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How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work | Carla Harris

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The Power of Positive Influence | Manifest Range

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Harnessing the Force: Unleashing the Transformative Power of Positive Influence for Personal and Collective Growth.

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40 GROWTH MINDSET STATEMENTS.CHRISTEL OWOO

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15 GROWTH MINDSET ACTIVITIES for adults.CHRISTEL OWOO

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Turn casual conversations into coaching opportunities when you practice these 6 active listening skills and techniques.

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Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck

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INNER CRITI WORKSHEETS PDF BUNDLE.CHRISTEL OWOO

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Adapt Changes Confidently: Strategies That Work

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Discover proven tips to adapt changes smoothly, boost resilience, and protect your well-being today.

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The Free Mindfulness Project - Free Resources

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Thank you to those who have collaborated with the Free Mindfulness Project by allowing us to share these resources. The focus of this site is mindfulness as practiced in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and other closely related approaches. All

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Managing yourself through Change - Rumination and Reflection - Smart Working Revolution

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Rumination is the mental habit of replaying mistakes, rehashing the past, or catastrophising the future. So what can we do instead?

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When Faced With Change, Focus on the Transition

Do you feel that your organization is awash in change? Do you have a hard time keeping up with the shifting demands you face as a leader? You're not alone. Unrelenting change is becoming the norm. Leaders have no choice but to adapt and to help others to adapt, too.

Organizational events such as restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, or financial problems force leaders to rethink their work and adapt to a changing workforce. Pressure to achieve results and to satisfy what are often competing demands builds the intensity. External factors - the economy, industry and market trends, globalization, political and social concerns, and rapid technological changes - all conspire to make leadership a complex, difficult undertaking.

Yet as we've all heard, "Change is the only constant in life." And we know that to be resilient, both personally and professionally, we have to face change head on and get to the other side.

Effective leaders understand that successful change and transition requires more than just coping with change - and that the goal is not to "get by." These leaders accept that change is happening; they hone strategies for dealing with the unknown; and they shift their behavior to accommodate new situations and challenges.

What's the Difference Between Change & Transition?

To manage change, first understand that there's a difference between change and transition.

Change is defined as the situations and occurrences that impact organizations and individuals. Change creates the need to move from the way things used to be to the way they are now, such as a new boss, a move to a work-from-home environment, or a shift in policy. Adapting to change requires flexibility.

Transition is the internal psychological process of adapting to a new situation. Transition can happen quickly or slowly. It's the process of moving successfully from the old to the new. Here are our tips for navigating the 3 stages of transition.

Leading the Human Side of Change and Transition

Rapid change and constant transition have created a more emotional dynamic in organizations.

Uncertainty can trigger all kinds of behavioral and emotional reactions from leaders and the people who are affected by the decisions of leadership. Faced with a never-ending onslaught of organizational change, those you lead may experience change fatigue, so work to equip them with change resilience.

The complexity and intensity of transition is a reaction to change - and the more frequent or more dramatic the change, the more complex the process of transition. Yet, organizations and leaders commonly overlook or dismiss the human side of change.

As noted in our book Leading With Authenticity in Times of Transition, many managers have mastered the structural side of leading change - creating a vision, reorganizing, restructuring, and so on. They're rewarded, evaluated, and educated to deal with the structural issues around implementing change, and so have more experience with that side of the issue.

But the stresses and pressures generated by structural or operational change lead to an increased need to pay attention to what's going on with the people in the organization.

Research shows that 75% of change initiatives fail. Why? Managing change successfully requires leaders to deal effectively with both the structural side of leading change and the human dynamic of transition.

When the skills associated with either side are overplayed, leaders destabilize the organizational culture by eroding trust. Instead of a loyal, productive, and enthusiastic workforce, executives and managers end up leading employees who are insecure, fearful, and skeptical. By failing to gain sufficient buy-in from employees, leaders slow down and undermine their progress toward new goals.

When leaders ignore or minimize the people side of managing change, perfectly good strategies and change initiatives stall or fail.

Our research has found that leading transition involves guiding people though a process of grieving, letting go, building hope, and learning. In many ways, the bigger challenge for leaders is to manage the longer-term, human aspects of change: recovery, revitalization, and recommitment. These are required to become a more successful change leader.

With greater awareness of the human side of transitioning through change, you and your organization will be become more change-capable and able to move through change with grace.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Build your team's capacity to adapt to change and transition more effectively with a customized learning journey for your leaders using our research-backed modules. Available leadership topics include Communication, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Leading Through Change & Disruption, Listening to Understand, Resilience-Building, and more.

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When faced with change, focus on the transition. Learn the difference between transition and change and how to navigate the human side of leading change.

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25 Questions to Ask Yourself when Leading Change - 5 Forces of Change

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By reflecting on the following key questions, drawn from years of experience and research, you can set yourself on the path to Leading Change successfully

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One of the most powerful change tools is a great question - here’s 33 essential questions for you, your team, and your colleagues.

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The planning stage of a change is often the most overlooked and underused stage of change. Most leaders want to jump to creating a compelling vision, or trying to move the change forward and work though the challenges with their people. Others have a fear around things not going well and try to avoid the change as long as possible.

A good plan sets up your change for success. And I'm not talking about a change management plan (yet!) but the preliminary thinking and planning that goes into getting ready to change.

These are the key questions I work through with the change sponsorship team and senior leadership as we're getting ready to start the planning process.

1. What is the change?
Establishing a clear understanding of the problem, and what the change will address is critical before any work can start. If the team and leadership is centered around a common problem, and the change is a solution, then it becomes clear WHY the change is happening. Alignment among the leadership of the organization is key here and helps to avoid challenges later on that can arise when people have different ideas about what the change is, and what benefits it will bring them.

2. What are the goals for the change?
This leads from the first question - what are the 3 - 5 key things that the change will accomplish for us and for the business. If we don't have a clear idea on this at the beginning, this is where we can see lots of different stories bubbling up! In the absence of a main "headline" people will make up their own stories. While identification of the positive goals of change are important, also identifying the downsides of the change is important.

3. How and when do we know we are successful?
Many change managers call this the future vision, but I like to make this a lot more tactical. While future visioning can be important, and thinking big a wonderful way to look at possibility, success for change means that we need to get tactical. This is a key item that will go into your change management plan, and it is important to know "benefits management" but really its all about knowing what success is, making sure everyone is aligned on that, and agreeing to when you'll measure it.

4. Who are the people most affected by this?
Understanding from your senior core team how their people will respond to change is going to give you a clear picture of how to build and address your stakeholder strategy in the next phase. Understanding who is highly affected v.s. who is marginally affected will help you align your efforts in the next step where you use Connected Change ™ to understand the group dynamics and systems that undelay the stakeholders that will be most affected by the change.

5. How do communications work around here?
Getting a sense of how things are done today with regards to communications is going to help you understand what you need to be thinking about in terms of planning the communications and approaches in the change management plan and the communications plan. Use the approaches that work well, and add or enhance from there. Remember, repetition is key here! Get prepared for "short, sweet and then repeat" so that you are communicating early, and often.

6. How confident is the senior team about early communication?
Nobody likes to feel that they are the last one to find out about change! Often teams and stakeholders feel that communications are "late" and they would have liked to know earlier on about the change. On the other hand, leaders feel cautious around communicating too early when they don't have the answers. A key approach with change that makes it successful is transparency. Leaders need to get comfortable with saying they are "figuring things out", "we are working on it" or "this is part of where we need your input to make it successful". Having all the answers isn't a prerequisite to a successful change, but communicating early and often is. You'll need to be working with the team to get them comfortable with early communication, as it will reap rewards later.

