productive

Tag Archive for productive

Why Communication Is Such An Important Life Skill

April 17, 2023 John Uncategorized No comments

As you progress through life, communication plays a major role. You might say it gets you where you want to go.

Get on board with GenuLines as we take a closer look at this thing called communication.

Why Communication Is Such An Important Life Skill

Your communication skills can help take you far in both your career and your personal life. Now, you might be thinking technology makes these skills outdated.

But in today’s world, they’re even more important.

Come along with GenuLines as we show you what good communication can do for you.

Improve Your Social Life

It’s obvious that being a good communicator can improve your social life. It impacts loved ones, from friends to significant others to family members.

When you communicate well, you also tend to listen well. The two go hand in hand.

You tend to have fewer disagreements, dramas, and fights. You’re better prepared to make your feelings known in a clear and concise way.

You’ll be more able to get to the source of your problems instead of letting them linger or spiral out of control.

Improve Your Professional Life

Successful people tend to blend good effective leadership with good communicating ability. Leaders at work are responsible for guiding, informing, and managing their workforce.

They have to be able to communicate what they need to do, how they need to do it, and then make corrections when necessary. It takes excellent communication skills to get that job done.

Make You a Better Person

As we said earlier, excellent communication skills help you to be a better listener. and have less conflict because you’re better prepared to resolve issues. This improves your friendships and relationships, making them stronger and longer-lasting.

You listen more and better and you don’t hold on to bad feelings. You communicate them and do it well.

You’re a good friend, employee, leader, and a better person all around.

Get things done

This includes how you work through problems, discuss issues, and finish projects. Constant electronic contact may cause you to neglect your communication skills.

But you need those same skills to succeed in electronic communication as you do in person. Work on these points to improve your relationships, your career, and your life on the whole.

Honing your communication skills can do a lot to improve your life and make you a better and happier person.

JohnK 4/17/2023

chiforyourself.com

Overheard: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”

~George Bernard Shaw

Article photo by Vanderlei Longo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-photography-of-steel-tower-2081132/

Find Time In Your Busy Morning

April 4, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

Morning rush hour isn’t only on the highway. GenuLines knows you deal with your own rush before you head out the door.

With that in mind, here are a few ideas to help you “tap the brakes” during your earliest hours.

Find Time In Your Busy Morning

Mornings are busy and they can be quite chaotic. If you have a young family and plenty of people to get ready and out the door, you know this first hand.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way, no matter how busy you think you are first thing in the day.

The first few hours in the morning set the tone for the entire rest of the day. Do you want a panic scene, feeling like you’re running and trying to catch up?

Or do you want it to be calm, collected, productive, and with a feeling that you’re in control? It’s up to you and it’s all about embracing two simple concepts.

Get Up Early Enough

It’s tempting to hit the snooze button and catch a few more minutes of sleep, isn’t it? It’s even hard to set the alarm early enough that you have plenty of time for everything you want and need to get done.

I get it.

If you’re not a morning person, moving up the alarm by 30 minutes to carve out a little extra time can be tough. But after the first few mornings, it won’t be anywhere near as hard as you think.

And you’ll get used to it.

Getting up early enough and avoiding the snooze button at all costs is the key to an unrushed morning.

Buying Time?

Here’s the problem with cutting corners with time, or worse hitting the snooze button a few times. It gets you behind from the very start.

You have to rush to make it out the door in time and any little problem or speed bump along the way turns into a huge problem. Not being able to find the car keys becomes a major crisis.

It could cause you to be late for work and the kids to be tardy at school. Remember, your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.

If you start it chasing downtime and things, that’s likely how you’ll spend the rest of your time.

But getting up early enough puts you ahead of the game. You’re in control.

You can take care of everything that needs doing in a calm manner. And you’ll still have time for the important things you want to work on.

In short, getting up early enough sets you up for an amazing, productive day.

Restructure Your Routine

Think about your current morning routine and where you’re spending time. Look for things you can change and tweak to find more time for the things you want to do.

For example, let’s say you want an extra 20 minutes in the morning to meditate. Look at what you could take care of ahead of time, get rid of, or delegate to make that time.

You may spend a lot of time getting breakfast for everyone. So get in the habit of setting the breakfast table the night before.

Arrange for your spouse or partner to get the coffee ready, so all you have to do in the morning is push a button. Teach the kids to make their own breakfast.

Have them take their dirty dishes and prep them for the dishwasher. Make sure clothes are set out the night before (including yours).

Give book bags, purses, briefcases, and car keys a designated spot. Know that they’re where they need to be before you turn in for the night.

