Category: Books

How Quitting Early Will Ruin Your Life - January 24, 2012 by timemanagementmum

We are a quick fix society.

We want immediate action.

We expect immediate results.

When we don’t get them, we complain. Often, we get upset.

Then we quit and move on to something else.

When Do You Give Up?

Too many people flit from one activity or goal to the next.

They want immediate gratification whether it is a simple task or a long-range goal.

Unfortunately, that’s not how life works. It’s not how you win.

To accomplish great things, you have to put in the work.

And then you have to put in more.

“Those who win are the ones who keep going, long after everyone else has given up and gone home.”

Most people are starters and stoppers.

They love to start new things, and then they hang it up just as quickly.

(Whether it is a new skill, a new workout program, or even a new job.)

Instead, you need to be a starter and a finisher.

Quitting Too Early

Why do you quit?

Because things are… Too hard? Too much work? Too much discomfort?

You have to be willing to go through, around, and over the obstacles in your way.

To paraphrase one of my mentors Randy Pausch…

The brick walls are there to make you show how badly you want something.

They’re there to keep out the other people.

Simply put, winners do the things that losers are not willing to do.

Winners put in the work. They do the practice. They have the discipline.

The others? They let the walls keep them out.

They quit too soon, often within site of the goal line.

They think that is good enough.

Don’t Stop Now

Those that “don’t give up,” know another secret.

In many of life’s most important things… there is no clear finish line.

You keep going. You keep doing the right thing.

And you keep winning… long after others have given up.

Question: Do you give up too early? What are you doing that you need to stick with?


Time Management Ninja

9 Rogue Rules to Fix Corporate Email - January 23, 2012 by timemanagementmum

Email has gotten out of control.

Doubt it?

Your employees are spending up to half of their day on it.

What can we do to bring this productivity monster under control?

(Hint: We may have to go rogue on this one.)

Email Has Taken Over

Email is here to stay.

Despite our best efforts, it isn’t going anywhere.

Like the fax machine, we will still be using it in the year 2491.

I previously spelled out TMN’s 9 Laws of Work Email.

Today, I want to propose some radial ways to think differently about email.

After all, email has been superseded by new social tools and communications but it still seems to be stuck, well, in the 90s. (Not to say that there aren’t some positive email uses.)

So, how can we radically change corporate email to restore productivity to our workplace?

I have proposed 9 “rules” below to do just that. However, I want to preface them with the idea that they do not have to be hard and fast limits. Especially, if that helps us leave our comfort zones…

In fact, maybe emails should be flagged based on policy and reviewed similarly to expense report violations.

“Which costs a company more… a lunch expense overage or a rogue email that calls a meeting with 11 people?”

So, if we want to radically change email and how it works… what should we do?

9 Rogue Corporate Email Rules

Email is a sacred cow.

Some people love it. Especially those who abuse it.

However, here are some tough ideas on how to challenge email’s power in the workplace…

9 Rogue Rules to Fix Corporate Email

  1. Timed Deliveries - People need to stop thinking of email as instantaneous. We cannot expect our employees to sit at their desk waiting for emails to arrive and immediately act upon them. Let’s limit delivery of email. If email is the new snail mail, maybe it should only be delivered once a day at a preset time. This would reset people’s expectation that others are going to read their email within minutes.
  2. Limited Distribution - Set up corporate email accounts so that they can’t copy more than 3 people per message. Perhaps, vary this limit based upon position or seniority.
  3. AutoClose Email Clients - Corporate IT seems to want to “auto do” all kinds of other things to our machines. Why not auto-close email clients after a few minutes of inactivity? (They could even call it a security measure.) This would eliminate unneeded email alerts and interruptions.
  4. Limit Message Length - There is no need for a 3 page email. Just like Twitter, we need a strict character (or word) limit on our work emails. Maybe a 100 words per message.
  5. Mandatory Spell Check - The fact that you wrote an email on your phone 15 seconds before walking into your lunch date doesn’t mean that others should have to slog through a poorly written message. Make spelling and grammar checks mandatory before messages can be sent.
  6. No Signatures - We don’t need your contact information in every single email you send. Nor do we need to give out our contact info to every single person we email. Remove this functionality. If email messages are employees’ Rolodexes then it might be time for remedial organization training.
  7. Black Out Hours - Turn off email delivery during weekends, holidays, and off hours. Employees can write email during off time, but they get queued until after the black out time. See Rule #1.
  8. No Same Day Meeting Invites – Nothing is more disruptive that last-minute meeting invites. Companies should set their own minimum interval. One day notice? Perhaps, two or three.
  9. Limit the # of Emails – Simply put, limit the # of emails that an employee can send in a day. (I once got 200 emails from one person in a day.) This would stop the email pushers and those who shuffle emails instead of doing actual work. There would literally be a few people who wouldn’t know what to do with their day!

