Not too long ago, I set up a reminder for an event that my boss would be attending. When the day of the event came we received the reminder about three hours before the start time. I was shocked – I am usually much better at reminding him than this. We got everything taken care of and in the aftermath I started to evaluate what went wrong. Where had my focus been hiding the day before?

We’ve all had the kinds of days where we seem to float from one incomplete project to another.  We start the morning with enthusiasm and then pepper our days with trips to Facebook and Twitter. Hey, nothing wrong with it – we’re human beings and the shiny things on the internet can interfere with what we’re trying to get accomplished.

If you feel like you’re spending too much time being distracted and not enough time being focused on what you have on your to do list, try these four things to see if they help you to tick off the things on your list.

• Sleep More, Eat Less. Try going to bed thirty minutes earlier every night to increase the chance that you’ll reach the deepest sleep and wake up feeling rested.  If you’re looking at the clock to see if it’s time to go home so you can catch a cat nap that is going to be your focus for the day. Eat less at lunch because once your belly is full the productivity level will slowly go down. I’m not suggesting you skip lunch but if you chow down on that turkey dinner, we all know what is going to happen.
• Change Your Environment. Clean up the clutter on your desk or grab a notepad (yes people still use paper) and camp out somewhere for the day.  Sometimes getting out of the norm will inspire you to get down and get some things done.
• Stop Multitasking. Believe it or not, we cannot multitask. The human brain is not built like a computer and lacks the ability to focus attention on two or more things that once. Create daily tasks lists to keep track of all the things you need to get done in your day. Use the timer system to be sure you don’t get lost on the internet – for example, I’m going to spend thirty minutes commenting on blogs and then move on to the next task.
• Throw Yourself a Bone. Remember to reward yourself along the way as you get things accomplished. Not only is it good for your soul to take a moment to pat yourself on the back and say job well done, it’s also an important part of keeping yourself motivated to go on to the next project.

Have you tried any of these before? What was your success rate? I have personally found that cleaning up my desk is a huge boost to my productivity levels but I’m sure that doesn’t work for everyone.  What are some of the things you do to get yourself motivated to have a focused and fulfilling day at work?

Maranda Gibson is the quirky social media manager for all pro in beautiful Fort Worth, Texas. She gives tips and advice on productivity, time management, and staying organized on the all pro blog.

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6 Tips To Writing a Successful Life Plan

Most of us who have been in the world of business know that a well-thought out business plan is the key to running a successful business. And yet, few of us take time to create a written life plan; a plan that details our vision for our life and what steps we are going to take to get there.  We call this Apex Lifestyle Design.

Just like in business, if you want to live a fulfilling life that exceeds all your wildest dreams, writing a life plan is the first step to success.

1. Knowing Yourself: With vision and self-knowledge, it’s kind of the chicken and the egg thing.  You must know yourself in order to discover your vision, but your vision could shape who you are.  In any case, to write a detailed plan of how you will achieve your vision, you must know who you are – your strengths and your weaknesses, your core values and beliefs.  Ask yourself hard-hitting questions that reveal your true nature like “Do I have a sense of purpose? If so, what is it?” or “When I am the happiest or feel most at peace?” These types of questions will help you determine what you truly want from life. For a list of thought-provoking questions visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apex-Lifestyle-Design-by-Gary-Polsky/265993283423485

2. Vision: If you don’t know where you want to go, it’s almost impossible to get there.  Apex Lifestyle Designers grab vision by the horns.  They reflect on what they feel passionate about, how they can change the world, and then they create a far-reaching vision statement. This vision is the core philosophy of what you want to accomplish, on where you see yourself in one year, five years, ten years. It’s making a decision up front on how you see your life unfolding.

3. Outlook: Outlook is how you see things. Do you see an obstacle as something standing in the way from you getting what you want or as a challenge that invigorates you?  It’s kind of a glass half-full vs. glass half-empty mentality.  A good life plan will recognize that there will be challenges along the way and lay out a plan to meet them with enthusiasm like a good crossword puzzle.

