My Time Is My Life

Thinking About Those Distractions...

2010-07-25T17:29:00.001-04:00

Thinking About Distractions...

Can’t concentrate?
Having difficulty focusing properly?

At times are you feeling a bit frustrated or stressed even when things do get done?

Question: How Are You Doing On Distraction Side Of The Fence?

There are few things which block productivity as fast and as surely as distractions. When you cannot concentrate and focus properly, you cannot get things done.

When you are planning on reducing your distraction level, please keep two things in mind:

The first point is what works for you and what works for someone else may be entirely different.
The second point is you must examine how you operate. In other words, check out your habit patterns.

Sure You “Multi-Task”!

I can’t imagine you don’t multi-task... or at least think about doing so! Now as you know there is a downside to multi-tasking. Actually at least two:

You may not get done what you would like to do (hopefully not consistently).
You may not get what you do get done well; or at least as well as you would like. Why? Because you are spreading yourself too thin.

The same can be said about distractions.

Working while listening to music, watching television, or chatting on the phone are common to many people. And there can be a term for these activities if they are not managed well: “distractions.”

The point: becoming more productive takes a little analyzing of your habits.

A few suggestions...

After (or during) a time when you felt you were distracted for any reason, ask yourself a few simple questions:

How did I get there?
And why was it that I did?

In other words, be disciplined enough to see (1) see what you are doing; (2) why you may be doing it; (3) see if it is a consistent pattern; and take small, doable steps to reduce in your personal “distraction level.”

Ready To Begin?

Maybe you know of a few things you are aware of at this time. Could you create a brief list and write them down.

And...

If you possibly can identify the main internal reasons for these distractions that are taking place, you could see if any of them can be addressed by you.

The Best To You!

___________________________
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this inspirational note. The copyright and this resource box
must be included.

Lee is a writer an online marketer. With a passion for on
purpose living and making a positive impact in the world, he
seeks to encourage people in their personal and professional
lives. See his Inspirational Handbook for Attraction
Marketers here http://attractionmarketinghandbook.com

Subscribe to Lee's ezine A Beautiful Moment In Time by
sending a blank email to: beautifulmoment@aweber.com
Remember to confirm your request!

Speaking of Good Choices...

2010-04-18T22:34:00.002-04:00

Speaking Of Good Choices...

In good intent may we serve.

In good character may we receive.

And in good choices may we prevail.

©Lee Wise

Good intent.

Good character.

And good choices.

How much these aspects of our lives must continually be present in our time and life management!

Surely these are a lifelong pursuit... but a good pursuit to be involved in.

Of course, these can be turned into a good set of questions for a journal as well:

Were my intentions in order this week?
In terms of managing my time and life, how could I prompt myself to influence others next week by my character choices?
Could I have improved anywhere in my choices this week? If so, how?
Should I improve even 1% in my time management this week, what choices would I make in order to make that happen?

"My Time Is My Life" Question for Today... About Being Easier

2009-10-19T09:35:00.000-04:00

"My Time Is My Life" Question for Today...

My Time Is My Life Question for Today is...

"Can I make this easier?"

Stopping long enough when doing a task and

answering this question can help.

You will supply the creative ideas.

It's your creative world.

Enjoy!

Lee

What Must I Say No To This Day?

2009-01-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Here's a good question to ask when appropriate:

What must I say "No" to this day, in order that my next day might be as effective and meaningful as it should?

Actually, this came about as a result of quick conversation that just took place between a colleague and myself shortly following my arrival at work.

Regarding a topic we were talking about, I commented: "Yes, as I was driving here I thought to myself: 'That won't get done. I simply decided not to do it.'"

As it happens, I've assumed additional responsibilities and it has meant asking some of the hard questions relative to what's always been done. At this time, what must be done is crucial and other aspects of my responsibilities need to be laid aside when appropriate.

Hence: the question stated above.

Systems are important...

2009-01-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

Hi,

Here's a good question to post somewhere or think about
on a regular basis:

"Can I set up a system to make this easier?"

Or...

"Can I improve on a system to make this easier?"

