You need to make a decision today.

You know it. And you probably even know your choice.

Yet, it has been put off for some time.

You need to make that decision today.

Not Making a Choice is a Choice

Recently, I was talking to a friend who passed up an opportunity to switch jobs and careers.

He was not looking, but an opportunity found him to join a company he respected in a role that really excited him.

Yet, he passed.

Well, that’s not entirely accurate.

He didn’t pass… he didn’t choose.

He didn’t make a decision. He thought about it. He worried, mulled, pondered, and waited. He could not bring himself to an answer.

The opportunity passed. The job went to someone else.

“When you don’t make decisions, life will choose for you.” (Tweet this Quote)

My friend was scared to make a change. He was afraid of making the wrong choice. He wasn’t sure of himself or the opportunity.

Now, he will not know what could have happened. (Good or bad…)

What opportunities are you letting pass by because you don’t make decisions?

Making Decisions Makes All the Difference

The one thing that you truly control in life is your own decisions.

Make sure that you exercise your ability to choose.

Otherwise, life will make those choices for you.

Here are 10 Reasons You Need to Make a Decision Today:

1. You May Not Get Another Chance – Sometimes opportunity only knocks once. Don’t let an option pass you by because you don’t make a timely decision.
2. You Can Change Your Mind – Don’t let the fear of making a wrong choice paralyze you. There are very, very few decisions in life that are not changeable. Your degree, your job, where you live, even your relationships. You can choose again.
3. It’s Not That Important – As well, there are very few decisions in life that are truly that important. Don’t let perceived importance scare you from choosing.
4. Not Making A Choice is a Choice – When you don’t choose for yourself, life will choose for you. Ironically, too many people make their decisions by not choosing.
5. A Good Decision Beats a Perfect One – To re-phrase a famous quote, a good decision now always beats a perfect one later. Don’t wait to make a choice that may pass you by.
6. Choosing is a Privilege – It is the one thing that you control in your life. Make sure you choose your own path.
7. Other People’s Decisions Are Not Your Own – Make your own choices. Live your own life. Otherwise, you will look back and realize that you are living someone else’s life and priorities.
8. Inaction Leads to a Boring Life – Some people choose not to make decisions because they think it is easier. They tell themselves that it is less stressful if they don’t choose. This may be true, but it is also boring. It is uneventful and lazy. Be bold in your decisions and live with the good and the bad.
9. There is Never a Perfect Time – Don’t wait for the right time. There isn’t one. There is never a perfect time… just time.
10. Today Always Beats Tomorrow – Today is the only day you have. Tomorrow is only a promise and may never come. Dream for tomorrow, but live for today. Make your choice and do it now.

It’s Your Choice

Making decisions can be the difference between a life well-lived and being driftwood on the river of life.

If you don’t make your own choices, then life or someone else will make them for you.

Make today the day you decide.

After all, it’s your choice.

Question: What decision do you need to make today?

Do you know what’s coming your way this week?

Much of the stress and surprises headed your way can be avoided.

A quick check of your personal dashboard can help you know where you are going and what you need to do.

Look Ahead and Be Prepared

Many people head into their week unprepared.

They don’t know what they need to do, where they need to be, or what’s coming their way.

It’s not a fun way to start the week. (And you wonder why Monday’s get a bad name.)

Before you head into your week, look at your personal dashboard to get your bearings.

“A few minutes planning and preparing, can save you hours of frustration, stress, and rework.” (Tweet this Quote)

By looking at your dashboard you:

• Prevent Surprises – Avoid missed appointments or deadlines that are sneaking up on you.
• Gives You Time to React – If you do have conflicts, you will have time to adjust, reschedule, or re-allocate resources. That may mean simply moving a meeting or re-arranging your day to deal with a deadline.
• Allows You to Prepare – Knowing what you need to do is important, but being ready to do it is even more empowering. Preparation is planning’s big brother that allows you to be one step ahead of your day and its responsibilities.
• Visibility Leads to Action – Out of sight, out of mind. This is how many of your tasks remain unless you look at your today list regularly. Keeping your tasks visible leads to action and getting things done.
• Awareness Reduces Stress – When you know what is coming your way, you have inner peace. You never know when life might throw you a curve ball, but you can be ready for what you do know about.

What’s On Your Personal Dashboard?

So, how do you go about getting a view on your week?

And what should be on your personal dashboard?

