How often do we pursue something purely as a means to do something else? I spoke to a former co-worker of mine who’s now working as a business coach. She has her own practice and own coaching methodology. But the last time we caught up, a few years ago, she was participating in some kind of coaching accreditation program. Many people assume you need some sign of approval before you can work in a particular profession. This is certainly true for coaches. But also for authors, consultants, and other expert-level jobs. While I think the system accreditation serves a purpose, it’s not always the ..read more

We’ve all wasted time. But sometimes, we waste a bit too much time. The other day I watched a Skip & Shannon video on YouTube (a sports show mostly about the NBA and NFL), and then, I watched another video about the NBA. I watched the first video around 10 pm. The next time I looked at the clock, it was about 12:15 am. Wait, what? More than 2 hours on my tablet? What happened? Well, wasting time. That’s what happened.  When you do it occasionally in your free time, it’s no big deal. But there are many people who waste time during the day at work. A while back, I did a study and found ..read more

The reason I’m always looking for ways to get more done in less time is that there are many other things in life I enjoy. Look, I’m not the most socially active person. It’s not like I travel all the time or go out every day. I like to have an empty calendar some days. I’ll exercise, go to the sauna, read a book, watch a movie, or spend time on my hobby or side project. To get more done in less time doesn’t necessarily mean you have to work harder or wake up earlier. It’s all about optimizing your time so you get the most out of every hour you work. It’s about working smarter and being more e ..read more

5 min read Ever since the early 2010s, people have been warning of the “age of distraction.” It’s no longer a warning. We’re definitely living through the Distraction Age.  The start of the 2020s has shown all of us how draining it can be to deal with distractions.  It’s no surprise so many of us feel chronically drained. There’s so much information we have to process and so many things we have to adjust to.  On top of that, it seems like there’s even more uncertainty when it comes to the economy, health care, and the rising cost of living.  Let’s not talk about the things ..read more

6 min read Let’s say you’ve been feeling unproductive for a while. You’re frustrated that your tasks are piling up, bills are left unpaid, and you’re feeling tired all the time.  When this happens, people keep doing the same things hoping for a different outcome. They think “it’s just temporary” and that “things will get better soon.”  But when they keep procrastinating and don’t find a way to be productive again, they all of a sudden find themselves out of shape, feeling down, and stuck at their careers. In behavioral research, there’s a concept called “Optimism Bias” that explains ..read more

4 min read I was recently talking to one of my students who took my course on productivity and overcoming procrastination. She mentioned that she wanted to start a blog for 10 years! But she never took any action. And she eventually wanted to give up her goal. “Maybe it’s time to move on,” she said. I can relate to that because I wanted to write for almost a decade before I actually started. I tried several different things and even tried my hand at writing fiction. But my goals never really materialized. This is something almost everyone I know can relate to. Maybe you want to build a busine ..read more

5 min read The following quote is 2000 years old. But it seems like it’s about today’s world: “Most of what passes for legitimate entertainment is inferior or foolish and only caters to or exploits people’s weakness.”  That’s from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. It couldn’t be more telling about our attention and the things we focus on. We allow other people to control us because we’re pretty much defenseless when the media exploits our weaknesses. Now, I’m not against all media. But I do think there’s a lot of manipulation going on. Just look at every single social media platform, news ..read more

6 min read Everyone procrastinates. If you ever meet a person who claims they never procrastinate, you’re probably dealing with a robot.  Just because everyone procrastinates, it does mean it’s good behavior. It means we as humans have our flaws. And that’s okay.  But what is procrastination actually? You hear so much about it. Some people say it’s good for creativity. Others say it’s the biggest enemy of results (me). I’ve found that procrastination means different things to different people.  You’re procrastinating when you’re “delaying something that must be done, often beca ..read more

10 min read The purpose of this guide is twofold. First, I will define what procrastination is. Second, I share tested and proven ways to stop procrastinating. Like my guide on improving productivity, this is a dynamic guide. I’ve been researching these concepts for 10+ years. I’ll continue to update this page as I find new ways to improve it. Feel free to bookmark this guide as a reference. I hope you find it useful. Content Of This Guide: The Best Definition Of Procrastination Examples Of Procrastination Benefits Of Beating Procrastination Common Procrastination Challenges Widely Used ..read more

8 min read Welcome to this procrastination guide. The purpose of this guide is twofold. First, I will define what procrastination is. Second, I share tested and proven ways to beat procrastination Like my guide on improving productivity, this is a dynamic guide. I’ve been researching these concepts for 10+ years. I’ll continue to update this page as I find new ways to improve it. Feel free to bookmark this guide as a reference. I hope you find it useful. Content Of This Guide: The Best Definition Of Procrastination Examples Of Procrastination Benefits Of Beating Procrastination C ..read more