• Get up early in the morning. Anyone who loves to sleep in may cringe at this time
management tactic, but after doing it for a week, you’ll never go back. Start by
readjusting your sleep schedule. Can you go to bed an hour earlier at night? Try
waking up at 6 instead of 7, or 7 instead of 8. Before your children wake up or before
you have to get ready for work, that’s a whole hour of uninterrupted time at your
disposal! How can you best use that time? Do you want time to take a rejuvenating
walk, write in your journal, meditate or watch the news? You decide. And, as a result,
feel better all day long.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always a result of a commitment to excellence,
intelligent planning and focused effort.”
When it comes to the workplace, you work like a dog. However, do you want more to show for
it? Here’s the secret between you and that guy with the big office with the view. He’s organized
and sorry to say – you’re not. Want to be a productive machine at work? Do you want to know
the secret about working smarter, not harder or how to fit in your beauty sleep despite your
monstrous work obligations? Here’s how:
1. Stay in the moment. Stay focused on the project at hand! Most of us become so
overwhelmed when we think about those emails we have to send, phone calls to potential
clients we need to make, or appointments we don’t have time for that we lose the focus
needed to complete what’s right in front of us. Do not – and I repeat - do not fall into the
frazzled, paralyzed pit of unproductivity! Remember, you own this moment. You and
only you control what happens here. Focus on the project that’s most immediate and
devote every ounce of your attention to it. The emails can wait, trust me on this.
2. Make a “rule” about sleep. Sleep shouldn’t be spared, no matter whether you think you
can handle working late tonight without sacrificing energy tomorrow. A lack of
productivity can sneak up on you when you least expect it, like tomorrow morning’s
meeting that you’re not ‘on the ball’ with – and all because you stayed up until midnight
working away. In the end, was sacrificing a potential raise worth it? Make a rule about
sleep that you will strictly adhere to. For example, what time can you drift off to sleep
after your nightly responsibilities and down time are done with? You have dishes to
wash, kids to put to bed, and some good old fashioned TV to watch. So, can you agree
that going to be at 10pm will give you a restful 6-8 hours of sleep? Whether its 9pm or
11pm, stick to it for just one week and notice the difference in your energy level and
vitality.
3. Know your limits. While you have spreadsheets to complete, payroll to send out,
meetings to run and clients to impress, how successful can you be when you’re pulled in
a zillion different directions? Can you do it all? Sure --when you delegate responsibility.
You’re not a superhero (at least, not yet). So, in order to stay sane, practice real and true
leadership skills by knowing your limits. What can you realistically complete today in
order to stick to your promise to your boss, clients, friends and co-workers? Can you
meet your co-workers for happy hour at 6pm or do you need that time to devote to that
project due on your bosses’ desk first thing the following morning?
4. Multitask during your down time. Productivity success is when, during your off time,
you find ways to kill two birds with one stone. Need to increase those endorphins while
enjoying the latest gossip magazine? Perfect. Take your magazine with you while you
walk on the treadmill. Need to jot down notes for your future best-selling book while
catching up on the local news? Easy! Do it together and reap the success when you’ve
become a best-selling author! Multitasking doesn’t have to mean “overdoing it”. It’s
about setting limits for yourself, and finding creative solutions to work smarter, not
harder.
5. Gratitude gives back. Most people don’t realize the correlation between physical energy
and gratitude, but it’s there – trust in the power of the Universe to give you renewed
physical energy when your mind is in sync with the good things that have come to your
life. Did a co-worker complement you on your new work attire? Do you have a running
car, laptop and working electricity that gives you what you need to live a fortunate life?
By ending your day being in a conscious thankful state, you’ll receive more of the good
stuff! – and more energy as a result.
Go From Regular Joe to Superhero!
Productivity is often about staying in the moment and being totally devoted to each project.
As you do the dishes, focus on the motion of scrubbing, washing and drying the pots, the pans,
the plates. As you fold the laundry, don’t focus on thoughts of how much laundry you have
ahead of you, or how you can possibly get all of it done in one day. Instead, stay in the moment
and focus on folding those pants, that shirt, those socks. Enjoy the moment for what it is, and
how productive you feel with each article of clothing you fold. Then, enjoy the sensation of
crossing that task off of your to-do list.
