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- Aug 31 2007
- 15 Comments
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As I toil away on research into Part 2 of the Attention Age Doctrine, a creative idea came to mind.
How about having an “open thread” on my blog that invites comments from you – my readers – about what you’d like to see in Part 2.
What are some the concerns you have about focusing attention on your business?What are some of the top challenges you face when dealing with interruptions to your work flow?
What challenges have you come up against in getting the attention of your market?
I’ve made a commitment to have fun this weekend as well, so that may have something to do with this request. But don’t let that discourage you. If you can find time in your fun activities to give this blog some attention, I’d greatly appreciate it – and so would your fellow readers.
So, consider this an open thread... What’s on your mind regarding attention?What kind of solutions would you like to see included in Part 2 of The Attention Age Doctrine?
Let me know and have a great weekend.I’m anxious to see your ideas.
To Higher Profits,
Rich SchefrenClick here to provide your comment
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- Aug 23 2007
- 70 Comments
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"Interruptions are in the eye of the interrupted."
This was a key point in The Attention Age Doctrine, and one that really struck a nerve with many of my readers.
Information that you think is important to your business, may simply be an interruption to your business goals.
Trouble is, you won't realize whether or not the
information is important until you've given it your attention.Since the release of The Attention Age Doctrine, I've received countless e-mails and blog comments about the distinction between an "interruption" and a "distraction" as it relates to business efficiency. While there are "dictionary differences" between the two, I'll just give you my quick analysis.
An interruption is external. It's a break in continuity, something unexpected that "pops up" and causes you to divert your attention. Examples: Someone calling your name, an e-mail alert on your computer, a ringing phone, a raindrop falling on your head, a bowling bowl dropped in your lap. Interruptions grab our attention by diverting our focus.
A distraction is internal. It's an emotional disturbance that requires our own compliance. It's your mind thinking about lunch options while you are in an important business meeting. It's a gaze out the window to watch the birds fly by or the feeling that you left your iron on in the laundry room. There's an underlying cause for distractions that divides our attention in a subtle way. Distractions may seem like harmless "white noise," but they can be quite, well, distracting.
Workplace interruptions and distractions serve one disturbing purpose: They take us off course. Every time we "follow the bouncing ball," our business goals get pushed aside.
By taking your focus off the "big task" of what your business needs (more on this in a sec...), your vision becomes clouded, your message muddled, your decisions diluted and delayed.
What's even worse is that it becomes a habit. You end up conditioning your brain to respond in a similar fashion in the future. In essence, you are re-wiring your brain to work against you [I'll share the research that supports this notion, and how you can re-condition your attention, in Part 2 of the Attention Age Doctrine, coming out next month.]
Look, there's a real reason why many racehorses run with blinders on. It's so they'll stay focused on the task at hand - winning.
So why is it so difficult for entrepreneurs to do the same? Why don't we work with blinders on, avoiding interruptions so we can focus on growing our business and achieving our goals?
Maybe it's because you love being in the race more than you love achieving the results. You enjoy the "busyness" of your business, but are unwilling to get serious about doing what it takes to succeed. You're allowing distractions and interruptions to pull you away from your business goals.
My coaching clients often ask: How can I avoid the interruptions that are distracting me from my work?
An easy answer is to work in solitary confinement, but that has its own downside. A better answer comes from asking a better question: Why am I allowing myself to be so easily distracted?
No one makes us answer e-mails. There is no law, under penalty of death, to respond immediately to instant messages or a ringing telephone.
We can avoid interruptions and distractions if we want to do so. So why do we allow this to happen?
It's always easier to blame an outside source for our troubles - a computer, a colleague, a PDA - rather than take that terrifying look inside ourselves to see what is lurking among the cobwebs.
Are we are our own worst enemy when it comes to distraction? Are we the cause of our own interruptions that take us off the path to success and down a spiraling path toward procrastination and diminished productivity?
Think about it for a moment. Each time you sit down in front of the computer you should do so with an ultimate goal: task completion. But getting from Point A to Point B in your business is rarely a direct line of progression - at least, that's what you've been telling yourself.
The demands on our attention are infinite, but our attention is finite. So we have to keep focused on the goal of winning.
Every time we turn our attention away from our purpose - task completion - and toward something else (i.e., reading e-mail, mindlessly surfing the Web, chasing butterflies, chatting on the phone), we imperil our business goals and do our customers a great disservice.
We can choose to blame technology, our neighbors, family and friends, but really the blame is our own. It is our own refusal - note, I did not say "inability" - to eliminate the interruptions and distractions that cause frustration and prevent us from achieving ultimate success.
By allowing interruptions to sidetrack us - by giving in to the pull of distraction - we simply delay our primary gratification: the knowledge and pride in a job well done and the financial reward that comes with it.
Instead of doing what your business needs you to do, you end up doing what you want to do.
Let's put that in perspective. You may not want to change diapers, but your children need you to do it. You may not want to pay taxes, but it's probably a good idea to complete them on time each year. In both cases, you just have to hold your nose and get it done.
Successful entrepreneurs (in the right business) love their businesses. They shouldn't "have to" do the job; they should "want to" do what is best for business development and ultimate reward.
