There are more tools available to you to accomplish this kind of efficiency than you could ever make the time to look through and evaluate, so it’s a good thing I’m here to help you move in the right direction, and it’s also a good thing I’m not charging you by the hour to do it – I could really rack up a padded time sheet if I went back and added it up.

Instead, I’m going to give you my top 5 tools for online researching for the low, low price of free. My only requirement is that if you are still using Internet Explorer as your browser, you have to download Chrome or Firefox – right now, go ahead, I’m waiting. Got it? Okay, now delete IE from your computer and swear that you will never again do anything so ridiculous. Then move forward with the article, knowing that most of these tools are Chrome extensions or at least have Chrome extensions in addition to the full apps.

1. Evernote

Evernote is one of the most powerful tools available for note taking and organization. If you are not using it, start now. Many people who don’t quite get it at first, mainly because the layout and functionality are designed to be incredibly flexible so that you can tailor it to your own needs.

To get an idea of what you can do with Evernote, start with this article. It’s absolutely true that the more you use it, the more useful it becomes, and ideally you use it for everything – that’s when it reaches maximum usefulness.

2. Clearly

Clearly is a browser extension for Evernote (Chrome here. Firefox here.) which is much better than the standard Evernote web-clipper extension (not that the standard clipper is bad).

When you are reading an article and want to save it for later, Clearly presents an extremely clean version of the article, wiping away anything on the page that is distracting (ads, sidebars, etc) and leaving a print-ready, easy to read article.

It even lets you choose different themes for how you save it, highlight portions, and more. Then with one click it sends the altered version to Evernote. Clearly brilliant, pun intended. The only downside is that since it’s a browser extension, it isn’t available (yet) on a tablet or smartphone (the simply incredible Note II). So when I’m mobile, I use…

3. Readability

Readability is a cross between apps like Pocket (formerly Read it Later) and Clearly. It saves the article in an easy-to-read format that can be accessed from the web or in a mobile app. There’s not a whole lot more to say about it after I’ve described Clearly, but you may ask “what about the whole Evernote thing?” I’m glad you asked, because the next piece helps to pull together any disparate programs you may be using.

4. IFTTT (IF This Then That)

Whether you use Evernote or some other, lesser application, IFTTT is a tool you should be aware of. It does what the name implies, which is to create actions based on other actions. There are thousands of “recipes” that others have already created, or you can make your own.

As an example, let’s say I save some stuff in Readability on my awesome Note II smartphone. There is a recipe on IFTTT that will save any archived items to Evernote for me automatically, so once I’ve pulled the piece up on Readability and decided I want to save it, I just click “archive” and voila, it’s in my Evernote. The recipes are almost endless, and you will surely find some that will make life easier with whatever tools you choose to use.

5. Diigo

Probably the most unknown of the bunch is another browser extension called Diigo (also available on the ipad, iphone and android). It also has the ability to “save for later” when you find something you need to access later, but that’s not what I use it for.

For me the brilliance in this app is the on-page annotations and screenshot features. Open a site, highlight any word, phrase, or section, and a little Diigo option pops up. You can highlight with different colors, create a sticky note to make your own notes right on the page, or take a screenshot of whatever part of the page you want.

To get a better idea of this, imagine that you take a screenshot of a web page with an article, then save it on your computer, open it with an image editing program, and make notes on it (highlighting, annotations, arrows, whatever). Diigo does all of this while you are on the web page, and saves it. Anytime that you go back to that page (from the same browser of course) all of your highlights and notes will still be there, right where you left them. You can make these public if you want for other Diigo users, but I just use it privately for my own research.

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Do you have any suggestions that are better than these? I’m always open to suggestions. Well, not always. Sometimes I’m really hard-headed. I’ll listen to you, though. Maybe.

bywjjphkli

Click here to enter now. Contest closes on July 1, 2013 or until 2000 entrants have been received.

I’m personally a fan of RoboForm. Seriously. I’ve got the RoboForm plugin for Chrome, and it remembers all the personal info I commonly enter into online forms (like my name, address, phone number) so that I don’t have to do a lot of redundant typing. I personally use it to quickly fill out online forms when requesting for online Free Samples. It’s a time saver. It’s also great for remembering passwords.

