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.
Diversify Your Life, Not Just Your Investments
Do you genuinely love the business you’re running? If so, you might think that you’ll never retire.
However, unless you die at a relatively young age, you will reach a point where you will no longer be able, either physically or mentally, to work full-time. If you are in a knowledge job, that age likely isn’t 65. You probably still have another decade or so to work. Unfortunately, quite a few people will be forced to retire earlier than planned earlier due to illness or a layoff.
The good news is…
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.
Put Your Tools Back Where They Belong
Imagine you’re putting up a curtain rod in your house. For this, you’ll need a drill and a level unless you’re really good at eyeballing straight lines. Hopefully, you have a place where you keep your tools so you can quickly access your drill and level. After you’ve finished putting up the rod, you put them back where they came from.
But what if you carried the level around with you to make sure that everything you see is straight? You check everything in your house with the level, including your bed after you make it in the morning. Pretty soon, you start feeling worried if you haven’t used the level and you still have the urge to straighten everything.
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.
Are You a Goldfish?
A study in 2003 showed that people would focus on a screen for about two and a half minutes before switching to another task.
The first smartphones were introduced in 2007. Instagram launched in 2010 and was acquired by Meta (then Facebook) in 2012. In that same year, that attention span measurement dropped to one minute and fifteen seconds.
Tiktok launched in China in 2016 and became very popular in the US about 2020. In 2025, that same measurement of attention span dropped…
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.)
Here Is Your Holiday Permission Slip
I like to give permission for overachievers, especially business owners, to let them know that it’s OK to ignore certain cultural assumptions that don’t work for them.
Remember What the Dormouse Said: Feed Your Head
How are you nourishing your brain today?
The most powerful tool in your arsenal as a business owner is your mind. You might think it’s your computer, but without you (and your brain), the computer is just a hunk of plastic taking up space on your desk.
Ultraprocessing Ruins Your Ability to Be Effective
What’s your poison – cakes, cookies, chips, candy…?
You probably eat healthy most of the time, making sure you get enough protein and so forth. (I hope.) But from time to time you indulge in your poison of choice. All things in moderation, etc.
What happens when you overload on your poison?
Envelopes For Your Mind
Do you believe that time is money?
That if you’re not making money, you’re wasting your time?
Are You on the (Productivity) Spectrum?
How far are you willing to go to actually get $hit done?
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.
Socializing in Real Life Makes You More Productive
June 30 is National Social Media Day, and you’ll find the less time you spend on “social” media, the more you’ll get done – and likely you’ll be less stressed too. Not to mention all the time you get back in your life for what brings you joy.
Joy to the World
The 25th of June is National Joy Day. That’s… kinda weird, right? Why do we need to have a day set aside for joy? Kind of implies that people aren’t getting joy in their lives on a regular basis.
Do you?
Healthy Lunchtime, Healthy Business
I think a lot of people, including business owners, will try to speed up everything to try to outwork AI. That’s just not possible. That’s an express road to burnout.
Instead, maybe it’s time to focus on the human things that will still be necessary. Identify what in the business really needs a human touch, and focus on that. Instead of trying to work at AI speed, work at human speed. That’s how you get off the highway to hell, and start building yourself a fulfilling life.
One way to do that is to eat like a human being. Most people do this in other countries around the world, because it benefits business as well as people. The 20th of June is Take Back Your Lunch Break Day, which can get us all on the path back to humanity.
Why Business Owners Benefit From Taking Time for Creativity
I can’t draw. Well, I’m pretty good at stick figures, so I’ll give myself that. I do okay with paintings if I go to one of those paint ‘n sip places, but my painting doesn’t usually have a strong resemblance to the instructor’s.
Like a surprising number of financial planners I know, I enjoy writing. (I even wrote a book on productivity – more here!) That’s my creative outlet, as it is for lots of people.
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.