Would you like to see these things happen in your business?

• Better communication between team members
• Closer relationships and more shared personal information between team members
• Better planning
• More streamlined planning  
• Improved client service

Then you should consider encouraging (even better forcing) your staff to take time off in predictable patterns.  You will gain productivity benefits.  This according to the October issue of the Harvard Business Review who published a 4 year study on this very topic. 

Professor Leslie Perlow followed 12 consulting teams at Boston Consulting Group.  Note, BCG is known for hard-driving work ethic so they were an excellent company to study.  They were asked to modify how they approached the work schedules of their employees.

The results of the study were so positive that the company is now rolling out the team strategy to many of its other groups this year and in 2010.

In addition to the benefits listed at the beginning of this post, perhaps the most important benefit Boston Consulting experienced was that clients also reported improved client service.  This is presumably a result of the better team focus, planning, and communication.

Turning OFF is Important!  Here is what they did

The participants in the study were guaranteed one night a week off.  The night off meant, no work after 6:00 pm with no contact to work either (including Blackberries, iPhones and computers.)  To many, this might seem like a small change, however, the consultants initially found it very difficult to set the time aside for themselves.  They were afraid that it would impact other days and even the weekend.  By the end of the experiment, however, the consultants reported that they could "turn off" for a while and still produce high intensity, high quality work.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company benefited in many ways too.  After five months, Boston Consulting found that employees participating in the study were

• more likely to stay with the firm compared to consultants not in the study
• more satisfied with their jobs
• happier with their work-life balance

The final word

Shut down time is important.  It allows your mind to recharge and refocus.  This study found major improvements with one night of not working.  Imagine the gains that could happen if you took time off to do other things?  Now you have an excuse to plan vacations!  It is good for your business.

What do you think?  What keeps you from turning your computer off?  Do you unplug and spend time on other things as much as you should?  If you do, how do you do it?  I know my readers would like to hear both sides of the story.  Tell us your thoughts by commenting below in the comments section.

Like what you have read?  Do you think it could help others in your network?  Then please share it by clicking one of the links below.

To your success!

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Ever since I started thinking about starting my own business, I have been studying very successful business owners.  There are many things they have in common, but one major factor is that they are all constantly learning and growing. The majority do not achieve their high levels of success on their own.  

The mentor/coach I’m currently working with has a multi-million dollar business and invests thousands of dollars a year in his own learning so he can earn more and have the time to do what he enjoys doing.  He schedules it in like any other important commitment.

In order for your business to be better, YOU (and your people) need to be better.  You will not get better by doing nothing!

So why don't we do it?  Why do we avoid growing our knowledge?  It may be because in order to do this, you may have to get out of your comfort zone.

There’s no excuse not to get off your butt and learn your way to success. It does not matter where you live.  There are events that happen 24 hours a day all across the globe as well as virtually.  There are coaching programs that are one-on-one or group sessions.  There are networking groups on and off-line where you can meet other like-minded people or those playing at a higher level of business than you.  There is something for every person and every learning style.  Saying you have ‘no money’ and/or ‘no time’ are poor excuses.  Investing in you is important.

If you always do what you have always done, you'll always get what you've always got!
~unknown~

Focus on where you want to be, not where you are now! Many business owners spend their whole lives using excuses and end up going nowhere. The money and the time will appear if you are serious about wanting to change and grow.

Your continuous learning (and taking action on that learning) can take you from struggling along in overwhelm to flying high in all areas of your life. How is the quality of your life?  Is it improving?  Are you getting the results you want? Is your business more profitable? Do you have the free time you want to spend the way you want?

Did you answer yes to the questions above?  If so, what have you been doing to get these results?  Then, make sure to keep doing what’s working!  If you are not moving the direction you want, seriously look at why that is and do something different. When’s the last time you invested in your most important asset?  (YOU!) 

The people I know who are getting great results in their business and personal lives are always learning, growing and taking action.  A friend of mine told me this saying, ‘if you’re green you’re growing, if you’re ripe your rotten.” Which one are you? 

To your success!

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You can't call the police and file a report on today's topic, but it is one of the worst thefts that can happen in life.  Time theft is stealth--it sneaks up on you.  Don't let this happen to you!  Today we need to be vigilant with our businesses.  Every expense must be reviewed, even investments of your time and energy.  Here are 6 areas for you to get under control this week and know you won't get your time stolen again.  First, the mistake --> then what you really should do.

Waste time playing phone tag or sitting on hold.  --> Have a solid strategy for handling telephone calls.

1. Have an agenda for your call before you pick up the phone to dial.  This way, you won't hang up and realize you missed an important point only to have to call again.
2. If you need to leave a message, make sure to tell the person a good time to reach you as well as details of what you are looking for.  The person returning your call may be able to answer your questions in a return voice mail or they will call at your suggested time, avoiding phone tag.
3. When you record your outbound message, ask your callers to give you the best time to return their call.  Also ask them to repeat their phone number twice -- this saves you time trying to replay a message to catch the correct number.

Waste time searching for lost files. --> Back up the information on your computer!

