• Idea Addicts

    Undistracted: Techniques for the Undisciplined Mind

    One of the biggest roadblocks in my personal and professional life is that I am easily distracted. Whether it be a task, a person or a new opportunity, I find it difficult to remain focused. Because of this, I sometimes stray and my otherwise disciplined self ends up lost for a day, a week or sometimes longer. I have 3 techniques I use to help with this problem. 1) Rule Your Email. If you let it, your email will dominate your life. It will be a leash around your neck rather than a tool for your life and business. Turn off email notifications on your phone. No, you do not…

  • Idea Addicts

    Grateful Productivity

    Can you believe people have their Christmas trees up already? There should be a fine for that or something. Thanksgiving people! Don’t skip Thanksgiving. Our pastor mentioned this week how Thanksgiving doesn’t fit well in our American holiday schedule. Specifically, he said there isn’t a market for it. Christmas is huge and Halloween is growing to become pretty big itself. (He sat on Halloween for a minute, and made some hilarious sarcastic points, but we’ll move on.) Thanksgiving is the third wheel, though, isn’t it? Thanksgiving is a holiday about being thankful for what you have, not buying more and more. You can’t sell being grateful. Or can you? I’d…

  • Idea Addicts

    Try Google Voice

    Recently I signed up for Google Voice. Without changing my cell phone plan or getting a home phone, I now have an alternative phone number to give to people. I can use it from an app on my phone or from my computer. With Google Voice you have option of choosing which of your phones (cell, home or work) will ring when someone calls your Google Voice number. You also have ability to turn it off, which is nice after work hours. Voicemail is also provided and it will transcribe your voicemails so you can read them if for some reason you are not able to listen to them. Texting…

  • Idea Addicts

    Go Deep

    Perhaps you are making decisions on what to do with your charitable giving. You are trying to decide whether to give four people/organizations $25 per month or to give one organization $100 per month. Go Deep. Give the one organization $100 per month. It will make a greater impact. Your schedule is full. You are having to decide between spending more time with one person or group of people verses finally getting together with three others that have been trying to get on your schedule. Go Deep. Spend more time developing deeper relationships, and say no to a bunch of new superficial ones. You have a bunch of stuff to…

  • Idea Addicts

    A Work-Life Balance Tip: Be Present

    One of the best conferences I have ever been to was the Be Present themed Catalyst Conference in Atlanta a few years ago. After all, I still remember the theme. It was simple, making it easy to remember, but not necessarily to implement. Be present. What does that mean? How does one do it? Is it even possible? Being present is physical. You must be present for the people and things important to you. Saying you care, but not backing it up with your presence, speaks loudly. Parents beware. Spending long hours at the office providing for your children who never get to see you…well I speak from experience. They…

  • Idea Addicts

    I’m Back!

    Yes, I am back from my Social Media Break! I am happy to report that I was not overly productive during this recess from social media. Michelle and I had a great time traveling. It was nice to enjoy just being with her. A few years ago, at a conference, one of the speakers suggested taking a 1 day technology break every two weeks. I have not had the guts to try up to this point. Seems like one of those things that I’m sure would be beneficial to someone else. 🙂 Again, I think the benefits of such technology breaks are seen over the long term. It is a time…

  • Idea Addicts

    Social Media Break

    It’s that time again. The next couple of weeks I will be taking a break from social media. This benefits me in multiple ways. 1) Relationships – I’ll be able to better focus on the relationships right in front of me. In particular, my wife and I will be having some quality time. 2) Productivity – Doing this every so often increases my productivity…in the short term, but more importantly, over the long haul. 3) Faith – I will be spending extra time in prayer during this time. Increased prayer always equals spiritual growth. 4) Presence – Michelle and I will be traveling some and we look forward to being…

  • Idea Addicts

    Wait to Worry

    This is a new idea for me, but one that I am starting to cling to. Wait to worry. I have even passed it on, in a recent coaching opportunity. Things were not going well for this person, but there was nothing they could do. In the near future, there would be things they could do. However, right now, all they could do would be to worry. That’s no good. I gently but firmly encouraged, “Wait to worry.” I had to repeat it a few times, as I do for myself. Being a planner, I lean towards worry myself, even if there is nothing I can do. If you can’t…

  • Idea Addicts

    Best Evernote Post Ever: 57 Ways To Use Evernote

    If you don’t know by now, I love Evernote. After all, it is my most useful productivity tool. I use it for ideas, task management, and, of course, to remember everything. From time to time, I run across people who have tried it but are struggling to figure out how to really use Evernote. They realize how valuable it could be for them, but they just can’t quite integrate it into their life. I ran across a post from Craig Jarrow titled 57 Things to Keep in Evernote. What a great list! I use many of these myself and never even realized it. I got some new ideas as well. Check it…

  • Idea Addicts

    Rest, Work and Relationships

    These 3 areas of life are important to your productivity. They will propel you forward or hold you back if you let any one of them take priority over the others. If you rest too much, you may have time for relationships, but you will not be able to provide for your own needs. Not to mention the impending cycle of depression that will then keep you from working. You do not want to go down this road! If you spend too much time on relationships, at the expense of work or rest, again you are headed somewhere you don’t want to go. I do not know anyone who has…

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