This creates another immediate concern:
Do you know what your business really needs of you?
If not, all of the time you waste through "distraction" may really be the fault of your own "indecision." You must decide what your business needs from you (in a step-by-step list of tasks) and eliminate the interruptions and distractions so you can get it done.
Two days ago I attended a networking event in Texas that will most likely go down in history as one of the biggest gatherings of influential men and women in business and marketing. It was hosted by my good friend Stephen Pierce. Some of the powerful people in attendance were T Harv Eker, Jay Abraham, John Reese, and Jeff Walker; Tim Ferris, Armand Morin, Russell Brunson, and John Carlton; Mike Filsaime, Tom Beal, Jerry Clark, and Shawn Casey; Eben Pegan, Mike Litman, and Dave Lakhani; Janet Switzer, Yanik Silver, and Lori Morgan Ferraro.
At the event I had a great conversation with Internet Marketing legend John Reese. Besides getting some great marketing advice from him regarding our upcoming seminar in February, we also compared our approaches to getting our work done. And we both had a similar approach.
We both think about the goal we are trying to accomplish and list all the steps we need to do in order to accomplish it. Then, we get to work. John said (and I agreed) that often people get sidetracked or procrastinate because they haven't taken the time to layout all the steps they need to take to accomplish their goals.
The list of steps helps grab and focus their attention.
Early radio and television programs used to be interrupted by breathless announcers with a familiar refrain: "We interrupt this message to bring you a special announcement…" The message grabbed your attention and wouldn't let go until you absorbed it, at which time you were "returned to your regularly scheduled programming."
It's time to get clear about what you need to do, focus your attention and "get with the program" of working on what matters.
So, why are you not achieving your business goals faster?
Do you have an interruption problem, a distraction problem, or an indecision problem? (Share your thoughts on this here)
Sometimes introspection can be a painful journey of discovery, but one we all must take.
So do it right now, right here... Then get back to work!
Post a comment about this article
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- Aug 20 2007
- 69 Comments
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I was startled out of sleep the other morning by my 5-year-old daughter Ava. It was 6 a.m. and still dark as she ran into our bedroom screaming the ‘F’ word.
The word flew out of her mouth as if it was launched by NASA.
"FRIDAY! Today Is Friday!!!!"
What a great word... Friday.
Do you remember back when you were in school, how happy you were to finally get to Friday?
Unfortunately, for far too many entrepreneurs, the word has lost all its power. Even worse, that special "Friday-feeling" has also disappeared from our busy lives.
Yet, for self-described cubicle slaves and school kids alike, no matter how heavy the burden or workload, there is always Friday. For them it's more than just a day; it’s an attitude.
- Friday is freedom from worry.
- Friday is fun, which should be part of every day.
- Friday moves us forward.
- Friday feels fantastic.
Any day can be Friday. It’s a landmark event that signifies triumph: It’s time to race to the FINISH (another favorite ‘F’ word) and begin the process of recovery from a batch of productive work.
I’m sure you’ve used the ‘F’ word on more than one occasion as your grow your business. Sometimes just one word like that can determine your attitude for the entire day.
In my coaching practice I've noticed that most entrepreneurs have completely lost the special feeling that comes from the anticipation of downtime after completing a task or project. It's as if running their business has become a never-ending marathon with no finish line whatsoever.
If you don't have a finish line, how will you know when the race is won?
So, what about you? How many ‘Friday’ moments have you experienced as an online entrepreneur?
What other words trigger action and emotion as you sprint to complete your projects and achieve your business goals?
I'm no wordsmith, but I’m beginning to pay more attention to language. I give my kids credit for this gift as they teach their dad a thing or two about 'nice words' and "bad words."
Watching my daughters learn new vocabulary words, and form their speech patterns, I marvel at the way their minds work. There’s a lot going on inside the brain of a 2-year-old when she tries to say “hippopotamus” for the first time. But the result of her accomplishment, however tortured the pronunciation, is a joy to behold.
I've also learned the power of words – their meaning and the images they project.
Some words hurt, others bring smiles. At times, simple words, and the rhythms they create in our minds when spoken, can be quite soothing.
Here are some examples:
Relax...
Replenish...
Recharge...Feels kind of nice, doesn't it? Now, think about the meaning of those words and the images they place in our minds.
Relax... slow down, lie down, kick up your feet. Feel the ocean breeze and the warmth of the sun on your skin.
Replenish... cool water on a hot summer day, a refreshing dip in the pool after a long day at work. The feeling of nourishment we get after downing a fruit smoothie.
Recharge... the kick of an espresso to start your morning, the turn of an ignition key and the roar of a supercharged engine. You’re built for speed, baby, and ready for action.
Make it a point to incorporate these kinds of words into your business day today.
I know I’ve been talking a lot about information overload recently, but it’s important for you to realize how it will feel when you declare victory over it.
Where once there was information anxiety, now there is recovery.
Recovery is a very important word for all of us. And I am not talking about the type of recovery you get from a 12-step program either (Sorry, Lindsay Lohan fans).
Instead, I am talking about a time where you actually recharge well enough so you can come back with even more energy than before.
When you stop and think about it – and I strongly encourage you to do so - stress followed by recovery stimulates growth. Without recovery, continual stress leads to burnout or breakdown.
