Streamlining Life

While you were very busy running the show at your business, there were chores piling up and other things that needed to get done. At the office, you are already using cloud services and internet phone systems but there are other things at home that could be streamlined to be more productive. First of all you need to see your time as translatable into money. Then based on that decision, see if you can actually hire someone to do it cheaper that what you make in that time. One of the things that you can start with is the laundry and dry cleaning. There is a company that will pick up and drop off your laundry for you so you can go to those meetings looking your best. Nothing says stress like a trip to the grocery story. The parking lot is littered with carts and slow moving meanderers and those screaming bratty kids. There are actually several companies that will deliver the food for you right to your door. Lastly, it is also important that you plan your weekend to get the most out of your relaxation time.

Be Happy Through Gratitude

With the World Happiness Report coming out recently, there has been more attention on being happy and how to get there. One of the main ways to be happier is to practice gratitude. You might be thinking, well where do I start? You could start keeping a gratitude journal. The key here is to document people you are grateful for. Think about what life would be like without them and how they have touched your life. You can even do it only once a week and still experience all the positive effects. Another thing that you can do to chase away stress is to take less than a minute to smile, say thank you, and set an intension for the day. Even if you do not feel like smiling, do it anyway because research has shown that it can actually help release feel good molecules. Say thank you to someone that has helped you in some way today, whether it was just a listening ear or some help on that web development project. So here is to being more grateful for what we have and striving to make the world a better place.

A Watch in Reverse

The concept of a watch can be interesting once the restriction of going forward is abandoned. With the Apple watch due to launch pretty soon, there are a number of mobile application developers that are switching gears and making apps for the watch and its smaller screen. One of the most interesting concepts is the app that counts down how much time you have left to live. The idea comes for the fact that many people have a tendency to discount the future in favor of the present. For example, they will say, I am going to the gym tomorrow but today I am going to have that last cigarette. With the Life Clock, you would be able to add time based on good habits and subtract time based on bad ones. Of course, you might be thinking that it will only make people think about the future and forget to live in the present. I think it could work in both directions simultaneously. You will be constantly reminded of just how much time you have left so that you do not take the present for granted and at the same time be motivated to do more to extend that time by picking up healthier habits. How do you feel about time and watches?

Time Management

Everyone has 168 hours in a week, no exceptions. When it comes to running a business, it is imperative that you are able to manage your time to be able to live the life you want. There might be some great mobile applications out there but do not get suckered into thinking that it is really helping when you are probably just wasting repeating the same bad habits with a new toy. The first thing that you should do is take a look at where you spend your time and be honest with yourself. Write it down so that you can really see where you stand. The first part of addressing an issue is to identify the cause and that it even exists. Once you have the whole picture right in front of you, really ask yourself what you want to be doing and where you want to spend more time. Rather than feeling enslaved by your job or business, focus on what you really want and learn to manage yourself effectively so that you can accomplish more without sacrificing precious time.

Weed Out Perfectionism

Did you know that aiming for perfection can stifle and sometimes completely kill creativity, spontaneity, and disruption? You need all of the in order to really achieve your goals and do great work. You need to get your work out there and then see what type of revision it will need. There will be more progress once those ideals are knocked down. This is why software development companies embrace the idea of updates. Also, the market is always changing so the perfect solution will also be changing along with it. Business should understand that nobody is perfect and mistakes will happen. The turning point in that thinking is that the people that make those mistakes are held accountable and then take actions to make improvements. The business also have to realize that sometimes slightly less than perfect can be good enough. It is what keep the whole team moving in the right direction. What are your thoughts of being perfect?

Finding Motivation

Everyone has days when their get up and go, got up and left. You might be saying that there are people depending on you to stay motivated and yet you know every procrastination trick in the book. There are a couple ways to get out of the funk. First try starting something new that is related to the work that you are doing. Getting something going will be able to get that momentum started. Once you got it going, there are so many other things that are begging for your attention and you feel temped to continue to procrastinate. My advise is to shut everything off including but not limited to phone services, email, and texts. You should try to get someone to hold you accountable. There is nothing quite like the support of a good friend. While your friend is busy dangling a carrot in front of you, you can compete with the clock. Break up the big project into small tasks and set a time limit on each for about 15 minutes. Smaller tasks are much easier to digest than the whole entire project..

Freaking Out: There is a Solution for It

So you are just about to present the content management system that you just set up for your client and the nerves are running amok. There are a couple things that you can do to chill out. A deep breath is an automatic and effective technique for winding down, and deep breathing in a stressful situation can help relax your body and get everything into synch. Before you go into that room that is beginning to feel like the fighting pits, put in those earbuds and listen to some music or a meditation mobile application. If you are listening to music, dance along with it. Research shows people feel less anxious after they dance. Spend a few minutes moving your body, taking in rhythm and music and literally changing your stance. If you really don't want to bust out your Michael Jackson moves in the office outside the conference room, you can take a quick walk or use those squishy stress balls. They are there for a reason.