Top 10 Productivity Practices that Destroy Productivity

Are your productivity practices actually increasing your productivity, or are they eating up your valuable time and mental capital instead? Link to Full Story

The Fast and Easy way to Build an Empire

You've got grand plans to build an empire of happiness and success in your life, right? Do you know the fast and easy way to do that, or are you taking the long road? Link to Full Story

Telling the World to Take a Hike

When it comes down to it, are you living the life that you truly want to be living, or the life that is convenient or expected of you? Link to Full Story

My Younger Self was an Idiot

If you could go back and smack your younger self around to knock some sense into him or her, would you do it? Link to Full Story

3 Personal Growth Lessons learned while Vacationing in Paradise

A vacation becomes even more valuable when you can bring home some lessons that will make all future days - vacations and otherwise - even better than they were before. Link to Full Story

Manage your Life by Managing Your Expectations

Improve your life by simply managing your expectations about what life is going to throw at you, and then responding accordingly! Link to Full Story

How to Handle Negative Changes

When our lives change in a way that we perceive to be negative, it can be rough. However, it IS possible to get through these times, and this outline will help you to do exactly that. Link to Full Story

Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 6th Edition

The 6th edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival covers everything from attaining goals and facing fears, up through book reviews, reasons not to drive, and even showing the love for an airport. Great stuff! Link to Full Story

What I Learned from Bob Barker and The Price is Right

Bob Barker leads by example and teaches some great lessons about life by successfully pulling off a 35 year career on The Price is Right. Link to Full Story

Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 5th Edition

This edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival features everything from science, to magic, to mind over matter, to magical mind over matter science with the IRS! Enjoy! Link to Full Story

Can you Shut Up for just a Minute?

Can you change your life by just learning the fine art of actually listening when people speak? I think the answer is obvious, don't you? Link to Full Story

Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 18

This week's Link Love edition features several powerful truths that can change your life, but that can be read and internalized in under 5 minutes. Doesn't get much easier than that, right? Link to Full Story

Book Blog Tour: Life on Purpose - Six Passages to an Inspired Life

My review of a very enlightening book that discusses purposefully creating the life that we want, rather than just being "victims" of the life that we are living. Link to Full Story

Happiness Quotient - What Blueprint are you Creating?

Is your blueprint for life one that will ensure the building of a life of joy and contentment, or one that will be dependent on certain circumstances in order for you to be happy? Link to Full Story

How to become a Productivity Super Hero who Rights Wrongs, Saves the Environment, and Rescues Cats from Trees

Okay, so that headline was a little over the top - but you're here reading now, so why not make the best of it!

Apparently there is another group writing project going around the blogosphere that actually has some value, and after having been tagged by the MomGadget herself, as well as by Dawud at HealthyWebDesign, I thought it was worth my time and yours, so I've agreed to share some insight!

The idea was originally started by Ben at the Instigator Blog and he called it The Ultimate Guide to Productivity Group Writing Project. As good a name for a series about getting things done if ever there was one, and the concept is pretty basic.

Just list your best productivity habits, highlight your most effective one if you want to, and link back to Ben's site, as well as to the people who tagged you for the project. In fact, if you email Ben after putting up your post, he'll pop over 2 links back to your site. YAY - double the fun!

So, without further discussion, here we go with

In a word (or a phrase, in this case), I keep my eyes on the prize!

There are more websites and blog posts dedicated to productivity systems and concepts than you can shake a stick at. I regularly read Lifehack.org, The Ririan Project, and similar sites, however, in truth, I rarely implement most of those systems simply because I don't believe that life should be systematized like that.

And yes, apparently systematized is a real word because my spell checker did not underline it in red just now when I typed it! :)

However, despite my "anti-systems" mentality, I am ALL about successful habits, and I believe that those habits start - and end - with remembering on a constant basis - why you are doing whatever it is that you are doing.

By keeping your eyes on the prize, you automatically stay focused on the "big picture" which keeps you from straying too far off the path of productivity.

For example, in my case, my long-term goal is complete time and financial freedom so that I can spend a ridiculous amount of time visiting my friends and family members. In order to accomplish that goal, I want to build up my Internet business to the point where most of my income is residual, and does not require me to work 12-hour days.

