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Those who know me know I'm not a fan of new year resolutions. I've stated before there is nothing magical about January 1st, and far too much emphasis is placed on declaring resolutions. That may sound ridiculous coming from a productivity coach, but I will say instead I am a huge fan of goal planning. You may think they're the same, but they’re not.
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Have you ever felt frustrated that things weren't going your way? I talked with my business coach recently, spouting multiple frustrations and reasons I felt overwhelmed. [4 Minute Read or Listen Below] Times of transition can be upsetting, frustrating, and overwhelming. Even if the change is positive, we feel we've lost our footing and cannot regain our balance. A variety of situations can make us feel this way: a job change, a residential move, a corporate acquisition, just to name a few.
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Have you experienced a moment so perfect it's fixed in your memory? I recently found myself absorbed in just such a moment. [3.5 Minute Read or Listen Below] If you've caught the news recently, you likely heard the term "The Great Resignation" of 2021. (For the benefit of those who haven't heard of it, The Great Resignation is a term coined to identify the staggering number of employees worldwide resigning from their jobs in 2021.)
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Every year, on the last weekend of August, one of the largest art festivals in the US comes to my city. After the surrounding streets are blocked, I love watching the artists set up their booths. [2 Minute Read or Listen Below] Monotony has set in, and I need to do something about it. How about you? I believe monotony is the reason why, for several months now, I've had the urge to rearrange my office. The world's COVID-19 roller coaster has taken a toll on our collective mental and emotional well-being. For many of us, concerns for our health or the health of loved ones, the sudden shift to remote work, and the resulting feelings of isolation continue to leave us feeling unsettled.
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Is there anything that brings you so much joy you have to drop what you're doing to savor the moment? As I worked from home a few days ago, three feet away, the window was wide open, allowing me to enjoy the cool morning air before Chicagoland temps reached far into the '80s. [2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below] If you or someone you know feels overwhelmed, raise your hand. There are a lot of us raising our hands! A Harvard Business Review article supports this, stating most of us feel constantly overwhelmed with the demands, increasing complexity, and frantic pace of work. On top of that, we also have personal and family commitments. The toll this takes on us emotionally, not to mention the hit to our productivity and relationships, is staggering. We're paying the price with our mental health, our self-esteem, and shrinking downtime.
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For years, I wanted to start a handwritten gratitude journal. But, the blank page of a journal staring back at me was always so intimidating. I felt this incredible pressure to have something profound to say, or it wasn't worth commemorating. Not to mention the intensity of finding something to write about every single day, or there would be a gaping void to remind me of my failure as a journaler. I also thought, who will have the slightest interest in my thoughts in the future? How many of us blame ourselves for our lack of productivity and feelings of overwhelm? I'm not talking about the times we know it's our fault because we didn't put in a sincere effort. (And we know darn well when we didn't!) I'm talking about the times we genuinely tried, but things still didn't turn out as we expected.
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It seems like January 1st gets all the glory. We throw big parties, when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic at least, and many of us delay working on our goals so we can call them our new year's resolutions. [2 Minute Read or Listen Below] Have you ever worked toward a goal, only to give it up at the first hint of a challenge or hiccup? Have you bypassed opportunities because you were fearful you would fail? Call it self-preservation. Call it a coping mechanism. No matter what you call it, it could be holding you back.
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I love what I do as a Productivity Consultant and Coach, and as a Human Resources Professional. Having two rewarding careers is more than many people ever experience. However, as one who wants to be sure the people I serve are taken care of, I sometimes don't know when to shut down, or I feel I can't shut down from work. (3 Minute Read or Listen Below) We check social media while we watch television. We read emails while on video calls. We text while we drive. The common term for this is multitasking, but the label is inaccurate.
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Happily ever after. That's how the best fairy tales end, isn't it? We all live the fairy tale when we accomplish a goal and get that euphoric sense of accomplishment. We worked hard, conquered the problem, now it's time to move on. But that's where the fairy tale ends, and we return to our real life, already in progress. The problem? Most adventures don't have an "ever after" solution. There is no "done."
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For many who work in a traditional corporate office, coronavirus has created a new norm – 100% remote work. Sometimes there are two members of the household trying to work remotely, now with school-aged children home all day. (<1 Minute Read or Listen Below) The world is unsettled. As I write this, Illinois is ending its first full day of "shelter in place" to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). For the same reason, other parts of the US and the world have been under similar instruction.
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We're often asked, "What are you grateful for?" particularly around the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. Our answer to this “pop” question is typically honest and straightforward - family, friends, and health. But, how can giving even deeper thought to your response help your productivity?
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When was the last time you put something off because you didn't want to face it? For me, pick any random Sunday in the past, oh I don't know, five years. Sunday is the day I designated for my weekly review. The purpose of my weekly review is to look back on what happened in the prior week, update my task list, and look ahead to plan the upcoming week proactively. I can't even remember the last time I did a full weekly review.
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We are creatures of habit, drifting through our days on autopilot. But what happens when our patterns get disrupted? Sometimes, when we initiate the change ourselves, we accept it more willingly. (Not a guarantee, but at least the odds are better.) But most frequently, change is thrust upon us, and our immediate reaction is resistance. Whether the change is significant or minor, we resist.
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Prompted by a recent article from Barbara Hemphill regarding the overwhelm of our "to read" piles, I did stop and think about it. So many information sources surround us - television (and all its forms, i.e., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.), radio (broadcast, satellite or streaming), videos, emails, podcasts, smartphones, tablets, magazines, newspapers, social media, instant messaging, etc. We live in a fantastic age of information.
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Have you ever faced a challenge alone, believing you were the only person experiencing such a predicament? Or, perhaps, you were too embarrassed to share your difficulty with others. Recently, my husband and I attended the funeral of his Aunt Mary, who served 62 years as a nun. We witnessed the dedicated care she received from her fellow Sisters as her health declined. And as we celebrated her memory, I felt a heightened appreciation for the sense of community she experienced throughout her life of service. |
Kathy Muzik
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