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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.
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[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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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. (<5 Minute Read or Listen Below) 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.
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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." (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. (<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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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.
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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. "It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change." - Charles Darwin
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We love to hate change. Most of us make new year resolutions, only to abandon them by the middle of February, if not sooner.
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Have you ever thought "If I just had a bigger office, all my problems would be solved"? I have thought this many times. The office of my dreams was a private, dedicated room with a real door. Desk surface as far as the eye could see. Walls lined with file cabinets and shelves. That was my ideal. I knew I could do anything if only my office looked like that. |
Kathy Muzik
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