Have you ever wanted to scream, "Stop the world, I want to get off!"? If you feel that way, maybe you should -- because if you're racing to nowhere, you definitely need to step back and take a look at your priorities. Without the why in your life, the how becomes harder and harder. The solution is to determine where you want to spend your time in support of your plans. What are you committed to changing in your life? These tips can help you decide. 1. Spend enough time with the people who are dear to you. Never take your loved ones for granted, because they may not be here tomorrow. Make time for them when none exists, and treasure every minute. 2. Volunteer in a way that feeds your spirit and makes a lasting contribution. Volunteering shouldn't feel like work; it can be … [Read more...]
Do Your Daily Activities Contribute to the Plan for Your Life?
Without a plan, life just sort of happens to you. But with a plan, you'll make sure your daily activities support what you want to create next week, next month, next year…until, at the end of your days, your activities have contributed to creating and living a successful life. Your plans should be purposeful, so your life moves in the direction you desire, based on your ideal vision for yourself. These tips can help you get there. 1. Have a personal mission statement for your life. You need an essential, written document that helps you make decisions about the way you spend your time and evaluate your choices. This is who you are, and what you're all about. 2. Maintain a list of your life's goals and dreams. Take each dream and phrase it in the form of an objective statement -- and … [Read more...]
Do You Work to Live or Live to Work?
Workplace balance is tough to achieve, because most employees have a real commitment to both their jobs and to their families. They love their work lives and their personal lives, often with equal vigor, and don't want to give up either. But many professionals find it difficult to participate fully in one area without sacrificing the other. If you have trouble with your personal/professional equilibrium, then these ten tips are for you. 1. Allocate time according to your values and the top priorities in your life. Assess whether you're spending your time in ways consistent with what's important to you. Other people should be able to look at your life, observe what you do, and tell what you value. 2. Achieve your ideal life balance. This is one place in life where you shouldn't … [Read more...]
You Can’t Be Productive if You Don’t Take Care of Yourself
How healthy are you? How good do you feel? How much energy do you have throughout the day to accomplish the things you want to? Recent studies have shown that we have the potential to dramatically affect productivity by paying closer attention to our health. In other words, when you feel good, you can accomplish more. You can get on the road to healthier productivity by adopting these tips. 1. Get adequate sleep each night, so you're not sleepy during the day. Sacrificing sleep is actually counterproductive, so experiment until you find the amount of sleep that works best for you, and stick with it. Don't nap during the day, either. 2. Get sufficient exercise. Getting 15-30 minutes of exercise every day is crucial to maintaining your energy level. The less active you are, … [Read more...]
Who’s the Boss? You or Your Blackberry?
Technology is both a blessing and a curse. It can definitely improve your productivity, but having to deal with email, voicemail, the Internet, Blackberries, PDAs, cell phones, and pagers can make you less productive if you're not careful. Here are a few suggestions on how tame your technology . 1. Try to reduce "information overload." Understand that you can have too much information, and find a way to get rid of the excess. Get off mailing lists, learn computer shortcuts, narrow your web searches, cancel subscriptions, and use filtering rules to reduce electronic junk. 2. Use proper netiquette. Among other things, DON'T SHOUT, don't be sloppy, and keep your messages brief and to the point. Make it easy for other people to respond, and most importantly, don't waste … [Read more...]
Catalog Choice Lets You Decide What You Want to Receive
I like a new service by Catalog Choice, in which you decide which catalogs you want to receive. When you receive a catalog you don't want, you enter it on your account and select "Decline Catalog." They contact the merchant on your behalf and request that they no longer send you their catalog. Reduce the number of catalogs you receive in the mail! One-stop-shop method keeps you from having to unsubscribe to each one individually---a real time saver! … [Read more...]
How to Concentrate: Act Like a Postage Stamp and Stick To It!
Nowadays, so many things compete for your attention in the workplace that it can be hard to concentrate on what's important. If you need to improve your ability to stay on target and focus on the task at hand, implement the tips outlined below. 1. Set up your office for maximum productivity and minimum distractions. You need privacy to concentrate and discuss sensitive issues. Don't just take what you're given; reorganize it into a configuration that works best for you. 2. Avoid wasting time by daydreaming. Daydreaming can be a real productivity bandit -- but as long as you don't use it to procrastinate, it can be very helpful. Harness its creative powers, and use it for thinking time that can lead to productive ideas. 3. Remember things more easily. Busy people need good memory … [Read more...]
Deadlines Are Fallin’ On My Head: Easing the Stress of Daily Work and Life
The "faster, cheaper, do more with nothing" approach has created a workplace in which workers are always in high gear. Ironically, this work style usually increases stress while reducing productivity. If you find yourself whizzing along out of control without any idea of how you're going to make it though the day, use these tips to gently apply the brakes. 1. Determine the sources of your stress. Identify and work to eliminate things that trigger stress reactions and drain your energy. For example, limit your time commitments, stop worrying, and avoid stressful, demanding relationships. 2. Take personal responsibility for your own stress level. Stop believing you have no control over your stress. Ultimately, you're responsible for how your life turns out. Refocus your … [Read more...]
Discipline and Self-Control: You Can Be Your Own Worst Productivity Enemy
Discipline is your ability to maintain consistent, productive behavior. To maximize your productivity, you need to learn to do what must be done, and to exercise restraint over your own impulses, emotions, and desires. If you're self-disciplined, you exhibit consistent focus in your daily work -- even when you don't feel like it. Try these tactics to keep you on track during the day. 1. Know your natural energy cycle and work effectively during peak times. We all have a natural time during the day when we feel up (prime time) and a natural time when we feel down (down time). Knowing both your prime and down times and knowing how to handle them is an important productivity enhancer. 2. Control perfectionism. Realize that some things are good enough as they are. If you suffer from the … [Read more...]
Taming the Messy Monster: Bringing Order to Your World
Order relates to your level of organization: your ability to sort, filter, and process information effectively. It also involves your ability to find what you want when you want it, and how tidy your work area looks -- especially to the people who matter. Here are a few ideas to help you control the paper, email, reading material, and inputs that flow into your office. 1. Realize that some people aren't born more organized than others. Understand that organization is a skill that can be learned, just like riding a bike. Getting organized is a process of trial, error and persistence, but you can master it if you're serious about it. 2. Keep a clutter-free work surface. You don't have to be creative and disorganized, if you're willing to learn and the pain is bad enough. No matter … [Read more...]
