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Archive for February 22, 2012
5 Productivity Habits That Will Rock Your World
Feb 22nd
A common New Year’s goal is to become more organized or productive and a common complaint is that it is more of a challenge than first anticipated. We all have our personal challenges; there are things we know we should do but simply don’t. Tasks that we ought to do but simply don’t want to. Habits that we want to implement but struggle to apply. Techniques we know we will benefit from, but somehow there never seems to be the time, the discipline or the commitment to follow through.
The most effective way to make lasting change is to change one thing at a time. Small daily changes will all add up to give you amazing results. If you were to commit to one small change this month, one thing that you could do daily that would have a positive effect on your current level of productivity. After one month this small daily change will have become a habit and then you can move on to make the next change.
Here are a few ideas for small changes that if implemented can impact your productivity and rock your world.
1. Inbox zero
Having a clear inbox can be a great boost to your personal productivity and sense of control. It may feel like an enormous challenge to start but little by little you can work through even the largest of inboxes and reduce it until you can get to zero each day. I like to use the Barbara Hemphill FAT method. File, Act or Trash. Every day when it is time to process your email, make a decision based on the following criteria:
File: If the email does not require any action but you need to hold it for reference then it should be filed. I used to file my emails carefully in reference folders, so that I can easily retrieve them when required, but what I have found is that it takes less time doing a search when I need to retrieve the email than it does to decide where to file the email in the first place so I have started to dump the majority of processed emails in the same folder. I keep a few folders for important accounts or for occasions when I know I will need an email trail.
Act: Follow David Allen’s rule and if the task can be done is less than two minutes do it now, if not the task will either need to go into your calendar or be added to your task list.
Trash: If you have completed any action required and you don’t need to keep the email for reference, click on the delete button. I know many people who have an allergy to the delete button, but this allergy can be easily overcome with usage. Don’t keep an email because it has a password or a telephone number or address in it. Add all contact details into contacts. Use notes in your email program for passwords or other bits of information you would like to store.
2. Filing
Spend some time each day filing. Start by purging your existing files and eliminate all the unnecessary; old documents no longer required. Check your revenue requirements for how long documents legally need to be stored. Anything older should go to trash. Have a file on your desk for filing. Take 10 minutes each day to file. Make sure you are in possession of a labeller and some manilla folders to ensure each folder is clearly labelled. Until you have used a labeller for filing you will not realize the benefit. It makes document retrieval so much quicker when you are searching for a document or folder. It is well worth the investment. Keep your filing cabinet close to you desk. This will ensure that filing doesn’t become a bigger chore that it is already.
3. De-clutter
Get into the invaluable habit of cleaning and clearing everyday. Clutter delays action; it disables and distracts. Clear a little everyday. Take my mother’s advice and clean as you go. For some of us this doesn’t come easy but we also know the lightness and clarity that comes from an ordered physical space. Try some of the following, clear your desk for 10 minutes before leaving the office everyday, Wash the dishes after dinner each evening, don’t leave documents and papers lying around put them all in an in-tray to be processed daily.
4. Exercise
Taking a walk, going for a run, swimming, or cycling everyday will do wonders for your mental health and your personal productivity. The extra energy and oxygen to the brain helps to clear the mind and allows for better mental function. Exercise is one of Richard Branson’s productivity tips. Make it a habit.
5. Write everything down
Don’t use your head for mental storage, it wasn’t made for that purpose. David Allen says “Use your head to have ideas not to hold them”. In order to be able to focus it is essential not to be carrying around your tasks and responsibilities in your head. Not only does it cloud your thinking, but you risk missing appointments or forgetting to do things that need to be done. Get into the daily habit of getting everything out of your head. When you have it down on paper you can organize it into your system; appointments to your calendar and tasks to your task list. Implementing this habit will reduce your stress and increase your efficiency in dealing with current tasks.
Each one of these new habits will take you to higher level of productivity and with commitment closer to your personal success.
(Photo credit: model of Earth via Shutterstock)
Ciara Conlon is a Personal Productivity Coach and author. Her mission is to help people achieve their best through working efficiently and being positive and present. “With Productivity and Positivity there is little you can’t achieve” Find out more about Ciara and sign up for her tips, articles and links at Productivity & Positivity
Kicking Ass & Taking Donations: 9 Tips on Funding Your Kickstarter Project
Feb 22nd
Have an idea that needs funding to get off the ground? We round up the collected wisdom from some of Kickstarter's most successful projects.
Kicking Ass & Taking Donations: 9 Tips on Funding Your Kickstarter Project
Feb 22nd
Have an idea that needs funding to get off the ground? We round up the collected wisdom from some of Kickstarter's most successful projects.
Why Noise is Better Than Quiet
Feb 22nd
The sound of silence. It’s what many of us yearn for when working. We try to get away from all of the noise and distractions of our surroundings and get to a place – whether natural or virtual – to achieve that quiet space we long for.