Here is a quick list of some of the things that you should be reviewing:

Calendar – Get ahead of your calendar before the week starts. Don’t just look at today. But, tomorrow, as well. And the rest of the week and next week, too. Reviewing your calendar prevents surprises, avoids conflicts, and gives you time to react.

Todo List - Keep those tasks front and center. Visibility leads to action. If you don’t look at your todo list, it can’t remind you of what you need to do.

Someday List - Always take a quick look at your Someday list. Doing just one thing on your Someday list is important to your progress. Otherwise, your Someday list may become a Never list.

Notes – Notes are often overlooked. You went to the effort to take them, but do you ever look at them again? Make sure you review your notes from the previous day to capture todos, reference material, and follow-up items.

Inbox – Save this one for last. A great quote from my friend Chris Brogan, “Your inbox is a perfect delivery mechanism for other people’s priorities.” Get your stuff in order before jumping into your inbox. That being said, starting the week with your inbox at zero is an extremely motivating tactic. It also gets you a step ahead of others.

Look At Your Dashboard

Take a look at your personal dashboard before starting the week. (You can then glance back for updates…)

You’ll know where you are, where you are going, and what you need to do.

And that can make all the difference between a great week and a stressful one.

Question: How do you prepare for your week? What’s on your personal dashboard?

Today, I have a productivity chat with my friend Mike Vardy of the Productivityist.com

In it, we talk about Mike’s new book, the “why” of productivity, and of course, many time management tools and tips. (Links below)

Mike and I probably could have chatted for several hours, but I tried to keep this under half an hour.

Enjoy the video! And if you don’t have time, check out the links below for many of the topics we covered.

Topics and Links from this chat:

Mike Vardy

Website: Productivityist.com

Mike’s new book on Amazon: The Front Nine

The Productivityist Workbook

Email Apps

Mailbox for iPhone/iPad

Handle

Evernote

Brett Kelly – Evernote Essentials Book

Evernote Smart Notebook

Related TMN Posts:

Stop Checking Your Email 37 Times a Day

17 Ways to Be the Early Bird

10 Reasons Your “Fear of Missing Out” Is Keeping Your From Being Productive

Other:

Bit Literacy by Mark Hurst

Drafts App

We live in a world of distractions.

Cell phones. Email. Text messages. Notifications. Pop-ups. And more.

How do you get your work done if you are constantly being interrupted?

I’ll bet you don’t make it through this post without something buzzing, ringing, flashing, or distracting your attention.

A Workplace of Distractions

The average worker gets interrupted 15+ times an hour. And we wonder why work doesn’t get done.

Most employees are interrupted every three minutes.

Could you get your work done if I interrupted you every three minutes?

(You’d probably want to throw something at me after the first few times…)

Yet, in essence, that is what is happening in most workplaces.

Another interesting fact about workplace interruptions is that many of them are self-inflicted.

How often do you interrupt yourself by unnecessarily checking email or surfing the web? (Just to look up one thing.)

“Almost half of workplace interruptions are self-inflicted.” (Tweet this Quote)

Are you your own worst enemy when it comes to interrupting your work?

Stay on Task for 5 Minutes

So, how do you get work done if you are constantly getting interrupted?

I have a simple challenge for you: Stay on task for 5 minutes.

How much more could you get done if you could stay on task?

If you can avoid even a small percentage of workplace interruptions, you could get hours of time back in your day. But, how do you avoid these distractions?

Here are some tips for “Staying on Task for Five Minutes:”

• Set a Timer – Set a physical timer. Pledge not to change your focus until the alarm goes off. You will build up your focus endurance little-by-little.
• Tune Out the Distractions – Many distractions can be shut out if you actively ignore them. Put on your productivity blinders or even your headphones to tune out the background noise.
• Turn off the Tech – Technology is a great enabler, but is also the source of many interruptions. Turn of the ringer. Turn off the email notifications. Turn off the alerts.
• Don’t Multi-task – Finish the job at hand before you start something new. Multi-tasking divides your attention. You are creating your own distractions when you multi-task. Soon, you have 57 things started and nothing done.
• Isolate Yourself – Close the door. Go to your productive place. (Sometimes it is where you work…)

Stay on Target

Stay on target. Focus. Keep doing what you’re doing.

Don’t put that task down. Don’t answer that phone. Don’t let interruptions break your concentration.

If you can stay on task for just 5 minutes, you’ll get a lot more done today.

