Must we be Connected to our Cell Phones ALL the TIME?

Seriously, what's up with people talking on their cell phones at the gym? Last night, there was a guy sitting at one of the weight machines, not lifting, just texting. Now yes, I might be one of those people who believe we don't need to be connected to our phones 24/7, but even for those who would disagree with me, is it really necessary to bring it to the gym? Can we not go ONE hour without being on our phones? Hey, I'll admit, I am all for talking and driving, (assuming you're a decent driver to begin with), because it is definitely a great time to catch up with people or return calls, however, trying to workout and talk or text just don't easily fit together, hand in hand.
Multi-tasking, no matter how hard you don't want to believe me on this, actually SLOWS down the time it takes to complete our tasks. We think we're being faster, more efficient or getting more done in less time, but that just isn't the case! When we try and use the same part of our brain for two different tasks, the amount of brain power available to each task is significantly decreased. It makes sense, right? So practice doing ONE thing at a time- including working out, writing a blog or listening to your friend tell a story on the phone... This will increase our effectiveness in whatever we're doing- so go get buff and stay off the phone while you're at it!

Fast Pitch Networking

Lessons Learned from a Blogging Organizer

Wow, I just had a big realization reading through some other really great blogs recently... my blog posts are BORING! They're too informative, which is ok, but I need to be telling more funny stories that I'm experiencing in my work days, or situations that come up with clients I'm working with, and THEN connect this to being organized, or more efficient, productive, etc... There's no mistakes if we learn from them, so I'm going to take this mini-epiphany and work harder at spicing up my posts... Sound good? Hope so, because it's all for you, my fine friend!
Well yesterday, I was totally committed to blogging, (since it's been a while as you may have noticed), but wouldn't you know it, I had full-on bloggers block! One fellow blogger friend suggested I repeat "bloggers block" 100 times, quickly, to stir up my brain and get those creative juices flowing... such a great idea, but after repeating it about 8 times, I started laughing at hearing myself do this, so I had to stop! His second suggestion, which I personally think is much more fun, was to have a glass of wine and forget about...all the while, a lovely bottle of Wild Horse pinot noir stared at me, as I actually contemplated his suggestion at 11:30 in the morning on a Thursday... NOPE- I didn't give in for those of you who were wondering, but someday, I'll blog after a good glass of wine, and hopefully, you'll just never know the difference!

Ok, anyway, what the heck is my point in all this rambling- ahh, such a good question. I have two points, the first being- take time to laugh in your busy days. It's hard to be seriously focused and productive for 8 straight hours, (or however long you wild workaholics are spending at the office), and my second point is, sometimes you can't force it- 'it' being, whatever important activity it is that you're working on. My brain was not in a writing mood yesterday, and had I forced it, it would have taken me twice as long with half the success. NOW, I am also not in any way suggesting that you simply only work when you're "in the mood," but sometimes, figure out if there's another task you can be working on, so you don't just spin your wheels and waste time. Of course if you find that you are rarely in the mood to work on important tasks, I would take some time to discover whether or not you're in the right profession...

What are your Tasks Costing You?

When it comes to prioritizing, the simplest advice I give clients is to focus on "bottom line" activities. What are those tasks, that when you're at your peak performance, are/will be generating income? It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the minutia of running a business, but in the heat of it all, stop and focus on those activities that most closely impact your bottom line. This is effective prioritization at its finest!
I would suggest everybody, right now, take just 5 minutes, and list out all of those activities that cost you money, and those to dos that make you money. Hey, you're either making money or losing money- so let's get everyone very clear on what it is that is making the dough! Stick your list with these activities in your vision for a couple of weeks, so you are constantly aware of when you're working on things that are unimportant, versus income generating.