It feels good to be so productive, doesn’t it? Welcome to success.
If you have a great deal of stress in your life, exercising regularly can give you a helping hand to
relieve tension and anxiety. Not only will it keep your body strong, but it keeps your mind in a
‘fighter’s mentality’. Punch out the negativity in your life with a brisk walk, or kick box your
way through a demanding work week. Did you have an argument with your significant other?
Nothing says ‘I forgive you’ like a long bike ride across town.
Being healthy is not just about exercising three times a week, eating whole grains instead of
sugar and carbs and staying hydrated. It’s also about maintaining a mind and body balance. It’s
about keeping your physical and mental health in shape by staying in motion (yoga, jogging,
taking a kickboxing class, etc), reducing stress, centering yourself by staying in the moment,
putting your well-being first and getting enough sleep.
Live a healthy life and you’ll reap the benefits.
You’ll start waking up renewed and energized to take on the day, instead of stressed out and
fatigued.
You’ll feel grateful for the things in your life, instead of focusing on what you don’t have. You’ll pay it forward instead of griping at what other people have (that you want).
You’ll reduce the amount of times you get sick per year, per season and react quickly when you
do get sick. You’ll control what happens to your body (rather than the other way around).You’ll feel and look youthful.
Your skin will clear up, your metabolism will pick up the pace and you’ll tackle any deadline
with confidence and ease.
You’ll have the confidence to enter a marathon, and the endurance to finish it.
Endorphins make people happy, and that’s why so many people stay motivated to jog, take a spin
class, walk around the block, garden, go bike riding and even ‘feel the burn’ from a 60 minute
intense aerobic workout. The act of exercising may not always feel good in the moment (after all,
they call it ‘feel the burn’ for a reason) but after a good workout, you may just feel like flying.
That ecstatic sensation of happiness isn’t just in your head. Studies show that when you exercise,
you actually become happier, have the confidence to go after your dreams, reduce the risk of
obesity and achieve the slim physique you desire.
So, remember: when you want to feel and look amazing, start inwards. Don’t rely on the perfect
partner, job or home to get you there. Take good care of yourself and know that no matter what
life throws your way (be on the lookout for those occasional curveballs!) you can handle it – all
because you’re in optimal mind and body health!
Without good health, what do you really have?
Maximize Your Workout, Maximize Your
Joy
As if you didn’t already know, being healthy allows you to live your most productive life. How
can you be a first time business owner when you struggle with chronic bronchitis? How will you
run a marathon when you suffer from knee injuries? How will you take care of your children
when you’re battling unnecessary aches and pains? Live life without suffering from aches, pains
and illness by increasing your physical and emotional health! Imagine feeling energetic, vibrant,
and focused. Imagine being able to take on any and all projects in front of you from the moment
you wake up until you go to bed at night. When you’re in true good health, you can set out to do
and accomplish anything
According to a poll conducted by USA Today, 30% of U.S. adults don’t work out at all. And
combine that with eating out on average three times a week, that’s a lot of carbs, fat and calories
adding on to your hips, thighs and butt. Over time, the pounds add on and on. It creates diabetes.
Obsesity. A sedentary lifestyle. Ouch.
Having a healthy lifestyle will make you feel more energetic and you will be able to carry out
both simple as well as strenuous tasks without pushing yourself too hard. When you have a
healthy lifestyle you will be able to perform at a superior level. Your quality of sleep will
improve. Your stress level at work will decrease significantly. You will be able to move through
life with a positive attitude. You’ll become a yes man instead of a I-don’t-think-so man (or
woman). You’ll take the bull by the horns and scream from the mountaintops. Most of all, you’ll
do it, instead of merely dreaming about it.
If you want to master both your mind and your body, dedicate time to maintaining a healthy
lifestyle. Take your vitamins. Go for a walk. Meditate. Develop strong personal and professional
boundaries. Jog. Join a tennis club. Take a golf lesson. Hike along that trail you’ve always
wanted to explore. Compete in your first 5k!
