Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
16 Everyday Habits of Highly Productive People
Most articles about everyday habits offer only the overall, generic advice like: ‘go above and beyond,’ ‘get more organized,’ ‘respect others,’ etc. without offering any doable tricks or examples of what this actually looks like. What many of these articles fail to provide is applicable, basic tips that the basic layman can apply to life tomorrow and instantly feel better about their circumstances. That ends here.
Below you will find a list of 16 tips and tricks that will help guide you to a more fulfilled life.
1. They Make Lists
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the requirements of a dream-like project. Creating a daily list of “action items” that need to be accomplished keeps successful people honest, motivated, and constantly progressing. Start small, and gradually build. (Trick: do this first thing in the morning. Make a brief list of all the things you need to accomplish to make the day a triumph.)
2. They Maximize Down Time
There’s always something to learn, or things that need to get done. Successful people embrace this. Having a time surplus is a good indicator that you’re challenge is either too small or you’re not thinking big enough. (Trick: concentrate on segregating your free time – i.e. one hour video editing practice, half hour reading video editing book, half hour watching beautifully edited films of others, repeat.)
3. They Reflect on Mistakes & Grow
Carol Dweck concentrates on the fixed vs. growth oriented pathways of the brain in her New York Times best selling book Mindsets. When faced with a challenge, overcoming fear, or coming back from a “failure,” successful people are focused on growth more than they fixate on the outcome of failure. (Trick: when feeling letdown, reflect by writing 3 things that went wrong in the process and how you plan to fix them next time.)
4. They Limit Technological Distractions
We live in a world that is constantly stimulated by electronic communication. Text messaging, the virtual worlds of social media, and mobile email capability can become serious time drains if handled inappropriately. (Trick: limit yourself to checking your social media accounts and emails once a day to limit distractions. There’s an app to keep you honest with that.)
5. They Forget About Perfection
Eric Thomas sums it perfectly with his statement, “There will never be the perfect time to do a great thing.” Successful people understand this, and don’t use their perfectionism substitute for procrastination. No matter how inexperienced, uneducated, or unprepared you might feel, right now is the best time to jump into action. (Trick: think of an endeavor you undertook and performed perfectly. No mistakes at all. Difficult? That’s what I thought.)
6. They Collect Their Thoughts Immediately
For many successful people, their best ideas, or what psychologists call ah-ha ‘moments,’ come at inopportune times like during exercise or their daily commute. Collecting those thoughts will allow you to reflect on them later. (Trick: keep a pocket-sized journal in your backpack or purse for note taking. There are apps for this, too.)
7. They Do Nice Things, But Don’t Tell Everyone
One of the many problems mass media has created is the idea that successful people always perform in front of others. As a society we often discredit the amount of hard work, practice, and sleepless nights these phenoms spent alone with their craft, with no one around. (Trick: do something small each day for a whole week to progress your dream. Tell no one.)
8. They Remind Themselves of Death
We have a limited amount of time on earth, and there’s no sense in hiding from how fast time goes. Successful people understand this, and use it as an advantage in letting no day go by wasted or squandered. (Trick: Envision an older version of yourself watching you throughout the day, and do today what you’d regret later in life. Creepy? Yes. Effective? Yes.)
9. They Define Success Themselves
Success is a large word thrown around by many small mouths. It’s a shame and, honestly, it’s a sham. A large bank account, sexy spouse, or lavish wardrobes do not define success in business, life, love, and other. YOU do. (Trick: look to people you idolize. Write down what you like about them. Chances are good that the adjectives and emotions you used are some of their proudest features.)
10. They Outwork Everyone
My mother once told me that, “There will always be someone stronger, faster, smarter, and more capable than you, but you’ll never be outworked.” Though some may view this as counterproductive, I’ve never had such sage and practical advice in my life. (Trick: pretend adversity. I guarantee you’ll want to prove everyone wrong as a result, even if they’re made up.)
11. They Don’t Envy Others
Successful people don’t have time to worry about the successes or failures of others because they’re too focused on what they want. Eliminate envy, and other negative emotions, as you’ll surely free your mind for bigger things. (Trick: talk up and freely promote others you admire, even if they don’t return the favor.)
