Designed for Speed - Breathing Space Blog

A friend of mine recently asked, "How do you manage to read everything so quickly?" My answer was that I  had my Web guru design a page for me with dozens of my top Internet sites clickable via icons.  Here is a small segment of that page:  

You Cannot Control Much - Breathing Space Blog

A reader comments; “I could be more responsible regarding use of my time but certainly there are some things that are out of my control...”

Yes, for one thing your productive work life is finite. You will only be able to work for so many years at such and such a pace. One day that will no longer be possible. The big absolute, of course, is that life is finite and death is guaranteed, so far. If you are in your thirties, you have about 12,000 to 14,000 days and that's it.

Day to day, change is out of your control – it is guaranteed that how you used to do it or what worked yesterday will have less and less value with each passing day. You certainly want some stability in your life particularly in the areas of values and relationships, but don't fear change or close yourself off to it.

Wasted Time on the Job - Breathing Space Blog

According to an online survey conducted by Salary.com, workers waste more than two hours a day on average by surfing the Web, conducting personal business, chatting with co-workers, and just zoning out.

Alternate Your Large and Small Tasks - Breathing Space Blog

When it comes to working your to-do list, consider the value of alternating large and small tasks:

You are a competent professional, you consistently get a lot done, and you are adept at composing and executing the items on your to-do list. Yet, there is a simple technique that can help you be even more effective that you might not have ever considered.

This technique involves alternating both large and small tasks on your to-do list for the natural energy that engenders.

Productivity via Concentration - Breathing Space Blog

Amazingly we spend 47% of our time, thinking about something other than what is going on, based on a study published in the Harvard Gazette. Hence a most extraordinary productivity benefit awaits those who can concentrate on the item at hand.

Work-Life Balance - Breathing Space Blog

Work-Life Balance: The Prevailing Issue of Our Times
                                  by Jeff Davidson

For several years now, those who apparently have no idea what work-life balance is and have virtually never experienced it are proclaiming that it is passé, in favor of work-life harmony, or work-life integration.

The truth is, these terms all mean approximately the same things. You can split hairs anyway you want, and I suppose that's a good way to differentiate a program if you're seeking to offer one to clients, but the reality is work-life balance is the overarching issue of our time that all career professionals strive to achieve.

As The Work-life Balance Expert®,® I define work-life balance as the ability to experience a sense of control and to stay productive and competitive at work while maintaining a happy, healthy home-life with sufficient leisure. It is attaining focus and awareness despite seemingly endless tasks and activities competing for your time and attention.

Work-life balance entails having some breathing space for yourself each day, feeling a sense of accomplishment while not being consumed by work, and having an enjoyable domestic life without short-changing career obligations. It is rooted in whatever fulfillment means to you within 24-hour days, seven-day weeks, and however many years you have left.

Supporting Disciplines
Several disciplines support work-life balance though, individually, none are synonymous with work-life balance:

1) Self Management
Sufficiently managing one's self can be challenging, particularly in getting proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Self-management is the recognition that effectively using the spaces in our lives is vital, and that life, time, and available resources are finite. It means becoming captain of our own ship; no one is coming to steer for us.

2) Time Management
Effective time management involves making optimal use of your day and the supporting resources that can be summoned – you can only keep pace when your resources match your challenges. Time management is enhanced through appropriate goals and discerning what is both important and urgent, versus important OR urgent. It entails understanding what you do best and when, and assembling the appropriate tools to accomplish specific tasks.

3) Stress Management
By nature, societies tend to become more complex over time. In the face of increasing complexity, stress on the individual is inevitable. More people, noise, and distractions, independent of one's individual circumstances, require each of us to become more adept at maintaining tranquility and being able to work ourselves out of pressure-filled situations. Most forms of multi-tasking ultimately increase our stress, while focusing on one thing at a time helps decrease stress.

4) Change Management
In our fast-paced world, change is virtually the only constant. Continually adopting new methods, adapting old, and re-adapting all methods is vital to a successful career and a happy home life. Effective change management involves offering periodic and concerted efforts so that the volume and rate of change at work and at home does not overwhelm or defeat you.

5) Technology Management
Effectively managing technology requires ensuring that technology serves you, rather than abuses you. Technology has always been with us, since the first walking stick, spear, flint, and wheel. Today, the rate of technological change is accelerating, brought on by vendors seeking expanding market share. Often you have no choice but to keep up with the technological Joneses, but rule technology, don’t let it rule you.

6) Leisure Management
The most overlooked of the work-life balance supporting disciplines, leisure management acknowledges the importance of rest and relaxation- that one can't short-change leisure, and that "time off" is a vital component of the human experience. Curiously, too much of the same leisure activity, however enjoyable, can lead to monotony. Thus, effective leisure management requires varying one's activities.

Entirely Achievable
Achieving work-life balance does not require radical changes in what you do. It is about developing fresh perspectives and sensible, actionable solutions that are appropriate for you. It is fully engaging in life with what you have, right where you are, smack dab in the ever-changing dynamics of your existence.

Your Environment, Your Control - Breathing Space Blog

At my speeches audience members say to me, "I'm able to handle the tasks in front of me for the day, but if I get one more call or one critical email, everything is just thrown off." That's why it is important to  condition your work environment.

Observe your office, your car, your home, and all of the other physical spaces in your life, and ask, "What can I do to make these spaces work for me in the way I work and in the way I live my life?"

Take your desk, for example: realize that it must be specifically set up for you. Position your PC monitor in the way that's most comfortable for you. If you need tissues, candy, or certain supplies, then put them on your desk, close at hand.

Look at your desk in new ways. Align it so that it supports the way you work, regardless of how it looks to anyone else. Never mind what the person down the hall thinks! Identify the items you need, and then condition your desk to work for you. Remove piles from the window sills or cabinets tops and put them into file folders. Gain some clear space!

