Productivity with Purpose
Posts tagged life questions
Clarify Your Objectives
Aug 31st
Many people confuse goals and objectives and in fact it’s true that the terms are often used interchangeably. I prefer to differentiate between the two for my own purposes and those I work with. Goals are usually more general in nature and less tangible. Objectives tend to be more specific and “visionable.” I think I might have made that word up, but it suits my definition so I’m using creative license here. What I mean by that term, “visionable” is that you can picture the objective in your mind – see it, hear it, taste it and feel it. I like to think of goals as “big picture” ideas. Objectives are more nitty-gritty.
For example, I want to lose 20 pounds by January 1st is a decent goal. It meets all the S.M.A.R.T. requirements. But it’s sort of “flat.” I will lose 20 pounds so that I can fit into my size “whatever” pants, be healthy and run a 5k by January 1st is a better objective. You can almost see yourself wearing your smaller pants and feel the exhilaration of running that race. It is more “real” and therefore much more effective for our purposes. I am not knocking goals, but for today let’s focus on clarifying your objectives instead.
Let’s try another example. I intend to start my own business, replace my income and quit my job by June 1st. Okay.
What does the objective look like?
- What type and form of business?
- What is the real purpose or intention?
- What is the specific amount of income needed?
- What will your work schedule look like?
- What will your work environment consist of? At home or in office?
- Will you have employees?
I intend to start a catering business for parties operating out of my home kitchen by June 1st. I will employ two part time employees and gross $200,000 annually.
Do you see the difference? This objective is much clearer and more “real” to me. This also makes it much more motivating and actionable.
Take a look at each one of your objectives and make sure it is so clear you can almost reach out and touch it!
This is part of an ongoing discussion on my rules to maximize productivity. To read more see Golden Rules of Productivity.
Key Questions: What Are Your Limits?
Jul 27th
Are you limiting yourself? Do you even realize that you are doing it? Most of us don’t. It’s certainly not intentional, but most of us are guilty of it at one point or another, myself included. We just have in our mind the belief that we can’t do something; we aren’t talented enough, strong enough, smart enough, whatever the reason. We think this belief is fact, but in reality it is only our thought and it is not set in stone. If you are willing to take a fresh look at these self-imposed limitations and honestly question them, you’d be surprised at what you might discover.
This past weekend I really wanted to go for my morning run, but it had been raining horrendously and it was threatening to start again. Normally I would have dismissed the idea out of hand. I’m a fair weather runner. I only like to run or walk outside when it is sunny and 60 degrees. You will not find me with my hat and gloves or rain slicker. Just for a moment I had a flash of daring and I thought why not? What is the worst that will happen? I may get soaked. I may have to cut my exercise short. I may be uncomfortable and hate it. Just once I decided to take a chance and go for it.
I laced up my shoes and off I went. About 5 minutes in it started sprinkling. I got a little nervous, but decided it wasn’t too bad and I could keep going. After about 15 minutes the rain started coming down harder, but I was at the halfway point and far from my home. There was nothing I could do now so I kept going, determined to make the best of it. It felt unfamiliar, but not awful. All of the sudden it occurred to me that I was running in the rain; something I thought I never would do and never could do. Huh….imagine that. At the 30 minute mark I rounded the corner toward home, pumped my fists in the air like a gold medal Olympic runner and felt victorious.
If you had told me last week that I would not only manage to run for 30 minutes in inclement weather, but set a personal best time while doing it, I would have said that you were crazy. Today, that limit no longer exists for me and has opened my mind to a whole new set of possibilities. I started to question myself. Where else am I limiting myself? What else can I do that I thought was not conceivable?
This is transferable to all areas of our lives and work. Ask yourself:
What limitations have you placed on yourself?
Could you stretch them just a little?
Is there something that you would like to do that you just don’t think you can manage?
Why is it not possible?
Is it a fact of reality or just a thought or perception that you hold?
Stretch yourself and be open to all of the new possibilities!
Know Yourself – Critical Productivity Success Strategy
Jul 7th
Do you really know yourself? Have you thoroughly identified, examined and analyzed your thought patterns, activity routines, preferences, abilities and comfort zones? Probably not. Most people never take the time to truly understand how and why they do what they do. Are they afraid of what they will find? Do they judge themselves too harshly? Find too many areas that fall short?
What if we look at it in another way? What if instead of judging, berating and spending time and effort trying to improve and change everything that you or current business wisdom thinks is wrong; you instead just decide to go with what you’ve got and learn to make it work for you? Why do we have to label everything good or bad? How about, it just is! This does not mean that you stop striving for efficiency, growth, knowledge and success, but just don’t place quite so much focus on it.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked, but often most critical component of maximizing your productivity and business and personal success is finding and using what works best for you as an individual or your company as an entity. The news is full of both people and organizations that seem to break all the rules, yet in spite of or maybe because of their quirks still become wildly successful and seem incredibly content. What if your comfort zone isn’t such a bad place to spend maybe 80% of your time?
What’s comfortable for you?
Some preferences or styles to consider:
- Time
- Temperature
- Pace
- Atmosphere
- Work style
- Life style
- Social style
- Communication preferences
For example, my husband prefers to run outside in any weather, at 4AM, in 45 degrees at a moderate pace; while I prefer to run outside as long as it is reasonably nice, at 7AM, in 60 degrees at a good clip, but I take walk breaks if I need them. Both work.
I prefer to work at a very fast, focused pace in a solitary environment with music in the background or on my iPod to shut out the world. I also work in comfortable clothes and sometimes in my pajamas and slippers. Others work at a slower, but steady pace and prefer noise or co-workers around them. Many people feel better working in professional attire and make-up. I’ll admit that the “experts” including me on occasion have been proponents of “dressing for success” and I still agree on the whole, but if you are one of the few for whom that doesn’t feel right then by all means ignore that piece of advice. Many a best-selling novel or million dollar deal has been made while wearing flannels!
Do you prefer to start work early at 5AM, keep office hours starting at 9 or are you most productive in the evening?
Do you separate each job, client or project and draw a clear boundary between each as well as your private life or do you intersperse all types of work, play and family and that seems to work for you?
Do you prefer to communicate in person, via phone or by email? All are valid and have different advantages and disadvantages.
The key to this strategy is to know what is most effective for you. If something is not working for you, i.e. you really could get more done if you got up and started working before the kids woke, but you stay up too late watching TV and don’t get out of bed, then by all means CHANGE IT! But if you enjoy conducting business in your bathrobe at noon in your bunny slippers, then just don’t use video conferencing please!
