Are You on the (Productivity) Spectrum?
How far are you willing to go to actually get $hit done?
Give Yourself a Break Today And Boost Your Productivity
You can’t have it all, at least not at the same time. You can’t be a great mom, great businesswoman, and champion housekeeper all at once.
So let yourself off the hook.
A Realistic Look at AI
In a networking meeting this morning, the presenter (a marketing agency owner) discussed AI, how quickly it’s grown, and what implications are for businesses who use a lot of search engine optimization for their marketing.
Everyone wants to talk about AI – I get it, it’s the sexiest new thing! As a productivity expert, I often have people asking me if it will help them in their business.
What’s Holding You Back From Being More Productive?
Unless you’re already working less than six hours a day most days and are leading the life you want to lead, with a business generating profits at the rate you want and a fulfilling personal life, you could probably benefit from more effectiveness in your business.
There are a variety of reasons why people tell me my methods or suggestions won’t work for them, and they're … mostly wrong. Most people can take something from my LaserBrainTM methods, even if they don’t want to or can’t implement it all.
Is Focus Necessary for Female Business Owners?
Why is there such a focus on… well… focus? After all, there’s so much to potentially take care of for women who run businesses. Isn’t it better to work on multiple things at one time, or switch between tasks as they come up? If you’re just doing one thing at a time, does that even count? How else are you supposed to get everything done?
There’s always more work to be done, at least in theory. One more social media post, one more email, etc. But that doesn’t mean your life will be better if you just keep working. Au contraire!
It’s Not the Size of Your Brain, But How You Use It
I remember when I was growing up that adults tried to scare us away from things like drinking and drugs because they killed brain cells. And once a brain cell dies, that’s it. Your brain now has one less neuron. So if a person kept doing these things, then eventually their brain would die.
Is Your Quest for Efficiency Draining You?
You want to be more productive and work smarter, but if you equate productivity with efficiency, you might be well on the way to Burnout City. Being productive is not about cramming more work into each hour, or working more hours. In fact, Americans work plenty, especially business owners.
If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day or you’re overwhelmed as a business owner, efficiency probably won’t help you feel like you’re more in control – but productivity might.
Smart Ways to Think About AI in Your Business
As with most technology, there are pros and cons to working with AI. I don’t think ignoring it is a great idea, because it definitely has some helpful applications for entrepreneurs. It may also be coming to disrupt your industry sooner rather than later.
That makes now a good time to think about what you can reasonably use it for, how it can help your business in a sustainable way, and what parts of your business might it take over.
What’s the Right Amount of Hermit for Your Business?
You’ve probably noticed there are all kinds of weird themes for days, weeks, and months. June, for example, is both Zoo and Aquarium Month and LGBTQ+ Pride month. This particular week has the intriguing theme of… hermits. Yes, it’s Hermit Appreciation Week.
Night at the Museum… for Your Business
What’s your favorite museum? Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you have to give up museums.
Want To Be More Effective In Your Business?
I’m very excited that my book is coming out on Kindle in a couple of weeks!
Is It Just a Spring Clean for the May Queen?
Two questions for business owners on the advent of May Day (5/1):
1. Are you hiring (salaried) people for hours or for results?
2. What does your neighborhood smell like right now?
Per My Last Email…
Oh, email, what a love-hate relationship we’ve had over the years. April 23rd is, for whatever reason, National Email Day. For any business owner who’s feeling overwhelmed, reviewing your email policy can help you focus on the important things instead of wasting your time reviewing messages.
What Kenya Taught Me About Life and Business
What’s on your bucket list?
One of my items was going on a safari in Africa. When a feminist writer I follow (Jill Filipovic) announced her writing/yoga/safari retreat in Kenya, I knew this was a great opportunity. I’ve also been told that it’s better to go on safari sooner rather than later because climate change is affecting the landscape. And I am so glad I jumped at the chance to go.
For Business Owners Who Are Physically Active
Have you ever done something athletic in your adult life? Done a triathlon, a marathon, climbed Everest, or anything similar? A weightlifting competition? Anything that you’ve trained for - maybe a 5K run or walk?
If so, then you know not every day is a day to go as hard as you can. Training plans for most of these events include recovery days, where you might do some easy yoga or go for a walk. For its best performance, your body requires some rest and recovery, both during training and afterward.
The Belief in “More” Leads to Burnout
Here in the US, we tend to think that “more” of practically anything is ideal. If medium fries are good, a large must be even better. If a half hour of exercise is good, then eight hours a day is better. If a multivitamin is good, one with even more vitamins in it is better.
Sometimes more is better, but very often there’s a ceiling past which more actually harms you. Too much of certain vitamins can damage your body. People have died drinking too much water as they were running a marathon.
Many of us pride ourselves on hard work, and of course, more is better, right?
Flexibility in Your Business Framework
Have you ever been to the top of the Empire State Building in New York? (Or any other skyscraper?) When you go out to the observation deck, especially on a windy day, you’ll feel the platform sway a little bit.
That’s a feature, not a bug.
One Quick Trick To Get $hit Done in Your Business
Since the beginning of the year, how many days were you frantically busy yet ended the day feeling like you didn’t accomplish anything?
What If Productivity Is Like Healthy Eating?
Like many other Americans, I’m working on losing weight. It’s going so-so, but then I realized eating is just like productivity!
OK, I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.
W00t! It’s Women Entrepreneur Day!
Are you a female entrepreneur, or do you know one? November 19th is Women Entrepreneur Day, so let’s celebrate!