,

How to Master the Art of Doing it Now and Eliminate the Dread of Procrastination

Wouldn't it be nice if life came with an instruction book that told us how to overcome this problem? Well - guess what? It does and you are looking at the solution in this innovative online course.

The Procrastinator's Online Course

Start where ever you want – blast away procrastination, or learn strategies for the workplace or conquer your clutter or enjoy the section of lists (you will love them) or there even is a bonus section to help you if you have children who procrastinate

Work at your own pace

You can listen to audios or view video clips.

Read the text based on the best selling book, The Procrastinator’s Handbook

Write your thoughts and goals in confidential secured areas that will be kept on file for you -- or print out the lessons and keep them in a notebook for reading & writing

Check it out now at the website

,

Surfing the Cycles of Life – The Tide Rolls In and the Tide Rolls Out

I love the beach! How about you? For me it is wonderful to be in nature, to hear the ocean waves crashing and feel the hot sand under my feet and between my toes. I thrill to the icy water on my skin and the sparkling ocean air. It is rejuvenating on so many levels, both conscious and unconscious, and helps restore balance to my life.

Have you ever noticed how nature parallels the rhythms that move through our lives? The tide comes in, and it goes out, comes in and goes out. This is just like our breath cycle, we breathe in, we breathe out. We hardly give this a thought. However, life is cycling through us at multiple frequencies, from those that are very short, as in breathing, to those that are longer, as in the path from birth to death.

If we go a little deeper into the cycles of our lives we see that both expansion AND contraction are necessary and normal phases of being powerful, of being human.

Let me give you an example. In the past, under the false belief that I should operate like a machine and produce results 24/7, 365 days a year, I struggled desperately to maximize my output and productivity. In frustration one day, I tried to figure out what, exactly, increased my energy and what decreased it. So I created a spreadsheet. I listed out about 15 or 20 different factors that I suspected had an impact on my energy level, things like amount of sleep, types and amount of food, water intake, caffeine intake, exercise, work demands, amount of outdoor exposure including sunlight, the experience of stressful or inspiring events in my life, etc., etc. I had it all on there. Then I set up a 6-month timeline and captured what I did each day and what I experienced in these areas. I then rated my energy level for the day on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 represented super low, basically dragging my ass through the day, and 5 was outstanding and amazing energy, where I effortlessly and magically moved through my day. (Don't you love those days?)

You know what I discovered? No matter what I did, no matter how much demand there was on me, my energy CYCLED. There was a very pronounced weekly cycle, where on a pretty routine seven-day cycle I had two days of very high four or five-level energy, two days of very low, one or two-level energy, and about three days of average or three-level energy. I was blown away to see this cycle running through my life, REGARDLESS of how much caffeine I had, how good my diet was, how much sleep I was getting, or whether I exercised or not! No matter what was going on in my life and what I was doing, my energy levels were cycling in this sinusoidal-like fashion, from high through the middle ground, down to low, then back through middle ground, and up to high again.

Ever since then I've watched this- it is a feature of life itself! It's reflected in the seasons: winter is low-energy season; summer is high-energy; and fall and spring are the transitional, or average-energy months. Energy comes up in the spring months, and falls in the autumn.

You can see these cycles in the dynamic of a day, as well. Energy is at its lowest ebb at night, whereas dawn sees energy rising. At midday energy is the highest, and then at sunset energy is decreasing, on its way back to the low point of the nighttime.

And you can also witness the phenomenon in your breath cycle. Most people think of the breath as only a two-phase process, in and out, but it's actually a four-phase process when you include the two moments of transition between the in and out phases. So, when you've fully exhaled, that is the lowest energy point (equivalent to winter). Then there is the transitional moment when you stop exhaling and begin to inhale, where the energy turns and begins to go up (equivalent to spring). When you've inhaled and your lungs are full that's the moment of peak energy (or summer), and then when you stop inhaling and begin to exhale the energy turns and heads back down (or fall).

My point is: Energy cycles, in the Universe AND in you. It expands and it contracts. And this is NORMAL. To the extent you are aware of this, you can be fully present in both the expansion AND contraction stages, to partner with it.

The problem is we tend to resist the contraction phases. It feels like death to us, and we are afraid of death - we don't like to think of or experience things dying, so we try to be busy ALL THE TIME. However, by doing this we totally miss and disrespect the opportunity that the contraction cycle is: it is from the contraction that expansion can even take place. You cannot have one without the other, just as you cannot breathe in if you don't breathe out.