If I start to get off-track during the day by wanting to read less-than productive blogs or websites (even though they are fun!), or if I start to realize that I am not fully focused on my writing or my marketing efforts, all I have to do is remember that in order to accomplish my long-term goal, I have to work my butt off now so that I can play later.

Doing so always yanks me right back onto the path of productivity and focus!

So, keeping my eyes on the prize is the most important productivity secret that I have, although I do also have a close runner-up for 2nd place, and that is:

I always do the mission-critical tasks first!

My primary job is to write content - period. Yes, being a professional blogger also entails many marketing efforts such as reading and commenting on other people's blogs, participating in community sites like MyBlogLog, Stumbleupon, Digg, and message boards, but Mission Task #1 every day is the writing.

Marketing does very little good if you are sending people to a site that has nothing for them when they get there!

So, my second most important productivity secret is to always do the most important things first.

Third, although I am not a big fan of multi-tasking, my personal computer and Internet set up at home is not as fast as I would like it to be, so I fill in potentially wasted time by doing "quick tasks" while waiting for web pages to load, large files to download, etc.

I keep my Google RSS reader open at all times in a Firefox Tab, and whenever I have 5 seconds to kill, I will pop over to that tab and skim a headline or two to see if I need to give that blog post more of my time later on.

When you subscribe to several hundred blogs like I do, skimming is the only way to even remotely stay up to date!

And finally, my last productivity secret is that I do work in "task blocks". Several people have recommended the use of time blocks, which I also think is a good idea, but I have modified that concept to be what I call "task blocks".

Since I am the most productive whenever I am 100% focused on any given task, I break down my entire day into task blocks. When I am working on any particular task block, that is ALL I am working on.

I can border on being supernaturally productive whenever I truly put my mind to something, so by doing my work in task blocks, I knock out the most possible amount of work in any given amount of time.

I do not limit the amount of time that I work on any task block because I feel that would stifle my creativity or my level of genuine interest in whatever I am doing. Rather than giving myself a time limit, I just refer back to my second productivity secret - doing mission-critical tasks first - and I simply prioritize which tasks are worthy of me spending my time on.

There are many potential things that a professional blogger needs to focus on, but here are the things that stand out the most in any given "work" day for me:

• Writing (and research, as needed)
• Reading & Commenting (done together)
• Email & Comment moderation
• Blog technical work (coding, graphics, advertisers, pulling my hair out)
• Personal time (exercise, meditation/nap, food breaks, etc.)
• Social Networking (Digg, Stumbleupon, message boards, etc.)

So, there you have it! Being the goal-oriented person that I am, I follow this pattern 5 solid days each week, most Saturdays, and also on Sunday when I don't have actual social or family plans.

Does that make me a productivity junkie, a workaholic, or just a slightly insane person? Maybe.

However, when all is said and done and I can:

• Visit my friend Gayla way out in the (sticks?)
• Spend a week in Key West with Andrea
• Camp out in Panama City with Michael and Lisa
• See the back hills of Texas with Craiger
• Get back to my roots in New York, and
• Honor my legacy in the Pacific Northwest

- all without affecting my paycheck - we'll see who is crazy then, won't we??? ;)~

OH - I almost forgot. TAG - you're it! Everyone benefits from learning new and exciting (or insane) ways to be productive, so c'mon and share your ideas!

If you are reading this, you may consider yourself officially tagged to participate. Be sure to show the link love back to Ben, include a link back to this post as your inspiration, and then share your own productivity secrets with your readers.

C'mon - ya know you wanna!

Random great posts from the past:

Email hiccups and time away

Interview with Success Training Network President Darren Hardy

Positively Hating People

Self Improvement Terminology: Do Visualizations and Affirmations really Work?

5 Simple Methods for Banishing Negative people from your Life

Negative "energy vampires" are not living a life full of happiness and success, yet they will happily drag you down to their level unless you escape their clutches before it is too late!

Use these 5 basic guidelines as an outline that will help to safeguard you from negativity, and will also help you to identify negative people so that you can remove yourself from their sphere of influence.