Your Environment, Your Control - Breathing Space Blog

At my speeches audience members say to me, "I'm able to handle the tasks in front of me for the day, but if I get one more call or one critical email, everything is just thrown off." That's why it is important to  condition your work environment.

Observe your office, your car, your home, and all of the other physical spaces in your life, and ask, "What can I do to make these spaces work for me in the way I work and in the way I live my life?"

Take your desk, for example: realize that it must be specifically set up for you. Position your PC monitor in the way that's most comfortable for you. If you need tissues, candy, or certain supplies, then put them on your desk, close at hand.

Look at your desk in new ways. Align it so that it supports the way you work, regardless of how it looks to anyone else. Never mind what the person down the hall thinks! Identify the items you need, and then condition your desk to work for you. Remove piles from the window sills or cabinets tops and put them into file folders. Gain some clear space!

A Bad Idea: Multi-Tasking, - Breathing Space Blog

What happens when you jump between different projects at one time? It may feel dynamic -- after all, you're exerting lots of activity. There's a severe loss of productivity, however, because your brain works on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is fine for computers but not so great for human beings.

Although it may seem like you're working on several things at once, your brain is turning back and forth between the tasks. Switching from task to task is not as productive as staying on one job until it is completed. Studies have been published that indicate the harmful, long- term effects of multi-tasking. Practice the art of doing one thing at a time!

A Bad Idea: Multi-Tasking, - Breathing Space Blog

What happens when you jump between different projects at one time? It may feel dynamic -- after all, you're exerting lots of activity. There's a severe loss of productivity, however, because your brain works on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is fine for computers but not so great for human beings.

Although it may seem like you're working on several things at once, your brain is turning back and forth between the tasks. Switching from task to task is not as productive as staying on one job until it is completed. Studies have been published that indicate the harmful, long- term effects of multi-tasking. Practice the art of doing one thing at a time!

Stop and Smell the Roses! - Breathing Space Blog

Studies at The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation shows that flowery odors will help your brain function more effectively. Test subjects were asked to complete puzzles before and after being exposed to flowery odors. The scents apparently relax or improve your mood -- subjects were able to complete puzzles 17% faster after smelling the flowers.

Stop and Smell the Roses! - Breathing Space Blog

Studies at The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation shows that flowery odors will help your brain function more effectively. Test subjects were asked to complete puzzles before and after being exposed to flowery odors. The scents apparently relax or improve your mood -- subjects were able to complete puzzles 17% faster after smelling the flowers.

Overcome Procrastination - Breathing Space Blog

Here are eight tips on overcoming procrastination in the new year, derived from my internationally acclaimed book, The 60 Second Self-Starter, published by Adams Media:

1. Realize that wanting to start on a task is different than deciding to.

2. Relate the underlying meaning of your task to something larger.

3. Don't wait until you're "in the mood." True professionals never do.

4. Recognize that unpleasant tasks are not likely to get more pleasant as time passes.

5. Expect some level of breakdown or backsliding. Progress is not always even; two steps forward and one step back is more often the rule than the exception.

6. Choose someone who can serve as a trailblazer and help you get started.

7. Have somebody waiting for your work.

8. Be forthright with yourself and acknowledge when you're procrastinating, and you'll be that much closer to taking action.

Overcome Procrastination - Breathing Space Blog

Here are eight tips on overcoming procrastination in the new year, derived from my internationally acclaimed book, The 60 Second Self-Starter, published by Adams Media:

1. Realize that wanting to start on a task is different than deciding to.

2. Relate the underlying meaning of your task to something larger.

3. Don't wait until you're "in the mood." True professionals never do.

4. Recognize that unpleasant tasks are not likely to get more pleasant as time passes.

5. Expect some level of breakdown or backsliding. Progress is not always even; two steps forward and one step back is more often the rule than the exception.

6. Choose someone who can serve as a trailblazer and help you get started.

7. Have somebody waiting for your work.

8. Be forthright with yourself and acknowledge when you're procrastinating, and you'll be that much closer to taking action.

Take Your Vacations! - Breathing Space Blog

Americans schedule an average of 14 vacation days a year, the average Britisher schedules 24. Americans typically don't use 3 of those days, giving back time to their employers.

Take Your Vacations! - Breathing Space Blog

Americans schedule an average of 14 vacation days a year, the average Britisher schedules 24. Americans typically don't use 3 of those days, giving back time to their employers.

Don't Just Do Something - Breathing Space Blog

Don't just do something, sit there: Reading or merely looking out the window in contemplation could be the most important and productive activity you do today. Too often, people throw their time at tasks when they should be exerting more brain power.

The single best way to handle several different projects is to begin working on one thing at a time, until its completion, and then go on to the next project, and then the next, until you are finished.

Don't Just Do Something - Breathing Space Blog

Don't just do something, sit there: Reading or merely looking out the window in contemplation could be the most important and productive activity you do today. Too often, people throw their time at tasks when they should be exerting more brain power.

The single best way to handle several different projects is to begin working on one thing at a time, until its completion, and then go on to the next project, and then the next, until you are finished.

Happiness and Productivity - Breathing Space Blog

It's official, the happier you are the more effectively your brain functions. Ultimately, this results in higher productivity.  Slide to 7:05: the last five minutes of Shawn Anchor's talk represent the best treatise on happiness psychology I've yet heard:
         www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html

Happiness and Productivity - Breathing Space Blog

It's official, the happier you are the more effectively your brain functions. Ultimately, this results in higher productivity.  Slide to 7:05: the last five minutes of Shawn Anchor's talk represent the best treatise on happiness psychology I've yet heard:
         www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html