Continuous Personal Improvement

Personal growth usually comes in small baby steps. Is it conceivable to think that you could be 1% more productive and resourceful with your time next week? Of course it is! If you would become 1% incrementally more effective each week you could actually double your productivity in eighteen months time. The way to greatness is in continuous improvement a little bit at a time.

Perception And Reality

We shape the way others are thinking about us all the time without realizing it. By what we say and do, how we dress and groom ourselves and in a lot of other subtle ways. It is not enough to work hard, you also have to appear to work hard. It is not enough to be good, you have to appear to be good too. In one way perception is reality.

Reactive Or Proactive?

You can either be reactive or proactive in your daily dealings with people and events. Reactive people respond to outside stimuli, never really in the driver seat of their life and career. Proactive people think ahead in anticipation and are always one step ahead. They develop vision and foresight. I suggest you take a little time to think ahead every day, put it in your calendar if you have to. Create, at least, thirty minutes of concerted thinking time every week and you will see the difference.

Think Secondary Consequences

Most people are able to calculate the result or the primary consequence of their actions. "If I do this, that will happen." But then what ...? Strategic thinkers are those who can set aside immediate gratification and think longer term. They ask: "What will be the long term result of this course of action?" When you develop your thoughtfulness and purposely think more about secondary consequences of your actions, you become a strategic thinker.

Bunch Your Tasks

There is a learning curve involved in every activity. You get the job done quicker when you set time aside to do similar tasks, all together, at once. For example; paying your bills or doing expense reports at the office or other reoccurring activities. To become more productive, bunch your tasks together and do them in sequence. This way you get your job done faster.

Management And Parenting

In a management role you need to play both the carrot and the stick sometimes. It is a little like parenting. As a parent you need to be both encouraging and demanding at the same time. Encouragement is praise in advance. Say something like: "Come on, you can do it. I will help you!" and give your people a good reputation to live up to.

Best Use Of Your Time

Some things you can delegate to others. Some things need not get done at all. And some things are extremely critical to your success. Ask yourself: "What can only I do, that will make a difference, which if I didn't do it, wouldn't get done at all?" Focus your effort on your highest value activities. What is the best use of your time right now?