We all have 1440 minutes every day. Yet some people seem to achieve so much and others barely make a dent on their good intentions. And yet others seem to be incredibly busy achieving absolutely nothing, least of all a sense of achievement or fulfilment. There are many reasons this could be true and one way to think about it is to consider how you use your time according to how much you do of each of the following:
Spend Time
Spending time is doing things which are either nurturing to the soul or maintaining. They are necessary for balance and to keep you on track.
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It is Ken Blanchard who said that feedback is the breakfast of champions. But it always seems so stressful. Whether you’re giving it or receiving it, few people are comfortable around it. It has got to the point where organisations are questioning the validity of appraisals and one company, GE, are calling feedback Insights so people feel less antsy about it. Why? 
Managing your own stress, your performance and productivity is one thing. Managing these factors in others is something else. Trying to achieve results through others brings its own stresses to add to your already burgeoning collection. But we don’t need more stress, we need less.
Black and white thinking (also known as all or nothing thinking) can be really useful when you need a quick decision which has an absolute answer: something is right or wrong, good or bad. A decimal point in the wrong place can have a huge impact, even though the mistake itself is small. “I nearly got it right” won’t hack it with the bank manager. Someone coming at you with a knife? Bad, and a clear signal to cut and run – no time to wonder at their intentions. So, black and white thinking can be helpful.
Whether overwhelm is a constant feature of your life or something which you experience from time to time, the following can help you overcome it.
Most people want each new year to be their best. But with much less stress. And more fun. And bigger results. If possible. So, is it really possible? If we accept that we can only control the controllable and take response-ability for our results in a focussed way, I would say a resounding ‘yes’. But too often we give our power away to outside forces. So, the following keys will help you take charge and make it happen:
Burnout is that state you get to when you are so stressed and exhausted that you are no longer able to function. At it’s extreme level, you won’t even be able to work at all. You could argue that high performers and perfectionists are more at risk than most. Why? Because they power through and ignore signals that show they are at risk. The problem is that the more you power through, the more at risk you become until you shut down completely. Like your body has had enough and decides that if you are going to ignore its needs, it will just stop working so you can’t ignore it any more.
10 Traits of Successful People
I was interviewed for a leadership program on the subject of emotional intelligence this week. I call it your secret weapon because it is said to account for 80% of your success. You might be surprised to learn that intellect, though important too, actually only accounts for 20%. It is your ability to handle yourself which is what makes the biggest difference and this is what emotional intelligence is about. And the good news is that it helps you in your work and in your personal life too.
When they first start to work with me, some of my clients don’t like the idea of learning how to influence because they see it as the same as manipulation. But there is a significant difference. One that sets the influencer apart, builds trust and is a significant factor in helping you achieve your goals in life and in your business.