Small changes like this to your morning routine can make a big difference. I challenge you to come up with a few more small tweaks that will save you at least 30 minutes in the morning.

JohnK 4-4-2022

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Overheard: “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

~Charles Darwin, The Life & Letters of Charles Darwin

Why Do We Avoid Certain Tasks?

October 11, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

There’s no getting around some tasks. You can dodge them all you want and yet there they are.

It’s a challenge that GenuLines is happy to take on with a look at why they happen.

Why Do We Avoid Certain Tasks?

Do you find yourself dreading a particular task in your life every time you have to complete it? Do you often wonder why you avoid that task?

There are several reasons humans avoid completing specific tasks. These can vary from person to person.

You Don’t Think You’ll Have Fun

One of the main reasons people avoid certain tasks is that they don’t believe that they’ll enjoy them. Or it could be that they’ve performed the task before and didn’t have fun.

Humans generally want to avoid doing things that lead to unhappiness. This is especially true when they see the task at hand may be especially difficult or complex.

Fatigue

When you’re tired, you’ll generally avoid certain tasks. Even if you usually have fun doing them.

This is because you’re tired and need to get some rest.

If you find yourself avoiding a task because you feel exhausted, then it’s time to get some rest. Try to do it later. It’s tough to focus when fatigue sets in.

It could lead you to become distracted as an avoidance tactic for certain tasks.

You Don’t Think You’ll Do Well

Fear of failure is another big reason that people will avoid certain tasks. Often, they’re afraid of looking bad.

Or they want to avoid the embarrassment they might feel. This fear of failure is quite common but it’s one of the easier fears to overcome.

The remedy usually is the result of working on self-confidence and self-acceptance.

Medical Conditions

Several conditions such as anxiety and depression can lead you to avoid what you want to do. Although this may sound bad, treatment of the underlying condition is possible.

And this can help you find your motivation to follow through.

The reasons on this list may vary, but they all boil down to a shortage of motivation. If this is the case with you then start by realizing that you lack motivation.

Once you do, you can start paving your road to the future with real motivation.

JohnK 10-11-2021

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Overheard: “The hardest task needs the lightest hand or else its completion will not lead to freedom but to a tyranny much worse than the one it replaces”

~Socrates

4 Easy Ways to Maintain Your Energy

July 19, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

You put your best energy into all you do, at least that’s your intention. But sometimes your energy tank level drops to “empty.”

You need to re-fuel, and GenuLines has some ideas to keep you on the go.

4 Easy Ways to Maintain Your Energy

You started the day ready to take on the world. From the moment you got out of bed, you’ve been thinking about all the things you’re going to get done today.

You can’t wait to get started! Then it all falls apart.

By the end of the day, you’re grumpy and out of sorts. The day somehow derailed.

Now here you are, feeling like you didn’t do half the things you wanted to today. What happened?

Well, sometimes it’s true that life does get in the way. The car won’t start, or the dog gets loose, and you spend half the morning chasing him around the neighborhood.

Life gets in the way. More often than not, though, you likely did what most people do: you crashed and burned.

You ran out of energy. So, how do you maintain your energy levels even on the toughest of days?

Check-in With Yourself

First of all, you need to be paying more attention to your body. Catch yourself right when your energy begins to waver.

You might be able to stave off a massive crash later on. When you’re lagging, it’s because you need something small, like a drink of water.

Or a little activity. Or even a small snack.

These are quick and easy fixes that only take a minute. Ignore them, though, and you’re liable to lose hours of your day before you know it.

Engage in a Routine (or Two)

We tend to burn out because we’re scrambling to sort out our day and find the things we need. If you have a morning routine, for example, you’ll have everything near at hand right when you need it.

Getting out of the door will take half the energy, giving you reserves for where you need it most.

Ask yourself what parts of your day you can streamline. Set up a routine and make sure to follow through with those routines as often as possible.

Become More Intentional

Too often, our day becomes filled with little nonsense tasks which take up energy and time. What is it you need to do?

What actions will leave the biggest impact on the day?

Put your energy where it counts most by being more intentional in what you’re doing. Remember, you don’t have to be the one to do everything.

Delegate the non-essential items to keep yourself focused on what matters.

Get to Bed!

While a bedtime routine is a great start, pay more attention to your sleep. Create a sleep environment that is free from noise and distraction.

Make sure your room is at an optimal temperature, and yes, if need be, invest in a better mattress or new pillows.

Getting a good night’s sleep will keep you more energetic throughout the day.

JohnK 7-19-2021

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Overheard: “Wealth flows from energy and ideas.”

