When we think about the year, we each break it down in our own way. Some think in quarters. Some in seasons. Some follow school calendars. For me, the year has five distinct segments: Segment 1 (January – March): New Year Energy Segment 2 (April – Memorial Day):...
This week, I listened to a podcast from Everyday Better with Leah Smart focused on productivity. Leah interviewed Ali Abdaal and discussed his book Feel-Good Productivity. They focused the discussion on the three blockers to productivity: Uncertainty, fear, and...
Our approach to life is a big question. However, this post will break it down to look at just one layer. I listened to an episode of the TED Radio Hour podcast over the weekend. The title was “Approaches to Life: Improvise, Pivot, or Plan.” There were three...
Decisions drain our energy. A variety of sources suggest that we make 33,000-35,000 decisions a day. Many of the choices we don’t even realize we are making. Yet, each one takes mental power to execute. When we reduce the number of decisions, we have more energy...
My whole life, May has crept up on me and then done a body slam. The month is full of transitions. We have the seasonal transition which provides energy to get outdoors. That energy can often come with lawn work and outdoor projects to prepare for summer. This is also...
Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it moves quickly. Other times it moves slowly. I feel like when I’m working on projects, the clock is always fast. I underestimate how long something will take. I get pulled in and lose track of time. For others, I think project work...
Timeframe. Such a common word. So common we probably don’t even think about it. “The period of time in which something occurs or is planned to take place.” Until someone brings it to the forefront. For me, that was through a wonderful poem titled Time, Framed. I hope...
I’ve been thinking about time increments and planning. We can think of many increments like 5, 15, 30, 60, or 90 just to name a few. Then apply those to different time metrics including seconds, minutes, hours, days and months. We could plan a month with time blocks...
Yesterday, we explored the idea that the timeframe for “the first 90-days” has shifted. The timeframes to get up to speed and make an impact is getting shorter. That got me thinking that we could use “90” as a framework for different types of activities. Some are 90...
With a new project or job, the first 90 days are often discussed. Made popular in the early 2000s with Michael D. Watkins book The First 90 Days. We are asked how we will approach the first 90 days. Teams discuss how to get through forming, norming, and storming in 90...
In a meeting recently, someone mentioned their focus on closing open loops. They wanted several loops to be closed by the end of the first quarter. If you are wondering what an open loop is, these are the commitments we make to ourselves or someone else that we...
The holiday season brings fun, food, and family. From Thanksgiving through the New Year, our calendars are full. Many look forward to the season and dread it at the same time. We are excited to spend time with those we love. The shift in routine. Possibly off from...
When we think of routines, fluid doesn’t usually come to mind. People focus on stacking habits into routines. We have these routines sprinkled throughout our days. Little groupings of to-do lists to make sure we keep good habits. Lately, I’ve heard more people talk...
As we build a sustainable life, we need to be productive. Enjoying deep work, getting “chores” completed, and having time for the things that matter to us. The challenge is ensuring we feel productive and not busy. Productive is accomplishment. Busy creates anxiety...
For most of my career, there have been conversations about “going down the rabbit hole”. What is a Rabbit Hole? At work, this often refers to the experience of becoming deeply absorbed or distracted by a task, topic, or series of tasks and topics that take you away...
We all have challenges setting boundaries sometimes. Some struggle more than others. Yet, boundaries make us stronger and our lives more sustainable. My Perspective I think that boundaries are much easier if we know what we need and we set rules. Rules in life make...
Have you heard of Parkinson’s Law? The law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. For example, if you have a week to finish a presentation, you will take a week to complete. If you have 3 hours for the same presentation, you will take...
Today we ladder off yesterday’s post that talked about a busy life being barren. I looked for a statistic on how many people reply to the question “how are you?” with “I’m busy”. While a metric for that didn’t emerge, I found a study on busyness. This report indicates...
We often glorify busyness and productivity. In this state, the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates ring truer than ever: "The barrenness of a busy life." - Socrates These five simple words provide a profound truth. If we are too busy, we don’t participate...
I listened to an episode of Happier where Gretchen Rubin talked about knowing ourselves better. One of the dimensions she mentioned was the marathoner vs. the sprinter. The marathoner takes a project with a due date in the future and works on it consistently over...
A stat crossed my desk that suggested 50% of emails aren’t understood. 50% - really ??!! I did a bit of research and found this article. The article indicates that the words we use often land in ways we didn’t intend. A compliment turns sarcastic. A question turns...