Productivity & Time Management Archives

Turn Your Life Around in 7 Steps

Have you ever felt stuck, lost or overwhelmed in life? If so, you’re not alone. Some research shows that up to 75% of people have felt that way at one time or another.

When best selling author and speaker, Timber Hawkeye, realized he needed to make a big change in his life, he did some serious thinking about what he needed to do. He had been living a traditional life in Corporate America, with plenty of success and material possessions, including designer clothes and a sports car. But inside, he just knew something wasn’t right.

Stop Letting People Walk All Over You

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

“No.”

It’s a simple word. Powerful too. Yet it is often met with a less-than warm reception. There are many people who say “yes” to most things thrown their way, often in fear of saying “no.”

In reality, saying “no” isn’t anything other than being assertive. Not abrasive, confrontational, or anything in between. It’s an important but small part of assertive communication. Mastering it means to know your boundaries and communicate them in an effective, non-confrontational manner. If you don’t honour your boundaries, then you are giving someone else the opportunity to take advantage of you. By setting and enforcing what you’re comfortable with, whether that’s in your work, social, or personal life, you form your character and establish a social image (even if the social circle itself is small).

Minimalism for Overthinkers

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

Imagine yourself sitting in a room filled with all kinds of things that cover all of the bookshelves, furniture, and floors. A small table in front of you is scattered with stacks of magazines and digital devices, like a laptop, phone, and ipad.

Now try another scenario, but this time imagine sitting in a room that is clear of clutter. The shelves contain personal items that are meaningful to you. The floor is clear and clean, and the small table in front of you has only a vase of flowers and a book that you’re currently reading.

Rewrite Your Identity, Rewrite Fate

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

“You idiot”

“Why did I do that?!”

“How did I get here?”

The things we say to ourselves matter. Even if you have people around you describe who you are and compliment your traits, if you don’t believe them, none of it matters. After all, no one is going to steer your ship for you – the person you want to be is a product of the actions you take and the choices you make.

Think of it this way. A car needs your hands at the wheel. Without your input, it will veer out of control. Your identity, and subsequently your future, require your hands at the wheel. Otherwise, you may end up feeling like you’re stuck living a life that isn’t yours, straying down a path you never intended to take.

“Anti-Procrastination” – 8 Moves to Get Unstuck

Start here: If procrastination is the problem, begin with the Procrastination Guide (then come back to this post).

“You’ve got to wake up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Horace Lorimer

Procrastination isn’t a character flaw. It’s a system problem. Build a better system, and delay stops winning.

Most people don’t lose to laziness. They lose to drift. They open a tab. They take a “quick” scroll. They tend to a dozen low-stakes fires and call it a day. The cost of this is compounding regret, stalled income and fragile confidence.

A Simple System to Escape Mediocrity

“First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus

You don’t escape mediocrity by accident.
You do it on purpose.

Most people drift. They consume. They wait for motivation.
But you will not.
You’ll choose a different path, one boring, deliberate day at a time.

Multitasking is Killing Your Brain

Most people would agree that we live in a busy world. Work, home, hobbies, friends, and family are just a few of the things that occupy our daily schedules. Adding in other activities like extra projects, going to school, or traveling complicate things even more. It can be a real challenge to fit it all in.

So what do we do to make sure we have time for everything? Well, sometimes multitasking seems like the best way to accomplish the most we can in the time we are given. Piling one task on top of another can seem like an efficient way to do more than one thing at a time, and get more done. But can we really do that?

I tried to be a morning person for 30 days – it worked!

What sort of noise do you make when you wake up? A tweet tweet or a hoo hoo? While some people wake up with the relentless tweeting energy of an early bird, you may feel a gradual arrival into the new day, slowly building up energy throughout the morning.

A morning person usually gets tired in the evenings, while a night owl feels more energised towards the end of the day. They also likely have trouble sleeping in past a certain time, as their body isn’t accustomed to a late start. Dr. Doga Ayish, a neurologist at Houston Methodist, has this to say on the matter:

“If you’re a morning person, your brain is most alert in the morning, and you’re generally very good at harnessing this energy and focus to get tasks, work, and chores done.”

Your Focus Survival Guide 3 Traps, 3 Proven Fixes

How to Avoid Focus-Stealing Traps

“Work is hard, distractions are plentiful, and time is short”, wrote Author Adam Hochschild.

In today’s world, there is so much pulling us in every direction, making it hard to focus. Other obligations, entertainment, and interruptions of all kinds can grab our attention away from our intended task. With too many things to think about, it can be easy to lose track of what you’re really trying to accomplish.

How to Boost Your Focus Instantly

Focus, or concentration, is the ability to give your full attention to something. It sounds simple, but anyone living in the 21st Century is likely to tell you that it’s not always that easy.

Distractions come from all directions. Whether it’s in the form of technology, social diversions, or any other type of inside or outside disturbance. The ability to stay focused can be easily deterred. And once your concentration is broken, it can take a while to get back on track.