Kill Busywork: The One Skill to Focus On What Matters

Imagine everything you do could fall into one of three buckets:

1. Bad Work.

2. Good Work.

3. Great Work.

I’m not talking about the quality of the work you deliver – I’ve no doubt that’s fine. I’m talking about the meaning the work has for you and the impact it makes.

Let me explain.

Bad Work is the work that makes no difference yet consumes your time and energy. Put less politely, it’s those soul-sucking, spirit-draining activities that make you question how you ever ended up spending precious moments of your life on anything like this. Endless meetings. Paperwork. Busywork.

Good Work is most likely the work you do most of the time, and you do it well. It’s necessary stuff that moves things along and gets things done. Organizations are primarily set up to do Good Work: create a product or service, do it efficiently, sell it to the world.

There’s nothing wrong with Good Work– except for two things.

First of all, it’s endless. Trying to get your Good Work done can feel like Sisyphus rolling his rock up the mountain, a never-ending task. And second, Good Work is too comfortable. The routine and busy-ness of it all is seductive. You know in your heart of hearts that you’re no longer you stretching yourself or challenging how things are done. Your job has turned into just getting through your workload week in, week out.

And then there’s Great Work. Great Work is what you were hoping for when you signed up for this job. It’s meaningful and it’s challenging. It’s about making a difference, it matters to you and it lights you up.

It matters at an organizational level too. Great Work is at the heart of blue ocean strategy, of innovation and strategic differentiation, of evolution and change. Great Work sets up an organization for longer-term success.

The challenge is that Great Work carries with it uncertainty and risk as well as impact and reward. We’re pulled towards what Great Work promises and pushed away by its threat. We want to free ourselves from the regularity and comfortable rut that is Good Work, and yet we’re tugged back by the familiarity and certainty that it provides.

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25 Ways to Feel Good Right Now!

There are many different ways we can feel good. The most important is your decision to actually feel good. Once you have decided firmly then the “means” show up. As I said I am listing ways that have worked for me. In the most tense, stressful situation if I decide that I would like to feel good, I usually reach into my bag of “feel good” tricks and pull out something.

If that doesn’t work, then I pull something else out. All I am looking for is something that makes me feel a little bit better and then a bit better and a bit better and before I know it I am feeling awesome! Following are various different tricks that have worked for me:

1. decide that you want to feel good

2. meditation

3. listening to songs

4. watching music videos

5. listening to comedy talk shows

6. watching comedy programs such as Seinfeld, Married with Children etc

7. watching comedy talk shows

8. playing video games (since that requires concentration to play decently, so taking your attention away from whatever is making you feel bad)

9. start counting backwards from 100-0

10. if counting backwards is too easy, then count backwards but just counting the odd/even numbers

11. if even the above is too easy, then counting backwards but also multiplying them e.g. 100*0, 99*1, 98*2, 97*3, 96*4, 95*5, thus you’re multiplying the first number by the second number which is (100-first number) and actually finding the answer -> this requires a lot of concentration unless you’re a math genius

12. watching videos on YouTube of little kids doing silly things, such as giggling for no reason etc

13. asking yourself “what are some of the good things that have happened to me in the last hour or so?” and really keep this going until you start to feel a change

14. start to appreciate something around you

15. get curious about something or anything e.g. if in a subway, ask yourself when this subway was built, how it must have been at that time, who was actually working in this subway car, what kind of people, what it must have looked like brand new and so on

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Seven Simple Ways to Fall in Love With Yourself

Not feeling the spark about who you are and why you’re alive?

Can’t get excited about the day ahead of you?

Feel like you’re not in love with yourself?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my 50 years of life, and over 25 years of helping myself and others lead a life filled with energy and enthusiasm, it’s that everything begins with an authentic desire to feel better. This is just another way of saying that what we all want to be filled with our own love, bubbling up from inside of ourselves, and expressed outwardly into the world. We want to be free to place our energy and authentic desires into creative activities that have meaning to us personally.

