I am a little alarmed with the number of people that I have talked to recently that are really not that happy with what they are doing! It's especially a sad state of affairs when most people spend more time at the office/work than anything else in their life!  Don't you agree?

Why is there an alarming trend of dissatisfaction? I see many people that are too overloaded to even assess whether they like what they do anymore.  This is more a case of burnout than simply job dissatisfaction (although the job or workload could be the root cause).

For others however, it could be a dissatisfaction or demotivation that gradual creeps up and you have a feeling of things not being "quite-right"! This can be especially confusing when you're successful (and deliver great results) and you "used" to like it.

So what to do about it?  Here are 3 ways that you can be in that delightful place holding a steaming cup of coffee and be included in the "I love my job" club that you thought would never happen!

1) Set a Strong Foundation

Start by setting a strong foundation! You know you have set a strong foundation when you are motivated and energized by what you do.  You also look forward to how you can change, evolve, and innovate which naturally makes you feel engaged.

The other big part of setting a strong foundation is the environment that you work in. If are in sync with your environment – like the people, location, values, direction – then it is motivating and inspiring.

Start the groundwork on setting a strong foundation by really honing in on your strengths. It's not enough just to do an assessment on strengths like StrengthFinder2.0 (my fav).  It's a good step but only the beginning to give you some ideas and language around your strengths.

Most importantly for your strengths is to assess what activities you are doing every day and reflect about what you really "love" about each of them (or not!). Strengths can be very precise and specific!  Don't just "think" about your strengths but see how you "feel" about them.  Sometimes our brains can "rationalize" liking things when we really don't - but this does not a motivated person make!

Along with your strengths, make sure your passions are included in a strong foundation. Passions are strong drivers and usually come from either a place of complete enthusiasm and joy  or at the opposite end of the spectrum, from a place of utter anger or disbelief (like in something unjust).   Either way, it stirs up a sense of deep motivation and meaning to what we do.  Having passion keeps us slogging through tall mountains and tough challenges.

Clarifying a strong foundation takes some effort but it is well worth it when you know your castle (or your work at least) is built on solid rock than on sand that can tumble with the slightest breeze!

2) Defining the Big "Ideal"

If you could define your job (or your life!) anyway you would like, what would it look like?  I like to call this the "Big Ideal"!

Take a blank page and write down the ideal environment, the ideal industry, the ideal values, passions, and the activities you would like to spend your day doing? What kind of challenges or problems do you want to tackle?  What kind of travel, location, or responsibility do you want?  What type of flexibility is ideal?  Does it align with your personal brand?

Why not get really clear on what would be "ideal" so you know the direction of where you really want to go?

3) Get Out There and Be Bold!

Now that you have started to set a strong foundation and are clearer about your "big ideal", start where you are right now and see what you can evolve to create more opportunities that you really want to do! Perhaps you can trade-off with a colleague on tasks/projects or delegate to someone else on your team?   Take on new responsibilities and do things differently so that you are playing more to your strengths each day.

Here is your opportunity to be bold and step out of your comfort zone and connect with people and talk to them about where you are going and how you're going to get there (inside and outside of your organization). Find out if you can continue to evolve what you're currently doing, take on new strategic projects, or start taking next steps in your career growth.  Once you've had some of these conversations, you'll soon realize if there is a good fit now and for the future (or otherwise you may need to cut your losses and consider some other options)!

Invest the time in building a strong foundation, a clear direction, and get out there and be bold so that you can start on the path of the "I love my job" club too!

Good luck and enjoy!

Gallup is one of the leaders in Employee Engagement surveys. They have shown that the more engaged people are in their work, the better productive, customer-focused, and profitable a company is. People are also more fulfilled, more creative and more innovative. The increased energy and passion and optimism of the future allow people to thrive!

So focus on getting your team (or the people around you) more engaged and you can enjoy the leveraged impact and results! What can you do to engage your team more (or yourself for that matter)?

