Mondays may not be the best day of the week, but they don’t have to
be unbearable. It’s all in how you approach them. Sure, some of what
Mondays send your way is out of your control. Yet you can control how
you react to what cards you’re dealt. If you want to make Monday work
for you, then give as many of the following suggestions as much
attention as you can.
Make Monday Meetings Later
Mondays are notoriously associated with meetings. Back when I worked
in an office environment, we had meetings first thing every Monday
morning. The idea was that everyone on the management team would be able
to start the week well-informed and on the same page because of that
early morning meeting. But that didn’t work very well.
The problem with having a meeting first thing was that no one on the
team had a chance to get back into the groove with their own departments
beforehand. Now I’m not suggesting it wasn’t important to be informed
of what else was going on throughout the other departments. But having
to hear all of that news before diving back into my own work made what
they were saying less important. Why? Because I wasn’t focused on it as
much as I should have been.
Meeting times aren’t something you’ll always have control over –
especially if you work for someone else. If your meetings are scheduled
for first thing on Mondays and if you have any pull with your superiors
then ask if it’d be possible to shift the meeting to later in the day.
Mention that giving each of your colleagues time in their own space
before going into a meeting would allow them to be more “present” in the
meeting. You might even be able to suggest moving the meeting to
Tuesday instead, which would enable the entire team to clear off work in
their own departments before spending time learning about what is
happening in other areas.
If you are absolutely certain that there’s no way you can avoid that early morning Monday meeting, then make sure you prepare for that meeting the night before. That alone will make your Monday morning better.
Email Mindfully
It’s highly likely that your email inbox will be on the verge of overflow. And you’re not alone.
That means that others will be combing through their inboxes,
replying to emails relentlessly and sending them nearly as much. There’s
a reason why it’s recommended that you not send email newsletters on
Monday; when you do you’re just contributing to the problem of an inbox
that is busting at the seams. So while I’m not recommending you avoid
email on Monday, I am suggesting you treat email more mindfully –
especially on Mondays.
That means only send emails that are necessary. It also means
deferring those that aren’t until later in the week. Once you start
dealing with email more mindfully on Monday, you’ll soon find yourself
treating it as such throughout the week.
And that means not just a more productive Monday…but a more productive week.
Remember That It’s Just The Beginning
There’s something about Monday that brings out the achiever in us.
The problem is that we tend to look at Monday as the day where we try to
do as much as we can.
But Monday is the first of five days in a workweek, and yet we tend
to really expend a lot of our energy on Monday anyway. That leaves less
and less as the week goes on, which is a problem for sustained and
optimum productivity.
It’s important to balance your workload over the course of the week. If you’re using a task manager (and you should be) then using energy levels as contexts can help with this. Chunking out your week into daily themes – which is a form of time chunking – can also keep you from exhausting all of your energy on a Monday.
Monday is the beginning of the week. Using the above tactics will help you keep it from being the end of it as well.
Reload Through Unloading
David Allen is a proponent of the “brain dump,” which is the act of
transferring things from your head to, well, something other than your
head (like paper). One of the best things you can do when you start your
Monday is to unload all of the stuff that’s been in your head during
the weekend onto paper or into some digital document. That’s not to say
you shouldn’t have captured it during the weekend regardless (I’ve
recently put together a course for en*theos on capturing that you can
check out here)
Note: Nick Wynja of Hack/Make has put together a great reference page that breaks down the brain dump incredibly well. You can check it out here.
Asian Efficiency has coined the phrase “clearing to neutral”
and its not only a great way to combat procrastination, but it’s a
great way to empty the well so that you can really move forward with
purpose and drive. You can fill your Monday with the right things a lot
more effectively and efficiently if you clear out all of the things that
aren’t needed.
Unload your mind first; that’ll eliminate the wrong stuff. Then you can load your day up with the right stuff.
Mondays don’t have to suck. Mine certainly don’t. But not everyone
can set up their day using all of the approaches I’ve laid out above,
which is what helps me make my Mondays work for me. So try just one of
the tactics I’ve discussed and you will find that Monday will be less of
an enemy and more of an ally going forward.
There’s nothing like stress to make you me suck down M & M’s like a Hoover.
If you’re working in a job you don’t like, you might feel the same way.
Work stress can destroy your peace of mind, your health, and your life overall. Pretty soon you’re not sleeping, not eating well (where did all those M & M’s go anyway?), and you’re not much fun to hang out with anymore. Depression and anxiety start to creep in and you wonder, “Why am I doing this?”
It’s easy to forget that your work is not your life. It’s work. So while it’s a big part of what you do every day, you can change it.
You spend so much of your time at work that it can can feel like your life, and it’s really critical to your health and well being that it’s right. It can’t just be manageable. You don’t want to be muddling through so much of your own life. You really need to kick the work stress.
Now of course, it goes without saying that anything in life – work
included – comes with some stress. But if you’re finding that you’re
negatively impacted by what’s happening at work, then it’s time for you
to think about what needs to change.
Here’s the hard part: How do you do all the stuff that’s good for you when you are feeling so bad? (And what you really want to do is apply for the M & M Speed-Eating Tournament?)
Here are a couple of things that should help:
1. Make the good habits easier and the hard habits harder. Set yourself up for success and not failure, and put obstacles in the way of things that you know will ultimately stress you out more. So if you know that right now staying up late and watching a marathon of “The Good Wife” re-runs will feel good, you’ll probably be kicking yourself when your nerves feel ragged in the morning because you didn’t get enough sleep.
2. Remember the end goal. If you can consciously remind yourself that you need to go on a walk to lower your stress, you’ll be more likely to do it.
