Think Freely and Boost Effectiveness
The 12th of October is National Freethought Day, and freeing up your thought can make you more effective in your daily life at work.
Mental Health Mistakes, I’ve Made a Few
October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Does the idea of being mentally well make you laugh sadly or bitterly? Or maybe you're thinking, What, mental health? In this economy? Fortunately, there are rituals and routines that can help you take better care of your brain, which improves your mental health.
How I Can Help You “Get a Life”
Why do I do the work that I do? I’ve had a variety of experiences that have led me to helping business owners get a life.
DEI Improves Performance
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Day is on the 17th of September. While the current political regime has made DEI departments political, research shows that firms with diversified leadership perform better than those that don’t.
One Simple Trick To Help Improve Your Leadership Skills
But it’s not impossible to increase your ability to focus. In fact, even if you know your attention span has decreased, you can retrain your brain for more focus. And the best part is you can do it in an entertaining way, and it doesn’t have to be just another item on your to-do list that you don’t get around to.
What IS this magic potion?
Screw Efficiency, Let’s Be Productive Instead
When I was looking for images to go with this piece, I looked up productivity images on Unsplash. One photo had a computer screen that read “Do More”. Is that what productivity is? Absolutely fucking not.
Occasionally when I talk about what I do, someone will ask me if I make people more efficient.
My answer is no. Efficiency is not productivity.
What If It Could Be Simpler?
Is your life simple and easy, as a business owner?
Pride and Productivity
One of my favorite experiences took place in San Francisco in the ‘90s where I was attending a conference. I was at a club or a bar, I can’t remember which, having a blast after the conference ended for the day.
At one point I had to go to the bathroom. When I finished my business and was washing my hands, I realized I was the only cisgender woman in the bathroom. So I did the only thing I could think to do.
Summer Solstice for Business Owners
In case you haven’t noticed, keyboards and screens are not your friends. I mean that both literally and figuratively.
June 21 this year is the summer solstice (at least here in the northern hemisphere), which means it’s the longest day of sunlight in the entire year. When was the last time you celebrated the solstice?
Communicate Effectively for Enhanced Effectiveness
I was talking to a client about keeping her focus time free of distractions, and she told me that every time she tried to focus at home, her wife kept interrupting her during the time she’d set aside.
A Curmudgeonly Contrarian’s Guide to Creativity – For Business Owners
Creativity! you say. Damn it, Jim, I’m an entrepreneur, not an artist.
But if you want to stand out in a world getting more and more ensloppified by tech giants whose key leaders actively hate humanity, you’re going to need some creativity.
Time Is Precious, Money is Not
All my life I thought I would live to be at least 100. Mainly because my mother’s family was long-lived; her Aunt Jenny lived to be 103.
3 Small Biz Tips for Small Business Week
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I had my first job in the world of finance working for a European private bank.
You might not know this, but banks didn’t always have KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations – because I started before the bank began implementing them.
And in this long ago far away galaxy, the upper level employees (I think it was director-level and above) were required to take two weeks of vacation in a row every year.
Three Ways You’re Getting In Your Own Way As a Business Owner
As a business owner, what’s your greatest asset?
Do Your Goals Need a Refresh?
I normally consider myself a “good girl”, and yes the trauma of that follows me through life. Being a good girl usually means that you do what you say you’re going to do.
And last week I had to admit that I wasn’t a good girl, because I missed a deadline. GASP
Are You Optimizing For the Wrong Things as a Business Owner?
What’s more important to you: a fulfilling life or a great business that you started?
(BTW, you can have both… but probably not the way you’re working right now.)
Solitude for Entrepreneurs
I know a lot of extroverted business owners; I’m obviously not one of them, but I’m also not the only introvert in the group. You can be successful either way.
Renew Thyself
After the 1,479th day of January, I think we could all use a Self Renewal Day (which just happens to be on February 2.)
It’s never a bad time to get back in touch with your self. Even when you’re ambitious and have at least one BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal.)
Who Is JJ And How Does She Support Her Clients?
As a productivity consultant, I work with business owners so they can get $hit done by working smarter.
But what does that MEAN?
I’m talking sustainable productivity.
The Write Way to Sustainable Productivity
I used to handwrite my thank-you notes when I got gifts for my birthday or Christmas. However, my handwriting is pretty brutal (it’s been compared to both doctors and Arabic) and my audience couldn’t read them. Instead, I began typing out a thank-you letter to share a little about what I was doing in addition to what I planned to do with the lovely gift.
This was all before researchers discovered that there is a tactile relationship between your brain and your hand when you’re writing by hand. You remember things better when handwriting compared to typing, which provides no benefit other than speed.