February | 2012 | Productive Life Concepts

Archive | February, 2012

How to Live a More Productive Life by Changing This One Thing

By Royale on February 29, 2012 in Productivity, Time

I read an article a few weeks ago about a writer who decided to radically change her writing schedule and found as a result that she was able to see a significant increase in her ability to be productive and get things done. I was inspired to adapt this for my own writing and work life, but I thought the strategy could also be applied to my home life as well.

After a couple of weeks of changing this one thing, I decided that my experiment was a resounding success. I got more writing done than ever before. I completed projects in less time. As my productivity increased, my stress level decreased, and as an added bonus, the side effect was that my life and work satisfaction level rose as well. Now, it’s time to share.

Concentrated Effort

This strategy takes time blocking and task focus to a whole new level. It is useful on both a mental and physical level.

The secret, use an Extreme Focus Blitz whenever possible. What this means is not only do you focus on one job, one task, or one project at a time, you do it for as long is reasonably possible. It can be applied both in the office and at home.

Some work examples:

Instead of writing three blog posts at a time in a block, I now write an entire month’s worth in an eight-hour day. How? By sticking with this same task all day, I become more efficient with the repetition, I avoid the time and effort necessary to start and stop and the quality of my writing is increasing. Once I stay in the zone for a long period the ideas and words flow more freely, which also makes the tasks more enjoyable.

I complete client projects and articles, marketing, administrative tasks and anything else I can in that same manner. Projects now take me less time, so I’m effectively earning more per hour and I’m finishing well before deadlines.

This could also work for meetings, appointments, team projects, billing, data entry, creating documents and lots more. Clearly, there will be some jobs that are unable to be done this way, but if you think outside the box, you’ll see that this could apply to more than you might think.

Try this at home:

I was skeptical about how I could use this practice at home. I have specific routines and I am pretty organized as a rule, but I decided to just give it a try for a week or two and have been pleasantly surprised by the result of changing this one thing.

Instead of doing laundry every day, I now do it once a week. I am a bit a data nerd, so I tracked my results. It used to take two hours (wash, dry, and fold,) to do each load, about 10-14 hours per week depending on volume. It now takes me 6-8 hours on Saturday or Sunday to do all 5-7 loads. That saves me 4-6 hours. While I know that the hamper never stays empty for long, at least for a time all the clothes in the house are clean.

I used the same strategy to wash my windows, do errands (shopping, post office, library, dry cleaners, etc.,) mop floors, and any other cleaning or household management task I could think of.

I’m still working at finding ways to apply this, but I have discovered, much to my shock, that I will literally save more than 20 hours per month. That’s a whole day! Imagine what you could do with an extra day each month…

The added bonus is that by accomplishing such a significant amount of progress in one area instead of a bit of progress in many areas, you experience a greater amount of satisfaction in a job well done. And with more visible results. This has enabled me to better enjoy the remainder of my time and look forward to the next project I can put to rest.

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Want to Know the Secret to Achieving Goals?

By Royale on February 27, 2012 in Goals, Health, Inspiration, Motivation, Personal Growth, Stress, Work

The secret to achieving goals in life, whatever they may be lies in the attitude and level of commitment with which we approach them. We are capable of so much more if only we believe it is possible.

Whenever we approach our desired goals with a committed, unswerving attitude, no obstacle is too large and no setback too severe to overcome. Attitude and perception can be a shaping influence in how successful our individual pursuits of achievement will be because it is our mind-set that allows us to triumph over adversity.

We are more likely to pursue our dreams persistently when we trust that success will be the ultimate and foreseeable result of our efforts. Unanticipated difficulties will not deter us, prepared as we are by the expectation that our paths will be littered with the unexpected. Confident in our ability, we move forward, assured of the attainability of our goals. Our unwavering determination will enable us to achieve our goals with less stress and a more positive attitude.

What goals are you wholly committed to?

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Things We Need To Do Each Day to Improve our Quality Of Life

By Royale on February 24, 2012 in Habits, Happiness, Health, Personal Growth

Inspired by a post of Gretchen Rubin’s a while back, I’ve been mulling over my own list of things I must do to each day to have the quality of life that I desire. What actions are absolutely crucial for me to experience a sense of well-being, good health, and achieve a balanced life in the midst of a busy day?

I agree with Gretchen that these items should not be goals; they need to be specific actions. Imagine a daily checklist. If you clearly can determine if you’ve done it, then it goes on the list. If it’s vague or subjective, it doesn’t make the cut. We are not talking about ideals or principles, but concrete actions that you could take every day.

I however, do not agree that habits of attitude, gratitude, learning, and such should be automatically eliminated. I also do not believe that something should not be included if it does not apply to others. This is your list, it belongs to you and should be personalized to suit your needs.

Some of my “Must Dos”

Take my vitamins

Move my body in some way

Get outside

Spend time alone

Connect in some way with my loved ones

Write in my gratitude journal

Enjoy a good laugh

Engage my mind – learn something new, read, have an interesting conversation, exercise my brain through word games, puzzles, etc

Tidy my surroundings – make my bed, clean up the kitchen, and such

Consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables

Drink 8 glasses of water

Get sufficient quality and quantity sleep

When I don’t do these things, I feel off-balance, ineffective and grumpy. The quality of my life suffers. As I said before my list is different from Gretchen’s and it will be different from yours.

What would you have on your list?

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A 2 Step Process to Generate Ideas, Cultivate Creativity, and Achieve Your Goals

By Royale on February 22, 2012 in Health, Inspiration, Life Balance, Personal Growth, Productivity

The key to a successful life is to keep moving forward. When you face a challenge, but are unsure what step to take next, or seem to be standing still, unable to achieve your goals, pause and give your mind the time and space to generate solutions.

The best way to accomplish this is to set aside structured “Idea Time.” The initial inspiration for this process came from Todd Henry’s book, “The Accidental Creative.” I adapted this concept into a process that works best for me. You may need to adapt it further to suit you as well.

How to Use Your Idea Time

Step 1

Choose a question or problem to ponder.

Brainstorm possible solutions.

Contemplate potential actions.

Choose one or a few to implement.

Add these action steps to your task or goal list.

Step 2

Let your mind wander. Allow any and all ideas to float in.

Ask what else. What else could I do? What ideas or inspirations would I like to explore?

Record those ideas in your idea book (this can be an actual notebook or journal, an electronic document or mobile app.)

Decide if any of these ideas are useful or relevant now.

Leave the rest to marinate for future consideration.

The mind is most effective when we allow it to slow down and contemplate solutions. The answers to how to achieve our goals, find happiness, attain life satisfaction, and realize career success lie within us. We have an inner wisdom that we can tap into, if only we give it the time and freedom to come alive.

Try to schedule “Idea Time,” on your calendar each week. If you can’t find an hour, try 30 minutes at least.

Do you think this might benefit you? Why or why not?

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3 Simple Steps to Achieve a Higher Quality Life

By Royale on February 20, 2012 in Goals, Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Questions, Relationships

It may seem fanciful, but it’s not. Studies have shown that people are more likely to be happier and find more personal and profession success as well as experience more life satisfaction, when they have a vision of what they want their future to look like. It’s simple logic really and the process is quite painless.

Make a Wish List – Include both personal and professional wishes in every area of your life, tangible and intangible.

Some examples from my wish list:

I wish I could spend each day doing what I love.

I wish to touch the lives of those around me.

I wish for financial security so that I don’t have to worry about money.

I wish to be healthy in mind and body.

Now, make your own wish list. Maybe you want to express your creativity. Maybe you want your own business or a new car. Perhaps you want a loving relationship or better work-life balance. This list of wishes will help guide you toward what you truly want in life.

Describe Your Ideal Day – Again you may say it’s fanciful; I say it’s crucial to achieving your goals of happiness and success.

