Knowing what your strengths are and then working through your strengths will change your business and professional life. Here are three books worth reading (and I have read them more times than I can count).

Now, Discover Your Strengths – Buckingham, Marcus & Donald O. Clifton

Do you think you are productive when you’re crazed? Do you think others around you appreciate it when you are on a rampage (or even something shy of a rampage)? Hm… probably not.

A question, which comes from my definition of “pockets” as being the difference between being calm and crazed is this (and it’s the one you need to ask and answer):

Where has the difference between “calm” and “crazed” disappeared for you?

You may have answers that just pop right into your head right this minute. Or, maybe you need to think about it as you go through your week. In case there isn’t an announcer standing right by you saying, “Hello! You have no pockets here. You are now crazed or dangerously close to crazed,” here are some signals to be on the lookout for.

1. Your to-do list is impossibly long for today and this week. (Sound familiar?)

2. You are running late - even once this week. And I mean 5 minutes late or 5 hours late. Late is late.

3. You apologize for not getting something done, getting it done late, or because whatever it is has not been completed at the level you had hoped and that another person expected.

4. You are coming up short on your bills.

5. You spend time searching around for items in your home or office.

6. You are tired - physically, emotionally, intellectually, and/or spiritually. You might even use the word exhausted.

7. You experience a feeling of dread about some upcoming event, task, or other commitment.

8. You pray (sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively) that SOMETHING/ANYTHING will cancel. Sometimes you say it out loud and sometimes you’re just chanting to yourself.

9. You have not exercised - not just today, but lately…or in recent memory.

10. Someone in your family has mused quietly (or shouted) that he or she would appreciate being put on your schedule sometime.

Eek. Kind of uncomfortable… and these are just ten possibilities. You have your own cues and clues that you are setting off the crazometer.

What I want you to do is make a list to keep handy this week. You may certainly start a list right now of where you think the difference between calm and crazed has disappeared… but I want you to be watchful as the week goes on. Just notice, “hmm… I have completely lost, misplaced, or squandered the ‘pockets,’ that is the difference between calm and crazed, in this area or that area.” Write these instances down because you will begin to notice patterns as you do so.

Only when you notice and acknowledge that you are getting dangerously close to crazed can you do anything about it.

If you are like most teachers, you may have some clutter lurking in your classroom – and let’s start with your desk.

Look at that big drawer in the lower right- or left-hand side of your desk – the one where files are supposed to go.  To use that drawer for its intended purpose, you will have to take out the extra pair of shoes, the box of energy bars, the toys you’ve taken from students, the extra bottled water, the wire in-basket that never was big enough, etc.   Another possibility for ‘clutter’ is the drawer that could be called the “history of makeup” area.  Whatever might be hiding in this drawer – toss it!  Do you ever really have time to apply makeup during the school day anyway? Get everything out of the drawer so it’s free and clear to become a place to access easily and quickly for your increased productivity.

Note:  If the desk you inherited from the previous teacher is broken, the drawers don’t open or are in some way non-functional, you should walk right down to the custodian’s office and ask for some immediate assistance. This is not a time when you should just “make do.” You are a professional educator and you deserve a functional desk.

One of my good friends, who is a teacher, says that we all need to have the “Disneyland Mentality.”   That is, no one would think of throwing garbage on the ground at Disneyland because there isn’t any trash already on the ground. They have lots of workers on the lookout for the least bit of garbage and no area is left unkempt at any time.  So, what does this mean for your classroom?  Hmmmmm…..

Look around your classroom, office, or home (wherever you are reading this).

• Do you see anything that is not in its designated space?

• Do you see some items that do not even have a designated space?

• Are areas of your desk, side table, floor, or shelves piled (however neatly) with paper, folders, containers, and random items?

• Is there anything within range of your view that gives you an annoying sense of “gosh, that needs to be done,” or a troubling sense of “yikes…I wonder if I should be doing that instead of what I’m doing now?” or the like? 

