Business Organizing

3 ways to be more productive this year

This is a sponsored post. To a view one of the media clips in which I bring these tips to life, scroll down! As always, opinions are my own.

No matter that we can choose to start a new habit, routine or behaviour at any time, the start of a new year often prompts greater reflection and the setting of resolutions for the year to come. Sadly, the majority of people don’t keep their resolutions.¹ So, is there a better way?

As a productivity coach, I work with motivated people to help them achieve the results they are looking for. Over the years I have noticed, and studies confirm², that the more clearly we can articulate what we want to achieve the more likely we are to achieve it.

You will have likely heard of SMART goals – those which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive. Thinking through these details helps us get clear on exactly what we will do it and when we will do it.

Most effective is defining the set of small, repeatable actions you can take. If you will – think it, then shrink it. Make getting started so small it is laughable to ignore it. Consistency in effort will get you there.

Traditionally, top resolutions have included eating better, losing weight, exercising more and getting organized. If you are motivated to lose weight, for example, this will effectively include several behaviours which really add up to a revised lifestyle. In fact, small positive changes in one area often lead to positive changes in another. I call this an upward spiral of momentum.

In my model, the ABC’s of Behaviour Change (post to come!), C stands for Cultivate – creating a supportive environment both physically and in terms of the people around you. You will also benefit from using the right tools. Staples Canada has a huge variety of stylish and innovative products to help you meet your goals: planners and calendars to record and importantly schedule your intentions, Swell water bottles to keep you hydrated on the go or at your desk, glamorous Bugatti lunch bags in rose gold to make it more exciting to bring in a healthy lunch, tech tools such as headphones to keep you focused, the FitBit Charge 3 to help track your sleep and exercise, and the Microsoft Surface Pen to take more effective handwritten notes.

Variety of food on a tea towel with vegetable print — Variety of Plant-Based foods from President”s Choice.

Perhaps you want to be more mindful about what you eat. If you’re like the 38% of Canadians who are interested in adding more plant-based food to their diets³, whether it be for incredibly popular #meatlessmondays or any day of the week, you’ll want to check out President’s Choice’s new line of Plant-Based foods.

Breaded chicken-less strips in a whole wheat wrap with chipotle infused mayo-style spread and fresh veggies.

Consider this meal idea: corn, carrot and kale veggie bites with cashew dip, followed by a wrap filled with breaded chickenless strips, lettuce, and peppers plus a dash of mayo-style spread infused with chipotle sauce (my add), followed by a creamy coconut-based blueberry yogurt with additional fresh berries. Eating plant-based is easier than you think!

Handbag, small purse and jewelry — An example of items that sell well on ebay.

Do you have a pile of things at home that you no longer think of as treasures which would absolutely delight others? If they are nagging at you, in a conversation you’d like to stop, invest some time and energy to not only free up space but turn your stash into cash by selling them online. If you’re looking to maximize reach, list on ebay.ca to put your item in front of millions of buyers (over 183 million, globally) in either an auction format or for a fixed price. At www.ebay.ca/sell you’ll find helpful tips to let you know what buyers are looking for, help make shipping decisions and more. Take clear pictures, write a simple, descriptive headline, and list.

No matter what you want more or less of this year, take the time to get specific and you’ll be well on your way.

Watch as I Annette Goerner and I discuss these tips on CTV Morning Live in Ottawa.

Sources

A daily to-do list to keep you focused – Your Focused Five™

When you’re not terribly busy or managing a light load, you might be able to remember everything you’re responsible for, but what happens when the pace picks up or you’ve got more plates to spin? Having a reliable practice in place can help take the pressure off. This applies to everyone from students to senior executives. Keeping track of tasks can be helped by having a task management Ritual you can count on.

Take a second and think about your to-do list. Is it scrawled on a scrap of paper, jotted down in a notebook, lurking in an online app, or perhaps just jumbled in your head? Is it a regular tool you use, or something you create in a crisis?

If you use it often and it’s working well for you, celebrate that. It’s quite a win, as many people struggle (including me) to find a system they enjoy.

Ask yourself three questions:

a) do you use your system regularly? If not there may be something to explore with mindset or the medium. It may not be the right format, but we’ll explore that in another post.

b) is it working for you? In other words, does it keep you on task and on track?

c) how does it make you feel? Do you feel good during and after using it?

