If you’re working hard but don’t feel you’re making progress, there’s a good chance you’re slipping into a common productivity challenge: taking on too much. It's tempting to want to do it all. But this dilutes our effort, wastes our time, and creates the frustration of carrying countless unfinished tasks. If you can relate but don’t know where to start, it's time to try a new approach.
We have an abundance of choice when it comes to setting goals and dreaming up our next great achievement. This is a gift. But if you’re anything like me, this gift can sometimes lead to over-committing yourself. This is when you turn to your Main Action Plan, the foundation of productivity. At Clear Concept, we call this productivity tool your MAP because it’s your guide to prioritizing and getting things done. Here is how you can use your own MAP to keep yourself on track and do your best work.
We all procrastinate. And yet we know our work quality suffers and our stress levels increase when we do. So, why do we do it? There are several psychological drivers of procrastination but the good news is once we begin to take action and gain momentum, there’s no stopping us. Here are 3 tips we can use to resist the urge to procrastinate.
Do you ever feel as though your day runs you instead of the other way around? When we are pulled in many directions (as so many of us are), it may feel like we have no control over our own time. We find ourselves working longer, waking up earlier, and generally feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Anyone who juggles multiple priorities knows this feeling. When things get like this for me, I have a handy little tool I like to use to get me back on track and reclaim control. It’s my filter. The Simplify Filter, that is. Here's how it works...
Do you ever wish we had our own “off” button so we could power down and recharge like our phones? Why not try a phone diet with me? This could be exactly the kind of reboot we need throughout the holidays - or any time of year.
No matter how much you love what you do, you are likely to come across some tasks you simply don’t love doing. It’s tempting to put off this type of work until tomorrow. But odds are you won’t be any more inclined to tackle the task after another rotation of the earth. Here are three simple and effective strategies to get motivated to take on work you don't want to do.
There are many benefits to building and keeping a routine. Routines help reduce our stress and ensure we make every minute count by blocking time for our top priorities. Many successful people follow a routine seven days a week – even on vacations – treating this ritual as their secret weapon in professional success. If you’re getting ready to head out on vacation, you may want to consider bringing your routine (or at least some of it) with you.
As leaders, we like to believe we know our team really well. But do we? Even the best leaders may have blind spots worth exploring. Ever wonder what your team is longing to tell you? Here are six truths your team wishes you knew.
We know delegating is key to success as a leader. But it isn’t always easy. Sometimes our team members are simply too busy. Adding anything more to their bursting plate could prompt them to run screaming in the opposite direction. This is often when we think, “I might as well just do it myself.” Yes, once in a while, it is helpful to model team solidarity by doing tasks we would rather delegate. But this should be an intermittent approach to trigger action. Use these five strategies to avoid the pattern of doing it all yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be the one left running from your team.
Email is a powerful communication tool but like all good things, too much can turn downright onerous. From excessive reply-alls, to messages inappropriately marked as urgent, to convoluted requests, a small amount of email abuse adds up to a tremendous drain on a team. Is it time for your team to sign a Team Email Charter? Read on for some suggested email policies to ensure your team is using this valuable tool as efficiently and effectively as possible.
