Multitasking can actually cause us to make more mistakes and retain less information.Switching between tasks causes our brain to have to shift gears, wasting time and energy that could be put to better use focusing on a single task. Multitasking can be a difficult habit to kick to the curb, but an easy place to start is to dedicate chunks of time to a certain task. For example, spend the first 20 minutes of your day checking your email, then move on to the next task for 20 minutes and so on.

Stop trying to multitask

When a new task comes along, ask yourself if it is in line with your major responsibilities. If the answer is no, then ask yourself if the task needs to be done at all or if maybe you aren’t the person best suited for such a job.&nbsp;If you are part of a team, delegate it to a fellow teammate or, if not, to a junior associate. It’s important to not do work that is inessential to your main duties. Delegating work will ensure that the right tasks go to the right people.

Start delegating

Spend only as much time on decisions, tasks, and activities as they are worth.The key is to identify low-value operations or any type of work that doesn’t advance your main work objectives. These tasks are usually the easy and comforting ones, like reorganizing your workspace, because they require little or no thought at all.&nbsp;To do this, you will need to take a step back and evaluate how you spend your time on a daily basis. Each activity should be evaluated to see if it is adding value to your main work responsibilities.&nbsp;

Identify low-value operations and spend less time on them

Learning how to say no can be a tough skill to acquire. No one wants to upset or disappoint colleagues and bosses, or worse, turn down crucial career opportunities.<ol><li>Assess the ask. Ask questions to get critical details about the request, determine the costs and benefits, and to clarify any details that might seem fuzzy.</li><li>Give a well-reasoned, thoughtful, and well-delivered no. A bad no happens when you haven’t properly assessed the request, let personal biases influence your decision or simply say no because you are overcommitted to other things.</li><li>Give an effective yes if no is not the answer. </li></ol>

Saying No for the right reasons: a framework

One day, a man set out to sell his wares at the market with his horse and donkey in tow. Despite having two beasts of burden, the man had piled and packed all of his wares onto the back of the…

Stashed ideas

How to Stop Overloading Your Workday

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” — Friedrich Nietzsche<ol><li>Without a purpose, you can’t have a rock-solid plan, and a rock-solid plan is the best way to maximise your chance of success in life.</li><li>When it comes to figuring out what you want to do, the most important thing is to experiment constantly.</li><li>It’s never too late to change, but it’s 100% crucial to experiment to find what you love to do and why you want to change.</li></ol>

You need to know what you want in life

<ol><li>You can’t just wish for something different and not try to develop solutions. </li><li>If you stay passive about it, nothing will happen. </li><li>For many people, the problem is that they either don’t come up with projects, or they do but never settle on one. </li><li>It’s completely fine to start and stop for a while, but eventually, you have to make your mind.</li><li>For me, after a decade of experimenting, I settled on blogging and haven’t looked back for the past 2 years. It’s brought more change to my life than anything I’ve tried before.</li></ol>

You need to be creative

<ol><li>The failures and setbacks you’ll face during your experimentation process (your search for what you want to do) will be nothing in comparison to the ones you’ll face once you pick your thing and start working on it.</li><li>80% of people give up anywhere between the first and third obstacle. 90% will give up between the third and the fifth, and only 1% will remain at the tenth obstacle. </li><li>Why? Often because the project was not a good fit for them in the first place. </li><li>If you pick something you truly want to do and are passionate about, it will be a lot easier to push through when things get tough.</li></ol>

You need to get back up 100 times

<ol><li>If someone told me they couldn’t get started or had started but didn’t want to show up anymore, my only advice was to stop being a lazy bum and get to work.</li><li>It took me a lot of meditation sessions and working on my compassion to realise that it’s a much deeper-rooted problem than just laziness for a lot of people. </li><li>Steps have to be taken in the right order.</li><li>More often than not, I found people were not at a stage in their life to develop a vision strong enough to build something meaningful. </li><li>It may come later, or it may never come; some people just stop showing up.</li></ol>

You need to show up everyday

<ol><li>Pain is temporary, and most of the roadblocks you experienced today, this week or this month won’t matter 10 years down the line. </li><li>99% of people fail to understand this and tend to only live in the present moment.</li><li>Imagine picking up a project you love right now, something you truly want to do and are passionate about, like painting. </li><li>The very important part is that for now, you shouldn’t take into consideration the financial aspect of it. </li><li>You have to not care about the money painting will make you, only show up and do the work.</li></ol>

You need to think long term

<ol><li>Now, imagine showing up to paint something 5 days a week, without fail, for 3 years straight. </li><li>Try to think of how much you would improve your painting skills just by showing up and practicing. </li><li>Not only that but you’d be damned if you didn’t sell at least a few paintings in the span of those 3 years, right?</li><li>Many people don’t want to put in the work because they don’t think long-term. </li></ol>

Imagine this...

