We all get a little lazy every now and again and that’s okay. There are some days I push too hard to accomplish so little. That’s when it’s better to just take a lazy day.
One of the secrets to your productivity is to understand when these days occur and how to use them to your advantage. If you keep pushing too hard then you won’t get anything done. Just stop and take a long break, surf the net or take a nap and come back when your mind is ready to go.
Although, if you feel this way too often, you’ll never get anything done. The trick is to understand the routine of your emotions. If you are always a slow starter then work with these feelings. I usually start work at 9am, which means I actually get rolling around 9:30, but to trick myself I sometimes jump on the computer at 8:30 to do a quick little task. I tell myself it will only take five minutes. Before I know it, I’m sucked in and I’m off and running, accomplishing great work.
Tricking myself into starting a half hour early helps me get an early jump on a busy day.
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The blogs around the globe are improving on a daily basis. It’s amazing how ZenHabits has grown. I remember reading it when it had a few thousand subscribers. Leo wanted desperately to quit his job and give his time over to his true passion, giving his readers great content. He wrote an article that breaks down the simple habits of a truly happy person.^
Gretchen Rubin also writes about happiness over at The Happiness Project, so many great articles that I become happier just thinking about them.
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We all make mistakes that can affect the rest of our lives. It’s how we deal with these mistakes that separates the optimists from the pessimists. Over at Hunter Nuttall's blog... I loved his explanation of how to deal with life altering choices. He wrote about Dr. Cox from the TV show Scrubs and his major mistake that cost lives. Doctors, Policemen, and Politicians face these major decisions throughout their career. How do they cope with a mistake? How do they move on and rediscover their happiness? How do you forget and move on?
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I read an article over at the Small Business Branding that made me look at my own life. We’ve all heard the phrase we need to go the extra mile to get ahead at work. The cool angle that Bill Hogg found was that it doesn’t matter if you fix the problem or not, what matters is that you try your hardest. When we try our hardest we command respect because we are putting forth tremendous energy. We may not always get it right, but people will see that we are trying to go that extra mile. When they keep witnessing this effort they will be more willing to give us that promotion or the project that we really want (well most of the time).
^ Correction - The original version of this post gave credit to Gretchen for Leo's article on Zen habits The Only Guide to Happiness You'll Ever Need.
Related Links that Continue Along the Same Themes:
- Should Your Company Hire an Ombudsman to Rein in the Complaining?
- Use Failure as Your Slingshot
- The Google Slide
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Image courtesy of sashamd
What happens when the "little bit of extra work" equates to the picece of straw that broke the camel's back? My problem is that I' m burned out. I want to just quit because I'm tired and my stress levels are manifesting themselves with physical symptoms. I keep thinking, "I just have to make it through August." The truth is, I keep saying that with every month, every year. Perhaps quitting may be the best move to make.
Earl's last blog post..#309
I've definitely been finding out that I've been pushing myself too hard at work. There are some days (like you mentioned) where there is nothing I want more than to just be able to go home and go straight to bed or lay around and do nothing. But I always feel like I have to be doing something productive so that not even a second is wasted. Most of the time it involves something having to do with work though. Forcing myself to take a step back, relax and do things other than work has definitely been a challenge for me!
I like that extra mile idea...that it doesn't matter if you fix the problem, just that you try your best. That should take some of the pressure off. Of course, if you keep trying your best, you're bound to fix more and more problems too. Thanks for the link.
Hunter Nuttall's last blog post..Blog Profits Blueprint - Make Money Blogging (Plus, Me Vs. Yaro)
You're so right that the key is knowing yourself, knowing when to push harder and when to take a break.
I've struggled with this and have come to realize that it's best for me not to start a complex project or try to solve a technical issue in late afternoon or evening. When I admit to myself that this or that won't be solved that day and turn in for the night I'm always amazed at how easy it is to see the solution the next morning when I'm fresh.
Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.'s last blog post..What Role Does Color Play in Your Life?
Wow! Last time I checked out ZenHabits, Leo had around 55,000 subscribers! On the days I'm feeling lazy, I try my best to stay away from my laptop to take a break, and I think I really need one right now 🙂
Rajaie AlKorani's last blog post..Do-Follow Blogs List Released
Hi Karl,
I have to be well rested before I start a big project. If I'm not, I make more mistakes and my heart's not in it. With that kind of attitude, I miss doing my best work. Being aware of our high and low points of the day can make a huge difference in the end product.
Barbara Swafford's last blog post..Interview With Lorelle VanFossen - Part 6 - Let’s Woop It Up
You know that you enjoy what you do when you are on vacation and you look forward to getting back to work. I'm in Vegas right now and I can't wait to reconnect with everyone.
I haven't been able to reply to people's comments and it's frustrating. I want everyone to know how much I care about their comments, but no one can do it all.
So, here is my grand thank you to everyone who keeps the conversation going at WHN. You keep me motivated.
I'm coming back with some fresh ideas and I can't wait to share them with all of you in the blog posts to come.
Sometimes when I feel like not doing anything, I examine my day if I should really not do anything. If I can get away with it then I'm off to being a bum for a day but if I can't, I wip my ass to work then I treat my self the following day. 🙂
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Hey Chris, when we take the time to step back and look at our situation we can decide what action is best for us. It's a much better technique then just doing for the sake of doing. It's all about awareness, baby.
Hi Karl ... thanks for the kind mention and nice comments on Zen Habits. I really appreciate it!
Just to clarify, though, the post you mentioned was written by me ... it wasn't a guest post from Gretchen. 🙂 I can see how you thought that, because at the end I linked to her blog, but that was just because she writes one of the best happiness blogs out there. Now I've discovered yours ... she's got some good company!
Leo's last blog post..Notes on Life: Positive Thinking, Speeding, ?Flow? in Meetings, Reading with My Kids
Hey Leo, I apologize for the mistake. I corrected the post and gave appropriate acknowledgment to you.
It's really cool to see such a popular blogger visiting a smaller blog. Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy Gretchen's Happiness blog and I hope that I can deliver as much value as she does in each post.
Going the extra mile - whether successful or not - is so true. People do see that as someone who cares, or someone who is willing to give it his/her all. I like how you described that, it is helpful to me - and will continue to be when things don't always go as planned.
Lance's last blog post..We Are A Motley Crew