Author Archive
The Draw of the Coffee Shop
Why do people love coffee shops? If you’re like me you walk past several each day. You see the people inside and feel a little jealous. If you’re really like me you’ll remember there’s free coffee at home or at work and keep on walking. But every once in a while, [...]
Are productivity systems for everyone?
Is it only certain types of people who benefit from the productivity systems such as Getting Things Done (GTD) that people like me know and love? Or is it that while everyone can enjoy the benefit, but not everyone can see that benefit?
I ask this because the response I get when I talk about [...]
New Beginnings
I’ve got a new job. As of next month I’m going to be a productivity trainer. Just like David Allen. In fact almost exactly like David Allen. That excites me very much.
It’s a huge change of direction in my career. I’m giving up the warmth and security of the civil [...]
Why increasing personal productivity isn’t just for overworked executives
Many people know they have to be at their desk for eight hours a day regardless of how quickly they get things done. They have no incentive to become more productive because they know their only reward will be more work or staring blankly at an empty screen. They might as well just [...]
Addiction, Substitution and Withdrawal
Have you ever given something up? Alcohol? Chocolate? Smoking? Cookies? I have, and one of the effects I experienced was substitution. I had to find something to fill the void left by my abstinence. I was suffering from withdrawal.
What is addiction? Dictionary.com offers:
The state of being enslaved to [...]
The Great Nickname Lottery
Quite often you have little or no influence over whether you have a nickname and what that nickname is. As a kid I always wanted a nickname. A nickname could tell you a lot about an teenager eager to impress and wow the ladies. I had a few in my time but [...]
The Movie of Your Life
Movies are generally split into three acts: the setup, which ends with a major plot development; the main part of the story where the characters try to reach their objectives, usually encountering one more major plot development; and the conclusion, where all the loose ends are tied up before the credits roll. Beginning, middle [...]
The Good Stuff in Life
photo credit: takuya miyamoto*
Today I felt inspired to list out the simple things in life that bring me pleasure, the stuff I like to do that gives me an unmitigated thrill. I have one and only one criterion for selecting what goes on the list: the prospect of doing it must give me [...]
How You Conspire to Beat the Procrastination Busters
photo credit: atconc
I have plenty of personal projects and goals I want to pursue in addition to my paid employment, but the time I can spend on them is relatively scant and must be shared with my other non-work activities.
Sound familiar?
At the end of the day or at the weekend when I turn my [...]
How to Benefit from Your Finite Capacity for Worry
photo credit: javiekitela
Do you find that you’ve always got something on your mind or something to worry about? Have you ever noticed that the fewer worries you have, the more time you devote to each?
I seem to have a finite capacity for worrying or debating things with myself. If there are lots [...]
