"Stressing output is the key to improving productivity, while looking to increase activity can result in just the opposite." -- Paul Gauguin, French Post-Impressionist painter. Feeling off track lately? Have you fallen into an unproductive rut you just can't escape? Well, then—you could use a productivity booster shot! By adopting just a few generalized tactics, you can clear up those cloudy productivity skies and let the sunlight of your hard-earned time management skills shine through. Include in your vaccine these four multi-positive strategies—good habits that boost productivity in a number of ways. Get healthy. Admit it: your productivity takes a nosedive when you feel poorly—whether you've got a touch of the flu, didn't sleep well the night before, or simply don't have … [Read more...]
Structure is Your Friend
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses the importance of structure. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Unstylish Efficiency: On Delivering Substance Over Style
"The closest thing to a law of nature in business is that form has an affinity for expense, while substance has an affinity for income." -- Dee Hick, founder and former CEO of VISA. "Don't settle for style. Succeed in substance." -- Wynton Marsalis, American jazz musician. If you've been working in your chosen profession for more than a few years, then you've probably run into your share of co-workers who seem to value style over substance. To these individuals, perception trumps reality—and sometimes even defines it. Remember comedian Billy Crystal's stint on Saturday Night Live back in the 1980s? Among other things, he portrayed a smarmy talk show host who liked to say, "It is better to look good than to feel good. And dahling, you look...mahvelous!" That captures the … [Read more...]
Setting Boundaries is a Process of Negotiation
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...]
Overcoming the Paralysis of Analysis
"You've heard the saying, 'Analysis creates paralysis.' You can't be 100 percent sure of anything." -- Mark Burnett, British television producer. "The maxim 'Nothing but perfection' may be spelled 'Paralysis.'" -- Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister. As a reader of this blog, I suspect you take your professional development quite seriously. No doubt you've dedicated yourself to constantly refining your time management skills, blocking distractions, trimming task lists, and otherwise doing whatever it takes to maximize your personal productivity at work. That's only logical, since honing your workplace productivity to a keen edge represents the best way to move your career forward without abandoning the "life" part of your work/life balance. Therefore, you'll want to use … [Read more...]
Reevaluate Your Productivity Habits
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...]
Hard Work vs. Talent: The Eternal Debate
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." -- Albert Einstein, German-American physicist. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." -- Michael Jordan, American pro basketball player. "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -- Stephen King, American writer. One of the cornerstones of American culture is the concept of human equality: the notion that while some of us may be born into better circumstances than others, we all have equal rights as human beings to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We've enshrined that status in the very documents that declare and outline our system of government. But as equal as we may be in the eyes of the law, … [Read more...]
Snoozing Your Way to Personal Productivity: How Much Sleep is Right for You?
"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...]
Reevaluate a Complicated Process
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses processes and why they sometimes need to be re-vamped for better productivity. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
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