Tag Archives: Productivity

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How To Break Free From Stress

This is not a set up! Do you know someone who has it all together and doesn’t stress out about all the details. I know lots of people like that and to be honest, they used to make me jealous. However, that is changing thanks to what I’m learning. No, I still don’t have it altogether. However, it’s getting there and here is how you can start getting it all together and stop stressing.

You need a dashboard. You know, like the one in your car or in your boat. Dashboards perform a number of tasks, but one of the most important features is they alleviate stress when they are working properly. Until we ignore them.

Dashboards also monitor a number of things…electrical power, speed, oil-pressure, Temperature, etc. Because of our dashboards, we are able to travel without stressing out every five minutes. If we feel anxious about the performance of our vehicle, one glance at the dashboard calms our fear. Why? Because engineers are pretty smart people.

We’re not always so smart. As complex as a dashboard may seem, it’s a relatively simple tool. So why not create a personal dashboard so that you can glance at it when you feel anxious and be reminded that things are as they should be?

Here is a quick glance at the dashboard I’ve created for myself to make sure to alleviate stress and provide peace, presence, and focus based on what I’ve discovered in David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity.

In the words of Michael Hyatt in his book Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less, he teaches us that productivity frees us to focus on what is most important to each of us. It’s not just about getting more things done, so that we can feel productive. It’s about creating order in our lives so that we can focus on what’s important.

Without going into the psychology of it all, here’s the dashboard I’ve created. If you’ll take these initial steps and follow through on them, it will help you manage your stress levels and allow you to be present.

The first thing you need is a note pad and pen. You can do this digitally if you like. I used Evernote- a productivity app- to create mine.

Write down everything you have to do. If you’re laughing or freaking out right now after reading that last sentence it’s o.k. To begin, just write down the things that have a high priority in your life right now. As we’ll see, your system is going to take time to develop and it will evolve for the rest of your life. For now just write down what needs to be done. That is, you want to write down what actions you have to take. Don’t do them, just write them down.

For example, don’t just write down Dog on your list. Write down Wash Dog. Schedule Oil Change. Schedule appointment with Eileen. Until you write these action steps down, they just create clamour in your life…they’re always humming in the background of your mind like a huge machine in a factory. Sometimes they remind you vocally when you’re least able to act on them. It can be three o’clock in the morning and your brain reminds you to wash the dog. So get them out of your head and on your dashboard. You can label this guage on your dashboard- actions to be taken.

Write your next actions down, but also take time to review them. There’s more. A gauge on a dashboard is only effective if you use it. When you do this, your brain stops reminding you of what has to be done. You turn off your lizard brain and you begin to focus more on what’s happening in the moment. This is only part of the system, but it’s key.

Recap: Write down next actions in a safe place so that you can refer to them as necessary. This becomes a physical gauge on your dashboard. Voila! It’s that simple. Try it and see if you don’t begin to feel better. Whenever you wonder if you are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished, you can simply glance at your dashboard.

The next gauge is projects. These are things that take more than one action. For example, plan the meeting with your boss to discuss the new initiative. Find a Counselor or Life Coach. Renovate the bathroom. You get the idea. Now write them down. You don’t have to do anything with them at this point, you just have to write them down. What you are doing is simply clearing your brain…unclogging your mental engine…allowing your brain to work at it’s optimum level in a way that it never has before.

Recap: 1) Write down next actions you have to take and review them periodically (guage 1). Step 2: write down projects you are thinking about and review them periodically (Gauge 2). Interestingly enough, you will learn to know when it is time to look at the dashboard.

The other gauges are pretty self-explanatory. A someday/maybe guage. A reference guage. A share/delegate guage.

Briefly, A someday/maybe gauge is a place where you record things that you’d like to do at a later time. They are not necessarily pressing at the moment. They might include Visit Niagara Falls. Take a night class. Without getting into too much detail, you can also break this file down into headings such as home, work, personal, dreams, etc. But for now it’s just important that you have a place to keep them on file.