Share Your Thoughts: Can you stay on task for 5 minutes? What techniques do you use to stay on task?

I worked with an individual whose time management was destroying him.

His work reputation was that of a slacker who didn’t get anything done. People did not want to work with him. They were afraid to rely on him for tasks, and important projects were given to others.

In fact, he was on the verge of losing his job.

His relationships were not strong. Others stopped inviting him to events, because he often failed to show up.

His health was suffering because he never had time to exercise or get to the gym.

This individual’s disorganization was destroying him on all fronts… work, personal, and health.

What about you? Is your productivity putting you at risk?

Is Your Productivity Putting You at Risk?

We don’t usually think about lack of time management as dangerous.

Yet, the impacts of poor time management can be devastating.

It can destroy careers, relationships, and more.

“Poor time management can put you at risk in many areas of your life.” (Tweet this quote)

What is your lack of time management putting at risk?

1. Your Reputation – Your time management reputation proceeds you. Don’t underestimate the impression that your productivity says about you.
2. Your Health – Exercise is often one of the first things to be “put off” when you are overwhelmed. Is your lack of organization preventing your from staying in shape? Do you miss doctor’s appointments because you are “too busy” to schedule or attend them? This will catch up with you if you don’t take care of it.
3. Your Job – Does your boss give important tasks to others because you are not reliable? Do co-workers avoid working with you because they think you will impede their progress? (See #1)
4. Your Relationships – Do friends stop including you in plans because you will be late or not show at all? Are you a reliable friend or always too busy to spend time or help a friend in need?
5. Your Money – Poor time management affects your money, as well. Late fees, poor credit scores, and more penalties, await those who do not  take care of their finances in a timely manner.
6. Your Workload – The more you put things off, the more work you will have to do later. Your non-productiveness is multiplying your workload. If you are having trouble keeping up now, the last thing you need is even more work.
7. Your Personal Life – If you complain of “not having a personal life,” it may be due to your own actions. Do you keep strong boundaries between work and life? Or do you let your job dominate every moment of your life?

Take Care of Your Time Management

Don’t let your time management (or lack thereof) put you at risk.

If you are not getting things done, then you are probably overwhelmed in many areas of your life. Some planning and organization can save you much stress and strife.

Take care of your time management, so that it can take care of you.

Question: How is your productivity putting you at risk?

How many meetings are on your calendar today?

Take a moment, and count them.

Now, add up how much of your day will be spent in a conference room or on a call.

Better yet, how much of your day is left to get work done?

Did You Get Anything Done Today?

True story.

The other day after work, I picked up my 10-year old son from summer day camp. In the car on the way home, the following conversation happened…

“Dad, what did you do at work today?”

“I was in meetings all day.”

“Oh, so you didn’t do any real work, then?”

Insightful kid.

He then followed up with…

“Meetings are where you talk about work, but don’t do any.” (Tweet this Quote)

Smart, too.

Get Out of the Meeting

How much of your day will be spent “in meeting” today?

Will you be getting any work done? Or instead, endlessly talking about the same issues, gossip, and non-worthy topics?

Here are some tips to help you “Stop Meeting and Start Working:”

• Block your time – Defend your calendar by blocking your time. Reserve time for yourself and your work. Make appointments for your tough tasks and project work.
• Right to Decline – Give yourself and your employees the right to decline meetings that they do not need to attend. This is a powerful concept that will quickly identify those meetings that are not worth the time.
• No Meeting Friday – Select one day a week that is “meeting free.” Friday is a good day for this. Spend it doing creative work and getting work done while others are wrapping up their week.
• Cut Your Meetings in Half – Keep those meetings short. Most meetings don’t need the time allotted to them. Try cutting your meeting times in half.
• Hold Better Meetings – Not all meetings are bad. Bad meetings are bad. Hold better meetings by having established meeting rules and using tools such as Less Meeting.

Stop Meeting and Start Working

Talking about work doesn’t get it done.

Doing the work… does.

So, get out of those meetings and get busy doing.

Question: Do you spend all day in meetings? Or do you actually get work done?

What makes your company less productive?

Chances are, your employees know the answer to this one.

They are quick to respond with issues like endless meetings, overflowing email, and more.

And yet management wonders why work isn’t getting done.

Is your company ignoring productivity problems in the workplace?

Looking the Other Way

Most companies know the issues that are impacting employee productivity. (Or at least they claim to…)

Yet, they continue to self-inflict productivity obstacles in the workplace.

