“83 percent of American adults own some kind of cell phone and…a lot of people find it difficult to switch off once they’re at home.”

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I’m on  sabbatical and normally on Wednesdays, we would share a tech or time tip, but today we’re talking resolutions and how you can keep them going well into the new year.

Are you one of the millions of people who make resolutions? Do you ever stick with them? …for more than a month or two? If you answered yes, then no, and then no again, you’re not alone.

But, there is good news. You can make them work for you long after the first three months of the year have passed. Here’s one thing you can do – it’s #3 on my list:

3. Stop doing. So, normally, I tell clients to write a daily, weekly, and monthly to do list. And, I’m still all for that. Buuut, there’s value in writing a stop doing list, too. There are things that you really don’t have to do. There are also things that you can let someone else handle. There will definitely be things that you hate doing, so find the right person to pass the buck to.

Check out all five of my tips for Getting Your Resolutions in Gear over at the Rubbermaid blog, and be sure to share how you plan to keep your goals alive in 2012.

I’m taking a sabbatical and have lined up a few posts ahead of time. I’ll also be re-sharing some of my fave OTR articles and introducing you to new guest authors as well as other interesting info while I’m away.  Here are a couple of time management tips from Paul Burton of Quiet Spacing that anyone can follow.

“Time itself cannot be managed. It ticks inexorably forward. However, we can manage our behavior to make the most of the time we have.” 

#1 Turn Off New Message Alerts. 

Consider this math: a four-second distraction to look at the new e-mail preview multiplied over 100 e-mails per day totals 400 seconds. That’s six and one-half minutes of activity with no corresponding productivity. Aggregating these seconds over a 220-day work year results in over 24 hours of lost productivity!

#3  Schedule Time Between Appointments. 

Try placing five minutes between appointments so you can jot down any thoughts you have about the meeting/call you just finished before you start up on the next. You will capture the maximum amount of information about each appointment and sharpen your focus on the next event.

See All 4 Tips at QuietSpacing.com

Have you stopped and smelled the petunias lately? They’re probably not around anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a couple minutes to stop and just be…to do something – no matter how small – for you. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make our day great. Profound. Awesome. Just fabulous.

I recently watched a video by Scott McKain (awesome fella) who reminded viewers to take the time to make each day count. From the looks of things, he added an extra day to a business trip and spent some time at the beach. Nothing special. Just a beach. But, I’m sure there was a whole lotta relaxation that worked wonders for his well-being. Which means that if he’s happy, then everyone around him will be happy, too.

Here’s a snippet of what he had to say…

“Just do what it takes to not miss the good stuff in life. To find little things that you can do along the way…that make an incredible difference that helps center you, that helps get you back on track…that helps remind you of the things that are really important…”

…and for the rest of his message, check out his video…

“In the age where keeping up with Facebook and Twitter have become tasks in and of themselves, we loose [sic] sight of the fact that we choose to spend our downtime in certain ways. It’s not that we don’t have “me” time, it’s that it comes in very small increments, sometimes so small that we don’t notice we have it, or how we’re spending it.”

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Why You Have More Time Than You Think | HuffingtonPost.com | 10.8.11

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What if time was tangible? Like a wad of cash? Or, new lipstick or grape chapstick? Or, your favorite Sharpie! You’d really pay attention to it, wouldn’t you? And, it would be kinda fun…plus you’d look and feel good, too. If you’re into money, make up, and markers. 

You’d be able to manipulate it better (i.e., be more efficient). Work with it and not run away from it (i.e., procrastinate). You might even find that you have more time to share it (e.g., volunteer, hang out with friends, etc.).

Or, you might just keep more of it to yourself (e.g., exercise more, chill and do nothing, read your favorite book). Or, save some up in a Ziploc until you need it.

Time isn’t quite so cut and dry. Well, it can be very dry and boring. Pressured. Tense. Inconvenient. A royal pain. But, it’s like taxes, you have to deal with it. And, be pretty good at managing it (more often than not) to make everyone happy – your spouse, your boss, your cat, your children…you.

That last person is especially important. Because when that person is happy, everybody else is, too. So, if you’re struggling with time, figure out what the problem is.

1. Are you the person who always says yes to every project you’re offered?

2. Do you underestimate how long it will take you to really leave the house?

3. …or finish a particular task?

4. Are you the person that always refuses help?

5. Do you keep everything in your head because you know you’ll remember it all?

6. Do you dread doing certain tasks?

Please don’t go buy the latest planner, calendar, or app until you first figure out what’s off kilter. Because you’ll be wasting more time. You don’t want that, do you?

“The more you delegate tasks to others, the more time you should have to spend on paving the way for your company. However, delegating only works when done effectively. Find your super strength and exploit it, and let others take care of things that slow you down.”

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Dear Entrepreneur: You Can’t Do It All | TheYEC.org | 8.24.11

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You know I love Instapaper. In fact, I now use it exclusively to save articles I want to read later. If you get your news and resources online, this is an amazing tool to have. In case I couldn’t convince you last time, here’s a feature that might persuade you to give it a go.

See that button that says “Read Later?” All you have to do is drag it to your bookmarks toolbar and click on it each time you come across an article you want to check out later. Instapaper will automatically add it to your account.

Could it get any simpler than that? Yes, it can. You can install it on your iPhone so you can save articles when you’re phone-browsing (is that a word??). And, yes, it will sync with the web-based app.

Ready to give it a shot?

“Men actually experience more work-family conflict than women, according to a 2008 survey from the nonprofit Families and Work Institute. Traditional pressures men feel to be breadwinners, combined with new pressures to be more involved in family life and workplaces that don’t fully support those dual roles, has resulted in what researchers termed the “new male mystique.”

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Balancing between love and work | ChicagoTribune.com | 9.6.11

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I’ve found three awesome articles, all about how to win the wrestling match with that elusive creature known as time. Check them out and share your own tips.

1. Have an Office Exit Plan  | CarolinaParent.com

Features tips from OTR friend, Geralin Thomas, and others, including: Manage Your Inbox and Respond to Voicemail at the Right Time.

2. Guru Review: Interrupt Yourself for Greater Focus  | OpenForum.com

We get interrupted all the time. Why not schedule productive interruptions? 

3. The Single Best Time Management Tip Ever | Bnet.com

Pick up a project for 20 minutes. Put it down. Pick up again for another 20 minutes. Rinse, lather, and repeat. Sounds a bit like the Pomodoro Technique. Rigid or worth it?