Michael Levitt's Blog, page 143

30 Days of Boundaries: Day 3 - Design Your Ideal Day

Photo by Khaled Reese from Pexels

Are you living your ideal day today? I am. I'm writing this on a Saturday, so Saturdays have always been my favorite day. A lot of times, what I find is Saturdays are those days where you don't necessarily have to set your alarm, unless you work, then of course I kind of recommend you do that, unless you can wake up naturally without an alarm. Those people are unique, for sure. But at the end of the day you want to make sure that every day is a day that you actually enjoy and that's why designing your days is so important.

It's important to have boundaries in your life to design the days the way that you want them. Yes, you have obligations and responsibilities for work and in life, if you're a parent, your children need you to be able to do some things that you have to do. And you can line up your days around those responsibilities, but by no means does that mean you have to go and completely give up your life and not enjoy the life that you want to enjoy. For years, I was constantly going at it. Working long hours on email constantly, working, working, working, and of course, it led to the 369 of worst case scenarios in my life. I've learned from that and it frustrates me to see so many of us in that same zone. They're still working, they're still doing all of these things and they're trying to accomplish so much and what's happening is you're not accomplishing anywhere near what you could because there's a lack of focus and a lack of design in your daily lives. We've all gone on autopilot.

Things that you can do that I find helpful is literally have a theme for every one of your days. Mondays, not exactly everyone's favorite, but you should have a theme of what you want to do on a Monday. Same thing for a Tuesday through Friday and your weekends as well. Design them. Have two or three things that you know you want to work on or do on a particular day. When you do that you're gonna get a rhythm of about how you do things. You're gonna get to the point where you look forward to days not just looking forward to the weekend. You look forward to a Tuesday or a Wednesday if there's something particular that you like doing on those days.

I know I asked you this in yesterday's post as well, but I want you to really focus on what your ideal day and week would look like and start thinking about that. If you need some assistance, let me know and we can help you guide how to design your days. But ultimately what you want to get from this exercise is the ability to be able to get to the end of your day and feel like you had a great day, you accomplished what you wanted to accomplish and then some. Leave your comments below on some of the things that you do to make your days go well and if you're struggling with those things then we can figure out a way to help improve that.

Cheers.

 

30 Days of Boundaries: Day 2 - Motivation

Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash

I recently shared on Instagram a post about not going into work because my motivation was broken. When you get to certain times of the year, whether it's the end-of-the-year holidays, midwinter blues, you name it, the motivation can kind of slip away where you don't feel motivated to do anything. As an entrepreneur, you get into those stages quite a bit, especially when things are going slower than you want them to be, and also when you get in to those situations where there's a lot going on and you're trying to get everything done before yesterday. Well, pro tip, you're not going to get it at all done.

I found many, many, many years ago after a lot of bumps and bruises, and arteries being blocked, and heart attacks, and all the other fun stuff, that you have to just focus on doing a couple things a day. So every morning, I have an idea of what I'm going to be working on for this day. Now, mind you, there's going to be things that come up, such as illnesses of loved ones, or power outages, or you name it. There going to be all kinds of different things that'll become little road blocks for you getting things done. The key is just to get past those things and realize, all right, I'm not going to get all those things done. So, you pick up the next day, and away you go.

I usually use, basically, an online tool, although you can use paper, Post-it Note, whatever method of technology you choose to use to keep track of the things you need to work on. And every day, pick one or two and get those done. There's the phrase, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about, eating the frog first and that is doing the task that you hate, get that done first. I don't do that as often as I should, but there are days where I do that.

Yesterday, as a matter of fact, there's something that I've been meaning to and needing to do. Deadline was at the end of this week, and I finally got around to doing it yesterday. It was something that literally took me 20 minutes to do, wasn't this thing where I was going to be hours on end. It was 20 minutes and it's been sitting on my desk to do forever. Quite frankly, I should've done it when I had the opportunity because I had all the information to do it. But we run into those situations a lot. I'm sure you do, too. In the comments below, you can chime in on some of the things that you're struggling with and trying to get done that you need some help on. Hopefully we can help out and we can figure out a way to help you or encourage you getting those things done.

One things that helps, too, is when you start getting momentum of finishing things. There's going to to be this, I guess, euphoria of, okay, now I can work on other things. There's a couple things you could probably do, maybe keep another list of low priority tasks that you can work on. But, I want to warn you on taking on the world when you feel like you have all this momentum, because what happens is sometimes you can burn out your energy, and then the next day, you don't get anything done, so pace yourself. Figure out your rhythms. Figure out your energy levels, and I can help you with that as well. I match my task time with my energy levels. I found that I tend to be working a lot better in the mornings, so that's when I work on things. The afternoons, I try to keep open for meetings and a variety of other tasks.

Your homework for tomorrow is start thinking about how you would design your ideal day. Tomorrow we'll talk a little bit more about that.

Cheers.

30 Days of Boundaries: Day 1 - Wake Up

What time did you wake up today? What time did you wake up yesterday? Was it the same time? Do you use an alarm or do you naturally wake up, if you're one of those people? I sometimes can wake up at the same time, but I depend on an alarm, and my hunch is you do, too. The reason why I'm asking what time you woke up is part of the things that make you successful in life is consistency. It is a boundary. Being consistent in how you do things actually frees you up to do more.