The key is to be wise and aware of this expansion and contraction; we must recognize it as a normal and natural part of the path and of life itself. Because of this, you can embrace the contraction, knowing expansion is sure to follow. In the darker times of your life you can take comfort in the knowledge that change will follow. The tide goes out, and the tide comes in, the breath goes out and the breath goes in. If you pay attention you'll see this pattern of expansion and contraction, of cycles, in YOUR life too. By consciously witnessing the process you can be more powerful through all phases, resisting nothing and allowing it all.

Try this: Reflect upon the nature of contraction in your life, or those times when the metaphorical tide is going out. Do you recognize and embrace these times in your life? Do you fear them? Do you cling to expansion, resisting the contraction and "trying to make things happen," trying to make the tide come in when it is naturally going out?

Can you improve your ability to "be with" the times of contraction in your life? It is indeed possible. Just like you can be with your exhale, knowing and trusting that the inhale is right behind it. It's a matter of awareness, trust, and allowing. You don't have to make the tides come back in, they will come back in on their own. Once you realize this you can relax! With conscious, trusting and allowing practice, they will come back in your life, as well.

Developing your ability to be strong during the contraction phases of your life is a major key to your mojo!

................................................

Roger Kenneth Marsh is a Spiritual Life Coach & creator of the Major Good Mojo System. He has an engineering degree, MBA, is a Certified Life Coach, HeartMath® Provider, and Passion Test® Facilitator. Get his book "NexGen Human" on Amazon.com, and FREE CD "3 Keys to Major Good Mojo" at http://www.majorgoodmojo.com/free-cd

, ,

Maximizing the Space in Your Office

How should my office be organized so I can be the most effective? Two main ideas to consider when answering this question are: what is your vision for the space and what is the function of the space? What do you want the office to look like? What purpose are you using the office for? If it is an office, then theoretically the function should be business related.

Next, go through all the items in your office and determine if they are consistent with the vision and the function of the space. For example, should children toys be in the office? Should off-season clothing be stored here? Some offices serve multiple functions. In this case, try to divide your office into zones. Keep the bill paying portion in one section and the scrapbooking section in another section. Any item that is not consistent with your vision and function needs to be evicted to other areas of the house, the trash, or donated.

Once you have evicted all items that don't belong, take a look at what is left. Then keep this rule in mind, "location, location, location". Items you use often should be within reach (desk top or desk drawers). Items you use once a week or less should be further away (lower desk drawers or file cabinet). Items you reference once a month or less should be even further away (file cabinet or book shelves or closet storage).

When you are deciding on new homes for items, remember to keep like items together. Notepad and pens and pencils near the phone. Mailing envelopes, stamps, packing tape grouped together in a mailing center. All active files in one location. Reference book in another location.

At this point, when you grouped your items together, decide if you need any organizing supplies to keep everything corralled. I hesitate to advise clients to purchase any supplies until they have purged and sorted their items and looked at the various storage containers they may already have in their home. Repurpose your items before you purchase new. Also, before you purchase supplies, measure! There is nothing as frustrating as purchasing containers that do not fit in the space.

Finally, decide on a system to maintain your office. I advocate stopping in the doorway on your way out of the office, turning around, and looking back. If your office does not look the way you want it to, go back, put files away, and then leave.

The above ideas should help you maximize your office space. You probably have more space than you realize.

Lisa Crilley Mallis the owner of SystemSavvy Consulting and the creator of the College Success Initiative. She has assisted many students, solopreneurs, and busy moms, increase productivity and decrease clutter. Visit http://www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com for more helpful tips.

, , ,

How to Set Priorities and Improve Your Time Management Skills

Time management tips about how to set priorities by time management expert, Peter Turla. Time tips and techniques on how to be more effective, how to better manage time, improve your time management skills, set priorities, and overcome procrastination

, ,

World's best productivity strategy

We are all staring down the barrel of the same reality-- the clock is ticking and no matter how you look at it, we are approaching the home stretch of 2011.

You must consider the remaining 100 days of this year as a now or never opportunity to finish the year strong, to exceed expectations, and for some use it as a final chance at redemption.

Let's cut right to the chase, by looking at the results of your actions year to date, that REALITY tells you if you have been successful or not in achieving the goals you set earlier this year.

As it relates to your goals, your demonstrated actions have allowed you to be in one of three positions.

You have either:

1. Exceeded your expectations of what you thought you could achieve.

2. Met expectations of what you set out to accomplish.

3. Fallen below your desired expectations of what you wanted to accomplish.

Unfortunately, in today's economy, far too many people find themselves struggling and well below where they would like to be.

The GOOD NEWS is that regardless of the position you are currently in, you CAN finish the year strong, however you must do a few things in the manner presented in the next few paragraphs.