The reference gauge is just the place where you keep things like the manual for your new refrigerator, memory sticks, articles you find interesting, etc. It doesn’t have to be a physical place but it helps. It can be as simple as a filing cabinet with alphabetical folders.

The share/delegate gauge is simply where you note work that needs to be delegated. For example, Ask Sean to rake the lawn. If you are an executive, it might include things like ask Cheryl to book my room in Atlanta for the conference. Hire an accountant.

Recap: 1) We are often stressed and unable to focus due to a lack of organization in our lives. We never really know where we stand, and have no way to measure progress and what needs to be done because we keep everything in our heads. 2) Our stress becomes manageable when we begin to record specific actions and review them at minimum, weekly. 3) This enables us to be productive at a deeper and higher level than we have ever experienced. In fact, when we take these simple steps, we become more productive and at peace than most of the people around us. 4) Creating and monitoring a personal dashboard frees us to be present with and focus on the people and things that matter most to us.

Your last assignment is simple but powerful. Set aside to think about what you need to do to personalize your own system. For example, you will find that once you start writing down next actions, it is like peeling the proverbial onion. You begin to realize there’s a lot more on your mind than you first imagined. That’s o.k. Remember, this is a life long process. It never ends. Getting organized in this way will never exempt you from the messiness of life. The difference is you will have a way to better navigate the chaos and sense control simultaneously.

Now begin to imagine differently. Rather than playing the movies about the future that you’ve always played, envision a new one. Imagine yourself creating the dashboard and experiencing the peace we’re talking about. Imagine taking the fly fishing trip you planned six months from now and having a peace you’ve never had before because you took a small chunk of time to change direction in your life and get organized. Imagine having a cup of coffee with your sister without worrying if there is any laundry to do.

Stop carrying everything around in your brain today. Write down what you need to do and review it from time to time. Then do what needs to be done. Only when you get everything out of your head will you begin to break free from stress and be free to enjoy all that life has in store for you.

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Success May Be Stranger Than You Think

Has your all ever been not enough?

Let me explain.  I remember a day when I dotted all of my i’s and crossed all my t’s and still failed.  It happens to all of us sooner or later.  We plan, we work, we put in the time and still the results aren’t as we expected.

Maybe that’s the way you feel right now.  2019 was going to be your year but it’s nearly over and it’s kind of just fizzling out rather than exploding.  You worked the over-time.  You took the class.  You hit the gym…and yet it seems like something is just out of reach.

It makes me wonder how people in the bible must have felt.  I wonder what John the Baptist felt like at the conclusion of his ministry when he faced death by sword.  I wonder if he thought “What?…after all I’ve done for God?”.

But what if instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you took a different approach?  For example, what if you focused on all of the good things that happened rather than regretting the BIG thing that didn’t happen.

Maybe it wasn’t all about the BIG thing you thought it was.  Maybe it was about you growing and learning something new.

Let me tell you something I’ve learned about God!  In order for him to develop you he has to get you outside of your comfort zone.  Let me say it this way.  True growth is outside of your comfort zone.

Right now you feel like a failure.  But I’ve got news for you.  You were never responsible for the results of your endeavor.  You only had to take the necessary steps and put in the time.  The results were beyond you.  Rather than regretting what didn’t happen, think about how you will act in the future.

In the scope of your work, one day, or month, or year of setbacks really doesn’t make much of a difference.  In fact, if you don’t believe me, just remember that everybody loves a comeback story.

Now here’s another lesson I’ve learned.  It’s powerful!  Ready?

When you don’t get what you want, you always get a case of the mores.  Stop and ponder that idea for a few minutes.

I’ll work more.  I’ll put more time in.  I’ll pray more.  Suffer more.  Give more.  The problem with more is it doesn’t always work.  More money doesn’t always get the job done, when a divorce is on the horizon.  More time can’t buy back the time that was lost when you were planning on spending time with your daughter some other time.  More effort can’t buy back the vigor of youth you spent unwisely.

