Productivity with Purpose
Posts tagged health
Absolute Minimums are a Must to Improve Productivity
Jul 23rd
If you consistently accomplish your absolute minimum in each of your critical core concentration areas each day you will make significant progress toward you goals over time.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race. You can always do more than the minimum and I hope you will, but even small amounts of advancement add up. Too often we get caught up in the mental trap of believing that if we can’t commit a substantial amount of time and energy then we might as well not bother to take action at all. That is a myth.
Take a look at what you have identified as your current critical areas of focus and determine what your absolute minimums are.
What is the least amount of time, effort or action you need to take to see progress?
Each person will have different answers and only you as an individual can reasonably define what they are. It is also helpful to note which focus area they address. To get you started, here is an example based on my current focus list, of the absolute minimums that I must do with consistency; both to achieve progress towards my goals and also to feel satisfied with my life and work:
- Exercise a minimum of 20 minutes daily – physical health
- Write one hour – career
- Email my husband daily summary & encouragement – family
- Work a minimum of 6 hours each day during the summer – career
- Social media (10 Twitter posts and 1 Facebook post daily, update LinkedIn status weekly) – career
- Connect with at least one child each day (one on one time, phone call or email/text communication) – family
- Take 30 minutes of alone time (crucial to my sanity) – mental health
- Check in with my Facebook community (especially group for spouses of deployed military members) – friends
Your list may be very different and it should be since your life situation is dissimilar to mine. This list will then become a structure for new habits you want to implement. The amount and complexity is up to you, but remember to keep it reasonable or you won’t be able to maintain your momentum.
Plan a Daily Pleasure
Jun 3rd
Quick tip:
Plan a daily pleasure. Make sure that every single day you have something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Meet with a friend, treat yourself to a delicious cup of tea(Chai is my favorite) or coffee, take a hot bath, read a book, take a hot bath or nap in the hammock – whatever is enjoyable to you.
If you work too hard all of the time you will burn out. Reward and revive yourself with something fun or relaxing. It makes getting the work done all that much more gratifying when you know you have something to look forward to.
Does the Way You’re Working Work for You?
May 26th
If not, you may be interested in the new book by Tony Schwartz, “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working.” I am very intrigued by Tony’s concept of “Energy Management” and our 4 unmet needs. It’s a good read if you are interested in looking at productivity in a new way.
The way we’re working isn’t working. More than 75 percent of employees around the world feel disengaged at work every day. We’re in a new kind of energy crisis — and this one is personal.
THE WAY WE’RE WORKING ISN’T WORKING: The Four Forgotten Needs that Energize Great Performance makes a compelling case for a new kind of workplace, a better way of working and a more deeply satisfying way of life.
Employers and employees alike share an unspoken assumption that human beings are capable of operating in the same way computers do: continuously, at ever higher speeds, running multiple programs at the same time.
In fact, we’re designed to pulse. We’re more productive and more satisfied when we move rhythmically between spending and renewing energy to meet our four key needs:
physical (sustainability); emotional (security); mental (self-expression) and spiritual (significance).
