Life can be overwhelming.  Just ask, well, anyone.  With so many competing commitments how can you ever feel like you’re getting anywhere?  If you’re like me, you can’t.  On any given day I have 3-4 major writing projects that require dedicated time and focus.  I also have research that needs to be read.  Notes that need to be organized and archived.  A house that needs (seemingly constant) repairs.  Volunteering.  Family obligations to my wife and children.  Plus all the side projects I would like to start “some ...

As I type this there is a debate raging in Washington DC on how to fix the budget.  So much effort has been spent by government officials, lawyers, members of the media and bloggers over this one problem.  (And as far as Washington problems go, it’s probably a good one to spend energy on.  Let’s hope that by the time you’re reading this, they have found an answer.) Yet I can’t help but wonder: why does it take so much effort? It’s not just government where this happens.  ...

I was watching MacGyver on Netflix with my wife and I learned two things I never knew before.  The first is that MacGyver heavily influenced my generation.  As a kid of the 1980’s, MacGyver represents a cultural force.  But unlike leg warmers or Big Hair, it was a lasting force.  MacGyver inspired me to want to own my very own chemistry set.  (I later discovered chemistry wasn’t nearly as much fun as it ...

This month we’ve looked at ways to improve productivity.  Today we end that series by taking a look at ways not simply to stop your own procrastination, but what happens when the procrastination comes from our employees, co-workers, or peers.  There are few things more frustrating than laying out a business plan and having it derailed by someone who lacks a sense of urgency. How do you solve a problem like that? One approach might be to rant and rave.  To jump up and down and yell until ...

In today’s always connected world, rest often seems like the furthest thing from our minds.  But we just aren’t built to run indefinitely.  We need to take time to rest and recover.  Not only does rest and recovery give us the ability to produce higher quality work, it helps us not be such an emotional drain on our coworkers. People have a limited amount of psychological resources to withstand stress, uncertainty and to produce creative and unique works.  In other words, if you keep going back to the ...

Procrastination.  My own personal form of kryptonite.  Of course I’m not alone in that.  It’s the bane of college students, employees, and organizations around the world.  It seems to be part of the human condition.  Something that’s a fundamental experience we all share.  Regardless of our culture. I’ve tried everything to stop procrastinating.  But it always seems like I’m waiting until the last minute to get it done.  Of course over the years I’ve had to learn to procrastinate less.  I’ve learned that what worked in college doesn’t ...

Whenever I’ve flown across the country I’ve always been amazed at the Rockies.  When you’re flying you can see that it’s not so much one row of giant mountains, but several consecutive rows.  Looking out those plane windows, I always have the same reaction – what would I have done if I was Lewis and Clark? Frankly I think I would have seen one mountain range and thought, “yeah right!  Denver looks like a ...

Have you ever wanted to be more productive at work?  And yet when you get to work you find yourself unmotivated, distracted, and maybe even bored or tired? Well I have some news for you, the solution might be easier than you think, and it may have nothing to do with improving your organizational skills, time management abilities, or even professional talent.  Instead it might just depend on what you do on your way to work. Research has started to show that those fleeting emotions we feel (like when ...

It’s Super Bowl week, which means I’ve scrapped my column that I wrote in favor of a new one.  One about…you guessed it…football!  So let’s take a look at this quote from Pittsburgh Steelers President, Art Rooney, talking about how to select employees: "Panic doesn’t seem to work," he said. "Let’s put it that way. There are enough people that seem to have gone through that mode and our feeling is that you pick good people and you try to stick with them if you have good people. There are ups and downs in any sport, ...

I used to never have New Year’s Resolutions.  I figured if the goal was important enough, it didn’t need to be limited to just New Year’s.  However, this year I’ve changed that view.  With balancing a new family, a new house, along with work and volunteering opportunities, I need to be a bit more focused in 2011. Which brings us to SMART goals. As I’ve written before, I’m a huge fan of SMART goals (but not a huge fan of acronyms).  SMART ...