3. Assure yourself it’s temporary. As long as you’re not lying to yourself on this one, you can take some comfort in the fact that this stressful time won’t last forever. In fact, no matter what you do or don’t do, the stress at work is likely to change. But you may just have a highly stressful job which requires some action on your part to improve. So make a commitment that you’re going to take action, and that you won’t abandon yourself and let you suffer forever!
2. Decide that where you are is unacceptable. Make a decision to make a change – whether it’s radical, like making a career change, or small, like talking to your boss. Until you decide to change, you can’t look forward to a life that’s better, because you’re just stuck where you are right now.
3. Start the journey. You’ve stabilized your situation so that you’re not feeling the out-of-control stress that makes you miserable. You’ve decided to make real changes so that you don’t have to live in this high tension way forever. You need to live in a way that feels at ease and comfortable. So it’s time to start the journey toward the changes that feel right to you. What do you need in your life so that you can relax? Once you figure it out, you might still be working hard, but you’ll be experiencing the right kinds of work and stress, and because of that your system won’t be on overdrive.
If digging your way out of a situation that feels completely stressful feels murky you’re not alone. But you can do it. You deserve to be doing something that lights you up inside rather than drags you down. If you remember that you really do deserve – physically, emotionally, spiritually – to be doing something that’s healthier for you, you’ll keep the resolve you need to do what you need to do to see yourself through this challenging situation.
I’d love to hear your experience with work stress whether it’s happening now or in the past. How are you dealing with it or how did you deal with it in the past? What helped/or is helping? What advice would you share? (And where did all those M&M’s go??!!)
Source
If you’re working in a job you don’t like, you might feel the same way.
Work stress can destroy your peace of mind, your health, and your life overall. Pretty soon you’re not sleeping, not eating well (where did all those M & M’s go anyway?), and you’re not much fun to hang out with anymore. Depression and anxiety start to creep in and you wonder, “Why am I doing this?”
It’s easy to forget that your work is not your life. It’s work. So while it’s a big part of what you do every day, you can change it.
You spend so much of your time at work that it can can feel like your life, and it’s really critical to your health and well being that it’s right. It can’t just be manageable. You don’t want to be muddling through so much of your own life. You really need to kick the work stress.
Now of course, it goes without saying that anything in life – work
included – comes with some stress. But if you’re finding that you’re
negatively impacted by what’s happening at work, then it’s time for you
to think about what needs to change.Changes To Kick Work Stress
Here’s where I tell you what you’ve heard before. All the stuff that your mom told you: Eat right. Exercise. Get enough sleep. Drink water. Meditate. Talk to your friends. It’s all good advice, and it will probably help you manage most of the stress you’re dealing with.Here’s the hard part: How do you do all the stuff that’s good for you when you are feeling so bad? (And what you really want to do is apply for the M & M Speed-Eating Tournament?)
Here are a couple of things that should help:
1. Make the good habits easier and the hard habits harder. Set yourself up for success and not failure, and put obstacles in the way of things that you know will ultimately stress you out more. So if you know that right now staying up late and watching a marathon of “The Good Wife” re-runs will feel good, you’ll probably be kicking yourself when your nerves feel ragged in the morning because you didn’t get enough sleep.
2. Remember the end goal. If you can consciously remind yourself that you need to go on a walk to lower your stress, you’ll be more likely to do it.
3. Assure yourself it’s temporary. As long as you’re not lying to yourself on this one, you can take some comfort in the fact that this stressful time won’t last forever. In fact, no matter what you do or don’t do, the stress at work is likely to change. But you may just have a highly stressful job which requires some action on your part to improve. So make a commitment that you’re going to take action, and that you won’t abandon yourself and let you suffer forever!
Embracing The Life You Want
1. Lay the groundwork. If your work stress feels under better control, it’s time to think about embracing the life you want. Be forewarned, embracing a new life IS transition. And transition IS stress. And even good stress is stressful. This is why many people feel so stuck in a bad work situation. The idea of doing something about it feels too overwhelming on top of everything else they have going on – even though doing something to improve their situation would make things better! But you have to dig in and accept that in order to take your life to the next level, you’re going to experience something resembling stress.2. Decide that where you are is unacceptable. Make a decision to make a change – whether it’s radical, like making a career change, or small, like talking to your boss. Until you decide to change, you can’t look forward to a life that’s better, because you’re just stuck where you are right now.
3. Start the journey. You’ve stabilized your situation so that you’re not feeling the out-of-control stress that makes you miserable. You’ve decided to make real changes so that you don’t have to live in this high tension way forever. You need to live in a way that feels at ease and comfortable. So it’s time to start the journey toward the changes that feel right to you. What do you need in your life so that you can relax? Once you figure it out, you might still be working hard, but you’ll be experiencing the right kinds of work and stress, and because of that your system won’t be on overdrive.
If digging your way out of a situation that feels completely stressful feels murky you’re not alone. But you can do it. You deserve to be doing something that lights you up inside rather than drags you down. If you remember that you really do deserve – physically, emotionally, spiritually – to be doing something that’s healthier for you, you’ll keep the resolve you need to do what you need to do to see yourself through this challenging situation.
I’d love to hear your experience with work stress whether it’s happening now or in the past. How are you dealing with it or how did you deal with it in the past? What helped/or is helping? What advice would you share? (And where did all those M&M’s go??!!)
Source
Every relationship you have is impacted by your ability — or inability — to communicate well.
Whether at work, in your love life, or with friends and family, good
communication fosters better understanding, helps us resolve
differences, promotes mutual trust and respect, and allows creative
ideas to flourish.
Although communication seems fairly simple and straightforward, so
much of our communication is misunderstood or misinterpreted. Of course,
this can cause conflict and wounded feelings in personal and
professional relationships.