~William Feather

How to Create a Time Management Plan

January 18, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

Time waits for no one. How true that is!

But GenuLines has some ideas that will take waiting out of the equation and put time on your side.

(You can listen to this article by clicking here)

How to Create a Time Management Plan

Creating a time management plan keeps you from wasting time. Having a plan makes every hour count.

You work at a good pace. And your time gets good distribution over the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks.

Creating a time management plan is an important key to success.

* Be Realistic With Your Plans –

Don’t go against your own internal clock when planning each day. If you know you struggle to get up in the morning, don’t schedule things in the early morning hours.

If you can manage the tasks you like first in the morning, try that.

* Set Time Limits –

This is especially important for both tasks you dislike and for the ones you like. There’s a risk of procrastination when you spend too much time on tasks you like.

* Say no to Distractions –

One of the biggest killers of any plan is distractions.

These include television, phone calls, social media, even children and spouses. You can head off most distractions by planning ahead.

Turn off the TV. Turn off the phone.

Use social media only at certain times- and use a timer. Explain to kids and spouses the importance of not bothering you while you’re working.

* Differentiate Important from Non-Important Tasks

Understand what is important and what is not important. If you make it a habit to do the most important things first, you’re going to feel more accomplished and get more done.

* Calendars and Technology –

Use Google Calendar or another system synced to your phone. This is a great way to ensure that your calendar is always with you and that you don’t forget things.

You can even set reminders and alarms to help.

* Kick Urgency out of Your Life –

For instance, if you’re a service provider, stop taking last-minute work orders. Train your clients to give you plenty of time to work tasks into your schedule.

Set family time and playtime into your schedule too. That might avoid a last-minute meltdown from the little ones, too.

* Create and Use Lists –

It’s one thing to note on your calendar the words “work on project A”. But it’s quite another to list what you’ll do when you work on project A.

This is the most effective way to schedule your time so that you meet your goals. Be very specific with lists so you don’t waste time.

* Create a Daily Action Plan –

Have at least four or five things that you can do each day toward any goal that you have. Plus, having a variety of things to do each day can avoid boredom and procrastination.

Creating a time management plan is an essential element in creating success. Most successful people live and die by their calendars.

Take the time to ask one.

JohnK 1-18-2021

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Overheard: “Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action”

~ Napoleon Hill

Article photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

What Does Being Productive Really Mean?

December 7, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s tough being productive during a time of lockdown. And not a good time to think about ways you can kick things into gear.

So GenuLines feels it’s a good time to bring you an overview of how you can make this happen.

(You can listen to this article by clicking here)

What Does Being Productive Really Mean?

Intending to be productive is a worthy pursuit. But over time and with overuse the definition of productive has become a little fuzzy.

Now “Productivity” is a sort of buzzword. It’s used in employee training seminars and self-help techniques.

If you don’t get the true meaning of this word you might waste valuable time that could be better spent.

In a fast-paced driven society we’re expected to produce more in less time. Unfortunately, this can often have the opposite effect.

Here are a few things to consider when looking at how you spend your time,

Busy & Productive Are Not Synonymous

This might be the biggest misconception about what it means to be productive. Staying busy and on the go doesn’t always mean you’re being productive.

Being productive means you are actually getting something done.

It’s easy to jump from one task to another. Could be you shift your focus and attention every five minutes, all in the name of “multi-tasking.”

Now and then ask yourself if you’re actually accomplishing anything. For example, after a five-hour stint on your computer at work, take a look at the end result.

Have you produced something of value that was not there when you first sat down at your desk? Never confuse being busy with being productive.

Progressing Towards Something

This kind of piggybacks off of the previous thought. But this tip deserves its own discussion.

You can get into a kind of “grind” mentality.

You spend hours working at irrelevant things. Again, this may or may not help your productivity.

With anything that you dedicate a lot of your time to, there should be an end goal in mind.

Have a well-understood plan of how you’ll reach it. Productivity involves a linear path from where you are right now to what you want to get done.

If you’re working hard only for the sake of working hard, you run the risk of wasting valuable time and energy. It’s always important to consider your “why” before you commit your valuable time to any task.

Balancing Productivity

Achieving anything worthwhile often involves hard work and focus. But it doesn’t mean neglecting every other area of your life in the process.

For example, you want to transform your body and get in better shape. Will it help if you neglect your closest relationships and other commitments, too?

True productivity includes nurturing every aspect of who you are. Even during the pursuit of something specific.

Sure, there are going to be times when more of your time and energy goes toward one thing in particular. But make sure that not ALL of it is!