Rogue or Right On?

Some of these may seem extreme.

Are they too radical? Or are we just clinging to our comfort zones?

Some companies are eliminating email altogether.

You have to wonder why we spend so much time on it.

So, let’s close the email and get some work done.

Is email a time waster in your company? How would your fix it?


Time Management Ninja

50 Things You’re Putting Off That You’ll Regret Later - January 21, 2012 by timemanagementmum

Why do we put off the things that we say are the most important?

Why doesn’t our most crucial task get done? Or the thing that we have been meaning to do for months?

Eventually things catch up to us. Either there are consequences. Or we simply miss the opportunity to do them.

Whether it is playing with the kids. Starting a new career. Or simply telling someone we care about them.

Don’t put off the important things. You may not get another chance.

50 Things You’re Putting Off That You’ll Regret Later

  1. Doing the #1 task on your todo list.
  2. Making that phone call.
  3. Getting the car maintenance done.
  4. Fixing something that is out-of-order.
  5. Going to the doctor.
  6. Getting enough sleep.
  7. Pursuing your dreams.
  8. Reading a book.
  9. Spending time with someone you care about.
  10. Going for a walk.
  11. Going to see the person you need to talk to.
  12. Exercising.
  13. Telling the truth.
  14. Confronting something from your past.
  15. Doing something for your future.
  16. Saving money.
  17. Learning something new.
  18. Answering that email.
  19. Getting your degree.
  20. Working on your resume.
  21. Finding a new job.
  22. Doing something that you are passionate about.
  23. Putting yourself first.
  24. Getting a life… yours.
  25. Facing a fear.
  26. Starting your hobby.
  27. Losing weight.
  28. Taking time off from work.
  29. Helping someone who needs it.
  30. Appreciating your family.
  31. Setting goals for yourself.
  32. Testing and stretching your limits.
  33. Eating a healthy meal.
  34. Enjoying some quiet time.
  35. Traveling someplace you have never been.
  36. Doing something you have never done.
  37. Talking to someone you don’t know, but want to.
  38. Starting a new habit.
  39. Stopping a bad habit.
  40. Cleaning up your desk.
  41. Donating something to charity.
  42. Writing in your journal.
  43. Going to see a friend.
  44. Emptying the garage.
  45. Talking the dog for a walk.
  46. Playing with your kids.
  47. Taking your spouse on a date.
  48. Doing something on your bucket list.
  49. Standing up for yourself.
  50. Telling someone you love them.

Don’t Regret It, Instead Do It

There is never enough time to do it all.

Stop putting these things off today.

Do what you need to do. And what you have been meaning to do.

You might not get another chance.

Question: What’s on your list? What are you putting off?


Time Management Ninja

Is Your Momentum Taking You To Success or Failure? - January 9, 2012 by timemanagementmum

We often think about the speed of our lives.

How much we are hurrying…

How fast we can do that…

How busy we are…

However, we don’t often think about the momentum behind all that motion.

Stop and consider your own.

Do you know in which direction it is taking you?

More importantly, how much effort would you need to change your course?