4. Goals: Just like in a business plan you have to set goals to achieve the things you want from life; monthly goals, weekly goals, daily goals.  But unlike in business, these goals should encompass all areas of your life – mind, body and soul.  Apex Lifestyle Designers pursue their vision with a fiery sense of urgency, but they also set goals that keep balance in their lives.  They know that in order to perform at maximum velocity they must have periods of rest to rejuvenate the spirit.  So, when you write your goals, think in terms of what you will do to pursue your passionate abstraction, your vision, and what you will do to tend to your health, both physical and mental.

5. Collaboration: True Apex Lifestyle Designers know that reaching a purpose-driven vision of their life can’t be done alone.  You need to make connections within the world around you.  Leaders have the ability to inspire great things from those around them and part of a good life plan will include who you want to spend your time with and how you will inspire them.   For each element of your plan, you will need to attract a certain person, or group of people; we call these specialty muses.  These muses can help you take your vision to the next level.

6. Evaluation: A great life plan, just like a great business plan, will have built-in evaluation processes.  How will you know if you are on the right track to fulfilling your vision, if you don’t take time to stop and reflect on what you have accomplished? Celebrate the successes along the way and make sure that you are always driving towards that ultimate vision of your life.

Utilizing these elements be sure to take time to write a plan for your life. Only when it is written out will you be on your way to living life the way you always dreamed it.

With decades of experience in executive level health care, Gary Polsky offers inspiration for designing your life and living your passion. His dedicated work in end-of-life care has enlightened him with thought-provoking inspirations from patients and committed professional relationships on what quality-of-life truly means.  It was this experience that sparked the concept of Apex Lifestyle Design and his first book, SuperEagle. More information at http://www.apexlifestyledesign.com

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Mental Super Powers: How To Unleash The Full Potential Of Your Mind

You’re racing through your work, totally in the zone, when…

… the phone rings.

You stop, and answer it. Wrong number.

After a few minutes, you manage to get back into your work. You’re back in the zone when…

… a colleague wanders past and strikes up a conversation.

It takes you ten minutes to get rid of him. And by this point, you’ve lost the thread of what you were doing.

In almost every sort of work, we need periods of highly-focused concentration. Perhaps you have to analyze some complex figures, or write an important report, or put together a presentation: whatever it is, you need to be able to sit down, uninterrupted, and get it done.

The problem is, in most workplaces, it’s hard to get a few hours of uninterrupted time. If you work from home, it can be even worse: you don’t just have potential interruptions from colleagues and clients, you also have a partner, kids or housemates.

It might seem like interruptions are out of your control: after all, you can’t get rid of your colleagues, or stop clients from phoning. But even if you can’t eliminate interruptions entirely, you can definitely minimize them.

Here’s how:

#1: Close the Door While You’re Working

Okay, this one only works if you have your own room with a door – but if you do, then make sure you close the door when you want to focus. (And let the folks around you know that a closed door means that they should only interrupt in an emergency.)

Closing the door also helps reduce noise from outside your office – and it can help encourage you to stay at your desk and work, when you might otherwise be tempted to get up and wander around.

#2: Wear Headphones to Prevent Colleagues Chatting

If you’re constantly being interrupted by colleagues or housemates who want to chat, then wear headphones. (You don’t have to actually put any music on, unless you want to!) That way, people are less likely to engage you in casual conversation.

Again, this also helps reduce any outside noise – and if your headphones are plugged into your computer, they’ll keep you tethered to your desk!

#3: Say “Could You Come Back in Ten Minutes?”

Sometimes, of course, a colleague or family member will interrupt with a legitimate problem. If this happens when you’re in the middle of something, say: “I just need to finish this off, could you come back in ten minutes?”

Chances are, they won’t mind at all, and they may well go away and find a solution to the problem in the meantime – eliminating the interruption entirely. Even if they do come back, you’ve at least postponed the full interruption until a more convenient time.

#4: Let Your Phone Go to Voice-Mail

Do you really have to pick up the phone every single time it rings? We often think of phone calls as requiring an immediate response – but if the same message came in by email, we probably wouldn’t reply instantly. Don’t confuse the urgency of the medium with the urgency of the message.

Let your phone go to voice-mail. After all, if you were in a meeting, you wouldn’t be able to answer it instantly. If you’re worried about missing something urgent, check the name or number of the incoming call – and only answer if you really need to.

