Blog
Rewards are worth working for
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…” It's time to reward yourself! Full day ahead? Feeling overwhelmed with your task list? Promise yourself a reward for completing each task—or finishing the total job. Then keep your promise to your yourself for staying focused and working. The reward rules are simple: No reward (no distraction) until the task is complete. A “reward” doesn’t have to be expensive or complex—it might be as simple as [...]
Work by the day, but plan by the week
You’ll never get ahead of the game by only looking at today and never thinking about tomorrow—which is exactly why you need to work by the day, but plan by the week. You choose the best time to do this—when you feel ready to look ahead—Sunday evening seems to work for most. Here are some ways to make the most of your weekly plan: Review and write down your roles for the week. You live our [...]
Graduating seniors: get good at doing this one thing, and most all of life will be easier!
“We’re free!” we all shouted. Graduation was over, and we were free! We thought—now that we’re finally out of high school and free—that freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, without interference from any authority. Well… that was a long time ago, and it’s taken a lifetime of lessons (many painful and often uncomfortable) to realize that true freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever you want. [...]
I can do it by myself is a lie—don’t believe it!
Have you ever felt you knew exactly where you wanted to go—but just didn’t know how to get there? You may need coaching. The myth… It’s ingrained in our culture: The “self-made” success! The lone champion! The belief that achievement is best if done alone is a dangerous lie—and it’s probably hurting you! Admittedly, we admire the achievements of music and movie stars and top athletes—those that have risen to the top of their professions. On [...]
Every minute you spend in planning saves ten minutes in execution
“Every minute you spend in planning saves ten minutes in execution,” claims Brian Tracy. We agree completely! Even if you consistently work harder than everyone you know, if you’re not working on the smartest, highest-leverage tasks, you’re not going to be as productive as someone who works half as much as you! When you put time, effort, and focus on planning what you do instead of simply executing all the time, you’ll channel your time [...]
You’ll get lost without time management!
Think of time management this way: It would have been so easy to get lost… Deep in the woods—surrounded by trees—everything in every direction looked the same! Without a handheld GPS device, pathfinding through the forest would have been almost impossible. The GPS device —about the size of a smartphone—is an electronic map and compass combined, which lets you know where you are—and easily helps you find your way. In the same manner, finding a [...]
Tracking the elusive time bandits
Where did it all go? How much of your time is being spent on emails or on the phone instead of accomplishing your priorities for the day? If you don’t have a clear picture of how your days (and hours) are spent, it’s going to be difficult to make improvements. The first step to using your time better is knowing how you’re spending it now. Keep a list on paper or a spreadsheet of what [...]
New Features in PlanPlus Online: Release Notes for April 27, 2016
Release Notes 167 Release Date: April 27, 2016 The following features are now available in your account: Homepage speed improvement. Fixed Task Delegation problem Chrome browser. New custom field type: String Table. New custom field type: encryption. Added Custom Field Filters on Organization, Contact, Opportunity Summary pages. Daily Task Reminders: Added B & C Priority tasks. Entity Custom Fields: Improved search update functionality Home Page Task list Interface Improvements on Task List drag & drop [...]
The need for insulation
Today's highly effective productivity hack: How did that happen?!? I had my phone on the charger—and it still died! It wasn’t charged at all! Upon closer inspection, the insulation on the charger cord was worn and the power wasn’t making it to the phone. Wires designed to carry electric current are insulated so that the energy will reach its destination with full power. You’ve probably noticed that you occasionally need insulation in order to operate [...]
Free time: schedule time to be outside
Today's highly effective productivity hack: Schedule your free time! One of my favorite activities is to head out to the wilderness with my camera to hike and explore (living in Utah makes that pretty easy). I just don’t do it as often as I’d like. In fact, honestly, I’d feel a little guilty about actually scheduling free time on my calendar. After all, shouldn’t I be scheduling my work instead of my free time? Maybe [...]