Tag Archives | challenges

Try a Daily Wrap Up

By on May 23, 2011 in Success

Weekly challenge:

At the end of each workday this week, whatever time that is,  take 5 – 10 minutes to go through a daily wrap-up routine.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What worked?
  • Where was your focus and what did you get done?
  • Where did you get distracted and what can you do differently tomorrow?

Finally, review the next day’s calendar, ongoing project statuses and tasks that are either due tomorrow or overdue. Set your top three priorities for the next day (three works for me; any more than that and my focus is scattered.) Now you already have a head start on the next day. Try it and see if you don’t find you are much calmer each morning.

This is one part of my 18 minute daily focus and planning routine. For a refresher read 18 Minutes to Managing Your Day.

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Becoming Wise

By on May 20, 2011 in Personal Growth

The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages is you’ve been. –  Madelyn L’Engle

Life is a progression.  We are a work in progress and an accumulation of experiences.  Everything that has previously occurred in our lives has happened for a reason and is an essential part of our development.  One of the challenges of our lives is to integrate and absorb the pieces of our lives as we experience them.  It is sometimes tempting to try to deny difficult periods of our lives or put out of our minds significant events, especially if they have been painful or unflattering.  When we try to erase or re-write our past we deprive ourselves of our own hard-earned wisdom.

When we realize that some of our most valuable strengths have developed not in spite of, but because of the life experiences we have had; then we can begin to fully appreciate the depth and breadth of the wise person we have become.

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Information Diet Challenge

By on May 9, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success

Weekly challenege:

The productivity challenge for this week is to trim your information feeds; Twitter feeds, RSS feeds, daily blogs, news feeds, etc. If you’re like me, then you can all too easily get sucked into the information vortex by either incessant curiosity or the voracious need to know feeling that fears you might miss something important!

You can only process a certain amount of information and then your brain goes on overload and your retention rate is dismal. You will be much more informed and decrease your time wasted in the “black hole” of information if you prune your information sources with a discerning eye.

Over the next week, go through your daily information routine as you normally would, but each time you are checking the news, reading your RSS feeds, daily blogs or scrolling your Twitter feed ask yourself the following question:

Does this information add some kind of value to my life?

  • Does it add to my knowledge base and is that knowledge useful to me?
  • Does it teach or improve a useful talent or skill? (I.e. productivity!)
  • Does it make me laugh or uplift my spirits in some way?

If the information source does not meet one of these criteria, then it is very simply not worth your time. Now, for the hardest part; discard the duplicates. Choose the two or three best sources in each area; news, industry reviews, social media, technology, finance, personal development or whatever your particular areas of interest might be. Start trimming!

My task will be to trim the Twitter feeds I am following to a manageable level and cut my RSS feeds by 50%. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Please share your goals for this week’s challenge and let us know how you are doing

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Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

By on March 30, 2011 in Success

I just finished reading a thought-provoking new book, Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT by Paul L. Marciano, Ph. D. If you are a small business owner, company executive, manager or anyone who leads employees this is a must read.

I am always intrigued when someone raises their hand and suggests that we take a hard look at the status quo and urges us to try a different approach. That is exactly what Paul Marciano does in this book.

Most successful businesses realize that employees are their most valuable asset, but they fall short of knowing how to maximize that potential. Research shows that rewards and recognition programs do not work. Dr. Marciano asserts that they have short-term results and only work under positive conditions.

Going a step further, he explains that there is a difference between engagement and motivation. What we truly want is to have employees who are engaged. He goes on to describe how the fundamental principles of respect and trust are paramount to building relationships with our employees and creating a culture of engagement and team mentality in our organizations.

“Engaged employees will hang in there during adverse conditions because they are a part of the team.”

What he says does work effectively is the RESPECT model, based on seven key drivers of employee engagement that are proven and supported by decades of research and practice:

  1. Recognition and acknowledgment of employees’ contributions
  2. Empowerment via tools, resources, and information that set employees up to succeed
  3. Supportive feedback through ongoing performance coaching and mentoring
  4. Partnering to encourage and foster collaborative working relationships
  5. Expectations that set clear, challenging, and attainable performance goals
  6. Consideration that lets employees know that they are cared about
  7. Trust in your employees’ abilities, skills, and judgment

He addresses each of these drivers in turn with explanations, stories, quizzes and suggestions for implementation. He writes in a clear and easy to follow manner with a conversational tone. Anyone who manages or leads employees will benefit from reading this book and applying these principles to your business. Happy reading!

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A Red X

Can You Give the “Tough No” Even if it Costs You?

By on March 9, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success
A Red X

Image via Wikipedia

It’s hard for most of us to say no.

It’s even harder when we really want to say yes! It can be excruciating when it costs us financially or emotionally to say no. But…there’s always a “but” isn’t there?

I submit that the toughest no is often the most necessary and the most valuable both at work and at home.

What do I mean by a “tough no?” How about when you are offered an exciting project at work, but just can’t fit it in and juggle your other work? Maybe you are asked to volunteer for that cause that is near and dear to your heart, but your plate is already full? You are offered your “dream job,” but there’s a catch, you have to travel all the time and you have small children? Or maybe it’s a career move that sounds wonderful, but isn’t the direction you want to go in? How about the possibly lucrative client that just sucks your energy?

You know what I mean. Your arm is being twisted either by money, pride or guilt, but in the pit of your stomach you just know it’s the wrong choice…or maybe a right choice, but the wrong time.

Can you say no? Should you?

Yes, you can! Yes, you should!