Once you have internalized not practicing the following unsuccessful habits, you will suddenly start noticing people in your life who consistently practice them on an almost daily basis.

No Gossiping

It doesn't matter how justified you think you are in talking about other people's perceived shortcomings, doing so will never serve to bring about positive results.

When people do things that you don't agree with or that you don't understand, all that demonstrates is that they do not see life in the same way that you see it. It doesn't it make them a bad person, it just means that their understanding of any given situation is different than yours.

Granted, in many circumstances it may seem painfully obvious that someone could have handled a situation in a more positive manner. However, even if that is the case, rehashing the details with other people will only perpetuate the negativity.

In addition, many people thrive on discourse and chaos, so by participating in negative discussions about others, all you are doing is indirectly giving people permission to continue adding fuel to that fire. When you are seen as a "negative fuel source," you will invariably find that people will continue stopping by to get a fill-up!

No Whining or Complaining

Let me ask you this: Does whining or complaining about any given situation actually do anyone any good whatsoever?

I'm not talking about constructive criticism, learning from our mistakes, or recognizing pitfalls so that we can avoid them in the future. No, I'm talking about when a situation is already clearly less than desirable, yet you continue to talk about how undesirable it is!

When the office thermostat is broken and it is cold as a deep-freeze in your building, will anything be gained by continuing to repeat the obvious? If your spouse or significant other is being (in your opinion) unreasonable, are you going to gain anything by constantly spouting off about how upset you are about the situation?

Complaining accomplishes absolutely nothing other than drawing attention to an already less than favorable set of circumstances. If something is worth complaining about, then it is also worth taking action on. Stop whining, and start taking action, because if you don't, all of the whiners and complainers will crowd around you in order to get their negativity fix.

No Co-Dependency

All of us have friends, family members, or co-workers who bring real-world negative issues to us, and ask for our input. Sometimes they are looking for advice, while other times they just want to "vent".

In either case, however, pumping up their already negative point of view by agreeing how terrible any given situation is will only serve to cement in their minds how terrible that situation is! In addition, you will be sending them the clear signal that you are willing to be a sounding board for their complaints in the future.

Rather than rallying the forces of negativity in order to combat someone's issues, instead just provide for them a calming, reassuring voice of reason when their lives are in turmoil. Don't turn your back on them, but don't fuel their point of view that they are the "victim" either.

Instead, listen with a compassionate ear while keeping your own feelings in check. You will do them much more of a service by helping them to find a positive spin on their situation rather than becoming a participant in their negativity.

No Cross Contamination

It is impossible to swim in a river full of muddy water, yet still be able to get out of that river without a speck of dirt on you. The only way to avoid that dirt - or that negativity - is to refuse to take a dip into that river in the first place.

From an emotional standpoint, it is not possible for you to participate in negativity, and then go back into your positive bubble without dragging some of that negativity in with you.

Most people would say that it is not possible for them to completely avoid negativity, and I would tend to agree. However, just because you are physically present in a situation does not mean that you need to actually participate on an emotional level.

You can be involved in a discussion or in the resolution of a negative situation without allowing your own emotional set point to drop down to a less-than positive level. When life throws negativity at you, stay in the game, but practice equanimity in order to handle the situation without allowing the negative vibrations to affect you on an individual level.

No Being "Holier than Thou"

After finding all of these great ways to recognize and avoid negativity, it becomes very easy to think that you are somehow "different" than everyone else. You start to feel "enlightened" and you recognize how a large number of the people in your life are on planes, trains, and automobiles that are all headed in the wrong direction.

Here's a clue: get a grip on yourself! You are no better, nor any worse than any of those people. Those people are neither better, nor any worse than you.

The only difference between the "enlightened" you and the people who practice negativity is that you see things from a different point of view than they do. It is not appropriate for you to try to force your way of thinking onto those people, and in most cases it is also quite impossible.

By running around life with an attitude that you are somehow better than other people, all you will do is serve to alienate most of the people around you. Then, before you know it, other "holier than thou" individuals will start to flock to your side. Then all you will have accomplished is serving to divide your circle of influence into people who live on the "right" or the "wrong" side of the tracks - from your point of view.