About RoboForm

RoboForm is the world’s most downloaded and trusted password manager and form filler. With over five million downloads to date, RoboForm is a leader in the password management brand category.

From Roboform:

“Our customers love the password management aspect of our software the most. Users can create secure passwords with RoboForm’s password generator, save their pass- words and store them securely with RoboForm, and use RoboForm to login to a web- site with a single click. RoboForm makes the login process effortless by automatically saving, then entering your usernames and passwords. Simply click and login-similar to a browser bookmark!

“Use our RoboForm Identities feature to securely store your name, address, email, credit cards, and all other personal information. Just click on your Ro- boForm Identity to fill entire web forms automatically. Save yourself hours of needless typing! Access your RoboForm Logins and Identities on all your computers and devic- es. RoboForm runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Windows USB drives.

“We also have apps for most popular mobile phones including the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Use our RoboForm Everywhere (Online) service to synchronize and back up your data with our servers, and enjoy secure one-click form access everywhere!”

software giveaway

After receiving some feedback on my outfit, I never pulled that sweatsuit out again, and fully realized the power of personal image.

You may never make the same “dressing for success” mistakes that I made, but ever wonder why some people look so poised and powerful in their work attire? Strolling through the office, their appearance is impeccable and people respect them.

Regardless of rank, looking like an office leader is well within you capabilities.  In fact, it’s downright easy.

Three Basic Rules to Dress Awesome

There are three simple things you can change right away that will elevate your office image, and help you be the best version of yourself.

1. Fit

Many people wear the wrong size suits. Both men and women choose sizes too big for them. Women especially, for fear of looking “inappropriate”, and men because they typically want to be comfortable.

Although, being comfortable and keeping curves under wraps is important, wearing oversized trousers and skirts could be also damaging your image.

Wearing things too big can appear sloppy and unsophisticated. Which is often perceived as immature and lazy.

To ensure a good fit:

• Make sure shoulder pads do not extend beyond your shoulders.
• Skirts should hit at the knee or 1-2” above the knee.
• For men, pants should be altered to a have a “single break”.
• For women, pants should be altered a 1/2 inch from the ground, in accordance with heel height.
• Blazers and shirts should be slim, with little volume through you body.
• Tie points should end at the beginning of the waist band.
• A single finger should fit into the waist band. Beyond that, you should not have extra room.

Most modern suits are made with stretch in them. Keep this in mind when shopping because the suit will stretch up a size after you wear it. If it is too loose when purchased, the stretching will still occur and leave you with an oversized suit.

2. Invest In Quality

Skimping on your work clothes will save you money, but it could also prohibit your career mobility. Interviewers, clients and colleagues will associate any negative impression with your work and professionalism. People can spot poor quality quickly, so do not let shoddy clothes misrepresent the value you bring to your position.

Look to spend at least $500 – $1000 on your new work wardrobe. Buying fresh basics will jumpstart your image and the cost per wear makes the price feasible.

Consider buying less frequently to afford better quality. You do not need to have a lot of clothes, you just need to have quality, well-fitting clothes.

What work basics you will need to buy:

Men

• Wool navy, gray or black suit
• Quality, cotton white button down
• Black leather (or quality equivalent) almond-toe shoes
• Black leather (or quality equivalent) belt
• Neutral silk tie(s)

Women

• Wool navy, gray or black suit (pants, dress or skirt)
• Quality, cotton white button down or silk blouse
• Black leather (or quality equivalent) almond-toe high heeled shoes
• Black leather (or quality equivalent) belt
• Delicate jewelry

If your work does not require a suit, buy well-made business casual separates of high quality construction instead.

Suit or not, wearing beautiful things demonstrates your own self-worth. Choosing quality is not about designer labels, it is about having an elevated sense of style.

3. Give Details the Attention they deserve

If your resume is stellar but your shirt is stained, consider the mixed messaging you are sending others in the company. Focusing on the details of your appearance demonstrates thoroughness and consistency.