#5: Turn Off Skype/Email/Facebook/Twitter etc…

Nowadays, many of us use technology other than phones. Chances are, you’ve got a Skype account, several social media accounts, and definitely an email inbox. All of these can pop up notifications on your computer – which is very distracting when you’re working.

Don’t let Skype and other programs auto-login when you switch on your computer: instead, make a conscious decision about whether or not you want people to be able to contact you at this particular moment.

#6: Get Into the Office Early

This is a little more drastic, so I left it until last! If you’re still struggling to find enough uninterrupted time to complete your work, consider getting into the office early. (Or, if you work from home, getting up before the rest of your household.)

An hour of quiet, uninterrupted time first thing in the morning can set you up for a great day. If you’re struggling to work on a big, long-term task, then try devoting the first hour of your work-day to it.

Do you have any other tips on minimizing interruptions? Or has one of the above ideas already worked well for you?

Have you ever wondered why you do all that you do? What is the aim of all the effort? Why get a job, why earn, why build a house, why get a car, why save for the future? Think about it for a moment…

You might say, we do this to ensure security and comfort for the rest of our lives… And why do we need security and comfort?

I think security and comfort are both geared towards one final aim, to ensure lasting and genuine happiness. Happiness is the ultimate aim of everything we do. Again, take a moment to think about this…

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. –Aristotle

The question I will raise is, do security and comfort really make us happy?

A secure life

Look at some senior folks who have pursued security all their lives and are about to finish their journey. How happy do they look?

Has your own pursuit of security thus far, kept you happy?

And then how real is safety? As I read in this thought provoking article, how helpful was security for the people in Japan who were hit by the Tsunami recently?

Life and future are too uncertain for anything, even money, to secure. There is absolutely no security in life. This realization need not be traumatic, in fact, it can be liberating! You don’t have to be a slave to the future any more!!

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing –Helen Keller

Do possessions make us happy?

You may say that happiness requires nice comforts like a house, a car, big bank balance, a high paying  job.

Here in India where I live, I have traveled through villages where people seemed to earn just enough to make ends meet. I have seen happiness there. I have seen smiling faces and smiling eyes that readily gave me directions to my destination, that displayed a friendly curiosity in me and my journey.

I have also worked for 3 years on Wall Street, in a big Investment Bank. I have seen some people with a lot of money but still unhappy. I am not implying that all rich are unhappy(or the poor, happy). But the fact that there are some rich who look angry or listless and there are some people of modest means who look happy, points out that there must be something else to happiness, than just money, luxury and comfort.

Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. –Henry David Thoreau

Happiness, it seems, is not a factor of how much you have. You can feel happy listening to a good song, you can feel happy witnessing a beautiful sunrise, you can feel happy in any number of ways that don’t require any possessions at all.

So what causes happiness?

Happiness, to me, is the result of a decision to be happy. I feel all the happy people I have met, whether in villages or on Wall Street, had just decided to be happy. No matter what the situation, they just smile. The ones who are not happy have postponed their happiness, they have made it contingent upon some event, some amount of money, a certain status… They have put certain limitations on their happiness. They don’t believe that the only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves.

The happy ones remove all conditions on their happiness. They are dedicated to their decision to be happy, they focus on it constantly. They are not perfect, they falter sometimes. But their focus comes back quickly. They have brought happiness into routine, they have made it a habit.

A few things to try

Go ahead and make your own resolve to be happy. Practice it, try to be happy no matter what. If you falter(and you will falter, many times), don’t feel guilty, just bring your focus back to your resolve. Slowly, you will find a sense of lasting happiness.

Denounce the idea of working for a ‘future happiness’. Instead, form goals that make you feel happy right now, form goals that make you feel enthusiastic and passionate in this, present moment.

Listen to that favorite song of yours. Make a resolution to not think about anything till it ends. This is a simple choice, totally in your hands. No one can force you, without your complicity, to not enjoy.

Look at a beautiful picture, play with your kid, talk to a genuine friend…

Happiness is so readily available, right now!

