self-help » Empowering Your Mind

How You Can Get More Done in Less Time

Aug 082019

When you try to stay focused for eight hours a day, you end up being exhausted. This decreases your productivity and efficiency. But placing your attention on one task at a time is the best way to get more done. Focused work is much more effective than distracted time or multitasking. Learn how you can focus more, while staying fresh and getting more done, more easily.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting. I’d like to give you a tip to maximize your productivity and efficiency through the effective use of focus. Being able to focus on one task or project at a time is a key to success. In fact, focused work is worth four hours of unfocused work. But staying focused for long periods of time is tiring, isn’t it?

You know that trying to pay attention to one thing for a 8 hours exhausts you and erodes your productivity, right? However, when you take breaks, it helps to refresh your mind and improve your efficiency. This is a bit counter-intuitive.

Research has shown that the most productive workers work 52 minutes on average, and then take a 17 minute break to recharge. Some can work more, some less. That’s why it’s an average.

And a break doesn’t mean doing something else on the computer, like checking into Facebook or watching videos on YouTube. It means taking an actual break, such as a short walk, getting some coffee, or reading a book. This gives the mind a breather. Shifting to something completely different.

If you have a hard time focusing for 52 minutes or thereabouts, work for 20-30 minutes or so, then take a shorter break, say 5 or 10 minutes.

Personally, I’ve found that taking a break every hour to hour-and-a-half works best for me. I’ve discovered that my attention begins to tire out after 90 minutes. It becomes harder for me to think. Since we know being sedentary is bad for you, I get up and walk around for a few minutes. This helps me get the kinks out and allows my mind to rejuvenate. When I get back to my computer, I’m ready to focus on my next task.

The longer you can concentrate on one item at a time, the more you’ll be able to get done in less time. That’s something to strive for, right? And you’ll be less fried at the end of the day. Not only will that help your work, it will improve the overall quality of your life.

If you’d like more tips on how to increase your productivity and accelerate your success, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day

Thank you for watching. How can you schedule your focus time and your breaks into your day?

Read the accompanying article Are Distractions Sabotaging Your Success?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Book Review: Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

Sparks of Insight

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Jul 152019

There are times when you’re making changes that it seems like everything is conspiring to block you. Believe it or not, this is a signal that you’re actually making progress. When you begin to transform, you move in the opposite direction than you’ve been taking. Attachment to the old path (from your subconscious) is trying to drag you back. If you simply keep going in your new direction, the obstacles will begin to fade away. How long it takes depends on how strong the old path was. But don’t give up hope, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

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Jul 092019

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

The same is true of positive thinking, meditation, affirmations, etc. Saying an affirmation once and expecting it to take effect immediately and permanently is as unrealistic as expecting washing your hands once will keep them clean forever. You have to incorporate these practices into your daily life for them to make any lasting impact.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

For more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, be more productive and accelerate your success, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

3 Exercises to Improve Your Self-Image

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Jun 192019

Your self-image is about how you view yourself, and changes every day. You can affect it by the things about yourself that you focus on. When you pay attention to what’s right about you, you start making different decisions that increases your positive view of yourself. Here are 3 short, easy exercises to do that will help to improve your self-image.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting. I’d like to talk a little bit about your self-image and give you 3 easy exercises to improve it.

Your self-image is about how you view yourself, the image you have of yourself. It’s like a reflection in a mirror, but it’s not just about your physical appearance. It’s about who you are and how you interact with your environment.

Unfortunately, when your perception of yourself leans towards the negative, it can hold you back and sabotage your goals. But you already know that, right? The good news is that your self-image is malleable. It changes every day with your thoughts, choices and actions.

My tip to improve it has to do with focusing on what it is you like and appreciate about yourself. When you pay attention to what’s right about you, you start making different decisions that then increases your positive view of yourself.

So here are the three easy exercises to do to get you started.

1. Find one thing you like about yourself. It could be your appearance or one aspect of your appearance, like your hair. It could be that you’re organized, prompt, creative or responsible. What is it for you?

2. Identify one skill or ability you possess. This could be that you’re a good listener, a great cook, or an artist. And then describe how it’s affected you and others. What’s your skill or ability?

3. Remember one achievement you’ve had or time when you were successful. Something that you’re proud of. It could be winning an award or just participating in a competition. It could a time when you were promoted or did a great job on a project. It doesn’t matter how big or small it might be in the scheme of things. What matters is how you feel about it. What have you accomplished that you’re proud of?

Write all of these in your phone, on an index card, or someplace where you see them often. Now, you can add items to each one, making a list to further boost your self-image, but I wanted to make it really easy to get you started.

When you begin to slip into a negative frame of mind about yourself, remember these three items. Your self-image will begin to improve because you’re paying more attention to what you appreciate about yourself than to what you don’t. And that can change your world.

If you’d like more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. And remember to focus on what you appreciate about yourself. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, 5 Steps to Create a Greater Self-Image.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

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Jun 112019

I remember seeing a television show where a working wife and mother spent all weekend trying to keep her house as clean and perfect as her mother did. She was killing herself and alienating her family by her unrealistic expectations. There was no time for fun in her life. She was counseled to lower her standards so that she and her family could enjoy themselves. So what if her refrigerator wasn’t clean enough for an inspection? Her family needed some together time in a way that created happy memories. Where might you be holding yourself to unreasonable expectations, and how can you lower them so that you can have a life? Chores will always be there, but today won’t be.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

3 Tips to Handle Obstacles

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Apr 182019

Most people spin off course when an obstacle arises. They don’t seek for the core of the problem and just react. This can make it worse. But you can take charge and discover a lasting solution. Learn what to ask yourself to get yourself back on course.

Transcript:

Thank you for watching. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. Today, I’d like to give you 3 tips on how to take charge and handle obstacles. If you don’t know what to do when trouble arises, it can send you spinning off course, can’t it?

Unfortunately, when most people hit an obstacle, they aren’t even sure what the problem is. They just look at what’s obvious and don’t investigate any further, right? This generally won’t solve the problem and may just get you in deeper.

So your first step is to discover what the obstacle actually is. Don’t just react or you could make it worse. Ask yourself if the problem is what’s showing up, like miscommunication, or if it’s a deeper, systemic issue? Keep digging until you identify the core of the obstacle. Once you do, you’ll be able to find creative solutions that will last.

Second, take responsibility for your part in contributing to the obstacle. Sometimes you have had a part in creating it, and sometimes you haven’t. But you still have responsibility to contribute to the solution. Ask yourself these questions, “What could I have done differently to prevent it?” and “What can I do differently from this point on to improve the result?” The answers you come up with will help prevent similar issues from arising.

Third, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Because there’s always something for you to learn to use in the future. This is how we grow, develop and gain experience. If you don’t learn from it, you’ll continue to repeat the pattern, and I don’t think you want that, do you? When you’ve determined what you’ve learned, you can put it into practice.

These 3 tips will get you back on course. About 85% of your success is due to your mindset, which affects how you respond to life and to challenges. By taking charge when an obstacle arises, you empower yourself to work through it and become more successful.

If you’d like more tips on how to increase your productivity and accelerate your success, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. Can you commit to putting these tips into action in your life?

Read the accompanying article How Accountability Can Increase Your Success.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart