Get a Grip. Get a Life. Get Productive!
August 24th, 2007 | Michael Q. Pink
We are concluding our series on the 7 natural means rainforest plants have to protect themselves from pests so they can grow fast and produce much. This one is about getting help. - recruiting others to run defense for you. In nature, it’s called the “ant defense”. It’s where plants sometimes offer ants nectar in exchange for defense from leaf eating pests like caterpillars, ladybugs, etc. The ants value the nectar more than eating the leaf so they protect the leaf from other leaf eating insects.
It’s a protection racket, but it’s initiated by the plant. Do you have an assistant or someone who can run defense for you and screen your calls, even answer or clear away nuisance emails? It might be worth the investment. Too often, I have been guilty of assigning a task to my support team, then going back and getting involved, even doing it myself. That’s pathetic. If I have the wrong staff, I need to replace them. If I simply have bad habits, I need to change those!
If you can’t afford to hire someone, consider getting a strong email screening program, voice mail and perhaps leaving some of your fancy technological devices turned off so they can serve you instead of making you serve them! They were created to make us more effective, but for the most part, they make many of us slaves - slaves to wasteful activities and worse. Get a grip. Get help. Get a life. Get productive. Get happy!
Until next time, be fruitful, then multiply!
- Even Tiger Woods needs a coach. We all need someone in our corner who roots us on, who sees what we cannot see and teaches us the skills we need to be successful. Find someone who can mentor you and coach you along the path to reaching your goals.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Is “productivity” to be our main goal? Isn’t there some place for the people who some may call “distractions”? It seems like Jesus was able to attend to the many “distractions” that came across his path while he was going from one place to another. If all peolpe are created in God’s likeness, then all people have value and should not be treated like a pest. True, there is need for that time to get away from distractions, in order to communicate with the Creator. Also, true, we need to keep our God given “calling” as the focus of our life. I am not sure how to resolve, the seeming conflict of valuing people and keeping focused.
I do believe, though, that what many call “happiness”, is temporal, fleeting, transient. That is why we persevere for a more lasting and eternal happiness. Happiness is not being free from distractions, but rather being like Jesus was, in God’s will at every moment.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Hi Randy;
Productivity is a worthy goal and of course, one must balance this message. Jesus did accommodate what looked like distractions but were in fact not a distraction at all. They looked like distractions to others who wanted Jesus to heal Lazarus for example, but they weren’t distractions at all. In fact, do you believe Jesus was ever distracted? Doesn’t distract mean to get off the track? Did Jesus ever get off track? I don’t think so.
I do believe however, it looked like distraction to others because Jesus got off the track they wanted Him on. But He was never distracted, not even by urgent requests to heal his very good friend Lazarus who later died. Jesus was right on track and right on time and you know the story, Lazarus was raised from the dead.
I think the point here is to know what your “track” is and stay on it even if some of the journey looks like a distraction in other people’s eyes. Blessings.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I agree with what Michael is saying. I use tools to be more productive. Productivity to me means that I’m not wasting my time on things that do not glorify where God wants me to be focusing.
There were many that thought that Jesus should be spending his time on more “worthwhile causes,” when in fact, they were the distractions! If we listen, God tells us where our focus should be. Jesus did shut out his distractions - the people that were telling him not to take time with Lazarus.
The tools of today are meant to help us stay on track, but very often, they make it easier to get off track. Respecting people does not mean bending to their every whim. Letting voice mail pick up when you are to be focusing on an important task is using the tool to its best ability. Now, if you never returned the call, that would be devaluing the person that called; however, if you return the call then you are still respecting the person and giving yourself the respect to focus on your tasks as well. We are in a “give it to me now” society. We all want instant answers. God also teaches patience too. Here is another way to look at it: if you allow your day to be constantly interrupted, are you giving your best to any situation? Here you are working on a focused project and the call comes in… you take the call, but you want to get back to your project. Are you really giving the person that called you your best focus or are you distracted? Would it be better to respond immediately and give a half focused answer, or would it be better to wait and return the call when you are focused on the person’s concern?
Delegating is one of the hardest things for most business people to do. However, the most successful find ways to do that. There are only 24 hours in a day and that will not change. How you use those 24 hours is where the value comes in. You can respect another person and still have their concerns handled by someone else.
I work with busy individuals every day in my business. We help them to focus on their priorities - their path - rather than the path that everyone else thinks they should take. To do that, you need to be productive. To make the most of the time you have. By being more productive, you gain the time to be able to focus rather than being scattered everywhere.
Michael notes that you can hire an assistant, or let your tools work for you. Those are great suggestions. Here are a few more that our clients have successfuly used:
– If you are not in a position to hire a full-time assistant, consider working with a virtual assistant that work on a per-project basis. Just Google “virtual assistant” and you will find a vast array of businesses that have the skills you need. Or, contact us and we can share the resources we use.
– Don’t have a receptionist, but would like the help that the 1950’s “Mable” had? The personable helpful person on the phone rather than an automated system? Many of our clients love working with a company called CallRuby http://tinyurl.com/wvz3k . Talk to Jennifer at and find out how they can help you keep a focus on people with their fabulous skills. It is not an answering service - it is much more!
– Consider using technology to help you locate informaiton in your office easier.
* I use a tool called EasyReach http://tinyurl.com/2qs7xr that
helps me find anything on my computer in under 5 seconds!
No more wasted time searching for things.
* I use a tool called Paper Tiger http://tinyurl.com/3e3zwk to
help me find anything in my paper files in under 5 seconds. No
more guessing where I filed something.
* I use a tool called a SwiftFile http://tinyurl.com/3cwem3 to help
me keep track of all of the items I need to take action on. I
used to have piles on my desk. Now I don’t have to sift through
them any more.
To your success!
Blessings
August 24th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Thanks all for your comments. Much to think about.