This post isn’t a sermon.  It’s a confession.  I’ve made all of the mistakes I’ve mentioned above and more.  In fact, I’ll make many more before I’m through.  But here’s the good news.  The good news is it’s still today.  We may have messed up in the past but today we can take a new step in the right direction!

So what’s that look like for you?  We all have 24 golden hours to spend as we like.  I wonder how much good one person could do in 24 hours time.  In fact, imagine all of the changes you could make in the next 24 hours.  You could start a new bank account.  Sign up for a class.  Cut up a credit card.  Take or plan a trip.  Work out.  Paint a room.

However, if we only focus on our setbacks, it’s easy to get discouraged and stop moving forward.  If everything always went smooth.  How could people watch you and learn what to do when things don’t go as planned?  Lets face it, your kids won’t need to know what to do when things go smoothly, but they will need something, an example, memory, or whatever to know what to do when things don’t work out as planned.

What I’m saying is that maybe while you were thinking all this time that you’re a failure, you’re really a success.  That’s not meant to be psychological mumbo jumbo.  I mean it.  Yes, you missed the ring, but in the process you got back up again.

This all came from a day out with my dog.  She’s not just any kind of dog, she’s a bird dog.  Today we hunted…HARD…and came home with nothing.  It would be so simple to chalk it up as a wasted day.  However that’s the farthest thing from the truth.  Today I learned that life is about more than getting everything we want.  It’s about utilizing the amazing resources we have and maximizing our contentment with what we have.

Today wasn’t a failure.  Today was amazing!  We walked through peak fall foliage and lazy streams.  We ate well.  We laughed.  We even made new friends.  And to top it all off a huge Pheasant Rooster posed before he jumped from atop  a stone wall and flew into the sunset!  I don’t know about you, but I’d call that a pretty good day.

So before you throw in the towel because things didn’t go as you planned, take some time and reflect on everything that went right.

Despite your setback, you are stronger and wiser and great things and times are looming on your horizon.

Although your Pheasant flew off into the sunset, remember this.  You remember the ones you missed more than the ones you hit!

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What’s The Next Best Thing?

Do one thing well. I remember the words like they were yesterday although they were spoken many years ago. Believe it or not, this mantra just might help you regain a vital part of your life that’s missing.

This phrase is especially powerful going into the New Year. This is a time of year when some people make all kinds of resolutions. They’re going to lose weight. They’re going to save more money and pay off debt. They’re going to use less social media. You know the list.

It’s not that we don’t try to do enough. The problem is we try to do too much.

To compound the problem, we only have a limited amount of time.

I was recently reminded of this when I started a new job. Faced with a new routine, I was trying to cram in a ton of activities before having to go into work later in the day. Guess what? In my opinion it doesn’t work. The end result is that I ended up doing a million and one different things but nothing very consequential.

It’s not just me. I think our phones and computers compound the problem. We have the potential to explore a million different avenues right at our fingertips. That being said, we usually end up on a wild goose chase…and if you haven’t already figured out, wild geese are impossible to catch.

Upon reflection, rather than having 5 different new years resolutions, what if you decided to make one or two healthy choices. I don’t know about you, but my recent screen time report on my iPhone was revealing. Apparently, I spend a lot more time on Facebook and texting than I realized. In my case, maybe it’s time to ditch the shortcut on my home screen or unplug completely. There are only 167 hours in a week and spending over ten hours doing one thing that is not impacting your life in a healthy way is too much in my opinion.

The apostle Paul knew something about this. He writes, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Philippians 3:13-16.

Here’s a book that got me thinking more in this direction this past year.

Author Matt Perman’s book is more than just a book about productivity. His book will help you achieve more focus this next year. A key question he emphasizes is “what’s best next?”.

That’s right! You’re one thing can change. For instance, after pursuing one direction, you may find that it is best to pursue a different one. Buy the book! You’ll be glad you did.

I have a friend who appears to have mastered this approach. His self-discipline is out of this world. His secret? He doesn’t quit! For example, he planted a church…he’s still pastoring it. He started a blog…he’s still blogging. There’s a pattern and the pattern is diligence.

