Mark S. Brown

If you spend more time organizing your work than the actual work itself, then you may need some productivity help. We need to be very aware of the time we spend actually working versus the time we spend preparing to work. Being effective is not the same as being organized. A person can be organized, but get very little accomplished.

Here are three things to consider if you want to increase your effectiveness, and not compromise your preparation and planning.

1) Stop procrastinating! Organizing work is easier than the work itself. We can find ourselves putting off the work because the planning is easier. If you find yourself procrastinating, change your planning time to the end of your day. Tackle the hardest work first thing in the morning, and delay more of your routine tasks until later.

2) Make organization a habit! If you are spending too much time on organization, then it is possible that you have not yet converted these tasks to habits. Habits are usually done quickly and without much thought. You don’t plan or spend much time brushing your teeth. That is how your organizational efforts should feel.

3) Keep It Simple! Using the latest software and gadgets may be more efficient, but they may also come with a huge learning curve. That learning curve is likely to be repeated as new features and versions are released. You have to decide what is the best balance for you. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest solution, a pencil and a piece of paper.

There are days I struggle in all three of these areas. But most days I can overcome these shortfalls with simple solutions converted to habits and a focus to achieve my commitments. If you need more help in these areas, I would be glad to grab a cup of coffee with you and learn about your obstacles.

 

Don’t do it! Well that is my opinion. Vacation is all about getting away from work. So why do so many people take their laptop, or read their work emails while they are away? My vacation experience has always been better when I did not stay in contact with my work.

Perhaps you are like me, and you scramble to finish projects and tasks before you leave. It creates a little bit of stress, but don’t let that entice you into taking work with you. Your vacation provides a perfect opportunity to get away from emails and projects.

You can have a productive and relaxing vacation with just a little bit of preparation.

1) Plan time for thinking. A new environment and a bit of relaxation will provide an opportunity to receive new and fresh ideas. Take an empty journal and capture your thoughts. Find a beach chair, a park bench, or a comfortable sofa to take some time just thinking.

2) Plan time for reflection. A vacation is also a great time to reflect on past successes and current challenges. Being in a relaxed frame of mind will provide an opportunity to see the past in a new light.

3) Re-energize your attitude and perspective. Many people talk about recharging their batteries when they are on vacation. For me it is not so much about energy as it is about resetting my attitude, having a chance to see things from a bigger perspective. When you re-energize you can let your mind take you to a new level of performance.

I hope you have enjoyed, or getting ready to enjoy, your summer vacation. I am looking forward to setting my mind free for a few days!

John Maxwell said it best when he wrote, “Dreams are free but the journey is not.” Costs can be financial, but there are many other costs. There are physical costs, emotional costs, and the cost of our time.

Every action we take is a trade off in how we spend our time. When you pursue your dream there are other activities you will have to give up. Pursuing your dream is not easy. That is why most never achieve their dream.

Many people have not even started pursuing their dream. Some are waiting. Here are three things to consider in preparing for your journey in pursuit of your dream.

1. Prepare yourself for criticism. Your dream is something you have not yet achieved. Pursuing it will take you away from your familiar surroundings. Some of the people closest to you will criticize your dream. Be mentally prepared for it. Your desire to achieve must be greater than your fear of criticism.

2. Get past your fears. If you did not possess fear about the journey required to achieve your dream, you would have already achieved it. The journey is difficult because you will be forced to learn along the way. You will encounter failure, and detours. Only your persistence and your ability to overcome fear will allow you to continue. Your desire to achieve must be greater than your fear of failure.

3. Get to work. You will not achieve your dream by waiting for it to happen. You must take action. Your dream requires investment. It will need your time, your effort, your money, and your resources. Your desire to achieve must be greater than your satisfaction with your current status.

If you find yourself waiting to start on your dream. then there is no better day to take the first step than today. The cost of not starting may be higher than waiting.

Like me, you probably find yourself feeling tired occasionally when you are not physically tired. A lack of mental energy will leave you feeling fatigued even when you are well rested. What drains your mental energy, and what can you do to keep yourself charged up?

Mental energy can be drained and recharged by emotions. Emotions like anxiety, fear, doubt, frustration, and confusion will sap the mental energy you possess. However, emotions like passion, clarity, hope, and courage can generate mental energy for you. Positive emotions will fuel your mental activity!

Three things to consider about mental energy:

1. You can learn to recognize if you are charging or draining. If you become aware of your current mental state you will learn to recognize faster when you are moving from a place of charging to a place of draining.

2. You can learn to avoid draining your mental energy. If you are losing mental energy over a long period of time, it will begin to affect you physically. Change your emotional state. Initially this may seem difficult, but with practice you will be able to recognize the positive elements in your environment.

3. You can learn to use your mental energy to affect those around you. Everyone knows that laughter is contagious. Other emotions are also. Don’t be afraid to show the world how positive your mental energy has become. It is a powerful ability. Here is a psychology article on contagious laughter, and also a video that demonstrates how emotions can be contagious.

You can generate mental energy, and you can positively change the world by wielding its power. Join me in sharing positive mental energy!