Friday Feature: 10 Habits that Hinder Productivity

Yesterday was the last day of spring semester classes. Today is Reading Day, that miraculous day where I don't have to set an alarm and, when I get up, I have the whole day ahead of me to plan as I wish. I want to be productive as I have a number of deadlines looming, but today is also the perfect day to strive for balance.

While any day is a good day to do that, I find it harder to achieve this in days that are scheduled for me. Today, I get to choose and organize my priorities. For me, this is often a recipe for not only success, but also a feeling of accomplishment.

Several months ago, I saved an article from Success magazine about habits that hinder productivity. From the first tip (stop saying yes when you want to say no) to the last, the article (which takes less than five minutes to read), has great advice not just for productivity, but for balance as well. I'm working on that first tip, and I've definitely made some progress, simply by making it a goal. I've also gotten better at prioritizing my day (#10- another goal), and though I've become more mindful of some others like protecting my recharge time (#8), not multitasking (#5) and striving less for perfection (#7), I definitely have room for improvement in those areas as well.

Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to use this article to start a "what's wrong with me" party -- more like a "how can I make myself less stressed?" assessment. I don't fully agree with all ten items all the time, but overall, the advice is worth considering and, in some cases, implementing.

Revisiting this article reminded me that I let the beginning of May slip by without setting my monthly goals. Later on today, I look forward to settling in with a cold beverage, my calendar and this article to plot out the rest of the month. I've got lots of things to look forward to in May, along with a number of deadlines, and maybe adopting some of these habits will enable me to enjoy both more fully.

What detracts from your feelings of accomplishment?

Friday Feature: Time to Waste Some Time

The first year after I retired, I had nothing but time. My schedule, for the first time in my adult life, was of my own making.

A year later, I started teaching again and, in what now seems like the blink of an eye, my hours filled rapidly. Because I enjoy what I do, work quickly -- and frequently -- bled into the evenings and weekends.

Although I'm getting better at reclaiming evenings and weekends, I still struggle sometimes with the sense that I should be doing something more useful with my time.

In her blog in Success, Megan Nicole O'Neal reassures me that I'm not alone. She didn't write it just for me of course, but for all the adults who feel we need to milk every minute of every day.

Maybe, just maybe, we don't. Or, as O'Neal puts it, "...even the most determined flame can’t survive without oxygen."

Remember to waste a little time, for your own good. And, if you see me, remind me to practice what I preach.

Friday Feature: Just Be

When I was in college, I had a Garfield poster that said, "I try to take one day at a time, but lately, several have attacked me at once."

Yeah. It's been that kind of week.

But yesterday, we colored in my first year seminar -- and I do mean we. My students had that glazed, exhausted look, so in addition to the fact that the activity fit our discussion, it was a good day to  take a break. For fifteen minutes, the room was almost completely silent, as we practiced just chilling out for a small slice of our day.

I highly recommend it. If, however, you need a good reason to just chill out, check out this article from Success.

If you need me, I'll be over here with my crayons.