Meanwhile, we live in a world where diligence has fallen into the ditch. We start researching an area of interest…fifteen minutes later we start a new search. We want kids…then we find out they are not what they thought they were going to be and we give up on them. We start our dream job…3 months later we look for a new one. We start going to church…a couple Sundays in we find out the people there are not perfect and we have to motivate ourselves to get up and go. So, we stop.

So what one thing did you learn this year? What one thing would you like to do differently this year.

Here is a bit of super coaching to get you focused. Based on your goals and dreams this year, what’s one thing you could do this year to achieve them?

What’s one thing you could to to achieve them in six months? 3 months? This month? This week? Today? Think about that. If you want to make changes this year, you can start today. Right now! Don’t wait until the new year.

In the morning, rather than surfing the web for twenty minutes, I’m going to ______________________________________. (fill in the blank)

Remember, habits are like money. They snowball and compound. Work on the fundamentals and the rest falls into place.

This year, rather than trying to accomplish ten thousand things, what one thing would you like to accomplish? Leave your comments below.

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Reversing Your Fortune

Make Distractions Work For You

Are distractions keeping you from being as productive as you’d like? What if there was a better way to use them to your advantage? After all, nobody wants to live in obscurity. But distractions can leave us there unless we conquer them. Today I want to show how you can come into the light and make distractions work for you.

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Since I’ve discovered how this whole process works, I’ve been able to concentrate more on the things that really matter. I’ve lost thirty pounds in five months. Painted two houses. Watched the church I pastor come alive before my very eyes. The benefits are never-ending. It all begins with focusing on what really matters.

A post by one the world’s most famous bloggers shows how serious this issue really is.  Be prepared, this is powerful!  This is the last post world famous blogger Scott Dinsmore ever made on the importance of disconnecting.

Statistics show that some employees are checking their email 32 times a day!

Getting a handle on this issue will position you to lead in your field.

When you stop focusing on the trivial, you can hone in on the things that really matter.

So here’s how it works.

Distractions are like Ants. They may be small, but an army can and will carry off every last crumb of your Chocolate Cake. Spend any amount of time online and you’ll see them come crawling out of the woodwork….then up your pants leg.

They effect creatives big-time. Just ask any blogger or writer. Especially those with an audience. You’re always wondering what the tribe is up to. Superssites like Youtube and Facebook can be especially enticing. Not because they’re all that great. They’re like Denny’s….nobody decides ahead of time to visit them, you just end up there and end up feeling bloated and guilty.

I’m not downing social media sites. They serve a purpose. But they become a problem when they call you away from doing what only you can do. At that point they are no longer a diversion, they morph into a distraction.

Gravitate toward them enough and you’ll get sucked under the wheels. They leave you feeling guilty, blue in the tooth, uneasy and plain sick. The last thing you want if you’re trying to grow, is regrets.

The Good News

Rather than succumbing to them, why not use them to your advantage. Let them be a trigger. Every time you’re tempted to indulge, be proactive instead.

Let them be a clarion call to pursue your dream. Every time you’re drawn to them, make a hard phone call instead. Connect with a prospect. Do a load of laundry or prepare a meal. Plan your next family vacation. Start your website or blog. Write a letter to a friend.

Makes you wonder what would happen in a week or month’s time, right? In no time at all you will transform an enemy into a friend.

While you’re at it, reward yourself for good behavior. Come up with some kind of payment when you avoid the distraction and make a healthy choice. Buy yourself a book. Get a manicure once a week. Take your car thru the drive-thru wash. Meet a friend for coffee. Whatever you do, reward yourself.

If you need some more help with issues similar to this, I’ve published Life Coaching: 7 Myths Keeping You From Your Best Year Yet, to help you win the battle.  You can purchase it here in an instant.

Productivity and growth are not accidents, you can train yourself to achieve your desired results. Olympians do it, Musicians do it, Business women do it, and so can you!