As a result, you’ll feel better instantly.
Create a List of Reasons to Exercise
What motivates you to get in shape? Is it to look better, to fit into your skinny jeans, to keep up
with your toddler, to run your first marathon? Take some time over the couple of days to write
down every reason you have to get fit, become toned and reach your ideal weight. Remember – it
doesn’t matter how big or small, how insignificant or life changing your reasons are. When
you’re in good health, you’re happier and isn’t that reason enough?
Here’s a little trick to being – and staying -- motivated to exercise: Take your list, and put it up
on your mirror, on your dashboard in your car or at your desk at work. Re-read your list several
times a day, or more if needed. Reinforce the “why’s” of getting fit and healthy, and you’re more
likely to stay on track.
Nothing is as powerful as controlling your mind AND body. Show the world just what you’re
made of!
Stay motivated by reading your favorite fitness blog. Read the newspaper’s advice column on
your ten minute break. Check out the latest best-seller and read it start to finish instead of
watching TV at night. Stop watching reality TV. Surround yourself with positive literature,
positive thinking, and positive people. Ignore the nay-sayers who tell you losing 30 lbs. is
impossible, or don’t believe mind/body balance is achievable in the long run. Who are they to
tell you what you can do? You’re you. Go show the world just what you’re made of.
You deserve to look great and feel amazing. Remember, no one can do what you do. Challenge
your body. Feel happier as you reach goal after goal. Stay positive and most of all, believe in
yourself.
Do you want to replicate feelings of ecstasy that happen when you exercise? Leave it to
dopamine. Not as well-known as serotonin, it’s the neurotransmitter that aids in strengthening
and developing muscle memory and physical coordination. As the serotonin level goes up while
you are exercising, dopamine floods the brain, associating physical activity with the sense of
happiness and well-being that you experienced while toning those biceps, dancing to the beat or
engaging in a record breaking number of crunches. Your brain will remember those pleasant
feelings that have been associated with daily exercise and will encourage your mind and your
body to continue activities that are able to replicate that sensation.
Need an instant pick-me-up to complete that 5 pm deadline? Try these foods for a feel good
productivity boost!
If you’re addicted to work and love what you do for a living, consider yourself blessed, lucky
and fortunate! But what is that doing for your hips, thighs and butt? If you need to spend a little
time away from the computer and instead spend time sweating it out in order rev up your
metabolism, tone and trim, the answer is right here:
Get moving. Get shaking. And as a result, show the world that yoursuccess isn’t just limited to a
career as a professional in the workplace, but a success in the gym as well. Don’t sweat out the
little details of how little time you have to work on your fitness. Instead, move for just 20
minutes a day. You have 20 minutes. Everyone has 20 minutes to spare. Try a Zumba class
(you’ll become addicted after the first five minutes!) Burn 600 calories in just 50 minutes of a
spin class. Take a bike ride across town with your spouse. Walk around your neighbor twice. Jog
to work and back again. Walk around a farmer’s market and become inspired to try a new recipe
with those farm grown local vegetables you just bought. Strengthen your biceps by lifting your
baby up and down, up and down. Do jumping jacks in your driveway.
Need some workout tips with little time to do it in? Here are some of the best, most productive
ways to max out your workout in the shortest time possible!
Mind and Body Equilibrium
Now that you’re feeling great on the outside, how calm are you feeling inside? Lacking inner
peace these days? Feeling frazzled? Ready to pull your hair out by the oh-so-many demands of
your work life, social life, and home life?
Then it’s time to start feeling in charge of your life, rather than feeling like it’s charging towards
you with a pair of handcuffs. Get ready for the new you. The ‘you’ that takes charge, that doesn’t
waste time twiddling their thumbs or making excuses.
Before going to bed, create an action-plan for the following day. That way, you know exactly
what you have to do in order to get closer to achieving your goals. When you wake up the
following morning, you will have a clear, thought-out plan on what you need to accomplish for
the day, in order to get one step closer to achieving success.