Think about the times you’ve said something to your spouse or a
friend, and your meaning was entirely misconstrued. Or consider an
occasion when someone said something that hurt your feelings, only to
learn later they had no idea how their words wounded you. In my own
life, I’ve seen how the power of words can sow the seeds of trust and
love — and how they can be divisive, hurtful, or misunderstood.
Learning effective communication is a skill set that should be part
of every school curriculum, beginning in elementary school. Knowing
these skills can make the difference in the quality of your personal relationships, your potential career success, and your own self-esteem and social confidence.
Here are 10 good communication skills you absolutely must know:
1. Body language
Your body language speaks volumes before you ever open your mouth.
How you stand, your facial expression, and your eyes tell a story and
create the very first impression others have of you. It doesn’t matter
how powerful your words, if you don’t appear confident and friendly,
people will assume you aren’t.
Become aware of your body language, and begin to make changes. Look
others in the eye when you speak. Smile frequently (and appropriately).
Offer a firm handshake or a warm hug (with friends and family). Stand up
straight and hold your head high with your shoulders back. Don’t cross
your arms or legs in a defensive posture.
2. Active listening
Good communication isn’t just about
talking or using body language. It’s about listening well to others. By
becoming a better listener, you can improve your relationships and
social interactions, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and
negotiate.
Active listening involves consciously hearing beyond just the words spoken. It’s mindfully paying attention to the complete message being sent. Focus intently on the speaker, and
try not to get distracted. Notice the speaker’s body language. Use your
own body language to show you’re listening by nodding and smiling
appropriately. Offer feedback and thoughtful comments.
3. Conflict resolution
Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, and learning how to
handle conflict in healthy ways is essential to making a relationship
work. Many people choose to avoid conflict altogether because they don’t
want to deal with the discomfort and pain. This only causes resentment
and misunderstandings. When conflict triggers strong emotions, often a
deep-felt unmet need is at the root of the problem. The needs and
feelings of both parties must be respected and considered.
The ability to resolve conflict healthily requires you respond in a
calm, non-defensive, and respectful manner. When you’re in control of
your emotions, you can communicate your opinions and needs without
threatening, wounding, or punishing others. Conflict resolution also
means you can forgive and forget quickly, and that you have the ability
to compromise for the sake of the relationship.
4. Authenticity
People can sniff out phoniness and affected behavior a mile away.
When you try to pretend you’re someone you’re not or put on false airs,
it’s an immediate turn-off. People also notice when you create a wall
around yourself for protection or disengagement. You can’t create
connection or intimacy in any relationship when you build walls or put on an act.
Authenticity means you are free to be real and can show others who
you are with all of your perceived flaws. Being authentic can be
uncomfortable, so start by defining exactly who you are and what you
value. You can practice speaking from the heart, showing vulnerability
in small ways, and sharing personal experiences that others can relate
to.
5. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is our ability to understand, interpret, and
respond to the emotions of others. This is essential for effective
communication, which should be a give and take between two people. In
this dance between the speaker and listener, the speaker reads the other
person and adjusts the conversation accordingly.
You can practice emotional intelligence by noticing nonverbal signals
from others, like body language and facial expressions. Once you notice
these signals, then seek to understand the meaning of the emotions
expressed (anger, sadness, excitement, fear, etc.).
The key to emotional intelligence is responding appropriately to the
emotions of others through communication. For example, you might be
discussing a new client with your boss when you notice she seems
distracted. This would be the time to measure her demeanor and change
course, perhaps asking if she’d like to talk later or inviting dialog
about her distraction.
6. Articulation and tone of voice
One of the most basic elements of good communication is how you sound
to others. If you mumble, speak too softly or loudly, slur your words,
or use lots of filler words like “ah,” “like,” and “um,” then your
message will get lost as your listener struggles to understand you. Poor
speaking skills also reflect a lack of confidence and knowledge.
Practice enunciation and proper articulation of your words. Record
your own voice so you can hear the tone and quality. Put a rubber band
on your wrist to remind yourself to look out for filler words. Stand up
straight with shoulders back to open your diaphragm and allow for easier
breathing. Speak slowly and calmly.
7. Mirroring
There’s a neuron in your brain
responsible for recognition of faces and facial expressions. This neuron
triggers you to copy facial expression you see on others. You mirror
their expressions unconsciously.
When you mirror someone’s body language, you are offering
non-verbal cues that you relate to them and feel the same as they do. In
fact, research shows people who share the same emotions are likely to
experience stronger levels of trust, connection and empathy.
You can reverse-engineer this process to make close
connections with others. The next time you converse with someone,
practice mirroring them for a few moments. Don’t exaggerate it, but
subtly mirror their facial expressions and body movements. Take note of
how they respond to you.
8. Ask great questions
One of the best ways to learn more about someone and to engage in active listening is by asking great questions.
Open-ended, probing questions compel the person to reflect and share
more of themselves. It makes them feel heard and invites dialog and
intimate connection.
Follow-up questions after a response shows you are engaged in the
conversation and interested in the person. Ask questions such as, “How
did that make you feel?” or “Why do you think that?”
Try not to interrupt or respond too quickly when the other person
pauses. Sometimes silence and the discomfort of silence invites more
sharing. People often have more they want to say, and it will come to
the surface when you quietly wait for it.
9. Small talk
There are occasions where lighter
conversation is appropriate. Small talk is the polite and sometimes
meaningless conversation you have at parties and other social
gatherings. It’s a casual discussion that creates a friendly atmosphere
and establishes common ground between you and the other person.
Although it doesn’t always invite deeper
connections, the skill of making small talk is important in social and
business settings. It shows you have social poise and can engage other
people and put them at ease. For some, small talk flows naturally — but
for others, it feels tedious and overwhelming. You can learn some small talk conversation starters by reading these 30 conversation topics. Also read about behaviors you should avoid during small talk in this article.