Time and aggravation abound when you have a sudden crash of your computer.  Panic sets in and hours can be spent (as well as dollars) trying to recover information on a bad drive.  Eliminate this by backing up your data with a service or on an external hard drive.  Want more on this idea?  Check out my story: Computer Crashed! 400 Gigs Gone! Don't Let this Happen to You!

Switch focus --> Focus on Your Priorities!

It is more important than ever to make sure that the things we choose to spend our time on are the right things.  When you spend time on low priority items, your TIME IS STOLEN!  Peter Drucker encourages us to understand that it is important to decide “what” is to be done first.  Only after that decision is made should we figure out the “how” and “when”.  If you need help figuring out how to set your priorities then check out this special report.

Be a Multi-Tasker --> Schedule "Power Hours"

1. In Can you manage your time? Read - learn the secret - then weigh in on the conversation I talk about a really important concept called the "Power Hour."  Set time aside to focus and work uninterrupted.  Ignore the phone, IMs, text messages, Tweets and any other kind of interruption.  Make sure that all of the resources that you need are on hand and ready to be used. 
2. If you find that you have challenges with hyper-focus (where you lose time by focusing too much on a particular project) then consider using a timer or alarm.  By having the clock running as you work, you become more aware of how long tasks take.  It trains your subconscious to be more productive.  You get more done.
3. "Doing IT ALL" Gets Nothing Done - Is that REALLY True? Of course it is!  Multi-tasking can steal your time faster than you might imagine.  If you have many tasks that need to be done, focus on one at a time.  Give the task your undivided attention and get it done.  Then, move on to the next task.

Attend meetings that do not have value --> Assess the importance of all meetings!

There are a number of ways that you can make decisions.  Holding or attending a meeting is just one.  When you look at your schedule, make sure that you are only attending meetings that add value or where you can add value.  Want more on this topic?  Consider these articles: 10 Things YOU Can Do To Make A Productive Meeting Even When You are Not the Meeting Planner or Key Activity You Should Do To Make The Most of Your Time & Meetings

Demand perfection in everything --> Understand that perfectionism paralyzes.

Are you a perfectionist?  We are frequently our own worst critic.  Please stop.  Perfectionism KILLS productivity.  When you tweak and tweak, always trying to make your service or product perfect; the service or product never launches!  What a huge theft of your time and the potential!  If you give yourself permission to "slip" you will not focus energy on slipping.  Some of the greatest leaders and successful individuals have failed many times.  It is through the failing that real learning happens.

Want more ideas?  Check out this post on creating your NOT to do list.

Comment and Share!

What methods do you use to create your goals?  How do you make sure you stay on track?  Do you think this process would work for you?  I'd love to hear about it and I know my readers would too!  Please leave your comment below. Like what you've read?  I'd love it if you would click one of the buttons below and share this post with your friends.

To your success!

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Here we are at another Tuesday and my Tweeps have not let me down!  Today's post started with a statistic I shared on my social networking sites:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention state unequivocally that 80% of our medical expenditures are stress related. http://bit.ly/3Mn9iC

Scary huh?!  In fact, my life used to reflect that statistic!  I have spent the last few years learning about stress and finding techniques that help me to live a happy healthy life.  I've learned that there are a number of different types of stress and depending on the type you are struggling with, you may have different ways to alleviate the irritant.

Anyway, the statistic led to other conversation and one of my readers said that she had no idea how she should de-stress.  So, I posed the question to my friends and here is what they do.  Don't see yours on the listing?  Scroll to the bottom of the page and add it!  There are a lot of people out there wanting to know!

Let Go!

--- "To reduce stress in your life, reduce your attachment to things." --- Judith Forsyth

Warm Water

--- "Sit in my hot tub with a glass of wine- total de-stressing!" --- Tom Larsen

--- I like this one too!  I had a doctor tell me to to soak my feet in warm water and then give myself a foot rub before bed and I would sleep soundly.  He was right!  Sometimes I enjoy a full jacuzzi bath or I will even go and get a pedicure.

Vision a Beautiful Place

--- "Picture being in Martinique and body surfing waves." --- @americannanny 

--- Research shows that if you can create a vision of a place that is clear in your mind, it is almost as good as being there!  Use vision boards to help you with this too.

Quiet/Reflective Activities

--- "I relieve stress with the NY Times crossword puzzle.  Sometimes it takes me all week to finish.  I savor the time working on it." --- @blannie1 

--- "10 min of mind-numbing Solitaire." --- @mdconcierge 

--- "CRAFTS! Either crochet or Scrap-booking. Some times just time with friends - we call going out for ice cream "cheese" so the kids won't want to come, too." --- Gretchen M. Fatouros 

--- "Knit" --- Shawna Knapp Collins 

--- "Massages!! They are wonderful! Especially if you incorporate aromatherapy into it and do a FULL body massage. I am amazed at the number of women that go for a massage and tell the therapist they don't want their hair and makeup messed up. There is a lot of relaxation to be had by having the face and head massaged!" --- Rhonda Shouse

--- I like massages too.  Get someone that really knows what they are doing and you can relieve physical stress for weeks.  Reflexology is worth a try too. 