If these questions make you want to cry or throw your hands up in despair, have hope! Yes, you have some clutter, and yes, it’s time to make a move to rid yourself of it. Even the smallest change can give you a new sense of how your world can change for the better.

Put in place a “Disneyland Mentality.” Don’t allow yourself, your family, or your students to make a mess of your space. Organization should be the constant in your classroom.  Here are some steps you can take immediately to clear the clutter and conquer its attendant chaos.

1. Have a serious throwaway session! Don’t bother trying to organize things you shouldn’t be keeping in the first place. As Barbara Hemphill comments, “If you do not know an item to be useful, believe it to be beautiful, or love it for personal reasons, it’s time to get rid of it.”  

2. Get in the habit of throwing more pieces of paper out than you let come in to your possession every day (and that takes some doing, believe me!)  

3. Do the same for all the incoming items…physical, digital, and mental. For example, have a serious deleting session with your email. Then, get in the habit of getting rid of a higher number of emails every day than you have new ones coming in. Once you have reached the point of 0 (yes, zero) emails left in your in-box at the end of each day, you will be more likely to maintain this state.

Imagine your students grading you on your room’s “clutter factor.” Ouch. Wouldn’t you like to get an “A” this nine weeks in clutter reduction? For some teachers, old habits die hard, but for others, once they learn to get and stay clutter-free, they see the difference and feel the freedom.

Perfectionism runs rampant through the professorial world. Let me acknowledge up front that I am perfectly familiar with this, having lived with it for 56 years at this point, but having learned a great deal in the last 25 about how to deal with it so that it’s not debilitating. Here are ten tips for you, just in case you are a perfectionist.

Note: I am not a psychologist, but I recommend that you seek help from a psychologist if you are a perfectionist. It really isn’t something we can just “fix” ourselves. These tips are just to support you in changes you want to make.

1. Know the definition of perfectionism. One definition is that perfectionism is a belief that work (of any type) that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable.

2. Know the cost of perfectionism. Perfectionism costs you (potentially) your health, your relationships, your peace of mind, money, tenure, and much more. Be very aware that being excellent and striving for high standards can be beneficial but being debilitated by perfectionism is detrimental and quite costly.

3. Figure out one place in your professional life (or personal life) where the cost is too great and it’s time to do something about it. Just pick one.

4. Notice the very next time you are tempted to do something “perfectly” in whatever area you have decided is the place where you need to do something about your perfectionism (see Tip #3).

5. Go ahead and do whatever it is….and stop before you get to perfect. You can stop just shy of it or you can stop well back from the “perfect mark.”

6. Another way to think about this is to take something that you have done “perfectly” (if you forgot to stop yourself before it got to “perfect”) and on purpose mess up one aspect of it.

7. Pay close attention to the consequences of having done something less than perfectly.

• a. Did your reputation suffer irreparable damage?

• b. Did your primary relationship end?

• c. Did you lose your job?

• d. Did anyone die?

• e. Did anyone except you notice that whatever you did was less than perfect?

8. Decide if you can live with the consequences.

9. Notice if there were any benefits to stopping prior to perfect. Acknowledge those and decide if the benefits are the kind you would like to extend.

10. Make a list of all the places each day (as you notice them) that perfectionism (the belief that you MUST DO THINGS PERFECTLY or not at all) is interfering with your overall productivity. Then go talk to someone about it. I mean it.

How can you stay in the present (mentally) – or get to the present? Here are 5 strategies:

1. Breathe. The idea is that you breathe in. Then you breathe out. This helps you to get centered – and somewhere I read that the space between breathing in and breathing out – that’s the present. So actually, right now, breathe. In. Out. In. Out. It’s amazing that we need to be reminded.

2. Stand up straight or sit up straight (if you are physically able to do so). Just pull your head up, straighten your spine, pull in your stomach, and of course, breathe. It’s interesting how making sure we are doing all of these behaviors just pulls us to the present. Apparently there is no chance of multi-minding when we are focused – just for a moment – on standing up straight, pulling our head up and our stomachs in – and, oh, yeah…breathing. Those four tasks take all our concentration and are sometimes enough to break us out of whatever past tense, future tense, or too tense thinking we were in just before.