10. Clarity and knowledge
When you are communicating ideas and information to a group or even
in casual conversation, it’s important to be prepared and clear in your
presentation. Know exactly what you are trying to communicate. Conduct
necessary research in advance, and have your ideas organized logically.
Be sure you tailor your message to the audience, using language and
concepts they will understand.
Avoid unnecessary jargon or fluff, and keep your message precise. The
more knowledgable and clear you are on your subject, the more confident
you will feel. And your listeners will be more engaged and interested
in what you have to say.
Becoming an effective communicator requires practice. Review these
ten skills and decide where you are the weakest. Determine some specific
occasions in the coming weeks where you can practice these skills. It
will feel uncomfortable at first, but in time you’ll grow more confident
in your ability to communicate well.
You’ll also notice the positive effects of your efforts in the
responses of your spouse, friends, and business associates. As thought
leader Brian Tracy reminds,“Communication is a skill that you can learn.
It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it,
you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. ” -Tony Robbins
Average Read Time: 4.5 Minutes
This morning I woke up, brewed some Yerba Mate, caught a glorious
rooftop sunrise and proceeded to get more done before breakfast than I
had in the past 4 working days combined.
How about you? How many important things did you get done last week? I
mean the things that actually got you closer to your biggest goals and
dreams.
Take a minute to think about it and write a couple down. How many did you come up with?
For many the answer is few if any at all. Why?
In a word: Distraction.
Lack of focus is the most common killer of making things happen.
In the last 10+ years there’s been an unconscious shift from
encouraging focus to condemning it. It’s happening without us knowing
and we’re all likely victims. As soon as multitasking became possible
and encouraged, our focus died.
Mine certainly did.
We have to fight our very best fight to get it back.
Leo Babauta is leading the charge with his book Focus, which
is more than worth the read. I hit up a sweet barefoot run with Leo
last week where he filled me in on some of the good stuff. Unbelievably
powerful.
Without focus we are headed for disaster and the consequences are as dangerous as they come.
What’s the biggest risk of losing our focus? Wasting our time and living a meaningless life.
The solution is to simplify. Get back to the basics of doing the important.
Here’s a brief 11-step guide to reclaiming insane Focus.
1. Know what actually matters. Be honest with yourself about the actions that truly move the needle in your business and your life. An 80/20 analysis
is a great place to start. If you’re stuck, just think of the tasks you
fear the most–that give you anxiety just to think about. Those are
likely the most important.
2. Pick your top 2-3 core tasks each day. These are
the things that must happen no matter what. If you get these done your
day is a success. Stick to no more than three, or better yet one. They
must move you closer to your big goals. Checking email does not count.
3. Do them first thing. For me writing is one of my
core actions, so I write for an hour or so as soon as I roll out of bed
or after my morning workout (it’s 5:45 am right now). The longer you
wait, the more distractions will intrude. Nothing happens before these
get done.
4. Do not connect to anything until your core tasks are done.
Don’t convince yourself you need the internet or email to do your most
important tasks. 95% of the time you don’t. Leave the internet off and
phone on airplane mode until you crush through the important.
5. Kill multitasking. Stop thinking
it’s more efficient. It’s not. No surfing during phone calls, reading
during meals, chatting while writing. Do one thing at a time. Simple.
Not only is multitasking terribly inefficient but it stresses you out
and it’s rude to anyone around you.
6. Turn off email and notifications (and anything else that interrupts you). When you sit down to do something, nothing else gets attention. Just because someone decides
to email, chat or call you, doesn’t mean it’s more important. Those
things can wait. But if you know they are waiting there, you’ll be too
tempted. Avoid temptation at all cost. We are too weak. I don’t trust myself with email on my iPhone so I totally removed it.
7. Don’t check email in the morning. This is the
most effective (and difficult) single practice I’ve found. I know every
one of you have heard this one. So why doesn’t anyone actually do it? It
will change your life. It feels terrible to know we’ve spent a couple
hours refreshing and going in and out of email without really getting
anything done. I assure you that if you check it, you won’t be able to
help yourself, and you’ll stumble face first into the worm hole. So
don’t even open it until you have a few hours of focused action under
your belt (this is at least 11am for most).
8. Batch your emailing to two times a day MAX. Maybe
30 min before lunch and 30 min late afternoon. If you need an email for
your core task, do not go to your inbox. Go straight to the search
feature and find it. If you need to write an email as a core task (which
should very rarely be the case), write it offline in a simple program
like notepad. Save reactionary items for after you get the important done.
9. Try to get less done in a day–practice Slow Working. Don’t
fill every moment of your calendar with tasks (this is a huge one I’m
working on). You’ll be stressed and rushed the whole day. Slow down and
move through your core tasks calmly. Then maybe you do a few more things
with the remaining time but don’t cram them in. If you do, you’ll
always feel behind.
10. Plan more time for each task. This is the
easiest way to alleviate the schedule. And things always tend to take
longer than we think. If your core task will take you 45 minutes, then
block out 90. Actually schedule it on your calendar. If it only takes
you 40 minutes then suddenly you have free time–how awesome (and rare)
is that!
11. Take breaks and reward yourself. Most of us can
only intensely focus on something for an hour at best. Take at least a
few-minute break every 30 or 60 minutes to clear your head. I love going
up to my rooftop for a couple deep breaths and a view of the Golden
Gate. Find a fun way to get you free and clear. Take a walk, meditate, feed the ducks, breathe, get a snack or some water or listen to an inspiring song. You pick.
Do the above and your day will be a victory before most people wake up.
It’s a pretty awesome feeling. You’ll get way more done than you
planned but your mind and schedule will also be clear to enjoy life a
little more. Few things feel worse than an unproductive day. Nail your
big things early and use that energy to take the rest of the day by
storm. Take a walk with your wife, play with your kids, go down to the
beach and read. Do whatever you want. That’s the point.