Enjoy the day,

Lee

Ending Procrastination By Jim Rohn

2008-08-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

Here's a good article for you by one of my all time
favorites, Jim Rohn.

I love his material. One of the great encouragers in my
life.

Enjoy,

Lee

Ending Procrastination by Jim Rohn

Perseverance is about as important to achievement as
gasoline is to driving a car. Sure, there will be times when
you feel like you're spinning your wheels, but you'll always
get out of the rut with genuine perseverance. Without it,
you won't even be able to start your engine.

The opposite of perseverance is procrastination.
Perseverance means you never quit. Procrastination usually
means you never get started, although the inability to
finish something is also a form of procrastination.

Ask people why they procrastinate and you'll often hear
something like this, I'm a perfectionist. Everything has to
be just right before I can get down to work. No
distractions, not too much noise, no telephone calls
interrupting me, and of course I have to be feeling well
physically, too. I can't work when I have a headache." The
other end of procrastination - being unable to finish - also
has a perfectionist explanation: "I'm just never satisfied.
I'm my own harshest critic. If all the i's aren't dotted and
all the t's aren't crossed, I just can't consider that I'm
done. That's just the way I am, and I'll probably never
change."

Do you see what's going on here? A fault is being turned
into a virtue. The perfectionist is saying that his
standards are just too high for this world. This
fault-into-virtue syndrome is a common defense when people
are called upon to discuss their weaknesses, but in the end
it's just a very pious kind of excuse making. It certainly
doesn't have anything to do with what's really behind
procrastination.

Remember, the basis of procrastination could be fear of
failure. That's what perfectionism really is, once you take
a hard look at it. What's the difference whether you're
afraid of being less than perfect or afraid of anything
else? You're still paralyzed by fear. What's the difference
whether you never start or never finish? You're still stuck.
You're still going nowhere. You're still overwhelmed by
whatever task is before you. You´re still allowing yourself
to be dominated by a negative vision of the future in which
you see yourself being criticized, laughed at, punished, or
ridden out of town on a rail. Of course, this negative
vision of the future is really a mechanism that allows you
to do nothing. It's a very convenient mental tool.

I'm going to tell you how to overcome procrastination. I'm
going to show you how to turn procrastination into
perseverance, and if you do what I suggest, the process will
be virtually painless. It involves using two very powerful
principles that foster productivity and perseverance instead
of passivity and procrastination.

The first principle is: break it down.

No matter what you're trying to accomplish, whether it's
writing a book, climbing a mountain, or painting a house the
key to achievement is your ability to break down the task
into manageable pieces and knock them off one at one time.
Focus on accomplishing what's right in front of you at this
moment. Ignore what's off in the distance someplace.
Substitute real-time positive thinking for negative future
visualization. That's the first all- important technique for
bringing an end to procrastination.

Suppose I were to ask you if you could write a four
hundred-page novel. If you're like most people, that would
sound like an impossible task. But suppose I ask you a
different question. Suppose I ask if you can write a page
and a quarter a day for one year. Do you think you could do
it? Now the task is starting to seem more manageable. We're
breaking down the four-hundred-page book into bite-size
pieces. Even so, I suspect many people would still find the
prospect intimidating. Do you know why? Writing a page and a
quarter may not seem so bad, but you're being asked to look
ahead one whole year. When people start to do look that far
ahead, many of them automatically go into a negative mode.
So let me formulate the idea of writing a book in yet
another way. Let me break it down even more.

Suppose I was to ask you: can you fill up a page and a
quarter with words-not for a year, not for a month, not even
for a week, but just today? Don't look any further ahead
than that. I believe most people would confidently declare
that they could accomplish that. Of course, these would be
the same people who feel totally incapable of writing a
whole book.

If I said the same thing to those people tomorrow - if I
told them, I don't want you to look back, and I don't want
you to look ahead, I just want you to fill up a page and a
quarter this very day - do you think they could do it?

One day at a time. We've all heard that phrase. That's what
we're doing here. We're breaking down the time required for
a major task into one-day segments, and we're breaking down
the work involved in writing a four hundred-page book into
page-and-a-quarter increments.