What would your ideal day look like?

Where would you be?

Whom would you be with?

What would you be doing?

What would you be feeling?

Your first inclination might be to think of a vacation or life of leisure, but though you might not believe it that would get old eventually. Instead, envision a normal day, the way you’d like it to be.

Think Backwards – It sounds odd, but is actually necessary and practical.

What would have to happen for you to make these wishes and your ideal life a reality?

What habits, behaviors, and beliefs would you need to change?

What actions would you need to take?

What would you need to learn?

Ponder the disparity between where you are and where you want to go. It may look impossible, but it is doable, although you may discover along the way that the answers to these questions changes. I’ll leave that for a future post. Consider what small step you could take to bridge the gap and move forward towards the life you envision.

Share what’s on your wish list?

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Why You Need This Tool to Keep Your Goals on Track

By Royale on February 15, 2012 in Goals, Habits, Life Balance, Personal Growth, Productivity

GoalsOnTrack offers a thoroughly researched, well-designed system to achieving goals of any kind. Their website offers a systematic approach that has been shown to be highly effective for many users. What’s more, you don’t have to use all of the available tools to get results. Utilize the options that make the most sense for you.

As is my usual practice when recommending products or tools, I use them myself to assess their usefulness and determine if they are the right fit for my readers. I am happy to report that after having used this software, I am impressed by the system, the potential results, and the quick and easy customer support to answer any questions.

Some of the features of GoalsOnTrack

SMART Goals

Writing your goals in a SMART way makes it much more likely, that you’ll succeed. Follow the goal creation instructions to ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Chunk it Down

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your long, complex, overwhelming goals into small, manageable chunks. Use Sub goal feature to chunk it down and stop procrastination

See Instant Progress

Seeing immediate progress on whatever you do is the most powerful motivation sources. That’s why some games are so addictive. Real time progress tracking features allow you to view instant progress on your goals whenever you complete a task.

Tame Your To-do List

Stop getting frustrated and overwhelmed by your to-do list. Setup your tasks for your goals, and see them automatically organized by goals, categories, and days. Use drag-n-drop features to quickly prioritize your Today’s tasks. Recurring tasks and email reminders also supported.

Use Your Time Wisely

If you don’t manage your time, you will surely waste time. Track how long you spend on tasks accurately and effortlessly, using animated, and offline time trackers no matter where you complete the task.

Day Planner On-the-go

Print out a Day Planner sheet with all your active goals and tasks for today. Take it with you wherever you go. You can check off your to-do list and know you are making progress on goals without using the software.

Visualize Your Success

Visualizing when all your goals are accomplished is a great way to motivate yourself. Upload your own pictures for goals and watch your dreams unfold before your eyes in vision board tool.

Start a New Habit

Nothing can help you reach goals quicker than a right set of great habits. Start a new habit today with Habits Builder tool.

Stick to it until It’s Formed

Tracking your habits is as simple as placing checkmarks on habits tracker calendar tool. The software remembers when and how many checkmarks you placed, and automatically track your habit strength and days to form.

Create Goal Journals

Use the goal journal tool to write down what you did for your goals, how you did it, and what lessons you learned. Not only will you have a written record of your goal journey, you’ll also gain valuable insights and grow personally in the long run.

Import & Export Tasks

See your goals and tasks in your favorite calendar tool, such as Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar etc. You may also import tasks from Outlook and export them into CSV files.

Progress and Time Usage Reports

Everything you do in the system is recorded and you can create reports on them anytime you like. Create detailed PDF reports on goals, tasks, progress, and time usage. View 3D charts online.

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A Simple Tool to Improve Your Health and Increase Your Productivity

By Royale on February 13, 2012 in Health, Productivity

We have become a sedentary society, sitting hunched over our desks for long periods of time. This is not only detrimental to our posture and our joints it can be disastrous for our health. I discovered a solution that addresses these issues.

