Get rid of 25% of your books, tools, sporting equipment and so on. You'll have fewer things, but you'll use a higher percentage of what's left. For more productivity tips, follow us on Twitter, and sign up for the weekly Productivity Pro newsletter. … [Read more...]
Laura Stack,The Productivity Pro(R) Gives advice on what to do when waiting on someone for information you need to finish a project. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses the importance of structure. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), gives advice on setting boundaries in a positive way so that people have realistic expectations. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
How are your habits affecting your personal productivity? Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), talks about taking time to look at your habits to see how they are helping or hurting your abililty to get things done. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
"Sleep that knits up the ravel'd sleeve of care, The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast..." -- William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene II "Sleep is the best meditation." -- The Dalai Lama. "It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." -- John Steinbeck, American writer. Do you get enough sleep at night? At first glance, you may wonder what this question has to do with personal productivity. But think back to the last time you missed a significant amount of sleep. How did you feel the next day? Were you able to get your work done efficiently and professionally? Probably not. I'll bet you felt tense, … [Read more...]
One of the chief advantages of the human brain is the ability to think of a multitude of ideas. We call the process "brainstorming," and for good reason: when done right, an actual flood of ideas results. We can then grab the likely looking ones and start throwing them at the problem until something sticks. But human intelligence also has its drawbacks, including a tendency to think too much. That may seem unlikely to those of us who have suffered from the occasional maverick's preference to operate purely on instinct, but believe me, overthinking can be nearly as deadly as a surprise tax audit. Overthinking actually comes in two forms. One is the inability to stem the tide of ideas before virtually drowning in it. In this scenario, every idea seems equally valid, and making a choice … [Read more...]
"He who sows hurry reaps indigestion." -- Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish author. "Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families." -- Colin Powell, former American Secretary of State and retired four-star general. "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher. Like most modern office workers, you probably find yourself constantly juggling multiple projects, driven by deadlines bearing down like freight trains. As a result, you may feel you have no choice but to keep pushing yourself in order to maximize your personal productivity. Oh, … [Read more...]
"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change—this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress." -- Bruce Barton, American author. "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony." Thomas Merton, American writer and Trappist monk. "Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." -- Plato, ancient Greek philosopher. Forget company politics, who you know, how early you arrive in the morning, or how late you stay: in the daily workplace round, simple time management skills reign supreme. You can't accomplish much in the corporate world without learning to break down your working life into distinct tasks you can easily … [Read more...]
"Blogging is using a new medium for what it's good for—connecting and interacting." -- George Siemens, Canadian social theorist. "Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field." -- Penelope Trunk, American writer and blogger. "Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day." -- Thornton Wilder, American playwright. Over the course of my 20-year career, I've seen a technological revolution wash over the world, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. In the early 1990’s, desktop computers came into common usage, and "portable" computers still weighed about fifty pounds. About then, interesting rumors about an odd development called "the Internet" had started to circulate. Now, of course, we can't … [Read more...]
