Just because winter is coming doesn't mean you can't get things done. Let's see what 10 popular characters from the tv show can teach us about having a vision, asking better questions, and making way for our authenticity to shine.
Ep 6 - Become an Expert in Your Field by Scrapbooking the News
Let's face it - we're all in the idea business. You depend on great ideas to grow your company and overcome obstacles. Also, you need to be in the know in our industries. Here's a method for capturing your best ideas so you can offer the best solutions to your customers' problems.
Ep 5 - Are You Living Your Life’s Purpose?
Discovering your life's purpose is a challenging yet beautiful pursuit. I will share the experiences that helped me uncover my mission and purpose. Also, we'll discuss the difference between passion and purpose so you can clarify the vision for your life.
Ep 4 - Finish Large Projects with Ease
Finally! A system for completing your large projects on time. Learn the 7 stages of project management and stay on track with all of the exciting projects you have on your plate.
Ep 3 - Start an Audio Journal to Get the Best Ideas of Your Life
Journaling can become your secret weapon. It will clarify your thinking, develop leadership, and improve decision making. In just five minutes a day, you can unleash your creativity and begin documenting your legacy today!
Ep 2 - Jaws: 12 Personal Productivity Lessons from the Movie
You're gonna need a better time management system! Dim the lights, grab some popcorn, get your feet out of the water, and explore 10 unique insights related to running your business more effectively.
Ep 1 - The Most Powerful Time Management Skill You Will Ever Learn
Entrepreneurs wear many hats and our biggest challenge is determining how to spend our time each day. You're meant to do great things - but you need the skill we describe in today's podcast to achieve your most exciting goals. This episode will teach you an invaluable skill for identifying all the key roles you play. Make sure all of the vital roles of your life are included: mind, body, spirit, financial, hobbies, personal, and professional. Clarify all the moving parts of your busy life so you can avoid burnout and life your life's purpose.
Having a Daily Vision Statement Will Help (Even During a Pandemic!)
The Corona Virus Pandemic is numbing and difficult to grasp. But it’s here to stay - for a while at least. Pre-pandemic, I was almost always motivated and rearing to go. I savored thinking big and strategizing about personal productivity, work life balance, and even discovering one’s life purpose.
When the quarantine began, I found myself stunned and well…incapacitated to continue living my own purpose of helping others become more joyful productive, and fulfilled in all areas of life! It was as if I panicked and was in shock.
Well, I’m back to help. Being sequestered at home for weeks (or months) to come will be a monumental test for us all. One thing that helped me find myself was writing my daily vision - the same one I’ve been doing for years. Usually, I get pumped up and ready for the day when writing my daily vision but Friday through Monday, I was going through the motions. But I began really reading into each line of my vision statement. I started to feel guilty and down on myself. I wasn’t acting like a VISIONARY or world-class problem solver. I saw instanced of other people stepping up but not me.
Here’s my daily vision statement I write each morning and before bed:
I’m a professional speaker
I’m a VISIONARY and world-class problem solver
I practice transcendental meditation
I’m lean and strong
I’m the best Dad I can be
I enjoy abundance in all 20 roles
I travel the USA speaking
I earn x/month, give 10% of it to those in need, and have a network of X
I BELIEVE more every day!
Here are some tips that have helped me stay sane and even experience deeper levels of fulfillment than usual during these first 6 days of the pandemic.
#1 - Daily Schedule
My family spent a lot of time curating a daily schedule. We structured it so challenging segments like online school work, chores, and music lessons transitioned into more relaxing segments. There’s beauty in carefully-designed structure. I believe the kids appreciate the continuity, too.
#2 - Get to Know Yourself Again
All of this additional time is a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills. I’m meditating, learning knot-tying, learning cribbage with the kids, and watching an original Twilight Zone each night. I have stacks of books to read and movies to watch, as well. I see the process of getting to know yourself as a constant pursuit. Yet, I see a lot of people who - with an enormous amount of time on their hands - seem to have little insight as to what their interests are beyond getting through their typical work day. Always be on the prowl to cultivate interest, hobbies, and passions.
