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Personal Productivity
To Get Ahead, Do 21 Things That Others Don’t
Mar 28th
Many people want to get ahead.
Yet, most sit back and critique those who are successful.
They wonder how a few are able to excel where the majority struggle.
Ironically, there is no big secret. It is simple really.
Those who succeed do what other people do not.
They even do the things that other people will not.
What Other People Won’t Do
When people wonder how some people succeed where they fail, they usually they write if off to luck. Or, maybe even to more to devious reasons and methods.
However, the answer usually lies in hard work.
If you want to get ahead, there is not a quick fix. It is about doing the right things each and every day.
“Winners do the things that others don’t or won’t do.
They go the extra step. The extra lap. The extra mile if necessary.
They give it their all, long after others have gone home.”
Are you doing the things that those who succeed are doing?
If not, how can you expect to get the same results?
21 Things That Others Don’t Do
If you want to get ahead, there is not a shortcut or secret.
However, one place to start is to do the things that successful people do. The things that other people don’t or won’t do.
Here are “21 Things That Others Don’t Do…”
- Get Up Early – Not enough time in your day? Get up earlier. Starting your day before others do, empowers you to get more done while others are sleeping. You will soon find that you accomplish before the day begins than most people do all day.
- Prepare for Your Day – Head into your day prepared. Do your homework. Prepare for the events of your day whether it is school, your job, or even having fun.
- Exercise- Too many people say that they want to workout, but few do. Do some sort of physical activity each and every day. Keeping your body in shape, motivates your mind and productivity.
- Finish Ahead of Deadlines – It seems that our society had become numb to the concept of deadlines. However, to avoid lost opportunities, penalties, and other life friction, ensure that you finish ahead of deadlines whether for a simple task, a bill, or a major project.
- Have Goals – Successful people have goals. There has been a rising trend lately, to “not have goals.” All this ensures is that you won’t fail because you haven’t tried to attain anything. Instead of going wherever life takes you, set goals and choose your own path.
- Take Chances – No one ever won by sitting in their comfort zone. You have to get up and get out. You have to be willing to take risks… sometimes big, sometimes small. Only going outside our boundaries can we grow.
- Don’t Complain – Complaining is a waste of time. It is procrastination in disguise. Instead of whining about something, do something about it.
- Dream Big – Many people dream too small. Think big… then dream bigger! Push yourself to even higher levels than you thought possible. We are all stronger than we think.
- Have a Hobby – All work and no play doesn’t do the body or mind good. Have a hobby and let your passion breathe energy into all areas of your life. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it drives you.
- Learn New Things – Many stop learning the day they leave school. Successful people are lifelong learners. Never pass up the chance to learn a new fact or a new skill.
- Say No – The ability to “say no” is an important skill. Many think that winners always “say yes,” but in reality they are very choosy in their endeavors. They know when to pass up something that is not a priority.
- Defend Your Time – You can get more money. You can get a new job. (You can even get new friends.) However, you can never get more time. And you never truly know how much you have left. Defend your time, it is your greatest asset.
- Do it Today – You are your habits. And your habits are what you do today and every day. Don’t put off good intentions or actions until tomorrow.
- Help Others – Never underestimate the power of helping others. Life is often a team sport, and you never know when your teammates will be there to support you. Always be there for them.
- Make Decisions -Don’t be shy with decisions. Most people don’t make them, and life ultimately decides for them. Choose deliberately. Don’t fear the bad decision. You learn from them and there are few decisions in life where you can’t change your mind later.
- Learn From Your Mistakes – Take chances, make decisions… even make mistakes sometimes. Just ensure that you learn from them. Every mistake should lead to new wisdom. Don’t repeat lessons.
- Make Your Own Luck – Don’t wait for things to come to you. Go out and get them. The winners in life did not wait for things to be delivered to them. They made their own luck.
- Listen – Sometimes you need to stop and just listen. If you rush through life, you will miss the important things. What people are trying to tell you… both good and bad. And of course, listen even harder with friends and the ones you love.
- Change Yourself – Most people don’t change. They might grow older, grow bigger, but they often stay the same person. The most powerful people are those who can change themselves. (See #3, 6, 10, and 16.)
- Do The Work – There is no shortcut to success. You have to do the work. You have to do the practice. You have to spend the time on the things that you want to accomplish.
- Don’t Quit – A final word, never quit. Too many people quit just short, even in sight, of their dreams. Almost as if they don’t really want to get there. Winners keep going after the quitters have given up.
Do What Others Do Not
If you want to get ahead, you must do what others do not.
Results don’t just happen, they are the outcome of hard work.
