It's Not just Financial, It's Personal Too: 6 Tip to Become More Productive

Most of us really don't know how to be our most productive selves. We think we do, but really we start a lot of stuff and never finish or don't use the time we do have correctly. I am very guilty of this!

I work and work and work and feel like nothing ever gets accomplished. I don't use my time effectively. I thought I had time management on lock because growing up I played sports, was in the band, and was in honors classes. Ha! Boy have I been proven wrong lately!

Here are some tips to help US ALL be more productive...



1. Embrace simplicity

Simplicity drives true productivity. Think about the small, relatively inconsequential tasks that compete for your attention every day. What can be eliminated, automated, delegated or relegated to the back-burner? Productive individuals ruthlessly root out those tasks that compete for their time and sap their resources.

2. Manage distractions

The forces of our hyper-connected, 24/7 world offers us amazing opportunities to engage—and even more opportunities to become distracted. The truly productive understand the threat of distraction in all its forms and create clear boundaries between the task-at-hand and the host of diversions that vie for their attention. Whether the distractions are work or play, establishing a “sacred space” for what you’re doing is key in becoming more productive.



3. Bend activities around inspiration

No strategy can match the motivation that comes from being inspired. Productive individuals understand this and leave their schedules flexible enough to identify and respond to inspiration. Though inspiration doesn’t always come and we often have to force ourselves to complete some tasks, knowing how to leverage those motivated moments can transform our work experience, cut the time investment and improve the quality of what’s produced.

4. Seize small blocks of time

What would get done if you waited until you had enough time? Productive people understand that small blocks of time used wisely can whittle away at projects large and small. Whether it’s 15 minutes before work or an hour during a commute, being ready (read: organized) to seize the moment can make all the difference.

5. Make lists and set goal paths

Highly productive individuals understand that every goal, no matter how small is driven by smaller supporting goals. Dissecting this dependency and flow is essential to creating sound goal paths.



If you want to change careers, that goal may be driven by several smaller goals like going back to school, improving your networking skills, updating your resume or getting a new certification. And each of these smaller goals is supported by even more granular sub-goals. Creating daily “to-do” lists is perhaps the most common way we identify each of these mini goals and understand how they fit into the bigger picture. Productive people tend to be ardent list-makers and are motivated by accomplishing the small daily tasks that, over time, drive larger achievement.

6. Multitask…sometimes

Multitasking gets a lot of good press in modern corporate culture. The willingness and ability to juggle five or 10 tasks simultaneously is almost assumed, and most employees are trained to be circus performers early on. But what subtleties of concentration, recall and quality are lost as we indiscriminately multitask?

The truly productive realize that multitasking can be useful at times and utterly ineffective at others. Choose your occasion carefully. For those jobs that don’t require creative problem solving, interpersonal communication, attention to detail, or quick response times, multitasking works great (but what exactly are those jobs?). The rest of the time, embrace the long-forgotten “mono-tasking”—it’ll boost the quality of your work, reduce your stress, help your communication skills and ultimately, make you more productive.

In the end, productivity is one part old-fashioned discipline and one part smart strategy. Organizing our lives so that we optimize our chances of being productive is half the battle. Once we see results and start to build traction, the strategies become habit and we open ourselves up to a life that’s powered by smarter time management, more focused work, and greater personal and professional achievement.

Now, go be productive!

Wednesday's Lunch Time Financial Time: How to Save Money in 20 Minutes

Each Wednesday, PF4TP brings you a financial tip to help you on your journey towards Financial Independence! Enjoy!

From Yahoo! Personal Finance - Organize Your Finances and Save Money in 20 Minutes

I Want A Pay Raise!

If you are anything like me, you NEED - not want - a raise. Wages just don't seem to match up with the cost of living these days. There are things you can do to bring home more money; like get a part time job, freelance, work overtime, sell your stuff, and all the other things I mention all the time...or you could ask for a raise (if you truly deserve one).

The Standard Advice For Getting A Pay Raise
Of course, most advice on asking for a pay raise is pretty apparent. For instance, most people think it’s a good idea to approach a supervisor when the company is doing well. This makes total sense as it’s the same thing when you’re trying to communicate with an obstinate spouse. Bring a “tough” subject up when the timing is good, and you’ll get a better shot at getting what you want. You want things to be “win-win” here. By contrast, if the company stock suddenly does a $700 swan dive, save your talk until the following month or decade.


Another piece of standard advice: update your resume with any new skills you’ve learned at your job. Something like “outsourced the entire company phone tree to a central location in Eurasia” sounds terrific. “Perfected my fantasy football team roster in just three tries” may not be so relevant. Don’t discuss the number of YouTube videos you’ve watched since the quarter began, though. But what’s better is that you keep learning new skills so that your performance will support your request for a raise or promotion.