But that’s not necessarily the best thing for you to do.
I’m not suggesting that you attempt to do your work in a noisy coffee shop or while your co-worker is playing loud music, but what I am suggesting is that you learn to work with noise rather than try to get away from it. After all, noise can be your best friend if you let it.
Why Noise is Better Than Quiet
The biggest problem with quiet is not so much that it is counter-productive to look for it (as in, it takes a lot of time just to find it), but that it can serve to be counter-productive once you do discover it. This may seem odd to you at first glance – as it was for me – but after listening to Dan Benjamin discuss the problem with quiet on an episode of his Back to Work podcast, it sunk in.
Benjamin — and I’m paraphrasing here — discusses how we are not meant to work in a completely quiet or noise-free environment. In fact, if you’re out in the woods and you hear the crickets chirping and other sounds of nature going on around you — and then it all stops — it means that there is danger lurking somewhere. It creates a tension that actually inhibits progress (save for the source of danger, perhaps) rather than promotes it.
You need to learn to work with the noise. When it’s too quiet, your mind naturally wonders when the next shoe is going to drop – or when the next distraction is going to arrive. That takes your focus away from the work. To have a din of crowd noise or the hum of your heating system clearly audible while you are working away may be enough for you to keep you on task. For others, they may need the hustle and bustle of an office or coffee shop to keep them focused on what they are doing. Absolute quiet (or the removal of ambient noise) can really work against you in many circumstances.
Benjamin’s co-host, Merlin Mann, takes it a step further by saying (again, I’m paraphrasing here) that if you can’t deal with the distraction, then you clearly don’t care enough about what you’re doing at that moment. I need to have some kind of noise going on in order to write. Whether it be some music in the background or the noise of my kids playing in the house, I need to have some form of sound happening around me so that it pushes me to get the writing done. My kids playing is a reminder that I need to push through the work so I can join them, but it’s also a reminder of why I’m writing to begin with: to provide for them.
When Quiet Works
Quiet can be your best friend when you need to let your mind wander. There’s often nothing better to have around you than “quietude” when you don’t have to focus on one thing in particular. When you invite quiet into your world, you invite the possibility of noise as well. That means that the noise of your ideas, your thoughts, your plans and your goals that may not have a a chance to breathe otherwise can freely enter and leave your mind without fear of repression. That’s when quiet works for you – and when you need that time that is when you should work to find quiet.
Conclusion
Noise is very subjective. One person’s music is another person’s noise. But what you can accomplish while surrounded by noise of varying volumes can be very specific, because your mind (when disciplined and working on something important enough to you) can wade through the noise and get to the work. Quiet invites your own personal noise into your world, which can be the ultimate distraction unless you want all of it to be present.
So don’t seek quiet to escape the noise – it can and will work for you. Seek to find quiet for the time to let your own personal noise come into play. That’s when counter-productivity can turn into productivity in both the short – and loing – term.
(Photo credit: Portrait of Young Man via Shutterstock)
Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker, and "productivityist". Read more of his writing and learn more about him at MikeVardy.com, and you can also follow him on Twitter.
Does Your Workplace Smell Like Productivity?
Feb 22nd
Listen… do you smell something?
That is the smell of productivity.
You can almost sense it in the air when you enter the workplace of an efficient company.
It’s Like Magic
If you have ever worked with an efficient team, you know what it feels like to be part of a well-oiled machine.
Things are moving.
Things are humming.
Things are getting done.
“When a team is productive…
Everything seems effortless…
Everyone knows their part…
Work and creativity flow… like magic.
Competitors and other teams can’t compete or keep up.”
It feels great to be part of such a team or environment.
Smells Like Productivity
So, what does productivity smell like?
- People Don’t Care About Schedules – No one cares when others are coming or going, just that the work is getting done. No one blinks an eye when Justin comes in at 9:30 or when Sally leaves at 3:30.
- No One Is Worried About “Whose Job It Is” - Everyone has their part and knows it. No one is worried about others pulling their weight. They also know that the team wins together.
- People Are Allowed to Say “No” - Team members can say “No” when appropriate. To meetings, to tasks, to their boss, and even to customers when necessary.
- Minimal Email – You might assume that a productive team would have messages buzzing. However, the highly efficient team knows the right tools for the job. They don’t send email when a phone call or text message is the right medium. Nor will they engage in email Ping-Pong when there is work to get done.
- No Pushers - When there is work to get done, it gets done. You won’t find any task-pushers, procrastinators, or mindless delegation on these teams.
- Few Regular (Repeating) Meetings - Meetings are only called when action is needed. And never to just update the team. You will not find many standing meetings on the calendar.
- Regular Team Bonding Events – Teams that work hard, play hard. And I am not talking about “going to the bar.” When was the last time your team had fun together? Often, you don’t even need to leave the office.