If you’ve ever been interested in weight lifting, you know what I mean. When you work out at the gym, you take your muscles past the point of failure. Then you must give your muscles enough time to recover so that they can rebuild and be better prepared for similar stress.
When training your body, if you don’t fully recover you’ll end up overtraining it. The net result is you get weaker instead of stronger: The exact opposite of your original goal.
This happens emotionally, too. Think about the traumatic events that were once devastating, but that you now recognize as empowering: Family crisis, the death of a loved one, the break-up of a relationship, the failing of a business venture, the loss of a job, etc.
The reason for this renewed strength is that you have fully recovered from the trauma and are now better prepared to handle similar stressful situations. But this time, you’ll handle them much better.
If you don’t allow for recovery, and you get hit with another crisis, it can be demoralizing for you, your family, friends and business.
If you’ve read the biographies of as many successful entrepreneurs as I have, then you’ve definitely seen this pattern of trauma, recovery, and victory in their lives. So many successful people go through some horrible reversal, but they recover, and later they’re stronger because of it.
Often, many battles are lost before winning the war.
That’s why the concept of recovery is vital to our growth. And you should strive to incorporate it in all that you do.
So how does this translate into your own life?
It means for every 14-hour workday filled with adrenaline and the promise of financial success, there must be rest and recovery if you want to be at your best.
It also means if you are struggling with information anxiety you’ll never get to experience recovery (and its resulting growth) because there’s no finish line – no end in sight. The race or pace just never lets up.
That’s why a “Just in Time” approach to information is superior to “Just in Case” methodology. By acting upon information as we need it, rather than hoarding information just in case we may need it, we train ourselves to be more efficient and successful. Because there is a finish line, there is a tangible goal by which to measure our growth.
Remember those soothing words: relax, replenish and recharge.
I’ll add another: RESPOND to this blog post and share your entrepreneurial challenges.
Let me know how your “recovery” stories have helped sharpen your business focus.
Some of the toughest times in our lives become the most inspirational. Some of our “lowest lows” provide our greatest life lessons.
Remember, Friday is a metaphor for recovery. With information overload, there is no real recovery, but there can be relief. And with no recovery comes burnout or breakdown. Relief brings its own reward.
As you experience “Friday” every day, let me know how your Friday moments are fueling your business growth.
Your attitude may be your greatest asset as you move forward.
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- Aug 17 2007
- 24 Comments
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Most online entrepreneurs just like you either suffer from too little or way too much information: There simply is no in-between.Where do you stand? How do you figure out which amount of information is “just right?”
Today, we’ll continue the conversation on information overload that we started in an earlier blog post. And, boy, is there a lot of material to cover …
Let’s begin with one of the biggest issues.
I’m often asked by nervous entrepreneurs:
When is “enough” information really enough?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this question from clients – “newbie” business owners and veteran business leaders alike.
So many smart people are convincing themselves that they are just not smart enough. Stop doing this to yourself and your business.
As we mentioned in an Aug. 15 posting on this blog about information overload, you can’t possibly know everything, so don’t even try. You just need to recognize what you don’t know and fill in the gaps along the way.
One of our blog readers, Dan Scott, put this urgency in perspective: “Often we keep acquiring more information so we can put off pulling the trigger … at some point, you’ve got sufficient information and should just act.”
Excellent point, Dan.
Think about it:
It’s great to have an impressive vocabulary, but you don’t need to memorize an entire dictionary in order to enjoy a good book. If you don’t understand a new word, simply look it up. It’s that easy to do.
You just have to trust yourself – and your brain. After all, even Albert Einstein couldn’t remember his own telephone number. He reasoned, quite accurately, that he didn’t need to memorize his phone number because he knew where to find it in the phone book.
Einstein didn’t question his knowledge of the unknown, even for little things like remembering a phone number. You shouldn’t either.
Sometimes knowing how to access information is more important than the information itself. Remember that – I’m sure it will become more and more important to you as your business grows.
There’s another puzzling question I hear a lot, and this one is funny when you say it out loud:
How do I know that I’ll know what I need to know when I need to know it?
Questions like these reveal a disturbing unease about strategic business process – and a lack of confidence among business owners. The questions don’t lead to business solutions; they just heighten our anxieties and pick at the scab of uncertainty that irritates us all.
“What if I can’t keep up with my competitors?” …
“What if I don’t buy every business book, read every e-mail, and scan every RSS feed?” …
“What if I miss the one bit of information that could truly set my business on fire?”
“What if …”
This kind of paranoia freezes growth opportunity.
It discourages risk-taking and leads to indecision, inefficiency, and ultimately, paralysis.
This is no way to run a successful business.
Information anxiety plagues many good business people. But the great ones are able to sort through the clutter of information and inaction and get to the part that really matters – the information that leads you to take action.
Again, knowing how to access and interpret information is sometimes more important than the information itself.
Think about this example. What turns the lights on in your house? Simple answer: A light switch.
You don’t need to know about volts, ohms and amperes in order to turn on the lights. You just need the lights to work so you can see what is in front of you.
The ability to see what is in front of you: This is what so many of us seem to have lost.