By ensuring you look good, you are telling your boss and colleagues you take yourself and your job, seriously.

How to upgrade your look with details:

• Look out for stains
• Ensure hemlines are perfect
• De-lint
• Manicure your nails
• Wear makeup
• Add cufflinks, jewelry or other accessories to add polish
• Groom facial hair everyday
• Steam your clothes
• Buff your shoes
• Wear a watch
• Smile

People that make the effort get noticed because they put in that little extra.

The 3 basic rules to building a business wardrobe:

• Fit
• Investing in Quality
• Focusing on Details

Keeping these three rules in mind will ensure an improved image when dressing for work. Even if you are starting from scratch, over time, with clarity and focus you will have no problem developing a sharp, smart and sophisticated style.

In the end, the reason this all makes a difference is because without representing your best self, no one can see the confident and brilliant person you are.

Looking great gives you the self-assurance to walk into the office, and know you got it. That is really why investing in your image is important, it tells the world how amazing you are, without you having to say a word.

How do you dress awesome at work? Tell us in the comments!

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

awesome work outfits, rules of dressing

By the time I ask, “so what prompted you to leave” or “what brings you in today,” I can almost recite the words that always include “laid-off”, “let go”, “downsizing”,  “bad manager”, etc.

As a career coach, I encounter a myriad of clients who have a gap in their employment history.  Typically these clients address this issue with me in one of two ways.

They either shy away from the topic (think example above) to avoid mentioning it until half way through the appointment  – after the resume review — or they bring it up immediately and we spend the better part of an hour talking about this event that has defined them for the past several months of their job search.

The whole “defining” aspect of a termination is the problem and the number one factor that gets in a job seekers way.

Whether you actually introduce it at the forefront of every conversation that has slight hint of a networking or coaching component OR you skirt away from this part of your past like you have a cousin in the mafia and are in witness protection, the emotion is the same — shame.

Shame seeps from every pore of your being if you let it. It portrays desperate need for any job and scares the heck out of any recruiter, hiring manager, or potential colleague.

So what is an innocent, talented, recently laid off employee to do? Take a week off to sulk, lick your wounds, replay all of the unfair aspects of the lay-off, and talk about the numerous ways you saved the company X amount of dollars and are so much more talented than Ted in accounting, and then stop.

Stop venting.  Stop sulking.  Stop watching fluff TV all day.  Now follow these steps:

1.)    Wake up on Monday of week two post lay-off and go to a coffee shop. Look around, watch the birds outside, read the business journals, and write down 10 jobs you want (in your field), and 10 companies you want to work for. The key here is want.  This is your chance to choose where you want to and should be. Don’t take this task lightly.

2.)    Then go on LinkedIn. How does your profile look? Is your most recent position up-to-date with the amazing achievements you accomplished? How is your picture? Meaning:  Is it professional (not a shot of you with your significant other cropped out from a high school reunion) and has it been taken in the past 5 years?

3.)    Now start reaching out. Ask first degree contacts out to coffee. Talk to them honestly and authentically about what happened, what you think you are good at, where you want to be, and ask for help. People want to help. Really they do. Sometimes they just need permission to actually offer it.

4.)    Next do searches for contacts at companies you’re targeting. Use LinkedIn groups as a resource to a whole new community of contacts and search those groups by job function or company. Then invite these potential contacts to coffee and do the same. Be authentic, and give them the gist of the fact that your company had a downsizing and you are now focusing on these specific roles at companies like the one they work for.

5.)    Lastly explore the job aggregators. What’s out there? What is trending? Who seems to be hiring? Apply appropriately and then circle back to step 4.

The main thing to remember about starting the job search step after a termination is that this is an event that happened but you don’t have to let it keep happening to you every time you talk to someone.

Let the emotions that surrounded the event go and focus on all of the value you brought to your roles and the value you have to share with a future employer. Surround yourself with people who remind you of your amazing attributes, read books and articles and broaden your industry and business knowledge.

Oh yes, and by all means turn off daytime television.

Have you or someone you know experienced this? How do you approach searching a new job after a lay-off?

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

soul searchimg laid off

Six years ago I was a single mom, working full time as a behavior therapist for families of children with serious behavior problems. As my job became more stressful, I became lost in a dense, dark forest of chaos.

Not wanting to spend my life lost in the woods, I learned a secret: sometimes the answers to your conundrums are below the surface of the conscious working brain and surprisingly the answer is to stop “trying” so hard to fix it.

Equipped with this knowledge, I allowed the trees to fall away — and clarity returned. Soon after I learned these tactics I ditched the stressful job and started teaching yoga, meditation and life affirming workshops to help others quiet their minds and live healthier, successful lives. I’m happier and more fulfilled than at any other time in my life and I can’t wait to share a path for you to get there too.

How not to think too much in 5 ways

1. Live in the moment

Mindfulness is the basis for Buddhism (1), Taoism (2) and several Native American traditions. The sense of being overwhelmed arises when we are focusing on the past or what needs to be done in the future.

Take your attention to the task at hand and bask in the glory of this present moment that will never return again in this exact disguise. You will find that your mind has an amazing ability to stay calm and content when you are able to stay focused in the moment.

2. Write your thoughts on paper

It can be a relief to empty out your head of all the duties that bog it down. Journaling has been one of my most mind-freeing ways of letting go. There’s a line from Anna Nalick’s song “Just Breathe” that always reminds me of the freedom that a pen and paper offer to the mind:

2 AM and I’m still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it’s no longer inside of me,
Threatening the life it belongs to

3. Take a Walk

Sometimes, we can physically feel the fuzziness infiltrating our mind. We become overwhelmed and suddenly can’t get anything done. This is your mind warning you that it’s time for a break.

Get out in the fresh air and get some physical stimulation by taking a walk, going for a bike ride or a quick swim to wash away all your thoughts. You’ll notice it gives you a new zesty inspiration to jump back into life.

4. Meditate

By meditating or quieting the mind, the brain is allowed to open up to “aha” moments. It’s called cognitive dis-inhibition (3) and it’s present more often in creative types and it helps you access the well of unused data stored that gets shut out when one needs to efficiently get to the grocery store and run home to make dinner for the family.

By allowing the mind to rest and relax, you can better allow all the wisdom sitting on the back burners to rise.

5. Sleep

Researchers from the Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Bologna in Italy reported that deep wave sleep is required for individuals to retain information (4).

When dreaming, the mind replays the activities and situations and places important information into the long-term memory. It sheds the information that has no significance allowing our brains more room for new information.

If you do yoga, at the end of class you perform Shavasana (translated from Sanskrit to English as corpse pose). You lie quietly on your mat for several minutes in order to relax into the body so that you can feel the benefits of the class.

Some yoga teachers say it’s the hardest pose for westerners to do. We’re trained to believe that we must be productive and active from the moment we wake.

But one of the most productive things you can do for your mind is to quiet down and relax.

Do you think too much? How to you stop it? Share your tips with us.

Sources:

1. Hanh, Thich Nhat (1996). The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation. Beacon Press.

2. Dyer, Wayne. Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao (Hay House, 2007). ISBN 978-1-4019-1750-0.

3. Carson, S., Peterson, J. & Higgins, D. (2003). Decreased latent inhibition is associated with increased creative achievement in high functioning individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 499-506.

4. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation in patients with sleeps disorders. Sleep Medicine Reviews, April 2012, Carlo Cipolli, Michela Mazzetti, Giuseppe Plazz.

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

help for those who think too much, how not to think too much about life, my brain is thinking too much, thinking too much

You’re just another number, another desk filler that keeps the wheels turning while putting any hope of personal growth and satisfaction on the back burner. Right?

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sometimes placing ourselves smack dab in the middle of what we see as a less than ideal situation offers the greatest chance for growth – personally and professionally.

Here are a just a few ways you can incorporate personal growth into an office setting.

Challenge yourself to spot the good around you.

It’s easy to find something to be happy about when you’re lounging on the beach with a cocktail in your hand. The real challenge comes when you’re sitting in an office with a mound of work in front of you.

Find something, anything that you can be grateful for – the fact that you have a comfortable chair, that you have free coffee at your disposal, that you have a few coworkers that you actually enjoy being around.

