by Rex Richard | Jan 29, 2013 | Personal Development, Renewing The Mind
Are you happy? Does it seem like a stressor to have to be happy? Did you know that there are ways to switch on the happiness switch that will help you get more out of your day and make it less stressful? The power of positive thinking is an incredible power to harness.
Here are three steps you can take to flip the switch on your brain to happy:
- Start your day with time for reflection. Take the time to reflect on the successes of the prior day and plan for success on the day ahead. Take the time to answer the questions: Who are you? What do you want to do? What makes you happy? Answering these questions will steer you toward positivity and help you to reflect on you own existence and its place in the world.
- Endeavor to make one small change today. Keep your brain active and engaged. Break out of a rut. It could be as simple as shaking up your morning routine to completing a crossword puzzle to learning a new task.
- Go with the flow. This is probably one of the most difficult changes for some individuals. You need to let go of anger at interruptions and adapt to the changes. What is within your control and what is outside of the realm of your control? Knowing which are which will help you more easily let go of those things over which you have no control. Take time for deep, meditative breaths or a quick, relaxing walk.
What will you do to make your day a happier, more productive one?
by Rex Richard | Jan 21, 2013 | Business, Personal Development
Does 30 days sound like too long of a time toward a more productive you? Toward a way to get more accomplished while at the office? It doesn’t matter whether you work in a cubicle or from a home office or from the front seat of your car, getting more accomplished during the course of the day leads to a sense of accomplishment and is a feeling that propels you toward even higher productivity.
I have five tips to offer as a way to get you down a road of productivity and a sense of well being and accomplishment:
- Commit to 30 days. You don’t have to wait until the first of the month to start this. Start today and commit for the next 30 days going forward. Having an end in sight may make you more likely to stick to it a goal/project. If you find the steps you’ve implemented aren’t working, feel free to toss them or look for new ones at the end of your 30 days.
- Make certain your goals are realistic. Yes, we’ve heard about those rare individuals that can pen a bestselling novel in 30 days or reach a six figure sales goal in a month… those individuals are few and far between. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. Remember, you’re looking to change your work habits and you can’t change yourself overnight. Don’t let a missed goal make you feel like an under-achiever; instead determine whether the goal was truly reachable.
- Baby steps are critical to making it to the top and achieving success with your goal. Remember, it’s easier to eat an elephant one bite at a time than to tackle it all in one meal.
- Find an accountability partner. Having a goal-buddy keeps you both accountable and helps you stay on task. It’s great to have someone to bounce ideas off of when you’re feeling stymied and run down.
- You need to believe in yourself, your capabilities and your skills. Be confident in who you are and what you do and that will go a long way in helping you reach your 30 day goal.
What will you set as your 30 day mile marker?
by Rex Richard | Jan 14, 2013 | Business, Personal Development
To do lists and adhering to a schedule can lead to productivity and a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, but how do you get there? Here are my top five tips to getting, and remaining, productive:
- Are you going into a meeting? Is there an agenda? If there isn’t, call a time out and ask for an agenda. Walking into a meeting without an agenda is a recipe for spending time unproductively and walking out feeling frustrated.
- Hello? Do I know you? If I don’t know you, chances are I will not answer the phone when you call. Send me an email first as a way to introduce yourself. Too many times, business owners get bogged down on phone calls that go no where because… see number #1… and because we simply don’t know whether we can work together.
- Don’t get bogged down in emails. You need a system that works for you for not only answering messages, but for following up and for even knowing whether you need to answer, delete or delegate the message. The system you come up with is one that will be unique to your business’s specific needs. There is no one size fits all even though there are steps that can be taken to formulate a system to prioritize messages.
- Turn off email alerts while you’re in the midst of a mentally intensive project. If you’re constantly checking emails because it sent an alert, you won’t be fully invested in the project in front of you and therefore, you won’t give it your all. If you have to, let people know that you turn your email off from the hours of 9 am and noon or between 2 and 5 pm – whenever your most productive times are. Just because you get an email doesn’t mean you need to respond right now!
- Take a break. You read that correctly! You need to take time to get up from the computer screen and give both your mind and your body a break. Physical and mental exhaustion can set in quickly and you need to be prepared. Staying healthy and active benefits you and your clients!
What will you do to either get – or stay – productive?
by Rex Richard | Jan 8, 2013 | Business, Personal Development
January is the time of rebirth, renewal and resolutions. So many times, people set a goal or make a resolution only to see them unfulfilled. A goal unrealized can have the power to take you down a path of despair and the inability to complete other tasks on your list. Conversely, a resolution met propels you forward toward greater project completion.
Here are five ways we make resolutions we can keep:
- What is the end goal? Write that down. Break that into smaller steps then check those off as you complete them. Set a timeline, if necessary, to keep you on task.
- Note a target date and chart your progress toward reaching it. Build flexibility into your plans to account for setbacks. Don’t look at a setback as a failure – it is a chance to revamp the target itself.
- Document daily progress. In addition to writing a to-do list, there is power in crossing items off that list. The daily progress documentation keeps you on target and is a great motivator.
- Accountability matters. Find a trusted colleague to pair up with and work to keep each other on track. Report in several times a week. Share successes and come up with solutions to targets unmet.
- A minor setback is just that — a set back. It doesn’t mean that you need to scrap the project, it just means you need to rework your timelines and deadlines and the steps you need to reach the goal.
How well are you doing with your resolutions?