Enjoy having nothing to do.
When was the last time you had nothing to do? Many of us can’t
remember. It’s because we set our days up for failure. With more tasks
than we could ever accomplish and loads of wasted time in between.
Filling every second of your day will do this. With the above, you’ll
suddenly have time to spend in your own way. That’s when your mind
really starts to have some fun. The big ideas will begin to show up.
We are addicted to wasting time.
Realize that mindless work is an addiction. It’s just as dangerous as
smoking or alcohol. I’m not kidding. Email, Facebook, twitter, texting,
surfing, news–it’s all a deadly serious addiction. We just think it’s
ok because everyone else around us is wasting their life on it. If
everyone started smoking tomorrow would you start? That’s what I
thought.
The path to freedom can be difficult to see, mostly because the world
is telling you it’s not there. A path begins by walking. These
addictions have caused us to lose our way and most importantly, lose our
focus. We avoid the present. We avoid what matters. And we avoid what’s
right in front of us. Be it a sunset, your husband or that client call
you’ve been putting off.
With pure focus we can be unstoppable.
You’ll get more done in a day than most get done in a week, with time
left over to savor the subtleties of life you forgot you enjoyed so
much.
When in doubt, ask yourself “Am I wasting my time to avoid the
important?” Be honest. You’ll know the answer. Do something about it.
The typical American office worker only does about 90 minutes of real work per workday.
The rest of each workday is largely spent on distractions like
reading the news, web surfing, socializing with coworkers, snacking,
taking coffee breaks, shuffling papers around, processing irrelevant
emails, needless delay tactics, playing games, and daydreaming.
Moreover, American office workers are among the world’s most
productive. In many other countries, even less work gets done each day.
This stat hasn’t changed much in decades, despite massive investments
in time management and productivity training by many companies. We have
more technology to assist us in being productive, but we also have more
to distract us.
The general problem is that we’re still applying an industrial age
model to the productivity of knowledge workers. It makes sense to pay
attention to hours worked if the productive output for each hour is
roughly the same. That may be true for repetitive labor, but it doesn’t
apply much to knowledge workers.
For a knowledge worker, what’s the difference between an hour of peak
productivity vs. a low productivity hour? That peak hour could easily
be 10x more productive in terms of the volume of work completed and the
results generated.
What sense does it make to spend more time at the office if you’re
normally operating at less than 20% of capacity? Why not simply do 90
minutes of real work and then go home for the day?
What if you could complete a whole day’s work in only 90 minutes? What would that 90-minute period look like?
Focus Blocks
Here are some recommendations for having a very productive 90-min period (let’s call it a focus block):
1. Pick one theme – Instead of doing a bunch of
random actions, pick one clear theme for the block. This allows your
brain to load in a singular context and stick with it, which makes you
more efficient. Your theme may be a project you’re working on, a type of
work like catching up on correspondence, or anything that lets your
brain load in one clear context and stick with it.
2. Define the finish line – See your focus block as a
fast dash to the finish line. But where is the finish line? What does
it look like? Having a clear goal that’s only 90 minutes away will help
you focus. Don’t worry if you don’t cross the finish line each time;
it’s there to help you focus, so aim for it, but accept that sometimes
you’ll miss. Some examples: Write and post a new blog entry. Process
items in my email inbox till it’s completely empty. Plan and schedule
all my focus blocks for the upcoming week.
3. List the action steps – List the specific actions
you’ll take during this block. For some blocks this is really helpful.
For others it may not be necessary if the steps are already clear. I
wouldn’t list out my action steps for writing a new article since that
process is very familiar to me, but I’d list brainstorm and
list steps for an unfamiliar new project to make it easier to get
started. Some examples: Delete all obvious spam and clutter from my
email inbox first. Then quickly process all messages that I can
handle in less than two minutes each. Next, sort and prioritize longer
messages for response. Respond to my most important longer messages till
I’m at the 90-minute point. Surrender to the realization that it’s not a
good use of my time to reply to the rest, and just archive them to
empty the inbox.
4. Ensure zero interruptions – Do whatever it takes to ensure that you will not be interrupted
under any circumstances during your focus block. If necessary, tell
people in advance that you will not be available for the next 90
minutes; let them know that you will be available after that. Lock your
door if you can. If you can’t guarantee that you won’t be interrupted in
your current work environment, then do your focus block somewhere else.
You’ll be much more productive and your focus will be deeper if you
know for certain that you won’t be interrupted.
5. Work fast – Think fast. Move fast. Work fast. If you catch yourself going slow, speed up!
Imagine that you’re in a race, and you have to maintain a strong pace
for the full 90 minutes. After that you can rest. With practice this
gets easier.
6. Allow no distractions – During your focus block,
you must do your pre-defined work and nothing else. Keep your cell phone
off. Turn off any notifications that might interrupt you. Turn off your
Internet access if you won’t need it during this block. Do not check
email during this time. Do not take a coffee break or snack break. Use
the bathroom during this time only if you must.
I think you get the idea.
Avoid the Gray Zone and Take Real Breaks
Many people spend their workdays in a gray zone marathon. That’s why
it takes them 7-8 hours to do 90 minutes of work. They work slowly and
inefficiently. Their work time is cluttered with distractions and
interruptions. They begin late and wind down early. Most of the time,
they’re only half working.
Instead of doing a gray zone marathon each day, cycle between real
work and real breaks. This will be much more efficient, even if you work
only half as many hours or less.
Don’t immediately go from one focus block right into another. After
you complete a focus block, celebrate your achievement. Then assess
where you are. Tune into your energy and see how you feel.