Conclusion:

By following guidelines similar to the methods that you just read, and by practicing the fine art of being positive, you will begin to enjoy your life and consciously create it to be whatever it is that you want it to be.

That's the prize.

However, be advised that these success habits are just that - habits. Only practicing them when it is convenient for you to do so will only bring about positive results in small doses. Consistency is key.

Also, be prepared to burn some bridges in the process. Right now in your life there are probably people who will fade away completely when they realize that you will not be participating in their drama anymore.

The ladder of success is never crowded at the top!

The New WWW: What’s Worth Wanting?

If you could have anything at all that you ever wanted, but you could only make one wish, what would you wish for?

QUICK! Don't think - just answer!

The problems start when we start thinking, which is where the whole process of getting what we want out of life starts to break down - almost immediately.

We are powered by our conscious minds which control all of the decisions that we make seemingly "on purpose," but our subconscious minds are the real powerhouse behind our thought processes - and thus - our results in life.

In the example above, you may have had a gut reaction to the question, like wanting a million dollars, or world peace, or the perfect mate, etc. However, as soon as your conscious mind started to analyze the situation, it immediately started throwing out reasons why you can't have whatever it is that you thought of.

So the challenge before you now is to ignore for the moment what you think you can have, and be totally honest with yourself about what you would want if you could literally have anything that you could imagine. Is it something Worth Wanting?

Dr. Rob Williams and Dr. Bruce Lipton are the founders of the amazing Psych-K system of destroying the self-limiting belief systems that are often responsible for holding us back from attaining our peak potential.

However, in an interview that Dr. Williams recently did with Kelly Howell of BrainSync.com, he explained that getting rid of self-limiting beliefs is just the first stage of personal development.

It isn't really that difficult for our conscious mind to grasp that unhealthy, unethical, or irresponsible practices are not good for us. However, many people fail because they are then stuck with answering the question of what it is that they do want.

Based on our almost instinctive ability to rationalize or use logic to determine whether or not it is even possible for us to attain any given goal, most human beings simply lack the internal programming needed to allow ourselves to believe that we can truly attain our most heartfelt desires.

So, rather than actually wanting to attain something that we have a burning desire for - something that we deem Worthy - we instead "settle" for what our internal programming says it is possible for us to actually get.

In the Psych-K workshops, Dr. Williams, Dr. Lipton, and several dozen other instructors around the world use a popular belief testing system called "muscle testing" to determine if the statements that we make about our lives are deeply rooted in the subconscious, or if those statements are just our conscious minds rationalizing and categorizing our beliefs about the world around us.

So, although this post is far from an infomercial for the Psych-K system (I've never been to one of their workshops), I do feel strongly about at least bringing up the very real truth that many people are going through their lives chasing after dreams that they think they can someday catch.

Knowing that is the case, ask yourself the following:

"If I could have anything that I wanted - no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic it seemed - what is worthy of me actually wanting it?"

When you have your answer, you'll also have a direction for your life.

Pretty cool, huh?

Self Improvement Strategy: How to Elimate Fear from your Life

Fear is keeping us from living our lives to the fullest, and in most cases, it is keeping us from achieving anything even close to what we are capable of.

Fear is elusive, however, and is often disguised as something a bit less debilitating, which is why it is not always seen as the true culprit behind so many of our shortcomings.

I am not talking about fear as in being afraid for your life itself, but rather fear that any given situation is not going to turn out the way that we want it to.

Whenever we get into an argument with our spouse or other family member, it is because we are afraid that the situation is not going to be resolved the way we feel that it should be.

• Maybe we are afraid that the other person will not see our point of view, and will then make the wrong choices because they were unable to understand what we were saying.
• Maybe we are afraid that the person will not see us as a valuable and needed part of their lives, and will then leave us behind.
• Maybe we are afraid that we will hurt their feelings or damage their ability to get through life, so we tip-toe around our true beliefs and desires in order to better serve their needs.

Let's look at another example - our careers.