Here are 3 keys to get you going:

1) Setting Clear Expectations Related to the Big Picture

Setting clear expectations up front is a critical step in engagement. At this stage, focusing on the outcomes or results that are expected and not the "how" to get there is important in engaging and empowering people up front. Generally, people don't like to be told what to do (who does?). So, clearly outline the results necessary and then allow lots of flexibility, it will motivate people to put a plan together so that they can do it "their way".

Another important part of this phase is clearly defining the big "why". How is this project connected to the bigger picture, why is it important, and why is it beneficial for the individual? This becomes increasingly important as you get more of the latest generation of "millennials" on board (or with your kids:)!) and a "what's in it for me" attitude!

2) Playing To Your Strengths

Strengths are those activities that you are naturally talented at, that you find easy, and you love to do. This is a recipe for focus and fulfillment! And not surprising, the more aligned you are with your strengths, the more productive and creative you naturally become!

Wouldn't it be great if you worked at a job where you could apply your strengths most days? It has been shown that for those people that can apply their strengths more often that they are also more engaged!

For those (including me) that have been a job that isn't a good fit for your strengths, you are demotivated, less confident and less productive. It can be a dangerous downward spiral of dissatisfaction and can dramatically increase the chances of leaving that job (bad for retention). Luckily in my case, I left a job for another one in the company instead of leaving altogether.

It's always a good idea for managers and their teams to be clear about strengths and job fit and make sure they're aligned as this has a significant impact on employee engagement!

3) Building An Environment of Trust and Support

Any good relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, and support. According to Gallup, the biggest influencer on people's engagement is their direct manager. So what can you do to increase the engagement with your direct team? Build rapport by providing different opportunities for everyone to get to know each other including you.

When in meetings with your team, listen more and ask my favourite question that I heard from a talk by Tom Peters - "What do you think?"! It's simple and effective and will get others involved in making decisions and mapping out the road to the future.

Try out these strategies for getting more engagement with your team and see your productivity and results soar!

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Your thoughts create your reality.  Your thoughts are key in your confidence, willingness, and motivation to take ACTION! Action creates forward momentum and progress.  This is especially important when you want to makes changes and innovate whether for yourself or on a strategic project!

We all have an "Inner Critic" or as I like to call them - GREMLINS. If you're going along at the status quo, the gremlins may not rear their ugly heads quite as much.  But if you're in a chaotic environment, making big changes, stretching yourself to grow and reach a really big goal, or in an environment of negativity, then the GREMLINS can be out in full force.  The GREMLINS include the self-doubt, the fears, the "who do you think you are" and "not-good-enough" thoughts that enter our mind.

What are the benefits of having GREMLINS? Not much really!  Perhaps there are some real fears that should be looked at to ensure our safety and de-risk situations.  But for the most part, these GREMLINS are self-imposed limits that hold us back and keep us thinking small and staying small.  They really keep us STUCK so we're not willing to make decisions or take action! How can you think really BIG and act really BOLD and push the limits of your own growth and your company's innovation when your own mindset is in the way??!!

If you want to think bigger and act bolder, your thoughts have to align with what you're doing and where you're going!

Remember the only person that is imposing a limit is YOU based on your thoughts, experience, and expectations!

1) Be AWARE of your own THOUGHTS !
The first step is to become aware of what you are thinking and what you're telling yourself.
Remember, you do have a CHOICE on what you THINK so choose wisely!!

2) Create a SUPPORTIVE "thoughts" environment!
Turn your GREMLINS into ALLIES!  You ARE what YOU THINK! Become aware of what you say to yourself.  Write it down and make a choice to change it.

3)  Create a New Inspiring Thought
What is a new and inspiring thought that can propel you into action and keep you moving forward.  I always use the Nike saying "Just Do It"!  What's yours?

