How to tame your distractions to get more done
I know a thing or eight about distraction, in fact as I write this I have deviated from what I was doing. Which goes to show how easily it is to get off task. I made myself close it down to pick it up as planned AFTER I finished what I had on my list prior to this. For someone that has a million things going on in my head I can tell you this isn't easy to do. Taming the distraction monster is vital to getting the right things done at the right time, the right way.
We have a mountain of possible distractions everyday from Facebook, email, pets, children, spouses obligations and ideas. The list goes on, but you get the point. Distractions come in the form of what feels like a needed break from what we are doing but they can actually be anxiety inducing. Have you ever had something important to get done and somehow you found yourself on Facebook or stumbled in to your inbox only to look up later and realize how much time you just wasted. The important items on your list still sat there giving you an evil sneer; you promised not to let this happen again but how?
In order to change how we deal with distractions we need to change our behavior. We need to cut out the noise and temptation the best we can. Distractions are like that giant delicious piece of chocolate cake begging you to eat it while you are trying to eat healthy. The cake may be fantastic but it will leave you feeling guilty later.
Here are some simple tips you can work on implementing into your life to help you tame your distractions and add peace to your life.
1. Make a list the night before
Making your list the night before allows you to add any vital items that may have been missed in the current day. It also sets you up for success by getting the dreaded thinking about what needs to be done out of the way. Think of it like getting directions BEFORE you get in the car, compared to getting in the car and trying to get directions. Makes sense doesn't it.
2. Do not head straight to your email inbox
This is a common challenge for many because it is simple to do but can suck up a heap of time before you know it. Unless you have vital tasks that relate to email that must be done before anything else (processing orders, waiting on a client appointment or some other priority communication) avoid your email box like the plague in the morning. Most things really can wait. This simple practice can add peace and productivity to your day instantly.
3. Shutdown social media and set aside your mobile phone
Do not under any circumstance keep windows open on your computer to your Facebook or other social media sites unless it is a vital part of your job or project. The temptation to look for a moment can easily turn into hours per week of wasted time and lost productivity. This has gotten so bad it has become an epidemic. You may think peeking at cat pictures on your phone or computer will help you relax but it won't if you do it all day. What it will do is steer you right into the land of distraction making it difficult to get back to what you were doing. Social media can be fun if you do it during your downtime or on a break, not in the middle of what matters.
4. Stop multitasking
You may think you are a master juggler. I know I did, I would have three things going at once thinking I was making headway on all of them and had some special gift for this sort of magic. WRONG. This is an illusion. Stay on task, finish one item and then move on. The point at the end of your day is to have items completed or created with quality. You can move through things quicker when you are not jumping from thing to thing. You allow your mind to focus on one thing and move on, it allows for clarity which enhances creativity.
5. Stop being interrupted
Train your colleagues (or family if you work from home) to not interrupt you. Make yourself available at a set time to discuss anything they may need from you. They may not like this at first but if you demand this new habit be honored, with practice, they will learn to honor it too.
When you commit to taming your distractions you will get more done, you will be more engaged and will feel a deeper sense of order and calm at the end of the day. You deserve to feel great about what you put out in the world. Take back your power and tame your distractions today. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Free yourself from mental blocks and unleash your creativity
So you have a mental block, it happens to all of us. Sometimes it happens for a moment and sometimes it feel like it sucks up huge stretches of time. You stand there like your tongue is stuck in glue. You know somewhere deep down you knew what the heck you wanted to say. You knew you walked into that room for a reason but what the heck was it. Writers suffer from writers block, we hear about it all the time. However anyone of us engaged in a creative thought process can fall victim to this. Here are some tips to help you free yourself from mental blocks and unleash your creativity.
1. Stop Trying Nothing hinders creativity more than the stress that comes with forcing yourself to "TRY" to be creative. It is absolutely counterproductive. The more you try to force the process the more stress you put on your mind and body. The stress causes your limbic system (the same system that tells you when to fight or when to get the heck out of there) to freak out. It jumps into survival mode, meaning how creative do you think you would be running away from a Lion? Not so much. The key is to find a way to relax.
