I started strong.
I got up at 5:40, meditated, planned my day, got the kids off to school, exercised, and was ready before 8 am.
This rarely happens, but when it does, my day goes well.
Just not this day.
How to Destress in a Time of Massive Anxiety and Hate
I knew something was wrong the moment she answered.
“Your father had a stroke,” my mother explained. “He’s in the hospital now. The doctors are trying to find out more.”
The memory of my grandfather rushed to mind — a man I’d only ever known to be in a wheelchair from a stroke he’d had years before I was born. We used to watch Wonder Woman and eat popsicles together. He’d get pissed because I thought it was funny to hold the popsicle just out of his reach. It was a dick move, even for a four-year-old, and the sudden image of him reminded me just how helpless he could feel at times. It made me wonder if my father would suffer as he did.
Three days later, my wife received a similar call.
“I’m going to the hospital,” her mother explained. “I’m not feeling well, and I think there’s something wrong with my heart.”
As it turned out, my mother-in-law had…
11 Ways Camping Can Help Your Productivity
A Call to Focus (Pun Intended)
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting around 30 thousand spam calls a day.
OK, I exaggerate. But sometimes it feels like that.
Anytime an actual phone number shows up on my caller ID, I know it’s from someone I don’t know.
When my Mom calls, it says Mom. When my wife calls, it says Elaine. When a telemarketer calls…
How to Find Your Breathing Space for a Productive and Important Day
Tucson, Arizona is a beautiful and treacherous place.
At 6am, before the golden sun broke over its cactus-covered foothills, the still, dry air was not yet hot enough to have chased us visitors back in to the comfort of the air conditioned resort. The poisonous tarantulas had not yet crawled out from under their rock homes to scout for mates. The venomous rattlesnakes had not yet set out on their evening hunt for food.
The dangers were minimal. It was the perfect time to be outdoors...
But I wasn't out on that serene landscape with those dangers in mind.
I was out to escape the dangers of a world that, in a few short hours, would attack me with its demands, distractions, and expectations; just me, wandering, out for a hike through the desert for no other reason than to hike.
No, this hike didn’t solve some problem or accomplish some goal.
It was the fuel, the space between the logs, the breathing space for what would be a productive and important day.
This weekend, before the demands and distractions of the coming week, take time to find your breathing space.
About the Author
Michael Mehlberg
HUSBAND, FATHER, ENTREPRENEUR, BUSINESS STRATEGIST, AUTHOR, FITNESS NUT, ORGANIZATION FREAK, PRODUCTIVITY JUNKIE
I help high-achieving entrepreneurs live their passion and achieve their dreams by consistently saving time, getting productive, and being more efficient and organized.
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Fighting Phone Distractions? This Obscure Kitchen Device Will Help
Phones aren't the only distraction. Your laptop, a good book, the TV, anything can prevent you from doing those important tasks that will drive your business forward.
There is a simple solution to lock those distractions away, enabling you to get done what you need to get done and move closer to your goals…
It’s Time To Fire Your Bad Customers
There’s no question about it.
A bad employee drags company standards through the mud. A bad employee distracts management and leadership from their most important tasks. A bad employee drives good employees to gossip and great employees to other companies.
Bad employees have to go.
But what about bad customers?
End Distracting Texts Once and For All (Without Turning Off Notifications)
Yes, texts are an amazing instant communication tool. No, I'm not suggesting we turn text messaging off completely. It's just that the assumed commitment to a conversation is what often derails from our work. And losing focus is exactly what separates the busy from the productive.
So, how do we keep our ability to stay in immediate touch without disabling texts completely?