As someone who participates in or leads more than fifty strategy sessions per year, I'm well aware that we all began this year with great hope and determination.

I'm also well aware that many goals and plans fall far from being realized.

THE SOLUTION

So what specifically can you do in order to capture the brass ring? Work harder? Longer?

You don't stand a chance of succeeding with that strategy, yet that is exactly what the majority of people will do.

Why not do something entirely different, why not focus on saying NO!

Consisting of two letters and one syllable, the word "No"
can be considered to be one of the most powerful words in your vocabulary.

It's the easiest word for setting a limit, holding firm to boundaries, and being clear about what you will or will not do. It is a word of pure power that is both inner and out directed.

You will be a lot more productive once you recognize that:

1. "No" is not a dirty word, negative word, nor is it
a selfish word. Learning to say "No" is liberating as it frees up your time to focus on your key priorities.

2. You are in complete control of how you spend your
time and your life. Saying "No" allows you more time and energy to pursue your goals and wildest ambitions.

3. Saying, "No," increases the value of the things you
say, "Yes" to. Your success over the next 100 days requires a short "Yes" list, and a long "No" list.

The key is an awareness and prioritization of your "Yes"
list, and firm boundaries around your "No" list as QUICKLY as possible.

Saying "NO" is the most strategic decision you can make. You improve yourself, your family, and your organization's effectiveness--IMMEDIATELY!

"No" is empowering because it simplifies. You will succeed on the basis of what, where and how you say "no". And "NO"
allows you to get more control over your daily life and activities--IMMEDIATELY!

We need to say "NO", but we're not very good at it. In business we give it another name. "prioritization" or "strategic planning.

But then we get back to day-to-day activities and we quickly forget what we prioritized and planned. We end up letting the "no's" creep back in.

For these remaining 100 days of the year, you must resolve to give "NO" the strategic resolve it deserves and in the second part of this post, I'll share FIFTEEN simple, effective and empowering strategies (personal and professional) that you can use to get results--IMMEDIATELY!

In the meantime, you are invited to pass this note along to your friends and colleagues. Also, be sure to get your FRE*E Goal Setting Toolkit by going to:
http://bit.ly/rsoaWB

, , ,

13 small things to simplify your workday

One of the best things I did when I decided to simplify my life was to simplify my workday — first at my day job and later, by quitting my day job, in the work I do now as a writer and entrepreneur.

I’ve eliminated most of the routine, boring, administrative tasks with a few simple principles.

These days, I have eliminated the non-essentials, and can focus on what I truly love: creating.

Not everyone can make such drastic steps toward simplicity, but if you have some control over your workday, you can do a few small things that will simplify things greatly.

If you don’t have control, or if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t do these things”, I’d start to ask why not? Is it possible to change things, if not today then over the long term? I found that often I thought something wasn’t possible (working from home, for example), but in the long run they were.



You don’t need to do all of these things — pick just one, and try it. Then try another and see if it works. Experiment to find what works for you.

And enjoy the simple work life.

  • 1.  Start early. Going into work early was one of my favorite tricks — it was quiet, before the phones and chatter and meetings started, and I could get a lot of work done in peace. By the time everyone else was getting started, I’d gotten two or three big tasks checked off.
  • 2.  Limit your hours. It’s ironic, because so many people work long hours and think they’re getting more done and being more productive. But they’re throwing brute hours at the problem. Instead, cut back on your hours and set a limit — say 6 or 7 hours a day — and get your most essential work done within that limit. If you know you’re only working 6 hours today, you’ll be sure to get the important tasks done first and waste less time. Limits force you to be effective.
  • 3.  Make a short list. Make a long list of all the tasks you need to do … then make a short list of 1-3 things you really want to get done. Choose so that, if you got only these tasks done, you’d be proud of what you did today. Start with the most important task, before checking email or reading online.
  • 4.  Batch distractions. What are your common distractions? Perhaps things like email, reading blogs, Twitter or another social network? Set a time for these, preferably later in the day: say, from 3-4 p.m. Don’t do the distractions before then. By grouping them all into one time period, you allow yourself to do other work first, but still get in your distraction time. Another approach might be to do them for 10 minutes at the end of each hour — but stick to that 10-minute limit!



