Displaying All Posts from May, 2010

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

In order to be productive, you need to be well-rested. Breaks are part of the equation, but you also need to make sure you’re getting enough sleep. There are plenty of different ways of making sure you’re getting enough “shut eye.”

One method is napping. When you were a kid you probably had enough of them, but there’s an impressive list of people who couldn’t have achieved what they did without them. The power nap is a popular way to grab some much-needed sleep during the day and leave you recharged to tackle the rest of it. But some of us don’t have the type of job that allows for “naptime.” It’s unlikely your boss would be impressed if they saw you catching some z’s in your cubicle during your workday.

Even if you do manage to get some sleep in throughout the day, you still need to get a good night’s sleep to keep at your productive best. Which begs the question:

“What is a good night’s sleep for you?”

How much sleep do you need to stay at the top of your game? Are you getting the sleep you need? Let us know in the comments…before you “hit the hay.” Click Here to Read Article …

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The Productivity Rule of Three

Mike Vardy 31st May Productivity 3 Comments

Being consistently productive is hard work and it takes a lot of discipline to maintain. There are tasks and projects coming at you from colleagues. We all run the risk of information overload thanks to websites, RSS feeds and – most recently – social media. Even if you have a system in place there are times when it is going to seem impossible to keep up with everything.

So don’t.

If you can get three big things done per day (Leo Babauta refers to them as MITs or Big Rocks), then you’re winning. You’ll most certainly handle little things here and there that you come across throughout your day – routine stuff – but if you decide that you must get three big things done every day, you’re being really productive. Be sure to prioritize them accordingly, otherwise you’re going to be doing some tasks that may not move you forward as much as others might. The mind works well with the number three. Two seems easy and four seems a bit daunting, but three is like Baby Bear’s porridge…just right.

This isn’t anything new, of course. Productivity experts have been preaching this in some form or another for years. We just tend to forget about it every once in a while.

So if you find that you’re getting caught up and your wheels start spinning, just roll up your sleeves and do three big things. You’ll end up doing bigger things down the road if you do. Click Here to Read Article …

Are You Quitting Facebook?

Mike Vardy 31st May Productivity 23 Comments

Facebook has its benefits. It creates a connection of sorts, reconnects old friends and is an excellent social media tool. But it is also a productivity killer when overused. Between email, Twitter and Facebook you can seem to be doing a lot without really doing anything at all.

May 31st was designated as the day that everyone who was going to quit Facebook would band together do so. Ideally, this would drive a point home that solidarity can make a huge impact (and some would say to get Facebook to think twice about privacy issues) on how the site goes forward. Then again, it might just be that not many people know about the significance of the day at all…

So, have you quit Facebook? Will you? Are you going to be part of the crowd that does it en masse? Tell us in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

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Memo:Random #34

N.C. Winters 31st May Memo: Random 2 Comments

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The CV Toolkit – Resume Templates

Mike Vardy 30th May Career 7 Comments

Keeping your credentials up-to-date is crucial. In the ever-changing job market (and world, for that matter), it’s important to keep on top of what skills and experience you have acquired. It may seem onerous, but there are ways to do it quickly, easily and consistently – you can maintain both your productivity and resumé with the right tools. That’s where WorkAwesome comes in. Click Here to Read Article …

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Achieving: The Over/Under

Mike Vardy 30th May Goals 1 Comment

How productive you are is never about simply achieving. Everybody achieves something sometimes.

It is the lengths to which one goes to achieve that makes them extraordinary or just plain ordinary. Or perhaps less.

Effort is what propels achievement – and it’s often not the person with the most talent that stands out but the one who worked the hardest. Prominent leadership expert/speaker/author John Maxwell has touched on this in many of his books, most prominently in Talent Is Never Enough.

Be honest with yourself…if you’re not getting what you want out of what you’re doing, what’s holding you back? Are you making the most of what you’ve got or resting on your laurels? What keeps your achievement level high – or what brings it down? Click Here to Read Article …

How Far Ahead Do You Plan?

Mike Vardy 29th May Goals 3 Comments

Its been made pretty clear that an integral part of being awesome at being productive is doing some planning. When, where and what method you use are questions only you can figure out through trial and error.

Once youve stopped trying and (hopefully) erring, you can dig a little deeper and look further into the future. Thats when the real meat of goal-setting comes into play. Thats when life gets interesting…and more fulfilling.

How far ahead do you plan? How many weeks, months, years? Do you plan activities, events and goals? How far down the rabbit hole do you go?

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Looking Back and Looking Forward

Mike Vardy 29th May Productivity Leave a Comment

The weekend is a time to take care of yourself – whether it be catching up on household projects, spending time with family and friends or taking the time to rest and simply enjoy the fruits of your labor.

It is also a time to reflect on the week gone by and prepare for the week ahead.

Since you were a child you have (likely) known that you should look both ways before crossing the street.. You should treat your planning in a similar manner. Look both ways before going ahead. Know where you have been and where youre headed – or like to be headed.

Looking back on your past successes and shortcomings will work for you going forward. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to take the time to do that.

Failing to do so may not be as destructive as what could happen if you cross a street without looking…but it can definitely make for a less productive week. Click Here to Read Article …

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