‘‘Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
-Steve Jobs
2. Get outside- Get some fresh air, take a walk on your lunch break, take a hike walk in the park or ride your bike. Whatever your pleasure, getting outside is not only good for your body it is the perfect way to give your mind a break. You can fill your eyes and imagination with your surroundings. Let yourself take in the skies, the flowers, the tress or an awesome building. If you see a flower stop to smell it, REALLY.
3. Carry a notebook- I carry a notebook everywhere I always have. It lets you capture a creative moment when it arrives naturally, when you let yourself relax and make a habit of actually carrying a notebook (it can be tiny.) You can jot down a thought, doodle a picture or idea without pulling out your phone and trying to type it out or miss the idea all together. There is something special about writing with a paper and pen that let's your creativity flow. It fires up your brain in a different way and lets engage in the creative process on physical level. You can write and draw, make arrows, smiley faces, or thought clouds. You can't do that on a computer or cell phone quickly and freely. Haven't you ever had an amazing idea or thought in the middle of the night? Stick one in your car, bag and near your bed. Once you get in the habit of carrying a notebook you will be hooked.
4. Make Something- Do an arts and craft project, cook or create something in the garden. These are sure fires ways to allow yourself to get lost in something enjoyable. I find cooking to be like a meditation, I get lost in the aromas and ingredients and things just fall away. I can feel like an amateur Picasso and it allows my mind the openness for new ideas and feelings.
5. Meditate- I have said it in articles before and I will say it again. Finding the calm within has so many health benefits for the mind and body. Once thought of as a practice that was "far out" there. Meditation has been embraced by politicians, artists, top level CEOs, actors, athletes, stay at home moms and the list goes on. Meditation is for everyone, give it a chance and take out some of the mental garbage.
The main theme here is to be kind to yourself. Your creativity will flourish when you have a happy healthy garden to let it grow. Flowers grow in their own time as do creative ideas. Use the tips above as ways you can tend to your garden with love.
For a silly dose of creative play check out why you need a pirates hat.
If you have any great tips, please add them to the comments below.
5 tips to finding your passion and purpose in life.
Did you know according to a recent Gallup Poll that 70% of Americans said they HATE or are disengaged in their jobs. Those numbers blew me away, I figured the number would be high but 70%? You have got to be kidding me. We spend so much time at work and yet so many of us despise it. That really isn't any way to live when we can live a fuller happier life living our purpose.
You can actually follow your passion, it's not a pie in the sky idea for a chosen few. Will it be easy? In the beginning NO, but anything great is worth working for. However, once you get going you will find that there is a certain flow that begins to happen and it really is something amazing.
What if you feel stuck or don't seem to know what your passion is? Well I have 5 simple tips that I learned along the way that I want to share with you. It took me a while to find my purpose because I am so passionate about life and living that so many things excited me. I also thought it should just appear out of nowhere and be known to me. Little did I know that it required work and open eyes and yet it was there all the while. I wasn't looking so I guess I wasn't seeing, sound familiar? There were a million times I felt lost and wanted to give up but I knew deep down that if I kept searching, had faith and most of all an open heart it would come.
“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman
If you feel like you have traveled so many paths and tried so many things but nothing felt right you are not alone. I have been there many times, you may have experienced great success in something and that success confused you in to thinking you found your passion. Then the excitement fades and you feel empty or dissatisfied. Let's get you on your path, it's time to live your passion.
1. Give yourself permission- I cannot stress enough how important this is. We get stuck in our life when we let our circumstances or past define us. We think, well I have always been an X,Y, Z or my life has always been "this way" so I guess that is my story. You have the power to Press The Reset Button and redefine your life any day you choose to. How do you do that? By first giving yourself permission. Say Yes! I can write a new story for myself and I don't need anyone's permission but my own.
2. Allow yourself to explore- Part of the joy of finding your passion is being open to exploring new things and new ideas. If there is a topic you are interested in, do some research. Interested in going back to school to pursue something new? Find a school that offers a program of interest and schedule a tour. Interested in starting a new business? Go to a trade show or find a relevant networking group to attend. Has something been on your mind for some time? Take a class locally, learn to bake, build websites or whatever else you are curious about. These are simple ways to dig deeper into areas of interests if you are still not sure of the direction you are going.