Let’s explore the last question. If you’re looking at your to-do list and it leaves you feeling overwhelmed and like you’re not getting enough done, something needs to change. We simply don’t need the tools we choose to use leaving us feeling at all depleted afterward.

There is a need for two (or more) kinds of to-do lists. Just how many you need will depend on how you think and prefer to keep different tasks separately, but at minimum, I recommend having two lists.

The first, likely massive list, is what I call your Master To-Do List. It’s essentially a download of what’s on your mind. Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re forgetting things, it’s worthwhile pausing, and even though it feels stressful, investing the time in going through your inbox, calendar, notes on your desk, and mind to capture your intentions. As Daniel J. Levitin explains in his book “An Organized Mind” (1),

“Writing things down conserves the mental energy expended in worrying that you might forget something and in trying not to forget it.”

But, I caution you in using this Master To-Do List when it comes to focusing on your daily activities. It is simply too big. Have you ever ordered a plate of food, perhaps a big bowl of pho (Vietnamese soup), and kept eating yet it looks like you’ve hardly consumed anything? It’s somehow highly ungratifying, no matter how tasty the food.

From your Master To-Do List, choose five important things you wish to complete in a day and write those down in a separate second list I call the “Focused Five“.

Why five? Five is a small enough number to actually get through. The act of selecting items forces you to identify the most important activities to attend to. You’ll enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from ticking everything off your list.

Keep this list right in front of you. Prop it up on your computer, leave it on your desk, or pop it into your wallet when you’re on the move. It’s a simple, low-tech way to keep your priorities top of mind.

I started out using index cards and then made a template to print my own cards to use each day. You can download it here.

If you get through your list, don’t forget to celebrate a little before choosing another item or two from your Master To-Do List.

Try it and I’d love to hear how it goes!

Source:

Levitin, Daniel J. The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload. Dutton an Imprint of Penguin Random House, 2017 p 69

I work with organizations to deliver sustainable performance. If you know of a forward-thinking company who wants to achieve objectives and help their leaders and teams avoid disengagement and burnout, book a Discovery Call to learn more about a range of engaging talks and effective coaching and consulting.

Choose wisely in the “dark half” – Smart food choices, inspiring desk accessories and a printer worthy of display

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, in October we’re entering the “dark half”. Have you noticed the light slipping away? According to www.timeanddate.com, we receive about 3 minutes less sunlight each day. If you’re like me, this translates directly into less energy and this can hamper productivity. I want to hold onto my spark in the dark, so, it’s especially helpful to find products and services that help me do what I need to do while respecting my STEM Resources™ of Space, Time, Energy and Money.

1. The printer that truly respects your resources

The HP Tango printer saves space, time, energy and can even save you money, all with a much-appreciated sense of style.

Spending more time inside means we notice our surroundings that much more and if cluttered, they can cause stress. I’ve seen many home workspaces with printers that have made the room feel somewhat institutional. Not every home has the luxury of a dedicated office so it can be a huge win to find a printer that combines style and function.

sleek white printer on top of cabinet — The gorgeous lines of the HP Tango printer.

The HP Tango printer with its clean, compact, simple, and elegant design is a space saver. It fits neatly on 16” shelves and with WiFi and remote access via the HP Smart app, you can place it almost anywhere. With a choice of complementary covers, it can be integrated even further into your space.

Cork cover conceals the HP Tango printer — The HP Tango printer is cleverly concealed in this stunning cork wrap.

Check out how this cork cover complements the medium wood tones I have in my office. There is a grey linen cover available too, if that’s more your colourway.

That’s great for space, but what about time, energy and money? The HP Tango Instant Ink program has got you covered. You can subscribe to automatic ink delivery based on the number of pages you print per month. No more worrying about choosing between colour or black and white. No more running out of ink at the wrong moment. For peace of mind, flexibility is built-in as unused pages are rolled over and applied to pages in addition to your monthly allowance.

As a bonus, photos under 5×7” don’t count towards your page limit. Sweet!

In addition to your resources, HP is also respecting those of the environment. Cartridge recycling and shipping is included. You can wait to send a few cartridges back at once to minimize the number of times you ship.