Challenge yourself to concentrate on those things – and just those things – for a day, then two, then three. See how the good expands as your thoughts do, and find ways to incorporate this practice into other areas of your life.

Learn to eradicate the negative.

Negative people and circumstances exist everywhere – it’s not necessarily a matter of getting away from them, but getting to the root and cutting off the energy that’s feeding them.

If it’s this negativity that’s bringing you down in the workplace, it’s a great opportunity to find its source and understand why it’s making you feel the way it is. Because the truth is, everything is neutral until we decide otherwise — therefore, it’s possible to change the negative energy you believe is surrounding a person or situation.

Also, determine how you are adding to the negativity – even if it’s just by paying too much attention to it.

Keep learning and expanding your skills.

The stagnation we often associate with traditional office settings comes from this idea that once you become comfortable with a job, you stop learning and expanding your skills.

Maybe your company doesn’t offer many opportunities to grow, but chances are, you can keep learning by familiarizing yourself with resources outside of the office.

Take a class, go to a networking event – do anything that creates a buzz of excitement and offers a new way of looking at your normal day to day. Don’t just sit around waiting until someone offers you a chance to do things a little differently, create that chance yourself.

Learn from those around you.

Often times the biggest challenge – and the biggest reward – comes from dealing with coworkers who think and act differently than ourselves.

Instead of getting wrapped up in how they should be different, spot the lesson(s) you might learn from working with them, not against them.

Ask yourself: Why do they bother me so much?

People often act as a mirror for us, reflecting back all the qualities we are fearful of showing or the qualities we wish we had. Why are they triggering you and what can you do to quiet your reaction?

Ask yourself: How can I remedy the situation?

Instead of dwelling over how annoying someone is, find a way to alleviate the situation. It may be switching desks or just making a conscious decision to release the frustration no matter what they do next.

You can’t change the way others act, so focus your attention elsewhere.

Make change when change is necessary.

Sometimes the only answer to handling a difficult work situation is to go elsewhere. Change can be tricky, but it can also be the biggest test to your dedication to personal growth.

If you find yourself in an environment that simply doesn’t serve you, it may be less of a lesson in learning to make it work, and more of a lesson in faith – faith that you can find something better suited to you.

Take stock of what you want and explore what the ideal work situation would be for you. Write it down to the very last detail.

Learn to address the fears that arise from going out on a limb and trying something new – this can be monumental in creating forward movement in all areas of your life.

How have you tended to your own personal growth in the workplace?

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

personal growth in the workplace, personal growth topics in workplace

There are in fact many similarities between marketing yourself and that of a company, yet even marketing professionals do not do as they will advise all clients.

Instead of falling into the masses, how do you stand-out and differentiate yourself from ‘normal‘. Even though the initial contact and availability is out of your hands, what can you do to increase your chances of someone recruiting you online?

Here’s 5 ways you can increase your chances of being headhunted online:

1. Have a unique selling point

A crucial part of the recruitment process is aligning value between that person and a prospective employer.

Remember that most headhunters are already seeking someone with specific skills and relevant years of experience, so the question becomes what is your unique selling point (USP) that makes you stand out as a leader in your field?

Adding to your overall experience and conveying your USP to others is one surefire way to increase overall interest in your abilities.

2. Make yourself visible

You can have the greatest set of skills that the business world has ever seen, but people are not going to actively recruit you unless they know about it.

One of the most effective ways to be identified and recognized as a talent in your field is by actively participating in the dialogue of your industry. Make your presence known by speaking at conferences or industry events, have your articles published in trade magazines, or make sure that you have a quote in relevant articles. These are ways to increase your overall visibility.

3. Network consistently

No matter what industry you are involved in, people always talk about networking but how many people actively network consistently? Networking across your industry and amongst your peer group is a great way to increase the odds of being headhunted.

If you know well-connected, talented colleagues, make sure that you make an effort to stay in contact with them. People often only reach out when they ‘need’ something. Do not rely on the ‘sudden networking’ that people do when they want a job, but make sure that you consistently invest in long-term professional relationships.

