How to Find the Time to Succeed
Alice, a single mother, began her writing career in the 1950’s. Living above the bookshop in Victoria, B.C., where she worked, Alice would write in any free moment she could find, often when her oldest daughter was at school and the youngest was taking a nap. In Mason Currey’s exceptional book,…
Time Saving Secrets for Busy People
Your lives are always busy, I’m sure, between taking the kids to school, working, cooking dinner, picking the kids up from school, working out, grocery shopping, taking the kids to dance and hockey practice, snow shoveling (unless you live on Guam like I do), paying the bills, and all the rest.…
The Power and Importance of a Weekly Review
Sunday night. You enjoy a great dinner, get the kids to bed, pour a nice little Scotch, and do this one big thing. It’s time for the single-most important thing I do all week to keep myself focused and productive: The weekly review. My process is based on the more extensive Weekly Review in…
Change is a Matter of Choice
At a certain age, you find yourself staying up for the midnight ball-dropping. So, it is time for millions to make utterly empty New Year’s resolutions. But the truth is, most are empty of resolve all year long. I doubt most even know the meaning of the word “resolution.” Actually, thetwo meanings. It’s instructive. Even…
The Art of the Finish: How to Go From Busy to Accomplished
Last August, I published an essay on my blog, Study Hacks, that was titled: Productivity is Overrated. The basic idea: productivity systems, like Getting Things Done (GTD), reduce stress and help you keep track of your obligations, they do not, however, make you accomplished. In fact, I would go so far as to…
When Your Plate is Too Full
Do you sometimes (or always) feel like you have too much to do and too little time to do it? Consider an email I got from a student the other day: “… as the semester goes by, the harder it is to keep up with school. The thing is, I…
#1 Missing Link in Your Day
Differences between ze French and ze Germans are nothing new. They’ve been at war, literally and philosophically, for centuries, long before the Great War or even the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Julius Caeser noted the rivalry between the Gauls and the Germanic tribes in 49 BC. So distinct are the two…
How to Sit Down and Start Working Right Away
Let’s paint a picture of the average knowledge worker. They get into work around 9, and after putting their bag down at their desk, they stumble into the kitchen still a little sleepy, and reach for coffee. They get to their desk. And then they spend oh, about 30 minutes…
How to Save Two Hours a Day
Ernest Hemingway was known to awaken between 5:30 and 6 o’clock in the morning, without fail, no matter how late – or how much – he had been drinking the night before. In a 1958 interview with the The Paris Review, Hemingway said, “When I am working on a story I write every…
How To Develop a Money Mindset
Do you have the mindset of a natural-born moneymaker? Ask these questions to determine whether you have a money mindset, plus how to get one.
How to Beat Procrastination
There is a brutal war being waged for your time. The great battle begins against the Army of Inertia as you fight to take the Hill of Procrastination. But you don’t need guns or bombs for this battle. The weapons you need in your arsenal are discipline, focus, persistence, and…
How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure by Using Rewards
The girl at the smoothie stand was expecting my order. Instead, I walked up to her and asked, “Do you like animals?” “Yes. I love animals,” she said. “Me too!” I replied, “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the zoo with me.” “Oh. Actually, I have a…