3. Say, “One thing, right now.” It’s a calming phrase. It helps you to get centered again. “One thing, right now.” “One thing, right now.” “One thing, right now.” Say it over and over as needed. Let people around you know that if/when you get into a “state,” they might help you by saying, “One thing, right now.”

4. If you have an object that helps you focus on the present – then use that. It might be something physical, it might be a picture, it might be a quote. It’s whatever will calm your mind enough to focus on now – just now.

5. Make marmalade. This recommendation comes from D.H. Lawrence’s suggestion: “I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It’s amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor.” The idea, of course, is to take up an activity where you need to be focused. Making marmalade, doing repair, engaging in some kind of intricate work….all of these activities require your focus and that you be present. Figure out what your marmalade activity is.

I promised that these were simple – and they are. Yet, we often don’t apply simple solutions. Give one or more of these a try when you need to bring yourself back to NOW – and see if you aren’t more focused and much more peaceful, too.

Human beings love to achieve…to set goals and to reach those goals. It’s motivating. Use that to your advantage when you are cleaning, clearing, decluttering – and of course, destressing.

Make a VOW to rid yourself of a certain amount, number, or percentage of your ‘stuff,’ whether your stuff is books, papers, files, cans, emails, stuffed animals, or anything else that is cluttering up your mental or physical space.

VOW is an acronym for:

• Visualize

• Orally Commit

• Work through the obstacles

Let’s explore this acronym…

You may be one of the people reading this post who has a wall (or several walls) of books in your home or office. You know perfectly well that it’s time to move some of them out – whether it’s to make room for more books, to make room for other items, or just to create space, which is a SUPERB reason.

You could VOW to get rid of 2 books (a goal involving a number) everyday for 100 days.

• First, you’d Visualize what it would look like to get rid of 200 books.

• Then, you’d Orally commit to doing so. You could tell a colleague, your students, someone in your family, or your coach. You need to say it out loud so you hear yourself making the commitment. This helps to get the idea and the commitment into your brain.

• Then, you Work through the obstacles. Obstacles might be where you’d find the time to get rid of two everyday; the fear that as soon as you get rid of a book, you’d wish you had it; the worry that stuff will fall down if you start taking out books; and so forth. Since only smart people read these articles, I’ll bet once you name these obstacles, you can work through them. If not, let someone help you. Humans also love to help others.

Another VOW (involving a percentage) that you might make could involve your acknowledgement of the research that indicates that 80-90% of what is in the average professional’s file cabinet will never be used again…so you could VOW to recycle or shred at least 50% of what is in your file cabinet.

An example of a VOW involving an amount could be determining that as you declutter (and then destress about your laundry room/pantry) is that you will fill two average-size grocery bags with food you’ll never eat, containers that you don’t need, or whatever else can be removed from that space.

Human beings love measurable goals. Use that proclivity to your advantage by VOWing to get rid of a particular number, amount, or percentage of something as you reduce your clutter and the experience the concomitant reduction in your stress.

And you are invited to access the full-color Get a Plan! Guide(R) to Ridding Your Workspace of Clutter to REALLY get going on decluttering.  This special Get a Plan! Guide(R) will give you (and others with whom you work) suggestions and motivation to start de-cluttering your workspace (and even your home).

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan

In life, “A door must either be shut or open.” (Anonymous); I think that means we need to determine which doors we want to shut and which ones we want to open. For the purposes of this article, let us consider those doors you want to deliberately keep open instead of letting them just slam shut (or gradually close).

Maybe you want to decide to keep the doors open to certain experiences, people, things, behaviors, attitudes, practices, strengths, and more. If so, I recommend that you get a door jamb or a prop of some kind to make SURE that the door stays open. It makes sense that your door jamb is actually a plan you need to put into place (no matter how rudimentary at this point) for how you are going to keep particular doors open. Let’s think about some examples:

• Do you need to set up date night with your honey? Will that happen magically or do you need to establish a plan to make that happen?

