Visibility Generating & Authority Building
Writing and Marketing Information
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September 27, 2014 / Newsletter 092714
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Are Your Content Marketing Efforts Really Productive? (Two Productivity Strategies to Keep You Moving Forward) By Karen Cioffi
Sometimes the moons and stars align and information that is relevant to
your life bombards your week, directing you onto paths you should take.
Well, this happened to me.
Time management is one of my ongoing struggles, as with probably most of
you reading this. So, what do you do? How do you create more hours in
the day? How do you accomplish all the writing and marketing tasks you
must, aside from keeping up with everything else in your life?
Ah, the $25,000 question.
Productivity Strategy Number One – Keep a List and Stick to It
I found a great site (JamesWedmore.com) that offers some very useful
content. Interestingly, the post I read on this site pertained to being
productive. This was the fourth article I came across within a few days
dealing with time management, prioritizing, and productivity.
Part of the content discussed a $25,000 lesson by public relations and efficiency expert Ivy Ledbetter Lee.
The story (true story, just not sure of the exact account) goes that
Charles Schwab, steel magnate, wanted to increase his company’s
efficiency, so he contacted Lee. Lee requested 15 minutes with each of
Schwab’s managers. Schwab asked how much would it cost. Lee told him
that after three months, if he saw productivity improvement he could
send Lee whatever he thought the training was worth. Three months later,
Schwab sent Lee a $25,000 check. This was back around 100 years ago.
So, the $25,000 lesson?
It’s reported that Lee said to write a list of six must-do items that
each manager needed to accomplish the next day, in order of importance.
Whatever wasn’t completed that day would go over onto the next day’s
list of six must-do items.
According to QuotationsBook.com, Lee instructed:
"Write down the most important things you have to do tomorrow. Now,
number them in the order of their true importance. The first thing
tomorrow morning, start working on an item Number 1, and stay with it
until completed. Then take item Number 2 the same way. Then Number 3,
and so on. Don't worry if you don't complete everything on the schedule.
At least you will have completed the most important projects before
getting to the less important ones."
Pretty simple, right?
Simple and powerful. Having a list of what you need to do gives
you focus and that focus helps clear your mind, which in turn boosts
productivity, allowing you to get the job done.
One thing James Wedmore said that I thought is also a good idea is to
have a “brain dump” folder or notebook. If something pops into your head
that you don’t want to forget, put in in the ‘brain dump file.’ This
too helps keep your mind clear of clutter.
I call my ‘brain dump file’ My To Do List. If anything pops into my
head, I open the file and type it in, leaving my mind free of the worry
of remembering it.
Productivity Strategy Number Two – Meditate
If you make time for meditation, you’ll have more time. I read this or
something like it recently, but forgot where or by who (if you know the
author, please let me know, so I can give attribution). A case in point
of information overload.
But, how can you have more time if you take time out of your already hectic day to meditate?
According to Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, the average person has 70,000
thoughts per day. Since there are 1,440 minutes in a day and 86,400
seconds, this means you’re having thoughts almost every second of every
day. Is it any wonder many of us have trouble focusing?
Meditation is another mind clearing tool that allows the brain to take a
breather. It helps create a calmer you, thus leading to a more focused
and productive you.
My acupuncturist, who was a neurologist in China and has been practicing
Chinese medicine for over 35 years, says that the number one thing you
can do for your health is to meditate.
Give it a Shot – Incorporate These Two Strategies Into Your Writing and Marketing Work Week
Every Sunday, make a list of the top six must-do items for Monday. Don’t
just breeze through your list of to-dos, take the time to think whether
a particular item is REALLY needed. Will it move your goals forward?
Will it earn you money?
At the bottom of your to-do list for each day, add: TAKE 15-30 MINUTES TO MEDITATE.
Do this for 90 days, as Lee instructed, and see what happens. Then let us know – leave a comment!
Note: I also read that Lee sought Schwab out to propose he could
increase his company’s productivity. Whether Lee sought out Schwab or
Schwab sought out Lee, it worked.
P.S. If you like this post, please share it
~~~~~
You might also be interested in this writing article: Writing: Maguffin – Object of Desire
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