If you’re still feeling alert and energized, you may only need a
short break. Take 5-10 minutes to stretch, go to the bathroom, and have
some fresh fruit. Then feel free to dive right into another focus block.
If you feel tired, it’s good to eat something and/or take a nap.
If you feel like doing something physical, go for a walk or take an exercise break.
If you feel like you could use some emotional renewal, you may wish to meditate, socialize, or read some inspiring material.
How long should your breaks be? Make them as long as necessary till
you’re ready for another round of focused work. Sometimes you may only
need a few minutes. Other times it may be wise to take a couple hours
off, especially if the previous block was particularly draining. Between
focus blocks, seek to refresh and renew your energy until you’re ready
to handle another focus block.
Do your best not to load up your breaks with gray zone tasks like
email since that’s more likely to drain you. I recommend batching small
tasks into their own focus block (including email). But if it’s just a
quick one-minute email check now and then, that probably won’t be too
bad, but never do email checks during a block unless it’s critical for
the completion of the block.
Realize that if you only complete one focus block in a whole day,
you’ve still done as much real work as the typical American office
worker does in a full eight-hour day. And if you only complete two
blocks, you’re twice as productive as most. On a super productive day,
you may complete five or six blocks, which is like getting a full week’s
worth of work done in one day.
Do a Week of Work in a Day
During one of the most productive periods of my life, when I was
doing contract game programming work, I’d normally work from 9am to
noon, take a one hour break for lunch, and then work from 1pm until 5pm
or 6pm. But I’d subdivide the work into shorter focus blocks of deep
concentration.
At the start of each day, I’d define the next milestone I wanted to
reach, such as a short list of new features to add. Then I’d make a
short list of action steps in my work journal (just an everyday spiral
notebook). Sometimes I wouldn’t bother to list the action steps if they
seemed obvious. Then I’d program the items on the list. Finally, I’d
compile the software, test the program, fix bugs, and tweak the
implementation until I was satisfied. A typical milestone would take me
about 45-90 minutes to achieve.
Since I was programming games, testing the program meant playing the
game a little to test the new features as well as the overall gameplay.
In effect, the testing phase gave my brain a nice break from designing
algorithms and writing code.
When I finished one cycle like this, I’d feel a nice little sense of
accomplishment. I might take a quick stretch break. Then I’d make a new
list and repeat.
In the morning, I would complete a few of these cycles, perhaps three
of them. In the afternoon I’d do several more. My game projects
progressed very quickly during this time. Every day I added many new
features. I could have a prototype of a whole new game running in just a
few days this way. With today’s better development tools, the work can
progress even faster.
During lunch each day, I took a complete break to restore my mental
energy. I rarely went to lunch with my co-workers. Usually I brought a
sack lunch with me, but I left the office to go eat. I’d drive to a
nearby park, sit on the grass with my back against a tree, and eat alone
in silence. I’d let go of work and just relax. After eating, I’d lie
back on the grass and take a 20-minute nap, or I’d stare up at the sky
and totally zone out. I’d enjoy the breeze and listen to the birds. I
gave the brain circuits I needed for programming work a very restful
break. Then I’d go back to my car, return to work, and crank out a few
more cycles before leaving for the day.
Test, Train, and Experiment
If you aren’t used to a working rhythm of alternating focus blocks
with rest periods, you may need to practice this method for a while to
get used to it. I expect you’ll really like it once you taste this kind
of flow. Doing a full day’s work in about 90 minutes is not only
efficient; it’s also motivated and energizing.
Cycles of about 90 minutes usually work well once you get up to
speed. But you may find that shorter cycles like 45 or 60 minutes work
better for you. You may also find that different cycle lengths are more
suited to different types of work. Sometimes I’ll keep going for 2.5
hours (or more) if I’m feeling good, especially when writing a new
article.
Some people like having scheduled focus blocks with scheduled breaks,
so everything is a set duration. They’re sticklers for starting and
stopping at set times. There’s some evidence that this helps your brain
optimize its performance if your cycles are the same every day.
For instance, you might have focus blocks at 5:30-7:00am,
8:00-9:30am, 10:30am-noon, 1pm-2:30pm, and 3:30-5pm, which would give
you five 90-minute focus blocks with hour-long breaks in between. This
would be a super productive day that would see you doing as much real
work in one day as the typical American office worker does in a week,
but you’re only working for 7.5 hours total.
Other people prefer a more organic approach, deciding based on their
energy levels how low each focus block and break should be. This is how I
work most of the time.
A modest but still highly productive schedule might entail having
three focus blocks per day. You could easily complete a great deal of
work this way. Many top creative workers only work 3-5 hours per day,
but they work with deep focus and zero interruptions during that time.
Don’t succumb to the cultural bias that may try to convince you that
working 8+ hours per day makes you productive. That may be true for
physical labor and some repetitive tasks, but it’s not true for
knowledge workers and creative types. Many people enjoy tremendous flow
and achieve great results by working in short high energy, bursts of
motivation and drive. Try this for yourself, and you may never want to
return to the gray zone of long, unproductive workdays again.
“We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it’s tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche.” ~K.A. Laity
Do you have a vision of a life you want to lead?
Doing work that you enjoy, being happy, healthy, and having great relationships?
You probably have your own idea of what an extraordinary life means. But how often do you feel that you are living that life?
Life is bound within the confines of our schedules, our money, and our limited resources.
There are many things that you want to do, or want to be, but most of the time you tend to go with the flow, putting things off for later. Either because you are too busy, or because you feel that you lack the means to do so.
What if that’s not true?
What if you are mistaken about the limitations you think you face? What if you can do much more—starting today?
What if, by just asking yourself a few questions every day, you could become happier, healthier, and much more successful?
