The Focus Guidelines at a Glance
Here is a list of the guidelines. For an explanation of each guidelines visit Focus Guidelines at GettingResults.com.
Apply concentrated effort.
Ask yourself, “What are you rushing through for?”
Batch and focus.
Bite off what you can chew.
Carry the good forward.
Change your focus.
Choose one project or one thing to focus on.
Clear away external distractions.
Clear away internal distractions.
Create routines to help you focus.
Delay gratification.
Direct your attention with skill.
Do less, focus more.
Don’t chase every interesting idea.
Enjoy the journey and the destination.
Find a way to refocus.
Find the best time to do your routine tasks.
Finish what you started.
Focus in batches.
Focus on what you control and let the rest go.
Give it the time and attention it deserves.
Have a place to dump distractions.
Hold a clear picture in your mind of what you want to accomplish.
Have a time and place for things.
Keep it simple.
Keep your energy up.
Know the tests for success.
Know what’s on your plate.
Know your personal patterns.
Know your priorities.
Learn to say no – to yourself and others.
Limit your starts and stops.
Limit your task switching.
Link it to good feelings.
Make it easy to pick back where you left off.
Make it relentless.
Make it work, then make it right.
Master your mindset.
Multi-Task with skill.
Music everywhere.
Narrow your focus.
Pair up.
Pick up where you left off.
Put the focus on something bigger than yourself – for the greater good.
Reduce friction.
Reduce open work.
Reward yourself along the way.
See it, do it.
Set a time frame for focus.
Set hard deadline goals.
Set time limits.
Set quantity limits.
Shelve things you aren’t actively working on.
Single-Task.
Start with why.
Stop starting new projects.
Take breaks.
Take care of the basics
Use lists to avoid getting overwhelmed or overloaded.
Use mantras and one-liner reminders.
Use metaphors.
Use milestones for checkpoints and progress.
Use mini-goals.
Use reminders and visual cues.
Use the Rule of Three
Write down your goals.
Write down your steps.
Write down your tasks.
Write down your thoughts.
I don't own the copyright of the above and this is something I received via email and felt its always nice to share.
@ksheriffdeen
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
S T A Y
A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
"Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent..
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.
Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients...
Now and then, she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life..."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this gentleman's name?
The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey..."
Author unknown
"Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent..
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.
Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients...
Now and then, she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life..."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this gentleman's name?
The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey..."
Author unknown
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The World's worst boss.
That would be you.
Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself.
Odds are, you're doing it poorly.
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much as your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.
I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.
We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for.
There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn
The above is from http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself.
Odds are, you're doing it poorly.
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much as your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.
I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.
We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for.
There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn
The above is from http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Essential Post of 2010 Zen Habits
Following is an excerpts from The Essential Post of 2010 Zen Habits, basically its a summary of the best zen habit articles selected/voted by the readers.
The Essential Posts of 2010
Each year I choose the top posts from Zen Habits for the year but this year I decided to let you guys do the choosing. I don’t keep track of stats anymore so I don’t know which posts you guys liked best. It was interesting to see the results.
Here are the Top 20 posts as chosen by all of you:
1. you’re already perfect
2. the lost art of solitude
3. The Case Against Christmas Presents
4. Simplify, and Savor Life
5. the best goal is no goal
6. Why I don’t care about success
7. the zen of doing
8. the elements of living lightly
9. Life’s missing white space
10. The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
11. A simplified morning routine
12. a brief guide to life
13. Kill Your To-Do List
14. How Not to Hurry
15. kindfully + mindfully
16. achieving, without goals
17. How to Be a Positive Person, in Under 300 Words
18. The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies
19. the tao of productivity
20. Get Inspired
A few other posts I’d recommend:
1. the barefoot philosophy
2. the insidious perfidiousness of doubts, overcome
3. lessons from a car-free life
4. The Little Guide to Inspiration
Please follow link to read through the above articles.
The Essential Posts of 2010
Each year I choose the top posts from Zen Habits for the year but this year I decided to let you guys do the choosing. I don’t keep track of stats anymore so I don’t know which posts you guys liked best. It was interesting to see the results.