Do you want to accomplish what others do not?
Then, do the things that others don’t do.
Question: Which of these do you do? What would you add to the list? Please share in the comments below.
Face the Facts: We Are All Headed For an iDisorder
Mar 28th
(Editor’s note: The following is an article written by Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D., author of the book iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us. Rosen is past Chair and Professor of Psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is a research psychologist and computer educator, and is recognized as an international expert in the “Psychology of Technology.” Over the past 25 years, Dr. Rosen and his colleagues have examined reactions to technology among more than 30,000 children, teens, college students, and adults in the United States and in 23 other countries. He has been quoted in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, CNN, and Good Morning America and writes a regular blog for Psychology Today. You can learn more about Rosen’s new book here.)
It should come as no surprise that we are all hopelessly addicted to our devices, particularly our smartphones. Why shouldn’t we be? We are now able to carry a powerful computer around 24/7 in our pocket or purse. The new “WWW” really means “Whatever, Wherever, Whenever.” And we are all succumbing to its draw. Just look at any restaurant table and you will see phones sitting next to forks and knives. It is normal to see someone pick up a smartphone, tap tap tap and put it back down while in the middle of talking. Is this healthy or are we all headed down a slippery slope toward what I call an “iDisorder.”
An iDisorder is where you exhibit signs and symptoms of a psychiatric disorder such as OCD, narcissism, addiction or even ADHD, which are manifested through your use — or overuse — of technology. Whether our use of technology makes us exhibit these signs or simply exacerbates our natural tendencies is an open question, but the fact is we are all acting as though we are potentially diagnosable.
Several recent studies from my lab highlight some of these issues. In one anonymous online survey of more than 1,000 Americans we found that more than half of teenagers and young adults of the iGeneration (born in the 1990s) and the Net Generation (born in the 1980s) told us that they became anxious if they couldn’t check their text messages all day long. And text they do! According to the Nielsen Company the “typical” teen sends and receives 3,417 text messages per month. Teen girls top that with nearly 4,000 per month! If the teens sleep 8 hours a night (which is an hour less than recommended) that’s between 7 and 8 text messages per waking hour.
The study also showed us that the majority of teens and young adults check their texts and Facebook several times a day. And most of that is on their mobile device, on the go. How about sleep? In one study of 300 high school students, the average teen slept only 6 hours per school night. They tried to make up for it by sleeping more than 10 hours each weekend night but it still all averaged out to only 7 hours per night leaving a weekly 14-hour sleep debt. Eight in 10 of those students told us that they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep during the week. They must be studying so hard that they don’t have time for sleep.
Well, yes and no.
They are studying but the number one activity in the last hour before sleep is surfing the Internet followed by studying, texting and social networking. Are they simply glued to their laptops? Nope! It is their smartphone that is the cause of much of their sleep debt. Not only is it used instead of a computer, but most teens sleep with it on vibrate or tone and one in four are awakened at night by a text or email that they respond to before attempting to fall back asleep. And most of those activities are done either at the same time or by rapidly switching back and forth. We all multitask — well we are really task switching — and the younger generations do it more but we are all succumbing to the allure of clicking and switching.
It’s not just the younger generations who are inundated by technology. One in three Gen Xers and one in six Baby Boomers check their devices all the time. They may not be texting as much but they are constantly checking in with websites, email and other cyberactivities.
Our most surprising study examined a thousand teens and adults to see whether technology use might be related to signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders. The short answer is YES. For each generation, regardless of ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or gender, the more certain technologies are used the more likely it is that the person will exhibit these signs. Different technologies appear to be predictive of different signs. One of the major culprits is social networking, which is a predictor of many disorders.
Do we need to take a permanent holiday from our technology or is there an iCure for an iDisorder? The outlook is very positive if we recognize the signs and learn to take small steps to keep our brains healthy and sane. Here are sample strategies. More can be found in my new book, iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us.
Social networking can be all about “ME” and it can make us appear narcissistic. I advocate using an “e-waiting” period between writing any post, email, text or comment and pressing the key that offers it to the world. Take a couple of minutes, do something else, and then come back and count the times you use me or I compared to the number of times you use we, us, they or other inclusive pronouns. One of the signs of narcissism is a focus on the self and our specialness.
At the dinner table declare a “tech break” at the beginning of the meal and have everyone check their phones for a minute and then silence them and place them upside down on the table. Now talk for 15 minutes followed by someone declaring another “tech break.” The upside down silent phone is a stimulus that says, “Don’t worry – you can check me soon.” This stops the brain from obsessing about every little e-communication.