Using plastic from recycled printers and other electronics, the HP Tango is made with more than 30% closed-loop recycled plastic by weight. HP Original ink cartridges are made with 48 – 73% recycled plastic, and HP-branded paper with 100% certified fiber or recycled content.

For more information about the HP Tango, visit this page.

For more information about the Instant Ink program, visit HP Instant Ink.

And for information on recycling cartridges, check out the HP Planet Partners program.

2. Add some design savvy to your desk

Finding stylish office accessories has never been easier thanks to the latest collaboration between Canadian design icon, Joe Mimran, and Staples Canada. Mixing function and fashion, here are a few treasures from the line to keep you happy at work this winter.

In this photo:

Large Pad Folio in Gray – Make the best use of both technology and good old paper with this refined Pad Folio complete with integrated device stand.
Keep your pens and loose change from cluttering your desk in this sturdy terrazzo organizer
Focus Tip: Add a calming scent to the sophisticated ceramic diffuser to promote attention in a more comfy, less dry atmosphere.
Listen to some energizing music via this cloth-covered wireless speaker

5. Keeping track of time never looked so good. This sleek, silver desk clock will wow your clients for less than you think.

6. Worthy of gift-giving is this pen in a compelling combination of metal and wood in its very own metal case.

For more, search the Gry Mattr line at www. staples.ca

3. Making smart food choices just got easier

Eating nutritiously is important all year round, but as the temperature drops, I prefer more cooked food and shop a little differently. no name® brand foods have been in my shopping cart for years (the brand was launched in the late 70’s!) for these reasons:

The products I’ve tried have consistently been of good quality.
The packaging has been easy to understand and comes in handy when labelling storage containers at home.
I’ve consistently saved money when compared to other brands.

bag of oats beside container the oats will be stored in — Organizing tip 1 – Transfer produce in bags into easy to manage storage containers.

Oats in container beside can of hot chocolate and bottle of honey to show easy to read labels — Organizing Tip 2 – Use the packaging to make a label. no name brand labels are so easy to read they make for perfect in-pantry labels, too.

But what really got me interested in working together was the launch of no name® Simple Check™ products. I first noticed the no name® Simple Check™ symbol on my favourite sour cream and onion potato chips in the spring of 2019. I thought it was just a package redesign. I’ve learned there is more to it than that.

New and old package designs to show design changes including coloured titles and the simple check symbol — The new package design on the left will be replacing that on the right.

New packaging is on the left with the Simple Check symbol. Colour has been added to the product names for easier recognition in the pantry, as well.

The no name® Simple Check™ symbol indicates the absence of 10 specific ingredients which I prefer not to ingest including synthetic colours, artificial flavours and monosodium glutamate (msg) I invite you to visit the Simple Check™ website to find out more.

The no name Simple Check symbol quickly reassures me that I’m buying quality food, eliminating the need to pull out my reading glasses, find the ingredients on a package and read through it slowly! This saves me time and aggravation and helps me make better food choices.

This post is sponsored by Loblaw Companies Limited, Staples Canada, and HP. As always, opinions are my own.

Ouch! Paying attention to comfort is about more than buying the right equipment

This post is inspired by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health’s investigation of the Amazon Fulfillment Center on Staten Island. With comfort being one of the eight Productivity Table Stakes™ in Productivity CPR™, my model for sustainable performance, it’s been a long-time concern of mine to support steady improvements in working conditions.

In the mid-’90s, I noticed several fellow employees walking around wearing wrist braces. It turns out the braces were to treat carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of intense and repetitive keyboard use at work. This was a few months after my own experience with a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD).

Unfortunately, when I was hired, HR had forgotten I was joining the company so instead of finding myself in an office, I was provided with a round table in a colleague’s larger than normal cubicle. I crafted financial reports for about eight hours every day at this round ‘desk’ which led me to develop debilitating rotator cuff tendinitis in my right shoulder. The injury prevented me from working for a few weeks to allow my shoulder to heal. I couldn’t sleep on my right side or carry any weight on my right shoulder for over two years. (Side note – this is when I learned to use a mouse with my non-dominant hand – a worthwhile exercise for everyone to give your dominant hand a break.)