Work with me on this for a minute. I'm not against sleeping in, and sometimes your body will tell you that you need more rest because of the variety of things that you're working on, or how life is extra-challenging at this particular time and moment. But my hunch is if you were consistent in what you did every day, you would find actually more energy and more time to do things that you want to do. For one, I try to get up at the same time every day. Not always successful. I'm sure you're not either, but your body gets used to rhythms, and if you can train your body to be in the same type of state day after day, over time you will see some incredible results. It's part of my Six Step Eating Your Successful Mornings by doing the same things routinely over and over again.

Some people are organized. Some people keep their keys in the same basket, while others keep them other places. I'm not telling you where to keep your keys. That's your last couple lessons, possibly, if you need help on finding your keys. Long story short, what you want to focus on ultimately in your life is really designing it and designing it in such a way where you can figure out what is the best thing for me to do in order to be successful, and eliminate the rest. New Year's Resolutions come and go. Changes in how you behave and how you act in your daily work life takes time to change, because you've been doing things the same way for a long time, so if you change things, it's going to be a little bit more difficult in order to fix those things and get them to be a little bit more efficient. In my free ebook, How to Have Successful Mornings, I talk a bit more about this.

If you're interested, click here and sign up, and you'll get a free copy of How to Have Successful Mornings.

Cheers.

4 Science-Backed Ways to Help Beat Stress in 2018

There are benefits to letting your brain recover, after a stressful incident or period of time.  Here's some ideas on how to recover.

Interesting article about silence and how it can help reduce stress levels. 

Lifestyle changes are hard, but achievable with the right attitude.  Here's the steps to follow.

4 Stress Management Tips with scientific backing.

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)

 

 

 

How To Live Stress-Free In 2018

Source:  Shutterstock

New year, new you.  Blah blah blah.  New Years Resolutions fail miserably.  However, you can be successful by making small changes.  This list can help you live a reduced stress filled life.

Returning to work soon?  Be careful that the post-holiday time doesn't add to your burnout.

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)

6 Things Dogs Teach About Leadership

Dogs rule.  No matter what kind of day you're having, a dog changes your attitude pretty quickly.  6 Things My Dog Taught Me About Leadership

One key component of (Re)learning boundaries is to have that work stress conversation with your boss.  Too often, we think our bosses want us to work 16-hour days.  In most cases, that is not the case.  If your boss is expecting you to work those kind of shifts, my personal plea to you is to update Resume.doc.

2018 is right around the corner.  Here's 7 things you can do to have a less stressed 2k18.

The Post holiday slump is real.  Follow these tips to avoid burnout in 2018.

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)

How To Be a Beacon of Calm, In The Midst Of Stress

I'm writing this post from a hospital room, where my Dad is recovering from heart surgery.  Thankfully he only had to have stents put into his blocked arteries, and not full-blown open heart surgery.  His recovery time will be much shorter, and he can return to his normal routine, sans the stress that likely caused these blockages in the first place.  I'm familiar with that show.  

Throughout the multitude of tests Dad had to go through, and how I was far away from him during those tests, I had to remind myself to be calm and present.  Not easy.  

Here's a great article on How to be a beacon of calm in the midst of stress. 

How to recognize signs of burnout, so you can make the necessary changes and avoid heart surgery.

How to be more productive without burning out.  We all want to do our best.  We still can, without killing ourselves.

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)

Life Throws Curveballs

My Dad, Mom, and oldest Daughter Sarah

It’s December 22nd, and I’m at Toronto Pearson Airport, on my to visit my Dad and Mom in Florida. 

 

My Dad has a heart attack, and is in the hospital awaiting tests results on what the cardiologist can do.  

Not exactly what I had scheduled on my calendar. 

Life throws curveballs. My calendar had items on it for the next couple of weeks. None of those items matter right now.  

Only thing that matters to me is to go see my Dad. The rest of the stuff can wait. 

Boundaries and scheduling sometimes need to take a back seat to what’s important to you. Never easy but you’ll know deep within what you should do.  

All the best this holiday season! 

Michael

Why Millennials Identify as Work Martyrs

Millennials are looking at work much differently than previous generations.  Since the Gold Watch after 25 years of service is a history book item, it will be interesting to see how Gen Y navigates their futures.

Keep an eye out on your children this holiday season, especially if they're showing signs of stress.

All work and no play makes Jack burnout.

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)

 

 

What is Headline Stress Disorder, and How To Avoid It

Ironic source for this article.  Headline Stress Disorder is real.  I do my best to avoid the nightly news (especially in the US), but even Canadian content is getting a bit more negative.  

There are customizable online news sources (aka news feeders, or RSS feeds) that you can customize the type of news you get.  Google News is one you can customize, and I suggest you use this to provide you news stories to help you grow.  If you like certain themes (sports, movies, etc) you can customize that too.  The key is to filter out negativity in your life.

Learning about the daily ramblings of certain US leaders may also cause the stress disorder in you.  Filter it out.  The fear of missing out (FOMO) is creating a lot of stress and medical issues for people.  Quoting Bob Newhart in the Mad TV skit:  "Stop it!"

WANT BETTER DAYS?

Do you want a better start to your day? I have a free e-book on six easy steps to a better day, that I personally follow after I experienced a significant health scare. If you would like this free e-book, please click the link below.

SIX STEPS TO A GREAT MORNING (BESIDES COFFEE)