Where is Your Momentum Taking You?

Momentum is a very powerful force.

One that you cannot ignore.

It is the force that brings successful people to even more success.

And it is also the force that continues a downward spiral into self-destruction.

“Momentum can take you over the top of the hill or into the ditch below.”

The simple truth is that momentum keeps us going.

It can carry you to victory. Or lead to your defeat.

The question is, “Is your momentum taking you in the right direction?”

Towards Success or Failure?

When an object has momentum, it will continue in the direction it is headed.

It is the same with our lives.

“Newton’s 1st Law of Physics states that an object in motion will continue in that motion until acted upon by a force.”

If you are headed in a positive direction with healthy habits, you will tend to stay in that direction.

On the other hand, if you are practicing bad habits, you will continue down that dark path.

The phenomenon of momentum also explains why it is so hard to begin new things.

If you aren’t moving, you don’t have any momentum.

That’s why starting is always the hardest part.

You have to get up and start that goal. Begin that task. And build momentum.

Respect Your Momentum

Your momentum can lift you to success.

Or it can bring you down to ruin.

Ensure sure your momentum is taking you in the direction you want.

If not, you have to take action.

It requires effort to change the course of a body in motion.

After all, Newton proved that many years ago.

Which direction is your momentum taking you?


Time Management Ninja

12 Things You Need To Do Before 2012 - January 2, 2012 by timemanagementmum


I have some news for you.

2012 is here.

Well, just about.

Only 19 days left until the New Year.

For many, this is the last full week of work before holiday vacations.

Are you ready for 2012?

Is Your 2011 Finished?

You may be surprised that 2012 is so close.

New Year’s has a way of sneaking up on us.

“You are sitting comfortably in September, and before you know it, it’s the middle of December.”

However, there is still time to finish up 2011. But, you need to act fast.

What do you need to do?

At work? At home?

It’s time to make a list of the things that you need to complete before the end of the year.

Get Ready for 2012

It’s not too early to start preparing for 2012.

It will be here before you can finish preparing for that holiday party.

Here are 12 Things You Need To Do Before 2012 Arrives:

  1. Finish Up 2011 - Many of us have things we planned to do in 2011. It is not too late to accomplish them. What is still on your 2011 goals list? For many employees, there is a mad scramble to finish things that are on their 2011 Reviews.
  2. Limit Your Obligations - The holiday season can be stressful because there is simply too much going on. Holiday parties, work deadlines, vacation, travel, gift-giving. Your calendar and todo list can be overwhelming. Limit yourself and your obligations. Say “no” where appropriate and keep your todo list in check.
  3. Take Note of Where You Are – The end of the year is the time to check the score. Review your accomplishments. Re-read your journal. If you don’t know where you stand currently, you can’t possibly make goals for the New Year.
  4. Clean Up and Get Organized – Many people wait until the Spring to do their cleaning. But, the end of the year is a great time to get organized and clean up. A clean workplace and home can make your New Year start more productive.
  5. Name Your Goals for 2012 – The time to lay out your 2012 goals is now, not after the New Year arrives. Write your goals down. Be as specific as possible as to what you want to accomplish. For example, “Get in shape” is too vague. “Lose 15 pounds” is more precise and gives you a way to measure your success.
  6. Plan – Get a long-term calendar and start plotting out your 2012. Most people don’t plan out beyond the next few days or weeks. It’s important to put long-term events and milestones on your calendar. I already have my calendar booked out through next October. If you are looking for a great 2012 planning calendar, here is a great one by @JessePhillips, Seize the Year 2012.
  7. Prepare – Scheduling is great. However, getting ready is the action step. What do you need to do in order to be ready to start 2012? Do you need to sign-up for something? Read some references? Learn a new skill? Do your homework so that you can start 2012 on the right footing.
  8. Tell Others – Many people keep their plans and goals hidden and secret. I recommend the opposite. Tell everyone what you are going to do. Get support from friends and family. If they do not know your goals, they cannot offer support and motivation.
  9. Make a Map – List and calendars are good ways to get your thoughts down. However, if you want to get a 10,000 foot view of your goals, I recommend making a mindmap. It is the quickest, easiest way to capture all your thoughts in one place. Make your 2012 map to help you find your way in the new year.
  10. Set Deadlines – As the saying goes, “Goals without deadlines are just dreams.” If you want to actually reach your goals, you need to set aggressive deadlines to get there. Otherwise, your dreams will remain just that… dreams.
  11. Be Realistic – Always set your sights higher than you believe you can reach. You need to stretch your potential. However, if your goals or timeframes are not based in reality, you will fail. Take special caution here, it is important not to hold yourself back. You set your own limits. Whether or not you can do something is often directly related to whether or not you think you can.
  12. Start Now - There is no reason to wait until January 1st to start your 2012 goals. Start today. I am not a big believer in waiting until New Year’s. Any day of the year is a good day to start a resolution. In fact, today is always the best day to start.