Instead, we block our own view, and distort our business vision, with needless stacks of irrelevant information. The “stacks” don’t have to be physical. Even a virtual impediment is a blockade to creativity and productive thought.
Oh yeah, one more thing …
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll still make them, no matter how much information you have in your memory and at your fingertips.
Let me share a secret with you.
If you’ve done anything at all – not just business – then you have valuable experiences locked inside you that are just waiting to be rediscovered
You know what has worked and what hasn’t in certain situations. This will ALWAYS provide the best information you need to succeed. It is personal to you and it is timely: Two strong reasons why it’s more valuable to you than most information you’ll come across.
Most likely, no other business guru has ever shared this secret with you – because, if they did, it would be bad for business.
But I’m willing to do this for you because I believe you really must understand this. I’ve had some of the best mentors in the world – Jay Abraham, Michael Masterson, etc. – but even with that star-quality guidance, I needed something more.
The most important, impactful and relevant information I ever received that has helped me be successful has come directly from my own experiences – good and bad.
You are the best source of information for your business.
You know what works best and what doesn’t. You’ve thrown yourself into the fire and perhaps you’ve been burned by a few failed business decisions.
So what? That’s nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it may be just what you need to assure success in the future.
Your experiences, your passions, your successes and failures, all come into play as you move forward in any business venture. Each bit of experience you have gained along the way becomes a pebble on the path toward future growth.
Don’t turn that pebble into a boulder by blocking your ability to move forward with confidence.
Often, clients tell me that watching me make a mistake, rebound and leverage it for future growth has inspired them to really change their way of thinking. They are no longer timid with fear of failure. Instead, they are ready to pounce on opportunity, even if it is born of error.
While you may be tempted to ingest all sorts of information from outside sources, and many of these sources may prove remarkably helpful, the ultimate business decisions are made by you.
It is essential that you take control of that decision-making function.
And no matter what, do not discount what you know already or make your own knowledge any less important than anyone else’s. It is your wisdom that has value because you are living with it.
Last year, in a Sept. 8 blog posting, I offered tips on how to attack information overload and the resulting anxiety it causes.
In it, I asked my readers to overcome “the single biggest obstacle to achieving lasting success online and offline.” That obstacle, for many, is their own personal craving for more and more information.
You may be an information junkie, but don’t let information anxiety turn your business into junk.
What’s causing you to delay action in favor of more research? What impulses are preventing you from “pulling the trigger” on action-oriented solutions?
Your responses on information overload have been illuminating, and I’m learning from all that I receive and read.
Share your secrets to “getting going” on new tasks. Do you have a certain ritual you follow? A certain method you use to kick-start your productivity? How do you know when enough is enough?
Let me know how you do it … There are a lot of people hungry for your ideas.
To Higher Profits,
Rich Schefren
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- Aug 15 2007
- 2 Comments
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Priscilla Palmer's Personal Development List is a very interesting experiment. It's generating a ton of reciprocal links and is sweeping the blogoshere.
I would like to challenge every site on this list to add whomever might be missing and then to post it.
THE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT LIST!!Lilifixt at Feel Happy
Sophiagurl at Life is just around the corner...
Secret Simon at The Secret of Life
Jackie at The Painted Veil
Tricia at Loving Farewells
Aaron Potts at Today is That Day
Adam Alexander at Adam’s Peace
Adam Kayce at Monk at Work
Adam Khoo at Adam Khoo’s Philosophies and Investing Insights
AgentSully at Life Learning Today
April Groves at Making Life Work For You
Argancel at C’eclair (for those who speak french)
Ash aka Mr. Biggs at One Powerful Word
Al at 7pproductions.com
Alan Torres at Made to Be Great
Alex Shalman at AlexShalman.com
Alexander Kjerulf at The Chief Happiness Officer
Alexys Fairfield at Unraveling The Spiritual Mystique
Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net
Amber at Random Mangus
Amie Ragan at Psychology of Clutter
Amy Hedin at There is no Maximum to Human Potential
Andrea Learned at Learned on Women
Andrea J. Lee at Money, Meaning, and Beyond
Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com
Anita Pathik Law at Power of four Way
Anmol Mehta at AnmolMetha.com
Anna Farmery at The Engaging Brand
Antonio Thornton at AntonioThornton.com
Ariane Benefit at Neat & Simple Living
Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development
Barbara Sliter at Creatorship
Belle Wong at Abundance Journal