Are you ready to start waking up energized, focused and alert?
With an action-plan in place before you go to bed, you will wake up ready to take on the world
as soon as you wake up. Not only that, but you will find that you are more determined than ever,
and are mentally prepared to accomplish each and every task before you. Before you went to
bed, you programmed your mind properly for what you want to accomplish. Therefore, when
you wake up, your mind is already set and knows what it needs to do.
It’s already gearing up for the most productive day ever!
In other words, you will not waste time trying to figure out what your next step should be
throughout the day. The law of attraction is at work while you sleep. By focusing on what you
need to do the night before, you are consciously programming yourself to attract a productive state of mind. You are creating an intention for yourself that you can do it!
state of mind. You are creating an intention for yourself that you can do it! You can accomplish
A, B, and C on your list with ease. Go to bed with a positive mindset, an organized attitude and a
confidence that you are not only prepared for tomorrow’s tasks but can tackle each and every
one, effortlessly.
Life isn’t easy, it’s not fair, and it’s certain to challenge even the best of leaders.
Do you stumble over obstacles or move them out of your way?
It is inevitable that you will face challenges, no matter what you are trying to do. The difference
between people that succeed and those that fail is how they deal with these challenges. Some
people will often stumble over the smallest of obstacles that get in their way when they are trying
to succeed while others will look for an opportunity to improve and reassess.
Setbacks and difficulties are an inevitable part of life. How will you use yours to an utmost
advantage?
Anticipate challenges so that you can readjust, reconfigure and start again. Don’t let them get in
your way. Don’t let them derail you. This is what will separate you from people that succeed
and people that will fail.
Get prepared for what lies ahead, and you’ll always win.
Mike Dooley, famous author and motivational speaker, may have put it best when he said, “The
absolute, most sure-fire way of physically moving in the direction of your dreams, is living them,
now, to any degree that you can.” So keep moving, no matter what it takes. Be productive. Live
life without hesitation.
But what if those dreams of yours just seem too big to manage?
Here’s how to find the time and the confidence to achieve even the largest of tasks in front of
you. Take notes. You’re about to start making your goals a reality!
Finding the Time to Achieve Major Tasks
Everyone has the same amount of time to work with. They have 24 hours in a day and so do you.
So why are they getting so much more done in a day than you are? Do they have super powers?
No. Just better time management powers.
If you want to complete certain projects or goals that you have set up for yourself, you have to be
able to manage your time properly. Keep in mind, that no matter how successful someone is,
they have the exact same amount as time as you do. It does not matter who the person is, what
they do for a living or how old they are. We’re all in the same boat.
So, ask yourself: How can you make the most of your time? No matter what excuses you may
have, or whatever you have to get done on a daily basis, there is always time that you can set
aside for yourself so that you can work on your own personal projects, work projects or progress
towards your biggest dreams and goals.
Your Dreams Are Unstoppable!
Life isn’t easy, it’s not fair, and it’s certain to challenge even the best of leaders.
You will face physical, mental, financial, relational, and resource challenges. Instead of beating
yourself up or giving in to a stressful state, it is critical that you develop the ability to learn from
setbacks. In a nutshell, dealing with barriers, obstacles, and setbacks requires both attitude and
aptitude. You have to develop the skills and perspective to thrive under pressure and to succeed,
so that you do not give up when faced with a challenge.
Do you stumble over obstacles or move them out of your way?
It is inevitable that you will face challenges, no matter what you are trying to do. The difference
between people that succeed and those that fail is how they deal with these challenges. Some
people will often stumble over the smallest of obstacles that get in their way when they are trying
to succeed while others will look for an opportunity to improve and reassess.
Setbacks and difficulties are an inevitable part of life. How will you use yours to an utmost
advantage?
Anticipate challenges so that you can readjust, reconfigure and start again. Don’t let them get in
your way. Don’t let them derail you. This is what will separate you from people that succeed
and people that will fail.
Get prepared for what lies ahead by believing in yourself, and you’ll always win.