Exercise: Hold your arms out in front of you for a minute. Soon you’ll start to feel your muscles fatigue and likely some pressure on your shoulders. Imagine eight hours of uncomfortable posture.

1. Provide the right equipment

As technology evolves and we learn more about human comfort, we can go further to provide furniture, accessories, lighting and environmental controls to make spaces even more comfortable. In the role I described above, I would have been much more comfortable with a desk fitted with a keyboard tray. Our joints need to be supported. Using a keyboard tray that accommodates a mouse to keep both the keyboard and mouse close at hand prevents reaching and wear on your shoulder.

While it’s easy to understand the potential for injuries related to physical labour, poor practices, equipment and cultures affect our ability to perform comfortably and sustainably in our offices as well. Also noted in the World Health Organization Key Facts on musculoskeletal conditions, lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability globally. (1) We know that we sit too much yet so many sedentary jobs still exist without the opportunity for sit-stand desks that invite movement and a change in posture.

We also need to pay more attention to lighting and noise. For years, over-lighting a space was naturally prohibitive due to cost. City bylaws in Toronto only provide minimal light levels. With the evolution of inexpensive LED lighting, we now need to consider spaces that are overlit, over-stimulating and ultimately exhausting.

Noise in open-concept offices is an issue not only for the workers. Have you ever been on the end of a customer service call in which you can hear the cacophony of other calls in the background? It’s a negative experience for customers, too. Too much noise is such a concern at work, the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board built a new site dedicated to bringing attention to noise challenges at work. Check out www.toneitdown.ca for examples of noise issues. The site focuses on hearing loss, but neglects to talk about stress levels related to noise which are significant in their own right. (3)

2. Educate, educate!

Realizing the instances of MSD noted above, which caused pain and sometimes required time off or surgery to heal, were entirely preventable ignited my avid interest in ergonomics. From then I have been keen to make sure the tasks we take on are supported by the right tools and environments. I invited leadership to go further than providing tools they had wisely invested in and encourage employee education on how to best use them. It was as if we were in a relay race in which the baton wasn’t passed on effectively.

We’ve come a long way since the mid-90s, but there are still gaps. In August 2019, ‘The World Health Organization reported that “musculoskeletal conditions are the leading contributor to disability worldwide”.(1) More recently, a report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health titled, “Pressure, Pain, and Productivity at Amazon” highlights a current example of recurring injuries. (2) The report explores the consequences of tasks completed in an environment in which some of the challenges are indeed acknowledged and given some proactive attention. Yet, even though we know what to do, why are we still getting hurt?

3. Culture matters

A critical partner to the environment in which we work is the culture. This appears to be an issue at Amazon. In an effort to meet the commitment to deliver products in near real-time, 80% of workers report being pressured to work harder or faster. Even if we know how to work safely, if there is pressure to perform, whether internal or external, chances are we may ignore the theory and succumb to what we feel pressured to do. We need leadership as role models. If not in example because their roles require a different physical construct, certainly in terms of the attention paid to staff and in an open concern for staff comfort. Comfort on the job needs to be perceived to be imp0rtant. In the absence of such positive influences, we need greater internal fortitude, even bravery to counter this pressure, take breaks, set boundaries, make time to move and to rest.

As consumers and workers, we might want to ask ourselves what we value. Is this pace necessary? Is what it costs worthwhile? Our culture of immediate gratification and speed is raising our collective cortisol while fattening fairly few wallets. Is the race to fulfill an order worth the possibility of long term physical damage?

What has been your experience with ergonomics at work? Has it got in your way? Have challenges been well-handled? Have you had to pivot? Share with me on twitter @streamlife.

Sources:

Spring Clearing Series – An inspiring, comfortable office is a productive office

3 min read

This post is sponsored by Staples Canada. As always, opinions are my own.

I had the pleasure of touring to a few cities in Canada this spring to share ways to be more productive this season. Not only do we need to think about being productive in how we accomplish what we want to do, it pays to find solutions which are as effective and efficient as possible. I gathered a few ideas which provide one-stop shopping or deliver complete solutions for you, and in this five blog series, I’ll share the benefits of each one.