--- I have a client that spends hours in her garden enjoying nature and watching things grow.

--- Another quiet activity is journaling.  When you take the time to write your thoughts out, you start to gain a deeper understanding of your own thoughts.  Also, the process of writing is actually healing!

--- I read - I have a few different categories for my reading.  One category is "enjoyment" and I do a little reading most nights.

 

Audio/Visual

---  "Watching TV is my escape.  The stress relief occurs when everyone goes 2 bed & the only noise is the TV.  I can relax & be calm." --- @rstevenw 

--- "A good Turner Classic Movie from the late 30's or 40's." --- Cheryl Vargas 

--- Music of many kinds can drip the stress away from my mind quickly!  If I'm tense from sitting at my desk all day, I might put on some dance music and dance in my office!  It loosens up the muscles and I always laugh when I dance which is a proven de-stresser.  If I am mentally drained, I have more low-key music that I listen to - Mozart, new age jazz or Jason Groban, etc.

--- While some people can de-stress by watching T.V., others can really de-stress by eliminating certain shows from their viewing practices.  Evaluate the types of shows you are watching.  How many of them are negative and how many of them are positive?  If you find that your ratio is more negative than positive, change it for 2 weeks and see how you feel.

 

Spiritual

--- "I meditate." --- Amye Price Gumbinner 

--- Meditation and prayer are great techniques for getting rid of stress.  Having a connection to something greater than you and connecting.

--- Practicing gratitude - start your day by listing--in your mind or in writing--ten things that you are grateful for.  It is really easy to focus on the things that are not going well in your life.  Force yourself to think of the things that are going well and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

 

Eat!

--- "Have a cookie!!" --- @ilovekookies 

--- "Eleviv.....Natural supplement that gives me a peace of mind like I have never felt before." --- Carla Anderson

--- "A good cry or chocolate seems to do the trick." --- Kathy McFeeters

--- I drink tea - Organic Peppermint tea to be exact.  Love the warm, comfort feeling and taste.

 

Family Time

--- "I go for a walk each afternoon with my children.  Works every time." --- @rbarberi 

--- I laugh - a LOT!  One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my son and that often leads to laughter.  We de-stress each other.

 

Physical Activities

--- "Punching bag!" --- @pamelaharper72 

--- "WORKOUT!! :-)" --- @fatlosstips4u & @llyounger

--- "Trap shooting - yes, I have a shotgun now." --- Shawna Knapp Collins 

--- Tai Chi is my newest favorite workout.  I've found it is relaxing and healing at the same time.  My son and I also enjoy the Wii Fit balance games for a combination of laughter and workout!

 

Cleaning (Really?  Yes, Really!)

--- "Cleaning (dishes, dusting, vacuuming, etc.) + organizing + exercise... in that order =)" --- @dallisonlee 

--- "I scrub-a-dub w/rubber gloves, brush, bucket + fave potion.  Burns calories+sparkling surfaces.  Smells good 2 --- @metrozing 

 

Enjoying Our Animals  

--- "Walking my dogs - it's a great way to meet the neighbors; I believe we should be more like those relaxed people in colorado and bring our dogs to work." --- Shawna Knapp Collins

--- I'm with Shawna on this one for sure.  My puppy, Danny, and I go for walks and play catch.  The workout and laughter do a lot for stress relief. 

Want More Ideas? 

Check out Entrepreneurs You Must Learn To Relax - Here are 74 ideas to get you started on the TPE site.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!!

What do you do to de-stress?  It is so important to have something that works for you! I know my readers would love your ideas.  Please leave your comment below. (Reading this in email?  click here to share your comment)

Like what you've read?  Then you must share it!  People need de-stressing now!  Choose one of the buttons at the bottom of this post and share away!

To your success!

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Want to see their actual comments? Check out the pics below. click on the thumbnail to switch between the comments I got on Facebook and Twitter.

Ellen Hankes is the 1st Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD®) in both Nebraska and Iowa!

Ellen Hankesis one of our AWESOME consultants at Calahan Solutions, Inc. and I'm writing today totally thrilled and excited for her as she takes the next step on her professional journey.  Ellen does not toot her horn very often, so I want to toot it for her! 

When Ellen started working with us she joined the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization and immediately began growing her skills and knowledge.  This month she became a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD®). 

The CPO-CD® student spends 17-20 months of intensive time studying and applying this learning in practical application with current clients. The purpose of the NSGCD CPO-CD® program is to develop a Professional Organizers skills and knowledge by utilizing a coaching style relationship.  The CPO-CD® program is specifically geared to improve the quality of service, techniques and knowledge a Professional Organizer provides to their Chronically Disorganized clients.

Ellen's focus for work is helping those that have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or Hoarding find peace in their daily lives both at home and at work. 

If you have a minute, jump over to Ellen's blog and tell her congratulations. 

To your success!

PS -- If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)?  Or, follow us on Twitter!  Or connect on Facebook!

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