I have struggled with this from time to time and have always been glad when I managed to choke out the “NO” even if it half killed me to do it. I just recently wrestled hard with a “tough no” that might have cost me financially in the short run, but would have taken me down the wrong path and stood in the way of long-term goals. It was the right choice for me…at least I hope it was.

If something is not a good fit for you…the best answer is no.

Stay on course.

Know where you’re going.

Have your priorities straight.

Listen to your gut.

And most importantly…when the decision is made and the NO is given, move on and don’t look back!

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Paris - Musée Rodin: The Thinker

Contemplation is Priceless

By on March 4, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success
Paris - Musée Rodin: The Thinker

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Do you ever take time to just sit and think? If you are like most people the answer is no. Thinking seems lazy and unproductive; a waste of time.  In reality, time to think, dream, plan and contemplate can be one of the most valuable uses of our time. How will we make friends with our inner selves otherwise? How will we conjure plans to change the world? How will we get that inspiration that takes our success to the next level? How will we discover the true gifts of life unless we take the time to turn them over in our minds and fully absorb them?

This weekend set aside some time to just think and see where it takes you. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that it the time well spent.

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. – Lorraine Hansberry

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Learning is Key to Success and Fulfillment

By on February 28, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success
Icon from Nuvola icon theme for KDE 3.x.
Image via Wikipedia

We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn. – Mary Catherine Bateson

What are you willing to learn? It may not take place in a school or even in a book, but knowledge is all around us, waiting to be absorbed. Do you desire to learn how to more skilled at your profession? How to be a more patient parent? how to be a more considerate human being? How to practice creativity or how about a hobby? Maybe you wish to learn to be more forgiving? Wherever your thirst for knowledge takes you, follow it. That is the path to a fulfilling life.

What are you drawn to learn? Give it a try and see where it leads.

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What Can You Learn From Adversity?

By on February 11, 2011 in Success

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. – Anne Bradstreet

Be grateful for adversity. Challenges encourage us to grow. Crisis nudges us to wake up and do some searching of the soul. Difficulty sweetens the flavor of success. We need adversity to gain strength, compassion and wisdom. Anyone can “exist” their way through life. It takes someone with something special inside to triumph over adversity. Aren’t we all special in some way? I believe so.

Look back over your life. Haven’t some of your greatest lessons come from adversity? Aren’t you stronger than you were before? More capable? Wiser? Those among us who have never known the struggle of adversity, the trials of testing your limits have also never known the exquisite satisfaction of perseverance.

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Life Balance Tips from the Trenches

By on January 18, 2011 in Personal Growth

There is no more valuable advice than that that comes from the people who are “in the trenches” doing the job and living the life. You can read a book or listen to an expert, but the best wisdom comes from the real experts, real people who are up to their necks in the day to day reality of life.

I felt compelled to share some little nuggets from our Twitter chat (#PLchat) today on work life harmony and balance.

What does life balance look like for you?  The first step is determining what works for you, your career and your family.

Work life balance can be challenging for all. Not just moms.

Not sure what work life balance looks like – but I know it when I feel it.

In reality work life for me is somewhat integrated, but prefer as much separation as possible into “periods.”

Work life balance is very elusive concept.

Work life balance is very difficult, especially when you have so many responsibilities both at work and home.

For me work life harmony is when I only drop a few balls that I am juggling!

A supportive partner is key to any kind of work life balance!

In addition to home support, support at work is just as important.

Maybe being able to give attention to and enjoy each aspect of my life is a good definition of work life balance.

Biggest work life challenge – difficulty unplugging from work/business to focus on family.

I find my key to finding work life balance is scheduling my time on my calendar – and sticking to it.

Create a schedule. If you have an office, close the door (when working & not).

I work best when I schedule in blocks and just move the blocks around for flexibility.

To help me find work life balance I am working on recognizing each little success.

I think hardest to set work life boundaries with myself – no email during family time, exercise before email.

I let my cell go to voice mail when not at work. I can then listen and choose when to respond.

Discipline is the key – and it is something that I am continually working on.

GUILT – I think that is the key when trying to find work life balance.

I feel guilty when I’m working and guilty when home time.

I think guilt is directly tied to self-imposed expectations.

Need to set realistic goals. What is “enough” work & “enough” time with family, self – having to re-evaluate this.

Self-evaluation is the first step. You have to do what is necessary to self-satisfy.

If you start to feel overwhelmed step away.

I find if I get up earlier it helps me too – time to exercise, solitude & planning before kids wake.

I think I need a hobby. Need something just for me.

Key points:

Define what works for you

Stick to schedule

Set boundaries

Unplug

Take mental breaks

Don’t forget to take time for yourself.

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Change One Thing at a Time

By on January 7, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success

Are you taking on too much, getting caught in the resolution frenzy?

Are your resolutions really more like wish lists?

This year why not try making one profound change. Make it important enough that you will reap rewards, see results or gain satisfaction as you progress and work towards this “goal.”  Change is a process that usually takes time, so don’t beat yourself up.

Do you want to start a business, get fit, stop smoking, write a book, start a blog, get out of a dead-end relationship or job, pay off your debt? Whatever it is . . . make this your top priority and put your focus on it until it’s done! You may need to let something else go or at least put it on the back burner to free up time and energy. But what’s the alternative? You will be back in the same place this time next year and nothing will have changed……

I am still making up my mind…write a book, build my business, get fit (exercise every morning, run long road race, build more muscle,) increase financial savings, meditate daily, have more fun……starting to sound like a wish list to me. We are in this together…….

Keep me posted on your progress and we can journey through 2011 together!

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