What Is In Your 2012?

2011 is almost done.

It’s time to finish those 2011 todo lists.

It’s also time to get ready for 2012.

Take action today and start mapping out your goals.

What do you need to finish before the end of the year? What are your goals for the New Year?


Time Management Ninja

TMN’s Top 10 Posts of 2011 - January 1, 2012 by timemanagementmum

TMN Year in Review

It has been a great year at TMN.

I want to thank you for your support.

Looking back, I am truly amazed at some of the events from this year.

Some of the highlights:

  • Traffic Quadrupled at TMN This Year. Not a simple feat. But, one that I hope to repeat in the coming year. :)
  • Launched 1st TMN eCourse/eWorkbook. It has been a resounding successful so far, and hope to widen its exposure in the coming year. Get TMN’s 31 Days, 31 Ways course here.
  • TMN Featured on Many Websites. TMN was seen on websites ranging from Lifehacker to BlogTalkRadio to WiseBread to the Virtual Business Lifestyle and more. Look for even more exposure for TMN in the coming year.
  • Spoke at the Women’s Biz Bootcamp Conference - One of my speaking highlights this year was at the Women’s Business Bootcamp here in Atlanta. I gave talks on both “Time Management” and “How to Kickstart Your Blog.”

TMN’s Top Posts of 2011

What was your favorite TMN post of 2011?

Here were the top posts by traffic:

  1. The iPad 2: Top Ten Productivity Uses
  2. How I Use My iPad To Get Work Done
  3. 9 Ways to Start the 9AM Meeting On Time
  4. 10 Ways to Save Time With Evernote
  5. 14 Dangerous Ways to Be More Productive At Work
  6. Why You Should Try a Moleskine
  7. The Power Of 1 (Interesting to note that this post is almost 2 years old!)
  8. Siri: Top Productivity Uses
  9. 17 Ways to Be The Early Bird
  10. Simply the Best Todo List: Wunderlist

Coming in 2012

Here’s what is already on my map for 2012:

  • Speaking at Select Conferences – Look for events and dates soon.
  • New Book in the Works – I have started work on my next book which will probably be self-published.
  • More Training Courses – I get many requests for training, look for more online courses and resources in the coming year.
  • Community Site – This is a project that I have considered for some time. I have created a community site for individuals to share their goals and productivity tips. It will launch right after the New Year. Are you working on your goals? If so, you will want to check it out here.
  • Guest Bloggers – I have invited some of my closest time management ninjas to share their expertise on TMN. Look for Guest Posts on TMN once a week in the coming year. (Interested? See how to write for TMN here…)
The New Year is almost here… see you there!

Best wishes in 2012!


Time Management Ninja

New Year, Old Goals - December 30, 2011 by timemanagementmum

As the year winds down, many find themselves looking forward to the New Year.

They are hoping that it will be better than the current one.

They are setting goals and make resolutions about what they will accomplish in the coming year.

What about you?