For me, an extraordinary life is not about being in a permanent vacation in Vegas or having millions in the bank. My vision is not of any particular destination, but a journey. It’s a life where I am content with what I have yet strive for more. A balance of the present and the future.
Last year was one of the best years of my life. And I could make it so because I was able to look past what I had assumed to be major limitations that were holding me back.
Filled with breathtaking natural beauty, fascinating legends, rich history, incredible medieval architecture, wonderful people, and divine food, Scotland is one of the most enchanting places on Earth.
I had glimpses of it all my life through travel shows, books, and movies –Braveheart, The Water Horse, the legend of the Loch Ness monster, R.L. Stevenson’s stories, and more.
For me, this was not just about a vacation. This was connected to the very core of my identity—to my sense of freedom and adventure; to my love for art, beauty, and a desire to live a life of meaning.
The trouble was that I was running a startup business and I was always either too busy or had too little money to spend on personal matters.
My wife and I had this grand vision of a luxury trip to Scotland, when we would have enough time and money. We really didn’t want to go on a regular trip because we wanted it to be ‘extraordinary.’
One day all that changed. But not in the way I had expected.
Did I do my best to (be or do something) today?
The question might seem simple, but it has a very powerful impact. It will make you examine your life and your perceived limitations. It will prompt you to take personal responsibility for your life.
I became intrigued and began to ask myself one particular question that he recommended:
Did I do my best to be happy today?’
Asking this question made me more cognizant of taking responsibility for my own happiness. Initially, it prompted me to practice gratitude every day. But then came a big revelation.
And then, I thought, why not? Why am I putting off something that means so much to me?
My wife and I were planning a trip for the next year, but many ‘next years’ had elapsed without us taking action.
Over the next few days, we did some serious research and realized that it wouldn’t really be as expensive as we had thought. Besides, there are ways to save, like staying in AirBnB instead of a hotel.
Soon after, we were standing in the medieval city of Edinburgh!
Nothing can prepare you for the magic when you actually land in that mesmerizing city. Traveling through the Highlands, visiting castles, and taking a boat ride on the legendary Loch Ness was far beautiful than I had ever expected.
And it all began by asking a simple question every day. Honestly, if I hadn’t asked that daily question, we would have put off our trip again for ‘next year.’
I will share four more daily questions that you can ask yourself about different areas of your life. Each of these questions has the power to transform your life. But first…
Ready? Let’s begin.
Here are four more daily questions for living an extraordinary life.
Most of us are, or have been. Few of us feel completely fulfilled at work.
However, what’s also true is that few of us consider themselves to be responsible for their happiness at work.
Ask yourself, “Did I do my best to enjoy my work today?”
Asking this will prompt you to make a sincere effort to enjoy your work.
The moment you take this responsibility, it will become easier for you to connect with people, resolve conflicts, take more initiative, and lend a helping hand to a colleague.
Over time, taking personal responsibility will drive better results, reduce your stress, and bring you more recognition and success.
Ask, “Did I do my best to stay healthy?”
This question will provide you with the energy to persevere.
Eating better, going for a run every day, or even changing simple habits like taking the stairs instead of the lift takes time and effort to build.
It is important to do your health habit a little every day till it becomes second nature.
By asking this daily question you will remind yourself to take the small steps toward everyday health—eat a fruit, skip the rope, or sit down to meditate for a few minutes
It will also give you the assurance that you can succeed despite your lack of time or inconsistency in the past.
You realize that all you need is some extra effort and perseverance. Let the question be your inspiration every day.
Conflicts are one of the biggest sources of stress. How much easier would your life be if you had a way to resolve conflicts quickly, or even better, prevent them from occurring in the first place?
Ask, “Did I do my best to understand people?”
Most conflicts happen because people fail to understand each other. Because we fail to see the other person’s viewpoint, or appreciate their interests. Before you can truly make the other person understand you, you must understand him or her. Why not take the first step yourself?
There have been times when I have felt the same. It’s not unusual to question the direction your life is taking.
But have you considered that you don’t really have to discover a special purpose in life?
What if you can design your purpose every single day? What if your life has multiple purposes, the same way we have multiple roles in life—a spouse, a parent, a friend, an employee, a citizen, a human being.
What if you just strived to be a person who attempts to do the best in one or more of these roles – everyday?
Ask yourself, “Did I do my best to find meaning in my life today?”
Out of all the above questions, this is probably the most powerful of all. Take the responsibility of finding meaning in your life every day. I believe that meaning already exists; we just don’t recognize it. Well, now you can—every day.
All of us will not find equal success in relationships, work, finances, or health. However, we can choose to do the best with the limited means that we have. We can choose to make a sincere effort to live life to the fullest every single day.
These are just a few daily questions that can take you in the direction of creating an extraordinary life.
What areas of your life do you want to focus on? What daily questions will you ask yourself?
Source
Do you have a vision of a life you want to lead?
Doing work that you enjoy, being happy, healthy, and having great relationships?
You probably have your own idea of what an extraordinary life means. But how often do you feel that you are living that life?
Life is bound within the confines of our schedules, our money, and our limited resources.
There are many things that you want to do, or want to be, but most of the time you tend to go with the flow, putting things off for later. Either because you are too busy, or because you feel that you lack the means to do so.
What if that’s not true?
What if you are mistaken about the limitations you think you face? What if you can do much more—starting today?
What if, by just asking yourself a few questions every day, you could become happier, healthier, and much more successful?
For me, an extraordinary life is not about being in a permanent vacation in Vegas or having millions in the bank. My vision is not of any particular destination, but a journey. It’s a life where I am content with what I have yet strive for more. A balance of the present and the future.
Last year was one of the best years of my life. And I could make it so because I was able to look past what I had assumed to be major limitations that were holding me back.