Using technology evokes excessive mental activity so much so that our brains are all abuzz all day long. Your brain needs periodic resetting. This doesn’t take a lot of time. Fifteen minutes of walking through nature (or even looking at a nature picture book), doing puzzles, or talking to someone about something fun and positive are just a few ways to reset your brain. Consider doing one of these activities every few hours to calm the brain and stop the potential iDisorder.
There is no turning back. We live in a connected world and we are better because of it. We know more than ever before and we are more social than ever before. But we have to learn to take care of our brains to avoid an iDisorder. Don’t blame Steve Jobs for your compulsions. Take control and do something good for your brain. You will be a better person for it and have better relationships with those around you.
(Photo credit: Young Man Chained to Computer via Shutterstock)
Don’t Be a Minimalist: Regain Focus With Technology
Mar 27th
We all hear the “minimalist” zealots screaming at us from on high,
“Sell your stuff, get rid of everything that isn’t important, use paper for everything, and be as minimal as possible.”
All this so we can regain focus on an important project as well as the things we have to do.
Sounds like a great idea, that is, as long as you work for yourself and work to sell the idea of being minimal. Don’t get me wrong – I try to minimize certain things in my life, but there are times this idea can be taken too far. We all can’t get rid of everything and many of us have to focus on things that we don’t want to do.
Instead of getting rid of all your stuff and “going minimal”, here is how you can use technology to stay focused and productive.
1. Create a system that supports, not complicates or simplifies
If you want to stay productive and focused in your complicated life you need a system. We have discussed many times at nauseam how to create and use a personal productivity system. Some say that we should “toss productivity out”. I couldn’t disagree more.
As long as you are creating a system that is just complicated enough to support your complex life but isn’t overcomplicated, you are good. Use one of the many awesome productivity tools that you have at your disposal.
2. Choose your notifications wisely
We here at Stepcase Lifehack prefer to keep notifications to a bare minimum, but don’t believe that they should be completely turned off (of course, that is other than email). What is more important is choosing your digital notifications wisely.
If you are working on a project during the day, it may be the best time to mute your phone or just turn it off all together. Maybe you want to turn email notifications off for a set period of time. There are also some awesome apps like Tasker for Android that allow you to setup all kinds of smart notification options based on time, calendar entries, and even location.
3. Setup times for “distractions”
Distractions is in quotes for a reason. I consider a distraction anything other than important projects that I must get done. This can be Twittering, IMing, SMSing, chatting, etc.
One of the best things that I have tried to implement during my day is that instead of blindly checking RSS feeds or tweeting something that would piss someone off anytime I want, I schedule that time instead. Schedule it in to your calendar and have time setup to “distract” yourself rather than focus on a project.
4. Guard your productive times
This is the other side of the “distractions” coin. We have to make sure that we protect our productive times with our life and limb so we can keep our focus. If you work in an environment where others can see your calendar appointments, make sure to block out some time during your day as a “meeting” so you can get stuff done.
5. Create and follow an “ignore list”
I’m a list maker, mostly because I can make them in almost any app I choose. Something that I heard on a recent The Accidental Creative podcase was from Peter Bregman about creating an “ignore list”. The idea is simple. Just make a list of all the things that you want to ignore. Done.
This is a great thing to do, especially if you are the geeky, technical, or creative type that wants to play and mess around with new stuff. That stuff wastes your time. Add them to your ignore list and then reevaluate the list every so often so you don’t break your focus.
6. Automate to get rid of the mundane and mindless
Using technology to automate things that we can do mindlessly is a great thing. This helps us recoup time and energy for other things as well as keep our focus our currently active task. Actions like paying your bills online, renaming photos, and even filing digital files can all be done automatically now with help of online payment systems and tools like Hazel.
Of course there are going to be important things to think through, but you might as well use technology to automate as much as possible.
You don’t have to lose the shirt off your back and give up your iPhone to regain focus. You can simply use amazing tools that are at your disposal to keep your focus on the things that are important and that you must get done.
(Photo credit: Stack of grey massage stones via Shutterstock)
How to Become the Most Productive Blogger on the Block
Mar 27th
So, you have finally found what you are passionate about, you blog about it regularly, you love to write and come up with new ideas, but nobody ever told you all the other bits that were involved in blogging. The guest posts, the commenting on other blogs, the social media requirements, the eBooks, the eCourses and that’s not including the other job you may be holding down.
So how can anyone become a productive blogger with all these tasks to perform daily?