Have you planned for the coming year?

Have you made your resolutions yet?

And here is the tough question… “Are they the same goals you set last year?”

Different Year, Same Goals

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions.

You don’t need to wait until the New Year to set goals and take action. (See why you should “Just Do It Now.”)

Studies have shown that 80% of people fall off their resolutions within 30 days.

Are your goals the same every year?

I bet I can name several of your goals…

- Get in shape/lose weight

- Get your finances in order/eliminate your debt

- Get a better job/change careers

- Spend more time with your family

- Learn something new

Do these sound familiar? Why haven’t you accomplished them?

After all, you said you were going to do them last year.

How about this year?

Make Your Goals… And Keep Them.

I have previously written about why you won’t reach your goals.

This year, let’s make them stick.

Here are 5 tips to help you when setting your goals:

  • Pick a Handful of Goals – When I say pick a handful of goals, I mean this literally. You have five fingers, pick 5 goals. You can keep track of them on one hand. I see people whose resolution list is well over a dozen resolutions. This is simply too much. These people tend to be unsuccessful at all of their resolutions. Be successful in your most important goals and the rest will follow.
  • Write them Down – Post your goals where you can see them. When I was started TMN several year ago, I posted papers all over the dining room wall. (My wife wasn’t too thrilled, but she went along with it.) Every day I had to look at those papers and they reminded and drove me towards my goals. Some people like to put them on their bathroom mirror.
  • Do Them Daily - When you are trying to make big things happen, you have to work on them every day. Yes, every day. When you start to think that you will put it off, or do it another day… that is when you start to slip. That is when you start to let go. Don’t let this happen to you. Daily discipline is how great things are done.
  • Be Willing To Pay the Price – You will have to sacrifice. Every goal has a price. If your goal is to write a book, you might need to turn off the TV at night. If you want to get in shape, you may need to get up early and go to the gym before work. If it helps, think of this as the “price of admission” to your goals.
  • Tell People You Trust – By this, I mean tell those people who will impact your path to your goals. Telling your office workers may seem like a feel good tactic, but will they be there to help you take that class late at night? Or help with the kids when you workout? We avoid telling those closest to us, because we don’t want to be vulnerable. However, it is your spouse, family, and closest friends that can support you along way to success.

Which Year Are You Waiting For?

Are you looking at a new year with the same goals?

If you don’t take action, I can tell you where you’ll be in a year.

In the same spot you are in now.

This year, don’t just think about the same goals.

Instead, think about what you are going to do differently.

Do you have the same goals this year as last?

 

PS – Want to join others that are going to stick with their goals in 2012?

Sign up to be notified about the new TMN Community. A group of us are going to set and share our goals for the New Year. Join us here.


Time Management Ninja

Just Do It Now. - December 26, 2011 by timemanagementmum

We get ready to do something.

And then we hesitate.

We stop.

We do something else.

We do anything else.

Sounds familiar?

Today, just do.

Putting It Off.

We often put down small tasks that should take just a minute.

- It will only take me a minute to put this away… I’ll do it later.

- It is a small job to clean this up… I’ll get it to later.

- I have to respond to this… but I’ll put it off.

However,when you put down a few of these tasks, they pile up quickly.

Suddenly, you have an entire garage to clean out.

Or an inbox with hundreds (or thousands!) of emails.

Some people say, “I’ll do this later.”

Those who succeed are the ones who just do.

It is easy to not take action.

It requires discipline to do the things that are often right in front of us.

Just Do Something.

Do Something… Anything… But, do it now.

  • Do something on your todo list.
  • Do something great.
  • Do something you have been putting off.
  • Do something you don’t want to do.
  • Do something for yourself.
  • Do something for someone you love.
  • Do something for someone that needs help.
  • Do something BIG.
  • Do something small.
  • Do something unexpected.
  • Do something before its deadline.
  • Do something you need to do.
  • Do something that you don’t have time for.
  • Do something you are proud of.
  • Do something that matters.
  • Do something passionate.
  • Do something instead of talking about it.
  • Do anything.