#3 - Take Inventory of All the Hats You Wear
I talk a lot about identifying and managing all the hats we wear. The pandemic initially blew all those roles to smithereens! You only focus on survival. Your world is completely turned upside down! That’s where we are now. I had to concentrate and bring my 20 roles back into view. Here are my current roles:
My daily vision statement that jolted me back to life but my network of daily routines got me back in the saddle to make a difference for others. What are some things that can keep you on track with living your life’s purpose? Or what could get you back on track? How have you bounced back from hardship?
Are You a Lazy Bum? Strategies for Becoming More Productive Throughout the Day
At the outset, I should say we all need to relax at times and there’s nothing wrong with it. But let’s get real - in many instances when we’re not feeling productive, it’s because we don’t have enough small energy-boosting activities during the course of a typical day.
Find the activities that invigorate you and stack them into routines. I enjoy my morning routine and my late night routine as well. Identify those tiny things that give you a lift and maximize them! Sometimes you have to manufacture them. In the morning, I like doing my 20 minutes of meditation followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill. I’m currently on season 5 of Game of Thrones and I watch a little bit at a time on the treadmill - I love it and look forward to it (ie/ I hate exercise usually). I start the coffee maker and read my Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and USA Today. I like a particular brand of oatmeal. I write my top 10 goals while listening to the same playlist. I enjoy cranking up the Ozzy’s Boneyard Sirius Satellite Channel in my bathroom during my shower but I usually change the station to 80’s on 8 while I shave - because I can’t rock out and shave. It throws me off my happy rhythm.
At nighttime, I have a coffee at about 6pm and that keeps me cranking until about midnight. I turn my electric blankie on so it’s just right for sliding into bed. I look forward to reading late at night. Of course, unexpected things come up and you must adapt. But most of the time, you can expect what’s coming up next in a typical day.
If you’re feeling pooped, do a few simple tasks to give you momentum. I like to have a lot of ideas going at one - that’s not to say I’m multi-tasking. I often flit from one thing to the other and I keep the juices flowing until I find myself getting big stuff done and then I try to just sail along with it. Pink Floyd’s double dvd set “Pulses” is my current favorite for getting stuff done. I put the live concert video on and get busy - works every time!
If you’re feeling lazy all the time, you need to revisit your role list and mission statements. My book, “Master Your Roles: The Time Management Skill You Need to Lead a Joyful & Productive Life” will guide you!
Crazy Ideas are Just as Valuable as Innovative Ideas
Start the habit of honoring all ideas - you never know where they may lead. I found an idea that I scribbled in an old notebook: people wearing medical boots never seem embarrassed enough. It’s ridiculous, I know! However, I’m glad I gathered it. Create a system for dealing with new ideas. Get them safely captured - and then you can determine later if they’re worth anything. While we’re at it - I think movie theaters should have a huge mattress with pillows and blankets strewn about. Oh, and we should have a split screen so couples could choose: Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing stuff up or romantic comedy.
Try to have a system where you don’t replicate your work. I believe in having lots of different notebooks. In fact, I color code them and keep them in the car. I used to have a large notebook called a scratch pad and I’d joy down anything that came to mind in that book. But then I’d have to copy it over again in the right notebook. Trim all inefficiencies by asking if any steps in your system seem ponderous to you.
Here’s an example: I realized I was in a negative state coming out of the grocery store. Each time I exited the store, there was a half a dozen empty carriages nearly blocking the exit. Folks grab their bags and leave their carriages where they stand. This made me mad. I wanted to write a ranting blog post - then it hit me. Society is becoming more personalized - the carriage fiasco is just more evidence. Also, every time I enter the store, there is at least one car parked in the entrance. Most of the time, they’re not to drop off an older adult or someone with challenges. It’s just someone who doesn’t want to walk all the way to the parking spaces. They’re usually in their 20s or 30s! When I asked how I could make this annoying trend more productive, I realized that customers want products that are completely customized. Many folks believe they are VIP’s - all the time. I brainstormed how I could serve my customers in a much more personalized way - and it changed how I designed my book, blog posts, and advertisements. I transformed my original idea into something useful and it benefitted my customers and business.