Two Ways To Empty Your “To-Do” Plate

Research shows that a person at any given time has more than 300 hours of things to do. Books you want to read, projects you want to start or finish, favors to others, etc. As the list of things to-do grows, so does the feeling of being behind.  Even if you are currently working on things that are important, the amount of unfinished business far outweighs what you accomplish. To prevent this unbalance, there needs to be a shift!

You need to work on the right things at the right time. Only accept projects into your plate that are appropriate for the moment. I once had on my to-read plate,  a triathlon binder full of information about becoming a better triathlete. The problem? I wasn’t planning on doing a tri for another year. It was not right for me at that time. With this criteria in mind, select the things on your plate that are not the right things for right now and push it off your plate. This way, the amount of things to do will decrease as well as the feeling of always trying to catch up.

The proactive NO. Saying NO can become a challenge when you need to give an answer on the spot. When you are cornered, saying yes it’s just easier than saying no. To make sure you have an exit strategy, be proactive with your NO. Know in advanced the things you don’t want to do. For example, I don’t want to be part of the Happy Hour Queens in my town because they meet on Mondays and I don’t enjoy staying late during the week. When they ask me to join, my response is “I’m sorry, I don’t go out during the week”. If I didn’t know this in advanced, I probably would say yes, and then regret it.

Creating these two strategies to limit the amount of things you give yourself to accomplish can be the start of a brand new day for you. Remember, you are solely responsible for what you take on, so don’t take more than you have to.

Written by Araceli Gonzalez

I Like Crescendos - Thoughts on Managing Based on Vibe

I was walking a 10K yesterday and relied on my iPod to keep my going at a good pace. I have several play lists set up for exercising with peppier songs. I noticed, however, that when I was hurting or needing more uumph (it was hot and humid) that I skipped the perfectly fine peppy songs in favor of songs with big drama and fuller sound.

I like crescendos. In fact, I like crescendos in all aspects of life and work.

I would be happy doing most any type of work as long as it offered the opportunity to create some boom, some wow, some big moments.

This is the vibe I prefer in all aspects of my life and those managing me can get my best work by ensuring I have the chance to experience crescendos.

We all have a preferred vibe and it is a unique thing. Management books suggest that managers ought to get to know each employee's goals and talents. And this is important to know. But I also think we should learn the vibe that fuels their engagement.

Start by thinking about the vibe that you prefer. Then share this with your team and ask them to share theirs. Examples will help clarify what you are asking.

Think about why people leave their jobs (bad manager, I know, but there is always more to it). Often it just does not fuel them. They leave a perfectly great job for an unknown but great sounding job that they hope will feel different to them. What if you could help their current job feel better?

Post written by http://www.managementcraft.com

The 3 People That Stand In Your Way Of Business Success (and How To Push Them Aside)

For every person that can help you on your way to business (and personal) success, there are many more that can do just the opposite – serve as big barriers that make the task that much more challenging.

There are three people in particular that you need to be wary of, because you WILL encounter them along the way.  One you will see EVERY DAY.

How can we move these barriers aside, and reach strongly towards our dreams?

Let’s start with Person #1.

The Naysayer

“You can’t do that!”  “Are you out of your mind!”  “No way”   The Naysayer lives in a bizarro world where nothing gets done, every idea is silly or stupid, and resentment and jealousy are written on their sleeves.    I discovered the secret to marginalizing these folks about 25 years ago – at the urging of my first boss, Ieliminated the word “CAN’T” from my vocabulary.  Banished it. Cast it off.   Once that’s done, an amazing thing happens – you can’t HEAR it on the outside either.  It no longer registers – it’s just there.   So when I encounter the Naysayer now, it’s like the “wah wah wahs” you hear on a Peanuts cartoon.

Then, there’s Person #2, a less obvious (but just as dangerous) threat.

The “Frenenvy”

“Oh, that’s interesting…”   “Good luck with that.”   “Geez, I’d like to help, but…..”   The Frenenvy, not to be confused with the “Frenemy”, is someone you know pretty well who is content to let your dreams and ambition essentially “lie there”.   Not a Naysayer, but yet, a person that could “infect” you with the same inertia that they are exhibiting.    It’s one of those 7 deadly sins at work – envy.   You are going places, and talking about it. Putting it out there.  And that can make people you know pretty nervous – not about you, but about themselves.  (I know, because earlier in my life I’ve been a Frenenvy).    Envy is powerful.  So yes, they stand in your way, but in this case, these persons are your friends, so “the push aside” isn’t necessarily casting them away, or ignoring them.    It’s just that they have issues to work through, so when it comes to your dreams, they just can’t be in that particular glide path.

Which leads us to Person #3, the one you’ll deal with every day (whether you want to or not):

YOU

“I’m scared” “I’m not trusting my instinct” “What if I fail?”    That voice inside your head  -it’s dangerous.   It never forgets anything, all the way back to when you messed up in Kindergarten and got called out by the teacher in front of everybody.  All those embarrassments and insecurities, buried beneath your dreams.  That’s the YOU you need to always be aware of, and the awareness itself it what will save you.   Because your instincts ARE good, and as a dreamer, you’ve already taken some of the hardest steps.    For us, it’s “coming to terms” with our fear that will keep it at arms length.  I wrote a letter to fear that really helped me, and I would encourage you to do the same thing, as crazy as it sounds.  Trust yourself,  and all of those internal barriers will fall away.

Here’s to success!!

Written by Terry Starbucker