Tag Archive for: productivity tips

Why Quitters Always Win

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Photo credit: iStock

It’s a common misconception that quitting is easy.

In fact, quitting can be quite difficult due to how we view our investment of time. The more we put into something, the less likely we are to quit. Because if we quit then we feel as though those resources have been wasted.

It’s why people keep playing the lottery week after week, despite the fact that you’re more likely to be struck by lightning twice than win! Quitting comes with the constant paranoia that once you stop playing your numbers will come up. Isn’t that the worst feeling ever?

All that said — not only am I telling you it’s OK to quit, I’m also going to give you some tips on how to do it right: Read more

News Anchor Tamsen Fadal Lives by Lists

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Tamsen-1002Like me Tamsen Fadal works in the news business, so she knows the importance of a good list. She currently co-anchors the PIX11 News at 5, 6 and 10 in New York City. I used to work at PIX11 too, as a copyeditor/producer for the News at 10.

It’s always good to catch up with people there.  So I was excited to hear that Tamsen just released a new book called, “The New Single.”  And guess what she talks about in it?

Her love of list making!  So I asked her a few more questions about how she does it all.

Why do you call yourself a compulsive list producer?

There is no question about it. In fact, this interview was part of my Monday To Do List to make sure that I got it done. I love having a plan in place. It keeps me organized, efficient and it allows me to focus on the task at hand versus trying to do 10 different things and not accomplish any of them.

What do you make lists about?

I make lists about anything and everything.

  • Tasks I need to do.
  • Websites and apps I want to check out.
  • Foods I want to incorporate in my diet.
  • My workouts.
  • Long term goals and short term goals.
  • Pros and cons of a topic.

Read more

Meeting “Listful Thinkers” at Book Expo America

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BEA1Sometimes it’s important to look back in order to move ahead.  That happened to me last week when I attended my fourth Book Expo America conference.  I go every year for my day job as a senior health producer at Fox News.  I meet with publishers to talk about their new health, wellness and medical books that are coming out in the next year.

But this year I also attended as an author.  What a thrill!  I met with some list makers during two signings that my publisher set up.  One woman took out her huge binder to show me all her lists.  I couldn’t believe that she lugged it around with her everywhere, but she said she wouldn’t think of writing lists anywhere else.   Read more

Five Ways to Bounce Back After an Unproductive Morning

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Asleep at phoneI like to get up at 6:15am, hours before I need to be at work. I know it’s a little crazy, but it gives me a chance to relax and ease into my morning. Unfortunately sometimes I get a bit bogged down and the morning gets away from me. I’m sure some of you have experienced this too – being on a busy schedule can be taxing. But should we let a productivity setback stop us from being efficient the rest of the day? No!

Here are five ways to bounce back after having an unproductive morning:

Talk it out with somebody: When you are too focused on a problem, you can get stuck in your way of thinking about it. Sometimes you need to just step away from the desk and find someone to talk it out with. You’ll get the benefits of face- to- face interaction with the added bonus of a fresh perspective.

Remove distractions: It’s easy to get caught up answering emails and calls all day. They seem like such pressing issues sometimes. If you find yourself dealing with everyone else’s problems, you might need to shut down. Sometimes I turn off my phone and close my email inbox so I can focus on a single task. Read more

My Favorite Trick for Saving Time & Money

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Do you know exactly what’s in your kitchen? Or in the drawers of you desk? Over time – both at work and at home we tend to accumulate more then we use.

Did you know delving into the back of your pantry could save you time and money? How many times have you gone to buy something from the store, not realizing you still had some at home?

Get to Know Your Kitchen Again

This week I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with your kitchen to start.

Make a list of everything you have in your inventory. I’m talking about paper towels, maple syrup and even olive oil. Then when you do your weekly shopping you will have an idea of what you already have on hand.

You probably won’t spend anywhere near as much on groceries rebuying stuff you already have. Come on, we’ve all done it! It’s also a good time to get rid of old and expired food.

Optimize Your Desk for Efficiency

I also recommend taking a look through your desk at work. You’ll be surprised how much you can accumulate that will get in your way of being efficient. You might even find that file you’ve been looking for! I have lots of extra papers and pens that I never use. They just take up space and I always have to move them out of the way. Go through and take a look at what you have on hand as far as supplies go. And make sure to refill anything you need to do your job better.

This tip can also be applied to your inbox too. If you’re constantly sending similar emails, keep a saved draft version so all you have to do is edit the details and resend. It will cut down on time spent crafting emails from scratch.

What are some of your time and money-saving tricks?