Don’t be shy about what you’ve accomplished for your department or company. For instance, you could mention the range of clients you’ve brought into the company. Clients who spend thousands or millions a year on your products are prime. However, if you’re in retail, you don’t need to bring up the squadron of power walkers who only come in to use the bathroom.

During the negotiation itself, be aware of your body language and try to sound calm. Leave the pepper spray in your desk!

Hobby = EXTRA Cash??

Everyone has a hobby/skill/talent/passion they love to do. Why not turn that into extra income to help get you to where you want to be?

When speaking to my clients, I stress the need to make extra money...no matter what their situation is. Everyone has something they can do...tutor, making something, working with kids, teaching something, sell thing you dont need or use, walk dogs, become a freelance writer, help an elderly neighbor with chores around the house, design webistes, open a lemonade stand....

I started a business helping other with their finances. I want to run a basketball clinic in the summers. I loved collecting trading cards as a kid, I want to open an Ebay store or something. I have so many things I love to do and am passionate about that, given the time I could turn into something to make extra money...

1. Get Organized
Taking on multiple tasks or jobs, takes skill and dedication. Put together a game plan and find the best ways to save time and money, since both of these are essential to productivity.



2. Start Small
When first starting out you need small expectations and high hopes. It takes time to build a reputation, earn people’s trust and show consistency. Start small so you won’t overwhelm yourself, your family or your wallet.



3. Learn Everything
Learn everything you can about your hobby, take classes, read books, and research whatever is available. Use other people’s testimonies of success or failure, so you can put your best foot forward. As humans one of our strongest assets is our thirst for knowledge and the ability to constantly improve.



4. Stay Dedicated
Think about your hobbies and projects carefully, so you can be successful and keep progressing. Failure doesn’t equal quitting, it just means you have to keep trying and learn from your mistakes.



5. Be Passionate
The ultimate goal of a hobby is to learn something new and have fun, so if your only doing it for the money it will show. If you’re passionate and enjoy your work, it will be evident to others and they will be impacted positively.



What do you love to do that can earn you extra money?

15 Secrets to Success

1. Do something you are afraid of doing everyday – When you make a habit of getting outside of your comfort zone, you will grow strong mentally and emotionally and will see yourself getting past a lot of mental blocks.

2. Don’t over plan - There is nothing wrong with planning your goals in life, however if you try to perfect your planning, you won’t take action on any of your goals.

3. Meet new people – When you constantly meet new people, you will see yourself learning a lot about yourself and others as well. You can then use the new knowledge to contribute and help others.

4. Practice being present - When you are engaged in a specific task/activity or are having a conversation with someone, make sure that you are fully present and not caught up thinking about the past or future.

5. Take leadership roles – Start taking leadership roles in every area of your life. Organize a workshop or plan a trip or a social event. When you start taking leadership roles, your self-confidence will rise.

6. Note down all of your ideas - Whenever an idea pops into your head make sure to write it down somewhere so you can refer back to it. There are going to be those times where your mind will suddenly get creative ideas, so make sure that you have a pen and paper handy.

7. Set aside “alone time” - Spend a half hour every day by yourself in a quiet place and take time to think about your goals for the future. Think about where you want to be in the next ten years.

8. Spend more time outdoors - Get outside the house/office more often. You don’t have to plan a big trip to get out. It can be as simple as going for a hike or walking by the beach. You will be able to think clearly and focus better on your tasks. Don’t become a workaholic and get burnt out.

9. Attend seminars - Start attending helpful workshops and seminars of topics that interest you. You will be surprised by the knowledge you will gain. You will also meet like-minded people and make new friends.

10. Read more often - Turn off the television and start reading more. Once you start developing a habit of reading, you will notice that your vision will expand and you will see the world in a whole different way.

11. Don’t talk about yourself too much – If you are ever interacting with close friends or at a social event, don’t make a habit of talking about yourself and your success. This is a sign of insecurity. Instead, take interest in others unless or until someone asks you more about what you do.

12. Spend minimum time browsing the web – When you constantly browse the web, your mind will be cluttered with different images and thoughts and you will get sidetracked from all your goals. You will start getting imaginary thoughts that will get you nowhere.

13. Go to the gym at least four times a week - When you make a habit of working out frequently you will have a lot of positive energy that will help you in other areas of your life. Put it on your calendar and make it a “must do” task.

14. Don’t delay to have fun - Some people think that they need to have a lot of money in order to have fun. They think that one day that big paycheck will solve all the problems in life. Life will have its ups and downs regardless of whether you have accumulated a lot of wealth. Don’t wait for that big day to arrive to have all your fun. Enjoy every minute of life.

15. Be honest with yourself - Be very honest with yourself about who you are and what you want out of your life. Spend time thinking about what your purpose is in life. When you are aligned with your purpose in life, you won’t get many conflicting thoughts that will leave you confused about who you are.