In his article 7 Ways to Maximize Downtime featured in Entrepreneur, Performance Consultant,
Speaker & Award-Winning Author John Brubaker shares his thoughts on how to
redeem your time. With a simple micro-adjustment to your daily routine you can significantly improve your overall productivity and impact the outcome of
your week for the better! The secret is to first make a commitment to yourself to improve your productivity and have a tangible goal. The next step is to break your goal into small, incremental, manageable changes rather than try to do it all at one time. Here are three personal or professional development practices you can use to start changing your life today!
1.
Fitness: Want to firm up your
core? Try adding three Burpees to your routine.
In less time than you
think, you will see a dramatic change in your core. Use some common sense here
though. You can’t go out eating a buffet every day and expect that 3 Burpees will burn that off. Instead
consider adding it before or after your routine. Do you want to get better
results, increase the number of repetitions; it is just that easy.
2.
Productive
Daily Plan: If you’re like most of us, you tend to drag yourself from bed, into the
shower, dress and get into the day without a lot of forethought and effort.
There is an adage that “the things that get attention, are the things that get
done.” If you invest just 8-10 minutes jotting down what you a) Need to get done, b) Want to get done, c) Like to do, you can very quickly
organize your day and create a productive daily plan. Discipline yourself to
frontload the Need to
at the top of your daily list. Allow yourself no slack until you get one or
more Need to’s completed. That
may mean, don’t walk into the workplace and start checking emails, returning
phone calls, etc., unless they’re part of the Need to.
You can stack up the Want to, during the times when you can’t make any additional
progress on the Need to item. As a
reward, add in a Like to, just to keep
the fun in the day. So what’s the key, the secret sauce, the hidden jewel to
this process?
Starting off the day well. Brubaker suggests you
integrate this “micro-change” by adopting a Rise and G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready
It’s a New Day) mental mindset.
Wake
up an hour earlier than everyone else in your house. Discipline yourself not to
hit the snooze. This capsule of time provides you with a quiet,
distraction-free environment to enhance your focus. Grab your coffee and
instead of checking your email or watching the news, invest that time creating
your Want to, Need to, Like to list and
plan for the day. Everything you do should move you toward completing your list
– anything that doesn’t is a time thief and needs to be avoided.
3. Transition from Mindless
Ride to Mindful Commute: Much has been said or suggested about
learning on the go, but it is truly under-appreciated! Consider how much time you spend on your
little as 50 minutes traveling in a day, that is the equivalent to a typical college class! Imagine what you could "learn" in as little as 5 hours a week, with a simple micro-shift in your mindset! You could convert your mindless ride into a mindful commute! You could start learning another language; you could listen to the entire Bible or other book you've been meaning to read; you could learn how to grow a hobby into a business! There are endless possibilities and all you would need to do is check into your Windshield University. While attending my Windshield University I have read (listened to) hundreds of books and podcasts on everything from how to publish an eBook (I've published three so far) to how to create an online course (I've created 5 so far). This is one of the cheapest, simplest, and most effective methods I've found so far for continuing my personal and professional development - and you can too! Almost every library offers downloadable books, and the variety of podcasts available for your listening pleasure is wide reaching! The only thing stopping you from leveraging the opportunity for self improvement is you. Perhaps now is a great time to get out of your own way and become more productive!
So where do you start?
Start by committing to improve your productivity, after all aren't you worth the investment?
Next write down one goal you would like to achieve over the next 21 days…beginning today! Not tomorrow or the first of the month, but right now where you’re sitting or standing. Once you write your goal down it becomes a plan! Once you share your goal it becomes a commitment!
Finally, share your goal with a friend, family, or a colleague and ask them to 'check on your progress' over the next 3 weeks. You will be amazed at the support you can receive from people who authentically wish only the best for you!
Start by committing to improve your productivity, after all aren't you worth the investment?
Next write down one goal you would like to achieve over the next 21 days…beginning today! Not tomorrow or the first of the month, but right now where you’re sitting or standing. Once you write your goal down it becomes a plan! Once you share your goal it becomes a commitment!
Finally, share your goal with a friend, family, or a colleague and ask them to 'check on your progress' over the next 3 weeks. You will be amazed at the support you can receive from people who authentically wish only the best for you!
_______________________________
Dr. Eugene Matthews
Follow me on Twitter @mfaculty
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