“Most companies ignore the workplace productivity problems that are right in front of them.” (Tweet this Quote)

Is your company choosing to look the other way from the issues?

Here are the Top 10 Productivity Problems that Your Company Is Ignoring:

1. Meetings Free-For-All – Meetings are the biggest time waster in many companies. Anyone can call one. They are too long. Most have no agendas. Nor is there any follow-up. Most companies would be better off without them.
2. Email Chaos – Do your employees live in their inboxes? Do they spend the majority of their day shuffling through email? The email game has become the modern age version of “paper pushing.” Send enough emails and people will assume that you are getting work done. (See #5)
3. No Deadlines – Are deadlines more like “guidelines” in your workplace? Project extensions are the norm. Nothing is really delivered on time. And there are no repercussions for late work.
4. No Work-Life Boundaries – Do your employees know where their job ends and their life begins? If not, they will endure unneeded stress, interruptions, eventual burn-out. To make this worse, many companies recognize those who sacrifice their personal life, even if it destroys them.
5. Rewarding Busyness Instead of Productivity – Many companies reward busyness. Why? Because it is easy. It is simple to reward movement, busyness, even commotion. It takes actual effort to determine who is actually having an impact and delivering value to the business. (Note: This requires leadership…)
6. Accepted Lateness – Meetings are expected to start late. The 9AM meeting becomes known as the 920 meeting. (Because that is when it actually starts…) People don’t give a second thought to those that traipse in 10, 20, or 40 minutes late to a meeting.
7. Work Environment – Where your employees work great impacts their ability to get work done. Too many companies ignore this. Noise, clutter, inadequate facilities. All of these reduce your team’s effectiveness.
8. Misguided Policies – Senior leadership (and HR) loves to implement policies without regard as to the productivity impacts they create. No offices. No closed door policies, etc. One company I worked with eliminated all offices to encourage team unity. Within 3 months, no one could get any work done because they were all over each other. Team members couldn’t even hold a conversation because they had eliminated all the office walls.
9. Restrictive Tech – Technology is supposed to be a work enabler. It is supposed to allow workers to get more done, not to hinder them. Yet, many companies continue to struggle with technology. Needless restrictions. Inadequate tools. And simply non-working systems.
10. Rework – “If you don’t do it right the first time, you will end up doing it over.” This applies from the smallest status update to multi-million dollar corporate projects. Unfortunately, many companies do not learn this until after spending the millions.

Stop Ignoring the Productivity Issues

Instead of continuing to ignore the productivity issues in your company, tackle them head on.

Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. (Because often it is not working…)

Stop doing the things that are sapping your team’s ability to get their work done.

Enable your employees with common sense and a work environment that allows them to actually work.

Question: What productivity problems is your company ignoring?

Do you have big goals?

Big things that you want to change in your life?

If so, I want to shift your thinking today. Because, often we get caught up in the big changes.

We lose sight of the little things and don’t consider the impact that even small steps can make in our lives.

Today, I want you to change 5 little things in your day.

Change… Just a Little Bit

Change is hard.

In fact, most people don’t change.

Have you ever run into someone after several years of not seeing them?

They are usually the exact same person.

Appearance, dress, personality, and behavior. Maybe a little older, a little rounder, or less hair. Yet, the same as when you saw them last.

That is why we are impressed when we see someone who has made dramatic change in their life.

“The most powerful people are those who can change themselves.” (Tweet this Quote)

So, how do you make change?

Bit by bit. Step by step. And little by little.

Make Little Changes

We get so caught up in the big picture that we fail to see the small things we need to change.

Change is not usually done in big jumps, but rather little-by-little.

(Note: I am not saying that you shouldn’t set your goals high.)

I am saying to concentrate on the little things each and every day.

What are some small things that you could change in your life?

Here are a few little suggestions of things that you could change today:

• Read 20 pages of a book
• Exercise, even if it is just to take a quick walk
• Floss
• Take your vitamins
• Learn 1 new thing 
• Write a few sentences in your journal
• Don’t complain
• Compliment someone who is deserving
• Tell someone you love them (this little thing is often overlooked)
• Introduce yourself to someone you have encountered multiple times but yet still don’t know their name
• Take a different route to work… even if it is just the stairs vs. the elevator
• Bite your tongue when you shouldn’t be speaking
• Smile, even during tough situations
• Have a positive attitude, no matter the circumstances
• Be on time
• Drink water
• Get up early… or go to bed before it is too late
• Prepare for tomorrow today
• Take 1 step to make your goals closer

Don’t think big… think about something small that you can change today.

