If you are like me, then ideas come continually in waves. In the waves, there are a mix of promising and mediocre ones. The ideas are essentially raw materials to something that may prove fruitful. Between making an idea happen as a reality and the conception of it, there’s a key middle step. You haveContinue reading “Growing Your Ideas”
Category Archives: Productivity
Leading With Lists
My days are filled with lists. They help me to turn noise into action and get things done. The lists end up in different forms, but ultimately, it is what helps to keep things from becoming overwhelming. Here are the lists I check to keep things on track with my team and myself: Google Tasks. ThisContinue reading “Leading With Lists”
On Creativity
I have been thinking a lot about creativity lately. Some days I feel more creative than others. It depends a lot on the flow of work and how motivated I feel. The balancing act of managing business responsibilities and driving innovation is a continual tension. Daniel Pink’s book, Drive, is excellent reading on the topicContinue reading “On Creativity”
What Else Can I Throw Away?
I have my good days and bad days. There is always a relentless pace to work. In equal measure, there are so many demands on my attention that distract. When I can’t get my mind clear or I feel the weight of the world, I look for things to throw away. It may sound counterintuitive,Continue reading “What Else Can I Throw Away?”
Avoiding Complexity As A Strategy
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” – Charles Mingus Sure, you can take on more. That’s the allure. With all the options in software, people, square footage and product lines, you can make yourself feel bigger. However, everything you take on has to be managed. It introduces complexity.Continue reading “Avoiding Complexity As A Strategy”
Clearing The Decks
I have a core habit which I think can help out a lot of people dealing with the distractions and noise of today’s economy. I think of it as clearing the decks. It is the practice of finishing what I am doing to get to more important things. It’s artificial to think we can placeContinue reading “Clearing The Decks”
Use Parkinson’s Law For Your Productivity
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion Parkinson’s Law is a powerful natural force which describes our behaviors, motivation and work. I find it hard to focus with many distractions. When there is not that singular pull that rises above the noise, so many good options can cause me to wanderContinue reading “Use Parkinson’s Law For Your Productivity”
When You Have A Lot Of Choices
Some days, the world comes at me with dizzying speed and it’s hard to keep up. I have a few choices: Check out Disengage Attack the problems Hand off I don’t necessarily like being out of control, but I come to expect it as part of playing in the information age. Work gets pushed onContinue reading “When You Have A Lot Of Choices”
Focusing On What Matters
I have been thinking a lot lately about focus and the relentless distractions which pull at me. Where I am putting my time and energy can mean the difference between a successful week of work. My recent road trip has me thinking about prioritizing. Here are some questions I am filtering my work through: AsContinue reading “Focusing On What Matters”
Getting Lucky
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Samuel Goldwyn I just got done running the Nashville half marathon this past weekend. Over 35K people were out there pushing themselves through the heat and hills. I can’t say it was the most pleasant experience. It hurt, I was tired and I had to pushContinue reading “Getting Lucky”