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Stop Managing Your Time

3 Ways to Fulfill Your Joy

Time Management.  Sounds exciting, right?  Maybe that’s why we all struggle with managing our time. I remember as a young leader facing the responsibility of planning my days. If you’re like me, you’ve been there. You wake up and kind of just ‘wing it’ to pass the day. You’re not sure what to do. You may even have a thousand ideas. But where do you start?  Hold on and get ready to be inspired.

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The following ideas are based on some productivity ideas offered by Dan Sullivan. Dan is the President of the Strategic Coach organization.  Go check out his website when you get a chance.

Rather than thinking of every day as the same, imagine three different kinds: Work Days, Buffer Days, and Free Days.  

III I’ve been doing this for awhile now and it’s increased my excitement and accomplishment level a ton!

Work Days

These days are a no brainer. On work days, you do just that. If you’re a creative, that’s the day you work on your sermon. Write a blog post. Do the stay at home Mom activities whatever they may be. Go to the office. This part’s not too hard to figure out. If you’re a writer, that’s the day you work on your manuscript or work on the outline for your next novel. It may include working on your website or posting on Social Media. These are the days you take action. But they are not all that’s required to be productive. Being productive involves all you set out to do in every area of your life. You can be productive at work and unproductive in your marriage. You can be productive in your marriage, but unproductive at work or play.

Buffer Days

These are the days when you work on things other than work.  Think of them as days you buff out the wax job you applied on a work day. That’s not a misprint. These are the days you do laundry, cut the grass, pick up your dry cleaning, finish painting the kitchen. Tie up loose ends.  Finish what you started or take the next step toward completion.  Buffer days allow you to focus on the minor things you had to neglect to focus on your majors. You already know this, you just never thought about it. Buffer days are a whole lot more exciting than they sound. They allow you to experience a sense of accomplishment and resolve a lot of tension.  At the end of the day, you have not just one accomplishment but many!

Free Days

Free days are Saturdays regardless of what day the calendar says it is! These are the days that you do what you want to. If you want to eat a Hot Fudge Sundae and listen to your favorite music by the pool, go for it. Free days are days when you decide to be productive by resting. They don’t need a goal or a reason to exist. You don’t have to move the needle forward at all. These kinds of days leave you well-rested and ready to get back to work. These are the days when you fill your tank until it runs over. You can’t give what you don’t have, so don’t neglect to have these kinds of days. You should have one of these days AT LEAST once a week.  Some of you work so hard you’ve forgotten how to even have these kinds of days.

The beautiful part is you don’t have to dedicate every day to just one of these categories.

You can work for a couple of hours in the morning and relax the rest of the day. You can tie up loose ends until noon and block out an hour or two in the afternoon and head to the beach with your kids at 4 p.m. You get the idea. The trick is to figure out how this system best works for you based on your own unique needs and schedule.

Yes, there will be days when nothing goes as planned. Nobody can deny that. But though life can be unpredictable, it’s amazing how predictable it can be. If you want to change your future, start today. Give this system a try and you will see how enjoyable it is.

I wonder what would happen if we thought of Time Management as Joy Fulfillment? After all….

Time Management….

-Sounds like work to our brain.

-Sounds like it requires too much planning.

-Sounds like it’s only for people who have more time than you do.

-Sounds so Old School.

-Doesn’t sound exciting or fun.

-Sounds like something you do in an office with no windows inside a cubicle.

On the flip side….

Joy Fulfillment….

Sounds like fun.

Sounds exciting.

Sounds like what the world is longing for.

Sound like oil for the wheels of your mental machinery.

Sounds life-giving and full of  hope.

Sounds like something Jesus talked about. John 15:11.

Speaking of joy and fulfillment, it’s better to give than to receive.  And gifts aren’t gifts until you share them. So share your excitement on Facebook or Twitter. When you do, you’ll make other people feel better as well as yourself.

Question of the day: How do you approach your daily schedule?

“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” (Psalm 90:12, TLB)

….And while you’re spending them, shouldn’t you have joy?  Maybe it’s time to stop managing and start enjoying the days you’ve been gifted with.