Is there anything more frustrating than trying to accomplish a big goal with someone who’s negative, unimaginative, and defensive? Thankfully, it’s been a while since I’ve tried. But I’ve had my share in the past, and I can tell you that nothing will kill an organization’s productivity and vision like a can’t-do person. But if […]
Archive for Productivity
How to Jumpstart a Stuck Project
The Hack I Use to Gain Traction and Get Moving
Have you ever been stuck on an important project? You have a big idea, you know it’ll be great for your business or personal life, but you can’t get moving? Yeah, happens to me all the time, too. So what do you do when your doing gets stuck? There are probably a million ways to […]
3 Reasons I Hate Text Messages
Here's How I Respond When I Get One
I pride myself in being responsive. If someone emails or calls, I try to get back with them right away. However, text messages make it difficult to maintain my standard. Just this afternoon, I suddenly remembered Roger, a business associate, had texted me—last week! Unfortunately, this is happening with increasing frequency, and I am embarrassed […]
When You’re Just Too Tired to Make the Right Call
4 Ways to Beat Decision Fatigue before It Beats You
When do you make your best decisions, at the end of a day crammed with meetings and calls? Or early in the morning after a day of rest? My Twitter stream was filled last week with teachers and professors grading papers—and by that I mean teachers and professors complaining about grading papers. It’s hard work, […]
What You Do Right Before Bed Determines How Productive and Focused You’ll Be Tomorrow
My 9-Part Nighttime Ritual
I have written and talked a lot about how the right morning routine can set you up for a productive day. The same is true for nighttime rituals. The right activities before you sleep can set you up for success the next day. I used to have the worst time getting to sleep at night. […]
How to Defeat the Terrible Tyranny of Tiny Tasks
5 Simple Solutions to Get Back Your Time—and Your Sanity Too
My wife, Gail, recently purchased a DVD set of The Jetsons. Remember that? The cartoon imagined what life would be like in the future: robots, flying cars, and other conveniences—like minimal work hours. But it hasn’t panned out like that, has it? Believe it or not, since the 1930s economists and others predicted a future […]