These are the six key questions that I like to ask as I'm embarking on a change journey with a leadership team and sets you up well for the planning stages of change.

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The Six Questions You Need to Ask When Planning for Change - Connected Change

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A good plan sets up your change for success. And I'm not talking about a change management plan (yet!) but the preliminary thinking and planning that goes into getting ready to change.

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The Mindset Kit is a free set of online lessons and practices designed to help you teach and foster adaptive beliefs about learning.

Sign up to receive updates & join our community
Get started

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Mindset Kit - Resources for growth and learning mindsets

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A free resource for educators and parents who want to foster learning mindsets such as growth mindset. Follow lessons and practices from experts and members of our community.

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15 POSITIVE REMINDERS COLORING SHEETS.CHRISTEL OWOO

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Sarah Winnig, MA

"When you fall off a horse, get back on."

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

These quotes sound nice, but might leave you wondering: How? How do I get back on the horse, make lemonade, or try again? The answer lies in resilience.

Resilience means using inner strength to work through and grow from challenges and crises. This is what allows a person to "bounce back" after anything from a minor rejection to a major life setback.

No one is born resilient-it's a learned skill. With practice, anyone can become resilient. More than anything, resilience comes from mindset. By controlling how you think about a situation, you can control how you respond to it.

Read on to learn four mindset-oriented strategies for building resilience.

Focus on What You Can Control

During times of crisis, it's common to feel overwhelmed and powerless. It may feel like everything is out of control, and there's nothing you can do. For this reason, it's beneficial to recognize that there are things within your control. Resilience comes from managing the things within your control while accepting the things you cannot control.

Acceptance won't necessarily come easily, but you can work toward it. For example, practicing mindfulness can help you accept things as they are, without trying to change them or push them away. Focusing on what you can control is a skill, and the more you practice, the better you will get.

Resilient mindset:

Defeated mindset:

A person loses their job and reflects on what is in their control and what is not. They recognize they couldn't control their boss's moods, but they could improve their own work ethic and relationships with coworkers. Going forward, they know they don't have control over where they'll be hired, but they can control the effort they put into the job search.

A person loses their job and fails to take any responsibility. They blame everything on their boss. Going forward, they don't feel they have control over finding another job. They feel hopeless-if they don't have any control, why bother trying?

Resilience-building questions

"What aspects of the situation are within my control?"

"What are two things I can do to improve the situation?"

"What are two things I cannot control and have to accept?"

Adopt a Growth Mindset

There are countless ways to view the events in your life. Depending on the perspective you take, the same situation might carry completely different meanings.

Resilience comes from viewing hardships as opportunities for growth. This mindset is developed by looking for the upside of difficult situations-even when that is hard to do. This doesn't mean you see the situation as entirely positive (or even mostly positive). Instead, you recognize there are at least some positive things you can take from the situation.

Resilient mindset:

Defeated mindset:

A person loses their job and acknowledges both what they've lost and the silver linings. They take time to improve their job skills and consider the fact that they might find a job they enjoy more.

A person loses their job and focuses entirely on what they've lost, including income, friends, and a sense of purpose. They fail to see anything they can learn from this situation.

Resilience-building questions

"What can I learn from this?"

"How will this ultimately help me?"

"What positive things can I take from this situation?"

Face Your Fears

When facing a crisis, it's natural to want to avoid the uncomfortable feelings that come with it. For example, after losing a job, it might feel bad to reflect on your mistakes, or to share the bad news with loved ones. Skipping these steps means not having to face discomfort... for now.

In the long run, avoidance leaves the root problems unresolved, allowing them to grow or recur.

Confronting difficult experiences is key to developing resilience. Being present to your difficult experience-rather than pushing it away-gives you the chance to work through problems. The more you practice confronting challenges, the more confidence you gain in facing similar challenges in the future.

Resilient mindset:

Defeated mindset:

A person reflects on the reasons why they lost their job. They explore their feelings about it, take time to consider what mistakes they may have made, and cut back on spending until they find a new job.

A person loses their job and is in denial. They refuse to share that they feel upset and insist that they don't care. They bury their head in the sand, not reflecting on their feelings or their job performance.

Resilience-building questions

"What would happen if I didn't face this situation?"

"What are the benefits of dealing with this?"

"What is the best possible outcome?"

"What changes do I need to make?"

Discover Your Values

Values are the things that are most important to you in life. Understanding your values can help build resilience. When you're just going through the motions and doing things without passion, it's easy to throw in the towel as soon as things get difficult. In contrast, when you know what you're fighting for, you're better equipped to push through even the most challenging situations.

To discover your values, consider times you felt happy, focused, or energized. What did these situations have in common? What values does this reveal? Use your values to motivate you through future challenges.

Resilient mindset:

Defeated mindset:

A person who highly values family loses their job. They're motivated to do whatever it takes to find a new job so that they can support their family.

A person without clear values is not sure what to do after losing their job. They feel lost and directionless, and aren't sure how to move forward.

Resilience-building questions

"What is most important to me?"

"What motivates me each day?"

"What are the values I want to live by?"

Summary

Resilience is about working through challenges and coming out even stronger. You can develop resilience by focusing on what you can control, adopting a growth mindset, facing your fears, and defining your values.

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Growing from Adversity: How to build resilience | Article | Therapist Aid

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"When you fall off a horse, get back on." "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." These...

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Imagine this: Someone you admire sets aside time to meet with you. They share how they accomplished their goals. And over time, they cheer you on and give you feedback and advice. Sounds pretty great, right? That is what we call a mentor.

The right mentoring relationship can be a powerful tool for professional growth - it can lead to new career opportunities, a promotion, even a better work-life balance.

One of the trickiest things about mentoring, though, is that it often happens informally. And that can make it difficult to find an entry point.

Since women and people of color face discrimination at higher rates than white men do in certain fields like STEM, it can be especially helpful for women and people of color to know how to intentionally seek out mentors.

Here's how to find a good mentor, officially make the ask and make it work.

1. Finding the Right Mentor

Know your goals (both short and long-term). What do you want to accomplish professionally in the next three months? Can you do it in your current role or will it require you to switch jobs? The more specific you are with your goals, the easier it will be to find the right mentor. One strategy to create effective, easily-achievable goals is to work " SMART," meaning your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. ( Here's a tipsheet all about crafting your own SMART goals.) Envisioning your dreams this way allows you to break down lofty ideas into individual goals that are easier to accomplish through short-term steps.

Ask yourself who you look up to. Whose job would you like to have in the next five, 10 or 15 years? Is this person inside or outside your workplace? Who is your immediate role model where you work? Keep a running list of the jobs and people you are visualizing. Consider an identity-based mentor in your organization, especially if you need to talk about issues you're facing as an underrepresented person in your professional surroundings.

Do the research. You may or may not be able to ask one of those people to be your mentor, but what are the stepping stones to get to someone in a similar position? Take notes on the path that person took to get to where they are today.

Be cognizant of your existing network. The more aware someone already is of your work and abilities, the more effective they will be at mentoring you. Think about whether someone is already informally mentoring you - can you ask them to help you? If someone isn't aware of your work or you've never talked to them, look for a connection. Make sure the person you are thinking about also has the expertise you're looking for. (We'll talk more about this in the next section.)