12. They Heed Danger in Lounging
I’m not here to demonize TV, but studies have shown that success and television viewing have a negative correlation (when success goes up, television watching goes down). In fact, Craig Dewie did a brilliant piece on this some time ago. We only have so much free time in the day, and successful people spend it educating themselves by feeding their brain instead of numbing it.
13. They Believe That Fate Is Fake
Destiny and luck is a product of hard work and sacrifice. Successful athletes, CEOs, and film stars don’t “take days off.” They’re consistently dedicated to bettering each aspect of their life daily. (Trick: don’t overload yourself at once. Take small bites, 7 days a week, and build up.)
14. They Are The Man in the Glass
Successful people know what they want, and visualize how their strengths and weaknesses will play to their favor or downfall. Sure, everyone’s filled with doubt and fear that they’ll flop, but successful people know exactly what it takes to rise above as a result of spending so much time alone. At the end of the day, they are the only person they answer to. (Trick: Be by yourself. No phone. No friends. No roommates. You. Alone. BY YOURSELF.)
15. They Embrace Criticism
Nobody likes being booed, but they normally come from the cheap seats. Instead of getting defensive and immediately dismissing the negative opinions of others, successful people listen, heed those words, and use them to grow. (Trick: next time you’re confronted with negativity, agree and thank them for it. It will completely disarm your hater.)
16. They Always Finish Strong
No one, I repeat, NO ONE is an off-the-bat success. From Muhammad Ali to Mahatma Gandhi, all successes have taken their bruises and lumps, and they kept on going. No matter what happens, or whatever the end result may be, seeing something through to the end will help you develop the resolve to continue taking chances, growing, and bettering yourself.
Next time you’re in the situation of becoming your own worst critic, remember that,
“The road to personal excellence has no end.”
Trust in yourself, keep your head down, and keep moving forward no matter what.
Monday, 2 March 2015
29 Ways to Beat Procrastination Once and For All
We all procrastinate. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing, but it can turn into something evil and nasty if we aren’t careful. Try these procrastination beating techniques to destroy this deadly foe once and for all.
1. Get up and move
One of the best ways to “change the channel” of procrastination is to change your scenery. Rather than sit in front of your computer or TV all day, get up, do some stretches, jog in place, do pushups, and move until your frame of mind has changed.
2. Setup reminders
Setup a daily (or hourly) reminder that you should be working on something or at least not wasting your time (unless you have time to waste). You can also set up reminders that give you motivational quotes.
3. Get a motivation buddy
There is nothing like having someone on your side when it comes to making your goals a reality. If you start to slip into procrastination, your motivation buddy will get you back in the game.
4. Make yourself accountable
You can do this with people around you or even with your motivation buddy above. A great way is to announce your change publicly and be vocal about it. Hit the social networks, your blog, write letters, whatever it takes to make yourself more accountable to getting work done.
5. Create something everyday
No matter what it is. Artwork, photos, videos, a journal, some code, anything that gets you into a creative mood and gets you working.
6. Wake up early
The nicest part about waking up early is that it is quiet and still. You can concentrate on a few big tasks as soon as you get up and get a bunch of work done that would have taken many more hours during the bustle of the day.
7. Go to sleep early
You can’t wake up early and work if you don’t get to sleep early. We need to recharge and being tired is definitely a motivator to keep procrastinating.
8. Clean and clear as you go
Sometimes we see how big a mess is in our lives and rather than do anything about it, we procrastinate. If you spend 15 minutes a day or just clean and clear things as you go (email, physical cleaning, tasks, etc.) the load of things to do isn’t as big.
9. Cut the cable
Sitting in front of your TV isn’t a good thing (all the time). Beat procrastination (as well as save some money) by getting rid of your cable.
10. Just do it
We have all heard the excuses. So, rather than make up new ones, just hunker down and get to work.
11. Schedule time blocks
If you know that some tasks are coming up as due and you have a lot of work to do on them, take out your calendar and schedule some time blocks. This will give you a set time to work and help you beat procrastination.
