  At this point, I'm not able to not do anything about that.  I have to begin that conversation, even if it just ends with a conversation."
- Naomi Natale, One Million Bones

Naomi Natale is the founding artist behind One Million Bones, a collaborative art installation designed to recognize the millions of victims and survivors who have been killed or displaced by ongoing genocides and mass atrocities in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burma.

Both an installation artist and photographer, Naomi was the founder and director of The Cradle Project, a large scale installation calling attention and raising funds for the 48 million children orphaned in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 550 cradles were created and donated by artists around the world. Naomi served as an artist-in-residence at Columbia College Chicago in 2008, 2010 and 2011. 

She speaks internationally on the topics of art and activism, as well as her installation works.  She is currently both a TED Senior Fellow and Carl Wilkens Fellow, respectively.

You can listen and subscribe to the Big Vision Podcast via iTunes, or on the player above.  If you have suggestions for people I should interview, please email me at britt AT brittbravo DOT com. 


Show Notes

I have two workshops coming up:

Learn more about Naomi and One Million Bones
Connect with me
Music: "Mango Delight," by Kenya Masala.  Connect with Kenya through CD Baby and Source Consulting Group.

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Meatless Monday: Fusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera, Chickpea Piccata, Soft Broccoli Polenta + Veggie Burgers

Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns. Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health.  Each week I share meatless recipes I've tried from cookbooks and online.  You can see past Meatless Monday posts here.

Zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, red bell pepper, red onion,
and cherry tomatoes ready to roast.

Fusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera from Appetite for Reduction.
The splash of balsamic vinegar at the end makes it super delish.
You can view the recipe on Google Books.



Chickpea Piccata from Appetite for Reduction.
You can view the recipe on Post Punk Kitchen.


Soft Broccoli Polenta from Appetite for Reduction.
This was so yummy and comforting, I ate it for breakfast too.


Chickpea Piccata on Soft Broccoli Polenta. Yum!
An Amy's brand All American Veggie Burger
with avocado, tomato and red onion.
I'd like to try making my own veggie burger recipes.
Any suggestions?



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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Must See TV: Eli Stone

"[A] gift is something that is given. You don't own it. The world does.
The world is asking you to use it. You don't get to say no,
no matter how much you may want to." - Eli Stone


Over the past couple weeks I've been watching Eli Stone, the 2008-09 TV dramedy that (sadly) was cancelled after two seasons. Eli is a lawyer who sees visions (which are often musical numbers) about people he needs to help. While fighting courtroom cases, he struggles with his own, and others' belief in his visions, his relationships as his life path changes, science vs. faith, and free will vs. divine will.

I loved the series and haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  If you want to check it out, it's available on Netflix (DVD and streaming) and the 1st season is on Hulu.  Here's a little musical clip from the Pilot to give you a taste:


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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Flow within Structure: Advice for a Young Artist


This post was written as part of a gift from wishstudio founder, Mindy Tsonas, to a young artist friend, M.  Mindy asked a group of artists and writers to write letters to M, which Mindy compiled into a book for her.  Below is my contribution:

Dear M,

My main advice for you, as you begin your adult life as an artist (so exciting!), is to be like a stream: flow within a structure.

As artists, we're often most comfortable living in the flow, and following our creative curiosities as they arise. We resist limits and structure, and yet according to a study reported in The New York Times article, Route to Creativity: Following Bliss or Dots?, "the real source of productive creativity may lie in art's supposed bugaboos: rules, structure, even the occasional editor or two."

On the other hand, we live in particularly uncertain times.  Your creative goals and plans may be crystal clear and mapped out, but any number of challenges (e.g. money, relationships, time, illness, natural disaster) could change your goals and direction, which is when you'll need to be able to flow around the obstacles, and shift your path.

Life as a creative person is a constant dance between structure and flow.  Keep listening to when the music changes, and you'll be just fine.

Best wishes,

Britt
www.brittbravo.com


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Photo of stream by me. 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Meatless Monday: Tofu Scramble, Avocado Toast + Eating Nasturiums

Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns. Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health.  Each week I share meatless recipe ideas I find in cookbooks and online.  You can see past Meatless Monday posts here.

 Tofu Scramble + Avocado Nasturtium Toast

 I *love* breakfast. I could eat breakfast foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is why I'm a big fan of tofu scramble.  It works for every meal. The tofu scramble recipe I used is from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  You can view it on Google Books.

I served the scramble to some pals for brunch this weekend along with avocado on toast, and slices of watermelon.  I was inspired to add a nasturium by an avocado toast recipe I saw on the Eating for Education blog.


I'm still working my way through Appetite for Reduction (also by Isa Chandra Moskowitz).  Last week, I made her recipes for Red Thai Tofu and Bhutanese Pineapple Rice.  I couldn't find Bhutanese rice, so I just used brown basmati.

The tofu recipe was OK, but when you put it with the pineapple rice it becomes super yummy, especially if you add just a little extra soy sauce.  These recipes aren't online, but you can find lots of other fabulous Isa creations on her website, Post Punk Kitchen.

Creating recipes doesn't come naturally to me, so I was pretty proud of myself that I made up this simple summer salad: avocado + cherry tomatoes + bermuda onion + lemon juice + olive oil + white wine vinegar + salt + pepper.  Delish!

What yummy meatless dishes did you make this week?








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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Playing with Time: How to Create a Time Budget

Do you ever feel like there is this BIG thing you want to do, but you just never get around to doing it?  That's how I've been feeling lately, so this week I'm playing with a "time budget" for my ideal workday.

