“Better three hours too soon, than one minute too late”. – William Shakespeare, British playwright. In the past few decades, as we've all taken on more work and become increasingly productive, time management has become a crucial part of every worker's skillset. You've probably spent years learning how to implement and improve your time-management skills. Therefore, you may be wondering, “What can you possibly tell me I haven't already heard before?” Maybe nothing. But I believe in revisiting and repeating old lessons, especially when things become too overwhelming or there seems nowhere new to go. That's when you return to basic principles and re-examine the true foundations of high productivity. It's easy to forget time management is based on an open secret you can't hear too often: … [Read more...]

            When doing productive work and making effective decisions, total focus is crucial. However, it can be difficult to achieve in the modern world, where distractions abound—not just the annoyances delivered to you by others, but also the self-distractions inherent in an environment where a few taps on your keyboard can deliver a virtual world of distraction far more enjoyable than work. To move beyond the mere enjoyable and do what's right, much less what’s productive and profitable, requires a significant level of mental discipline. When doing productive work and making effective decisions, total focus is crucial. However, it can be difficult to achieve in the modern world, where distractions abound—not just the annoyances delivered … [Read more...]

"I think one key part of doing more with less is to be more strategic, to realize what the objectives you're truly trying to accomplish are, and then to drive with greater focus towards those objectives."– Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, American businesswoman. While it was painful, the recent Great Recession taught us some useful lessons about frugality, hard work, and productivity. It also taught us to be agile, flexible, and fast. Like NASA, the mantra of modern business has become "faster, better, cheaper." We do more with less than any generation of workers before us. The important thing is making sure the lesson sticks—through thick or thin, good times or bad. So in this blog, I'll focus on tips for maintaining high productivity with fewer resources. Here are five favorites: 1. Avoid … [Read more...]