- The Writing
- The Reading
- The Commenting
- The Marketing
- The Stats Checking
The Writing
The cornerstone of what blogging is; writing. Bloggers have different schedules, some like to post once a week some more often but even if you just post once a week, we know that’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to writing. Bloggers need to guest post, others regularly contribute to fabulous sites like Lifehack. Bloggers also regularly write free reports, eBooks and eCourses to help their readers fulfill their dreams and passions.
The Reading
Bloggers regularly read large amounts daily, they read content from other blogs, they research the latest trends in how blogging is progressing and they openly read what the competition are writing.
The Commenting
They also read lots of blogs so they can comment on these blogs and spread their wonderful opinions around the blogosphere. Or rather they look for blogs with similar topics and comment regularly. When blogs use plugins like CommentLuv this helps drive traffic to their site as the last post will show up at the bottom of the comment.
The Marketing
Online and offline. Social Media helps to build connections and create relationships. Engaging readers in conversation can help to create a following necessary to grow a blog. Offline marketing can also help to drive traffic from other sources that you wouldn’t normally have access to online.
The Stats Checking
A killer habit in the first year of blogging. It’s so motivating to see that people are actually reading and even better subscribing to your blog, but how much time are you spending watching their actions? Yes, it’s good to know which posts are popular, but it’s also important to breathe and let it go.
80/20 Rule
Now we know some of the tasks we should all be doing as a blogger but the question remains, “how do we fit them all in?”
I know you know the answer to this one. Yes, you guessed it: we pull out the calendar and schedule time for all these tasks. But before we do that, let us look at the 80/20 rule and see how much time you are currently spending on these tasks and which ones are actually helping you grow a successful blog.
List out all of your daily blogging tasks and write down (honestly) how much time you spend on each one. Now look at all the tasks and critically assess which tasks are growing your blog. Which ones actually get you followers and subscribers? Which ones suck your time like a nasty time vampire? Could your work week in fact be reduced to a Four Hour Work Week?
Focus on the Writing
Leo Babauta of Zen Habits would tell you to ditch the things that aren’t important, to focus on the writing, and that if you produce good quality content the traffic will come. While that may be true it’s important to note that when Leo started he wasn’t just writing one good quality post a week he was writing 10 of them. Although I do believe with Leo’s tactics, I also believe that a little of the other factors can help the rest of us carve out a space for our blogs on the internet. So if you want to follow Leo’s tactics of focusing solely on your writing you want to check out this post which will tell you how you can write lots of content in short periods of time.
Focus on Your Passion
What keeps most bloggers motivated and productive is the reminder of why they are doing what they are doing. Most of us started out with a mission. A vision to share our skills, knowledge or experiences with the world in the hope that they can make a difference in the lives of others. Reconnect with that passion daily, write it up over your desk if necessary and when you realize you have gone off track look up and get back to writing that good content that will make not just the most productive but the best blogger on the block.
(Photo credit: the word blog written with old typewriter 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
Keeping Confident to Ward Off the Workplace Vampire
Mar 27th
“Workers are drawn to those with an upbeat attitude, especially when challenges emerge, and it can start with you. It’s contagious.”
– Lynn Taylor, author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant
When you think of a person who is effective and successful at work, likely one of the prominent characteristics that individual possesses is confidence.
Confidence suggests a sense of self empowerment and self-love that is steady despite life’s ups and downs. Of course, this inner core of self-efficacy in the workplace does not start and end there. Rather, confidence is something a person carries within and is a key ingredient not only in work but in life.
When people are confident in themselves, they contribute to making the workplace a positive environment. People who are confident bring infectious energy to the workplace, as opposed to workplace vampires – those who suck the energy out of the workplace by negativity and drama and can make the workplace tedious. Workplace vampires tend to blame others for making them feel the way they do instead of taking responsibility. They have little self-reflection towards their poor attitude, and focus on what is wrong rather than what is going well ( as they tend to find fault in everything). Workplace Vampires tend to be judgmental while lacking insight into themselves. Despite the insensitivity such people display to to others, they are exquisitely sensitive to injustices done to them.
But the paradox does not end there. Rather, the confident and righteous persona is underscored with emotional fragility and confusion. To add insult to injury, the individual is so well defended that they have no clue they are that way. And if they do have a shred of insight into their problems, they are masterful at shifting responsibility and blame their problems on others anyway!
It is important to note that workplace vampires are not bad people – they are unhealthy and no one really means to be unhealthy. Such individuals lack insight into themselves and spend more time judging others rather than understanding themselves. Ironically, despite their insensitivity, they are often indignant that they do not feel supported at work and their lack of emotional sensitivity and insight puts them on the defensive.
Obviously, the humanly tragic plight of a workplace vampire does not start and stop in the workplace. Rather, such behavior is an extension of a greater emotional crippling in the fabric of their personalities, and their real victims are themselves.