If you know people who serve as figureheads within your marketplace, be sure to reach out to them. Increase your profile by increasing your network.

4. LinkedIn and social networking

Social networking sites and search engines, especially LinkedIn, have drastically changed the executive search process. Before the headhunters used the ‘black book’ approach and sorted through the different options, wading through countless people just to get the information they need.

Nowadays they can rely on online tools to provide the information for them. Make sure you create a compelling LinkedIn profile that does more than just list your qualifications, make sure that you list your specific keywords that make you stand out from the crowd.

Be sure to Google yourself as well; make sure that your public relations, industry comments, and any potential articles are visible online. You want there to be enough of an online presence to create interest without having overexposure. Start early enough and you may even be able to influence the rankings of what shows up online.

5. Be successful

It sounds like cheating, but one of the best ways to generate interest in your professional ability is by personally contributing to success. The more you are recognized for your achievements, the easier it is to stand out. Referrals are a key way of building networks; a positive reputation in your industry is going to help you stand out.

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You can generate interest in yourself. Even though the old saying “don’t call us, we’ll call you” still holds true for headhunters, there are a number of things that you can do in order to generate more interest.

Follow these steps and you might find yourself fielding calls and emails from prospective employees.

How do you increase your chances of being headhunted online? Share with us below!

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos,net.

how to get headhunted

Good questions let the interviewing panel know that you have done your homework and are interested in a future with the company.

Of course, it is important to ask the right questions and not just any questions. The benefits of asking questions during an interview are proportional not to the volume of the questions but the quality of the questions.

In fact, there are some questions that could reduce your chances of getting hired, and virtually ruin an otherwise decent job interview.

Below are the seven questions you should never ask during a job interview:

1. I’m perfect for this job, but what is it that you do?

Never ask something basic about the role or the company that you could have just as easily found out by reading the job description or by looking online. This reflects that you haven’t done your homework and have come for the interview virtually unprepared – not something you want the interviewer to be thinking.

2. This is all well and good, but when will I be promoted?

If there is something to be told, your interviewer will tell you anyway. If they don’t, don’t ask. It shows a certain lack of tact and reflects a disinterest in the role as it currently stands.

Promotions, salary increases etc. will be explained if they are part of the company’s structure. If not, an interview is not the place to ask.

3. I’d love the job, but could you increase the salary, please?

Once you have been made an offer, whether or not to accept is entirely up to you. This is generally the time to negotiate if you feel the remuneration does not reflect your ability. If you feel that the salary is insufficient, you can always negotiate based on other offers that may have been made to you, or by emphasising your skills and experience.

But an interview is not the place to negotiate the salary – it’s a place to showcase your skills, experience and qualities so the employer can make the right offer.

4. I heard some rumours about the company’s boss. Are they really true?

A job interview, informal as it may be, is generally not a good place to try to confirm rumours and gossip you may have heard about the company or any of its employees. Any questions involving office gossip and rumours are inappropriate for an interview setting.

They can make the interviewer uncomfortable and doubtful about how serious you are about the job.

5. Do you do a background check? I need to know so that. . .

This is guaranteed to raise eyebrows. Asking if the company will do a background check is something you don’t need to know.

Asking whether the company does a background check is like asking if you are you going to take a peek in my closet. Just let me know so I can put all those skeletons somewhere else before you look!

6. Do you monitor how much internet employees use and what for?

Most companies have some internet usage constraints. Asking about it during a job interview suggests that you are more interested in surfing the web for personal reasons rather than the job itself.

Another question to avoid asking is, ‘How long is lunch? And when do I get to go home?’

7. I’d love to get this job. But when I do, can I apply for other vacancies within the company?

This question shows that not only are you not interested in the current job position, but that you intend to start scouting for other positions as soon as it is humanly possible, and that you make no bones about it!

This is a disastrous statement to make during a job interview.

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What other questions should you never ask during a job interview? Share with us below!

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

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On other days you’ll feel like you could do everything twice over and still climb the Mt. Everest whilst holding your breath!

These extreme fluctuations used to annoy me as I struggled to be in control of my own productivity. To-do lists just made me more anxious, especially on the days when I failed to tick all the boxes.

