Laziness is the key to productivity. Here are six questions you should be asking to channel your inner lazy.
The Value in Unplugging
Is there any value in unplugging?
I have a confession to make: I design software and databases by writing on a window with a dry-erase marker. I also do my podcast outlines and about a quarter of my blogging on paper. Some of the best fiction writing I have done has been in my notebook, scribbled while sitting in a coffee shop.
This may come as a surprise to those who know me well. I practically hyperventilate when deprived of my phone for more than a couple hours, and my laptop travels with me on vacations. I also usually have my tablet with me as well.
Even though I work in technology, and even though I do things “by hand” at times, I still find it hard to unplug. But I had a lesson a few weeks ago that has me thinking about it.
Podcast Episode 29: Clearing the 5 Types of Space
This show discusses the space in your life, along with
- What the 5 types of space are
- Why you should consider clearing them
- How to clear them effectively.
Goals…As Waves?
I’m a musician and engineer. I was educated on waves. I’m also a productivity nerd with a healthy interest in goals. So when I came across this article in my archives, I decided it needed some more exposure. It presents goals as waves.
Organize Your Workspace with 7 Strategies
If you had to show a photo of your workspace right now, would you be comfortable? You, like most people, probably need to have a session to organize your workspace before you could show it off.
We recently had a “show your workspace” thread come up for my company. This was a part of an ongoing Teams campaign to keep us connected during the COVID isolation. As I looked at some of my co-workers’ workspaces, I wondered how they could get anything done. Their desks are masses of equipment surrounded by piles of stuff.
I challenge you to look around your workspace right now. Even if you think “it’s not that bad”, I would ask you if you can tell me about all the hidden spots – drawers, organizers etc. If you can’t, then there is room for improvement.
So today I’m going to look 7 strategies to organize your workspace – and give you tips so that it stays that way.
Podcast Episode 28: Saying No
Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it’s not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no.
The Balanced Life Myth
Too many people talk about living a balanced life, as if life can be slotted into the chunks of a pie graph. The truth is, we don’t balance, not as people typically think.
In fact, it’s not about doing more, but rather being deliberate about what you do, and letting the rest go.
Editing Life: Relationships
Not all relationships are created equal. Some are great, supportive relationships, while others will suck the life right out of you.
After a round of social isolation, you are probably aware of the benefits and drawbacks of your various relationships. So today we will consider the last phase of our editing life series: relationships. As we emerge out of isolation and choose to restructure our lives, we can choose which relationships to nurture and which to let go of. It’s time to look at editing relationships.
Podcast Episode 27: Sharpen the Saw and Fill The Well
Why have we been exhausted through the shutdowns? I think it’s because we’ve all been running on fumes. Today we talk about sharpening the saw and filling the well – activities to get us back to productivity without exhaustion.
Editing Life: Projects
When I was young, I believed I could do everything. People told me I could do “anything” and I assumed that meant “everything”. Unfortunately, this has given me a “put more on my plate than I can eat” with respect to the things I want to do.
The truth is, I am not Wonder Woman. I am human. I have limited time and energy. And deciding to do everything right now takes a lot of energy and accomplishes little.
Now that I am reconsidering what I want my life will look like after COVID, I am looking at editing my projects.