So even though the general reaction to the workplace vampire is one of avoidance and anger, remember that no one means to be a workplace vampire. No matter how old they are chronologically, emotionally they are young and stuck in a more emotionally primitive state. Their own immaturity prevents them from being more positive and “spreading the love.” Keep in mind that workplace vampires are really human – and unhappy humans at that. People who are filled with judgmental and negative thoughts are not happy campers. They are caught in a spiral where problems beget more problems!
Confident people, on the other hand, are more solution-focused instead of being problem-focused. They remain positive even in face of adversity, and take responsibility of what they can change rather than focus on what they can’t change. Rather than tending to blame others when things go wrong, they size up a situation and focus on what they can do to make things better. In essence, confident people are more resilient and bounce back better from setbacks at work and in life. All too often people think that being positive means you follow the mantra “Don’t Worry – Be Happy!” That is far from the truth. You can still be positive even if you are expressing dissatisfaction, with the goal to find a solution in hopes that things can get better. Expressing concerns (and even feelings of upset and anger) with the hope that things can improve is positive – not negative.
Thus, keep in mind that expressing negative feelings is not vampire-like if the goal is to be an agent of change to make things better. But keep in mind that you must direct change not through complaining. With this type of attitude, you will not only be an agent of change and a role model for resilience to others, you will also increase your own confidence and sense of empowerment no matter what comes your way.
Improving your own confidence and self awareness will make you more resilient to the workplace vampire and will ensure that you will not get bitten with those fangs and become one yourself!
(Photo credit: Silhouette of Vampire via Shutterstock)
Fast Lessons for Smart Entrepreneurs
Mar 26th
Hope you’re fantastic – and jumping all over the opportunities that this time of volatility and uncertainty has given to Remarkable Entrepreneurs.
I recorded a 3 minute training video for you from Moscow that not only will re-inspire you and give you some valuable insights to grow a great company – it’ll also show you how stunningly beautiful the city is:
Watch the “Fast Lessons for Smart Entrepreneurs” video right now:
I also wanted to remind you that the special early bird rate for The Remarkable Entrepreneur SuperConference 2012 is still available for a LIMITED period of time. This 2 day summit with me is widely considered one of the world’s best training programs for entrepreneurs who want to build fast growth companies in turbulent times. It’ll also transform your mindset and personal life. You definitely want to join me and the other entrepreneurs coming from over 50 countries.
We’re headed for a completely sold-out event so go ahead and click here to register at the special early bird price before it’s too late: http://www.theremarkableentrepreneur.com/
Stay great and speak soon,
P.S. Remember, ordinary entrepreneurs love leisure. Remarkable Entrepreneurs love leading. If you want to double your profits, triple your rate of learning – so you know more and do more. Grab a seat for The Remarkable Entrepreneur SuperConference while you still can: http://www.theremarkableentrepreneur.com/
Get a Head Start on Windows 8…for Free
Mar 26th
Since we know 57% of you are Windows users, sooner or later you are going to upgrade to Windows 8. For some it will be the day it is released, while for others it will be when it comes time to get a new PC. But at some point in the future you are going be in the new environment that is Windows 8.
Windows 8 will employ the Metro environment that Windows Phone uses. That means big icons on the screen and no “start” button. There will be a traditional desktop, but it won’t be used very much other than Office apps. Windows 8 will work on both Intel-based and ARM-based processors so tablets will be able to run it. Unlike the Apple ecosystem — where iOS and OSX are not the same as far as user interface — Windows 8 users will be able to seamlessly go from tablet to PC. Like Apple, however, there will be an “app store” that allows the user to buy and download vetted apps. Gone are the days of the wild west of computing, when it was hard to tell if the app you were downloading had malware in it.
If you are like me you will have the new version of Windows the day it comes out. And if you are an early adopter Microsoft has made it easier than ever to get a head start on learning the new version of Windows. With that in mind, here are some ways you can get your hands dirty with Windows 8.
Download the Consumer Preview
The consumer preview of Window 8 is what you’ll want to download. Simply choose between the 64 bit or 32 bit version and start downloading. This download is about 2 gigs, so it might take a while depending on your connection speed. You’ll notice that the download will come in ISO form, so if you are a Windows 7 user you can burn the ISO file onto a DVD as a disk image.