2. Making the Ask to a potential mentor

Make sure it's the right fit before asking. You can feel this out by having informal meetings where you discuss your goals and trajectory, before asking them to be your mentor.

Mention what you like about the person's work, especially if you've never met. Say your boss introduced you to a possible mentor and neither of you knows the other. Do your research about the possible mentor's work. Then open with what you like about their work. That will show that you have a thoughtful approach.

Before COVID-19, asking for mentorship was best in person. Video is just fine now. When you feel someone is the right fit, do your best to make the ask with more than just a phone call or email. It shows that you will be open to feedback in the long term.
Here are some things to mention:

Tell them specifically what you've gotten out of past conversations with them. (This might be from that first informal meeting.)

Be clear about how often you want to meet for and how long, and make sure it works for them. (You can reassess this later in the relationship.)

Mention you'll put together agendas that align with the goals discussed above prior to each meeting.

Finally, make sure they are considering this mentorship as an option and not an obligation. We're all busy, and you should approach the ask fully aware they might say no. And that's OK! If they do say no, mention you admire their path and thank them for considering. That leaves the door open for a future relationship.

3. Tips on Being a Good Mentee

So you've found the right mentor. Now what?

Remember your goals. If you mention your specific, achievable goals from the beginning of the relationship, your mentor can help you stay on track at each meeting.

Meet consistently. Figure out how often you want to meet (i.e. once a week or once a month over four to six months), how long you want to meet for (i.e. half an hour or one hour) and how you want to meet - and make it consistent. Video conference is a good start so that you can get to know each other better. Gradually progress to phone calls once you're comfortable. Decide whether you or your mentor want to send out calendar invites to protect the time you plan to meet. This might mean keeping your supervisor in the loop.

Remember that this relationship is not a therapy session. Remember to make and keep boundaries. We're human, and often personal issues will come into play during your sessions, especially if you have a pre-existing relationship or are talking about work-life balance. It's okay to vent. But make sure not to monopolize the session with personal issues or make it only about venting.

Some mentorships will end, based on where each person is in life. Don't feel guilty, but close the loop respectfully. And remember to take care of yourself, above all else. Good luck!
Anjuli Sastry is the co-founder of NPR's Women of Color mentorship program, which has paired up more than 100 NPR employees for mentoring. Sastry was also a member of the inaugural The podcast portion of this story was produced by Andee Tagle. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 with a greeting, your name, your phone number and a random life tip. Or send us an email at See Life Kit sponsors and promo codes LifeKit@npr.org. It might appear in an upcoming episode. ONA Mentorship Collaborative. She spoke about mentorship at Werk It: A Women's Podcast Festival in Los Angeles in October 2019. Hear her talk .

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The right mentor can change your career. Here's how to find one

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A strong mentoring relationship can change your career and help you outside of work.

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11 Effective Ways To Choose People Who Choose You

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To choose people who choose you means to surround yourself with people who wish to see the best of you and actually lift you up. Read ✅ this to find out how to choose!

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You Are Who You Surround Yourself With and 11 Ways to Find Good People

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As the famous saying goes, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”. Here are some of the reasons why you are who you surround yourself with.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pBbVZh2kgM

What is your vision for your life and your business? Is it something different or greater than what it looks like today? If you know that you want something greater, why haven't you achieved it already? You've heard me say before, it's likely something within you that's holding you back. Today I want to look a little deeper into who you associate with and the impact they have on your success and happiness.

I tell my business coaching clients that if you want to be a high 6 or 7 figure business owner, think about how they act. Do they sit around and procrastinate? Do they put off the important things they know will make their business better? What things are on their calendar? Are they continually learning? Do they prioritize taking care of themselves? Do they say no to the things that don't move them forward? Do they take risks & chances? Do they make time to relax and do the things they enjoy? Are they sleep deprived?

Much of how successful business owners act is learned behavior and is built on a foundation of good habits, good time management, and really knowing their purpose. How many of the things you do every day align with how you envision a successful person behaves? We emulate the behaviors, patterns, habits, and energy around us. Therefore, who you choose to spend time with is important.

Tony Robbins has said that "the only thing that will change your life, change your business, change your relationship, is that you must raise your standards". The standards you have for yourself, your business, and the people you associate with must be high and continually elevating as you grow. Get rid of negative people who bring you down. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, lend you their knowledge and connections, and are strong enough to help you learn from your mistakes. Elevate your standards for what your inner circle must look like, act like, and provide.

The people you spend the most time with have a huge influence on your moods, the expectations and aspirations you have for yourself, and even how you view the world. When you surround yourself with positive people, you're more likely to have a positive attitude, you feel empowered to dream and strive for more and you become the victor in your story seeing yourself in charge of your life instead of feeling like things happen to you. Just like you benefit when you surround yourself with positive people who make you happy, you suffer when those in your business or social circles are negative or narrow-minded. Choose who you associate with wisely.

Confucius referred to this idea back in the 6th century BC when he talked about the law of attraction. The law of attraction states that we bring in (or attract) whatever we focus on. The idea is that positive thoughts bring positive results and that negative thoughts bring negative results. We can attract through our energy people into our life. So ask yourself, what kind of energy am I putting out? This is likely who you are drawing into your circle. Now think about how that translates into who you surround yourself with. What is their energy? What are they attracting? Are they attracting the things you want in your life?

Confucius also wrote one of the first quotes about surrounding yourself with good people. He said, "if you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room." He was extending the law of attraction to people. Think about how this shows up in your life, either in business, sports, or another skill. If you want to become better at something, you need to play or practice or learn from people who are already better than you. It means you have to be willing to be one of the worst in the room or on the field for a little bit. It means you have to practice and study and ask questions. It means you need to have the sorest muscles, fastest thinking, and get really good at the fundamentals in order to compete. This is how you elevate yourself, your expectations, and your standards.

You've likely heard some version of the Jim Rohn quote, "you're the average of the five people you spend most of your time with". The truth is, who you spend the most time with is who you eventually become. Their energy, their habits, their mindset transfer in part to you. To reach new heights of success, you must surround yourself with people who not only inspire you, but challenge you. It isn't always easy, and sometimes it means you have to push relationships out of your core circle or walk away from them entirely. However, if you are committed to your goals, your vision, your purpose it will be worth it.

So what are some practical ways you can start elevating the standards of the people you are surrounded by?

1. Evaluate your current relationships - You need to know your starting point. Take a look at the people you engage with the most. Look at your recent calls, texts, emails or calendar if you need help. Then think about each of them. What kind of energy are they bringing? What can you learn from them? How do they support you? Think about how you feel after spending time with each person. If they aren't making you better, you might want to reconsider how much time you continue investing in them. This doesn't mean I'm telling you to ditch all the people you love. Your relationships, just like everything in your life, to be reassessed from time to time to ensure they are still working for you. The people you surround yourself with should bring out the best in you. If they are bringing out the worst in you, then that is a serious red flag that the relationship doesn't fit in your life. You need people that have the courage to tell you when you're off track. The people who care enough to have those difficult conversations that most people will avoid. You can love on anyone you want, but be choosy in who you let into your immediate circle.

