"You've got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." -- Yogi Berra. "Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." -- William Jennings Bryan. "The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind." -- Henry David Thoreau. Your company has a strategic plan for success. Do you? You should, if you expect to maximize your personal productivity and create success in the long term. Business is no place for flying by the seat of your pants. While you'll want to exercise flexibility in your career, moving forward without a firm destination in mind wastes time and energy, and it may leave you too unfocused to accomplish much of … [Read more...]
Personal Productivity as a Habit
By this point in your career, you've most likely figured out the basic requirements for achieving workplace productivity. No doubt you have a good idea of how to manage your time, set goals, break big tasks into smaller ones, prioritize your task list, keep your email inbox empty, shake off procrastination, and dodge perfectionism. In other words, you've learned the principles of high performance. But knowing what to do doesn’t matter if you don’t do it: day in and day out, in all circumstances, even when you don't feel like it. Fortunately, human nature serves you well here. Once used to a task, you can generally shift into a semi-automatic mode that allows you to perform the task efficiently, without having to constantly remind yourself about what comes next. Having a routine saves … [Read more...]
How do You KNOW When You’re Busy?
I've come up with a few questions that you can ask yourself to see where you stand: Are you productive -- or just busy? Watch out for this one, because it's an easy trap to fall into. Everybody likes to look busy. Some workers make a career out of it while actually accomplishing very little in the average day. People zoom around the office, guzzling coffee and stomping back and forth to the copier; they scatter paper across every inch of their desks; and they furiously clack away at their keyboards while they talk on the phone. Busy, busy, busy! But having lots of plates spinning at once doesn't necessarily mean anything was accomplished. We all know what it's like to have a really busy day, but still feel like we've accomplished very little and were unproductive all day. Set your … [Read more...]
Poor Communication Can Kill Personal Productivity
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." -- Actors Strother Martin and Paul Newman at various times during the film Cool Hand Luke, 1967 "It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners." -- Erma Bombeck, American humorist. "Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success." -- Paul J. Meyer, American motivational guru. Most people just don't talk anymore. Oh, we blather on about this and that, but too often we don't actually communicate. Even in our private conversations, it sometimes seems like too much effort to say more than the bare minimum; and of course, really getting into a conversation takes away from our limited store of time. How ironic that in the … [Read more...]
Do You Have Written Goals?
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses the importance of having written goals. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Being Drunk vs. Productivity
I like to get drunk every now and then. Well, sorry, I'm just a human being. Besides, I'm from Poland, and that's kinda what we do here. However, this post is not about how cool this drunk state of mind is... on the contrary, most of the time it isn't. For many people alcohol is a shortcut to having good fun in whatever situation. A small dosage of alcohol (like a shot or two) is proven to improve our eloquence and self-confidence. So long story short, most people drink at parties just to have batter fun. Only to find themselves tricked the next morning when they wake up with a giant headache. That's what alcohol does. It tricks you by promising quick benefits (instant fun), but you'll have to pay the price next morning when you realize that you, my friend, feel like a wreck of a … [Read more...]
The 12 Dysfunctional Personal Productivity Personalities
Everyone has a productivity personality. It’s the collection of strengths, weaknesses, and day-to-day habits that come together to determine how a person works best. I’ve written often about how important it is to get a handle on your own personal productivity personality, but it’s important that you don’t stop there. After all, most of us depend on others at some point in our day and the individual work styles and attitudes of those around us can have a huge impact on our own ability to get things done. That’s why I put together a list of the 12 dysfunctional personal productivity personalities. Hopefully this list will help you smile (rather than cringe) the next time a coworker’s bad habits start to drive you up the wall. I’ve also included some thoughts on how to deal with each … [Read more...]
Overwork and Personal Productivity: the Reality
"Taking enough time to renew our strengths and resources is necessary to preserve and enhance the greatest asset we have, ourselves." -- Timi Gustafson, American health writer and dietitian. "We often hear of people breaking down from overwork, but in nine out of ten times they are really suffering from worry or anxiety." -- Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913), British polymath and Member of Parliament. "Make a distinction between work and leisure; don't skip your holidays; take care of your health and well-being..." -- Dr. Marianna Virtanen, lead author of "Long Working Hours and Cognitive Function: The Whitehall II Study." Say what you will about the slacker generation, most Americans don't hesitate when it comes to hard work. A willingness to jump in and get the job done has been an … [Read more...]
The Productivity Academy returns to Denver March 15
What do you do when there’s TOO MUCH TO DO? You mark your calendar and come to THE PRODUCTIVITY ACADEMY with Laura Stack! Due to popular demand, we are once again presenting The Productivity Academy on March 15 at the Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows in the Denver area. Past participants have said: You just have NO idea. Really. New planner. New plan. New tools. New knowledge. New mindset. New energy. New enthusiasm. New HOPE!! and I have benefited hugely from the tasking tools in Microsoft Outlook, particularly saving emails to tasks - as well as your 3-minute rule. My inbox is emptied every time I check my email! I am also using standing tickler files at work and home, which has helped me corral all that incoming paperwork! Finally, I am aware of what times of the day I … [Read more...]
Managing Your Time: Laura’s Latest Book
Need some guidance on managing your time when there is simply too much to do? My new book, What to Do When There's Too Much to Do: Reduce Tasks, Increase Results, and Save 90 Minutes a Day (Berrett-Koehler) is already available for pre-order on Amazon, and the pub date isn't officially until July 2! http://amzn.to/tZ7kAP … [Read more...]