While there are many ways and many paths to achieving this higher state of consciousness, I wanted to share some really specific and concrete things you can do today, right now, or this week to change the dynamics of your relationship with yourself and start feeling excited about your life again.

Simple, fun, and effective! Here you go…

Create a Big Vision for Your Life.

Think big and write it down. There’s something magical about thinking into the future and imaging yourself living a great life. Writing down your dreams begins the process of crystallizing that imagined life by moving it into reality. No longer is your desire swirling around in your ethereal mist. It has now taken a step into physical life.

Start Small.

A big dream is exactly that-BIG. And big often implies overwhelming. That’s why your big written dream is only a roadmap, not a daily action plan. Use your dreams as a guidepost to determine your everyday choices and actions. With each choice and action you can ask, “Did I move in the general direction of my dream, or did I wander off course?”

Look for the Passion in Your Journey.

Having more passion involves a sense of knowing what you want and moving in that direction because doing so is important to you. You decide to face your challenges or attempt to bring your desires to life because doing so will allow a new expression of who you really are. You decide you want to feel differently in your body, overcome stress, end your struggles with weight, find a way to move through depression, or begin that new career because you want to live your life differently, more powerfully, and filled with more happiness. You may not succeed right away, but you have to know within yourself that what you want is important to you!

Live in the Present.

Take whatever steps are necessary to heal your past, forgive and let go, and live in the present moment. Reexamine your past experiences from the vantage point of this present moment. How did you grow as a result? Was there a hidden gift in the experience? What did you learn as a result of the situation? Repeat this process until you can forgive yourself and others, let go of fear, anger, and resentment, and bring the wisdom gained from those past experiences into your present life.

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Tips to Stick to Your Health Goals

In January, gyms and fitness centers were filled to the brim with eager “resoulutioners” ready to get started on a new year of being physically fit. Now, in March, you can hear the crickets chirp as the few remaining hangers-on work out in an almost empty gym. Have you fallen off your promises to yourself to be fit in 2010? Here are a few tips to help you get motivated and stay motivated:

Schedule Time To Workout

Make an appointment that goes into your calendar to work out. Don’t simply decide that you will work out at the end of the day if you have time… make an appointment with yourself and treat it like you would any other meeting. Your health is too important to skip. Consider working out at the beginning of the day, since our days tend to get more and more hectic as the day goes on.

Find Something You Like to Do

Hate the treadmill? Try the elliptical machine. Hate to run? Try swimming. Studies show that people doing exercises that they enjoy are much more likely to continue their exercise routine

Put your Money where your Motivation Needs It

Hire a trainer! When we spend money, we are more likely to meet our commitments. Knowing that you are going to loose money if you don’t show will likely cause you to make all of your workouts. Also, there’s nothing like a trainer to help you push your limits.

Join In

Having trouble with motivation to “show up?” Join a class, or join a sports team where people are going to count on you.

Take Advantage of “Unofficial” Workouts

Play tag with your kids. You’ll both sleep better tonight.

Park as far from the door of the store as possible and walk. The extra steps really add up.

Take the stairs. This is a no brainer.

Do your own yard work and house cleaning. Help an older friend or relative with this and feel even better.

Volunteer somewhere like Habitat for Humanity where the work is manual labor. Fitness and service are a great combination.

At work, deliver all of your things instead of using the interoffice mail system. You will get some valuable face time with your co-workers and burn some calories.

Whenever you need time to “think”… do it standing up, pacing, or by taking a walk.

Never sit to talk on the phone. Move around and get some quick cleaning or other small task completed. You’ll get something done, complete you phone call, and get some exercise.

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By Adam T Jones. He also runs a website about Princess House Fanasia where you can purchase Princess House Fantasia kitchen ware.?

The Hidden Art of Achieving Creative Flow

Have you ever had a creative evening when time suddenly flew by? A day when you executed a difficult project at work flawlessly? A brief moment in time when your challenging exercise routine felt effortless?