I thought Jerry Seinfeld’s productivity chain would be a great idea, but I still cheated and then the guilt of having cheated would pile on even more pressure.

In the end I realised I was spending more time trying to learn how to be productive and forcing myself to put a vast array of techniques into practice than working. All too often I felt I was lagging behind and wouldn’t ever catch up.

Even worse, my work wasn’t always consistent because my productivity would oscillate so much.

It’s true that there are many chance circumstances that can affect your productivity and output on a given day, but it took some time before I acknowledged that there are so many other variables over which I had no control. It’s pretty crazy that I hadn’t thought to leverage these to help myself remain consistent.

The good news is that my productivity is no longer like a sheet in the wind. Sure, I still have bad days, but even then I can remain fairly in control of the end result. And, all it took was changing these three “dont’s” into “dos”!

Here are 3 steps to how not to be productive.

1. Not sleeping enough

As sick as I was of hearing advice to sleep instead of stretching my workday well into the night, I learned that sleeping is what makes the difference between being busy and being productive.

Lack of sleep causes our attention to slip more frequently whilst also making it harder to recover from interruptions.^[1] Even without factoring in a lack of sleep, our work is likely to get worse the longer we are awake.

This is can be attributed to our need for sleep building throughout the day, making it harder to maintain alertness and remain motivated and engaged.

Getting by on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, I thought I was sleeping enough. However, research reveals there is a vast gap between how sleepy we think we are (i.e. not much) and how sleepy we really are^[1] (a lot), especially if it’s been a while since we last got a good night’s sleep.

Contrary to my workweek habit, on the weekend I would always sleep in — a telling sign of sleep deprivation and sleep debt.

Studies suggest it’s particularly important for young adults to get enough shut-eye, as their working memory and attention are seriously impacted by repeated sleep loss^[2].

I, myself, have often cut back on sleep in order to get something done or read a book. If only I’d known then that following just one night of sub-optimal sleep (less than 5 hours) one’s abilities and performance suffer more than they would after almost two sleepless days.^[3]

If science suggests that just sleeping can already increase productivity, why aren’t more of us doing it?

2. Failing to feed positive emotions

Did you not hear that being happy at work increases productivity? It has been shown that a happy worker can take on a bigger workload without the quality of his work suffering.

If you feed and experience positive emotions (e.g. enthusiasm, satisfaction), it is likely you are improving your productivity. I should know — many times after we’ve had a few laughs in the office, I not only get a boost in my mood, but find it easier to get into a task and then just breeze through it.

Other methods to improve the mood at one’s workplace include putting more plants in the office or taking a break for a nap!

If it’s not possible to improve the lighting in the office, just spending some time in the sunshine might also help for a more positive mood.

However, when I’m struggling at work without laughs to boost my mood, there’s nothing like a bout of exercise to refresh my mind, which brings us to the last ‘don’t’…

3. Avoiding physical activity during the workday

It might seem ludicrous to exercise on one’s lunchbreak — it’s a bother, you’ll waste time showering and re-applying make-up, yada yada yada. However, a midday workout has been shown to improve a person’s productivity and it can help them drop a few pounds to boot!

Alternatively, getting exercise in before a shift at work should have the same benefits.

Interestingly, physical activity has been proven to increase productivity both in terms of increasing our ability to manage our workload and increasing how much we actually do. It has been also shown to decrease daytime sleepiness, missed responses and help us sustain attention. As you may well know, exercise also boosts mood and concentration.

Best of all, I don’t always find it necessary to dash off to the gym to do it — a walk around the office and (dare I say it) a run up the stairs will do almost as well in helping me focus and demolish any task for the following few hours.

However once 3pm has rolled around only a walk paired with a breath of fresh air will help me fight the inevitable drop in productivity. You really don’t have to be an avid gym goer to benefit from physical activity.

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Ultimately, each person will likely have their own tricks to boost their morale and productivity, but sometimes it’s worth having a look at the bigger picture – are there any factors you haven’t considered yet that could be leveraged to bring your productivity up a notch, or three?