Your bonus challenge is to:

"Never, never, never say ANYHING negative about yourself!"
- David Neagle -

One strategy we discussed is to look at everything you do and to NOT treat them equally. This is really difficult for the perfectionist in us!  Imagine the suggestion of not doing you best job all the time in everything you do?

Can you relate?  I know I can.

I used to do all my own work – every item “T’s crossed, I’s dotted”!  I had very high standards, was a great team player, and responded to everyone’s request.  I think it was a mixture of taking on the responsibility where others couldn’t or wouldn’t, the fear of failure, and a little people-pleaser in me not willing to let anyone down!  Sound familiar?

You don’t need to be perfect in everything you do.  You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule where 20% of the action produces 80% of the results.  What if you applied that to every project that you do?  Would you be better off getting 80% of the results of every MAJOR thing you do with less effort?  Or burning yourself out by going that extra distance?

Here is my new mantra to put things in perspective and guide me in this area:

“Be excellent where excellence is required.
And be good, when good is good enough!"

Think about it and use these 3 tips to get what you need to get done and get the results and success you want and deserve!

1)    Set LIMITS

One of the biggest complaints I hear from busy professionals is that they don’t have enough time.  So put a limit on how much time you’ll spend on an email (or all of them), a task, or even a bigger project.  It will apply a little more pressure and propel you into action and make hard calls on what’s important and what’s not.

2)    LOWER (or RAISE) your STANDARDS

In some areas, you may have to lower your standards on what you’re willing to do and the amount of detail that you agree to complete.  Start with the easy stuff like around the house and be willing to relax and not be “perfect” at every turn!  Then take a look at everything you do at work!  Question why you do things and lower your standards.

In other areas you may want to consider RAISING your standards.  A great example is taking care of your personal health which often gets left on the backburner for many when things get crazy!

3)    Choose To Be REACTIVE Or PROACTIVE

Be “choosy” on what you are PROACTIVE on.  Pick your most important priorities and make sure you are driving them to get the results you want.  In other areas, choose to be REACTIVE.  Slow down your response time, let others step up, be brief in your input, and limit your involvement!  You may just find that you may have not been needed after all.

Good luck with changing the way you work and live!  Try out these tips and let me know how they go!

It has been quite busy over the last month and found that my mind was racing a bit with everything going on. It happens to all of us these days especially when you are playing a bigger game and Thinking Bigger and Acting Bolder!

The clutter in my office and at home had been piling up as I worked on some major projects. With a few extra piles, new projects, documents needing to be shredded, it was creating just a little more clutter in my brain and I wasn’t focusing as much as usual.

I found it was time to set aside a whole day to do a major “RESET” in my work and life! As a result, my mind is clearer and I’m much more focused to get more done with a renewed sense of calm and knowing that things are on track and I’m playing to my potential. This is what I want for myself and for you!

When the piles of stuff and things to do keep growing around you at the office AND at home, your mind fills up with mental clutter! With more mental clutter, you have less clarity on what needs to be done and less focus to do it. This mental clutter causes your brain go to into overdrive and it can feel like your mind is bouncing. It can also put you into a sense of overwhelm and a feeling of a little bit out-of-control. This is happening more and more often as workloads are increasing, stress is at an all-time high, and expectations to do more with less are sky-rocketing.

You can tell if your mental clutter is high if: you forget things easily, you are not taking actions that you know you could be, you’re feeling stressed out, or if you’re waking up at night with your brain racing (just to name a few!). If that sounds anything like you, it may be time to do a major “reset” to clear the clutter and clear your mind!

You may feel like you don’t have the time to do it but it’s definitely worthwhile to make the time to do it for your sanity alone! In the short run and long run, you’ll save a TON of time and you’ll be more focused as a result. You’ll also be more energized and clear-headed and also feel more in control and ready to tackle anything. All well worth it!

Your Assignment : RESET Day!