All of these times you were in a state of flow.

Flow is a concept developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi of the University of Chicago, who has studied the phenomena his whole career. Daniel Pink reintroduces the concept in his new book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

Many people flow through their lives in an effortless fashion, while countless others have a difficult time achieving a flow state.

Why flow is hard to achieve
Flow is a moment in time when you’re both challenged at the activity that you’re doing, and when you also have complete autonomy in the task you’re conducting.

We engage in flow under your own volition, with a skill which we’ve had some amount of experience.

If you’re not flowing, it’s probably because you aren’t allowing yourself to be challenged, you’re completely overwhelmed, or someone else is holding you back.

The majority of my experience with flow has been with dance and writing. I’ve studied dance for many years, and one of the technical skills that dancers work on is called improvisation. Improv is very tricky in dance. You have to turn off your mind and simply dance with your instincts.

When you’ve mastered improv dance, you’ve reached the sweet spot between your brain transferring commands to your nervous system. There is no longer any thinking involved, as thinking in improv dance will make everything stop. There just isn’t any time for brainwork when you are constantly moving.

Csikszentmihalyi hypothesizes that these moments of flow occur because we’re simply activating too many neurological functions. Because of this we no longer have capacity to be aware of what functions we’re engaging in. So the ‘conscious of me’ part of the mind switches off, your awareness of yourself slips away, and you just do.

You’re simply flowing in the the present moment
I have also experienced flow in writing. I think it’s very important for writers to engage in flow. A lot of writers stop and meticulously edit their work after every sentence, but writing this way (for most people) is counterproductive.

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7 Ways to Making – And Keeping Your Goals (That You May Not Know)

Did you know that most people don’t make goals – but those that do swear by them?

Guess which ones feel more in charge of their life?

If you have been struggling, like I did for years, with the concept of making goals… how to find a balance between going with the flow and feeling on purpose… and then how to stay feeling positive despite outcomes that seem to be contradictory you may find a few clues here….

1. START WITH LITTLE GOALS AND BUILD UP -

If you feel a bit funny about trying goals try little ones first.

One of my first goal’s list included a new pair of jeans that looked good. That may sound funny but when I got them and the other stuff on that little wish list my confidence grew enough to try something a bit bigger till now, where I draw whole written pictures of how I would like my life to be. And my life often re-aligns itself to that picture very quickly!

2. WRITE THEM DOWN -

90% of people don’t write down their goals, but if you ask ANY of those who do they will tell you that writing them down is the key to achieving them.

Once they are written down they just seem to happen of their own volition. Intention is a powerful things and once we write down something we start to really mean it! I think the Team takes notice!

3. KEEP THEM CLEAR -

Spend some time getting really clear about what you want. What does it look like, feel like and how would life be different with it.

It’s good to make a time frame for it and to take time to think how it would contribute to the world – rather than just making your life better.

And as for goaling to win Gold Lotto, it doesn’t really work – what you want has to be achievable by you, not by Lady Luck!

4. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT THEN GO FOR THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU DON’T WANT -

Lots of people don’t do anything because they are not sure about what they really want. But they usually know what they don’t…. So, get clear about what is not working in your life.

For example; if you don’t like your job then figure out what you would like in a job; if you don’t like not being able to pay the bills then goal to pay the bills easily and on time; if you don’t like being alone make an intention to have a great companion.

You do need to be as clear as you can be. If you just ask for a great companion you may find a wonderful dog rocks up into your life. But then again, maybe that is perfect for right now!

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Procrastination – Why We Do It and How to Overcome It

As a well-seasoned procrastinator I will find almost anything to do as a diversionary tactic from the task I know I should be doing. It is amazing how many trivial jobs just have to be done when I am faced with a gnarly project or challenging task. But I know I am not alone. Procrastination is a serious problem for lots of people. So why do we procrastinate?