Install in a Virtual Box
If you do not have a spare PC laying around, I strongly recommend you install the consumer preview in a Virtual Box install. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is nearly finished, but it still a beta version of the finished result so there will be bugs. Installing on a production machine runs the risk of losing data. Virtual Box is free and fairly easy to use. Since you’ll be using Windows 8 in a virtual environment, you’ll notice some lag (and maybe graphics issues). But you’ll get more or less the full effect of the new operating system. If you have more than one monitor you can run your virtual Windows 8 on one of the monitors in full screen and still be able to use your older version of Windows. There are also more uses for using a virtual machine that we’ve told you about in the past here at Lifehack. So it’s not a bad idea to know how to use virtual machines.
Install on a Spare PC
Any PC that will run Windows 7 will run Windows 8. So if you have a computer lying around that is not mission-critical for you, back up your data and format and install Windows 8. This is truly the best way to experience Windows 8 — but, that said. most of us don’t have a computer that is not mission-critical.
Windows 8 will change the way we think about operating systems. It is wise to get a head start on learning if you can — and the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is the best way to do that.
Andy Small has been a geek all his life. He works as a library paraprofessional in Missouri. To learn more about him go to andy-small.com
4 Critical Ways You Can Stop Wasting Time Today
Mar 26th
By the end of this time management article you will have an important gift – a bundle of time to get more things done today.
Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s a simple fix — all you need to do is eliminate four bad time management habits and stop wasting time today.
1. Stop random email checks
Popping in and out of your inbox creates a “start-stop-start” pattern of work activity. Your wasted time quickly adds up when you consider the time it takes to refocus after each stop. A dozen email trips each day can cost you one completed product each week.
Unless you are expecting an important task-related message, each day you should schedule the 3 specific time slots for checking email: mid-morning, after lunch, and mid-afternoon.
For that matter, the same goes for your voicemail, text messages and other smartphone-related activities. Reduce these harmful interruptions by sticking to a set schedule.
2. Quit “winging-it”
Quick story alert: There was a time in my life when I would get lost while driving. A lot. For a while I thought I was a hopelessly directionally-challenged individual. But then it finally dawned on me that I was usually just “winging it”. I was setting off without a plan or direction.
Most people start their days without a roadmap and end up aimlessly wandering around what’s important, wasting time along the way. Sadly, those who choose to skip planning mistakenly believe they are saving time, a folly obvious to your boss, co-workers, and clients.
Honestly, 5 minutes is all you need to establish a short list of tasks, create a daily schedule, and prioritize your activities in the order of importance. By creating a plan each morning you’ll have much more success in follow-through on what matters most.
3. Don’t be an interruption magnet
Let’s face it, some people are more open to distractions than others. Do you find yourself beginning work on a priority task only to be interrupted by a passing co-worker?
It’s possible that you are inviting distraction into your world like a magnet.
The good news is you’re not alone. This is a common form of procrastination, not following through on your priorities, and time being wasted. Fix it by learning to close your door, both physically and figuratively:
- Each day, choose two separate “task hours” where you can close your office door.
- Identify important tasks where undivided attention is a priority.
- Communicate your limited availability to your co-workers by email or sign on the door; specify options for reaching you with urgent matters during this time.
- Silence your cellphone – shut off your ringer and create a custom voicemail greeting that details your availability.
- Close your email client to avoid the temptation to check-in.
- Unplug from the Internet — shutting down any potential distractions.
- Once you’ve found success, try adding a third task hour to your routine.
Learning the self-discipline to stay on task doesn’t always come naturally. But remember — when you prioritize a task as highly important, you’re giving yourself permission to shut yourself off from interruptions.
4. End your silent procrastination
Procrastination is usually easy to spot, especially when you’re playing solitaire, scrolling Facebook or gazing out the office window. But there’s another type of procrastination that involves “busywork” — working on non-essential tasks. I call it the “silent killer” because you may not even realize you’re doing anything wrong.
Any time you spend on less important activities is a step backward, especially when time-sensitive priority tasks and goals are concerned.
Stop this time-wasting sinkhole by giving your priorities some teeth:
- Don’t just take time to put your task list in order — understand why it is important to you and your goals, this makes easier to stay disciplined and follow through.
- Use Time Boxing, a reliable time management practice that consists of scheduling your tasks in fixed time segments, or boxes, with specific start and finish times.
- When you tell yourself what you should be doing and when, it reduces the intimidation factor of having large projects and open spaces of time.
- Create task reminders using your day planner, Outlook, or by simply setting an egg timer and working until it rings.
Structuring your task time works because it provides an appealing set of instructions in your mind about when to start and when to stop.
(Photo credit: Stop Sign via Shutterstock)
Jeff Doubek believes time management success is just a few good habits away for anyone wanting to achieve their dreams. You can find his practical tips and tricks for getting more done, finding work-life balance and reaching your goals at the Day-Timer Blog. Having challenges with your time? Go "Ask Jeff."
