Continuing with our series on the Productivity Workflow Formula™ (PWF) Step 3: Focus Your Attention: REDUCE YOUR DISTRACTIONS So as you embark on your voyage of self-improvement, don't get in a hurry. Accept that developing a new routine takes time. Leo Babauta, the author of the influential Zen Habits blog, recommends setting yourself a 30-day challenge for changing each habit. In this step, you reduce distractions so you can hone your focus to razor sharpness. Once you know exactly what you should be doing and have captured time to do it, you must focus on completing that important task. Distractions represent some of the worst productivity hurdles; even if they drag your attention away for just a few seconds at a time, they can cause you to lose your train of thought and fall out of … [Read more...]
What To Do When There’s Too Much To Do released today!
Today is the day! My latest book, "What To Do When There's Too Much To Do" hit bookshelves today. See this video from Brian Tracy talking about the book: Buy the book today from Amazon, BN, 800CEORead or any retailer. Forward a copy of your receipt to [email protected] and you'll receive some special bonuses. Check out the details at LauraStack.com/WhatToDo. … [Read more...]
Sleep Your Way to a Productive Day!
Sometimes I wish I were a bear, so I could hibernate for six months. Alas, I’m only human. How much sleep do you think the average adult gets per night? A National Sleep Foundation poll of 1000 adults found that 1/3 get less than 7 hours per night and only 1/3 are getting the recommended 8 hours per night. John Shepard, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, says that most adults need between 7 ½ and 8 ½ hours of sleep per night, teens need 9 hours and 15 minutes, and small children need more. In 1910, the average adult got nine hours of sleep per night, because without electricity, people generally went to sleep when darkness fell. Now we just flip on the lights and keep working. Americans tend to under-sleep by choice, burning the candle at both ends due to hectic … [Read more...]
Lean Processes and DOWNTIME
While it hasn’t always been practiced with any great rigor, the concept of waste reduction has long been a part of American business tradition. Ben Franklin's common- sense reminders of "waste not, want not," and "a penny saved is a penny earned" have been well taken by such luminaries as Henry Ford, who introduced the modern assembly line, and the founders of time-and-motion studies and scientific management, Frank Gilbreth and Frederick Winslow Taylor. By the 1970s, Japanese industrial engineers had integrated all these concepts and more into a framework that eventually came to be known as lean manufacturing. Mostly derived from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and guided by industrial engineers Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, lean manufacturing is based on the idea of preserving (or … [Read more...]
Increasing Productivity: Adequate Sleep
One of your greatest productivity resources is adequate sleep—especially when you find yourself facing an extreme work week. But knowing you need a good night's sleep and actually getting one can be two different things. What if you just can't get enough sleep, no matter what you do? If the problem persists long term, I recommend you have yourself tested at a sleep center in order to determine whether you have an organic problem interfering with your sleep habits. However, you can often handle short-term sleep issues "in house," so to speak, by changing certain aspects of your behavior. In this tip, I'll outline a few simple practices that can help you get the sleep you need. First off, never watch TV, work, or even read while you're in bed. Use your bed for sleeping only. Otherwise, … [Read more...]
How to Leave Work Early and Enjoy Your Valentine’s Day
A few tips from expert Laura Stack to help you enjoy more time with your loved ones on Valentine's Day. Hectic work schedules have probably ruined more Valentine Day celebrations than we care to think about. It is easy to schedule business dinners for February 14th without a second thought…until the day before…when it finally hits us. More so than expensive jewelry or chocolates, many people are satisfied with having the undivided attention of a loved one for the evening. Laura Stack, Productivity Expert and author of Leave the Office Earlier, has these tips to help you create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day: Plan before you leave work. Double-check your planner and organize activities for the next day before you leave the office on Valentine’s Day. Getting tomorrow’s tasks out of … [Read more...]
Performance Improvement: Using Stress Productively
" No one reaches peak performance without being stressed, whether an athlete, an office worker, or a manager." -- Robert Ostermann, American psychologist "We need to reframe how we look at anxiety. It’s not something to run away from, but something that can be used as productive energy. Fear is the body’s way of preparing for action." -- Robert Rosen, Ph.D., author of Just Enough Anxiety: The Hidden Driver of Business Success You may think you know what stress is...but do you really? In the medical sense, stress is your body's response to any kind of demand or constraint, good or bad. Put that way, it's obvious that some stressors can be positive and adaptive; that is, they may help you stay healthy, provide a sense of good feeling, or both. Some researchers call such stressors … [Read more...]
Laura Stack’s “Staying on Top of the Inbox” course on Udemy.com
Balancing Work and Family course on Udemy.com by Laura Stack
Productivity Minute Video: You Can’t Be Productive While Falling Asleep
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) discusses the importance of adequate rest and how it relates to productivity. (C) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. … [Read more...]