Happier workers are more productive

As you might imagine, several studies¹ validate the premise that happier workers are more productive. In fact, somewhere between 10 and 20% more productive. One analysis suggests that “Workplaces with ‘very satisfied’ employees had higher labour productivity, higher quality of output, and higher overall performance.”²In fact, small shifts in well-being are directly correlated to big shifts in performance.³

Productivity can be pretty. Standout supplies from Staples Canada.

So, what keeps people happy at work?

Our happiness is influenced by a wide variety of things including

personal experience – core beliefs and values, genetics, age, gender, personality, temperament and preferences, and health
family and social circumstance
what happens while at work – the people, events, culture, and environments involved

Digging further into happiness at work there are a huge number of influencers including role clarity, value alignment, relationships with colleagues, the level of autonomy we experience, the opportunity for personal growth, and the physical office environment. Most people work best in a well-organized, inspiring space.

3 ways to create a productive and pleasing workspace

1. Personalize Your Space

Choosing decorative and functional elements in palettes and finishes that reflect your personal tastes can make your workspace more inviting. Staples Canada, rebranding in early 2019 as “The Working and Learning Company”, understands that.

Crayon bar at Staples Canada, University Avenue, Toronto.

Pop into the flagship store in downtown Toronto, and you’ll find a bright, airy, membership-based co-working space, auditorium and invitingly laid out shopping experience. Explore the venue to find a robust stationery section complete with an ample selection of journals, pen bar, and inviting bins of crayons in a multitude of colours. You can’t miss the full-service print shop and a significant “Tech Discovery Zone”.

What really stands out though are the office space vignettes. Staples has partnered with design icon Joe Mimran to create 10 stylish Workspaces from colourful to retro to a gamer’s dream, making it easier for you to picture what you might create in your space. Here are a couple of examples:

white desk, white chair, black floor lamp, black desk lamp, wall clock — The “Keep It Simple” office vignette at Staples Canada

white desk, black chair, coral office storage, wall clocks, umbra hook — The vibrant “Live In Colour” office vignette at Staples Canada

As you might guess from the way I dress and the way I decorated my condo, I love colour with a bit of glam. Here are a few treasures I picked to show off on tour:

Swingline Stapler

white and gold stapler — Swingline stapler, so elegant in white and gold.

Nifty Keyboard

pink keyboard with raised keys — This pretty in pink keyboard from Nifty makes keyboarding practice more fun.

Poppin creates an assortment of desk accessories to get you both organized and energized.

Turquoise file sorter

file sorter turquoise — Energizing turquoise Poppin document holder.

Gold Pencil pouch

gold pencil case — Dazzling gold Poppin pencil pouch

2. Green it up!

Studies of offices in the UK and The Netherlands revealed that plants in the office boosted productivity up to 15% while increasing both engagement and satisfaction. ⁴

plants in office space — Adding plants is a low-cost way to improve the quality of your workspace.

Earlier this week I visited a branch of a major bank. There was plenty of brand-based colour but little else that might have been deemed decorative in the space. It lacked soul. I commented that plants would be a lovely addition and the teller pointed to a vertical bundle of brown twigs a few feet away proclaiming, “We have sticks!” Adding plants is a fairly small upfront investment and with a little nurturing can bring continuous healthy energy to your space.

3. Keep your space comfortable

There has been significant debate recently about open versus closed offices, or what I prefer, mixed space environments. As a highly sensitive person, noisy and visually stimulating environments are quite exhausting to me, so as soon as it was possible, I chose to work more of the time from home. Being able to craft my work environment was a huge benefit to me and left me with more energy at the end of the day I could choose to invest in personal wellness, my family or other interests.

Clare Kumar at desk in tidy organized home office — Working from a well-organized home office makes for a productive lifestyle.

A study reveals that females prefer more light than males. There are also differences in the appreciation of noise and temperature with women preferring higher temperatures and less noise. Yet, there is no variance in preferences for formal / information working environments and the need for mobility. Recommendations from the study suggest that those crafting spaces pay attention to the demographics of their work environments and encourage responding to the needs of those using the space.⁵

Sources

3 ways to be more productive this year

A daily to-do list to keep you focused – Your Focused Five™

Choose wisely in the “dark half” – Smart food choices, inspiring desk accessories and a printer worthy of display