New Path Productivity
  • About Kathy
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact Kathy
  • Get Your Productive Environment Score Now!

New Path Perspective

Thoughts on Productivity, Life and Peace of Mind
A Blog From New Path Productivity™

It All Rolls Downhill

7/17/2021

0 Comments

 




​“Leadership is not about being in charge.
​It’s about caring for those you are in charge of.”
– Simon Sinek
Picture
Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Unsplash
​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: It All Rolls Downhill

Are you a people manager? In a previous post, we talked about the impact overwhelm has on your cognitive function. In today's post, we'll talk about the effect your overwhelm has on your team.
 
At a time when more than half of employees surveyed in North America plan to look for a new job this year, it's a critical and timely topic.

Read More
0 Comments

What Did You Say (To Yourself)?

6/27/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Bruce Warrington on Unsplash








​​"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't –
​you're right." - Henry Ford

[3 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: What Did You Say (To Yourself)?

​I have a close friend who is struggling. About three months ago, she started a new job that has taken her way outside her comfort zone. 
​

A contributor to this struggle is that the job description wasn't accurate in conveying her duties. But we'll leave that inaccuracy for another discussion. My focus today is the even more significant reason for her struggle - her negative self-talk.

My friend is intelligent, progressive-thinking, resourceful, and extremely capable. To hear her describe herself, you would think she's talking about a completely different person. Often, the hardest sell is convincing ourselves of our attributes. More often, we focus on our perceived negatives.

Read More
0 Comments

Savor the Moment

6/5/2021

0 Comments

 

​
​
“The way to develop the habit of savoring is to pause when something is beautiful and good and catches our attention - the sound of rain, the look of the night sky - the glow in a child's eyes, or when we witness some kindness. Pause... then totally immerse in the experience of savoring it.”
- Tara Brach
Picture
Photo by Kathy Muzik
​[1 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Savor The Moment

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.

Read More
0 Comments

What Is Overwhelm Costing You?

5/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Fakurian Design on Unsplash

​



​"The soul usually knows what to do to heal itself.
​The challenge is to silence the mind." – Unknown

[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: What Is Overwhelm Costing You?

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.

Read More
0 Comments

The Path Forward May Mean Not Looking Back

4/25/2021

0 Comments

 




​“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next.” – Denis Waitley
Picture
Photo by Jake Weirick on Unsplash
​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: The Path Forward May Mean Not Looking Back

Does your email inbox stress you out? Is it the number of unread messages or the total volume that concerns you?

Some folks have thousands of emails in their inbox, and it doesn't bother them a bit. And that's fine if they're staying informed and are responsive to those who need answers. Although, in today's age of screen sharing on video calls, if others see a large count of unread emails, their credibility may drop a few notches.

Read More
0 Comments

Strengthen Your Decision-Making

3/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Lāsma Artmane on Unsplash




​"You cannot make progress without making decisions.”
​- Jim Rohn

[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Strengthen Your Decision-Making

This is the final article in a three-part series about managing information and reducing clutter in your office. The first installment detailed six essential tools to set yourself up for success. The second installment streamlined your options for processing information.
 
You already know from Barbara Hemphill, "Clutter is Postponed Decisions®." But making decisions can be hard. How can you feel more confident about the decisions you make?

Read More
0 Comments

Streamline Your Options

3/8/2021

0 Comments

 



"Too many choices can overwhelm us and cause us to not choose at all." - Sheena Iyengar
Picture
Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
​[<2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Streamline Your Options

This article is the second in a three-part series about managing information and reducing clutter in your office. The first installment detailed the six essential tools that set you up for success.
 
Four words from organizing industry pioneer Barbara Hemphill explain many individuals' struggle - "Clutter is Postponed Decisions®."
 
When we hear the word clutter, we typically envision piles of paper and unread magazines. But we can experience digital, mental, and emotional clutter, as well. Anything that keeps you from the life you want is clutter.

Read More
0 Comments

Set Yourself Up For Success

3/7/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash
​



​“If you set yourself up for success, anything is possible.”
​- Unknown

[3 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Set Yourself Up For Success

This article is the first in a three-part series about managing information and reducing clutter in your office.
 
Are you stuck in a never-ending loop? You want to remember something, so you put it on your desk where you'll be sure to see it later. Except there are 20-million other things you wanted to remember, so your desk is piled high with papers, and you don't actually "see" any of them.

Read More
0 Comments

Gratitude Journaling Made Easy

2/1/2021

0 Comments

 



​​"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault
Picture
Photo by Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash
​[<3 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Gratitude Journaling Made Easy

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?

Read More
0 Comments

What is a System? And Why Should You Care?

1/10/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

[<3 Minute Read or Listen Below]




​​"A bad system will beat a good person every time."
 - Dr. W. Edwards Deming
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: What Is A System? Why Should You Care?

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.
 

Read More
0 Comments

Every Day Should Be New Year's Day

12/19/2020

0 Comments

 



​"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler
Picture
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Every Day Should Be New Year's Day

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.

Read More
0 Comments

Are You Holding Yourself Back?

11/29/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

​


​​“Adversity is not a dead end but a detour to a better outcome than you can imagine!” - Jon Gordon

[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Are You Holding Yourself Back?

