A few tips from expert Laura Stack to help you enjoy more time with your loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

Hectic work schedules have probably ruined more Valentine Day celebrations than we care to think about. It is easy to schedule business dinners for February 14th without a second thought…until the day before…when it finally hits us. More so than expensive jewelry or chocolates, many people are satisfied with having the undivided attention of a loved one for the evening.

Laura Stack, Productivity Expert and author of Leave the Office Earlier, has these tips to help you create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day:

Plan before you leave work. Double-check your planner and organize activities for the next day before you leave the office on Valentine’s Day. Getting tomorrow’s tasks out of your head and on to paper will help you leave work at work, so that you can be fully present with your significant other on this important night.

Make any last-minute essential calls on the way home. Make it your goal to complete your work by the time you arrive to meet your Valentine. While you’re on your way home, finish any leftover “business” conversations. When you see your loved one in person, you will be ready to focus on the romance. If you make a call list before leaving the office, it will help ensure you don’t forget anyone.

Get a babysitter. If you have children, and your goal is to give extra attention to your loved one, this is not the evening to let the children tag along. Make it all about adult time.  Even if you are not the one who usually makes these arrangements, surprise your loved one by taking the initiative and booking a sitter yourself. This is a busy night for babysitters, so plan ahead by booking at least a week in advance.

Find something that relaxes both of you. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday, by the time you are finally together, you will each have dealt with the pressures of work. So find a way to relax before your special ‘date’ to decompress. Draw a nice bath for two or get a couples’ massage. That can set the stage for a perfect Valentine’s night.

Be present. Focus on your partner. If you spend the evening in, avoid the tendency to multi-task at home. Some people don’t feel productive when they’re not doing four things at once, but all of your attention should be directed to your Valentine.

Turn off the phone. One thing that is sure to ruin the mood on Valentine’s night is a ringing cell phone, especially if the caller ID shows it is a colleague, leaving you curious and distracted. Make it easy on everyone and turn the phone off for the whole night. Your Valentine will love you for it.

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1. Increasing Productivity: Telecommuting and Your Family and Friends
2. Distractions and Interruptions

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) discusses how your health can affect productivity and how important it is to take care of yourself. (c) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved

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How is your energy level after work? 

When you work hard all day long and come home exhausted, what is the first thing you want to do? For many people, it’s pick up the remote, sit on the couch, watch television, and just veg out.

Let’s discuss some alternatives, because the less you do, the less energy you are going to have. The more you do the more energy you are going to have. It’s one of life’s cruel ironies. Take exercise for example. The more you exercise, the more energy you have; the less you exercise, the less energy you have. Intuitively, we know this is true, but it is so hard to put into practice.

After you’ve worked hard all day, you come home to more…work.  This is the second shift—the one you don’t get paid to do. You need all the energy you can muster to make dinner, take care of kids, supervise homework, do laundry, clean the house, run errands, and do the myriad chores that make your world go around.

Instead of plopping down on the couch, try these ideas.

1. Don’t drive home. Just drive somewhere else—like to the gym. Sometimes when you are facing an evening of paperwork, bills, or more work after the kids are in bed, the gym could be the best productivity activity you do all day. Sometimes a little bit of exercise keeps your energy level humming through the early evening hours. And how do you feel when you’re done exercising—great!  We always remember how good we feel afterward, but it doesn’t always give us the motivation we need to do it again.

 Or instead of the gym, take a little detour to the park. Do you have a beautiful, open space where you can walk? A track? A path? A loop that you enjoy that gives you energy, that makes you feel good, and gets you out in nature? Or perhaps meet a friend and just ease into your second shift.

 2.  Stop feeling guilty when you take care of yourself or when you work out. Some people feel guilty if things are not going absolutely perfectly in all the lives of the people they love. They want to give their time and attention and energy to everything and everyone but themselves. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have the ability to take care of others.

 3.  Find something you enjoy.  Move. Do not think of exercise as something you have to do, but something that will get you going, rather than sitting on the couch and letting your energy drain even further, falling asleep in front of the television and being exhausted by 8:00. What do you like to do?  Jump on your kids’ trampoline. Shoot some hoops out in the driveway. Practice Yoga? Find a sense of fun in your play that so many people are lacking.

 Bottom line: You must make time for yourself at the end of your workday. Renewed energy will give you a boost of productivity when you finally do get home and get to work, yet again.

