Are You Productive or Just Busy?

“Excessive busyness is a form of show business. It has no place in the real world of straight-line effectiveness,”

Dusan Djujukich

Busy Bee

Finally, I have cut through the cr** if I am too busy I am not being productive period!

Productive work reduces busyness it does not increases it.  Sure being busy sounds good. It looks good, but it really is about going around and around without really getting anywhere.

Stop! For just a minute stop.

Think! What really must be done today? Why? Does it add to the bottom line? Does it improve a relationship? Is it really productive?

Is your time being spent in real conversations with amazing people that will make things happen? Or is your time wasted in lazy mental busyness tasks or conversations about things that will never happen?

So, next time you say you “are too busy”, join me in asking yourself why? Why am I busy? Why aren’t I being productive? What am I avoiding by being busy? Why am I getting in the way of my own success?

Copyrighted 2014

Managing Emotional Flooding:  How to Quickly Self-Soothe  

Here are 5 quick steps to self soothing. When you feel flooded during a conversation or argument take a break. Follow these five steps.* Here are five steps to soothe yourself: breathing, relaxation, heaviness, warmth, and imagery.

Step #1—Breathing
The first step is to get control of your breathing. When you are getting flooded, you will find yourself either holding your breath a lot or breathing shallowly. Change your breathing so it is even and you take deep regular breaths. Take your time inhaling and exhaling. Really focus on the exhale!

Step #2—Relaxation
The second step is to find areas of tension in your body. First tense and then relax these muscle groups. First examine your face, particularly your forehead and jaw, then your neck, shoulders, arms, and back.

Step #3—Heaviness
Let the tension flow out, and let yourself start to feel heavy.

Step #4—Warmth
The fourth step is to imagine your body parts becoming warm.

Secret #5—Imagery
As a fifth step, add a calming image of personal safe place you can envision. The key is to meditate, focusing your attention on one calming vision or idea. It can be a very specific place you go to that was once a very comforting place, such as a forest or a beach. Imagine this place as vividly as you can as you calm yourself down.

 

Copyrighted 2014

 

*Based on the work of John & Julie Gottman, PhDs.