From the Editor
Welcome to the 16th issue of Productive! Magazine. This edition might evoke reflection upon the way we should be managing the time we are given. After all, this is the end of 2013 :-)
It is hard to keep up with the traditional 3x8 day division (3x8DD) and spend 8 hours in bed, 8 hours at work and devote the same amount of hours to our private time. Sometimes it is impossible due to the nature of the position we hold, sometimes due to workload, sometimes it’s simply because we don’t see great examples of personal time use around us so it doesn’t feel right nor comfortable to be the only one doing things differently.
There are plenty other reasons not to follow the scheme. Maybe it is time to think about why traditional 3x8DD doesn’t work in your case? Is it a conscious decision? Maybe you simply do not want to live according to this rule? Or maybe you wish for it, but can’t seem to pull it off? Laura Stack wrote a fantastic time management survival guide for the extreme work-week because she is aware that, “many professions sneer at the traditional 40-hour work-week as no better than part-time and many professionals often work 50 or 60 hour weeks just to meet the minimum job requirements.”
I believe it is never too late to learn something new and there is nothing wrong in looking for help and information that could help us manage our lives better. It is even necessary to pass that knowledge on to others, especially to the kids who will have to face the reality at some point at school and work. The more educated they are, the less stress and problems they will have to struggle with.
Given that, let’s move on to the articles that we have prepared for you and that shall serve you as extra weapons in the fight against the overload :)
First off, I had an amazing pleasure in interviewing Les McKeown, the best-selling author of “Predictable Success” and “The Synergist”. His theories on time management and the cycle of life of successful companies motivated me to grow as the CEO of Nozbe and inspired me to learn more about leading a great team I’m building.
Michael Hyatt presents “The beginner’s guide to goal setting”, Timo Kiander comes with the first part of his article on finding time for your online business even if you have a family and a day-time job. Augusto Pinaud proves that it is much easier to avoid distractions when standing and reveals how to work effectively in this position. Also, I’ve decided to offer a word of advice on the matter of delegation.
Under the time pressure of the daily hustle and bustle, it may be difficult to focus on our dreams, passions and real sense. We asked Rosemary Rice from DailyPlanIt.com for help. She shows how personal branding can work as a way to reveal authentic purpose or talents which, for some of us, are hidden treasures that require digging deeper to uncover.
Last but not least, Susan Brennan, a speaker, personal assistant specialist and productivity enthusiast tells how to create order from obstacles. She brings up a quote which, I guess should become the motto of this issue: “Don’t you ever tell me you can’t do something!”
Yours productively,
Michael Sliwinski