 

Here’s the secret…

Just do it now.

Now Beats Later.

Sometimes you just need to do.

Action begets action.

Just Do It Now.

Period.

What do you need to do now?


Time Management Ninja

The Best Productivity Tech of 2011 - December 22, 2011 by timemanagementmum

TMN’s Best of 2011

As the year ends, I want to give recognition to the best productivity tools of the past year.

So, today’s post is about Time Management Ninja’s favorite tools of 2011.

You may have heard me talk about some of these previously. And there are a couple that I have kept to myself until now.

These are the tools that were in my arsenal this year.

Hopefully, you will add a few of these to yours.

Best Todo List: Wunderlist

Wunderlist is the best todo list out there.

It works on almost all devices out there. It syncs effortlessly between all of your platforms. It has sharable lists.

And of course, it is deadly simple.

None of the bloat that hampers other todo lists.

You can read my previous reviews of Wunderlist here and here.

Go get Wunderlist (Free).

Best Email App: Sparrow

My email client of choice is Sparrow for Mac.

I think it is the best lightweight email client out there.

Read my previous review here.

It is fast, powerful, and productive.

Get Sparrow from the Mac App Store. (.99 – There is also a free lite version to try it out.)

Best Calendar App: Fantastical

Want the most productive calendar out there?

Want to add that conference date for next year to your calendar in mere seconds?

You have to try Fantastical. It is that good.

Fantastical sits in your menu bar and springs to life when you need it. It has some of the best event text recognition I have seen. It interprets your input to immediately place your event on your calendar.

Get Fantastical from the Mac App Store. (.99)

I have been remiss in doing a full review of Fantastical. I will remedy that soon.

Best Online Notes App: Workflowy

Here is a well-kept secret.

I have been using Workflowy for the past few months.

It is like having an endless notebook in the cloud. You can take notes, make lists, or write outlines.

It is fast, slick, and a great way to get your thoughts out-of-your-head. And you can then access it from anywhere.

If you like note apps and are looking for a cloud-accessible solution, look no further than Workflowy.

Check out Workflowy. (Free)

Best Password Manager: LastPass

Save time and effort, and be safer at the same time!

I use LastPass to manage all my passwords. (See my review here.)

It also helps me generate complex passwords and remembers them so that I do not have to.

The best part is that I can access my passwords from the cloud no matter where I am.

They recently added Goggle Authenticator support for 2-factor authentication. Because you can’t be too secure.

Get LastPass today. (Free and Premium)

Best Social Media Tool: Buffer

If there is one tool that has changed how I use social media in 2011, it is Buffer.

Simply put, Buffer is the quickest way to tweet or post to Facebook.

Get the Chrome extension and start using it today. You can even do it from your mobile. And from Twitter itself!

Here is the magic formula… you add things to your queue and Buffer tweets/posts them at preset prime times that you have set up.

It’s really handy when I am working at 4AM and want to queue up top content for my readers to see later in the day.

It takes seconds to use and has saved me a lot of time and effort in my social media workflow.

I recently added Buffer to the share options on TMN. (See the new Buffer button in the share area…)

Joel and Leo have proven what a small team with a great idea can produce!

Go get Buffer. (Free and Premium)

Best Journal App: Day One

I have previously written about the productivity benefits of having a journal.

Day One is my journal of choice. I have it on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. It stays secure and perfectly in sync.

Day One can even prompt you at regular intervals to remind you to add to your journal.

If you need one journal app, this is it.

Get Day One for Mac here. (.99)

Or try Day One for iPhone/iPad. (.99)

Best Utility App: Clarify

Clarify is one of the latest additions to my productivity toolkit.

It is a screen capture app specifically designed to make instruction sets.

Ever need to quickly explain to a teammate how to do something inside an app?

Or do you want to demonstrate a specific feature to someone via email?

Clarify helps you construct PDF instructions in mere minutes.

