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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.

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​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. 
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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.

​[1 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.
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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.

​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.

[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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?

​[<2 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.

[3 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.

​[<3 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.
 

​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.

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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.

​[2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below]

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.
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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.​

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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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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.

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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.

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​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.

​(3 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​​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.

(2.5 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​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."

(2 Minute Read or Listen Below)

​​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.

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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.

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​​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?

(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.

(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.