SLEEP: Learn to Love the Last Letter of the Alphabet You might be surprised to learn that there's a simple treatment that boosts energy levels, improves memory, increases your ability to concentrate, strengthens your immune system, and decreases your risk of death and injury in accidents. Amazingly, it costs absolutely nothing, and is available to anyone. It's called "sleep." Ever heard of it? Quality, restful, undisturbed sleep is one of the keys to maximizing your daytime energy level, but it may take a little tinkering to find what's right for you. Here are a few tips that can help. 1. Catch the right number of Z's. Experiment with finding the amount of sleep that's right for you, and stick with it religiously -- even on the weekends and holidays! 2. Nap wisely. If you absolutely … [Read more...]
Personal Productivity is Ultimately About Getting a Life
Are you working your life away? Yes, you, the one working six days a week, 12 hours a day. Oh, so you "rest" on the seventh day? Hey, even God rested on the seventh day. You, however, put in a few more hours. When did you confuse your job with your life? Leisure, wellness, fun, and stress reduction are all an essential part of any productive routine. If you have a hard time kicking back, here are a few suggestions you should try. 1. Close the mental office "door" and turn off work each day. It's okay to love what you do; it's okay to have passion for your work. But you're not defined by what you do professionally. Stop being a workaholic, and learn to slow down. 2. Leave work on time, so you can get home and enjoy your personal life. Your personal life is at least as important as your … [Read more...]
Protecting your calendar from others: managing availability
While working with Teresa Gavigan, one of my clients, on her office organization, we talked about the challenge she was having with an overly booked calendar and what to do about it. She had recently taken over another entire division and was splitting her time between the two groups, which were in two different buildings. She had ceded her calendar over to her assistant but hadn’t set any boundaries around what meetings to accept and what to decline. Her assistant was accepting meetings tentatively, which resulted in Teresa often being double and triple booked. She told me she frequently felt like she was “having a Lucy Ricardo moment” as she dashed over to one meeting, then over to the next, then back to the other, never wanting to let one or the other down. After months of … [Read more...]
Productivity for Leaders
Personal productivity is one thing. But once you take on leadership responsibilities, productivity is a whole new ball game. Suddenly it is no longer just a matter of being the best you can be, but of bringing out the best in those around you. This can be hard! Priorities compete. Personalities conflict. And let’s face it: some folks just won’t always be as committed as you are to putting in a productive day’s work – bad days happen (even to the best of us). So how do you go about creating a productive team environment that contributes not only to individual productivity, but also to that of the group as a whole? Teach others that “not in their job description” should be “not in their vocabulary.” It’s a fact of life: sometimes, employees will be asked to do things outside of their … [Read more...]
Keep Up with Daily Responsibilities: Get Back to Your Post, Soldier!
In the military, your job or position is known as your Post. Even if you're not in the military, a well-defined Post is an important pillar of personal productivity. When you do your job well, other things in your life fall into place more smoothly. When this pillar is weak, your personal responsibilities seem to get in the way of life. Try these tips for defining and handling your life responsibilities. 1. Hire out tasks requiring a level of expertise you don't have. You don't have to do everything yourself, especially when there are people available who can do it better for a price. You can outsource just about anything these days. 2. Hire out simple chores to helpers. Most people don't have the time to work full-time and do all the housework too -- so don't hesitate to hire it out if … [Read more...]
The Paperless Office? What a Joke!
No matter how technologically savvy we become, we can't seem to eliminate paper. In fact, studies estimate that we generate up to ten times more paper than we did before the advent of the computer! How much of that paper is sitting in stacks on multiple surfaces all over your home and office? To tame those mountains of paper, try throwing these ideas at them. 1. Consistently purge your files without fear. Before you embark on an overhaul of your filing systems, purge all the old junk first. Why spend time dealing with paper you're just going to toss anyway? 2. Create and maintain a filing system that allows you to find papers easily. If you can't find a particular piece of paperwork when you need it, it might as well not exist. Pick a logical filing scheme and follow it … [Read more...]
Who’s in Charge: You or Your “Stuff”?
Do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you? It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the stuff you've accumulated -- everything from toys and clothing, to tools and all the stuff you regularly use that still counts as clutter. If you're tired of all your stuff weighing you down, here are some ideas that may help you regain control. 1. Have a systematic plan to get and stay organized. The key to getting organized is FOCUS. Focus on getting one thing completed before moving to the next area. Act like a postage stamp: stick to one thing until you get there. 2. Eliminate clutter and resist adding more. Don't let your belongings control you. For a start, get rid of unhappy reminders from the past, stop keeping old magazines and newspapers, and don't buy things just because they're … [Read more...]
Time management is dead: The new reality of productivity
We’ve all been there. There’s mail piled up on the corner of your desk. You have 37 unread e-mails. The phone is ringing (not that phone – the other phone). And you’ll be lucky if you can get through three of the fifteen items on your to-do list.Oh – and you have four hours of meetings ahead of you.It didn’t used to be this way. The world has changed in the last decade or so. Has your approach to time management changed with it?If you find yourself stressed out and frustrated every time you try to hunker down and take control of your time, there’s a good chance that’s because you need a new way to think about time management. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to force yourself to work within a system that just isn’t compatible with the pace of your day or the nature of your work. Just … [Read more...]
Beat the Bandits that Rob Your Time
Pests are the time-wasters and robbers that keep you from being able to accomplish your goals, the "termites" that eat away at your personal foundations. Getting rid of them may seem difficult at first, but it's amazing how good we are at eliminating time-wasters when forced to. Try these pointers and see what you can accomplish. 1. Confront problems head-on and make decisions quickly. Indecisiveness is a big time-waster and a major pest in your quest to be productive. The ability to make quick decisions is the hallmark of a good leader and efficient person. 2. Complete the tasks you start. Don't let projects stall; make a running list keeping track of them so you know what's due next, and break them down into smaller pieces to get them done easier. 3. Keep interruptions from … [Read more...]
Your Personal Productivity Personality and Self-Sabotage
Have you ever considered that your biggest obstacle to finding more time might be YOU? The way you react to the world may be the reason you stay overwhelmed. To fix this you need to look at your behavior, habits, and choices, and then figure out which ones to adjust in order to support your desired direction in life. Here are a few tips that can help you do just that. 1. Control perfectionism. Realize that some things are good enough as they are. Instead of worrying about making things perfect, learn to leave well enough alone. Obsessing over small details can be deadly to your productivity. 2. Refuse requests when appropriate. You don't have to say "yes" to everything, whether that involves accepting extra work or baking brownies for a kid's party. Set boundaries about what … [Read more...]