FEAR

There’s almost always some element of fear underlying a tendency to procrastinate. Fear of failure (or success); fear of not doing something well enough (perfectionists will recognise this); fear of being exposed… Fear is an instinctive reaction which is designed to make us get as far away from the cause of the fear as possible – no wonder we’ll do anything to avoid the activity associated with it!

If you can, the best thing to do is to get to grips with the fear. Get to know it, “take it out to dinner” and find out more about it. Grab it by the collar and shake it. Ask yourself “What am I afraid of? What’s stopping me?” Perhaps you can get your thoughts down on paper or discuss it with someone objective who can help you think it through. When you’re clearer about what the fear is, see if you can find a creative way to address it. Do you need to challenge your beliefs and think differently? Find out more information? Get some help, advice or support? Once you understand what the elements of fear are, they’re easier to address.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING

We can also put off doing things because of a gap in our knowledge or skills. In this case, ask yourself, “What’s missing? Where are the gaps?” What do you need to find out? Where could you get this information? Is there someone with expertise in the knowledge or skills you lack who could give you advice or support? Do you need some training to fill a specific skills gap?

FEELING OVERWHELMED

Another key reason for procrastination is because a task feels too overwhelming. It’s been said many times, but it really does help to break a large project or task down into small, manageable steps. Writing a report may feel like a huge mountain to climb, but if you break it down and set yourself a goal of writing, say, two paragraphs a day it feels more achievable.

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Are You Managing Your Time With Activity Or Productivity?

Rich, poor, celebrity or unknown, we are all blessed with 24 hours a day. You probably know someone, who seems to do everything in the world and you wonder how they can. You also know someone who seems to do nothing every day, yet can not seem to add anything more to their day.

What is the difference?

The difference in this time management is surprisingly simple. The difference between the person who seems to be able to do a week’s worth of work in a day and the one who has no time is all a matter of scheduling and realizing what is truly important. It is a matter of changing your productivity to match what needs to be done as part of the big picture rather than what needs to be done in the now.

How does seeing the big picture help?

Here is an time management example, imagine your aunt is coming in a week to visit you. You have not seen her in a long time, so you want the house looking nice. You are hoping you can get it clean in a week. She calls and tells you plans have changed, she is going to be there in tomorrow. You were not certain how to get the house clean in a week, yet suddenly you find either a way to clean the house or make it presentable in a day.

What changed?

The difference was you could not find ways to delay, you were forced to manage your time. You realized the what parts of cleaning your house were actually important. You accepted that some things could not be fixed in the time allowed and changed what could. You knew what needed to be done in the time allowed and did it, without question or delay.

Are you productive or active?

Moving paperwork from here to there, only to move it again later is being active. Putting papers that actually require work in an inbox, filing papers you need later, and throwing away any paperwork you do not need away is being productive. Rather than deal with all your clients focus on the clients the buy from you. Instead of organizing all your emails, decide on what is really important and eliminate the rest.

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When Discipline Becomes a Habit, Boredom Enters Your Life

Daily routines seem to be boring phenomena to many. Especially if you have to wake up at six, reach office by nine and come back home by eight in the evening, after pushing your head through a mad traffic, you will start hating your life. Our elders always choose to advise us to be disciplined. They tell us about their experiences and site believable examples about SUCCESSFUL people who were successful (according to them) because they were disciplined. Many parents want their children to be disciplined to a level that often drives them crazy and children end up doing exactly opposite.

Discipline is not about a fixed routine. Discipline is about putting your own self to an order at the level of health and fitness, work and studies, friends and relationships etc.

1. “You turn down your friends offer to watch a movie because it’s an important day at office” – that’s discipline. “You don’t accompany your colleague for a cup of coffee after you finished your shift because you have to reach home by ten everyday’ – that’s not discipline. That’s you submitting to a routine.
2. “You wake up at 6 in the morning, brush your teeth, do some yoga exercises and then have a light breakfast at 8 before you leave for office” – that’s discipline. “You didn’t have your breakfast because your mom prepared something other than your favorite list of items for breakfast” – that’s certainly not discipline.