12. Follow a task list
It’s hard to get stuff done when you don’t know what to get done. Have a task list with you to make sure that you have the right things to do at the right time.
13. Have a system
We recommend GTD, because, you know, it’s the best.
14. Don’t check email
One of the worst things that you can do when starting to “work” is check email. It will put you in an “non-action” mood. Instead, pull out your task list and work on a big task first. Check email later.
15. Destroy social networks
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, everything. Turn them off completely to beat procrastination. Focus on the task at hand.
16. Time yourself
One good way to get to work is to set a specific time for yourself to work. Say, 25 minutes (ie. Pomodoro Technique). After the set amount of time, rest and do whatever you want for a little bit. Then work for a set of time again.
17. Track yourself
One of the best ways to know where you are spending your time and find free time to beat procrastination is by tracking yourself. There are a host of apps for doing this. Find your weaknesses and change them.
18. Automate when you can
If you hate doing some menial on your computer then try to automate it whenever you can. It will save you time and allow you to concentrate on more important, interesting things.
19. Create a playlist
Jam out to some music to beat procrastination. Create a “beating down procrastination to a pulp” play list that puts you in a state of flow with your work.
20. Identify and face your fear
Most times, we are afraid of something when we procrastinate. Try to find your fear and and face it. Then you can start creating and working.
21. Realize it will never be perfect
If you can’t work on something unless it is perfect then you should find a way to leave earth. Nothing is perfect. Make something real and awesome. That will be great enough.
22. Become mindful
Know what you are doing at all times to beat procrastination. Don’t get stuck in a mindless rut of web surfing, channel flipping, comment flaming, balderdash. Be aware of your surroundings.
23. Set “goals” for the day
At the beginning of each day identify a handful of things that you want to accomplish. Some say three things. It depends on how large the tasks are. Set a limite for yourself and work on each of them until they are done.
24. Give yourself a break
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you are having a tough time beating procrastination. Remember, you are human and we love to sit and stew in our own uncompleted mess of work sometimes. Just work hard to get out of it.
25. Stick with tools
You are reading Lifehack because you love the idea of productivity and productivity tools. I’m writing for Lifehack, because I love them too. Don’t let them control you. Trying to find the perfect productivity tool can be an excellent way to procrastinate.
26. Entertain yourself
Go to a movie, a play, an art museum. Getting away from work is a great way to beat procrastination as well as refuel your creative energy.
27. Work less
One reason we procrastinate is because we are trying to do too many things at once. Identify key projects and complete those first. You won’t feel overwhelmed and will be able to get to work.
28. Have some quiet time every day
We are constantly plugged in to our digital world. We constantly have music or sound on. It can be a overwhelming and stressful causing us to tune out of work and life. Give yourself at least 15 minutes of quiet everyday to refocus and be with yourself.
29. Don’t settle
Don’t think that “you are just lazy” and that “this is the way you are”. It doesn’t have to be and you don’t have to let it be. You can beat procrastination.
Conclusion
If you want to beat procrastination once and for all, these are the 29 ways to do. Pick the best one for your current situation and then get back to work.
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Saturday, 28 February 2015
Saving 2 Hours Per Work Day is Easy!
Some people talk about the notion that they don’t have enough time. They talk and talk and talk… but they don’t take any action and change what they’ve got. They hope their circumstances change so they can benefit more from what they do.
Smart people take charge. They change their lives by doing things differently. They understand that the only change they can count on is the change they create. For those people, this is the article that can make them save 2 hours per work day. Of course everybody else is invited to read along as well. Just make sure you don’t just read. You have to read, implement, and benefit. Reading alone won’t make you save time.
This Is The Basis Of 2 Hours Saved Per Day
Since you have time to save and not time to waste, I won’t go into all the tiny details. I know you are a professional, highly educated person who can think for yourself. So here are the 4 rules you can use to start saving time.