2. Minimize the negative - In the world there are people who are victors and others who are victims. Eliminate the victims. Determine which people in your life are constantly in turmoil or always have serious drama. The ones who will never manage to elevate themselves and try to bring you down with them. Let go of negative relationships and people, so that you have room to focus on the positive ones. If you feel drained, defeated or agitated after spending time with someone, it's probably a sign they aren't good for you.

3. Maximize the positive - Bring more victors into your circle. The people who are positive and striving for more, the ones who set big goals and take responsibility for their actions. By actively choosing to surround yourself with people who make you happy and who share your ambitions, it elevates the standard of what you expect for your business and your life.

4. Elevate the room you're in - You can't elevate yourself if you're always the smartest person. If you want to accelerate your success, it's important to surround yourself with people you can learn from. We all need coaches, teachers, mentors, family and trusted friends who challenge us and push us to be better. The right circle of influence raises the bar, helping us to set higher expectations of ourselves. You can elevate your circle by joining a mastermind group or finding people who are already getting the results you want. They have a strategy for success, whether they know it or not, and by spending time with them you can learn from their successes and failures, observe their habits, understand how they build networks, and determine how you can create similar strategies in your life and business.

5. Get outside of your comfort zone - To surround yourself with people who will take you to the next level, you need to spend time where they are. Ambitious and successful people attend seminars and workshops that cause them to stretch themselves and open their minds to new possibilities. They expose themselves to people with different perspectives and continually push themselves out of their comfort zones. Remember, all growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.

6. Be a student of success - Online you are often seeing someone's "highlight reel" and it likely does not truly show you what goes on behind the scenes and how much work it really required. If you can gain access, spend the time talking with people you admire about their process of achieving success (not just the results). However, sometimes we can't get that close. In that case, become a consumer of their media. Listen to their podcasts, read their books, watch their interviews. Take them along on your daily workout or commute and soak up their tips, tricks, and knowledge.

If you want something that you don't have, whether its success, happiness, or positivity, then you need to do something that you aren't currently doing. Whatever you want in your life you can have, but you need to believe that you deserve it and you need people around you who believe you deserve it too. You need to be willing to change and change may need to start with who you surround yourself with.

You need to be willing to continuously work on improving the person that you are, challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone, and surround yourself with the people who are going to bring out the best in you as they lift you up.

So the next time you question your path to success, take a look at the people around you. Remember, you are who you surround yourself with, so stop wasting your time and energy on people who bring you down. Take all that focus and transfer it to achieving your goals and making the space for the people who are positive, smart, and supportive.

If you found this valuable and would like some help creating your right circle of influence, I want to invite you to schedule a complementary business brainstorm session with me. It's a quick call that will take 15 minutes. We'll take a look at who you surround yourself with and see how you can elevate your own standards and expectations. You can book it right to my calendar at empoweredleadershipcoach.com/schedule.

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Elevate Your Inner Circle: You Become Who You Surround Yourself With - Empowered Leadership

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What is your vision for your life and your business? Is it something different or greater than what it looks like today? If you know that you want something greater, why haven't you achieved it already?

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6 Reasons You Are Who You Surround Yourself With (+25 Quotes)

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You are who you surround yourself with. It’s an age-old truth that is also confirmed by numerous studies. Let’s discuss it and also list a few quotes.

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12 Steps to Surrounding Yourself With Positive People - Thrive Global

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The people around you may have a bigger affect on you than you think.

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Author, speaker and happiness researcher Jessica Weiss shares the “small, intentional” habits that the happiest and most content people do every day.

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Simon Sinek's Advice Will Leave You SPEECHLESS 2.0 (MUST WATCH)

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The Difference Between Growth Mindset and Toxic Positivity

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Growth mindset is the latest hot topic in many different circles, from education to self-improvement. With growing popularity, its meaning…

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55 Best Self Confidence Building Exercises for Adults

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Ready to boost your confidence? Dive into our collection of 55 self confidence exercises for adults and start your transformation today!

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11 Growth Mindset Strategies: Overcome Your Fix Mindset to Grow as a Person

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Why Having Fun Is the Secret to a Healthier Life | Catherine Price | TED

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What's your go-to resource for all things productivity?

We asked, you answered.

And the best tips and tricks are now rounded up here, in one handy list. With blogs and podcasts to check out, people to follow, and apps to try, we've got the ultimate list of where to look when you're in need of some solid productivity advice.

Evernote Blog - The latest news, stories, and tips for staying productive

Lifehacker - Collection of tips, news, and how-tos

Medium productivity category- Tap into the brains of the world's most insightful writers and thinkers

Praxis-A members-only Medium publication on the future of productivity

Bullet Journal Blog - Inspiration, organization, and general musings on mindfulness

Cal Newport Blog - How to perform productive, valuable, & meaningful work

What's Best Next? - Helps you to do work that matters, and do it better

Binfire Blog - Tools for innovative and affordable online collaboration

99u - Actionable insights on productivity, organization, and leadership

Signal vs. Noise - Medium publication with strong opinions and shared thoughts on design, business, and tech, with contributions from Basecamp founder & CEO

My Morning Routine - Publishes a new, inspiring morning routine every Wednesday

Ambition & Balance - Productivity tips from , an online task manager

Intelligent Change Blog - Learn to focus on the good and live with intention

James Clear Blog - Articles on health, happiness, creativity, productivity, and more from author, photographer, and weightlifter

Asian Efficiency - Tips, tricks and techniques for getting things done

Evernote Podcast - iTunes, SoundCloud, Overcast - Dive into the realms of achievement, entrepreneurship, and creative thinking

Cortex Podcast - Each episode, they get together to discuss their working lives

Evernote - Organize your work and declutter your life

Web Clipper - Evernote's tool for quickly capturing web pages, saving them as notes so you can easily find them later

Getting Things Done - A work-life management system

Systems Matter - Helps small business owners find systematic clarity

Mvelopes - Budgeting and spending management

Workflowy - An organizational tool that makes life easier

Swipes - Automatically collect all your tasks in one place

Grammarly - Makes sure everything you type is clear, effective, and mistake-free

Todoist - To-do list and task manager

RescueTime - Helps you understand your daily habits so you can be more productive

KanbanFlow - Lean project management, simplified

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The Ultimate List of the Best Productivity Resources

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And the best tips and tricks are now rounded up here, in one handy list. With blogs and podcasts to check out, people to follow, and apps to try, we've got the ultimate list of where to look when...

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As many professionals know, any increase in productivity usually comes with added stress to keep the same level of performance going while juggling new tasks. Setting realistic goals makes it easier to achieve them, but with each step you take up the ladder, you expect more of yourself. This constant expectation for improvement can be a trap, as it builds pressure with each new achievement.