• Do you need to get a walking partner to keep you on track with your walking plan? Who should you call? And how about calling him/her today?

• Do you need to hire someone to clean your house so that you can continue to enjoy a productive environment, free of detritus? Might there be people who would be happy to fill this role for you?

• Do you need to enroll in a class to increase your skills in one or more areas so you can stay on the cutting edge? Where might you take such classes? Is there a website you can access – today – to learn more?

• Do you need to call a friend to set up time for lunch? If you want to keep up your relationships, this is one way to do so and it takes deliberate actions on your part. Don’t trust this to chance.

• Do you need to join a group that gives you a weekly boost of instruction, direction, and energy? Then get out there and do so!

“It is your life – and it is your decisions that help to make your life what it is. Make a plan that involves these decisions. Surely you don’t want your decision muscles to get flabby“. H.W. Andrews encourages us by saying,

Not all of your decisions will be correct. None of us is perfect. But if you get into the habit of making decisions, experience will develop your judgment to a point where more and more of your decisions will be right. After all, it is better to be right 51 percent of the time and get something done, than it is to get nothing done because you fear to reach a decision.

Decide to keep the doors wide open to what you want in your life. Then make a plan so your decisions become a reality.

Are you an “I-can-do-it-all-myself” person? Do you have some tasks, responsibilities, or projects that you have been procrastinating? I will assume that since you are still reading that the answer is yes to both.

If you have a mental list of items that you are procrastinating, I first recommend that you get them out of your head and on to a piece of paper (or into a document on your computer). Either way, get a list – and then we will work on that list.

I want you to look over your list of procrastinated tasks (projects, etc.) and deliberately, mindfully, and purposefully DECIDE to ask for help on at least one of them. I’ll wait right here while you are doing that.

There are two ways to think about this:

1. Sometimes, you need to ask someone else to help you by doing a particular task, errand, or other commitment and

2. Sometimes, you need to ask someone to handle sometime that you have been handling so that YOU can then complete or make progress on one of your procrastinated items.

For example, let’s say you are procrastinating getting several articles finished – all of which you need to get written and published if you are going to be able to confidently go up for tenure. The help you need to ask for is that your significant other get himself and the kids out of the house with minimum muss and fuss for at least 4 hours every Saturday afternoon, rain or shine. That’s the help you need.

In another case, you have been procrastinating cleaning out the garage. You ask a teenager to come over and help you. You are happy to contribute to this young person’s financial well-being if he will help you get things down out of the rafters, off top shelves, and out of various garage nooks and crannies. And, you will be so happy to have him haul things away to a dumpster, Goodwill, recycling places, etc. when the sifting and sorting are complete. You are not delegating out the garage cleaning – you are asking for the help you need so that you can clean out the garage.

Go through your list now and determine the items where you need to deliberately ask for help. Put the name of the person you will be asking for help. The idea here is to think about the ones you’re procrastinating just because you need some kind of help with getting it done.

Here’s a secret: People are glad to help. They are especially glad to help if you have come across as an “I-can-do-it-all-myself” person. I know this from experience.

Here’s another secret: It is hard to ask for help if you have been an “I-can-do-it-all-myself” person – and it gets easier. I know this from experience.

Here are some simple ways to make connections with others (and it is OK to read this even if you are a man).

These are deceptively simple ideas. And, part of what is powerful about them is their simplicity and yet the profundity of what you can accomplish. In the best of all worlds, you could change someone’s life. In most cases, you can brighten the person’s day.

Guess what else? You also brighten your own day by engaging and connecting with others. So, here are ten ways to make connections with others.

1. Write notes. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a quick, preferably hand-written, note.

2. Use social media. Authentically acknowledge what others are doing and saying.

3. Go to lunch. The idea is not to go to lunch by yourself but to go to lunch with someone – for the one and only reason of connecting.