1. Know what you want and do everything possible at any moment to get there.
2. Make a clear plan and start working consciously.
3. Learn smart working techniques (more on that later).
4. Analyze your working day and remove all that is not helping you (outsource, eliminate, etc.).
2. Make a clear plan and start working consciously.
3. Learn smart working techniques (more on that later).
4. Analyze your working day and remove all that is not helping you (outsource, eliminate, etc.).
That’s basically it. When you do that, there is no way you cannot save time when working.
Smart Working Techniques
Plan Your Time
One of the most important things you can do is learn to plan your time ahead. I’m not just talking about the current day or week, but also this month and probably even this year! Many people let others dictate their schedule. This could be co-workers, your boss, customers, etc. Find out your own productive times and do what you do best during those hours.
Interruptions
Make sure you don’t just outline your day with the things you can plan, also schedule time for interruptions. That’s right, you must schedule your interruptions: all of the people who have questions, those who want to chat with you and just try to put their problems on your plate. You need to schedule this into your planning.
You could say that from 12:00 until 12:30 everybody can ask questions on whatever they want. Outside these hours, people should not do any kind of small talk. I know this may sound harsh and cold, but think about it… what is your biggest goal at work?
Are you paid to get results or be a person who talks with others about nothing all day? Small talk is great, but not all day. And of course, you can make it 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon, or 4 times for 30 minutes, whatever you want. Just schedule this so you can get things done!
Educate People
One reason why you will get more done using the ‘schedule interruptions’ method is because you educate people that you want to work during your non-interruption moments. Of course, the way you deliver that message also has a big impact on the way people look at you. :) Educate people with clarity and a good heart; be firm and let them know why you do this.
You also educate people by the way you work with them. You can schedule interruptions and still have this fail. Why? Because if you start to make small talk with everybody else during your normal working time then you will not set a good example.
Be the change, live the change, and change will occur! If you can’t change, how can you expect other people to change for you?
Meetings
One of my rules about meetings is this: I don’t take part if it is not really, really necessary for me to be there.
Even if my presence is needed, I make sure that I influence or change the agenda in such a way that my sections are at the beginning. I enter the meeting when it starts. I leave when the meeting has discussed my points.
Also, when a meeting is really unstructured and seems to go nowhere, I tell people I have to leave. My time is really valuable and I don’t want to waste it. Doing what I do best has more impact than sitting with a group of people who are sitting there to kill time.
Does this work? You bet! Do I get to see strange faces when I leave? In the beginning, people thought this was strange. When I explained to them why I do this, they usually understand.
Oh boy… the big one. The one thing that most people start at the beginning of the day and close when they go home is their email client.
When you need distractions, and you have lots of time, you must keep your email client open. If not, close it. Don’t open it until the end of the morning. Process all your emails and close the tool again. Then, at the end of the day, you open up the email tool and process your emails again.
When this is working out for you, only go through your emails once a day. Just imagine, before you had a look at each email coming in — all the time you were losing, a minute reading that email and responding to it (another 1 to 2 minutes). That means 2 to 3 minutes per email.
Just say you receive 40 emails each day (that few??? Yes, because this is an example). 40 emails mean 40 distractions and 80 to 120 minutes of email time.
Now you do this only once and you see immediately that things are solved via email by others, things are no longer relevant, etc. You can email back faster because you see all of them. Perhaps you include a couple of people in one response. You can easily save 60 minutes alone on your email time!
Reading Materials
Yes… you can save time when reading. You probably heard about speed reading techniques.
Now don’t go wild and imagine that you need to read with 1000 or perhaps 2000 words per minute to make a real difference.
Imagine you read 2 hours each day. When you double your reading speed, you save one hour each day. Simple stuff, yet you are able to save lots of time. And that is done by just doubling your reading speed! The beauty is that you can do that easily in a couple of short sessions. Then, from that moment on, you can read twice as fast as you did before.
The Result
What do you think will happen when you start applying these ideas? Do you think 2 hours per work day is a lot or just the beginning? I am sure that the moment you do what you learned here, you will be on your way to wonderful working days again.