<ol><li>When I started blogging, I told myself I would keep at it for 6 months and see where it would take me. </li><li>I wasn’t going to care about the money, the followers, the views, nothing. </li><li>Show up every day, put in the work, put out content, consider this as a job with no salary. </li><li>I saw this as a fun experiment, and 6 months later, I assessed the situation. </li><li>I decided whether or not I could see myself keeping at this for many years, hopefully making some money down the line, but most importantly, working on something I loved and becoming my own boss. </li><li>The answer was: 100% YES.</li></ol>

When I started blogging...

<ol><li>I used to think that all it took to change your life or make progress towards a goal was to get to work and stop being lazy. </li><li>I used to think anybody could do it, but I’m only starting to realise how wrong I was this whole time.</li><li>Not everybody is interested in changing their life, being their own boss, or improving themselves, and that’s fine. </li><li>Change is possible, and people who truly commit can achieve great things. </li><li>But can anyone actually do it, and keep going for years before seeing any sort of results? I’m not sure.</li></ol>

Stick To It

I don’t drink alcohol and have never been drunk in my life. As a teenager, every time people asked me why, I never really knew what to answer, which made it seem even weirder. “This kid doesn’t have…

Resilience

I Used to Think Anyone Could Be an Entrepreneur — I Was Wrong

Good leaders can build you up or drag you down. At work, leaders can make the difference between a good job or a lousy job. That is why leadership is considered an art form. Leadership is not something everyone can do well, and it takes practice to create an atmosphere where people are inspired to do their best work.

Leadership is an art form

<ul><li>Practice "radical transparency". Include your employees in the decisions that directly affect them. Ask them for feedback on proposals or share essential news with them before it becomes public.</li><li>Study how your team works as a whole. The success of one person influences the success of others.</li><li>Seek mentorship and ask for guidance.</li><li>"Manage up". Don't wait for your boss to create a plan for you based on what they think you can do. Instead, position yourself for your next role. Ask yourself how you are innovating your current role.</li></ul>

Tips to become a great leader

Career development expert Kimberly B. Cummings went from studying her bosses to becoming one, and that process shaped how she approaches being a leader at work. Whether you're managing employees or shaping your relationship with your boss by managing up, Cummings shares tips on how to do both.The audio portion of this episode was produced by Clare Marie Schneider, with audio engineering support from Neal Rauch.We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org. For more Life Kit, subscribe to our newsletter.

Leadership At Work Is An Art Form. Here's How To Practice It. : Life Kit

Resilience refers to how well you can deal with and bounce back from the difficulties in life. <ul><li>It can mean the difference between handling pressure and losing your cool. Resilient people tend to maintain a more positive outlook and cope with stress more effectively.</li><li>Research has shown that while some people seem to come by resilience naturally, these behaviours can also be learned.</li></ul>Whether you're going through a tough time now or you want to be prepared for the next one, here are 10 techniques you can focus on in order to foster your own resilience.Check out the tips 💜

In the face of crisis or tragedy, finding a sense of purpose can play an important role in your recovery.<ul><li>This might mean&nbsp;becoming involved in your community, cultivating your spirituality, or participating in activities that are meaningful to you.</li></ul>

1. Find a sense of purpose

Having confidence in your own ability to cope with stresses of life can play an important part in resilience. <ul><li>Becoming more confident in your own abilities, including your ability to respond to and deal with a crisis, is a great way to build resilience for the future.</li></ul>Listen for negative comments in your head. When you hear them, practice immediately replacing them with positive ones, such as, "I can do this," "I'm a great friend/mother/partner," or "I'm good at my job."

2. Believe in your abilities

It's important to have people you can confide in, Having caring, supportive people around you acts as a protective factor during times of crisis. <ul><li>While simply talking about a situation with a friend or loved one won't make your troubles go away, it allows you to share your feelings, get support, receive positive feedback, and come up with possible solutions to your problems. </li></ul>

3. Develop a strong social network

Flexibility is an essential part of resilience. By learning how to be more adaptable, you'll be better equipped to respond when faced with a life crisis.&nbsp;<ul><li>Resilient people often utilize these events as an opportunity to branch out in new directions. While some people may be crushed by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals are able to adapt and thrive.</li></ul>

4. Embrace change

Staying optimistic during dark periods can be difficult, but maintaining a hopeful outlook is an important part of resiliency. What you are dealing with may be difficult, but it's important to remain hopeful and positive about a brighter future.<ul><li>Positive thinking does not mean ignoring the problem in order to focus on positive outcomes. It means understanding that setbacks are temporary and that you have the skills and abilities to combat the challenges you face.</li></ul>

5. Be optimistic

When you're stressed, it can be all to easy to neglect you own needs. lsoing your appetite, ignoring exercise, and not getting enough sleep are all common reactions to a crisis situiation.<ul><li>Instead, focus on building self-nurturance skills, even when you are troubled. make time for activities that you enjoy.</li></ul>By taking care of your own needs, you can boost your overall health and resilience and be fully ready to face life's challenges.