Bill Perry at Lucid Blog
Billy Smith at The Organic Leadership Blog
Blogfuse at LifeDev
Brad Isaac at Achieve It
Brian Clark at Copyblogger
Brian Kim at briankim.net
Brian Lee at geniustypes.com
Brooke at Plain Advice
Bob at everyeveryminute
Cam Beck at ChaosScenario
Cara Lumen at The Success Magnets With Cara Luman and Your Second Wind Blog
Carlon Haas at Possess Less Exist More
Chris Cree at SuccessCREEations
Chris Marshall at Martial Development
Chris Owen at Pink Apple
Christine Kane at ChristineKane.com
Christine Valters Painter at Abbey of the Arts
Clyde at Feeling Good
Colin Beavan at No Impact Man
Conceive, Believe, Achieve at Conceive, Believe, Achieve
Craig Harper at Motivational Speaker
Curt Rosengren at Occupational Adventure
Cyres at Cyres Matters
Damian Carr at Soul Terminal
Daniel Sitter at Idea Sellers
Darren Rowse at Problogger.net
Dave Schawbel at The Personal Branding Blog
Dave Schoof at Engaging the Disquiet
Davers at Language Trainers Blog
David Allen at The David Allen Company
David Bohl at Reflections on Balance
David Finch at David Finch.com
David Richeson at 360 Degree Success
David Rogers at How to Have Great Self Confidence
David Seah at David Seah.com
David Zinger at Slacker Manager
Dawud Miracle at dmiracle.com
Dean Lacono at Law of Attraction for Beginners
Debbie Call at Spirit In Gear
Debbie LaChusa at 10 Step Marketing Collection
Debra Moorhead at Debra Moorhead.com
Denise Mosawi at Destineering.com
Des Walsh at Thinking Home Business
Devlyn Steele at Tools To Life Guide
Dick Richards at Come Gather Round
Dominic Tay at Personal Development for Winners
Don Simkovich at Hey Don
Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer
Donna Karlin at Perspectives
Donna Steinhorn at Rethinking
Dr. Charles Parker at The Core Psych Blog
Dr. Hal at Northstar Mental fitness blog
Drew Rozell at Drew Rozell.com
Dwayne Melancon at Genuine Curiosity
Edward Mills at Evolving Times
Ellen Weber at Brain Based Business
Emily G. W. Lilly at The Science of Waldorf Education
Emmanuel Lopez at The Adventures of Motivatorman
Ellesse at Goal Setting College
Elly Jolly at Jolly Life Coaching
Enoch Tan at Mind Reality
Eric Napier at Quotation Collection
Erin Pavlina at Erin Pavlina.com
Frank Kanu at Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership
Frank Roche at KnowHR Blog
Galba Bright at Tune Up Your EQ
Gilad Buchman at Sigsug
Gleb Reys at Personal Development Ideas
Grayson at Modern Worker Blog
Greg Butler at Life as Art
Greg Frost at ChargedAudio.com
Gretchen Rubin at Happiness Project
Gustav at Success-is-in-you.com
Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World
Gyanish at Diethack
Halina Goldstein at The Inner Travel Journal
Hilda Carroll at Living Out Loud
Heather Goldsmith at A Creative Journal
Henrik Edberg at The Positivity Blog
Honman at Open Your Mind to Prosperity
Inkedmn at The Cranking Widgets Blog
Isabella Mori at MoriTherapy
Itzy Sabo at Email Overloaded
Jackie at The Painted Veil
Jacklyn Ker at Inspiring and Empowing Lives
Jason and Michael at Black Belt Productivity
Jason Ivers at A Miracle a Day
Jason Womack at Fit and Effective
Jay White at dumb little man tips for life
Jean Browman at Transforming Stress Into Power and Cheerful Monk
Jeannette Maw at Good Vibe Coaching
Jeff Lilly at Druid Journal
Jeffrey Phillips at Think Faster
Jennifer at Goodness Graciousness
Jenny and Erin at Jenny and Erin
Jeremiah Owyang at Web Strategy by Jeremiah
Jerry Hart at Blue Print to emarketing
Jerry Lopper at Personal Growth
Jessa at clairvoyantGuidance.net
Jim stroup at Managing Leadership
Jim Walton at Black In Business
JoLynn Braley at The Fit Shack
Joan Schramm at Accelerating Momentum
Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry
Joanne at I’m Happy Fish
JodeeB at You Already Know This Stuff
Joe Vitale at Dr. Joe Vitale at Zero
John Pratt at John Pratt International
John Place at John Place Online
John W. McKenna at The Leadership Epidemic
John Wesley at Pick The Brain
Jon at Join The Secret
Jonathan at Smart Wealthy Rich and Freelance Folder
Jory Des Jardin at Pause: Meaningful Work
Josh Bickford at Reach For Magnificence and Reach for Magnificence
Josh Kaufman at The Personal MBA
Judy Martin at The Work/Life Monitor
Julia Rogers Hamrick at Julia’s Blog: Journal of the Journey Home to Eden
Julie Bonner at Declutter It
Kailani at An Island Review
Kammie Kobyleski at Passion Meets Purpose
Karen at Journey with Water Learner
Karen Lynch at Live The Power
Karen Wallace at The Clearing Space
Karl Moore at Karl Blog.com
Karl Staib at Karl Staib.com
Kathy Mallary at Coaching Biz Tips
Keith Ferrazzi at Never Eat Alone
Kenton Whitman at kentonwhitman.com
Kevin Kinchen at Creative Power of Thought
Killeris at Attitude, The Ultimate Power
Kim and Jason at Escape Adulthood
Kim George at Doing What You Can Do
Kirk Nugent at Kirk Nugent.com
Kirsten Harrell at Ipopin
Krishna De at Biz Growth News and Todays Women in Business
K.L. Masina at Be Conscious Now
Leah Maclean at Working Solo
Laura at Organizing Junkie
Laura Young at The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life
Lee Nutter at bmindful
Leo Babauta at Zen Habits
Life Reflection at Universe in a Single Atom
Lilifixt at Feel Happy
Linda Salazar at Awaken The Genie Within
Lisa Braithwaite at Speak Schmeak
Lisa Gates at Design Your Writing Life
Lisa Van Allen at Finish Strong
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
Lodewijkvdb at How to be an Original
Lola Fayemi at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development
Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living
Luciano Passuello at Litemind.com
Lucid at Spiritual Suggestions
Lyman Reed at Creating a Better Life
Lyndon Antcliff at LyndonAntcliff.com and Cornwallseo.com
MT at MindTWEAKS
Maddy at Illuminated Minds Want to Know
Malathy Badri at Laws of Universe
Manny at Success Books
Maria Garcia at Get Organized Now
Maria Palma at The Good Life
Marianne Williamson at Journal
Mark at The Naked Soul
Mark Forster at Get Everything Done
Mark LaPierre at The Winding Path
Mark McManus at Build Your Life To Order
Mark W Shead at Productivity 501
Martin Avis at Kickstart Daily
Matthew Cornell at Matt’s Idea Blog
Meg Haworth at Life Lessons From Your Soul
Melanie Benson Strick at The Success Blog
Merlin Mann at 43 Folders
Michelle at aMusing My Genius
Michelle Moore at Happiness Blog
Michael Port at The Think Big Revolution
Michael Vanderdonk at TOACH Performance
Mike Janssen at Opgestroopte Mouwen
Mike St. Pierre at The Daily Saint
Mr.Wang at Mr Wang Says So
My Everyday Planner at My Everyday Planner
Nancy Mills at The Spirited Woman
Nancy Tierney at Unconditional Confidence
Neil Patel at Quick Sprout
Nic Askew at Monday 9AM Blog
Nick Smith at Life 2.0
Nneka at Balanced Life Center
Organize-It at Organize-It
Pamala Slim at Escape From Cubicle Nation
Pamm Larry at My Spiritual Dance
Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker
Patti Digh at 37 Days
Paul at Paul’s Tips
Paul Piotrowski at Self Help Wisdom
Paula Kawal at Paula Kawal.com
Peggy Payne at Peggy Payne’s Boldness Blog
Peter at I Will Change Your Life
Peter Aldin at Great Circle
Peter Haslem at Necessary Skills
Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great
Philippe Matthews at Shockwealth
Priscilla Palmer at Personal Development Demands Success
Quint Jensen at Win Your Mind
Raymond Salas at Zenchill Powertools
Real Modern Man at Real Modern Man
Reg Adkins at ElementalTruths
Ricardo at Wake Up Tiger
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Andy Beard andybeard.eu
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- Aug 15 2007
- 102 Comments
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If you've ever experienced even a twinge of information overload, here's a unique solution that will get to the root cause of the problem once and for all.From what I can see, most recommended solutions are Band-Aids at best. That's because they only deal with the symptoms you're feeling and not the root cause. So they never really eliminate the problem once and for all.
Since the cause of information overload isn't obvious, let me ask you a question.
Back when you were in school, did you ever get nervous before a test?
Almost everyone I've asked has always said “yes.” Primarily because there's always some worry about the information you'll need to understand and hold in your memory once you sit down to take the test.
If you've ever asked a teacher "Is this going to be on the test?" – like when you had to memorize the times and dates of obscure Civil War battles – you know that feeling of anxiety.
Of course, the answer you were silently praying to hear was always "NO."
The reason is clear: You know what you know, but at that moment you were also keenly aware of what you didn’t currently know.
For most of us it’s what we know we don't know that is so scary. And that fear never goes away no matter how many tests you've aced in the past.
The subtext of the question "Is this going to be on the test?" is another question: "I don't want to waste my brains on information that isn’t relevant to my immediate future, so do I really need to know this?" The feeling is so prevalent in school because we often find ourselves studying and being tested on information in which we have very little interest.
Somehow, when we become entrepreneurs, we forget this survival mechanism from our past. Rather than getting very clear about what we already know and what we still need to know to do well (like we did when we were students), we chase scattered information from everywhere – considering all sources we think might have something useful to share. The net effect is we waste our time, our resources, and our intellectual capital in pursuit of new discoveries. And within the blink of an eye, we become victims of information overload.
There is an underlying cause for our haphazard information gathering and it's resulting information overload. Believe it or not, it comes down to self-esteem.
You see, instead of trusting what we already know, we're afraid of everything that we don’t know. It's this fear that becomes the road that takes us off course. We're trying to prepare for the non-existent test that has EVERYTHING on it and it leads us down a rabbit hole of procrastination that kills productivity.
You may even be on that “bunny trail” right now.
Serious online entrepreneurs are arguably still students themselves. They are searching for solutions and strategies that give them an edge. But it's self-directed learning, so those of us who succeed develop the profitable ability to focus on what information matters most to our core business goals.
In baseball terms, entrepreneurs can “drive the fastball” when it comes our way, no matter the velocity. We know it is coming and we are ready when it arrives. But as soon as someone throws us a curveball by introducing something new, it challenges our comfort zone. We’re left flailing and unsure of ourselves.
Believe me, I know the feeling.