As a human being, you are a lot of things at the same time.

JohnK 12-7-2020

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Overheard: “Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before”

~Franz Kafka

4 Solid Ways To Stop Procrastination

September 7, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Procrastination.

I do it.

You do it.

The fact is, we do it more often than we like to admit.

So GenuLines urges you to get moving on some ways to stop procrastinating.

(You can listen to this article by clicking HERE)

4 Solid Ways To Stop Procrastination

Procrastination is more than turning in school or work projects late.
It can also include putting off important life decisions.

Like whether to ask your boss for the raise promised you last month. Or whether you should join a gym, or end a relationship, or have a baby.

The list of possibilities is endless.

The effect of not dealing with this can be life-long. Your relationships, career, and health might all take a hit.

But the tendency is to put things off until later. There’s always tomorrow, right?

It won’t be easy but try to identify the stress factor behind your procrastination. It could be fear of failure, fear of confrontation, fear of not being perfect.

You are your own worst critic.

Follow these tips to help you avoid procrastination once and for all.

1. Turn burdensome tasks into habits

We all have enough willpower to get about 3 or 4 tasks done each day. Turn yours into habits rather than mundane tasks.

You’ll give it less thought, and rely less on willpower. You won’t fall into the procrastination rut.

Why not turn healthy eating, daily exercise, or turning in reports ahead of time into daily habits, too? Procrastination is all about taking that dreaded first step.

So why not ease into it knowing that in time, or once you’ve finished X, you can watch videos or head outdoors.

2. Break work tasks into chunks

Instead of cleaning out the entire garage, do the right side first. Take a break.

Then do the left side. Take a break, and then finish off the rest.

At work, big tasks may seem daunting when you look at them as a whole. The answer?

Break them down into smaller tasks. Make an outline of the entire project, and then divide it into smaller tasks.

Working in 30-minute increments also helps break down tasks into smaller chunks. Those are manageable and not so intimidating.

After the 30 minutes, take a break and assess your work. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished will give you that boost of confidence you need to keep at it.

3. Remove distractions

Checking your email every 5 minutes isn’t doing you any good. So, once you’ve committed to doing the job, limit distractions by putting your away.

You can find apps that help you stay on track, but some will say that’s completely missing the point.

The important thing is that you set up a certain time for checking emails or your social media. Once you’ve started your task, you avoid the urge to take a sneak peak.

Another serious distraction is multi-tasking. Even though it may seem that you’re being productive, the truth is it wastes time and energy.

Yes you’re working more. But your end results will be below average.

4. Work during your peak hours

We all have certain times during the day when we’re most alert. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, and some have more energy during the afternoon hours.

Find out what your peak hours are and tackle your most difficult tasks then. You’ll be more of a powerhouse then with your brain working at its highest capacity.

Procrastination is different than laziness. When you procrastinate, you delay one task for a more pleasurable activity.

So why not turn that mundane task you’re dreading into something more fun and enjoyable? Then you’ll put the brakes on procrastination.

JohnK 9-7-2020
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Overheard: “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin”
~ Victor Kiam

Article image by Sam Solomon on Unsplash

Can Minimizing Your Life Boost Your Productivity?

June 10, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Tough times can be tough on your productivity. You feel like something is missing from even your best efforts.

Today GenuLines pitches in with a suggestion that you do some ‘addition by subtraction.”

Can Minimizing Your Life Boost Your Productivity?

Productivity is an essential part of achieving success. You can’t go very far in life or excel past your position in your career or in your life without being productive.

Staying productive can be difficult. This is especially true when clutter distracts you from the tasks at hand.

Minimizing your life can be most effective in helping you be more productive..

What Does Minimizing Your Life Mean?

By “minimizing your life,” we’re talking about de-cluttering it. Cutting out unnecessary obligations and activities.

Removing unneeded or unnecessary items. And de-cluttering your home and workplace.

This can mean refusing or delegating responsibilities when you’re already loaded down.

Throwing out things you no longer use or need. And keeping your priorities in order so you handle them in a reasonable time.

This may be easier said than done. All this letting go can do a number on your emotions.

Be patient and allow yourself time to let go and process the loss.

How Could Minimizing Life Help?

Clutter’s very existence can cause anxiety and stress. Much like the way junk clutters up your home, it clutters your mind and your life.

This makes it hard to get things done, decreasing your productivity.

Your mind gyrates in many different directions. There’s cleaning that needs done.

Events and work you have to plan, stuff you need to organize, and the task you’re trying to complete. Because your mind is so bogged down by all the clutter, your productivity worsens as you work slower.