References

[1] Durmer, J.S., Dinges, D.F. (2005). Neurocognitive consequences of sleep deprivation. Seminars in Neurology 25(1), 117-129.

[2] Van Dongen, H.P.A., Maislin, G., Mullington, J.M., Dinges, D.F. (2003). The cummulative cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation. Sleep 2, 117-126.

[3] Pilcher, J., Huffcut, A.I., (1996). Effects of sleep deprivation on performance: a meta analysis. Sleep, 19(4), 318-326.

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productivity Powered by XennoBB, slog, urlyzz, workawesome com/productivity/hownot to be productive

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” ~ Michael Altshuler

When I was inching my way towards college graduation and anticipating what lies ahead, I wasn’t dreading stepping into the “real world” and getting a full time job, but I was dreading falling into the picture of what society tells us a full time job has to look like.

I didn’t want someone to tell me that I needed to sit in front of a computer between the hours of eight and five, with two fifteen minute breaks and one half and hour break if I’m lucky. I wanted to be productive, in a nontraditional way.

So after reading Tim Ferris’ book The Four Hour Workweek, I went to work streamlining the way that I spent my time, finding where I was wasting minutes and dispelling the guilt I felt for not clocking in precisely eight hours every day.

After all, I wanted to be working to live, not living to work.

The truth is, most of us don’t need eight to nine hours every weekday to complete the tasks that need completing and move closer to our career goals. In fact, if we are spending time that doesn’t need to be spent, we often end up watering down our effectiveness.

So how can you spend less time working while actually being more productive? Here are six tips to get you started.

Tip #1 – Reserve certain times of the day for checking email.

Checking and responding to email can be a major time suck, especially if you are dropping everything every time you receive one.

Instead, check your email once in the morning and once before ending your workday. This will ensure that you are responding in a timely manner without requiring you to switch gears when you’re in the middle of another project.

Tip #2 – Allow less time for projects than you think you need.

Chances are, if you block out four hours to complete a task, you’ll find a way to make it take that long. However, if you give yourself less time then you might traditionally think you’d need, you’ll likely be able to find a way to get in done in the shorter time frame.

This doesn’t mean being okay with completing shoddy work — if the task isn’t complete, adjust to accommodate the changes. But you’d be surprised how much cushion time we actually give ourselves that would be better spent elsewhere.

Tip #3 – Remove distractions.

One of the biggest distractions I face is receiving text messages in the middle of a project. This can completely halt my train of thought and make it nearly impossible to get anything done in a reasonable time frame.

What’s your biggest distraction? Find a way to remove it from your workspace so your attention doesn’t have to be divided in a way that’s not beneficial to you. This does wonders for removing at least some of the frustration from your workday.

Tip #4 – Complete your biggest tasks first thing in the morning.

Before I implemented this tip into my every day routine, I would spend a ridiculous amount of time avoiding certain tasks, the ones that I actually needed to do. Then, some eight hours later, after completing a plethora of worthless errands and phone calls, I would have to deal with the guilt I had for not tackling the most important things on my to-do list.

If I finish my largest, most important tasks first thing in the morning, the rest of the tasks will be completed in a timely manner, not drug out for avoidance purposes.

Tip #5 – If motivation or ideas elude you, consider trying again later.

This tip may not work for every job, but as a writer, I know that I could spend hours staring at a blank computer screen and have nothing to show for it at the end of the day.  Therefore, I know that if the ideas aren’t flowing, it’s best for me to move on to something else and return at a later time.

This stops me from spending precious time pushing for something that simply isn’t working.

Tip #6 – Let go of the guilt and think outside the box.

Often times we think of productivity in relation to the hours worked, not the actual amount of work produced. This traditional way of thinking left me feeling guilty for the days when I would close up shop at 12 and spend the rest of the day doing all the things that I actually wanted to do.

But the reality was that I had completed the same amount of work that would have normally taken me a full day and the guilt was only keeping me from enjoying the life that I had wanted to create.

I now know that the extra time I have to create a fulfilling life outside of work actually helps me to create more success for myself professionally.

What tips do you have for working less and producing more?

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