Get ready for a RESET Day and clean up the clutter! That includes physical clutter but could also mean electronic clutter too. You can do this on your own or even better with an entire group. Set aside a RESET Day (or an afternoon) and get the garbage bags, recycling containers and shredders ready.

1. Have an end-goal in mind. If you picture what you want your space to look like or have a goal like “a clean desk where I can see the floor”, then it’s much easier to achieve it. Better yet, keeping your bigger goals in mind like working towards that promotion or getting a major project completed which will set the stage for making decisions on what is important to keep and what to get rid of.

2. Be prepared. Get everything that you’ll need ready for your day like garbage bags, recycling, shredders, file folders, notebooks, markers, computer, etc. so you can focus on clearing the clutter!

3. Go through everything quickly. Sort through everything as FAST as you can and make categories that make sense to you: projects, work admin, personal brand, networking follow-up, etc. I have file folders ready for new projects, and my calendar and contacts open on my laptop to update as I go along. Don’t get caught up in “doing work” during this process. This is more about getting organized so you can free your brain of clutter. Get rid of everything that you don’t need (be ruthless) and recycle it, shred it or put it in the trash (or delete it from your computer)!

4. Create a list as you are sorting. You want to create a master inventory of all the projects, commitments and an action list of what you need and want to do. I have a list of projects and a smaller action list for both work and home. Track these in a way that make sense for you either on paper (like a notebook) or electronically or a combination of both. You want to get everything out of your head and into something that you can use to track your actions.

5. Clean up and systemize! Put all your projects together in files and put them front and center on your desk or in a nearby filing drawer. Use your master inventory (projects and action lists) to track the things you need to do. Create systems to keep them up to date like reviewing them weekly!

I have a RESET day at least twice per year (or when needed) to purge the clutter and make sure I’m on track and going where I want to go! Try it in your group (or family) to get organized all together and have a celebration afterwards! You’ll gain time and energy when you clean up the clutter around you, and free your mind to focus on Thinking Bigger and Acting Bolder!

If you would like to gain more time and energy, be clear about where you are going so you can accelerate your success, and make a bigger impact for yourself and your organization, please contact me to find out how the Xtreme Productivity Coaching Programs may help you at anneraymond@XtremeProductivity.com.

The idea is to leverage your knowledge, expertise, and experience and turn it into a "product" - something that you can give to people to help them get something done more quickly (with as little help from you).

If you can package what you know and provide it to others that use your service in an easy-to-use and valuable set of tools, it can change your role from "doing” all the work to a consulting role where you can advise others as needed.

The result?  It allows you to focus on high-impacting projects, get more done, provide your expertise to more people. It also allows you to increase your visibility by getting known as an expert in your field!

How to get started?  Here are 5 easy steps to “productize” what you know!

Your Assignment

Step 1: Research – Look for Patterns

Take a look at everything that you do and look for patterns on how you spend your time and share your expertise.  Here some questions to think about:

• What question to you get asked over and over again?
• How you can provide your expertise on high-end projects but bundle your knowledge in a way that others can do it with less complex projects or when you don't have the time?
• What would help others automate what you do so they could do things on their own and get your advice on tricky situations?
• What can you share “best practices” in your area of expertise?
• What are areas that you want to be better known for?

Step 2: Write the Steps in a Logical Sequenc

Once you have determined a focus area for your “product”, keep track of the steps that you follow when you are doing it yourself.  The steps you naturally follow, you can turn into a tool or product that will assist others.

Step 3: Find the Right Delivery Vehicle

Next, you want to find the best way for you to deliver your product.  For example, it could be in the form of a presentation,  a tool or spreadsheet, an eBook, a set of guidelines, check-lists, a workbook, or a video/audio presentation.   What is easy to deliver and easy to maintain?

Step 4: Just Do It

Try an experiment by rolling something out and test it out with a few customers from your target audience. Think of the 80/20 rule - you've never cover every scenario but if you get most questions answered you'll be creating a ton of value! Get some feedback and evolve your product.