Instead of the relaxation and feeling of accomplishment a professional has from a job well done, they instead spend time stressing about the next milestone. It doesn't have to be that way, though. Fifteen members of Forbes Coaches Council offer valuable advice on how professionals can increase their productivity with minimal stress.
1. Focus On Priorities And Presence
If the right priorities are set, then usually it is not the next moment that is more important than the one you are in right now. These can help keep your mind from worrying about the past or future tasks. In doing so, you have the ability to be more productive at the task at hand, generating better results. If the current moment is stressful, think of the old Persian adage, "This too shall pass." - Jay Galvin, The Galvin Group
2. Review The Process And Stress Factors
If increased productivity is causing stress to increase, we are doing it wrong. That means that we increased the workload and output, not controlling the outcome. Productivity increase means doing twice the work in half the time. Take a pause, review the process and define the stress factors. Now we streamline the process to the point where people will focus only on valuable actions, not the output. - Nikola Cvetanovski, Maktech Consulting Ltd
3. Identify And Eliminate Energy Drains
There are a variety of factors that can drain our energy and prevent us from operating at our full capacity. We all know, for example, that when we are ill we have less energy for our work, but factors in our environment, such as noise or temperature, can also zap our energy. Before beginning a new task, take a moment to scan your environment for distractions and eliminate them before starting work. - Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC
4. Focus On Effectiveness, Not Productivity
Your energy is a finite resource that you need to manage strategically to be effective. If you are taking on new tasks, also determine what you will no longer do. Take a look at all your commitments and ask yourself, "Would I start this project now if I weren't already doing it?" In the words of Michael Porter: "The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do." - Dina Denham Smith, Cognitas Coaching & Consulting
5. Refine Skills And Practices
Stress in a productivity context is a moot point because it is a symptom of other issues, including time and task management skills, prioritization and perception. Stress in this setting is almost always addressable via refinement of skills and practices that are readily and publicly available. - Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
6. Say 'No' To 'Yes'
Take a moment and see what you are saying "yes" to. Are you saying "yes" to activities that are maybe someone else's responsibility or that can be delegated to others, or to something that is not necessary or an activity outside of the scope of work? Being mindful of what you are saying "yes" to can help you prioritize your projects and tasks efficiently and free up time. - Divya Parekh, DP Group
7. Use Lean Six Sigma Tools
When workload increases, it doesn't make sense to do things the same way. To reduce stress, use visual management like a Kanban board (check out Trello) and organize tasks by what has to get done today. Make it transparent for others to see what you are doing-this saves time checking on who is doing certain tasks. Ask your team to map your process, and look for time wasters or unnecessary steps. - Wendy Fraser, Fraser Consulting, LLC
8. Delegate Less Important Tasks
If it's worth doing, it's worth scheduling on your calendar. Not just calls and meetings, but any priority task too. Schedule time for email twice or three times per day, then shut down your inbox. Need to write a blog post? Schedule it. Self-care? Add that in too! By establishing priorities and then scheduling them, you'll accomplish what's truly important while better delegating other tasks. - Christopher Mullen, PhD, Kronos Incorporated
9. Lean On Your Boss
There's nothing worse than being unsure if you are selecting the right tasks, making the right people happy and having to say "no" to others. List out all of your tasks and put them in priority order based on what you know. Then, set up a call with your manager just to go over your list and help you reprioritize. Your boss can give you air cover if someone complains. - Dana Manciagli, Job Search Master Class
10. Chunk It Out
The Pomodoro Technique says to focus on one project for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. In this break, do something different to rejuvenate the brain. If you were working on the computer, then stand up, get coffee, walk outside. And when you go back in for your next focused 25 minutes, you will be amazed at how quickly and how much you get done, and in a much more energizing way. You have control. - Sandi Mitchell, Apex Catalyst Group
11. Focus On One Thing At A Time
In our present state of change and challenge, many things will vie and compete for your attention. Focus on one thing, get it done, then the next, and so on. Increasing productivity and stress may be no different today than prior days, but how you manage your focus changes the game. - David Yudis, Potential Selves
12. Think About The 'Why'
Before I commit to a task, I try to think about the "why." Why is this thing important to me? How does it align with my values? Is it in service to a greater goal? By giving my tasks a deeper meaning, I am able to approach them with less "ugh" and more "let's do this." - Marnie Mclain, Marnie Mclain Coaching
13. Take Care Of Yourself First
In stressful times, we often try to get more hours of productivity by cutting into our hours of sleep. This is counterproductive. Research clearly shows that if we give up precious sleep time, our productivity and effectiveness suffer. We may be putting in more hours working, but those are far less productive. Remember to take care of your energy levels first. - Daphna Horowitz, Daphna Horowitz Leadership
14. Assess Capacity And Demand Accurately
Stress experts suggest that we are the ones that stress ourselves out and we do it by believing that demands exceed our capacity. If this is true, we need to understand with accuracy what our capacity really is and what is required of us (demand). Since stress distorts reality, an accurate assessment of our capacity will allow us to keep cool while producing at an increased level. - Evan Roth, Roth Consultancy International, LLC.
15. Think Like An Olympic Athlete
Think about yourself as an Olympic athlete competing for gold. What would you endure and why? What would be your dominant emotion? What self-care practices would you not neglect? This can reframe and gamify your situation as a privilege and something you want, rather than something to endure. This mental and emotional shift will drastically impact your energy and perspective. - Chuck Ainsworth, Center for Creative Leadership

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15 Effective Strategies For Increasing Productivity Without Adding Stress

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More work doesn't always have to mean more stress, especially when using these coach-approved tips.

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Want a more productive work life? Try these tips [2025]

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Productivity isn’t “doing as much as you absolutely can, always.” It isn’t even productivity a way to get the most output out of each day. Rather, productive people and teams are those that spend less time on work about work. Learn how.

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Do your days run away with you? Are you always busy but your To Do list never gets any smaller? Want some time for yourself? Here are some tips on how to be more productive and effective at home and in life so you can get more done in less time.

WHY BEING PRODUCTIVE MATTERS

Whether you have a busy family, a busy job or maybe even both, finding ways to be more productive is something many of us could find helpful.

We want to squeeze as much into our day as possible and still find time for us. The key to being able to do this is to be more efficient and make the most of the time we have.

In this post I'm sharing some ideas on how to be more productive. They're little tips to help you manage your time, intentionally and simply. I hope they help you get things done and still create time and space for what matters.

"Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before."Franz Kafka

BUSY VS PRODUCTIVE

Just before we look at how to be more productive, I wanted to address something that I think is really important. Many of us feel we're already busy, doing things, going places, getting stuff done. Your body and brain might also be telling you that you're too busy! When, actually, we may be busy but are we busy doing the right things?

Busy is not the same as productive. It's perfectly possible to be busy without being productive and conversely, it's totally possible to be productive without being busy.

Being productive is about finding the most effective and efficient way to get the right things done.

Try this article on how to be less busy for some more ideas on giving yourself less to do but making those things you do do count more.

PRODUCTIVITY IS MORE THAN TICKING OFF YOUR TO-DO LIST

I also wanted to explain that productivity isn't just about ticking things off a To Do list or actioning every email in your inbox. A nap in the afternoon if you're tired or watching TV on the sofa if you want to relax is still productive. Productivity can be whatever you need it to be at the time, as long as it achieves the goal you set.

Take a look at my article on why you should slow down sometimes for some ideas and insight into this.

PRODUCTIVITY AND INTENTIONAL LIVING

I write a lot about intentional living and the more I write, the more I appreciate that good time management is the cornerstone of an intentional life.

Intentional living is about seeking clarity on what's important to you and making everyday decisions that align with those priorities. It's about clearing the clutter that over-stuffs our life, schedule, hearts and minds.

The principles of effective time management and intentional living go hand-in-hand. Prioritise what's important, be present and mindful in whatever you're doing, understand why you're doing it and the end-goal you have in mind and find the most efficient and effective way to make that happen.

Try this article on 7 ways to be more intentional with your time for more information on time management and living intentionally.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Whether it's at home or at work, for yourself or for your family, here are some tips on how to be more productive.