Discipline is about having the sufficient gut to do what you want and do it with full attention. If you take up a task, complete it by the deadline and do it well, you are disciplined at work. That doesn’t mean you should always follow a specific method or approach. As soon as you stop playing with methods and ways, you stop growing!

Here are key benefits of discipline:

1. You will be more organized. You can manage your time well and also find some free time to recreate yourself. Your life will be less chaotic and everything will make sense to you. You will not swear at the crowd where everyone is pushing himself forward.
2. You will be better at work or studies. You will keep disturbances and stress at bay and put your hundred percent in doing what you are supposed to do. You will love what you study or do because you will become good at it.
3. You will be a happy individual. Your head will stay safe from clutter and sudden unexpected audio visuals. You will have a peaceful sleep at night and you will appreciate the morning sunshine when you wake up.

When discipline becomes routine:

As soon discipline becomes a routine, you are becoming lesser a part of the practice under discipline. Your involvement comes to a halt because you don’t feel alive while you travel to office by bus, talk to your colleagues on escalator or sit on your desk.

1. You will start hating it. You will be less interested in doing what you are doing. You will find that you suddenly lost interest in doing what you always wanted to do.
2. Boredom enters your life sphere. Suddenly, you don’t like the atmosphere in laboratory or office where you were so happy earlier.
3. Everything starts messing itself up. When your head goes nuts, everything else follows.

When routine becomes habit:

1. That’s the worst part. You won’t feel alive. You will run from one corner to other but peace will continue eluding you.
2. You will stop dreaming about ‘good and great things’ you want in your life.

As soon as you start acting out of habit, whole joy of action is lost. It is important to lose habitual practice to have anything new in life. In the world of internet, majority of young population spend their time on social networking websites, chat rooms and several other portals. As long as the excitement is there, as long as the eagerness is there, they find it interesting. Then, it becomes a habit.

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Live a More Peaceful Life With These 5 Time Management Tips

When we’re busy, a peaceful life can seem out of reach. And these days, almost everyone seems to be busy. Have you ever used any of the following common phrases: “I think I can work that in,” “I’ll manage,” “I’m crazy busy at work,” or “I’ll squeeze that into my schedule?” Even the words we use suggest that many of us are over-committed and stressed.

1. Learn To Say No

The first step toward living a more peaceful life is to learn to say no. What’s more important… being the world’s best multi-tasker or being able to complete one task really well? Usually we try to do it all when we’re trying to please someone, but when we take on more than we can handle, the quality of work suffers or we only do half the job-and then no one is happy. So learn to set boundaries and know that it’s okay to simply say no if you don’t have the time do something well.

2. Focus and Be In The Moment

The next tip is to be truly present in the moment. This means focusing on what, or who, is in front of you rather than thinking about all the other people you need to see or things you need to accomplish. Try not answering your phone or checking your emails next time you’re at lunch with a client or a friend. Chances are you’ll gain so much more from the interaction by simply being present. And try to cut down on multi-tasking… if you’re on the phone, be on the phone-don’t also watch TV. Or if you’re emailing someone, concentrate on your email-don’t also be chatting to a co-worker. Now this isn’t always going to possible, but at least be aware of when, and how, you split your attention and do your best to keep multi-tasking to a minimum.

3. Estimating Your Time Properly

Tip three is to really understand how much time your daily tasks take, such as events, meetings, workouts, and errands. Try tracking your schedule for a week and even time yourself. Perhaps you allot yourself an hour to go the gym, but realize it really takes you an hour and a half. Or perhaps that 10 minute trip to the grocery store ends up being more like 30. Once you have a solid grasp on how long it takes to accomplish your daily routines, you can schedule the appropriate amount of time.

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