Live Your Life: 7 Reasons Why You Are Amazing
Mar 26th
Please join me at my LIVE webcast TOMORROW, Tuesday March 27 for an exclusive sneak preview of my BRAND-NEW book, Kiss That Frog! Christina Tracy Stein, my daughter and co-author will sit down to discuss the message behind the book and how you can begin to turn negatives into positives in every area of your life.
Below is a short excerpt from Kiss That Frog, that explains the importance of accepting the 7 essential truths about yourself, and reminds us, “It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from; all that really matters is where you are going.” In the LIVE webcast Christina and I will dive deeper in to these 7 reasons and discuss what you MUST know in order to live your life full of happiness, peace, and joy.
Don’t miss out on this up close and personal LIVE event. Sign up here to reserve your spot and take action towards living a positive and fulfilling life free of negativity.
Live Your Life: 7 Reasons Why You Are Amazing
Your natural state is to be happy, peaceful, joyous, and full of excitement at being alive. In this natural state you feel wonderful about yourself and your relationships with the people in your life. You enjoy your work and derive a great sense of satisfaction from making a contribution that makes a difference. Your primary goal should be to organize your life in such a way that this is how you feel most of the time.
As a fully functioning, fully mature adult, you should be doing things every day that move you toward the fulfillment of your potential. You should feel grateful for all your blessings in every area. If you are unhappy or dissatisfied in any part of your life, something is not right in your thoughts, feelings, or actions, and it needs to be corrected.
The starting point in unlocking your full potential is to realize that you already are a prince or princess, deep down inside. No matter where you are today, or what you have done or not done in the past, you need to accept seven essential truths about you as a person and why you are special:
Reason #1: You Are Good
You are a thoroughly good and excellent person. No one is better than you or more gifted than you. Only when you doubt your essential goodness and value do you begin to question yourself. The inability to accept that you are good lies at the root of much of your discontent.
Reason #2: You Are Important, in Many, Many Ways
Your personal universe revolves around you as an individual. You give meaning to everything that you see or hear. How important you feel largely determines the quality of your life. Happy, successful people feel important and valuable. Because they feel and act this way, it becomes true for them.
Unhappy, frustrated people feel unimportant and of little value. They feel frustrated and unworthy. They feel “I’m not good enough,” and as a result they lash out at the world and engage in behaviors that hurt themselves and others. Remember, you are amazing and nothing in your world has any significance except for the significance that you attribute to it.
Reason #3: You Have the Ability Live your Life to the Greatest Potential
You have the capability to create and live your life as you desire and you have unlimited potential to accomplish this. You could not use your entire potential if you lived one hundred lifetimes. No matter what you have accomplished up to now, it is merely a hint of what is truly possible for you. And the more of your natural talents and abilities you develop in the present, the more of your potential you can develop in the future.
Your belief in your almost unlimited potential is the key to becoming everything you are truly capable of becoming.
Reason #4: Your Thoughts on Life are Essential to Creating Your Own World
Your thoughts on life and your beliefs actually create your realities, and every belief you have about yourself you learned, starting in infancy. The amazing thing is that most of the negative or self-limiting beliefs and doubts that interfere with your happiness and success are not based on fact or reality at all.
When you begin to question your self-limiting beliefs and develop beliefs consistent with the incredible person you really are, your life will begin to change almost immediately.
Reason #5: You Are Always Free to Choose
You are free to choose the content of your thoughts and the direction of your life. The one thing over which you have complete control is your inner life and your thinking. You can decide to think happy, fulfilling, uplifting thoughts that lead to positive actions and results. Or you can end up choosing negative, self-limiting thoughts that hold you back.
Reason #6: You Are Special and Destined for Greatness
You are meant to do something wonderful with your life. You are special and have a unique combination of talents, abilities, ideas, insights, and experiences that make you different from anyone who has ever lived. You are designed for success and engineered for greatness.
Your acceptance or non-acceptance of this point largely determines the size of the goals you set, your power of persistence in the face of adversity, the height of your achievements, and the whole direction of your life.
Reason #7: You Can Conquer Your Fear of Failure
There are no limits to what you can do, be, or have except the limits you place on your own thinking and your own imagination. The biggest enemies you will ever face are your own doubts and your fear of failure. These are usually negative beliefs, not necessarily based on fact that you have accepted over the years until you no longer question them.
Remember the rule: It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from; all that really matters is where you’re going.
