Procrastination Buster: Relative Difficulty
I struggle with procrastination, especially if the list of items seems overwhelming. But Mark Forster really hit a home run by bringing relative difficulty into it.
Next Actions Done Right
Next actions are defined as "the very next physical action required to move the situation forward" according to Getting Things Done. But this all depends on your definition of "forward".
18 Stress Reducers, By Waking Hour
I look upon my methods for stress reducers as tools in a toolbox. This gives me a selection of things to choose from when I come across various stressful situations. I decided to classify those tools by the hours of the day, as they all have their place.
Boiling Water, Or Being Aware of Stress
There's an old wives' tale that if you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water he will jump out, but if you put a frog in a pot of cool water and slowly raise it to boiling the frog will allow himself to be boiled to death.
The "temperature" of our lives is our stress level, and we react the same way.
The "temperature" of our lives is our stress level, and we react the same way.
Ramp Down Your Stress Level
We accumulate stress as we move through situations. Each additional stressor piles on to the original stress level and amplifies what we are already feeling. But there is a way to keep that from happening.
Tone Your Flabby Task List
Do you know how to use a task list to its fullest potential? Do you ever find yourself forgetting things, because they weren't on your list? Or realizing that you forgot to check your list and missed doing something important? Or turned away from it because it was overwhelming? These are all signs of a flabby task list.
Just as getting in physical shape requires a little effort and perseverance, so does getting your task list in shape. Here are five ways to shape it up:
Just as getting in physical shape requires a little effort and perseverance, so does getting your task list in shape. Here are five ways to shape it up:
Define Goals with 20 Questions
There comes a time in every examined life where you have to stop and say "What am I trying to do?" Here are some questions to help you answer that.
5 Secret Destructive Behaviors You’re Probably Not Aware Of
If you were to come to me and tell me you weren't as productive as you wished, and your life was complicated, I would tell you five things you probably do that contribute to this state of life.
The Dreaded Productivity Slump
I've had a rough couple of months, and my productivity has taken a hit. It reminded me of a week years ago. Read on for the description, and what I did:
It was the week from hell: a situation with a family member threatened to sever a relationship, I was recovering from a vertigo-inducing double ear infection, and my daughter picked up a virus that caused her to vomit for 9 hours. Then work went to you-know-where in a handbasket, and we went on vacation. I spent the next two weeks trying to catch up, unsuccessfully.
It was the week from hell: a situation with a family member threatened to sever a relationship, I was recovering from a vertigo-inducing double ear infection, and my daughter picked up a virus that caused her to vomit for 9 hours. Then work went to you-know-where in a handbasket, and we went on vacation. I spent the next two weeks trying to catch up, unsuccessfully.
Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best.
Perfectionism is a deadly enemy of productivity. Whether it is self-imposed, or imposed by others, the quest to get things absolutely right is a waste of energy and time.