[4 Minute Read or Listen Below] We're constantly juggling responsibilities, tasks, and goals. To manage it all, many of us rely on habits—those automatic actions that help us navigate our days with less mental effort. Habits result from repeated behaviors that become automatic over time, triggered by specific cues or situations. Think of habits as the brain's way of conserving energy—they allow us to perform tasks quickly and efficiently without needing to engage in deep thinking every time.
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As a productivity coach, I often encourage clients to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. While this advice might sound cliché, there is solid reasoning behind it. Today, inspired by my own recent leap into something new, I want to share why trying new things is a powerful tool for your overall well-being.
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Sometimes, balancing your business and personal life feels impossible. You don't need the media to tell you stress levels are high, manifesting as symptoms of chronic fatigue, physical illness, insomnia, irritability, decreased motivation, and difficulty concentrating. You probably live some of these every day. So, what's the solution?
[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below] "I need to get organized." Have you ever heard someone say this? Have you ever said it? Before getting 'organized,' it is essential to understand the 'why' behind the goal. Many people say they want to get organized because their surroundings look messier than they would like. Others say it because they have difficulty finding necessary information. However, making something look tidy does not always result in more effective functionality. The area may look great, but you still can't find anything!
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A short time ago, I shared that fiction books have become essential to my downtime and relaxation. After writing that article, I took a deeper dive into my book collection, and it was an eye-opening experience.
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Productivity is a popular word these days. For some, it conjures visions of widgets on an assembly line. In a broader sense, it refers to our work habits, level of organization (or disorganization), and, quite often, our feelings of increasing overwhelm. And the constant pursuit of getting more things done often comes with a large side dish of stress and anxiety.
[2 Minute Read or Listen Below] Is your digital life in chaos? If it is, you have plenty of company. As a productivity coach, I've seen the detrimental impact email overload, disorganized digital files, and calendar congestion can have on how a business operates. While these hurdles may feel insurmountable, it is possible to successfully navigate your digital landscape with the right guidance and a can-do mindset.
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Have you ever had to make a choice that challenged you to your core? On the one hand, you have the path of least resistance, where you stay where you are, and nothing really changes. On the other hand, you have 'the hard way,' presenting you with a new, challenging, unpredictable, and sometimes riskier path. The outcome is tremendously uncertain, yet a quiet, persistent voice keeps nudging you toward the harder path.
[3 Minute Read or Listen Below] As the calendar year ends and anticipation of the coming year grows, it's tempting to set resolutions impulsively, promising ourselves grand levels of change. Those who've been with me for a while know I'm not fond of new year resolutions. In the excitement of dreaming about what's to come, it's easy to overlook a powerful tool that can set you up for success in the new year—reflection. At some point, most of us have said, "Next year will be different!" Let's ponder why nothing will change unless we take a moment to look back and revisit our actions from the current year. After all, we can't forge ahead when we don't understand where we've been.
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In today's fast-paced, hustle-and-bustle world, we often find ourselves caught in a relentless cycle of more. More activity. More achievement. More commitment. In pursuing more, we often overlook a fundamental aspect of human existence: the necessity of rest and recovery. Just like a machine cannot function at peak performance without regular maintenance, our bodies and minds also need periods of rejuvenation to perform at their best.
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How often do you hang your head in frustration because 24 hours a day just isn't enough? Time is one of the most valuable resources you have. You can never get it back once it's gone, so using time wisely is critical. If you feel you're constantly rushing from one task to another and never have a moment to breathe, it's time to explore opportunities to reclaim your time.
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We often spend much of our time and energy dwelling in the past and waiting for the perfect future while the present moment slips away. Writing this on National Carpe Diem Day is a beautiful reminder to live in the present, as Carpe Diem means Seize the Day. We often place happiness on hold for 'someday,' delaying using new or treasured items or perhaps postponing action on resolutions until next January.
[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below] How often do you think about systematically removing information from your physical and digital files? Several years ago, I worked with a local manufacturing company after a new HR Director came in. She hired me to conduct an Office Renewal Event. During this event, a team has the time, permission, and resources to eliminate anything from the workspace that can be tossed, recycled, shredded, or deleted.
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As we hurtle down the runway toward the most hectic time of year for many of us, both personally and professionally, let's take a moment to keep things in perspective. Recently, as I attempted to set my priorities for the day, I became acutely aware of my sense of overwhelm regarding what the next 8 - 10 weeks would bring. That's right. I felt profoundly overwhelmed even with my fancy-schmancy task management system and my weekly review.
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How often do you say to yourself (or others), "there aren’t enough hours in the day?" Time management is a popular term. It conjures visions of stopping clocks and herculean feats of efficiency, squeezing in one more task or commitment. In reality, it's less about managing time and more about managing ourselves and our decisions. We know that ineffective time management results in stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, burnout, low self-esteem, and low confidence. Arguably, nothing we want.
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I know this about myself and suspect many can relate - sometimes, I have an all-or-nothing mindset. If I can't complete something from start to finish in one shot, I procrastinate starting at all.
[2 Minute Read or Listen Below] A quick Google search of life's top stressors returns arguably positive events such as getting married, starting a new job, retirement, and moving to a new residence. One might expect the positive nature of these events would negate their stressfulness. However, their persistent appearance on stressor lists contradicts this theory. At first glance, one explanation may be these life events create fear or concern about the unknown. A few of these events also involve daunting project management.
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I had a Zoom video meeting scheduled on my calendar. These days, who doesn't, right? Shortly before start time, the person messaged me saying their computer had gone into an unexpected update, they couldn't access the Zoom link, and they would have to reschedule.
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Before you even get started, do you hang your head in defeat when you look at your to-do list? I've been there, and no doubt many can relate to that feeling. To-do lists are fantastic for capturing random tasks you think you'll remember, but let's be honest, if you don't write them down, you forget them 10 seconds later. To-do lists help map out the individual steps and the necessary order of those steps for projects. They're a great tool, whether paper or digital, but they can get overwhelming.
[8 Minute Read or Listen Below] When you hear the word clutter, what comes to mind? If you're like most people, you envision stacks of unfiled paper, old take-out menus, and closets full of clothes that no longer fit. But clutter goes beyond the physical. It can also accumulate in the form of digital and emotional clutter.
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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.
[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below] In a post almost two years ago, I confessed avoidance and fear of my weekly review. At the time, I celebrated the completion of an unprecedented streak of two consecutive reviews. Two weeks doesn't sound like an accomplishment, but it certainly was for me.
[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.
[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. |
Kathy Muzik
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New Path Productivity®, LLC provides worldwide virtual and Chicagoland onsite services for individuals and businesses to increase productivity
through organization and management of resources (e.g., energy, information, people, processes, space, and time).
through organization and management of resources (e.g., energy, information, people, processes, space, and time).
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AddressPO Box 162
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New Path Productivity®, LLC © 2015 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
New Path Productivity®, LLC © 2015 - 2024 All Rights Reserved