If you enjoyed this post about how you can live your life full of happiness, peace, and joy, join me on Tues, March 27th for “The 12 Great Ways to Turn Negatives into Positives in your Life and Work,” a brand new, complimentary livestream presentation in which I team up with my daughter, clinical psychologist and personal development coach Christina Tracy Stein.
Together we reveal our BRAND-NEW book, Kiss That Frog, and show you how to take control and begin designing a life you love.
Reserve your spot now and get ready to experience a life you love, filled with happiness and fulfillment. Register for the LIVE webcast now!
An Exceedingly Simple Guide to Keeping a Journal
Mar 26th
Post written by Leo Babauta.
I have to confess: I’ve never been good at keeping a journal. Until this year.
It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do regularly, and over the years I’ve started journals in many different forms. I have bits of journals in several notebooks and in several computer files, but while they’re interesting, they’re more a testament to my failure to keep a journal going for very long.
But this year has been different. I started a journal on January 3, 2012 and have an entry for just about every day since then — nearly 3 months might not seem like a lot to you, but it’s about six times what I’ve ever done before, and at this point I have confidence that I’ll keep it going for at least a few more months.
What has changed? I instituted a few “tricks” to keep the journaling simple, easy, and sustainable.
My Journal Rules
I wanted to make sure the journaling was as easy as possible, so I have no excuses. So I instituted a few rules that have worked very well for me:
1. Only write a few bullet points. I don’t write full sentences — just a bullet point for interesting or important things that happened each day. I only have to write 2-3, though sometimes I write 5-6 if I did a lot. I mix personal and work stuff together. By keeping each day’s entry short and simple, I make it so easy to journal that there are no excuses — it only takes a few minutes!
2. Keep my notebook where I won’t miss it. I put my notebook where I have coffee in the morning. I’ve been using an old Moleskine that I found in my closet that I’d started using as a journal in 2008, on my trip with Eva to Thailand. It really doesn’t matter what kind of notebook you use, but I’ve found a physical notebook is best because on the computer, I’ll tend to forget or be distracted by other computer tasks (damn the Internet!). When I see the notebook as I sit down to drink coffee, I remember to journal. Btw, one of the lapses in my current journal came when I changed my morning routine and started drinking coffee on the couch instead of at my desk — my journal stayed on the desk and I forgot to journal for more than a week. I had to fill it in later, which wasn’t easy. Which brings me to my next rule.
3. Don’t miss more than 2 days of journaling. I missed almost two weeks once, as I just mentioned … and later when I had to fill in back entries, I had a hard time remembering what I’d did. I had a couple other lapses like this, usually because visitors change up my routine, and I’ve found that looking in my calendar and emails helps jog my memory so I can get most of the main things into the journal. But it’s far better to journal the day after the events happen, when things are still fresh. I’ve found that two days later is also fine, but at three days, you start to mix up the previous few days and forget some things. So if I don’t journal every day, I will make sure not to miss more than a day or two.
That’s it. Those three rules work very well for me, and have helped me keep a journal for the last several months.
Bonus Tips
And here are a few more tips (some were said in the paragraphs above as well):
- Physical notebooks are better than computer journals, as you tend to forget computer programs or get distracted by the Internet. I also like the physical act of writing pen on paper, which I do far too little these days. That said, if you prefer a computer journal, keep it simple. I like text files rather than a dedicated journal program, because text files are pretty much forever, while other data formats can become obsolete if the journal program gets discontinued.
- What physical notebook you use doesn’t matter. I use a pocket Moleskine notebook witha soft cover. I use a hard cover pocket Moleskine for my workout log, which I’ve been using since last year so I can see my progress. Those are my only two notebooks. I’ve used other notebooks too, and they work well. I like the pocket notebooks because they’re easy to carry around if I want to journal on the train (which I don’t do often) and don’t take up much space on the table next to where I drink coffee.
- Journal before you get on the computer in the morning. Recap your previous day. If you start on the computer, I’ve learned, you’ll forget about the journaling. Don’t put it off!
- If you forget to journal for a few days, use your calendar and the emails you sent as reminders for what you did.
- Remember, keep it short! Just a few bullet points of the main things you did. Here are my bullet points for Wed. Mar. 21, 2012 for example: 1. gym – end of week 6; 2. drafted ZH post on 3-step happiness algorithm; 3. wrote mnmlist post on being OK with things as they are; 4. bought groceries, gifts, decorations for Noelle & Chloe’s birthday party.
- I like that I can look back and see what the highlights are of each day — this helps me to know if I’ve been focusing on important stuff, or frittering my days away.
I highly recommend keeping a journal. It takes minutes a day, and looking back on your life is something that seems deeply satisfying.