And that, my friend, is all it takes to get the anxiety wheels rolling. Doubt creeps in, self-confidence plummets, and market opportunity is lost. Spooky, isn’t it? And it can happen in an instant.
We’re left thinking and worrying about the curve ball as the fastball whizzes by. In shock, we ask ourselves, “How could this happen to me?”
This scenario occurs each day with business leaders who experience information overload.
Entrepreneurs are bombarded by information. Not all of it is beneficial to their business goals. Yet, if you try to absorb it all – if you feel a need to gain and retain all information – you’ll lose sight of what is most important. You end up frazzled and overwhelmed – the proverbial “deer in the headlights” paralyzed by fear and unable to avoid certain disaster.
The net effect of the info-overload is that we diminish our ability to discern the great from the good and, in the process, make ourselves mediocre by measure.
Through our abundance and ambivalence, we lose our business edge – and profitability suffers.
Don’t become a paralyzed entrepreneur mesmerized by the flashy headlights of all the information coming at you. You have to push yourself away from the bountiful harvest of information and only select what you truly need to fuel your business growth.
Another great way to look at it is similar to the way we are told to look at food. I'm sure you've heard the fitness mantra, “food is fuel.” The same can be said for the role information plays in your life. Anything more than you need will just leave you bloated, inefficient and insecure.
It’s time to start trusting your instincts more. You have to be confident enough to work intelligently toward your goals – whether it is passing an exam or developing a profitable Web site. What you absolutely must not allow to happen is to become paralyzed by the fear of not knowing "everything" and the fear of failure in the absence of knowing exactly what you must know and what you don't know.
In fact, the ability to make decisions in the face of ambiguity (like this) is a key trait of successful entrepreneurs. Your expertise in this area comes from experience.
There’s an old adage: “No one is an expert in his own backyard.” It’s relevant for entrepreneurs who struggle with information anxiety.
Like Boy Scouts we should “always be prepared,” but we can’t assume that we’ll be perfect. We can’t possibly “know it all” and we can’t expect everyone to believe that we do, despite what Stuart Smalley tells us to repeat to ourselves in the mirror: “I'm good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it . . . people like me.”
So, value what you know already. It's a lot more than you probably give yourself credit for. Real growth, the type that translates into wealth, is more often accumulated through your direct experience. You can search for more knowledge – Hey, I spend time daily searching for the latest and greatest but I don’t discount the value of the wisdom I already possess, and you shouldn't either.
Odds are, unlike me, you’ve never read a sales letter written to sell the knowledge you already have trapped inside your brain. But take it from someone who knows: If you had my close friend, world-class copywriter John Carlton, pitching your ideas, you would immediately place a lot more value on what you already know (You'd also get a lot more buyers).
Too often we take for granted what is already familiar to us. We devalue our own knowledge gained through experience in favor of “outside sources.” We erroneously place a higher premium on information that others create and sell. This is seemingly contrary to entrepreneurial impulse, yet it happens again and again.
Remember: You cannot conquer uncertainty by burying it with more information.Wisdom comes not from devouring information, but by filtering it through personal experience and taking action on it. It’s the action or reaction, not the information itself, that makes us wise.
I have much more to share with you about this, but first I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Do you see this as a pattern in your own lives? Are you constantly devaluing your own knowledge – minimizing your own experience – in your quest for greater wisdom? Let me know by commenting on our blog.
What are some of your secrets for remaining confident and making decisions in the face of ambiguity?
How do you overcome the feeling of inadequacy when faced with overwhelming amounts of information that seem important, but you’re just not sure?
My readers are a sharp bunch. I know you’ll have some great tips and suggestions to share.
We’ll follow-up in another blog post with a continuation of this conversation. I’m looking forward to your ideas.
To Higher Profits,
Rich SchefrenP.S. The Attention Age Doctrine continues to move forward. Me and the entire Strategic Profits team are busily preparing the next installment. For a “retro” trip back to our previous media reports, get your keys to the Profit Vault here:
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- Aug 10 2007
- 43 Comments
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Today I'm going to share with you one of the secrets to boosting your productivity and how to inject a lot more fun into your life.
It's an important and transformational concept that's simple to execute and you'll get the benefits immediately. Actually, I've been eager to share it with you for quite some time, so I am really excited to get you started right now.
I’ve been so busy these past few weeks. Crazy schedules with the Acceleration2 seminar in Delray Beach, Fla., and a whirlwind of other business events have really tapped my resources of late, but the old energy is starting to come back. I’m feeling invigorated again, and not a moment too soon …
The past two months have been an amazing growth period in my professional life, and I hope in yours as well. In fact, this one technique I am going to share with you is one of the reasons for my company's phenomenal growth. I’m really excited about the prospects of our future conversations about business, life, and how they meet at the intersection of success and opportunity.
I want to follow-up on my promise to you in a May 16 blog post. In that post I invited you and my other readers to share 20 fun things you like to do. I then promised you I would show you how to use this list to dramatically boost your productivity and be a lot more successful, a lot sooner.
I was amazed at the number of readers that responded. To date, 206 readers shared with the rest of us the fun activities they enjoy in their lives.