1. Make a To Do List

Write a list of things To Do, either on paper or keep it in the Notes on your phone. Having a visual To Do List means that you can:

Prioritise the important things

Stay focused on what needs doing

Keep in mind deadlines

Tick things off when they're completed

Track your progress and feel motivated when tasks are done

Getting your To Do list out of your mind frees up your mental space and energy for the rest of life!

2. Prioritise the 3 most important things

To make sure you get the most important things done, choose 3-5 things (or less) on your To Do list which are THE most important or urgent. If you make your whole list full of important or urgent things, you're unlikely to get any of them done. Even better, decide on your one Most Important Task (MIT) and get that done first,

3. Get up early and do the most important thing first

Wake up before the rest of the house and tackle the most important job on your list first. You can get it out of the way, without any distractions and before you get side-tracked by everything that the day brings. Read my post on how to create a morning routine to help you with this.

As Mark Twain said "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." Imagine frogs are items on your To Do list, eat the biggest frog first.

4. Don't over-commit

Try not to put too much on your To Do list or overbook your diary. Schedule in some down time that's free from commitments and allow some wiggle room with your timings in case things start late, run on longer or you hadn't expected them to even happen in the first place.

Problems arise and the unexpected happens. Give yourself some margin so you can be flexible with your plans without having a meltdown if it all goes wrong!

5. Be realistic

Think about the time you've got available and be realistic with what you think you can achieve. Always overestimate the time something will take (you can always enjoy having an unexpected, spare 5 minutes), rather than underestimate. It's better to allow yourself more time than you actually end up using, rather than cutting things so fine that you always run out of time.
Running out of time just means we:

End up playing catch-up

Let people down

Do half a job

Rush including driving too fast and,

Stress ourselves out

If your task involves something with the kids, always allow more time than if you were on your own!

6. Have a plan for if you get stuck

Sometimes a task proves to be more difficult than you first thought. It may take longer than you expected or you're just plain stuck. When this happens, leave it for the moment and come back to it another time with fresh eyes and mind. Don't spend ages struggling with it and getting nowhere. Keep it on your To Do list and revisit it when you're feeling ready.

7. Choose the best time of day

Everybody is different and some of us are more productive at certain times of the day. For example, I'm great in the morning and can plough through lots of tasks, but I'm good for nothing come the evening! We're all tuned differently.

Know your body clock and what times of day you're at your most productive and take advantage of them as much as you can.

If you're an early riser, get it all done early in the morning.

If you get an afternoon dip in energy levels, don't pick this time of the day to catch up on a really big task.

If you're a night owl, allocate your evenings to catching up on things to do whilst the kids are in bed.

8. Avoid multi-tasking

Being able to do everything all at once (and do it well) used to be thought of as a superpower but actually it's anything but. Busy life requires us to juggle balls and spin plates but our brains don't work well that way. We're much more able to do one job properly if it's one thing at a time. When we do more than one thing we're forcing our brains to switch task. Switching tasks means we lose our train of thought and it takes a while to get back into the flow. Read more about the disadvantages of multi-tasking.

Next time your brain feels like a computer with too many tabs open, stop doing everything and do just one thing at a time.

9. Batch similar errands/work

If you need a few items from the shops or to do some errands in town, plan just one trip when you can get all this done in one go, rather than individual trips. Having a list of everything you need will help so you don't forget things and have to go back. It will save time walking to the shops or driving and finding a car park space just once in the day, rather than two or more.

If you've got a number of emails to action or similar work tasks, try doing similar jobs in one go, rather than switching between different tasks.

Batching helps you maintain focus without having to shift your thoughts from one task to another, be in the right mental zone for that particular job and therefore be more productive.

For more about batching you might like to check out my post on best time management tips.

10. Stop wasting time

The definition of wasting time is different for everyone. I like watching TV, but some people consider this a waste of time. Whereas I feel that mindlessly scrolling through social media is a waste of time, but others love it. There's no right or wrong here!

Do what is right for you but really ask yourself during the day whether what you're doing is worth it, or could your time be better spent doing something more productive?

Check out my post on things that waste time during the day.

11. If it doesn't take long, do it now

Use the 2-minute rule from David Allen. If something takes 2 minutes or less to do, get it done now.

12. Big tasks vs little tasks

Decide whether it's better for you to knock out 2 really big and important tasks or get 5 smaller, niggly ones out of the way. The smaller ones might be filling up your To Do list and the 2 very important big tasks might get lost amongst the list of smaller tasks. Look at your To Do list every morning and assess which needs your attention first that day.

13. Avoid distractions

Don't allow yourself to get distracted or side-tracked. Concentrate on the task at hand and stay focused until it's complete and you can move onto the next thing. If you struggle with distractions, read more about 10 ways to avoid distractions.

14. Find the simplest way of doing something

I don't mean cutting corners here but I do mean finding the quickest, easiest and most efficient way of doing whatever needs to be done. For example, pay your bills by direct debit instead of going to the bank every time a bill needs to be paid. It's much quicker doing it online and you're less likely to forget to pay things if they're set up to be paid automatically.

15. Declutter

A messy outer environment leads to a cluttered inner environment. Our brains don't work well when we have too much distraction. It's difficult to focus and be productive. Create calm and space with a clutter-free environment and your brain will work concentrate more on the task in hand. Read more about how to declutter your home and life for some helpful tips.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT HOME

As well as the productivity tips we've looked at already, there are some other things you can try at home to get more stuff done in less time.

In terms of managing your home and keeping up with those mundane but important household tasks, here are some extra tips and helpful resources you might like:

1. Set up a home command centre

This is the place where all your planning and organising takes place. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest which you could try yourself. The command centre doesn't need to be big or complicated, it could just be a drawer on your hall table or little portion of your kitchen counter.

2. Save time by meal-planning and meal-prep

Read this post on meal-planning made simple for easy ways to spend less time in the kitchen and make meal-times less stressful and time-consuming.

3. Spend less time cleaning

Read this post for ways to spend less time cleaning or try these simple household routines to keep your home running on auto-pilot whilst you get on with other things.

4. Take advantage of a spare hour

If you have an hour to spare, here are 10 productive things to do in an hour at home to help you stress less!

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK

The workplace is where most of us think we need to work most efficiently. We often have deadlines put upon us, several projects or tasks screaming for our attention right now, all at the same time and a boss checking up on us to make sure we're on track!

Here are some helpful tips to be more productive at work:

1. Manage your emails

Check your emails only at certain times of the day when you're free to action them. Use a colour-coded flag system, with different colour flags for emails you need to do something with, for which you're waiting on a reply and those which are just for information and you want to keep. Delete or archive the rest. Set up folders so you can easily find an email you're looking for. Try to clear down your emails at the end of every day.

2. Set clear goals

Everything is easier when we know what we're doing and can create an action plan to get it done. Read this post on how to set goals and keep them if you find you need a little direction in life.

3. Only have open what you need open

Whether it's emails in your inbox, tabs on your computer screen or files on your desk, have just what you need in front of you to do the task in hand. Once it's complete, put it away and get out the next thing.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKING FROM HOME

Many more of us are working from home these days and this presents a unique set of difficulties as the boundaries between home and work get blurred. Some people find they're more productive working from home, whilst others struggle with the distractions.

Here are some helpful articles on how to be more productive working from home:

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN THE MORNING

What we do first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. However, it's not good enough to just set your alarm to wake up earlier if you're going to hit the snooze button and drift off to sleep again. Here are some ideas and helpful tips on how to be more productive in the morning.

