Sleep Your Way to Health and Productivity

SleepTo sleep, perchance to dream. The famous quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet has never held more stock than in today’s hectic world.

The pace of our lives sometimes feels never-ending. All of those predictions about technology reducing our workloads, and making us a civilization of leisure? Well, it hasn’t really worked out that way.

In fact, it’s been the opposite. The faster and more efficiently we can so something these days, only results in more time to do more things, faster, and more efficiently.

The “glorification of busy” has been written about often. And the first thing that takes a hit when we’re all ‘so busy’? Our sleep. Read more

When Failure Actually IS an Option

failureWe’ve all failed from time to time. I know I certainly have.

But failure should never be seen as a negative occurrence. But rather, as an opportunity to teach or learn, and grow.

It’s only when people don’t learn from their mistakes that you begin to have a problem.

As a leader, you should allow your teams room for mistakes and errors, and make sure they know they shouldn’t fear failure.

Writing for FastCompany.com, executive creative director of Doner Los Angeles, Rob Palmer reminds us that when people know they have a safe place to land if they try something different, yet fail, they will become less risk-averse, and more open to new strategies and ideas.

“Next thing you know,” he writes, “you will have nurtured a culture of risk-takers that care as much about the success of their workplace as you do.”

He shares a few things he’s learned about failure over the years, and they apply to most industries or organizations. Read more

Goals: Four Ways to Achieve Them

goalsAre you ever frustrated by the lack of progress you seem to be making toward your goals?

Would you like to reach those goals quicker?

If so, here are a few ideas to help speed your momentum. Read more

Productivity: How to Beat the New Week Blahs

productivityAfter the long winter most of us in the United States have endured this year, Mondays feel even more unwelcome than usual. 

Greeting another week when you’re feeling less than motivated is a difficult task. But it’s not an impossible one.

And there are small tricks you can use to make heading into yet another (cold, wintery) week feel less like a mountain to climb, and help increase your productivity.

Writing in a recent Inc.com article, entrepreneur Kevin Daum shares six tips for re-energizing your week. Read more

Great Leaders and Human Mistakes

great leadersWe talk about great leadership often here on the blog. And there’s a reason we do that.

Being a great leader isn’t easy. After all, even great leaders are only human, and as such have faults and weaknesses, as well as families, responsibilities, commitments, and other stressors outside of their work lives.

Writing for HeartfeltLeadership.com, psychiatrist and business consultant Dr. Mark Goulston shares what he calls “Ten Things Smart Founders Do To Mess Up Their Company”.

Reading through the list, I think you could replace “founders” with leaders – of any type – and still come up with the same results.

Let’s have a look at our top five, and see if you’re making any of these mistakes in either your business or personal lives. Read more