You will be home on time, have lots of free time, accomplish more, and have less stress. The biggest pitfall is this: you look at what you just read and think “I know this stuff and it works,” but you don’t actually use it on a consistent basis. When you don’t use this every day and you just think about the article… you just wasted a couple of minutes of your own time.
Sorry to be this direct, but you know in your heart this is the truth.
Action Points
People who want more time take one of the items above and use it for at least a week. People who want to change their lives, have a lot more free time, accomplish a lot more in the time they have… they start using all of this right now! These are the people who will benefit the most.
Action point: use what you read
Action point: if you don’t use what you read, stop talking about the fact that you don’t have enough time. You now have a way to do and be more in the time you have each day.
Action point: Make a list of things you want to accomplish with the 2+ hours you get each working day from now on. You need this :)
Friday, 27 February 2015
10 Tips for Time Management in the Workplace
Are you having difficulties managing your time at work? Here are a few quick suggestions for boosting your productivity and improving time management in the workplace:
Question Yourself
It’s easy to get caught up in mundane “busy” work that distracts you from more important projects. Always ask, “Is this the best possible use of my time at this exact minute?” If not, stop what you’re doing and direct your efforts toward another activity that is going to give you a bigger payoff.
Shut Your Door
If you find it hard to get your work done because of drop-in visitors, don’t be shy about shutting your door to discourage interruptions. Of course, you don’t want to lock people out all day long, but this is a particularly useful technique when you really need to concentrate for just an hour or two.
Tame Your Technology
Do you find your entire day eaten up by phone calls and emails? You may think that you’re being efficient by responding the second a new communication comes in but many times, the reverse is true. Send your calls to voice mail and turn off your email notification. Then check your messages once in the morning, once after lunch, and once more before you leave the office. You’ll be able to respond to important issues as they come up, and still have time to get some actual work done!
Clear The Clutter
Some people have a hard time staying focused because the piles and stacks distract them from the task at hand. Clear the clutter off of your desk and other visible surfaces, then only have out what you are currently working on. That way, your eye (and your attention) won’t be drawn away as easily.
Write It Down
If your mind can’t seem to settle down, and you keep thinking of the million OTHER things that you have to do, keep a pad of paper on your desk and write down each of these to-do’s as they occur to you. Emptying them out of your head will allow you to stay focused on the task at hand, without fear of forgetting something important.
Organize Paper To-Do’s
Rather than simply piling all of your paperwork into a single “in-box” tray, consider setting up a series of action files in a rack or box on your desk with one for each type of to-do. You might have a folder for “to file,” one for “to read,” one for “to contact” or whatever makes sense for your job. When you receive a new stack of paper, take a second to sort it into the appropriate files, according to the next step you need to take with each item.
Schedule It
A lot of folks are great about creating to-do lists, but never seem to get around to marking any of the items off! If you face this sort of challenge, try actually scheduling each to-do on your calendar. Commit a chunk of time on a specific day to each item on your list and you will be amazed at how quickly you get it all done.
30 Seconds Or Less
Not all to-do’s are created equal nor do they all take the same amount of time. Some items can be completed very quickly (like bookmarking a website, filing a business card in your Rolodex, or entering an important number in your cell phone). When a to-do crosses your desk, ask if it can be completed in 30 seconds or less. If so, just go ahead, do it, and get it over with -- just one less thing to have to worry about later!
Sometimes, It’S Okay To Procrastinate
This one is a corollary to the previous rule. It’s not always the best use of your time for you to tackle a to-do right when it comes in. Let routine items that have no set deadline and that take a bit longer pile up (in a folder, not in a stack) for a few days, then tackle the whole batch at once.
Consolidate Routine Actions
Hopping back and forth from one activity to another is a big time-waster. If you file a piece of paper then make a call then send an email then file another piece of paper, your brain has to switch gears at each step. Instead try to complete all of one type of to-do before moving on to the next task. Make all of your calls, do all of your filing, and then send all of your emails. You’ll find that you move faster and get more done in a shorter amount of time when you’re in a groove!
These may seem like simple tasks but combined they add up to a great improvement in efficiency and time management in the workplace.
By: Ramona Creel, Professional Organizer
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