Want to Get More Done? Embrace the Power of the Pause

Not all work hours were created equal. To be more productive throughout the long workday, it is critical to know when to take breaks.

Many of us have experienced times when our mental capacity feels diminished at certain hours of the day. Personally, I have found that tasks requiring substantial cognitive effort or those with a high risk of error are best avoided after a specific time. This is not due to a lack of commitment, but rather a recognition that my optimal mental state has waned. This self-awareness is crucial for maintaining high productivity and minimizing stress.

How to build workplace passion

Productivity begins with engagement and passion. Disengaged, dispassionate workplaces are much less productive.

It is well-documented that many folks are not passionate about their work. According to Deloitte research, “Up to 87.7 percent of America’s workforce is not able to contribute to their full potential because they don’t have passion for their work.”

Feedback from my "Break often but briefly" post

“Thank you for sharing these helpful tips about taking breaks. Somehow, I was already taking a walk, reading and eating during my breaks. I intend to continue doing them. However, I may explore listening music which I rarely do. Sometimes, one feels a sense of guilt when one takes a break. It is reassuring to know that it is beneficial.”

Why you should sharpen your saw

The next “self-care” step is to “sharpen your saw,” to quote the habit devised by Stephen Covey.

Like a dulled saw cutting through a thick tree log, we produce diminished results when our depleted self attempts to “cut through” the daily grind and challenging projects. Even when we are working, we’re just going to get the same amount done or at the same level of quality.

To succeed over the long haul, we need to take care of ourselves through what we eat, the exercise and sleep we get, and more.

The clock sprung forward, but did you? 😩

For everyone who "sprung forward" over the weekend, it'll take some time for your bodies to adjust.

Even if you slept in, its still on its old schedule.

Here are some quick tips to help it adjust:

Stay consistent with your eating, bed, and exercise times
If you need to nap, keep it short

Break often but briefly

Breaking often to get more done may seem counterintuitive. I mean, who would think that that taking additional breaks would help you be more productive? Especially when you’re so busy as it is, and your to-do list is packed with things that must get done.

But hear me out. Because even if you pride yourself in your work ethic and your ability to concentrate for prolonged periods, your brain, your mind and your to-do list will thank me.

There are many reasons that we should be taking regular work breaks. Here are some of them.

4 Networking Tips For Introverts (and Extroverts, too!)

Do you go to networking events?

And are you an introvert?

If you are, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. How will you manage in a large, crowded space?

Good news! It doesn’t have to be scary or impossible to navigate.

To those who say otherwise, I say “B.S.!”

No. Not THAT B.S.

Here are my 4 “B.S.” networking strategies for #introverts.

Be Still
Be Strategic
Be Seen
Be Sticky

To conquer your day, wake up early

When I was growing up, there was one advertisement that would consistently grab your attention. In it, U.S. Army personnel were up super early, engaged in all sorts of high-energy training and action tasks. The tagline was, “we do more by 9 AM than most people do all day.”

While I never joined the Armed Forces, intuitively my little brain knew that they were on to something.

That’s because if you want to get more done, you need to start your day early.

Unleashing the Introverted Leader

The reality is that introversion has little to do with our levels of social comfort or verbosity. Rather, it reflects on our energy source. Extroverts are people who gain their energy from others. They walk into a room and feel energized, feeding off of the collective energy as they navigate through the crowd. They seek other’s company and feel somehow incomplete if they are left in isolation for too long.

Introverts, in contrast, gain their energy from quiet, private time. They love to think and reflect privately, with the door closed, and enter into public settings out of necessity rather than preference. While many introverts can be described as quiet, introverts are more than capable of speaking and engaging as circumstances dictate. It’s more about their preferences and inclinations rather than their disposition or capacity.

leadershipNaphtali HoffNovember 9, 2020Impactful Coaching & Consultingleadership, introverts, social, skills, energyComment

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