working on big projects

Tips for working together as a team

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused , , , , , , , ,

I love to write and create as an individual, but my energy lifts and flows when I collaborate with focused, tight groups. This includes my team work at Catalog University, and with the volunteer work I do – especially in the theater. My family is also a great team. We get a ton done and have fun doing it!

So I was super psyched when Charles Duhigg’s new book Smarter Faster Better (awesome read) took a dive into figuring out what makes a great team. Charles writes about how Google spent four years on this problem. First, they looked at who was on a team and could find no pattern. It was only when they looked at how teams worked that they found magic.

So what do the most productive teams have in common? Continue reading →

The plot thickens…

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the secret world that only you know, what does your ideal life look like? This isn’t the world that other people see for you. Or a world that everyone else wants. This is your world.

  • If you were writing the novel of your life…
  • What’s the plot line? Is this a historic novel? A romance? A mystery? High adventure?
  • What century is it? Are you in revolutionary war France? The wild west? Ancient Rome? Current-day America?
  • Where do you live? Is it warm or cold? Mountain or shore? Continue reading →

Living your dream time

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When you have a million things to do, everything feels important, and whatever’s next on the list gets done. You may have an edgy feeling that you’re missing out, that there’s something you should be doing, but who has time to think about it, right? You’re getting stuff done, so go go go.

Then you wake up in the middle of the night. You glance at the clock. It’s 4:00 AM. It’s quiet and dark. You can’t go back to sleep and start to think about things that never intrude on your busy days.

  • What would it be like to take a year off to travel to all the national parks in the United States?
  • If you wrote a novel, what would it be about? Time travel? History? Mystery? You have ideas that are just at the corner of your thinking.
  • Continue reading →

What’s a single moment when you were living “the good life”?

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities , , , , , , , , ,

Organizational Zen is about the peace you find prioritizing your time by working on the big stuff in your life. Not sure what your “big stuff” is?

I recently attended a class taught by the very wise, Dr. Alice Bandy. Alice helps people figure out their “Why”. Why?

  • Because you were born with unique gifts to share with the world and it’s hard to share something that you don’t know you have.
  • Most of us underestimate what we can bring to the universe.
  • If you don’t do the work that’s in your heart, it’s a big loss for all of us, and you won’t have as much fun while you’re here on earth.
  • Your work isn’t what you do – it’s who you are.
  • Your gift to the world is to take action.

To get a glimpse of your “why”, take a deep breath and ponder this question. Continue reading →

Making writing a habit

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities , , , , , , , ,

Having a passion in life helps you resist the urge to waste time. Writing is my passion but it took me years to develop it into a habit.

What I learned along the way was that for me to write a novel, I had to treat writing like it was a job. It took time, intent, commitment, focus, and prioritization to turn an idea for a historic story into a book.

Here are my big take-aways that can be applied to any new habit.

Continue reading →

How to be more productive

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you find yourself saying, “I wish I could get more done,” stop for a minute and think about exactly what it is you want to get done.

  • Do you want to finish projects you’ve already started?
  • Do you wish you were doing more interesting stuff?
  • Do you have big ideas and aren’t sure how to take the first step?
  • Or are you just feeling like you’re wasting time?

Continue reading →

Complaining is not a strategy

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities , , , , , , , , , ,

If you find yourself complaining a lot, it’s time to stop. Complaining is a waste of your time and other people’s time. If you don’t like something, try to fix it.

If you don’t know how to fix it, that’s awesome. That’s your challenge! Study the stuff that bugs you to see if you’re complaining about things that really matter to you. Or is complaining just a bad habit?

A few things of note: If you’re complaining about a person and you’re doing it behind their back you’re not going to change anything. Continue reading →

What’s your “Why”?

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides , , , , , , , , , ,

At the end of one of the first talks I gave on Organizational Zen, a participant said he understood that if he wanted to stop wasting time it would be great to have a larger goal in mind.

It’s just that he didn’t have any bigger work to do. He had raised his children and run a successful business, and as a retiree, felt like no one needed him anymore. He asked how he should spend the last years of his life.

Oh, my. No one can answer that question for you; it’s something that comes from inside and only you can bring it to life. Continue reading →

Why did you waste so much time?

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Getting started, Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides , , , , , , , ,

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been organizing people – neighborhood kids, playground antics, school functions, friends, and businesses. I like getting things going. I like getting everyone involved. I like big conversations. I like to make things happen.

So it’s no surprise that I ended up working as an account executive for an advertising agency. I thrive on being the organized one amidst chaos. And ad agencies are the epitome of business chaos. Get a room full of Art Directors and Copywriters. Add in Presidents and CFOs who are former Art Directors and Copywriters. And try being the only one who has a deadline to meet. Yeah. I can do that. I can make that happen.

Then how about a bigger challenge? How about keeping an entire direct marketing company organized? Boston. Appleseed’s. I thrived.

Continue reading →