I had my staff turn all these wonderful responses into a pdf that you can download right here:
Now I'll tell you the concept , why it's so powerful, the exact steps you need to take and the results you can expect from this amazing productivity tip.
A core problem for a majority of entrepreneurs is that we fail to schedule fun into our day. We do this because we think we will get more done, but in reality this has the opposite effect. We end up becoming less effective, procrastinate more, become less focused, more burnt-out, irritable and stressed.
Most entrepreneurs valiantly squeeze all of the fun out of their day in order to schedule more time at work, as if hours in front of a computer somehow magically translate into additional income. But too much work and too little play has that all too common side effect of “work” time being wasted because we are simply not productive or can't get started on the big projects.
I touched on this in the Internet Business Manifesto, and it’s worth a reminder here. If you are productive just four hours out of every day, as many entrepreneurs are, why insist on working 10 hours a day in spite of yourself? There are certainly better ways to improve our production, but adding more and more hours of procrastination, frustration, confusion and overwork just doesn’t seem the wise way to go.
You see, when you are staring at some big project that must get done, a part of you is thinking about how long it will take, and all the fun things you aren't going to be able to do. When you start thinking this way it's only natural to either procrastinate and postpone, or give a half-hearted effort.
So here's the prescription:
I want you to go through the pdf we compiled for you - and pick out 21 activities that you would have fun doing and that you are capable of doing without too much additional effort. Then I want you to schedule one activity per day right on your calendar in the middle of your day. The only condition is, it must be something you really look forward to doing.
Once again, you can download that comprehensive list right here.
I can hear you screaming, "But when am I going to get all my work done?"
Here's the counter-intuitive reality you'll experience:
You'll be much more inclined to work before you experience your fun activity (like gleefully completing all of your nagging tasks before leaving on vacation) and you’ll be much more productive and efficient while doing the work.
Why? Because you now have your fun activity breathing down your back forcing you to get as much done before you HAVE TO go enjoy yourself.
It’s time for you to commit to adding fun activities each day into your life, for the betterment of yourself, your business, your family and your community. Stated more simply, have fun each day and you’ll be more successful.
If you aren’t already enjoying each and every day, you are missing out on something tremendous. If you’re ready to make more and enjoy your life to the fullest, here’s all you have to do:
Step 1 – Review the pdf and highlight, underline or check the activities that you believe you would enjoy, that you can do without too much coordination with others, and can be completed from start to finish in less than two hours (you must come up with at least 21 of them).
Step 2 – Keep that list handy and break out your calendar, your to-do list, or whatever you use to schedule your day. Be proactive, start scheduling fun activities right now. Go ahead, really reward yourself. Do it for the next 21 days, I promise it will be worth it.
Step 3 – Whatever you do, don’t break the pattern. Make sure you do this each and every day. You’ll find yourself looking forward to new and fun events as you come up with more and more of them. By making them a central part of your day, and by including others, you’ll get the real benefit of refocusing your attention on what matters, and away from what manages to drive you nuts and suck the life out of your business.
Remember: Fun is an infinitely refreshing resource and the more we dip into it, the better we’ll all be.
It is imperative to “schedule” some spontaneous play into your day. Be a child again. Make play a part of every day and learn to smile again. An added benefit will be the great ideas that come to you when you are out there having fun. (Haven’t you ever noticed that your best ideas come when you are away from your computer, work or office?)
Apply this seemingly simple principle – adding fun to every day – and you’ll find, in short order, that you will be more productive. You’ll feel more refreshed, less frustrated and increasingly eager to get your work done so you can race to the next fun item on your calendar. It’s a built-in reward system – the “workday candy” that we offer ourselves – that keeps us focused and going strong.
Don’t you want to have more fun?
Just to be clear, the key to the “21 things you enjoy” exercise is not to shirk work or otherwise diminish your self-worth and work responsibilities. Quite the contrary. Scheduling more guilt-free play in your life can attack the underlying causes of procrastination, lack of focus and marginalized results. It’ll make you a much more productive, lively and enjoyable person. I promise!
It’s time to change the way we speak to ourselves about our work. It’s time for a total attitude change when it comes to looking through our own prism of productivity.
The importance of play must be emphasized in business, particularly in an age that sucks us in through incessant information overload. You’ve heard me rail about this many times before.
There has to be a separation in life that provides a necessary “breather” in our busy schedules. Looking forward to fun activities allows us the oxygen to move forward with confidence and our full focus.
Should we throw away our career responsibilities, ignore pressing deadlines and avoid the hard work that needs to get done? Of course not. However, recognizing that we are more likely to work productively when we can anticipate pleasure and success can prove to be a tremendous advantage for our personal health and the health of our respective businesses as well.
Let me know what you think and what exciting ideas and inspirations have come from your newly scheduled fun time. Keep me and the rest of my readers updated on your success with this unconventional, yet highly rewarding strategy.
Now, go have some fun!
To Higher Profits,
Rich SchefrenP.S. I'll have a lot more in store for you over the next few weeks, including the final installment of my Attention Age Doctrine.
If you are new to this blog or if you would just like to join in the fun – literally – check out the list of enjoyable things to do and add your own recommendations. Make sure fun is an important part of your day. Then post a comment to let me know how you made out.
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