3. Look for themes- What are you drawn to in life? What do you read, watch or enjoy doing. What areas of interest pop up time and again. Take some time to jot down a list of things you enjoy. Believe it or not if you take the time you will find themes. Ask yourself if you can see any patterns. When you finally see it will be so obvious that you will wonder how you ever missed it. For instance, I read my first motivational book at age 12 given to me by my uncle, it was Zig Ziglar's Top Performance after that I was hooked. I have read over 600 books on human excellence, in addition to books on spirituality & business. I found myself seeking out spiritual locations to visit including Israel & The Middle East and have sat inside of sacred houses of worship for most major religions of the world. You will find your themes. Be free, jot them down and see how they cross and connect.
4. Meditate- Meditation gives your mind and body time to rest and refresh. It allows a busy mind to calm and the rubbish of life to drift away. It is a sacred way to be with your thoughts without forcing answers. You can function in your highest creative state when there is stillness. If you have never meditated before you can find many guided meditations on YouTube to get you started. Starting with ten minutes a day can bring you huge benefits.
5. What lights you up? This one is my favorite, when you key into it you will see how powerful it is. When you talk to someone about a topic and you feel yourself coming alive, remember jot it down. Human physiology doesn't lie and you will begin to see how speaking on the things that light you up will make a drastic shift in your body language and emotions. What is it that makes you feel electric? What do you do even when not getting paid for it? What areas of interest keep tugging on your heart? Let your body and soul be a guidepost for you.
I hope these tips help you, if they can help someone else you know, please pass them on. Don't forget to share your comments below.
What a convicted felon can teach you about deepening your relationships and winning customers.
Would you believe me if I told you that some of the best bread I have eaten was created by an ex-convict? Well, it's true, no I didn't work in a prison bakery, I read it on a package of bread. In an act of brave transparency, Dave's Killer bread printed the story right on the outside of their package.
Transparency is a funny word, a word that we see thrown around in articles often. We want people to be transparent in the form of honesty in personal relationships while we urge companies to respect transparency in their business operations.
So what is transparency and what does it mean for us as people? Some of us see it as dizzying pile of ideas that make little or no sense to us, others see it as the willing act of being clear and easy to understand in all we do.
Transparency can be a friend and a foe, it can make people applaud us for being brave or loathe us for our imperfections. In either case we need to take a gamble and honor what transparency means to us. We need to go with it, fully understanding that not everyone will like what they hear. Yet, putting into action this bravery and conviction for realness can pay dividends with the right people.
A good friend wants to know the real you, they know in doing so they will have the opportunity to deepen a relationship that at best, without it, will remain one dimensional and surface. When knowing a person more fully we open up the possibility for a deeper more meaningful connection.
We see too often in the media how a false sense of perfection can explode in someone's face. People seem much less forgiving to those that sit upon their high horse and lecture at the mortals below. For those that have been brave enough to be transparent in their life it often seems people can be more forgiving, even cheering people on while they go through a difficult time.
Admitting that you’ve goofed disarms critics and makes employees more apt to own up to mistakes. -Harvard Business Review
We are all fallible creatures and so, it seems less daunting when a human is proved to be human as opposed to a pseudo God falling down to the Earth and being forced to walk in human shoes like the rest of us. As human we connect when we feel accepted and have a mutual experience or understanding to share. When we are transparent with the right people the right people are transparent with us and that is where the magic of excellent connections intersect.
A great example of transparency that has been so very beneficial is the story of Dave's Killer bread.
Dave spent 15 years in prison, upon his release his older brother gave him a job which was a second chance at a new life. You will find this story on the outside of every bread package. Dave turned his second chance into a thriving business that employs ex-felons, offers grants to organizations serving at risk youth and has a loyal and growing customer base.
Dave was able to leverage transparency and use it to his benefit. His story added character to his product, which gave store buyers and retail customers a real person to get behind. Most of all, his truth gave people a handshake of humanity, Dave wasn't trying to be anyone but Dave and sell his bread under a very real and honest premise. Transparency may be just the ingredient you need to separate yourself from the herd of bland mediocrity.