Advantages

A walking desk, sometimes called a treadmill desk is a very useful tool. Not only does it get you up and out of the chair, it helps you combine exercise (which nobody seems to have time for,) with work, surfing the internet, playing games, checking Facebook, however you use your laptop.

One word of caution…Do not expect to jog or speed walk while using this desk. I am not responsible for injuries. I am generally able to walk at 2 mph at a 5% incline. It doesn’t sound like much, but it saves me time, helps me stretch out my joints and muscles, and burns about 250 – 300 calories per hour in contrast to the 50-80 calories that sitting still burns. It adds up.

Results

My experiment with my walking desk has been a complete success. I have been using it for about 6 hours a week for a month and have noticed a less stiffness and back pain already. I have also saved time and seem to be getting at least as much work done as before, maybe more. Not to mention the extra 1200 calories I’m burning a week just by walking.

Equipment

Many of us have an old treadmill that is probably accumulating dust or has clothes draped over it. If you are not one of those, consider investing in a treadmill (and actually using it.) It is the simplest option for improving your health and exercise. There are so many choices, you can certainly find one that suits your needs and fits your budget.

There are also many choices for the desk itself. They range from pricey, but state of the art walking stations to inexpensive homemade versions. There is a wealth of information on the internet.

Some links I found helpful:

I put in 5 miles at the office – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/health/nutrition/18fitness.html

How to set up a treadmill desk – http://www.macworld.com/article/156988/2011/01/treadmilldesk.html

Design and build your own treadmill desk – http://www.treadmill-desk.com/

I happen to already own a treadmill and have a handy husband, so I described what I wanted and he built it for me. It really was not very hard and cost less than $100.

My new work station

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The Best Place To Find Happiness

By Royale on February 10, 2012 in Gratitude, Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Mood

Why are so many of us so unhappy? Maybe we’re not unhappy per see, but we aren’t truly content with our lives and we certainly don’t feel real joy every day. An overwhelming majority of people struggle with this problem.

The answer…We’re looking for happiness in the wrong places.

Happiness cannot be found in a nice car, fresh haircut, better relationship, new city, or even a different job. It also can’t be found in fun vacations, fancy houses, and large bank accounts. Success won’t guarantee it, neither will love.

It can’t be found in a thinner body or a sparkly piece of bling (though you might come close.) It’s not in books or on the internet. You certainly can’t get to it through Facebook, (but I like it anyway.)

Oh, it can exist in all of these places, but not if we’re seeking it. Surprisingly, it can also exist in heartbreak and loss, in failure and poverty.

Where can we find happiness then?

We can travel a long way and do many things, but our deepest happiness is not born from accumulating new experiences. It is born from letting go of what is unnecessary, and knowing ourselves to be always at home. - Sharon Salzberg

Happiness is inside us. Only inside us and nowhere else. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have all of those nice things mentioned above. They might even make you feel better temporarily, but they won’t bring you happiness.

We’ve hear this before right? But, how do we find the happiness inside us? If it’s always been hiding inside us, but we haven’t managed to locate it, then we must be doing something wrong.

Yes, we are, because we don’t understand what happiness is. It is not fireworks and giddiness. It’s not smiling all of the time or loving everything that happens in life.

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

- Agnes Repplier

It’s rather a matter of perception. It’s in how we view the world and our role in it. Abraham Lincoln had it right, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

If unhappiness springs from discontent, it stands to reason that happiness springs from contentment. The extent of which we feel content with lives determines our level of happiness. That doesn’t mean that we can’t strive for a better life or try to positive make changes. It is important to seek professional and personal growth, to achieve our goals and to find a better life balance.

What it does mean is that we can choose to be happy. We can decide to accept life the way it is, rather than always wishing for something different…I’ll be happy when… We can elect to have an attitude of happiness. It’s our attitude, what is stopping us from changing it?

We can be grateful for what life has brought us, both large and small. We can savor each day as a new opportunity to look for the happiness that exists inside of us.

