Do you sometimes wish that things were different for you? Have you often thought of, “If only…”? What if you combined those two ideas – and turned them into actions you could take?

Let us start with you making your own list of things that you would like to be different. It might be relationships you have, certain work that you do, something about your physical being, or other practices in which you engage. So make your list and then read the rest of the article.

Now, looking at your list, you need to begin to think about “If this, then, this.” That is, you will consider, “If this (relationship, work, practice, or habit) is going to occur, then this (action, conversation, etc.) will need to happen. You can set up a page that has lots of sentence frames like this:

If ________________________, then _______________________.

Now, begin to fill them in. Let me give you a few samples first:

• An example would be, if I am not going to work with high maintenance clients, then I need to talk with my colleagues to find out if they want these clients or if we need to verify the ease of working with the person before our firm ever takes them on.

• Another example would be, if we are going to donate money to a special cause instead of buying gifts at the holiday season, then I need to have a way of letting people know that this is our choice and we encourage them to do the same.

• Here’s another: If I am keeping the door closed on cynical, negative language, then I need to remind the people in my house that I don’t want to hear such language and will just take myself out of the room if that is the level of discourse they are engaged in. (I know… I make it sound easy, don’t I?! HA!)

Write out if ______________ (I intend to keep the door closed on x) then ______________ here is what I will need to do.

It is not some magical occurrence to make changes in your life, that is, closing or keeping closed certain “doors” in your life so that your life can be better next year than it has been. You need to be deliberate about keeping doors closed that you just don’t want to pop or creak open this next year.

So with your if, then statements, I imagine you found yourself with some work to do.

1. Maybe there are conversations you need to have.

2. Maybe there are phone calls you need to make.

3. Maybe you need to schedule time weekly to take care of something.

Keep in mind, If this, then that. Be purposeful and deliberate about your decisions to stay on the upside vs. on the downside. If you are going to stay in an empowered, positive frame of mind, it involves taking actions based on the decisions you make.

You can do this.

The idea, of course, is that when we are trying to decide what to do and what not to do (something most of us fret over an inordinate amount of time), then this can be our measure.  When you are examining an invitation, an opportunity, a project, what is your gut response?  Hell, yes!  Well then go for it.  If it’s not a ‘Hell, yes’ response, then just walk away.

What would change today if you did that?  Let’s see what everyone says.  Just comment below. 

1. Some failures are huge disappointments.  Generally, if your marriage “fails,” you feel some disappointment. You went into the relationship with some sense of expectation; when it doesn’t work out the way you were hoping and planning, then it’s incredibly disappointing.  Not earning tenure at your university MAY be a huge disappointment or it may be the best thing that every happened to you because you find another position at a different university – and you thrive there.   

Be sure to continue with tomorrow’s post and learn more about ways to view failure – and between now and then, you may want to access one of these tools (free): 

**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)

**Articles for Professors (http://www.ArticlesforProfessors.com)

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

Get it into your head before you ever sit down to work on your email that you are a decision maker! If you aren’t ready to make decisions then don’t even get started. Because decision-making is a major aspect of being sane and sensible in your email practices, trying to work on email when you are emotionally and intellectually exhausted is not wise and in fact, is ridiculous.

Know this: It takes a certain amount of energy to make decisions, doesn’t it? And often, professionals don’t think of email as an area of their work that involves MANY decisions. If you’re not up to making decisions, then don’t open your email because all you will do is dink around (a technical phrase) in there and leave a lot of clutter. Remember, as Barbara Hemphill says, “Clutter is postponed decisions.(R)”

So, be decisive. When you sit down to process email, decide to decide. Be decisive. It’s

• Yes,
• No,
• Keep,
• Save,
• Answer,
• Ignore, and
• So forth.

There really are a limited number of decisions – but you really do have to make one of them (at least!) for each email in your in-box. You can decide to delete, to defer, to do (what a concept!), or to delegate it to someone else. Make decisions. That’s what leaders do.

Get it?  Decide to decide.  If you have the energy, go to our email right now and see how many clear decisions you can make in 10 minutes.  Make that your habit. 

And if you would like additional ways of getting and staying productive, then please join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):

**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)

**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com)

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

1. What do you want?
2. What are you willing to do or go through to get there?
3. What will you have to give up?
4. What will you gain?
5. Is your life the way you imagined it or the way you wanted it?
6. How far off is it?

I titled this post, “Essential Questions – If You Can Answer These, You Have a Choice.”  So what’s the choice? 

Well, now you can do something about your life…or not.  Depends on your answers, doesn’t it?