To really become a master of time management, you have to understand what true productivity actually is. True productivity can be summed up in three words. “Stuff that matters.” This means the constant performing of tasks and projects that will produce significant and noticeable progress towards the end goal. There is a ton of stuff in between to distract you from the stuff that really matters. These are the things that ineffective people spend so much of their time working … [Read more...]
CrossFit and Cavemen | How Fitness Skyrockets Your Success
Lift. Rest. Lift. Rest. Blah. Anyone who has ever worked out in any sort of regular fashion knows how boring and repetitive it can get. This was the case for me for basically the last year. I was bored with my fitness, and it was affecting not only my health, but my motivation and productivity, in a big way. So I made a change, a change that is turning out to be pretty awesome - but more about that in just a minute. Let's talk about how this is going to help you. Why Fitness is So … [Read more...]
Productivity 101: Own Your Day, Don’t Let Your Day Own You
See what I did with the title there - Pretty smooth huh? Don't worry. I'm not gonna start rapping or anything. I discovered a long time ago I have no rhythm. But what I would like to do is shed a bit of light on an all too common problem with a lot of budding successful individuals. The Lost Day Did you ever have one of those days when you looked back on it and couldn't remember a damn thing you got done that was the least bit significant? Usually it happens when someone asks - "So … [Read more...]
Want More Out of Life? Learn The Fast Track Formula of Academy Success
Throughout my life, I've examined a fair number of successful individuals. Being the curious person that I am, I've often wondered, what's so special about them that allows them to continually do the things that they do? A lot of people say you're just born to be successful, that it can't be earned. Well I just can't accept that. I've seen too many ordinary people do extraordinary things to believe that a successful mindset is only inherited. Maybe some people are born with more natural … [Read more...]
Can’t Sleep? Read These Three Easy Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep
You wouldn't think sleep would be part of productivity training, but it is. Think about it. If you're tired, groggy, and lethargic every day from not sleeping, you're not going to get a whole lot done. Trust me. I've been there. You're tired as hell, yet you still toss and turn throughout the night. You adjust your pillow and sleeping position repeatedly to try to catch a few hours of sleep before you're back to the grind the next day. Your mind moves a mile a minute about things you … [Read more...]
Save a G Annually on Your Cable or Satellite Bill (Script Included)
As I write this post, it's late-March. My NCAA championship bracket is actually doing pretty well and I'm glued to my TV every second of every day watching games, highlights, analysis, and predictions of the NCAA tournament. But afterwards, spring will be in the air, and this Louisville, KY blogger will be focused on things that occur in the great outdoors (golf anyone?). This means that my (formerly) $100+ a month satellite bill that I wasn't going to get much use out of is going to be a … [Read more...]
What Can A Frog Teach You About Time Management Skills?
Sounds like a weird question doesn't it? Even so, this question will stick with you after you read this post. One of the coolest productivity training books I've ever read is called "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy - I'll link you later, pay attention for now :) This book covers a lot of time management and productivity enhancing methods, all of which are pretty good, but the one that the book is named for is the one that will likely stick with you the most. This, of course, is the … [Read more...]
The Massive Opportunity Cost of Stuff
This is going to be a short one, but don't let that throw you. This is actually a really important lesson about personal finance. Pay attention and really think about the lessons taught in this post. They'll save you thousands, if not 10s of thousands of dollars in your lifetime. Opportunity cost - in this sense, refers to the trade off you make by owning something. For example, say you buy a $5 DVD. Well, you don't just pay $5 for it. You also pay for the DVD rack you eventually have to … [Read more...]
How to Accomplish Anything – It’s More Than Putting Your Mind to It
Your parents always told you, "If you just put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." Eh... kinda. I'm obviously all about personal success and life improvement. That's mainly what this blog is all about, but the statement above is a bit fluffy.. What does "putting your mind to it" really mean anyway? Can you really accomplish anything? Well, from my experience so far in life, I've found that if you have a few key ingredients working for you, the answer is always a … [Read more...]
You Suffer From Email Addiction, And It’s Killing Your Success
Email... It's introduction made us as a society far more productive than ever before. It was amazing. One day we were licking stamps. The next day we now had the ability to get messages read clear across the world in an instant, for free. It was awesome for the first five years or so of its existence. Fast forward to now... and OMG... We're literally email addicts (by definition). We've become dependent and emotionally involved with our inboxes, and its a reality that many of our … [Read more...]