My Happy Lists

After starting our new company, Wilson Media Consulting, I experienced what all home-based business owners experience: struggling with discipline and motivation.

Here are some tips on how to be more productive (no matter where you are).

1. 45/15 Split

My background in psychology and experience as a learner and worker has taught me that people have an optimal range of time of which they can learn, focus and be productive. The typical time range is 40-55 minutes. What this means for you: start paying attention to time when you're working. About how long into a task do you start to "fade" or does your creativity or productivity diminish? For me, it's about 45 minutes.

I like to start my work "on the hour" so I can easily do a 45/15 minute split. I start working at 7:00 am and at 7:45 am, I take a planned break. Knowing that I get to take a break helps me focus because I don't create excuses to not work.

When you let yourself expect a break, you'll be more productive in your 45 minutes than if you just take random breaks, get frustrated, and then stop working altogether for a couple hours.

2. The planned break

Before I start my 45/15 split, I have a plan for how I'm going to spend my 15 minutes break. That way, I don't waste time thinking about what I'm going to do when I should be working, or wasting my break time by trying to decide how I want to spend it. For example, I know that in 20 minutes I'm going to get a snack and play with our adorable cockapoo, Mazie. She likes to sleep in, so I won't wake her for a little while.

3. Timing my tasks

Measure, measure, measure! That's how you know if anything is successful. I measure the time I spend every day by using an automatic time tracker. Gone are the days of writing down what you're doing (especially if you spend 80% of your work day at the computer). I use a cool time tracker that lets me add new tasks and then set the timer on them when I start working on them. At the end of the day (or week, month, etc), with a click of a button I can see where all my time went. It also helps me bill clients because it's organized by client profiles. It's a breeze to use, and I've noticed that on the days I don't use it, my productivity plummets. There's something about seeing that little timer on my screen that shouts to me: GET TO WORK!

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The Hubbie and I (commonly known as Team Wilson) are not wealthy by any means. We work in fairly low-paying jobs (in the $10/hour range) despite our advanced college degrees. And yet, despite living paycheck to paycheck, we have managed to end up owing the government an additional $2,000 this year.

Here are 7 reasons why (my UNHappy List of the month).

1. Miniscule pay raise. I actually worked full time for the whole year and we earned a little more money since I wasn’t going to school. But that leads to #2.

2. No longer a student. Those tuition credits came in handy.

3. Debt Settlement = Taxable Income. So poor that I defaulted on a student loan and settled the debt for about 50% of what I owed. Turns out that counts as “taxable income.” Because that makes sense.

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If you are going to see a counselor for the first time, it can be pretty intimidating. No matter what issue you are going to work on, the following tips will help you get the most out of counseling.

1. Drop your guard. We all have walls that we put up to protect ourselves. That wall is going to be one of the biggest obstacles to your growth. By dropping your guard, you commit to being honest and completely open. If you want to get your money’s worth, this is the #1 way to do it. It will be difficult, especially when you start approaching topics that cause some pain, shame, or negative emotions. Remind yourself that you’re in a safe place and that’s what you are here for. So drop your guard and be real.

2. Find the right match. Counselors are human, and they have personalities and therapeutic styles. To get the most out of your time, you must find the right match. That means you might have to hop around counselors for a little while, but it will be worth it. It’s better to shop around than meet the discouragement of delayed and negative progress due to a poor match. So take the time (and money) to find the right match.

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As a parent, teacher, mentor, school administrator, aunt, uncle, or any adult – you may have teenagers in your life that you would like to connect with.  Perhaps you’d like to talk with them, be accepted by them, and have an over-all positive connection with them.  Depending on the teenager, this can be a daunting and potentially impossible endeavor.  Every teenager is different, and these may not work on yours – but it’s worth a shot if you’d really like to get into the lives of your teenagers. If you have additional ideas that have worked for you, please add a comment. Thanks!

1. Don’t try to be cool.  An adult who is trying to be cool looks like an idiot. You may think you’re being sly and natural. You’re not. So stop trying to be cool for your teenagers.  They already think you’re lame – so the sooner you accept that you are (in their eyes) the better. Teenagers tend to prefer an adult who is comfortable with themselves – it puts them at ease. So just relax and be yourself.

2. Stop talking.  I get it, you’re nervous. You feel like you need to feel the air…with the sound of your own voice. Relax. Maybe if you’d just chill for a little bit, your teenager might feel comfortable enough to start talking. But it is possible for angsty teens to sit for hours in silence – just to make you feel like an ass.  So don’t say anything along the lines of, “We’ll just sit here until you start talking.” 

3. Don’t offer them a challenge.  Saying something like, “I can sit here all day until you start talking,” will only challenge them to do exactly that. Beware of trying to intimidate them into talking.  You’ll only make them trust you less.

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We all get criticized, but sometimes criticism goes too far. Here are some ways to respond to the kind of criticism that drives you crazy.

1. Consider the Source. If you’re being criticized by someone who doesn’t matter to you, then why should their opinion matter to you?

2. Recognize online haters for what they are. And what are they? Pathetic. You know who these people are. They get their kicks out of antagonizing others. They think they’re being smart, but really they’re just acting like immature bullies. Recognize them for what they are, and don’t let their poisonous criticism get to you.

3. Just because someone is an “expert” doesn’t make them right. Granted, some criticism you receive may be accurate, but don’t take nasty criticism to heart just because the person dishing it out is perceived as an expert. Other people may bow down to them, but you don’t have to.

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Of course you don’t hate anyone. Hate is such a harsh and ugly word. At least that’s what I’ve heard people say. Personally, I believe that the word exists for a reason. So yes, there are individuals I hate. The beauty of reading this blog right now is that you can agree that you hate people, too, without feeling guilty about it or being pressured to lie about it. (Or you can stick to your values and claim to only dislike people).*

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*This article is probably most applicable to college and university students*

Many obstacles exist for individuals who are professional procrastinators or who are losing motivation to finish (or start) homework. Here are some ways to overcome some of those obstacles.

1. Turn off the television. It’s pretty hard to get excited about school when you’re favorite (or even not-so-favorite) television show is enticing you to sit and enjoy a relaxing time. Solution? Turn off the television and plan a time to watch the program online the next day. Multiple benefits include: more likely to get some work done, save some electricity, and experience minimal commercials when you watch it online. It’s a win/win situation!

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