1. Get up earlier

Try this article on how to get up earlier so you don't wake yourself up and then waste the extra time you've tried to carve out for yourself.

2. Have a plan

Knowing what you're going to do and having the tools to do it is key to being productive. Make a list the evening before of what you'd like to achieve the next morning and get everything ready so you're not wasting time. Lay your workout clothes ready if you plan to do exercise, get your journal out so you're ready to write in it, open up that email you need to respond to.

3. Choose carefully

Your morning time is precious and it won't feel very long if you try to cram it with everything and anything. Identify the most important activities that will create more ease in your day, or that are stressing you out and you just want to get out of the way and do those first. You can add in more to your morning routine if you have time to spare. Read this post on how to create an intentional morning routine or these 25 ideas for your own morning routine to kick-start your day.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN LIFE

Productivity is the art of the getting the right things done in the most efficient way. Productivity tips don't just apply to how you run your home or meet those deadlines at work.

Here are some tips on how to be more productive in life:

1. Set smaller goals

When we set goals that are too broad or ambitious, it can feel daunting. We don't know how to begin, let alone achieve them. Setting smaller goals means we can achieve things quicker, in fewer steps and feel motivated to carry on. Try this post on how to set goals that count. It's also important to review and refresh your goals regularly to make sure they still align with what you want out of life.

2. Set clear boundaries

Boundaries are statements of intent that we use as a framework to guide what we will and won't let in to our life. Read more about how to set boundaries and get a free printable worksheet to help you set boundaries of your own.

3. Be intentional

Whatever you choose to do in your day, think about the intention behind it. Ask yourself:

If you're not happy with the answers, ask yourself whether it's adding any value to your life and is it really worth doing in the first place? Sometimes we have to do things even if we don't want to but I think we often have more of a choice than we think we do.

Read more about being intentional with your time and learning how to say 'yes' to the right things.

HABITS TO HELP YOU BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

It's the little things we do each day that move the needle forward and help us get things done. This is where creating some habits and routines comes into its own. We can get things done, little and often, without having to play catch-up because of the backlog.

You can create habits to keep your home clutter-free. Clutter invades our space on a regular basis so taking frequent steps to stay on top of it is key to feeling the fullest benefits of a decluttered home.

You could create habits for your self-care to ensure you're finding time to look after yourself amidst a busy life. It's important to nurture our physical and mental health but so often we're pushed to the bottom of the priority pile and then wonder why we feel tired and burnt out.

Habits help us keep things ticking over and make big tasks feel easier and more manageable. Habits are small actions which, through repetition over time, become a natural part of our regular routines without us really thinking about them - like brushing your teeth. Simple daily habits make life easier.

Starting a new habit is one thing, but maintaining it is another. Sometimes it's helpful to track your habits to monitor how well you keep them up. You might like this free printable Habit Tracker to help you track your own habits, especially in holiday season when it's common to let our healthy habits slide!

ROUTINES TO HELP YOU BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

I find routines helpful so that I have a rough structure and framework for things I have to do. I like them to be flexible enough to fit around my life and what I feel like doing.

Here are some helpful articles on creating routines for your home and life.

DON'T MISS OUT!

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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Leave a comment below and let me know how productive you think you are. Do you have any other tips to add to this article? What's your favourite productivity tip or where do you think you waste the most time? What would you choose to do if you had more time for yourself?

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Here are some links to further reading and resources on time management and how to be more productive:

PRODUCTIVITY RESOURCES

Here are some resources to help you be more productive at home and in your life. I hope you find them useful! If you'd like something but don't see it, please reach out to me at hello@balancethroughsimplicity.com and I'd be happy to help!

Maximise Your Time - my popular little time management course. We'll explore how you use your time, ways you can be more productive and find more time for the things you want to do, not just what you have to do.

Simple Productivity Planner - Plan, simplify and organise your life. Printable templates to help you set goals, track habits, plan your day, week, month and year. Read more about how to use a planner to help you be more productive.

Schedule Your Priorities Worksheet: Feel like you're always busy and doing things? Use this free worksheet to declutter and plan your schedule and make time for what matters to YOU!

Meal-Plan Template: A free template to help you meal-plan for the week ahead. Let's make meal times easier and less stressful. (Read for more information).

Monthly Checklist Printable: A free printable to help you plan and prepare for the month ahead with more ease, more time and less stress.

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How To Be More Productive At Home and In Life

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Do your days run away with you? Are you always busy but your To Do list never gets any smaller? Want some time for yourself? Here are some tips on how to be more productive and effective at home and in life so you can get more done in less time.

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Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has empowered and inspired readers for over 30 years. It’s also played a part in the transformation of millions of lives across all age groups and professions. It focuses on timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. These elements are at the heart of personal, team, and organizational effectiveness.

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There are many ways we can begin to live intentionally, crafting a life that's more on our terms instead of what modern, busy life has in mind for us. If you'd like to create more time for what matters to you, slow down whilst still getting done what you need, here are 7 ways to be intentional with your time.

A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO INTENTIONAL LIVING

Intentional living is about knowing what you want from life and making space for that to happen. There are plenty more fluffy definitions but this is the basic premise. As much as possible, you clear the clutter from your life and the things which pull you off course and instead find ways to give yourself more time, space and energy for what matters to you.

This won't make for the perfect life but it often helps to make things easier and more aligned with your priorities and passions - the things which lift you up instead of what brings you down.
Through your daily choices, actions and decisions, you're able to deliberately and purposefully craft a life that's more on your terms.
These intentional decisions can apply to many aspects of our lives - our finances, our health habits, our self-care, career opportunities, our home and family. They can be big or small, but over time they can breathe new energy into a life that you might be currently feeling a little out-of-sync with.

If you'd like some background to intentional living and how you can get started for yourself, I invite you to check out these two articles:

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR TIME

As we've explored, intentional living is about making purposeful and deliberate choices about how and where you invest your resources. This could be your money, energy, love, space, freedom, motivation and focus. You can be intentional at work, intentional about your home, your relationships, spending habits and your goals for the future.
Your time is arguably one of your most limited resources. We can change or influence our life in many ways but, as they say, time waits for no-one.
No matter who or where you are, there's not a lot that we can do to stop the passing of time. If you're looking to live intentionally and create a life that truly supports you, one of the key considerations is how you spend your time.

REFLECT ON YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH TIME

Before we look at ways to be intentional with your time, let me ask you some questions to explore how you manage your own time right now. Knowing how you feel about something is the first step in knowing what might need to change:

When you go to bed at night, do you feel content, settled and happy with what you've done today?

If you look at your schedule for the next week, does it show a healthy balance between the things you need to do and the things you want to do?

When was the last time you assessed what you really 'need' to do? Do these needs really reflect how you want to live your life every day?

When was the last time you had some free time to fill as you'd like (even if it's doing nothing at all)?

What does your To Do list or your diary say about you? Overstretched, busy because you don't know how to say no, you don't want to miss out, or you feel you're doing life wrong if you're not jam-packing every square inch of it?

Do you ever get to the end of your To Do list? Do you have tasks rolling over from one day to the next? Do you feel it's other people's fault if you don't get stuff done?

Take a few moments to reflect on some of these questions. Be honest with yourself and don't rush to come up with the answers. Think about them for a few days and see whether your schedule, To Do list and brain feel overwhelmed, zipping this way and that or just about right.
Managing your time is as much about managing your mindset as it is about managing your diary.
Perhaps it's time to think about ways you can be intentional with your time. Maybe you could find a little more time for yourself and a little less time running around like a headless chicken?