Whether they realize it or not, most people don’t anticipate obstacles. They have high
expectations about how that meeting will go, or how their date will end up. When they’re thrown
a curveball, human tendency tells us that we’ve lost out or fallen behind, we’ve failed. We
should just give up. Don’t. Instead, use this valuable time to learn a lesson and take with you all
the knowledge you can in order to improve during the next round. The next game. And, run with
it!
Analyze your major projects and goals, then think about the potential challenges you could face
in the future. That way, you are already prepared to tackle these challenges when they arise. By
doing this, you will have a clear mind and know what to expect in the future. So, if a challenge
rears its ugly head, now you can be properly prepared and able to take on that challenge with
confidence.
Keep a list reasons why you give up, along with a positive solution for each reason.
By anticipating challenges, you will be able to keep a clear mind and stay motivated in life.
When a challenge pops up and you deal with it accordingly, it will give you momentum to carry
onward. You will realize that you were properly prepared, that you dealt with the challenge at
hand and now you can move forward. As a result, you’ll realize that you – and all the dreams
you carry – are unstoppable.
Owning Your Body, Mastering Your Mind
“There is a fountain of youth: It’s your mind, your talents, your creativity and your unfaltering
refusal to give in, give up and reside to the fate that others have insisted you follow.” Close your
eyes and take a slow, deep breath in and out. Inhale with your nose, and exhale from your mouth.
Now, imagine the colors green and blue filling up your mind. You are consumed with seagreens, teal, sage green and a vibrant, bright blue. Imagine these colors easing away your pain,
your stress, your worries. As they do and you begin to feel the weight of the world lifting off of
your shoulders, peel back these colors (as if it was a curtain). Walk through it, until you come to
a beautiful garden. In this garden, you see the sun shining through and are protected by its
delicate warmth. You look up above and see the clouds in the sky, the trees looming overhead
and birds chirping away. Looking down, you see lilacs, roses, daisies and vibrant yellow
sunflowers. In this place, you feel protected, calm and free of all obligations and responsibilities.
Stay in this moment as long as you need to, and when you want to return to your physical
environment, open your eyes. Remind yourself that you can be protected with this calm state of
mind anytime you need it – whether you’ve just come out of a stressful Monday morning
meeting or you need an energy boost on your lunch hour.
As you go through each and every day, holding yourself accountable for your physical health,
productivity at work and maintaining balance in your life, you’ll become better, stronger and
more in control of every aspect of your being. Life might not stop throwing you those curveballs,
but unlike the ‘other guy’ who struggles to handle unforeseen circumstances, you show ‘em what
success really looks like. Why? Because you take care of yourself. You make sure you come first
so that you can better help all of the other people in your life. You keep yourself in alignment
with a motivation that no one else can replicate. You. With all the power and energy you need to
accomplish your dreams and push through the occasional setback, you’re convinced. It’s a
win/win. With a renewed mind/body balance, there isn’t anything you can’t succeed at. You and
your dreams are unstoppable!
Redirecting the Negative into Positive
Now that you know you can do it, what happens when others constantly tell you that you can’t,
won’t or simply don’t have what it takes to reach your goals? If you don’t have a strong mindset,
it’s like a body fighting the flu when it doesn’t have the proper antibodies in its system. Itstops
working effectively and eventually shuts down.
Don’t let yourself shut down from the very thing(s) you know you can accomplish in order to
live a better life.
Let the haters ‘hate’ if they will. After all, you can only control how you respond with what
happens. You can’t prevent another’s opinion of you, but you can – and should – develop a
mental shield protecting you from negativity from others, from the media or even from your own
critical thoughts as they pop up!
How Food Affects Your Mood
One of the easiest ways to stop working out, eating right and in general, feel amazing is to give
in to the following comments heard wherever you go:
• “Lose weight and keep it off? Yeah right. Look how many times you’ve tried this before!
It never lasts.”
• “Good luck with that new gym membership. Just make sure you don’t quit after the first
few weeks.”
• How do you expect your body to ever look as amazing as it did before you had your kids?
Once you become a mother, everything changes, including your figure!”