 To find out more about The Productivity Pro®, Inc. or have Laura Stack speak at an upcoming meeting or event, please visit at www.theproductivitypro.com.

 Make it a productive day! ™

 © 2010 Laura Stack.   To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401 or visit www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.

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Everyone has stress! But is yours the good kind or bad kind? Positive stress can create improved productivity levels, but negative stress can cause performance to decline. Learn to diagnose your stress levels and determine the proper balance in your life.

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Laura Stack shares ideas on how to boost your productivity during the day by sleeping better at night and provides some tips on how to do it.  Watch video below.

(C) 2009 Laura Stack.  All right reserved.

http://www.TheProductivityPro.com

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Welcome to guest blogger Karen Leland, who interviewed me for an article for Woman’s Day and who authored Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day.

Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone

In my office, on my desk, I have a plain white coffee cup that has written on it in simple black letters, “’Do one thing every day that scares you’—Eleanor Roosevelt.”

As I stare down the barrel of another year filled with hope, possibilities, challenges, and change, I think about what living the cup’s motto really means in practice. ?
It’s all too easy to stay in the same routine year after year, doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts, eating the same foods, doing the same job and engaging in the same hobbies. Relatively nothing new learned or risked. No standing on the cliff looking over the edge and thinking, “What am I going to do?” or “What have I done?” or “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

The feeling of jumping out of your comfort zone so that a free-form anxiety grabs hold in the stomach and won’t let go. A lump in the throat that sits sedated like a cat sleeping on a hot spot where the sun comes in through the window in an otherwise dark and cold room. Then again, there are comfort zones and there are comfort zones. Among the risks that I won’t be taking this year are:

1. Climbing Mount Everest. First of all, it’s cold, really cold. Bone-chilling, long-underwear, ski-pants, parka-jacket, gloves-under-mittens cold. Secondly, there is the altitude, which, as I understand from hearing stories from people who actually are crazy enough to climb Everest, packs a real wallop to the head and stomach causing blinding headaches and constant nausea.

If this were not enough, consider those ice caverns or cracks or whatever they are called that at least once a year (if not more often) some climber falls into, descending to the bottomless pit of frozen blue, never to be seen or heard from again. The other members of the climbing team don’t even try to rescue the guy, but just place a bandana on a stick, plunk it into the ground in memoriam next to the site of their fallen comrade and place a cell phone call back home to the wife.

All this for the chance to freeze to death once you reach the top and are caught in a blinding snowstorm with sub-zero temperatures that descend in the wink of a cloud’s eye. No, thank you.

2. Sky dive. Do I even need to explain this one?

3. Wear a prairie skirt with Birkenstocks and white socks. If you’re reaction to this is why not? Go immediately to your television set and Tivo TLC’s fun fashion makeover show What Not To Wear – all will become abundantly clear.

These are the things I won’t be doing to stretch beyond my comfort zone in 2009, but there are plenty of ways I plan to make scary (good scary) part of my everyday life in the coming year.

Of course, from this vantage point this is an easy plan to make, but in the hurly burly head-long rush into life, I may have a bad day or two and be tempted to say no, even when I ought to say yes, or yes when I should be saying no. No worries. Just in case, I have my coffee cup to remind me to break out of my comfort zone and do one thing every day that scares me.

To Break out of your comfort zone, try the following:

- Say yes to something you have always wanted to do, but been afraid to try for fear of failure, rejection or embarrassment.
- Say no to “a sure thing,” where you have the security of knowing the outcome but no passion for its pursuit.
- Say yes to a creative challenge, even if (at least for the moment) it does not carry a big financial reward.
- Say no to something you really don’t want to do, but are doing anyway out of guilt, fear or shame.

Karen Leland is author of the recently released book Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day and co-founder of Sterling Consulting Group. For questions or comments visit her work-life balance site.

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It’s only logical that the healthier you are, the more productive you can be.  Think about it – the last time you were ill, how much work did you really get done?  It is so easy today to neglect ourselves because we are “too busy” or “too tired.”  We’re coming up on that busy holiday time of the year where everyone seems harried and has too much to do.  The holiday season doesn’t have to be a drain.  Now is the time to take steps to keep yourself healthy!

1. Get enough sleep!  I know, easier said than done – but it is important!

2. Get your flu shot.  No, it isn’t fun, but neither is the flu. 

3. Don’t neglect your exercise routine.  It is easy during the holiday season to skip over your regular workouts.  Try to stick to your routine, and you’ll feel better!