You might even be surprised that you can get more things done AND still have more time for you by getting the 'right' things done, more efficiently.
Further reading: 14 ways to live intentionally every day

LIVING INTENTIONALLY AND PRODUCTIVITY

Here are two little points that are absolutely key to being intentional with your time. Remember them and repeat them often.

Busy and productive aren't the same thing: You can be run off your feet but still not achieve what you set out to.

Productive doesn't always mean you have to be doing something: A nap can be productive if you need it and it serves a purpose i.e. makes you feel better!

The guiding principle of living intentionally is to define your priorities and live your every day aligned (as much as possible) with those priorities. This is exactly what great time management is all about - you work out what needs to be done and find the best and most effective way of achieving that - without clutter (or, in this case, distraction).

Time management and productivity tips share so many parallels with intentional living and minimalism and that's probably why I love to share practical tips about getting organised and productive on my website about intentional living.

7 WAYS TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR TIME

In this next section I'm sharing 7 ways to be more intentional with your time so you can carve out more time for what matters to you. I hope they help!

1. Define what's important

Living intentionally gets complicated and messy if you don't know what you want out of life. How do you know what to focus on, let in, clear out or change if you haven't identified what's important to you? This applies to many aspects of your life whether it's decluttering your kitchen cupboards or assessing your diary for the coming week.

Do you want free time with your family, more time for hobbies, less stress for a calmer mind, more flexibility and wiggle room instead of feeling like you're constantly rushed, more time for training for a career change.

Define what's important so you know what needs to take priority on your schedule.

Suggested reading: How to set goals and keep them (there's a free goal-planning toolkit you can download)

2. Assess your schedule regularly

Every day, week or month (whatever feels comfortable to you), sit down and take some time to look at your diary. What do you have coming up over the next few days? Have you listed all your appointments, activities and places to be?

Now that you can see it in front of you, how does it make you feel? Too much, too little? How much free time do you have? Have you left enough wiggle room for emergencies? Does the look of your schedule stress you out or inspire you with enthusiasm for this precious life of yours?

"The busier you are, the more intentional you must be."Michael Hyatt

Suggested reading: Monthly checklist to simplify your life

3. Get comfortable with saying no

One of the most common reasons many of us have for filling up our schedules is because we don't feel comfortable saying no. It's ok to say no if you don't want to do something. You can fluff it up by saying "no, not right now". You could say "no thanks but maybe later". Or even provide a reason, "I've got a deadline at work that's taking up my time so I can't right now". You could even get brave and say "no". On its own. Full stop.

Saying no can feel uncomfortable if we don't practice it. We don't want to appear rude or selfish and often, we don't want to miss out in case we don't get the opportunity or invite again. If this resonates with you, flip your thoughts around. You might be saying no to one thing but it's actually enabling you to say yes to something else.

What could you say no to today and what else does that free you up for instead? Think back to those priorities we talked about in point 1 above.

4. Stop multi-tasking

Doing too many things at the same time confuses your mind and makes you less effective and efficient. It takes time for your brain to adjust to different tasks and we stop-start until our brain adjusts to the job in hand. You can read more about the effects of multi-tasking here.

Sometimes life requires us to remember or do things at the same time but wherever possible, commit to doing just one task at a time.

Focus on getting it done without distractions and you'll find you get it done quicker and better. Tick it off and move onto the next thing when you're ready.

5. Be less busy

Being busy creeps up on us, especially if you're not looking! Taking regular stock of your schedule and being mindful of where and how you spend your time can help us be less busy. Do the things which you need to do, choose to do the things that you want to do and let go of the rest. It doesn't have to be forever, it could just be for this week, month, term, holiday, weekend - however long feels right to you.

Learn to appreciate the value of slow living and being less busy in a busy world. This could be by saying no (see point 3), understanding what just clutters your schedule (point 2) or simply just intentionally choosing to do less - less activities, less on your task list, less pulls on your brain and energy.

6. Have less on your To Do list

If you have a busy family and busy life, having less to do might seem enviable but impossible. I agree it may feel like this but I encourage you to try decluttering your To Do list. Make it simple but strategic by having, at most, 3-5 things you want to get done today.

Be selective with what you choose to include. Your To Do list is not a dumping ground for all the thoughts in your brain, or a list of things to remember. It's purely for things that you need to achieve today so you can switch off in the evening feeling pleased and content with what you've done. Anything that you don't get done can go on your list for tomorrow.

Suggested reading: How to write a To Do list to get things done

7. Create a plan for your day

I find my own days flow better when I have a flexible structure for how they go. Getting up a little earlier than my family to have some time for myself in the morning helps me plan my day ahead without rush or stress. I close my day in the evening by putting my house to bed and calming my body and brain with an evening routine. These two practices book-end my day no matter what else happens in between.

During the day I have some other habits which I do every day. These help me run my home, manage my diary, kids and work, look after myself and create some quality time for what's important to me - without feeling like I'm being stretched in every direction.

Suggested reading: How to create a daily routine for your day

MAKING THE CHANGES

In the beginning, making changes can seem impractical or out-of-reach but I encourage you to start with one idea and try it out for size. You could, for example, write out a To Do list right now for things you need to get done today. Just include 3-5 things, nothing more. Write a list each day for the next week and see how much you can tick off your list and how it makes you feel inside. Lighter, more at ease?

Habits and routines build up over time, just like how busy our schedule gets, and we don't always realise it until we feel that something's not right. Making changes to our schedule, habits and routines can help us prevent burn-out and frustration.

What would you be doing with your days and your time if you had more peace, ease, freedom and calm?

CONCLUSION

In this article we looked at some intentional ways to manage your time and get more of the 'right things' done. We explored how to:

1. Define what's important (To identify what's just clutter)

2. Assess your schedule regularly (Review and prepare)

3. Get comfortable with saying no (Say yes to something important)

4. Stop multi-tasking (Focus on one thing at a time)

5. Be less busy (Create space, cut your stress)

6. Have less on your To Do list (Keep it simple and strategic)

7. Create a plan for your day (Establish a framework)

Being intentional with your time is one of the cornerstones of intentional living. How you invest your time is key to creating a life where you call more of the shots.
I hope these time management and productivity tips help you maximise your time and be intentional how you spend it, whether it's in your personal life or in the workplace.

RESOURCES ON PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT

If you'd like some more resources to help you carve out more time in your day, slow down and use your time intentionally, these may help:

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Check out this post for 7 ways to be intentional with your time, declutter your schedule and carve out more time for what matters.

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Personal Productivity Secrets Book | Maura Thomas

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Personal Productivity Secrets Do what you never thought possible with your time and attention…and regain control of your life! Order Your Copy Now Start Reading for Free! Do you ever find yourself o

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Toxic Positivity vs. Healthy Optimism: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Emotional Wellness - Soul in Motion

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9 Life-Enhancing Positive Mindset Statistics - DreamMaker

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Positive mindset statistics: according to several recent research, one of the most essential things you can do for yourself is to cultivate a happy mindset

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Naturopathic healer Kirstin Kraft, Ph.D., explains how the power of positive thinking improves your physical and mental health.

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The Power of Positive Thinking [Peale, Dr. Norman Vincent] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Power of Positive Thinking

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Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: What’s the Difference?

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