As the Glenda the Good Witch reminds us, “You’ve always had the power…”

The question is… Will you use it?

Share how you find, express, or cultivate your happiness…

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18 Minutes To a More Productive Day

By Royale on February 8, 2012 in Books, Goals

I could not wait to read “18 Minutes,”by Peter Bregman. A longtime reader of his Harvard Business Review column, I was confident that he would be offer useful productivity tips. I had no idea that he would lay out such a simple solution to a problem that plagues most of us, too much to do, a never-ending task list, and the overwhelming struggle to master the issue of time management.

To be fair, his 18 minutes a day process alone is not the entire solution. He goes beyond daily task management, to address the larger issues that overwhelm us, not being happy and fulfilled with what we’re doing, feeling like we’re beating our heads against the wall and becoming more clear about where we want to go with our lives.

With strategies like using the Four Elements of Focus, hourly reminders and learning to pause.

“A brief pause will help you make a smarter move. Know what outcome you want before you respond.”

- Peter Bregman

Peter Bregman offers us an insightful, useful and easy to implement success program. Written in a conversation tone, he lays out step by step how combat the overwhelm, hectic busyness and lack of focus that make up the bulk of our days. 18 Minutes might be one of my favorite reads, notes in the margins, highlights on the pages, it has earned a prominent place on my bookshelf.

Let me know your thoughts on this book?

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How 1 Simple Strategy Can Change Your Life

By Royale on February 6, 2012 in Books, Goals, Health, Personal Growth, To-Do

Image via Wikipedia

Trying to reach a goal, get organized, be successful, improve relationships or get healthy, but feeling frustrated? Our goals, projects, can appear so daunting, so unreachable. The end result seems so far away; we’re never going to get there.

This simple strategy can help anyone.

Go for the quick result, the small victory.

What does that mean exactly? A quick result is a doable action that gives you tangible results quickly. Picture a mini-goal, a small portion of a larger undertaking. It can be anything as long as it moves you toward your goals.

Some examples:

Your house is a mess – straighten and purge one closet, clean one small area or wash the windows so you can see a visible result.

Trying to get more organized – make a master list of everything you need to do, eliminate one or two piles, clear off your desk or the kitchen counter, go through old mail or clear out your email inbox.

Want to be more successful – contact one person who can help you with your project, complete one small portion, spruce up your resume, set up a LinkedIn profile.

Longing to write a book, but can’t get started – Forget about the finished manuscript; write one chapter or just create an outline.

Trying to get healthier or more fit – Don’t go on a severe diet or try to run a race out of the starting gate; plan your meals for the week so you can avoid take-out, sign up for an exercise class that interests you (and actually go,) concentrate on losing 5 pounds, or being able to run 2 miles, whatever is doable for you and that you can achieve in a short period of time.

Remember the saying. life is a marathon, not a sprint. That is also true of achieving goals and making significant changes in your life.

To give you a real life example that we can all understand; my mother struggled with her weight her entire life, fad diets, exercise attempts to no avail. One day she had a revelation; this life change could not be achieved overnight. Small steps were the answer. First step, join Weight Watchers and establish accountability. Second step, eat more vegetables, lose 5 pounds, again and again and again. Third step, walk around the block every day. This was a small victory for a 60+ woman who had never been physically active. Then walk a mile, then two, then three.

The process, small victory after small victory after small victory. 18 months later, a large victory, over 100 pounds lost, the elimination of nearly all medications, a new wardrobe and a clean bill of health.

Another example, a young woman longing to write a book. A wife, a mother, a career, too busy, no time. She decides to write an hour at a time while her children are at swimming lessons. One chapter at a time, week after week after week, small victories. The end result, The unbelievably successful Twilight Series. A string of bestselling books and movies that have grossed more than 2 billion dollars.

One small victory at a time… Imagine what you can do.

What project are you struggling to finish? What goal seems unreachable?

What small victory could you manage?