• Many people go to college or some sort of vocational school because they are afraid that without "formal" education, they will not be able to get a good job.
• When someone is already working for a particular employer, they are sometimes not 100% satisfied with their job or that employer, but they stay there anyway because they are afraid that they will not be able to find a better job that pays the same, or that has the same benefits as their present job.
• We often put up with behavior or negative attitudes from our co-workers because we fear that "rocking the boat" at work will cause us to get fired, lose the respect of our co-workers, or that no one will like us.

What about health and fitness? Is that driven by fear as well?

• People get involved in fitness programs every day because they get bad news from their doctor, and they become afraid that their actual life expectancy will be limited if they do not start exercising and eating right.
• People start trying to lose weight because they become afraid that they will not be able to find an attractive and successful companion unless they look like one of the actors or models that are all over television, movies, and magazines.
• Weight loss programs are started all the time by people who are about to attend a family or class reunion because they are afraid they will be looked down upon by their family members or old classmates unless they appear to be fit, confident, and in control of their lives.

These examples could go on and on and on to encompass every single aspect of the human existence here on planet earth. However, you do not need to read endless examples to see the affect that fear has on your own life every single day.

Simply start examining any given situation that you are feeling anxious or nervous about, and ask yourself what it is that you are afraid of in that situation.

You will find across the board that there is always a resounding reason why you feel anxious about everything from where to find a parking space to whether or not to accept a marriage proposal, or a job offer.

Your fear that something bad will happen if you make the wrong decision is what is driving the thought process for pretty much every decision that you ever make.

Do you really think it is a very good idea to make every decision that you make in your life based on a negative emotion such as fear?

The answer, of course, is No, and you can start eliminating fear from your life right now. All you have to do is realize the simple fact that whatever it is that you are afraid of is going to happen anyway, whether you are afraid of it or not.

In fact, believers in concepts such as the Law of Attraction will recognize that by expressing fear about something, you will only serve to cause the thing that you are afraid of to actually happen.

However, whether or not you believe in your ability to consciously create your life, it is a rock-solid fact that if you express fear about something, no good will come about as a result of that.

Should you respect things that could potentially cause negative circumstances to manifest in your life? Absolutely.

Should you prepare for things in order to minimize the chance that you will not be happy with the results of any given situation? Sure.

However, being afraid that life in general is not going to go your way will only serve to make you ACT from a position of fear. That will very often have implications for your life that are at least as negative as - if not more so - than what would have happened if you had never expressed that fear in the first place.

Remember the following very wise quote:

"Anything that doesn't kill us only makes us stronger."

Unless you are in a situation where your life is in actual danger, always ask yourself if being afraid at that moment is even worth it.

Personal Development Sabotage: Playing the Blame Game

Blaming your lack of blissful happiness on anyone but yourself is a crutch - period.

This habit that human beings have of allowing people or circumstances to dictate the level of happiness in their lives boils down to nothing more noble than sheer laziness.

We always want to look at every situation like we did everything 100% perfectly, and if the situation did not turn out 100% perfectly, there most certainly must be someone else to blame for that.

It is certainly easier to find a flaw in another person or in the details of any given event than to admit the fact that we ourselves could have probably worked harder in order to manifest a more positive outcome to that event.

Believers in conscious creation, the Law of Attraction, and even Ho'oponopono will have no problem admitting that anything that has happened in their lives is there as a direct result of the things that transpired prior to that event.

However, you don't have to believe in or understand concepts such as those in order to admit that YOU are responsible for whether or not you are happy with your life. Here are some examples:

Blame: I can't get a good job because the economy is bad

Truth: No, you can't get a good job because you have not applied yourself enough. Maybe you need more education, maybe you need to work harder at the actual job search process, or maybe you just need to improve your self-confidence and attitude about the entire project. If your life depended on it, I bet you would find a way to get a good job.

Blame: I can't lost weight because I have poor metabolism and I don't have time to exercise and eat right.

Truth: Although genetics do play a role in the overall health of people, there is no genetic condition - including metabolic rate - that cannot be modified, and normally it can be done fairly easily.

As far as not having enough time, that it total crap. Every person who has ever lived has had 24 hours in their day. If they could do it, you can do it.

