Are You Taking Productivity Too Far?

Since you’re reading Pick the Brain, I expect that you’ll agree with me when I say that productivity is a good thing.

Being productive generally means:

• You’re living up to your full potential (instead of daydreaming about what might be … and never actually doing it)
• You’re being proactive rather than reactive, taking control of your own life
• You feel good about yourself and your life: each day, you have a sense of accomplishment
• You’ve got clear goals, and you’re on track to reach them

Pretty great, huh? It sounds like a recipe for a happy life.

Except… Read the Rest of This Article »

5 Life Transforming Truths For Doing Absolutely Nothing

I had a conversation with one of my daughters yesterday. She had recently moved from a conventional office setting to a home office environment and was feeling somewhat guilty for waiting to simply get up and leave that environment to at times do nothing. Her self worth is currently inextricably attached to the amount of work she perceives that she needs to do on a daily basis. At times we can be our worst taskmasters.

As her father and business coach I shared the following – ‘Man or woman looks out of window thinking great thought. That is great work. That is how great businesses, books, and blogs are first germinated – in the uncluttered mind.’

So allow me to share 5 truths why you should at times do absolutely nothing. Read the Rest of This Article »

Your Winter- Cycles of Growth Require Rest as Much as Action

Even as we approach the vibrant summer months, and the days grow long and bright here in California, I’ve been thinking about winter. I grew up in France which has long, gray, snowy months sometimes starting as early as October. Now that I live in Los Angeles and bask in the sunshine nearly every day, I sometimes get pangs of nostalgia for those cold, meditative days of being snuggled up inside and watching the bare tree branches wave against the sky. I snap out of those pretty quickly and run outside and smell flowers or chase butterflies. Even if it’s January. Yes, the weather here is dreamalicious.

But I think there is something to seasons. They’re a perfect metaphor for human life- not least of which is our ambitions. Some of the self-help world is pushing to “achieve”, climb, “conquer” and “master” the self. We definitely need to find the fire to get where we want to go. And we need to overcome the inertia that can come from fear. But Mother Nature is far wiser than the ego. Read the Rest of This Article »

Why Efficiency is Overrated – and What to Do About It

An awful lot of time-management techniques show an obsession with efficiency. And being efficient – getting tasks done quickly – is certainly important. But efficiency for its own sake is worthless.

Sure, you could spend three hours implementing a new system that lets you automatically tag every email as it comes in. But I doubt that you’re going to look back in ten years’ time and say, “Wow, my inbox was always so well organized.”

If you pay too much attention to efficiency, you might actually become less effective. You’ll stop focusing on the things that really matter – the “great work” in your life, the projects that really would make a difference in ten years’ time.

Here’s how efficiency is damaging: Read the Rest of This Article »

The DIY Guide to Rock Star Productivity

Working with rock star productivity is awesome. You get stuff done like nobody else, and let’s face it, you’re the envy of colleagues and competitors alike! If you want that, but don’t feel like shelling out a thousand bucks for an expensive time management consultant, why not go the do-it-yourself way?

I know you’ve got the chops for it. So, roll up your sleeves, grab yourself a beer, and get ready to start building your productivity power house. Read the Rest of This Article »

5 Ways to Think More Clearly: Brain Health and Mental Maintenance

Your friend texts you about their frustrating day, your taxes have to be filed, the radio spouts news of another disaster somewhere, and you still haven’t taken your car in for its oil change.  With the wonders of technology and high-speed interaction between us all, we’re finding it more and more difficult to keep our mental machinery chugging away at optimum performance.  What you need is scheduled maintenance.

Just like your car, your brain needs fuel and regular care to perform like you need it to.  If you drive your Ferrari too many miles without adding gasoline, it will sputter and quit on you.  If you go months without replacing oil and tires and hoses and belts, your Maserati will eventually respond with sluggishness or even more catastrophic ends.  Your brain is precision crafted—there is no substitute.  Here are five things to make sure your brain and mind keep humming along to serve your increasing needs: Read the Rest of This Article »

Why You Should Keep Watching TV

I’m guessing you’ve read a fair few blog posts which warn you about the evils of TV. You might even have tried stopping watching TV altogether – perhaps checking out Steve’s post, The 5 Step Process to Complete TV Elimination.

Now, I’m all in favor of productivity. I’ve no problem with people cutting out some of the crap in their lives and replacing it with good stuff. But …

… I don’t think you need to cut out TV altogether. In fact, I think watching TV can actually be a great idea.

Here’s why. Read the Rest of This Article »

The 5 Step Process to Complete TV Elimination

“But when television is bad, nothing is worse…Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off.  I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.”  These words were said in 1961, by FCC chairman Newton Minnow.

When he said this, there were only three channels to choose from; now there are hundreds.  However, I think his words still ring true.  How often have you flipped through the few hundred channels you have access to, but still can’t find anything to watch?

Why Give Up TV?

I used to be an avid TV watcher.  I have watched every episode of both older shows and newer ones.  It’s a comforting feeling to follow the lives of regular characters you get to know.  The best part is that it is a one-way street.  They give you entertainment and a sense of companionship, but you don’t give them anything except your time.

But that’s one of the reasons I wanted to stop watching TV altogether.  At the end of a series run, I had nothing to show for it.  Add up all the hours together and it turns out that I spent most of it sitting down, watching other fictitious people live their lives.  I wanted to live my life, not watch others’ live theirs.

Stop TV Watching in Five Steps: Read the Rest of This Article »

Stop Saying “I Can’t”

Do you ever find yourself saying “I can’t”? Sometimes, it’s perfectly reasonable: I can’t drive is simply a statement of fact, if you haven’t yet passed your test.

But often, I can’t is loaded down with self-judgment:

• I can’t draw.
• I can’t sing.
• I just can’t stay organized.
• I can’t ever get it right.
• I can’t lose weight.

How often do you say “I can’t” when it’s, at best, a half-truth? Maybe you really think that you can’t draw – but is that just because you’ve never actually tried? And if you can’t get organized, or quit smoking, or lose weight … do you really mean that you won’t? Read the Rest of This Article »

How To Triple Your Productivity by Homer Simson

“Hey Miss ‘Doesn’t Find Me Sexually Attractive Anymore’, I Just Tripled My Productivity!”

The sub-title of this post is taken from a classic episode of The Simpsons where Homer turns (more) obese and starts working from home. He soon realises that he doesn’t have to enter Y-E-S into his computer to confirm a repetitive command, but instead he can just hit ‘Y’ and get the same result, thus tripling his productivity.

Whilst the sketch was obviously created for comedic value, there is a surprising amount of truth to be found in Homer’s discover and an important message we can take away about saving large amounts of time by making small changes. If you think about it, if Homer’s only job was to confirm computer commands all day, what would have taken him 9 hours would now take him closer to 3. With this in mind, here are 5 simple ways in which I save lots of ‘small amounts’ of time each day, mainly using my computer. Read the Rest of This Article »

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