4. Treat yourself but don’t overindulge.  It’s not easy to say no to pumpkin pie and mom’s specialty side-dishes.  Have some (it’s okay)…in moderation.

5. Say “No.”  There are invitations galore, requests for assistance, volunteer time and all sorts of demands on your time time during the holidays.  Do the things that give you joy and help your community, but again…in moderation.  Don’t neglect yourself and your family for the sake of something “good.”

You can keep up your energy levels throughout the holidays and not end up in burnout on January 1st!  If you haven’t yet, check out my latest book, The Exhaustion Cure.  You’ll find all sorts of ideas on how to stay healthy and energetic!

(C) 2008 Laura Stack.  www.TheProductivityPro.com

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Humor in the workplace is a productive thing, according to Psychologist Maren Rawlings from Swinburne University of Technology.  In a recent study, Rawlings “found a direct correlation between the climate of good humor in a workplace and employee satisfaction.”  Previous research found a link between job satisfaction and productivity, so the logical leap is that humor is good for productivity.  Of course this doesn’t mean we can spend our entire days cracking jokes, but it says to me that we can lighten up and laugh a little.  Rawlings also noted “If employers take measures to encourage a positive humor climate in the workplace, they are more likely to retain their staff.” Keeping the staff you have rather than experiencing turnover is clearly more productive than re-hiring and training new folks. 

Find creative ways to lighten things up around the office.  My assistant told me of a place she used to work where the Sales Director hung a punching bag in the doorway to his office so that his sales reps could take out their frustrations on it.  The same Sales Director, when sales were dragging, decided that if sales were dragging, it was time to have sales “in drag”…so the reps came to the office the next day in gender-bending outfits.  Everyone laughed and had a great time, and my assistant tells me they hit a sales record that month.  It is no big secret that when people are enjoying themselves, they can get more done and stay positive about what they are doing.  Have some fun at work.  It’s allowed, really!

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People love their Blackberries, no doubt.  A recent study confirmed this, according to this article on WCBSTV.com.  They may be terrific productivity tools for some, but at what cost?  The article by Scott Rapoport states “The study of 6,500 traveling executives says 35 percent of them would choose their PDA over their spouse.”  Wait a minute – people would choose a communication device over a loved one?  If this is true, where have we gone wrong? 

It is important to keep track of your business, be connected to your co-workers, clients and employers.  Blackberries certainly have made this easier, particularly for those who don’t spend most of their time in the office.  With this easy connectivity, are people losing the ability to know when to turn it off?  It would seem that technology is not only helping us be more productive, but is also blurring the lines between work time and off time.  Is it really more productive to have one foot in the working world and one foot on the home front at the same time?  I’m not so sure…

If we are always “available” via Blackberries, email, cell phones and pagers, are we truly focusing on our loved ones when we are allegedly “off” from work?  Can we really let loose and play if we’re always poised to answer the next email or text message?  Unless your connection to work means life or death, you CAN and should turn off and tune out when the work day is over.  Are we working to live, or living to work?

(C) 2008 Laura Stack.  All rights reserved.  www.TheProductivityPro.com

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Do productive people always have their dream jobs?  No.  Are you more productive when you enjoy what you’re doing and are happy in your work?  Yes. 

So do you find your work fulfilling?  Or are you just going through the motions to pay the bills?  What if you’re in a job that is a springboard to the next one?  That’s fine.  There’s a difference between everyday annoyances and unsettling, deep malcontent.  Life’s too short to keep a job that makes your stomach hurt.  As they say, do what you love, and the money will follow. 

How do you know if you’re in your dream job?
• Make a list of your dreams.  You may have only one; you may have several.  Some may be really big.  Some may be small.  “I want to make jewelry and sell it online.”  “I want to be a meteorologist.”  “I want to start my own pension consulting business.”
• Make a list of your passions.  What do you love?  Singing?  Playing guitar?  Photography?  Is there a dream job in there somewhere?
• Make a list of your core values.  Is it important to you to have ample time to enjoy life?  Is it important to you to be helping others through your work, no matter how many hours of the week it takes??
• Make a list of what you’re naturally good at and love to do.  Teaching people how to play tennis?  Working with animals?  De-cluttering homes and offices?  Cooking French cuisine?  Is there a dream job in there somewhere? 