Keep this up for one year, and you'll write the book.
Discipline yourself to look neither forward nor backward,
and you can accomplish things you never thought you could
possibly do. And it all begins with those three words: break
it down.

My second technique for defeating procrastination is also
only three words long. The three words are: write it down.
We know how important writing is to goal setting. The
writing you'll do for beating procrastination is very
similar. Instead of focusing on the future, however, you're
now going to be writing about the present just as you
experience it every day. Instead of describing the things
you want to do or the places you want to go, you're going to
describe what you actually do with your time, and you're
going to keep a written record of the places you actually
go.

In other words, you're going to keep a diary of your
activities. And you're going to be surprised by the
distractions, detours, and downright wastes of time you
engage in during the course of a day. All of these get in
the way of achieving your goals. For many people, it's
almost like they planned it that way, and maybe at some
unconscious level they did. The great thing about keeping a
time diary is that it brings all this out in the open. It
forces you to see what you're actually doing... and what
you're not doing.

The time diary doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Just
buy a little spiral notebook that you can easily carry in
your pocket. When you go to lunch, when you drive across
town, when you go to the dry cleaners, when you spend some
time shooting the breeze at the copying machine, make a
quick note of the time you began the activity and the time
it ends. Try to make this notation as soon as possible; if
it's inconvenient to do it immediately, you can do it later.
But you should make an entry in your time diary at least
once every thirty minutes, and you should keep this up for
at least a week.

Break it down. Write it down. These two techniques are very
straightforward. But don't let that fool you: these are
powerful and effective productivity techniques that allow
you put an end to procrastination and help you get started
to achieving your goals.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost
Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn
Weekly E-zine go to www.JimRohn.com or send a
blank email to subscribe@jimrohn.com Copyright (c) Jim Rohn
International. All rights reserved worldwide.

Celebration by the Minute

2008-06-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

Obviously, part of good time management is taking time
to enjoy life whenever and however possible.

I was looking for another writing today, caught this, and
decided to share it here.

Enjoy,

Lee

Your thought for today is...

CELEBRATION BY THE MINUTE
Taking just enough time
to discover the beauty of a moment
wherever I am... for as long as I can
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

Quick...

First chance you get -- take a moment to "enjoy."

Seek it.
Create it.

If you can't do this for today then prepare your
"celebration by the minute" eyes for tomorrow.

I tell the guys in my class:

"Perspective isn't just *something.*
Perspective is everything."

Enhance or change your perspective.

See, create, share or enjoy a moment of beauty any way
possible.

Now.
Just do it.

And enjoy!

Lee

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this article. The copyright and this resource box must be
included. http://www.empowerism.com/e/101290

Avoid pain/create pleasure. For A Beautiful Moment In Time
go here --> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net
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On Good Time Management

2008-05-15T09:37:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about time management just a few moments
ago and set for myself a short "challenge" goal to "just do it"
and create something on that topic.

Obviously, there many ways this could be approached.
Here's one of them....

~*~*~*~*~*

On Good Time Management
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

Good time management means...

Striving for quality within reason,
Results without insane demands,
And purpose-filled actions encased in love,
tempered by flexibility, and balanced with joy.

In essence it means...

Controlling my time
without losing control of my life.

~*~*~*~*~*

I hope the day finds you and those you love doing well,

Lee

Keep And Share -- A Neat Resource

2008-05-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

Hi,

Here's a great resource that I'm finding that I use more and more. At this stage, I appreciate the bookmarking the most: however, there are many more features.

Keep and Share

Enjoy,

Lee

Personal Productivity

2008-04-01T14:01:00.001-04:00

Wow. Certainly has been a long time since I posted.

I had entered this before but just sent it out in my ezine with additional comments so I thought I would share it here.

Enjoy,

Lee

~*~*~*~*~*~*
PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
©Lee Wise All rights reserved

The acquired art of aligning the desires of my heart with purpose-filled actions on a daily basis

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Reflecting on that which remains most important to me, I
would name the following as my top three heart felt values
or desires:

1._________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________

Looking at my up and coming week, I purpose to make room for
at least one of my "top three" by taking the following
actions:

1._________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________

"Short Shot" Notations...