Take 5 Small Steps Today

It is good to aim high and stretch your limits.

But life is not always about changing the big things, but rather the little ones along the way.

It is about continuously makings small adjustments. Always course correcting.

I challenge you to pick 5 small changes to make in your life today.

Question: What 5 little things could you change today? Share yours below.

The wisdom of investing your time, versus spending it, has been well established. You want to do that as much as possible because your investments–e.g., relationships, self-care, education, and a passionate vocation or hobby—yield a profound return in terms of productivity and happiness. Expenses, in contrast, yield no such return and often subtract from your health and happiness.

However, the division between investments and expenses isn’t always clear. Here are four principles that will help you live as much as possible in the investment realm…

1) If You Truly Enjoy Doing Something It’s Probably an Investment

Most investments are complex, engaging, interesting, and enjoyable.

Most expenses, on the other hand, aren’t. Generally speaking, if you don’t enjoy doing something—if you’re just doing it because you have to (for instance, a non-mission day job); or to “kill time” (television); or because it’s conventional (housework); or because you’re afraid of being criticized if you don’t do it (committee work you don’t really care about, or a visit to unpleasant relatives, or, yeah, housework)—then it’s probably an expense, and you should work to minimize the time you devote to it.

This means, of course, that one person’s investment can be another’s expense. Cooking is an investment for those who revel in its creative and sensual aspects. However, for those (like me!) who don’t, cooking is a chore and, therefore, an expense that should be minimized.

2) Replace Escapist Activities with Replenishing Recreation

There are important differences between what I call “replenishing” and “escapist” recreation.

Replenishing recreation includes activities such as socializing, sports, arts, crafts, and outdoor activities like hiking or gardening. These activities are typically active and engaging; and they also typically connect you with others, with nature, or with your senses, intellect, or other capacities. They leave you mentally and physically healthy, as well as happy and fulfilled.

Replenishing recreation is an investment, and you should do plenty of it. Escapist recreation such as television, Web surfing, and videogaming, in contrast, tends to leave you bored and depleted. It also tends to be passive and solitary, and to leave you disconnected, disengaged, unhealthy, and unfulfilled.

Escapist recreation is a clear expense, so you want to minimize it. However, because we all need down time, it’s perfectly fine to schedule some escapism in. (When I help people with their time budgets, we generally begin with an hour of it a day, although that could increase or decrease in the final budget.) As you live more and more in the realm of your investments, however, television and other escapism become revealed for what they are – weak tea – and become easier to give up.

3) Help Others Strategically

The challenge with this category is that there’s basically an infinite need for help, both in the world as a whole and in our individual circles. Here are some guidelines for making sure that you don’t, in your desire to be a good person, derail your mission:

a) In a true emergency where someone’s health and well being depend critically on your participation, HELP. Even if you’re on the fence, in such a situation, you should probably help at least a little.

b) In non-emergencies, try as much as possible to help others only with their investments, and only when you can do so using your high-value activities, those which: (1) are congruent with your mission; (2) leverage your strengths; and (3) are impactful, i.e. they create change in the real world. This ensures you make a meaningful contribution, and is especially important since most of the people around you probably aren’t good time managers, and will therefore often ask for help with their expenses, not investments!

4) When You Don’t Feeling Like Doing An Investment, Slow Down

Most time investments, as noted above, are fun—but, let’s face it, some aren’t. Examples of investments some people dislike include personal finance, and health and fitness. A common “solution,” in such cases, is to procrastinate like mad, and then rush to finish the task. This not only feels bad, it will probably yield a suboptimal result. Instead, try this:

(a) Work to overcome your perfectionism around the task. This will help you set more reasonable goals, and alleviate any fear and ambivalence you might be feeling.
(b) Slow down and go deeper into the details. This might cause the task to magically transform into an interesting intellectual challenge!
(c) Reframe it as empowerment (which all investments really are); and
(d) Do it in community. Delegate what you can, and enlist a spouse, friend, or colleague to support you in doing the rest.

Even the least enjoyable investments, such as dealing with a chronic health problem, become much more palatable with these steps.

It takes some work to live your life more in the investment realm, but it is totally worth it! Take it in small steps, and enjoy the successes as they come.

Question: What changes can you make to start investing and stop spending your time?