If I think of my time budget like a financial budget, I only have so much time I can "spend," and a lot of things I want to "buy," so I have to spend wisely.  Some of my time has to go to regular "expenses," some of my time is an "investment" that will pay off later, and some of it is just for fun.  Like any budget, I'll have to make adjustments as I go along. Unplanned time expenses will come up, as will time windfalls.

Here's how I created by time budget:

First, I divided my work into categories of how I want to spend my time during my perfect workday:
  • Gigs (working with and for others)
  • Creative time (product/service creation, big visioning)
  • Blog writing and podcast production
  • Social networking and marketing
  • Admin (email, billing, office organization)
  • Lunch
  • Exercise
I added lunch and exercise as categories because I know that if I take a proper lunch hour, and add exercise into my day I'll be happier, and more productive.

    Second, I made a guesstimate of how much time I would like/need to spend on each activity in a perfect day:
    • Gigs (working with and for others): 3 hours
    • Creative time (product/service creation, big visioning): 1 hour
    • Blog writing and podcast production: 1 hour
    • Social networking and marketing: 1 hour
    • Admin (email, billing, office organization): 1 hour
    • Lunch: 1 hour
    • Exercise: 30 minutes 

    Third, knowing that a workday would rarely breakdown so evenly, I calculated what my time budget would be for each category over a week:
    • Gigs (working with and for others): 15 hours
    • Creative time (product/service creation, big visioning): 5 hours
    • Blog writing and podcast production: 5 hours
    • Social networking and marketing: 5 hours
    • Admin (email, billing, office organization): 5 hours
    • Lunch: 5 hours
    • Exercise: 2.5 hours

    During the week, I've been keeping rough track of how much time I spend on each category to make sure I'm not over, or under-spending in any category. For example, I joined Google + on Monday and spent almost all of my social networking/marketing budget for the week in one day!

    What I've enjoyed the most about my time budget is that I no longer feel like I should be doing one thing when I'm doing something else.  I'm more present with each activity because I've established that it's important, and budgeted the time to do it.  I'm also learning how long things actually take and am adjusting my budget accordingly.

    How do you play with time?  How do you make time for what really matters?


    I'd love to feature your post about time management tips for nonprofits and nonprofit staffers in the July Nonprofit Blog Carnival. Check out my call for submissions for details.  The deadline to submit your post is July 26th. 

    Flickr photo Time Flies......* uploaded by Neal Fowler.

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    Wednesday, July 13, 2011

    Juicy Blogging News Launch


    I'm launching my first e-newsletter today: Juicy Blogging News. Wahoo!

    Each month I'll send out juicy blogging tips, resources, inspirational stories, special deals, and workshop announcements. I've embedded the sign-up form below, if you'd like to join.

    Other MailChimp users: I'd love to hear your tips.  So far, it's been pretty fun and easy to use.

    Join Juicy Blogging News
    * indicates required









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    Monday, July 11, 2011

    Meatless Monday: Goddess Nicoise

    Photo by me & made pretty with Instagram
    Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns. Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health.

    I didn't have chance to try any new recipes this past week, but this is what I wanted to make again: The Goddess Niçoise with Green Goddess Garlic Dressing from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  Sooooo yummy.  You can view the recipe on Google Books.

    Below are posts by other bloggers who have tried the Goddess Niçoise recipe:

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    Tuesday, July 05, 2011

    Monday, July 04, 2011

    Meatless Monday: Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos + Edamame Pesto + Banana "Ice Cream"

    Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns. Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health.

    This week I made two more recipes from Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, + one recipe I found online. 

    Black Bean, Zucchini, and Olive Tacos

    Very yummy.  The key is the Garlic-Lemon Yogurt sauce. You can view the recipe on Food.com. (One detail they forgot to add was to grate the garlic for the "yogurt" sauce.  Also, I didn't include the jalapeños when I made it).


    Edamame Pesto

    I mentioned this dish in my post, 5 Meatless Dinner Ideas, but it was so tasty, I had to share it again!  You can view the recipe on Google Books.

    Banana "Ice Cream"


    My favorite dish of the week was based on the Banana "Ice Cream" recipe I found on Fatfree Vegan Recipes.  It's just frozen banana whipped up into creamy yumminess in a food processor.  I added a splash of Vanilla Coconut Dream Coconut Drink and a spoonful of peanut butter.  Heavenly!


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    Sunday, July 03, 2011

    Samin Nosrat: Cook, Teacher, Writer, Accidental Activist


    "I think as cooks there's something sort of innate in us that's about sharing and being generous and giving to people." -Samin Nosrat

    Samin Nosrat creates community around food with her varied endeavors as a cook, teacher, writer, and accidental activist.  She's known for the Pop-Up General Store, Tartine Afterhours dinners, Home Ec Cooking Classes, and the nationwide Bakesale for Japan that raised $140,000.

    Her newest project is organizing Chez Panisse Foundation's Eating for Education, a grassroots effort to create national awareness about school kitchen/garden programs. At the heart of all of Samin's work is the fundamental belief in the power of food to create meaningful connection.

    You can listen and subscribe to the Big Vision Podcast via iTunes, or on the player above.  If you have suggestions for people I should interview, please email me at britt AT brittbravo DOT com.

    Show Notes

    I have three workshops coming up:


    Learn more about Samin and Eating for Education

    Cupcake from my local Bakesale for Japan
    Connect with me:

    Music

    "Mango Delight," by Kenya Masala.  You can connect with Kenya through CD Baby, Source Consulting Group, and Facebook.


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