  • 5.   Write shorter emails. If email takes up a lot of your day, the simple change of limiting yourself to 3-4 sentences per email will make a big difference. First, it’ll drastically shorten the time it takes to write or respond to emails. And second, it’ll shorten responses to your emails, which means you’ll spend less time reading email.
  • 6.  Limit meetings. The fewer the better. Some top Google executives just do 5-minute meetings — anyone who attends these meetings had better be prepared, and concise. If you can get out of meetings and just get the notes, or find an alternative way to communicate, it could save you hours per week.
  • 7.  Automate. The fewer repetitive and routine tasks you have to do, the more time you’ll free up for creating and important work. So automate wherever possible: have people fill things out electronically, or get info from your website instead of emailing or calling you, or use a service that automatically processes payments or ships your product, and so on.
  • 8.  Eliminate paperwork. I used to deal with a lot of paperwork, and even then I knew it was a waste of my time. If businesses and organizations could have paperwork filled out electronically, it would save a lot of paper, copying, filing, and duplicate effort. Whenever possible, eliminate paperwork in favor of digital. This might be more of a long-term move.
  • 9.  Clear your desk. This can be done in a few minutes. Clear everything off the top of your desk. Only put back a few essential items. Everything else should be: filed, given to the appropriate person, given a permanent spot in a drawer, or trashed/recycled. Make quick decisions and then get back to work.



  • 10.  Get away. If you can get out of your office, you can find a peaceful spot where you can focus on important work. Find a spot where you can work, turn off the Internet and do your work, and then turn the Internet back on so you can email or upload it to the appropriate spot. Working from home is a good option here. The more you can do this (it might be once a week, or an hour a day, or half of every workday), the better.
  • 11.  Take breathing breaks. Every 15-20 minutes, get up from your desk, and take a breathing break. It could be simply walking around the office, saying hi to someone, or even better, getting outside to get some fresh air. Walk around, get your blood circulating, perhaps massage your neck and shoulders if you feel tension. Do some pushups if you want to get fitter. When you get back to work, remind yourself what you want to be working on, and clear away all distractions.
  • 12.  Practice a focus ritual. Every hour or two, do a refocus ritual. This only takes a minute or two. You might start it by closing down your browser and maybe other open applications, and maybe even take a walk for a couple of minutes to clear your head and get your blood circulating. Then return to your list of Most Important Tasks and figure out what you need to accomplish next. Before you check email again or go back online, work on that important task for as long as you can. Repeat this refocus ritual throughout the day, to bring yourself back. It’s also nice to take some nice deep breaths to focus yourself back on the present. More focus rituals.
  • 13.  Schedule big blocks of creative time. Not everyone can do this, but when possible, put a big block of 3-4 hours in your schedule for creating or doing other important work. Make this time inviolate, and don’t allow meetings or other things to be scheduled during this time. Be ruthless about clearing distractions and doing the work you love during these blocks, taking breathing breaks as necessary. Rejoice in your creativity.

Author:  Leo Babauta. "Follow me on twitter or identica. If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.
Read more about simplifying your work and your life in my book, The Power of Less.   http://zenhabits.net"

 

,

A schedule that works – not just some days but every day.

Time Traps

by Todd Duncan

Productivity. It has been a buzz word in the business world for years. But despite our best attempts and countless self-help books, we still fall behind, work late, juggle our schedules, and become swamped.  Time Traps addresses the most common misconceptions we have about time and our use of that time in the marketplace. Duncan has proven remedies for universal time troubles, and he shows readers how to set a schedule that works-not just some days but every day. => http://bit.ly/eciXtd

, ,

20 Surefire Ways to Organize Your Life [this year]

Ah, organization. It’s one of those states/traits/qualities we all strive for, but can sometimes be quite elusive – or even an exercise in frustration. But you know what? It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, once you get your life organized in a way that works for you, it will be easy to keep it up, and in fact, you’ll find that you waste less time and stress a little less.

So what, really, are the best ways to get your life organized and keep it organized? Check out these 20 surefire ways to organize even the most hectic lifestyle. Implement them today and save your sanity tomorrow:

, , ,

Today's tip: the first of "10 Easy steps to blitz the paper problem"

Are you having difficulty finding documents when you need them? Are the stacks of paper getting out of hand? Do you find yourself apologising for your untidy desk?

Then it’s time to cut through the paper – blitz the problem. Too busy, you say, to even think about it? Let me reassure you that the time we save by not attending to it right now is being wasted in looking for that document, shifting stacks of paper to make room for more and in explaining or maybe justifying, why things got out of hand.

So let’s start with the first of ten easy steps

1. Visualise the rewards
• Time saved
• Feeling of wellbeing when we look at the tidy desk, shelves and cupboards
• No more lost documents
• The reassurance that accounts will be paid on time
• Always being in the right place for appointments and meetings

and you have your motivation!! Hold onto those images, they will support you as you go through the processes of decluttering.