Here are the Top 20 posts as chosen by all of you:
1. you’re already perfect
2. the lost art of solitude
3. The Case Against Christmas Presents
4. Simplify, and Savor Life
5. the best goal is no goal
6. Why I don’t care about success
7. the zen of doing
8. the elements of living lightly
9. Life’s missing white space
10. The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
11. A simplified morning routine
12. a brief guide to life
13. Kill Your To-Do List
14. How Not to Hurry
15. kindfully + mindfully
16. achieving, without goals
17. How to Be a Positive Person, in Under 300 Words
18. The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies
19. the tao of productivity
20. Get Inspired
A few other posts I’d recommend:
1. the barefoot philosophy
2. the insidious perfidiousness of doubts, overcome
3. lessons from a car-free life
4. The Little Guide to Inspiration
Please follow link to read through the above articles.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
60 Tips for Great life style.
60 TIPS FOR A STUNNINGLY GREAT LIFE
I want to shift gears from leadership to a pure focus on crafting an exceptional life for this blog post. Ultimately, life goes by in a blink. And too many people live the same year 80 times. To avoid getting to the end and feeling flooded regret over a live half-lived, read (and then apply) these tips:
1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”.
7. Plan a schedule for your week.
8. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
9. Say no to distractions.
10. Drink a lot of water.
11. Improve your work every single day.
12. Get a mentor.
13. Hire a coach.
14. Get up at 5 am each day.
15. Eat less food.
16. Find more heroes.
17. Be a hero to someone.
18. Smile at strangers.
19. Be the most ethical person you know.
20. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
21. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
22. Save 10% of your income each month.
23. Spend time at art galleries.
24. Walk in the woods.
25. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
26. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
27. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
28. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
29. Have 5 great friends.
30. Become stunningly polite.
31. Unplug your TV.
32. Sell your TV.
33. Read daily.
34. Avoid the news.
35. Be content with what you have.
36. Pursue your dreams.
37. Be authentic.
38. Be passionate.
39. Say sorry when you know you should.
40. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
41. Have a vision for your life.
42. Know your strengths.
43. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
44. Be patient.
45. Don’t give up.
46. Clean up your messes.
47. Use impeccable words.
48. Travel more.
49. Read “As You Think”.
50. Honor your parents.
51. Tip taxi drivers well.
52. Be a great teammate.
53. Give no energy to critics.
54. Spent time in the mountains.
55. Know your top 5 values.
56. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
57. Innovate and iterate.
58. Speak less. Listen more.
59. Be the best person you know.
60. Make your life matter.
Article extracted from http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/
I want to shift gears from leadership to a pure focus on crafting an exceptional life for this blog post. Ultimately, life goes by in a blink. And too many people live the same year 80 times. To avoid getting to the end and feeling flooded regret over a live half-lived, read (and then apply) these tips:
1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”.
7. Plan a schedule for your week.
8. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
9. Say no to distractions.
10. Drink a lot of water.
11. Improve your work every single day.
12. Get a mentor.
13. Hire a coach.
14. Get up at 5 am each day.
15. Eat less food.
16. Find more heroes.
17. Be a hero to someone.
18. Smile at strangers.
19. Be the most ethical person you know.
20. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
21. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
22. Save 10% of your income each month.
23. Spend time at art galleries.
24. Walk in the woods.
25. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
26. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
27. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
28. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
29. Have 5 great friends.
30. Become stunningly polite.
31. Unplug your TV.
32. Sell your TV.
33. Read daily.
34. Avoid the news.
35. Be content with what you have.
36. Pursue your dreams.
37. Be authentic.
38. Be passionate.
39. Say sorry when you know you should.
40. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
41. Have a vision for your life.
42. Know your strengths.
43. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
44. Be patient.
45. Don’t give up.
46. Clean up your messes.
47. Use impeccable words.
48. Travel more.
49. Read “As You Think”.
50. Honor your parents.
51. Tip taxi drivers well.
52. Be a great teammate.
53. Give no energy to critics.
54. Spent time in the mountains.
55. Know your top 5 values.
56. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
57. Innovate and iterate.
58. Speak less. Listen more.
59. Be the best person you know.
60. Make your life matter.
Article extracted from http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/
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