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.

Read More
0 Comments

Don't Bend Until You Break

11/21/2020

0 Comments

 



​
"The wise rest at least as hard as they work."
- Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Picture
Photo by Lance Grandahl on Unsplash
​[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below]
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Don't Bend Until You Break

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.​

Read More
0 Comments

Why is Single-Tasking So Hard?

10/24/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash


​

​
"I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on."
​- Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, "Fade Out, Fade In" M*A*S*H, Sept 20, 1977

(3 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Why Is Single - Tasking So Hard?

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.

Read More
1 Comment

How A Tomato Will Increase Your Productivity

9/5/2020

0 Comments

 

​

​
"Starve your distractions, feed your focus." - Anonymous
Picture
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
(​3 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: How A Tomato Will Increase Your Productivity

How many of you have set out to accomplish a task, only to find yourself hours later not having made a dent in its completion? I'm raising my hand, too.
 
The root cause, for me, is usually distraction. Particularly when the task doesn't excite me, I can find anything else infinitely more interesting. And Parkinson's Law is real - work does expand to fill the time allotted for its completion. I've heard it said we get more done the more we have to do. The consensus being we are more conscious of our time and how we use it. But these days, a minefield of distractions plagues us.

Read More
0 Comments

The Right Productivity Tools Make All The Difference

8/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Hunter Haley on Unsplash




​"If the only tool you have is a hammer, it's hard to eat spaghetti." - David Allen

(<5 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: The Right Productivity Tools Make All The Difference

Are you on a never-ending quest to find the singularly perfect productivity tool? While I haven't found a single tool that serves 100% of my needs, I believe it is possible to create a productivity toolbox that works well for you.

Read More
0 Comments

To See Clearly, You Have To Be Looking

7/26/2020

0 Comments

 




​“It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration.
” ― Steve Maraboli
Picture
Photo by Haneen Krimly on Unsplash
​​(4 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: To See Clearly You Have To Be Looking

​In January, I wrote a post titled "
Note to Self: Nix the Ostrich Method," where I confessed avoidance and fear of my weekly review. At the time, I had just completed an unprecedented streak of, count them, two consecutive weeks. Two weeks doesn't sound like an accomplishment, but it certainly was for me.

Read More
0 Comments

You Conduct The Orchestra. Let Others Play The Instruments.

7/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Andrey Konstantinov on Unsplash



"The great leaders are like the best conductors. They reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players."
- Blaine Lee

​(3 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: You Conduct The Orchestra Let Others Play The Instruments

​​Do you feel like you can't get your arms around everything? Like things are spiraling out of control? Maybe you're trying to do too much.

Read More
0 Comments

You and Your Productivity Lived Happily Ever After

6/15/2020

0 Comments

 




"The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.'" - Charles Dickens
Picture
Photo by Alex Vasey on Unsplash
(2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: You And Your Productivity Lived Happily Ever After

​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."

Read More
0 Comments

Overwhelm - Where to Start, When You Don't Know Where to Start

5/23/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Alessandra Caretto on Unsplash
​



​Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
- George Bernard Shaw

(2 Minute Read or Listen Below)
New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Overwhelm. Where To Start When You Don't Know Where To Start

​​How many times have you said, "I'm always busy, but nothing seems to get done"? Maybe you feel like there are too many things to do, and not enough time to do them. All the while, you're missing out on what's important to you because the only apparent solution is to work more hours.

Read More
0 Comments

Remote Work, Mind Reading, and Communication

4/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Kathy Muzik
​(<2 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​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.

Read More
0 Comments

What Will You Do?

3/23/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Matthew Ronder-Seid on Unsplash




​"Sometimes, things in life happen that allow us to understand our priorities very clearly." - Mariska Hargitay

​​(<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.

Read More
0 Comments

5 Ways Gratitude Will Boost Your Productivity

3/2/2020

0 Comments

 



​"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity." ― Melody Beattie
Picture
Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash
(2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​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?

Read More
0 Comments

Is Your Desk Hurting Your Productivity?

2/10/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
(3.5 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​Location, location, location. It isn't just about the real estate market.

Is your desk intentionally arranged? Or is everything strewn about wherever it landed the last time you used it? Like it or not, your personal productivity is significantly impacted by how you arrange your desk. With studies indicating an hour a day is lost looking for things, time spent thoughtfully organizing your work surface is time well-spent.

Read More
0 Comments

Note To Self:  Nix The Ostrich Method

1/20/2020

0 Comments

 

​




“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” – William James​
Picture
Photo by Dharmit Shah on Unsplash
(3 Minute Read or Listen Below)

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.

Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Picture

    Kathy Muzik
    Author

    I help women small business owners reclaim their time so they can enjoy life without sacrificing the needs of their business.

    About Kathy



    Categories

    All
    Life
    Peace Of Mind
    Productivity


    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    RSS Feed

New Path Productivity®, LLC provides virtual and local (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).

​
Picture

Email

kathy@newpathpro.com

Phone

847.748.0144

Address

PO Box 162
​Highland Park, IL 60035
New Path Productivity®, LLC © 2015 - 2023 All Rights Reserved
  • About Kathy
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact Kathy
  • Get Your Productive Environment Score Now!