About the author: Rahul is the owner of the personal development blog, www.rahulspeaks.com. His interests include(but are not limited to) philosophy, personal development, analytical reasoning, martial arts, motorcycles, travel, writing. Get his free eBook : The Eight Pillars of Lasting Happiness.

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How To Find Time For New Habits

You’ve got your vision board on the wall. You spend five minutes every morning daydreaming about that huge house you want, that massive paycheck, that flashy car.

Unfortunately, you don’t seem to be getting any closer.

So you resolve to visualize more. You keep imagining that perfect future.

It’s what you’re supposed to do, right? It’s what all the self-development gurus tell you?

The problem is … this kind of visualization doesn’t work. Even worse, it can actually work against you.

Stop Visualizing an Outcome…

A study carried out in 1999 looked at a group of freshmen who used visualization in an attempt to do better in their exams. (You can find the study’s abstract here.)

The freshmen who pictured themselves getting great grades … didn’t. Their exam performance was actually worse than it would otherwise have been.

Maybe that sounds a bit crazy. But think of it this way: if you spend a lot of time imagining that perfect future, you might start feeling a bit too sure of it. The freshmen slacked off on studying – are there any areas where your visualization is causing you to slack off too?

…And Start Visualizing the Process

The good news is, you can still use visualization as a powerful tool to help you towards your goals. In the same study, the freshmen who visualized themselves studying hard … did. They worked more, and felt less anxiety – and consequently performed better on the exams.

Instead of gazing at that dream board with your perfect home on it, how about visualizing the steps that it’s going to take to get you from where you are to where you want to be?

Instead of imagining yourself in skinny-fit jeans, how about picturing yourself being tempted by a slice of cake but turning it down regardless?

Don’t throw away your vision board just yet. You’re still going to be attached to your outcome – and that’s fine. Going for your dreams can give you a real boost of motivation, so you don’t want to lose sight of them.

What’s important, though, is that you visualize yourself taking the actions which will help you succeed.

Try this:

#1: Write down the goal that you’re aiming for. Perhaps it’s “running a successful business”.

#2: Look for several small steps which you could take towards that goal, starting this week. That might be:

• Brainstorm different possibilities
• Research one or two of these
• Write a business plan

#3: Visualize yourself taking those steps.

Visualize sitting down and listing lots of possibilities, and letting your imagination run wild. Picture yourself looking through them with a more critical eye – what’s going to be practical? Imagine sitting and writing that business plan (and don’t be afraid to think about how you’ll have to resist the urge to turn on the television or surf the net instead).

Have you ever tried visualization to help you towards your goals? Did it work for you – or did it have little effect? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments…

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Mental Super Powers: How To Unleash The Full Potential Of Your Mind

Do you ever feel that you’re so caught up in the day to day and hour to hour routines of life that you never get a chance to step back and see the bigger picture?

Do you get lots done, but without a real sense of accomplishment?

Have you ever reached the end of a busy week and wondered what the point was?

I expect we all feel like that from time to time – but for some people, it’s the norm. Perhaps you’re juggling studies and work, or work and family, or multiple projects and goals. Maybe you have a nagging sense that there’s something wrong or that your priorities are skewed – and you keep promising yourself that you’ll be less busy next week/month/year.

The problem is, you always seem to be busy. You’ve got lots on, and your attention is on the details, not the whole picture. How can you get some perspective on your life?

Take a Weekend Away

This is a big one, true, but please don’t rule it out as impossible. Can you take a weekend away? That might mean going on a mini-vacation with your spouse (especially if you never get any time together now). It could mean going off on your own for just a couple of days … perhaps walking, cycling, traveling to see old friends, or even going on a retreat.

We often pack our weekends with commitments and chores, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you can only take a single day for yourself, you’ll return to your “normal” life with renewed energy and fresh clarity.

Schedule in Thinking Time

One of the most powerful uses for your time is to think. So often, we end up spending our day answering emails, returning calls, racing through work – and never pausing to consider whether there’s any better way to do things.

Spending just half an hour a week – a fraction of your working time – in thought can give you a chance to question whether everything’s really going as well as it could be. If you need some prompts to get your thoughts going, try:

• Where am I wasting a lot of time? Can I ditch/delegate/diminish those tasks?
• What’s going well? How can I do more of that?
• Do I feel unhappy about anything? What can I do about it?