I was amazed to see how quickly you can construct a document.

The app is well designed and the simplicity is impressive.

Get Clarify in the App store. (.95 – You can also get a free trial.)

Best Gadget: iPad 2

Don’t bother with any other tablets.

I don’t care if they cost or have “Fire” in their name, you are wasting your time and money.

I won’t even try to convince you otherwise.

Instead, here is an actual conversation I overheard in Costco one day in front of a competitor’s display.

Two young kids were talking about the tablet that was on display:

Kid 1, “Is that an iPad?”

Kid 2, “No, that is a tablet made by some ‘other’ company. That’s not what you want!”

Enough said.

Get the iPad 2.

Best of 2011…What’s Next?

These were the best tools of the past year.

I hope my recommendations will aid you in improving your productivity.

I am excited to see what new technology comes along in 2012 to improve and simplfy our lives.

What was your favorite productivity technology of 2011? What would you add to the list?

(Note: Some of the above links above are affiliate links.)


Time Management Ninja

Stop Being Comfortable & Start Being Motivated - December 21, 2011 by timemanagementmum

Like most, you probably don’t like new things that you can’t control.

You prefer to be in your comfort zone.

However, to learn new things we have to leave our comfort zones.

To grow, we have to go through periods of change and times of vulnerability.

Are you comfortable?

Or better yet, are you too comfortable?

Get Uncomfortable, Get Motivated

We are hard-wired to stay in our comfort zones and to resist change.

The problem is that when we get too comfortable, we get stagnant.

We stop learning. We don’t grow.

We don’t experience new things. We don’t get better results.

“If you do what you have always done…

You’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.”

Are you satisfied with getting the same results?

If not, it’s time to get motivated.

It’s time to get uncomfortable.

Things You Are Comfortable With

Where have you gotten comfortable?

You can name at least one area of your life where you have gotten too complacent.

You have settled with the status quo. You may not be happy, but you are not doing anything about it.

You are just sitting there. Watching time go by and your condition stay the same.

It’s like sitting in the mud. And you don’t get out because it’s just too much effort.

Really? Does that make sense?

Here are 5 Things You Are Too Comfortable With…

  • Your Job – I hear so many people who, “Aren’t happy with their job.” That is OK. However, the question is, “What are you doing about it?” People quickly offer excuses, “I can’t find another job” or “It would be too much effort.” This is your life and happiness we are talking about. And that is too much effort?
  • Your Physical Fitness – We have become a society that has gotten lazy with our physical fitness. We like to talk about losing weight. But, “How many times have you been to the gym this week?” When was the last time you did something physical? Get up and get out there. Even if it means taking a long walk outdoors.
  • Your Finances – We get comfortable even when our finances are bad. We get comfortable living with debt. (Which is how credit card companies want it…) We get comfortable living paycheck-to-paycheck. What lifestyle changes do you need to make? Do you need to get a better or second job? Don’t sit there. Do something to change your financial standing.
  • Your Relationships – Are you hanging out with people you want to? Are you staying in a relationship because it is easy? Life is too short. Make sure you spend yours with people who you love and truly care about. There are plenty of good people out there, go find them!
  • Your Time Management –  You run from task to task, appointment to appointment. Are you happy being stressed? Does your time management reputation proceed you? It doesn’t have to be that way. Take control of your time and life. (Need a place to start? Check out my 31 Days, 31 Ways Course.)

Let’s Get Uncomfortable

As we head into the New Year, ask yourself, “Am I too comfortable?”

Ask, “What do I want to accomplish?”

Then, make a decision to leave your comfort zone.

Don’t sit there any longer.

Don’t settle anymore.

And of course, don’t be comfortable.

What do you need to leave your comfort zone to achieve?

PS – Want to join others that are going to get uncomfortable in 2012?

Sign up to be notified about the new TMN Community. A bunch of us are going to get uncomfortable together and share our goals for the New Year. Join us here.


Time Management Ninja

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