A Dream on the Backburner
Since I was ten years old, I wanted to visit Scotland.Filled with breathtaking natural beauty, fascinating legends, rich history, incredible medieval architecture, wonderful people, and divine food, Scotland is one of the most enchanting places on Earth.
I had glimpses of it all my life through travel shows, books, and movies –Braveheart, The Water Horse, the legend of the Loch Ness monster, R.L. Stevenson’s stories, and more.
For me, this was not just about a vacation. This was connected to the very core of my identity—to my sense of freedom and adventure; to my love for art, beauty, and a desire to live a life of meaning.
The trouble was that I was running a startup business and I was always either too busy or had too little money to spend on personal matters.
My wife and I had this grand vision of a luxury trip to Scotland, when we would have enough time and money. We really didn’t want to go on a regular trip because we wanted it to be ‘extraordinary.’
One day all that changed. But not in the way I had expected.
A Simple Bit of Wisdom
I came across a bit of simple but powerful wisdom by bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith. He spoke about asking ourselves daily questions about things that really matter to us:Did I do my best to (be or do something) today?
The question might seem simple, but it has a very powerful impact. It will make you examine your life and your perceived limitations. It will prompt you to take personal responsibility for your life.
I became intrigued and began to ask myself one particular question that he recommended:
Did I do my best to be happy today?’
Asking this question made me more cognizant of taking responsibility for my own happiness. Initially, it prompted me to practice gratitude every day. But then came a big revelation.
A Revelation
Over a couple of weeks, I began to think more deeply about my life. I really began to wonder, what would make me more fulfilled right now? And the same answer kept repeating itself: I had to go to Scotland.And then, I thought, why not? Why am I putting off something that means so much to me?
My wife and I were planning a trip for the next year, but many ‘next years’ had elapsed without us taking action.
Over the next few days, we did some serious research and realized that it wouldn’t really be as expensive as we had thought. Besides, there are ways to save, like staying in AirBnB instead of a hotel.
Soon after, we were standing in the medieval city of Edinburgh!
Nothing can prepare you for the magic when you actually land in that mesmerizing city. Traveling through the Highlands, visiting castles, and taking a boat ride on the legendary Loch Ness was far beautiful than I had ever expected.
And it all began by asking a simple question every day. Honestly, if I hadn’t asked that daily question, we would have put off our trip again for ‘next year.’
The Power of the Question
A meaningful question has the power to prompt you to take a close look at your life and your actions. It directs you to take responsibility for your success and happiness. So what other questions can you ask that have the power to change your life?I will share four more daily questions that you can ask yourself about different areas of your life. Each of these questions has the power to transform your life. But first…
A Word of Caution
Don’t expect an earth shattering revelation when you ask any of these questions for the first time. You will only realize the profound power of these questions once you begin asking them for at least a few days. But over time, these questions can truly make your life extraordinary.Ready? Let’s begin.
Here are four more daily questions for living an extraordinary life.
Improving your Career
Are you less than satisfied with your job?Most of us are, or have been. Few of us feel completely fulfilled at work.
However, what’s also true is that few of us consider themselves to be responsible for their happiness at work.
Ask yourself, “Did I do my best to enjoy my work today?”
Asking this will prompt you to make a sincere effort to enjoy your work.
The moment you take this responsibility, it will become easier for you to connect with people, resolve conflicts, take more initiative, and lend a helping hand to a colleague.
Over time, taking personal responsibility will drive better results, reduce your stress, and bring you more recognition and success.
Improving Health and Fitness
Do you tend to ignore your health because you are too busy? Do you make fitness resolutions without ever sticking to them?Ask, “Did I do my best to stay healthy?”
This question will provide you with the energy to persevere.
Eating better, going for a run every day, or even changing simple habits like taking the stairs instead of the lift takes time and effort to build.
It is important to do your health habit a little every day till it becomes second nature.
By asking this daily question you will remind yourself to take the small steps toward everyday health—eat a fruit, skip the rope, or sit down to meditate for a few minutes
It will also give you the assurance that you can succeed despite your lack of time or inconsistency in the past.
You realize that all you need is some extra effort and perseverance. Let the question be your inspiration every day.
Improving Relationships
Do you often find yourself involved in a disagreement or a conflict?Conflicts are one of the biggest sources of stress. How much easier would your life be if you had a way to resolve conflicts quickly, or even better, prevent them from occurring in the first place?
Ask, “Did I do my best to understand people?”
Most conflicts happen because people fail to understand each other. Because we fail to see the other person’s viewpoint, or appreciate their interests. Before you can truly make the other person understand you, you must understand him or her. Why not take the first step yourself?
Designing your Life’s Purpose
Do you ever feel a lack of clear purpose? Or that there is a special purpose to your life, but you don’t know what it is?There have been times when I have felt the same. It’s not unusual to question the direction your life is taking.
But have you considered that you don’t really have to discover a special purpose in life?
What if you can design your purpose every single day? What if your life has multiple purposes, the same way we have multiple roles in life—a spouse, a parent, a friend, an employee, a citizen, a human being.
What if you just strived to be a person who attempts to do the best in one or more of these roles – everyday?
Ask yourself, “Did I do my best to find meaning in my life today?”
Out of all the above questions, this is probably the most powerful of all. Take the responsibility of finding meaning in your life every day. I believe that meaning already exists; we just don’t recognize it. Well, now you can—every day.
It’s All Up to You
I believe that life is a gift. Life itself is extraordinary.All of us will not find equal success in relationships, work, finances, or health. However, we can choose to do the best with the limited means that we have. We can choose to make a sincere effort to live life to the fullest every single day.
These are just a few daily questions that can take you in the direction of creating an extraordinary life.
What areas of your life do you want to focus on? What daily questions will you ask yourself?
Source
