How to be more Productive

A lot of people mistake productivity with creativity. Being productive can also mean having conscious control over your resources so that they are more readily available when the need arises. If you are an artist but hadn't painted in years you are creative by nature, but not productive presently. You get the picture.One aspect of productivity has to do with managing and making the most of your time.We always complain that there isn't enough time for anything but we fail to take into account the many hours we spend in idle anticipation, waiting for something to happen, anything in fact. Being productive means also being proactive and not just with your time, mind you.What if you ended your day laying in your bed knowing today was a blast. It was productive, you've done and completed all that you've set out to do. Say you are in bed now with a smile and earnestly planning how to make tomorrow better because you felt good about today. In a sense, you've become productive and unleashed a potential you didn't know you had. What if for instance you felt that today was a total disappointment because nothing ever went right and you were late for almost all your appointments and your car had to break down in the middle of  4 p.m. traffic in Interstate 805. I mean let's face it folks THIS CAN HAPPEN to you and in more than one occassion. See setbacks like these as mere challenges, as a way life tests your mettle. I mean it could have been worse right? I sometimes expect the worst so my surprises are pleasent ones. What I am trying to drive at is IT'S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. Why ruin a perfectly good day especially when you woke up feeling good about it.

Well, as before, being productive requires careful planning as well as identifying ( and nurturing) key qualities which you need. Plan ahead. Plan for a backup plan and a contingency plan should your backup plan fail too. Organize your activities into sets of time. Don't say, " Today I'll mow the lawn.". Instead, say, " Today, I'll mow the lawn before 10 a.m.." Do you see the difference? You were specific on the second statement but on the former what you actually meant was ," Today, I'll mow the lawn at my leisure and convenience." The right mindset changes everything. Set your goals in small increments towards a larger goal. This takes away most of the pressure brought about by time constraint. Be flexible with your time but be aware where you take off and where you add to. Be mindful of your time as well as that of others. If what you set out to do today couldn't be finished then finish something else (which, in most cases, was something you've put off since who knows when anyway). I never make a schedule planner of daily events because they tend to be stress inducing. You open yours and see which schedules and appointments you have to move to another date because you didn't have enough time. Always take into account the "in-betweens". For example your commute to another appointment you presume would take you a good 30 minutes; Then make that 45 minutes and say you needed the extra 15 minutes to freshen up. I know we don't always have this commodity but making your day less stressful makes you more productive and proactive.

Set your goals in time increments. What do you plan to accomplish today? What do you plan to accomplish tomorrow? In a week's time? In a month? In the near future? In the long run? You get the drift. Write down what your goal needs to see completion. Make a list of several key areas you need to address and give each area a realistic time frame by which you plan to accomplish it. Don't cut corners and don't compromise by taking risks. You'll only slow down and be really familiar with the column you'll have to write down called ,     " Reformulate your plan". Lastly, try to be more positive in all that you do. Don't lose your cool. Forge ahead and if you need to take the long way out to see today through completion then do so. You'll feel better knowing you've done what most people would have given up on. Until our next post, folks...do take care and thanks again for your time.

Dreamers in Dreamland

Do you remember how it feels like to dream? To forget the moment and ponder on the possibilities, the "what if's"? A lot of us lose our sense of adventure as we are stuck with our lives.With this we also lose the power of dreams. Of course we still hold on to our little wish list followed by "someday...". The truth is we only have a vague idea of the power of dreams. You see in dreaming we project a subconscious desire for something, a yearning if you will. We suppress this for fear of losing the reality we have come to accept. As I mentioned in one my previous posts there is comfort in staying within our set boundaries, our states of conditions. We are afraid to pursue the dreams that we often keep to ourselves for fear of failing. That and being ridiculed. So we go on dreaming, wishing for something new, hoping against all hope that somehow we will find that elusive pot of gold at the end of some rainbow.

Have you ever stopped to imagine that the world we live in today with technologies abound, in the name of making our lives easier, started as ideas, as dreams pursued by mavericks. Yes, that is the truth. People you have read about and heard of were once ridiculed for their "silly" ideas but imagine how our world would be like if  Henry Ford hadn't mass produced automobiles and made them available for the working man or if Jonas Salk hadn't discovered the polio vaccine in Medicine.Imagine if these people hadn't dreamt of a better world, where would we be now? Plan,plan,plan. Make note of each step and the mini-steps (if any) contained in each and write them down. Set realistic goals towards each step in terms of their completion as well as the time frame by which you set. Don't be too hard on yourself. You can only do so much at any given one time. Be resourceful and give a helping hand once in a while to someone in need. You'll never know what they can offer you in your quest.

Keep your dreams alive by making each day a step towards their realization. Make small steps each day. Don't give up in the face of adversary and difficulty. Make small steps and plan them wisely. Nothing ever worth attaining in this life can be had in a day's time. It takes time to work at what you aspire to have or to be. Give yourself a boost when necessary and do away with negativity. In the same regard stay away from negative individuals.Associate yourself with people who you know have a positive contribution to your aspirations. Always forge ahead. Never slow down and if you have to that is only to rethink your strategies, to reformulate your plan. Lastly, always practice humility. Give people credit where and when credit is due. Give more of yourself and be unselfish with your qualities and talents. When you invest in people you get a whole lot back. Practice kindness and try to be more understanding of other people's feelings. Remember that they are individuals too. If you develop this character and acquire the needed mindset then your dreams will be realities. In the process, feel good about yourself and feel better today. Others will too. Until our next post...take care of yourselves and keep your dreams alive. Don't waste this life of which you have only one. Thank you.