You lose valuable time you could be spending with your loved ones. Or you could be nurturing existing or even building new relationships.

What Can Improved Productivity Do for You?

You need productivity to ensure you meet all the steps necessary to reach your goals. When you work toward a goal you want to get it done within the ideal time

Productivity helps to ensure that you stick to your schedule. You do all your work and still have time for your family and others you love

Productivity helps you have a full and happy life.

Minimizing your life can bring big improvement to your productivity. It’s essential to your success in both your career and in life.

To reach and maintain productivity limit the distractions and clutter in your life. This will free up time to complete your tasks.

And, achieve your goals.

JohnK 6-10-2020

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Overheard: “Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before”

~Franz Kafka

Happiness Doesn’t Run On Success

December 27, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Happiness runs on a diet of success. That seems to make sense.

But GenuLines asks you to consider a different path to happiness.

Happiness Doesn’t Run On Success

It’s easy to simplify happiness and say that it’s obvious that successful people are happy. But if you interviewed 100 successful people you might find otherwise.

You can have wealth, great spouse and kids, and yet not be happy.

Turn the equation around and you find that happiness fuels success.

The Effect on Productivity

When people are happy with their work, they approach it more with a more cheerful attitude (some say they’d do it for nothing) When you have good health, food, and shelter you can find joy doing the most mundane things.

You focus on outcomes instead of effort.

The Bottom Line

Certain companies offer living wages, benefits, and flexible schedules. This can result in higher profits for the employer.

When people feel respected they’re likely happier about work, even when it’s hard.

Stability

When people are happy, they tend to be a lot more stable. They stick to tasks longer, and are more likely to complete an assignment.

They tend to job hop a lot less, too. This is one reason smart employers know that by making work a happy place they can reduce turnover.

A Better Work Ethic

People often think of work ethic as something that grows out of adversity. Happy people tend to stick to their jobs longer and work even harder.

They put their positive energy into envisioning the outcomes.

Don’t Bet on Wealth

An unhappy wealthy person may even be hateful. They seem to have everything but happiness.

Bank balances look good but don’t always make you feel good.

A New Attitude

It may surprise you but happiness can color your view of the world. You’ll see brighter outcomes regardless of your situation.

Staying In The Now

If you’re happy today you’re more likely to eat right, move more, get your work done, and do everything well. Of course, that can affect the future too.

Mindset

Still, doubt that happiness comes from your mindset? With some effort, you can train yourself to have a happier and more positive mindset.

This can work during tough times, too.

You can realize happiness now regardless of your life situation.

Accept that possibility while at the same time planning to make changes.

JohnK 12-27-2019

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Overheard: “People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re

happy”

~Anton Chekhov

Why Routine Is Good for You

January 8, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Your daily routine probably doesn’t vary much. But today GenuLines looks at routine in a different way. Read on and you might do the same!

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Why Routine Is Good for You

You hear people refer to routine as being dull or boring. It implies that life is the same from one day to the next.

But, routines are a great way to get your work done. They’re also a great means for teams to work together toward a common goal.

When everyone has an idea of what needs to get done, projects tend to run smoother. Each member knows what they need to do.

We also have routines in our society. In some ways, laws are routines.

You know that you aren’t supposed to run a red light and that can be thought of as a routine. When you come to a red light, you stop as best as you can.

There may be instances when you unsuccessfully try to beat one here or there. But, most people will stop for red lights.

To no one’s surprise this helps to reduce accidents.

It Starts at Home
You set up routines for your kids in the form of chores. You know that certain tasks need to get done each week.

Many parents tie kids’ allowances to these chores. When the kids finish their chores, they receive their allowances.

It teaches the kids a work ethic. They need to perform tasks, and when they complete those tasks, they receive money for them.

When you pay bills, you tend to have a routine for this. Some people like to get everything sorted on one day and pay all the bills on that day.

Others will pay them whenever they receive them. Others, still, will set up automatic payments through their bank or brokerage.

There isn’t a right answer for how to do this. Whatever works for you is the right answer.

But, the method you choose will be routine.

When There Is No Routine
Contrast this with people who don’t have routines to manage their lives. They tend to handle tasks when the mood strikes them.

These people are usually late with their bills and have messy environments. Some of these people will say that this way of life works for them.

Others call it chaos. It’s something you can easily avoid setting up routines for the tasks you need to complete.

Of course, people are not robots. They do break up their routines on occasion.

You may use weekends to do activities that you don’t get to do during the work week. Also, many families use vacations to help break up their routines.

JohnK 1-8-2019

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