Now why don’t you do it?  Perhaps you’re afraid you won’t make any money.  Perhaps you’re afraid to leave a high-paying job in search of a more fulfilling one.  Perhaps you’re afraid you’ll fail.  Whatever the reason, fear is a really energy drain.  It will paralyze you, lock you up, and keep you in the status quo.  If you are to find your purpose and experience the flow, you will have to muster the courage to fight it off.

Happiness is not all about money.  You could have a BMW, a home with 4 bathrooms, your kids attend the best schools that money can buy, and your wife looks like a supermodel.  But perhaps you’re still unhappy, and you can’t figure out why.

As Stuart Goldsmith says in his book The Seven Secrets of Success, “Becoming wealthy has little to do with buying a bunch of silly toys.  You have to be a very sad individual if this is the limit of your imagination.  How much champagne can you drink?  How many Rolexes do you need?  How big a wardrobe of clothes will satisfy you? This is all junk.  They are toys—harmless baubles to amuse us for five minutes.  Attaining these toys is not the purpose of a noble life.” He adds, “. . . Happiness comes from leading a worthwhile life and producing something of quality and value.  Sitting around in a mansion and staring at your Porsche will not make you happy.” 

It’s quite normal and understandable for people to want a lot of money.  Having a lot of money, especially in a capitalistic society, is equivalent to having plenty.  This is an instinctive, evolutionary drive.  Of course you don’t want to have to walk 20 miles with your Neanderthal club in hand to find a food source.  But in a capitalistic society such as ours that’s brimming with shiny things, this perfectly reasonable drive morphs into greed.  And before you know it, we equate money and things with happiness.     

But it’s not money in and of itself that makes us happy.  It’s the freedom that money provides that opens a big, wide door to the land of happiness.  In other words, if we’re not living hand to mouth, we have the time to pursue what we truly love—whether that’s writing a novel, volunteering full-time for a homeless shelter, or having time to watch the sun set every single evening. 

How much did you spend on your most recently acquired boast-worthy possession?  What if you were to that same amount of money and donate it to a charity that feeds the hungry?  Can you picture the poverty-stricken child whose face lights up when she receives a week’s worth of hot meals?  Which brings you more happiness, the possession, or the child with a full stomach? 

How do you like to make the world a better place?  Helping people overcome illness?  Working with the mentally handicapped?  Teaching people how to exercise? 

If I looked at the way you spend your time, would I be able to tell what’s important in your life?  The majority of people spend far too much time working and not enough time with their loved ones.  Then they arrive home and have no energy left to devote to their spouse or children.  They take the day’s problems out on the people they love—the entire reason they’re working in the first place.  You say your family is important to you.  Can people tell you value them by the way you spend your time?  You say your significant other is the most important thing in the world.  How much time have you spent spending time with them versus spending time working?  You say your spirituality is important, but how much time do you spend praying, reading, meditating, attending services, volunteering, or whatever reflects your beliefs?  Is it merely an outside facade?  Say and do the same thing.  Be congruent.  Or just stop saying it and be yourself.  To be in alignment with your values, what you say and what you do should be the same.

Bottom line: Adjust your career and your life balance so your time reflects what matters to you most.  Put some metrics on your priorities.  Companies measure their results, and you should measure yours.  Spending time with my family is my greatest pleasure in life.  Work is just my hobby.  I only want to be out of town five nights per month.  I want to eat dinner at home 25 days per month.  I want to take six weeks of vacation each year.  I work no more than 45 hours per week, although I could easily work 100.  Keeping track of my behavior each month makes me accountable; I know immediately whether my schedule is meshing with my priorities and my values.  These figures are in front of me as a constant reminder of what I’m trying to accomplish with my life. 

Assess how you’re spending your time.  What are you doing with it?  Watching TV?  Flipping through magazines?  What would you rather be doing?  What are your metrics going to be?  What do you want your epitaph to say?  “He had a well-mowed lawn.”  “There wasn’t one speck of dust in her house.”  “His Porsche was really shiny.” 

Do.  Don’t dream.
© 2008 Laura Stack.  Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time®.  She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations.  Since 1992, Laura has presented keynotes and seminars on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in today’s workplaces.  She is the bestselling author of three works published by Broadway Books: The Exhaustion Cure (2008), Find More Time (2006) and Leave the Office Earlier (2004).  Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and 3M.  To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401.  Visit www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.

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