- Fire Drills Are Rare – You won’t find many fire drills in these environments for two reasons. One, they are on top of their work, and two, they know the difference between an urgency and a fire drill.
Does this list sound like your workplace?
It’s in the Air…
When a team is productive… everyone knows it.
They can sense it. Feel it.
There’s just something palpable in the air.
And yes, it smells good in here.
Question: Can you sense the productivity in your workplace?
How to Avoid Overdraft Fees
Feb 22nd
The crash of 2008 was supposed to be a wakeup call to the dangers of negligent lending and irresponsible credit use. Yet, financial institutions continue to sell naïve customers on expensive credit products like overdraft protection. Sold as an “essential” account add-on, Overdraft promises to protect clients for overdrawn funds on their account.
In a recent article on Time.com, Martha C. White writes about the $30 billion in profits American banks have made from overdraft fees in 2011.
“Once overdrawn, customers are subject to high interest rates and outlandish fees. For some customers the deficit is a permanent and damaging fixture in their account, setting themselves up for larger and more destructive financial issues..”
Avoid the fees and exorbitant interest rates that accompany short-term credit products by being better prepared for account shortfalls.
Solid Financial Planning
Financial institutions need to reorganize their priorities. Instead of focusing on credit products, banks need to emphasize sound financial planning and offer unbiased advice to their clients.
Sadly, a simple inquiry at a bank can result in an undisclosed credit check, an offer for a pre-approved mortgage, and unsolicited preapproved credit card offers. Never agree to take on a financial obligation without taking the time to understand its impact on your financial and mental well-being.
Protect yourself by developing a long-term relationship with a personal banker or financial advisor that is acting in your best interests, not the banks.
Do you have overdraft protection?
Remarkably, most customers are unaware that they have overdraft protection until they take a closer look at their account activity. For some, it can be years before they realize that they are paying for a service they never use.
Remember, you are under no obligation to sign up for any service you do not want. This includes any products that the bank wants to bundle with an account opening or credit offer. Tied selling laws in Canada and the United States prohibit financial institutions from forcing you to buy an unrelated product in order to obtain another product.
Overdraft Protection
The key to any budget is avoiding the small incidental costs that can accumulate over time and ruin your financial projections. This means that you have to avoid any additional services that are going to cost you fees or charge you interest.
The first rule, is always keep your account in a positive balance.
While easier said than done, examining your transaction history will allow you to see how, and where, you are spending your money. Sometimes, the reason for overdrawing your account can be as simple as bill payments not aligning with your paycheck. A quick solution is to call your bank and make sure your bills line up with your pay schedule.
Other times, shortfalls in an account are the result of frivolous spending. After examining your account history, it will be apparent where you are spending your money. People are conscious of the large purchases and the essential bill payments, but smaller expenses seem so insignificant that you fail to consider them when examining your spending. Once you tally up the coffee and fast food purchases, you can see how they can push your account into the negative.
Most importantly, be diligent in finding pre-authorized payments. Without checking, you may be paying for a long forgotten gym membership or a cancelled subscription to AOL’s dialup service.
Be alert
No matter how diligent you are about money management, there is always going to be scenarios that are out of your control.
Both financial institutions and financial software packages like Mint.com allow you to create alerts that will send you a text, phone, or email message when your account is low on funds. Besides low fund alerts, you can also program some of these services to alert you to unauthorized debits from your account. Therefore, allowing you a chance to correct an error before a payment comes out.
Going Old School
Using cash is a great way to avoid account shortfalls. Based on the information you gleam from your transaction history create a cash budget for each week. This way you always know that a certain amount of money will be in the account to cover bill payments.
Unless you are reviewing your transactions on a daily basis, you will find that you will unconsciously spend more with a debit card than you would with cash.
Other strategies include avoiding preauthorized payments. By collecting all your bills and paying them one by one, you can gain a clearer picture of your financial health. If you choose to go analog, be sure to be diligent about making your payments. Otherwise, a missed mortgage, insurance or vehicle loan payment can have devastating financial ramifications.
Emergency and Reserve Funds
Instead of opening a single checking account, open a companion savings account. Dedicate yourself to putting away at least 20% of your paycheck into the new account. The account will allow you to limit your spending, and give you a financial cushion in case of a budgetary miscalculation or bank error.
Make sure you have the ability to transfer money between the accounts at an ATM, or through online banking. At any time, you can sure up a low or overdrawn account with the appropriate amount of money and avoid the need for costly Overdraft protection.
In order to serve as a proper reserve or overdraft account, you need to maintain a months’ worth of mortgage, insurance, and loan payments.
Conclusion
In summary, good money management starts with taking responsibility for your spending and controlling what comes in and out of your checking account on a monthly basis. Once, you understand the problem, you can make adjustments to fix any issues and create a backup plan that protects your hard earned money and allows you to avoid any additional credit debt.
(Photo credit: Fees in Wooden Letters via Shutterstock)
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.