6. Nurture yourself

Research suggests that people who are able to come up with solutions are better able to cope with problems than those who cannot.<ul><li>Whenever you encounter a new challenge, make a quick list of some of the potential ways you could solve the problem.</li></ul>Experiment with different strategies and focus on developing a logical way to work through common problems. By practising your problem-solving skills on a regular basis, you will be better prepared to cope when a serious challenge emerges.

7. Develop problem-solving skills

Simply waiting for a problem to go away on its own only prolongs the crisis. Instead, start working on resolving the issue immediately. While there may not be any fast or simple solution, you can take steps toward making your situation better and less stressful.<ul><li>Focus on the progress that you have made thus far and planning your next steps, rather than becoming discouraged by the amount of work that still needs to be accomplished.</li></ul>Actively working on solutions will also help you feel more in control.

9. Take action

Resielience may take time to build, so don't get discouraged if you still struggle to cope with problematic events. <ul><li>Everyone can learn to be resilient and it doesn't involve any specific set of behaviors or actions. Resilience can vary dramatically from one person to the next.</li></ul>Focus on practicing these skills, as well as the common characteristics of resilient people, but also remember to build on your existing strengths.

10. Keep working on your skills

Crisis situations are daunting. They may even seem insurmountable. Resilient people are able to view these situations in a realistic way and then set reasonable goals to deal with the problem.<ul><li>When you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by a situation, take a step back to simply assess what is before you. </li><li>Brainstorm possible solutions, and then break them down into manageable steps.</li></ul>

8. Establish goals

Here are behaviors and practices that can help you learn to be more resilient, improve your self-esteem, and guide you in a positive path forward.

Leadership

Use These 10 Tips to Improve Your Resilience

Don't try to do everything by yourself when you run a business.Because your time is important, you can think of other ideas to grow your business when others are working for you.

Focus on increasing results, not effort

There is no point to add tasks to your to do lists, when some one else can do that for you.<ul><li>When you try to do everything by yourself, you procrastinate.</li><li>When you try to learn everything by yourself, its very slow, stressful and exausting process. </li></ul>These things can delay our results.We must try the 'who' approach here!!For example Who can do this to achieve the desired goal rather than saying how can i do this.

Achieve more by thinking who than how

Clarify what you want to achieve or what results you wantAnd why that results are so important?Once you clear your what and why, you are ready to delegate the task for 'how' to someone else..

Define the vision and delegate the how

The world's foremost entrepreneurial coach shows you how to make a mindset shift that opens the door to explosive growth and limitless possibility--in your business and your life. Have you ever had a new idea or a goal that excites you... but not enough time to execute it? What about a goal you really want to accomplish...but can't because instead of taking action, you procrastinate? Do you feel like the only way things are going to get done is if you do them? But what if it wasn't that way? What if you had a team of people around you that helped you accomplish your goals (while you helped them accomplish theirs)? When we want something done, we've been trained to ask ourselves: "How can I do this?" Well, there is a better question to ask. One that unlocks a whole new world of ease and accomplishment. Expert coach Dan Sullivan knows the question we should ask instead: "Who can do this for me?" This may seem simple. And it is. But don't let the lack of complexity fool you. By mastering this question, you will quickly learn how billionaires and successful entrepreneurs like Dan build incredible businesses and personal freedom. This book will teach you how to make this essential paradigm-shift so you can: • Build a successful business effectively while not killing yourself • Immediately free-up 1,000+ hours of work that you shouldn't be doing anyway • Bypass the typical scarcity and decline of aging and other societal norms • Increase your vision in all areas of life and build teams of WHOs to support you in that vision • Never be limited in your goals and ambitions again • Expand your abundance of wealth, innovation, relationships, and joy • Build a life where everything you do is your choice--how you spend your time, how much money you make, the quality of your relationships, and the type of work you do Making this shift involves retraining your brain to stop limiting your potential based on what you solely can do and instead focus on the nearly infinite and endless connections between yourself and other people as well as the limitless transformation possible through those connections.

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