Keeping Your Energy Up During the Day

I asked my newsletter readers "What do you do to keep your energy up during the day?" and received the following replies.  Please comment if you have a tip to add! Hi, I do little 'sprints' through out the day, especially if I am feeling tired. I will get up & run in place or walk quickly around the house for 5-10 minutes (I work at home) it gives me just enough of energy bursts to keep me going. Thanks, Misty Misty Kenner- creativity coach www.pictureperfectscrapbookco.com I live in the Midwest. I work for a larger company in a smaller town.  I am fortunate that the parking lot at work is not that large. When I feel tired, during my lunch break I will go out to the car (truck), recline the seat and catch a short "catnap".  15-20 minutes … [Read more...]

A Framework to Study Personal Productivity

Personal productivity is such a broad field of study and encompasses so many topics of discussion!  The catalog of seminars I currently offer lists 21 courses, all related to personal productivity.  I could literally talk for two weeks non-stop about everything I’ve learned in the past 14 years of full-time study on how to improve personal productivity.  So I thought it would be helpful to suggest a framework in which to discuss and study the various components. In order to be productive, you have to: 1.      Set yourself up for success.  You have to do a lot of things before you can dream of being productive.  You must put systems in place and maintain those systems.  They are the enablers; the supports upon which your … [Read more...]

What is productivity?

In the August edition of my monthly newsletter, I posed the question to my readers: What does productivity mean to you? In other words, how do you know when you’re being productive? I thought you would be interested in some of the responses I received, which I’ll post here. If you have another one to add, leave your comment here, and I’ll send you a free eBook to thank you for your time (make sure to leave your email address). ________________________________________ Dear Laura, Productivity means that I am able to work, to network, and to accomplish the goals set by my boss and not feel any undue stress in the process. I feel very goal oriented and goal focused on productivity days. My sense of accomplishment is an elated feeling that carries me into the next day of work. Sincerely, … [Read more...]

Productivity Boost Using Three Screens Per Worker

I'm mulling about my monitor.  I was reading an article at online.wsj.com/articles/talking_tech about a research study done by Microsoft's Center for Information Work, which looks at the way office workers use computers.  They found that with three monitors per worker, productivity jumped NINE PERCENT.  That's unreal.  Nine percent might not seem like a lot to you, but it's getting to the point where it's really hard to squeeze a few extra productivity points out of workers, so that's a very large amount.  When you look at the stock market trading floor, you see multiple monitors everywhere---that group has already realized it's required to see all that information. Perhaps I wouldn't have three monitors, but I'm seriously considering adding a second.  It … [Read more...]

Don’t Be Left Behind: the Right Computer Skills Can Make All the Difference

Don’t Be Left Behind: the Right Computer Skills Can Make All the Difference Kelly Dodson knows firsthand why companies value the ability to use computers and software. An administrative assistant in Kansas, Dodson used to keep her CEO’s calendar by hand until one day an important meeting slipped through the cracks. That painful experience compelled her to seek training in the effective use of the company’s scheduling software.  And today, she feels she couldn’t do her job as well without it. As early as 1999, the Progressive Policy Institute estimated that 75 percent of employees use computers in their work, and that figure continues to increase as computers make their way into more and more aspects of individuals’ lives.  Since just about every job today is connected to … [Read more...]

Why Should You Care About Productivity?

I've had several people email me in the last few days about the U.S. productivity figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics a few weeks ago.  Great news.  3.2% increase in the first quarter.  But not quite where we were in 2002-2003 with levels over 4%.  One quarter in 2003 had over 8%!  That's when we were all working like dogs, when everyone was afraid of losing their jobs, before employees screamed "enough"! But still it's absolutely amazing that we can sustain this level of productivity.  Fundamentally, why should you care?  Well, why does your organization care about  productivity? In order to be successful, your organization must both make money and save money. To make money, it must find and keep customers. To save money, … [Read more...]

England Against Long Hours: a holiday of their own

Think Americans are the only ones concerned with long hours?  Check out http://www.worksmart.org.uk/workyourproperhoursday/   “Over five million people at work in the United Kingdom regularly do unpaid overtime.”  Sheesh, if we in the United States could only be so lucky to have such a low number.  They believe there are five main reasons why people do unpaid overtime, so take the quiz and find out if you’re a “Stay Late Sheep,” a “Beast of Burden,” a “Cat Herder,” a “Chaos Theorist,” or a “Desk Junkie.” We have National Leave the Office Earlier day, and the United Kingdom has Work Your Proper Hours Day!  According to the site, February 21 marks the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year and starts earning for themselves.  … [Read more...]

Employee Obesity and Productivity

I just read a white paper by Leade Health called "Employee Obesity is Number One Factor in Productivity Loss." The organization is of course trying to get businesses to sign up for its "health coaching" program for weight management, which I'm sure has merit, BUT...is obesity REALLY the number one factor in productivity loss?  I mean, come on!  More than useless meetings?  Hundreds of emails every day?  Co-workers "dropping in" to chat?  Surfing the Net and doing personal business?  Those things affect all of us, regardless of our shape and size. The paper cites research that a Body Mass Index (BMI) at risk (>27) yields an average productivity loss of 5.79 hours per week in absenteeism, disability costs, and worker productivity, which is even higher than productivity loss related to … [Read more...]

Does less sunlight affect your productivity?

Now wholesale jerseys Shop: wholesale nba jerseys wholesale nba jerseys cheap jerseys cheap mlb jerseys that spring is two days wholesale nfl jerseys wholesale nfl jerseys away, I’m cheap jerseys looking Mia… forward to Active a I wholesale nba jerseys 2016 boost wholesale nfl jerseys in cheap nfl jerseys type Post Student cheap nfl jerseys productivity.  Sophie When 11 Daylight Saving Time wholesale mlb jerseys begins on April 2, we should see greater employee productivity across the wholesale mlb jerseys board as more wholesale nba jerseys sunlight cheap jerseys free shipping returns.  wholesale jerseys The cheap nfl jerseys lack of sunlight cheap mlb jerseys in during winter months is lead taking its … [Read more...]