What story do you have to share that can make you or your company a delicious rarity in a world of copies. What steps can you take to make your story part of your mission? How brave are you to trust that it will pay you dividends that you may never see otherwise? Can you think of a way to begin implementing a transparent strategy to your life or business? Can you wade through the fall out for the awesomeness it can bring?
Today is the day to begin using your unique story to build deeper relationships with your family, friends and customers. Vulnerability is a rare commodity, take what you have and let it shine for you.
How to get the most out of life by being your true self in every situation
I do it, you do it, we all do it. Putting on a different mask for every different role we play in life. I could say that we should never alter our behavior depending on the situation but that wouldn't be realistic or make any sense. We have a lot of pressures, as people, we are not one dimensional and we all wear many different hats. How we are in the bedroom will never be the same as how we are in the boardroom. The you that volunteers is not the same person that may go out for a wild night. We need all of these components to make us feel whole and we need them most of all to feel alive. The problem comes with the confusion we experience when we feel like we are all of these things. Responsible and organized, passionate and driven, relaxed and vulnerable, lazy and carefree even careless and wild.
Have you ever gone out with your friends and had a crazy night, cut loose and acted in ways that you may have when you were younger? In the moment you loved it, whatever it was, dancing, laughing having a drink or doing something you think only your younger self would have done. If you haven't had these experiences I bet you think about them. But what happens the morning after? If you are comfortable with your multi facets you may revel in an amazing night. Some of you may just chalk it up to a rare occurrence that is so far outside of you that you would rather file it away in your mind.
The truth is, that mentality is a type of self sabotage because almost every person wants and needs to express their multi dimensions. The problem is we take on some idea from society that being us and just being isn't okay so we feel guilty and we don't allow ourselves to be expressive and free. I am by no means saying to run off and abandoned your responsibilities, what I am saying, is, in order to be the complete version of ourselves we need to allow our entire being to feel joy and exist.
Perfect example, a guy meets a beautiful woman when he is out. He is drawn to her smile and energy but he is also drawn to her sexiness and sensuality, then, when he gets her, he now asks her to behave and dress differently which causes pain, confusion and many power struggles. The person he met was expressing a part of herself that is now being requested to change because he is afraid. She may well adapt to the request but unless she makes a modification by her own choosing there will forever be a part of her that feels like something she did or is, is wrong. If she is able to, she may have a conversation with him so she can be her true self.
What happens with all of us, is that we feel so afraid of being judged by our partners, society, bosses and friends that we alter who we are to be accepted. The tricky problem is that since it is not of our own doing it will never feel right. It can cause us to get further and further away from ourselves. We may wake up one day wondering how we got here and who we are. We were so worried about making others happy that we didn't allow our own light to shine through anymore and that can lead to a huge feeling of disconnect and disenchantment.
This is very similar in our work, we go in full throttle, bravely selling ourselves with gusto yet once we settle in we become afraid to rock to boat. We stop taking the initiative, stop speaking up, many times we become afraid to be a leader because we want to go with the flow. That may serve its purpose for a short period or in some cases years; The most scary reality is when it becomes a person's total life. They awaken one day with a wallet full of regrets that no one wants to cash in for them. The surest way to fulfillment and joy is to understand that whatever we are, we are that person in everything we do, we are simply using different tools in our tool chest for different jobs.
So how the heck do we remain true to ourselves in each situation we experience? Checking in with how you are feeling will give you the best indicator of how true you are being to yourself. Without being reckless or disrespectful ask yourself how you would function if you had no barriers or concerns about how you would be perceived. Listen to your body, when you are in alignment with your authentic self you feel the fullest and freest. If that feels like it has been a while, then think back to a time you felt the most vibrant in your life.
Our physiology offers us so many clues to what we need if we just listen. In what parts of your life do you not feel like you are being your authentic self? What are your biggest fears and worries? What would the benefits be for working through these blocks? What would the costs be if you don't? If you lived your life just as you were forever would you be able to say at the end of it that you lived your most fulfilled life? If you answered yes then you are on the right track, if you have room improvement like we all do, then think about what you would need to change now to get on the right track ? Take some time to think about and write out a list of answers. Then, review your list periodically to make adjustments and see how you are doing. This exercise can keep you motivated and focused on learning to be your true self. Use your list often and let yourself enjoy this life as you truly are.