My habits develop one decision -- and one related action --
at a time.

Make time for this simple exercise and, over time, you may
discover an increased sense of personal satisfaction in the
weeks that follow.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this writing. The copyright and this resource box must be
included.

Avoid pain/create pleasure. For A Beautiful Moment In Time
go here --> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

10 Questions For The New Year... And Then Some

2008-01-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

Here's an article I created recently.

You may enjoy this while thinking about the New Year.

Lee

10 Questions For The New Year... And Then Some
(Shaping My Life Through The Beauty Of Self Discovery)
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

1. Where do I need to give myself some slack or extend
forgiveness to my own VIP -- as in me?

I start with this question for the purpose of beginning a
realistic review designed to provide hope as opposed to any
remote sense of crushing defeat.

2. What did I do well this past year?

State at least your top three.
Should you list more?

3. In view of the items identified in response to the
previous question, ask yourself: how should I (or could I)
continue to excel in the areas I named?

Quick: name at least three ideas!

4. Is there anything I need to stop doing?

This could be...

A self destructive habit that hurts myself or others,

Something that is taking/wasting way too much time,

A negative way of thinking,

Or an unrealistic goal that needs to be laid to rest.

5. What is my greatest asset in my role as a ________ (you
select the role), and how can I capitalize on it in the
coming year?

I suggest that your "how" should be believable in your eyes.

In other words, I suggest any planned steps of action being
far enough "ahead" of you to challenge and inspire
productive thinking and acting -- but not too far.

In my way of thinking a great response might be:

"That would sure push me, but I can see it happening."

6. What enjoyable/refreshing break could be (or should be)
set aside in my calendar right now?

I mean by this making what *needs* to happen... happen.

For instance, my wife and I just took a look at our
calendars, made the commitment to take time off no matter
what, called the resource, and committed ourselves to
expending the funds.

Why? Because we *had* to.

7. Is there a discipline in my life that needs to be
improved upon or seriously revisited this year?

Physical?
Spiritual?
Emotional?

8. When I think about making a difference or being a
positive influence in my world, how could I do that?

Obviously, phrases such as "giving back" or "making a
contribution" come to mind when reflecting on this question.

Remember: simple can be significant.

9. What are my "grateful ten?"

As you reflect on the previous year, *what* and *who* are
you most grateful for?

Name your top ten.

10. Who needs to hear from me?

This could be for your benefit or theirs.

Could/should someone be brought into your world because they
would inspire, motivate or train you?

On the other hand...

Should you join someone else's life journey to inspire,
motivate or train them?

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this writing. The copyright and this resource box must be
included.

Avoid pain/create pleasure. For A Beautiful Moment In Time
go here --> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Decision Making

2007-12-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

Obviously, making decisions ranks high on the list of
time and life management.

While reflecting on that process a few moments ago
I penned the following:

Decision Making
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

The beauty of choice
expressed in an ever changing
array of daily opportunities
for enlightenment, service and growth.

Enjoy,

Lee

Personal Productivity

2007-12-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I just created this quote. May post additional thoughts later.

Enjoy,

Lee

Speaking of Discernment....

2007-12-20T12:45:00.000-05:00

Discernment carries with it many shades of meaning and applications.
Here's one related to the use of our time:

Just doing nothing
at just the right time

Slowing Down To The Speed Of Life

2007-12-19T17:59:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I pulled a book of my shelf today (Slowing Down To The Speed Of Life by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey), opened to a random page and noted the authors' "Six Reasons Why It Is Critical To Slow Down To The Speed Of Life" below:

Reduction of stress
Improved physical health
More present, intimate, and loving relationships
Heightened sensory awareness and enjoyment of the natural beauty around us
Greater peace mind and serenity
Dramatically improved ability to be productive and creative and to stay focused.

Good heavens. Something to be thinking about during the end of a semester and positioned squarely in the middle of the Christmas season, right?