(If you feel like thinking never really helps, or that it just makes you feel worse, check out these common patterns of limiting thinking.)

Write a Journal

Journaling is a really powerful way to work through problems and to get your thoughts out of your head. If you have trouble sleeping at night because you’re constantly worrying about the next day, try journaling for just ten or fifteen minutes before bed. Putting your thoughts down in black and white really helps you to get them in perspective, and it can often prompt you towards solutions.

There’s no one way to write a journal. Some people like to write every day, others write less often. You might find it particularly helpful to pick up your journal if you’re facing a difficult decision, or if something seems to be weighing on your mind.

Be Brave

Finally, getting perspective on your life requires an element of bravery. Sometimes, we end up burying ourselves in work and busyness in order to avoid thinking about deeper problems.

Being brave might mean facing up to a relationship which needs serious effort. It could involve admitting that you’ve chosen the wrong career and you’re miserable at work. It may well mean standing up for yourself and your own needs, and turning down other people’s requests. You might take on board a health problem that you’ve been trying to deny, like your smoking habit or your weight.

I know how hard and scary it can be to face up to problems in your life. Even if you’re not especially happy most of the time, it’s easier to keep going through the motions and kidding yourself that everything’s okay. But by stepping back, getting some perspective and being honest about any areas of life that aren’t working, you can take real strides towards success and true fulfillment.

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Words That Heal and Empower

Image Courtesy of Ginther @ Flickr

In the process of any form of achievement there will be times where you take a step back – where things don’t go as planned and you fall into a bit of a slump. These moments can hurt, sometimes even enough to make you quite altogether. But don’t quit.

Persistence is an aspect of success that many people struggle with because it is difficult to keep working, fly past the tipping point point. I hope these strategies make the road towards your goals simpler, with less interference from steps backwards.

Identify the cause. Any solution requires a clear problem. What is it specifically that you’ve deemed to be a step away from your goals? When you break things down like this instead of responding immediately with “Everything’s gone wrong, I’m doomed!” you’re able to think logically without the interference of emotion. Smart decisions can be made in response.

Remember where you’re going. Have a clear direction, an end goal. This is a key tool for motivating yourself through times where everything feels to be going against you. Every day visualise the exact outcome you want from your goals.

Realize it’s just a pot hole, not a canyon. It’s a scrape not a flesh wound. Any step back is reversible and rarely requires any major shift in actions or thoughts. Be mindful of what went wrong, acknowledge it, and move on.

Inspire yourself. What is your inspiration? Music, good books and the videos from Gary Vaynerchuk rarely fail to get me back in my groove. Discover your muses and then exploit the hell out of them in your down times.
Stop doing anything. Be still and relax. Taking a step back can be spurred from burning out and you can’t recover from that by running your engines even hotter. Don’t feel guilty for purposeful unproductiveness. Enjoy it.

Blast some music. Nothing gets me pumped up more than playing some Ben Harper at a most likely unhealthily loud volume. Get some good speakers (fan of the Logitech Z-10 system myself) and get lost in the melodies.
Get something done. Make some form of progress. Whatever it is doesn’t particularly matter, just kick your mind into gear by realizing that the step back was only temporary.

Hang out with friends. This is essentially “Stop doing anything” but with the added distraction of your buddies to help take your mind off your step back. If you want to take a more active approach consider joining a mastermind group. Then you can hang out with like-minded individuals and take steps forward at the same time.

Solidify your plan. What is your current plan of action? Run through it, slowly, and begin revising or removing any weak links. Make your plan a flawless sequence of events to take action on – there’s no room for mediocrity.

Smile. Force one if you have to. Just smile. It’s proven that the physical act of smiling has the same effect as being genuinely happy. Sit, smile and breath.

Step forward. Don’t live in the past. Take action that takes your forward towards your goals. Stepping back is an inevitable part of life – make sure it doesn’t become he only part of life.

David Turnbull is a Guest Blogger For PickTheBrain and is the founder of DavidTurnbull.com.

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