A lot of the stress we experience is generated by the fear of the unknown. What I often do to control my own stress levels is I ask myself, "what's the worst that could happen?"
That's the cliff. ⛰️ I then start walking myself back from the cliff and reframing things.
Read MoreSaturday night, I took the 'long' route home from post-Sabbath services
It's about 2 minutes longer than if I had used the shortcut
But because of heavy rain that fell just minutes before, the shortcut was muddy and treacherous
So, I decided to take the 'long" way home to save myself the possibility of slipping and soiling myself, which would have made the 'short' way 'long' (I hope you're following me on this)
Which, come to think of it, I've been doing for most of my life
The fifth and final component of this step is to be sure to lead from values. Values are the core components of a person’s deepest beliefs, the concepts that they hold most dear and that drive decision making, or at least should. When a leader takes the time to identify her deepest values, she is likelier to make satisfying choices and remain consistent in her actions and choices. Moreover, if she is effective in articulating her values then others will understand her reasoning and be more inclined to support her process.
Read MoreFrom the moment we wake up each day, we’re faced with a continuous flow of choices. Many are minor and some are major. Even things that don’t seem so important, like what to take along for lunch or which task to complete first, can become bigger deals when we start to consider how aligned they are (or aren’t) with our goals and strategic priorities.
When we’re confronted with too many options, we tend to feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed or otherwise out of sorts. This is known as decision fatigue, a state of mental overload that can impede our ability to make additional decisions. When our minds are fatigued, we tend to make worse decisions and exercise less self-control.
Read MoreWe rely heavily on our brains to help us get more done. According to research, we do it way too much. We rely on our brains constantly to remember a litany of tasks on our mental to-do lists and to help us prioritize the list so we can and take the right action.
The problem is that our brains burn through much energy and attention trying to hold on to ideas, tasks, etc. that it doesn’t want to forget. It’s called the Zeigarnik effect. Think of it as a reminder system built into our minds that keeps pinging us when we know that there are things that we need to do and can’t forget about.
Read MoreRetired U.S. Army four-star General Stanley McChrystal gets a lot done. And it starts with his mornings, which are organized with military precision. Since his day is booked with work, he wakes up each morning at 4:00 AM to get in a 90-minute workout in before he heads into the office. This is the advice he dispenses for all of us to improve our own morning routines.
“Find certain things you know you should do, don’t like to do, or make excuses to avoid, and then do them every day or every other day, and then it just becomes a habit.”
Read MoreNow that we have determined which tasks we need to be doing, the next step is to set clear, actionable goals that will help us get our tasks done. Goal setting is a critical component of any growth process, personal or professional.
There are many benefits of setting goals, including:
Clarity and focus: Goals motivate us to cut through the weeds and get focused on what’s really important
Planning: Goals help us map out the necessary steps to achieve our desired result
Accountability: Goals force us to set and meet deadlines and be accountable to others
Transparency: When shared, goals help others understand what we’re focused on
Self-esteem: Goals raise our self-confidence as we see ourselves grow and progress
When you're feeling down or just "not in the mood"...
just take action!
This morning, I woke up feeling anything but "up."
I wasn't in the mood for my morning workout and was feeling a bit down in general due to some recent developments (nothing major, thank G-d.)
So, what did I do?
I remembered William (Bill) McRaven's "Make your bed!" motto and I decided to take action.
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.”
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