4. Meet for coffee. Just as with #3, you are meeting someone for a beverage just to check in. Surprise someone with an invitation and see what happens.

5. Make a phone call. Out of the blue, call someone you haven’t connected with for awhile. Today.

6. Send a card. Keep a supply of different greeting cards available. If you don’t have just the “perfect” card, then send a standard card with your personalized note in it.

7. Give a hug. If you pay attention, you will notice those who need one.

8. Take food. It can be an entire meal, a treat from your crockpot, some vegetables from your garden, a special take-out dish from a local eatery, or a single cookie or cupcake just to say, “I’m thinking of you.”

9. Put others in touch with one another. You can help others make connections via email, social media, face to face introductions, or a number of other means. Where others take their connections is up to them, but you want to have done your part to tell both parties why you’re making the introduction…and then get out of the way. It’s not about you, it’s about them.

10. Recommend a book. Just the right book at the right time can be a blessing for the person who receives the recommendation. It may be that the book is right or that you were knowledgeable and caring enough to send the recommendation.

Just because these are short doesn’t mean they are to be dismissed.  They are deceptively simple.  You really can make an effort on one of these today – and see what positive connections occur.

To receive weekly sets of 10 productivity tips similar to these, go to www.TopTenProductivityTips.com (and the weekly tips are free).  We are all learning together!

You may have noticed something that I’ve noticed:  Some of the people we are around who are the most negative appear not to be thankful for one single thing. And I have to believe that there is not a person alive who is unable to find something for which to be thankful. What always strikes me are the people who ‘seem’ to have nothing…and yet, they may demonstrate gratitude on a regular basis. Seems we might learn from that.

None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.  ~Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

What a great lesson this is, particularly in these times where many are fearing or experiencing bankruptcy. We can feel wealthy through our gratitude, and to share another quote related to the monetary aspect, Frank A. Clark says, “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” Ponder that one.

Now, here’s a fact: Because too few people display gratitude, when you do, others will be affected and possibly astonished by it. Although this is sad that authentic gratitude is shown too seldom, you can absolutely make someone else’s day – and your day – more positive by clearly and thoughtfully expressing your gratitude.

Now, if you consider the five levels of gratitude to be accept, appreciate, articulate, acknowledge, and affirm/admire, then take a look at the examples below of how you might express gratitude at each of these levels.  

1. Accept – “Thank you.”  

2. Appreciate - “Thank you. I appreciate that you got this done so promptly.”  

3. Articulate - “Thank you. I appreciate that you got this done so promptly. We are not just on schedule, we are ahead of schedule and the citizens of our city will know that we are using their resources carefully and prudently.”  

4. Acknowledge - ”Thank you. I appreciate that you got this done so promptly. We are not just on schedule, we are ahead of schedule and the citizens of our city will know that we are using their resources carefully and prudently. I know this was one of many tasks you needed to handle this week – each of which is important. Again, thank you.”  

5. Affirm/Admire - “Thank you. I appreciate that you got this done so promptly. We are not just on schedule, we are ahead of schedule and the citizens of our city will know that we are using their resources carefully and prudently. I know this was one of many tasks you needed to handle this week – each of which is important. Somehow, no matter what is happening around you and how many demands are put on you, you handle it with aplomb (a-plum) and grace. I admire that quality because it’s not yet one I have. Again, thank you.”

Hmmm…now, you probably noticed that each of these got a little bit longer. And you may think, ‘Hello!? I don’t have time for that.’ I timed myself and it takes 25 seconds to say the last one – with significant pauses.  Frankly, if we have reached a point where we don’t have time at least a few times a day for 15-25 second displays of authentic gratitude, then our world has really become freaked out.  

If it matters to you whether you are able to stay positive in a freaked-out world, you’re invited to be part of the Staying Positive Society – www.StayingPositiveinaFreakedOutWorld.com.  Join us there.