Wow. Just listening to those comments can be enough to head off of the treadmill and gorge on
donuts. But guess what? It’s not the haters that you have to battle the hardest against. It’s your
inner-hater that’s often your biggest challenge. It’s the voice inside of you that loves to scream
out “You fool! You can’t get those six pack abs, sculpted thighs or lose that belly weight. What
makes you think you can resist those cookies?” It’s you – that part of you that although isn’t
pleasant, is filled with self-doubt, insecurities and fear of losing.
It’s about taming the wild lions, tigers and bears of your mind.
There’s no more losing out in the game of life. Because you remember that the closer you get to
your ideal weight and achieving your fitness goals, the more amazing you’ll feel. You’ll be able
to ask out that woman from accounting who shares the same love you have for jazz music.
You’ll ask your boss for that raise you know you deserve. Your challenging two year old won’t
wear you out as much as he has in the past. You’ll see the good in people, places and things
(even your defiant toddler) as you move throughout your day. You’ll pay it forward to strangers
and friends alike, because you remember that the more good stuff you put out into the world, the
better life gets for you.
And when you live in a healthy mindset like this, you naturally keep your hands out of the
cookie jar. It’s no longer a challenge to refrain from the bad foods anymore because you realize
the mind and body connection. Bad food, after all, equals bad mood.
Have you ever experienced an intense dip in emotion and mood after going for a fast food meal
or desert when you’re trying to get fit and toned? Although you made a promise to yourself that
you’ll commit to eating right, eliminating the sugary and salty foods and work out four times a
week, it doesn’t always pan out the way you’d like. Emotional eating is all about instant
gratification. What can you pull out of your fridge that will comfort your loneliness, boredom or
life’s latest letdown the fastest? Ah, that piece of leftover birthday cake looks pretty good right
about now.
If you think about it, you were born with the association of food signifying comfort. Think about
a newborn baby who cries, and every time he cries, his mother gives him a bottle. We are
conditioned to seek comfort in food, whether we are two weeks old or twenty two years old. And
medically, when we eat comfort foods, our bodies actually send out a feel good chemical to our
brain. So, we feel good when we eat chocolate, that casserole we grew up loving or a greasy
hamburger when we’ve had a stressful day at work.
But the question remains: how good do you feel ten minutes later? Do you experience remorse,
guilt or anger at yourself for giving in? Your inner critic must be speaking pretty loudly right
now. Realize, you’re not alone. Take a deep breath and then use these easy to apply tactics for
beating out impulsive eating and stay on track to a healthy body and a healthy mindset to match!
How to Keep Your Hands Out of the Cookie Jar
Whenever you’re tempted to eat something overly salty, sweet or processed, think about this:
how will that food affect your mood? Depending on how loud that inner critic is, your whole
mood could drop after the effects of high carb/sugary/processed foods absorb in your body.
There are people who lose the energy to keep up with their busy preschoolers after just munching
on potato chips, while others experience the inability to complete tasks after the caffeine from
their sugary mocha latte wears off.
Start examining how the food you eat affects your mood. Do you immediately feel tired after
eating pasta or a baked potato? It could be that this particular heavy starch food automatically
lowers your happy outlook on life and lessens your productivity to meet deadlines, even though
it feels so good going down! Start keeping track of how your attitude fluctuates after your
favorite snacks, heavy meals or the various times of day you eat. Keep your hands out of the
cookie jar and maintain a healthy mindset to accomplish all of your fitness goals!
Transform Negative Talk into Positive Chatter
When it comes to negativity, boy, it is everywhere. It’s inside your own head and it’s around the
water cooler. It may come in the form of bad reality TV, gossipy coworkers or even your spouse.
So, what gives when you’re trying so hard to achieve your fitness goals but negativity seem to
surround you? Whether it’s your own inner voice that needs an attitude boost or those
acquaintances or loved ones that you see on a daily basis, remember this: there’s nothing
stopping you, but you.
Do your best, seek out positivity and insist on living a balanced, healthy life. Your mind and
body will thank you for it, and in return, give you high energy, lean muscle, a happy mindset and
the confidence to make your dreams happen!