I tend to agree with these thoughts -- in fact today while rushing to my office I did realize that my "slowing down long enough to connect" moments could be listed as "few and far between" in recent days.

Maybe... just maybe... I might choose to slice out several precious minutes this evening and use the time to reflect. Who knows, maybe read more of that book.

One thing for sure: taking the book, reading the six reasons, and writing here already allowed me to slow down my rpms a bit.

Yep, I liked it.
I really did.

While reflecting about this topic, I quickly created a few simple questions that could helpful while planning my day or recording thoughts in my journal

"Am I slowing down to the speed of life today?"

"When will I plan to slow down just long enough to hear my heart think today, this week?"

"What would cause me to really -- really -- slow down on the inside today?"

"Could I help anyone I know to take a pause that refreshes this week?"

And here's one for a journal...

"In the past, what habit, practice, or action has enabled me to live slow enough to hear what life, or the Lord, is saying to me?"

Enjoy the day,

Lee

Tensions and Choices

2007-12-17T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I read a quote today from 365 Ways to Save Time by Lucy Hedrick that said…

“Do you often fret over what you haven’t done? Don’t waste time being anxious about wasting time. Instead, choose one job that needs doing and get moving. Beating up on yourself makes you feel bad and drains your energy. Accomplishing something, and then reinforcing it with a reward, makes you feel better.”

After thinking about her statement for a few moments I wrote the following:

Successful time management is an ongoing process of working on…

Replacing tension
with right choices,
And following up right choices
with right actions.

I wrote "an on going process" simply because that's the way I see things working in most all of life, really: an on going process of trial, error, success, etc.

For what it's worth,

Lee

On Being Grateful...One More Time

2007-12-16T12:47:00.001-05:00

On Being Grateful... One More Time
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

I'm thankful for...

People loving people when they don't need to or would rather
not... but they do so anyway.

The ability to see colors and the on-going ability to see things I
never realized or comprehended previously.

Fighting that ends -- whether it's between countries, in
marriages, or between little friends or big kids who should
no better in the first place.

The beauty, simplicity and healing power of laughs of all kinds...

Weird ones,
Louder than you'd like ones,
Barely above the sound threshold ones,
And ones that make your stomach ache despite any feeble
attempts to stop the process.

Dreams that create ways to help, heal, motivate, inspire,
and conceive dreamers who repeat the process.

Teachers who give more than they receive and know more than
they share because they they'd rather build up than tear down, see
eyes brighten with every new discovery, and design for others
ways to enjoy and improve the one life they've been given.

Soldiers who defend for all the right reasons instead of
maiming and destroying for every wrong one in the book.

Moms who love their kids, kids who love their moms, and
dads who love them both.

Butterfly Kisses that mean so much more than the song ever could
because of lyrics played during the ever changing rhythms of daily
life.

Those who really do help little old ladies across the street, and little
old ladies and gentlemen who preserve the art of caring by
living and loving in ways that leave legacies of hope for each of
their watching worlds.

Dogs at the neighbors that don't bark and barking neighbors who
don't live near me.

Cars that run,
Empty bathrooms during times of ultimate crisis,
Spyware that works,
And cats that quickly leave my back door.

Minds that remember what they should while forgetting what
is brought to mind because they love people more than they do
grudges that don't matter anyway.

Addicts who win,
And athletes who know and show the difference between winning
at life and simply taking a win to the next game.

In short, I'm grateful for my life
And the God who entrusted me with the same.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this writing. The copyright and this resource box must be
included.

Avoid pain/create pleasure. For A Beautiful Moment In Time
go here --> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

My first post...

2007-12-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

Hi,

This is definitely a learning blog -- or maybe I should term it a "learn as I go blog" for me.

The subject is pretty broad: time and life management. As of today I'll plan on posting short (and long?) comments, articles, and resources that falls into that broad category.

On with the experiment...hence, I'll post a recent an article I created on being grateful. I believe it fits.

In terms of my own on going journey related to managing my time and my life, I find that the pursuit of gratefulness is a key factor.

I'll make a separate post with the article.

Enjoy,

Lee