Blame: My spouse or significant other is completely unreasonable and is causing chaos in our home.

Truth: Your spouse or significant other could be a cold-blooded killer, but unless there is an actual danger to you or your children, you CHOOSE to allow that person to affect your life in a negative way.

Either step up to the plate and do what it takes to be happy with your situation, or leave the situation. And no, I don't want to hear "It's not that easy." Yes, it is.

I am going to stop with the Blame/Truth scenarios now, because if you are reading this with an open mind and an ear towards the truth, you have already absorbed and internalized this message.

However, on the other hand, if you are the "victim" in every scenario of life that you are finding less than perfect, no matter how many examples I give, you are still going to answer with the thought, "Yes, but…"

No buts. If you don't like an aspect of your life, then change it.

Will it be hard? Probably. Will it cause chaos in your life? Maybe. Will it cause you to make some hard choices, face some hard realities, and let go of some of the security that you have had in your life up to this point? Very likely.

Or, you could just do nothing and stay unhappy with your circumstances. After all, it is fast, easy, and sometimes even rewarding to point the finger at everyone else as being the cause for YOUR unhappiness.

If it's everyone else's fault, then by default, YOU must be perfect, right?

The Agony of Victory: Personal Development Breaking Point

This could very well be the single most important personal development concept that you are ever exposed to.

I give my wife full credit for saying the following, although I don't know if she originated the saying or not. Regardless of who the original author was, you would do well to read, remember, and internalize the following words:

In order for people to change, the pain of change must become less than the pain of staying the same.

That concept is so telling about why people do or do not achieve lasting self improvement results, and I want to thank Steve over at The Fast Lane for his post that reminded me to share that quote with my blog readers.

There are very few people (if any) who do not have dreams, ambitions, or fantasies about living a life that is an improvement over their present life in some way. Although we should all be living in and enjoying every single moment, this urge to move forward is a part of the very evolution of our species.

Why, then, do so many people fail to make the positive changes that they want so desperately?

The answer is so simple and has been in plain sight all along: It is simply easier for a person to stay where they are and to deal with whatever discomfort is in their lives than it is to make themselves uncomfortable enough to effect permanent, positive, long-term changes.

Most people want more money or some other form of abundance, yet they don't actually strive for it because their day to day needs are already being met.

They must have enough food, shelter, and clothing to survive, because if they didn't, they would be dead! However, find someone who is about to lose the job that pays their bills, or are about to lose their home to bill collectors, and you will also have found someone who will literally live without sleep in order to turn their circumstances around.

The world (especially the United States) is full of overweight people or people who have negative health conditions that could be eliminated or lessened as a result of eating right and exercising, yet they don't do everything and anything in their power because the pain of continuing to be out of shape is still easier than exercising and eating right every day.

However, find someone who is constantly ridiculed, shunned, or who is repeatedly the victim of prejudice because of their weight or their physical condition, and often times that person will "flip a switch" that turns them into a workout junkie because they have decided that leading a healthy lifestyle is easier (less painful) than the alternative.

People are constantly visiting online dating websites, message boards, and chat rooms in order to find romance and friendship, yet when push comes to shove, they don't make the long-term commitment needed for successful relationships.

The occasional bout of lonliness or sexual frustration by an unattached person is still easier to deal with (less painful) than the risk of getting emotionally and/or financially involved with a long-term partner, roommate, or even just a good friend.

However, someone who has finally "had enough" of their solitary lifestyle will pull out all the stops in order to achieve relationship success. They will also achieve that success because they have decided that the pain of taking a chance on a relationship is less than the pain of being emotionally and/or financially alone.

You can plug this formula into any human equation that you can imagine, and the results will ALWAYS be the same!

People don't make the changes in their lives that they "claim" they want to make because when push comes to shove, even if their life isn't perfect, it is still easier to keep walking the same path than it is to carve a new path through a dense and potentially dangerous jungle.

So, the next time you feel like whining because you don't have enough money, or because you're lonely, or because you're fat, I invite you - with all due respect - to stop whining about it, and to get outside of your comfort zone and to do something about your situation.

You are - after all - the only person who has the power to do that.