Step 5: Socialize and Spread the Word

You can do this through formal channels like meetings and presentations or informal channels like making a note in your email signature.  The sky is the limit to spreading your knowledge - be creative!

Good luck with creating your product that will create a ton of value and raise your visibility at the same time!

If you would like to get more done, accelerate your success, and make a bigger impact for yourself and your organization, please contact me to find out how the Xtreme Productivity Coaching Programs may help you at anneraymond@XtremeProductivity.com.

Once you have the 3 C’s as a  foundation, it's crystal clear what you're doing and when you’re doing them so you don't miss important meetings, calls, or deadlines.  You’ll be able to negotiate trade-offs more effectively with yourself, your family, and your boss/colleagues/customers.  You’ll have the complete picture to make decisions and you’ll have the tools in place to deal with unexpected emergencies and move quickly and seize the opportunity when it arises!

Most importantly, you’ll feel back in control and back in your own driver’s seat again!

Your Assignment:

Your assignment this week is to get your 3 C’s clear and up-to-date:

1.    Your Contacts
Do you have all your contacts in one place? This is really about being able to reach people quickly and easily from work, at home, or on the road (locally and internationally). It includes  EVERYONE that you know through work, associations, customers, suppliers, family and friends, doctors, babysitter, and emergency contacts.  This not only allows you to act quickly to get things done and to contact people when unexpecting things arise (like when my subway was delayed due to a fire and I had to delay a meeting) but also to ensure you extend your network of people, influencers, and mentors and keep in regular contact with them.  Not only include phone numbers (especially mobile numbers) but email addresses too.

2.    Your Calendar
You should have everything in one place so you can see your complete schedule at a glance. Include all recurring activities either daily, weekly, monthly or annually. At work, this includes group meetings, project milestones, customer trips, strategy sessions, leadership development, and weekly/monthly reviews (hint: this last one is the way that you keep these 3 C’s up-to-date!).  Also include your personal life like vacations, celebrations, holidays, fitness classes, and activities!

3.    Your Commitments
Most people don’t have a complete picture of everything on their plate.  Once you get everything down on paper, you dump a lot of brain clutter so you can get clear and focused. Know exactly what you have on your plate by doing a complete inventory - both professionally and personally! The biggest issue that most people have is too much to do which causes increased stress, exhaustion, and eventually burnout. The only way to determine what is the most important priority that has the biggest impact is to know the whole picture and make trade-offs and especially when the next request comes down the pipe!

Take care of your 3 C's and you will feel more in control, get more done with confidence and ease, and make a bigger impact!!!

Remove what’s bugging you (or your tolerations) and make space for what you want to attract in your life.

Tolerations are every person, place, or thing that you’re putting up with or allowing to bug you. They waste your time, drain your energy, and distract you from your priorities.
By starting to reduce your tolerations, you will free up time and space to focus on the things, thoughts, actions that you want to in your life. You’ll also feel more relaxed and energized to focus on your next big idea!

Your assignment this week is to get rid of what’s bugging you and free up some time and energy:

1.    Become Aware of Your Tolerations
Start to become super aware of what you are tolerating.  It could be the anything that grabs your attention that’s not done, irritates you when you see it, or someone that drains your energy.   Think of a missing button on your favorite shirt, a cluttered closet, or your computer that is always crashing.  It could be a relationship that depletes your energy or an environment that is not organized.

Here are some examples:

- Clutter /computer / furniture / space / neighborhood / traffic / car
- Type of work / title / colleagues / values / environment / equipment / expectations / office
- Clothes / haircut / schedule / self-confidence /not enough time for self
- getting ready in the morning / celebrations / taking care of others / quality of life / self-care
- Other people or relationships / money

2.    Write Them Down
Make a list of everything.  Once you get rolling, you’ll be amazed at how many things you are unaware of that clutter your brain and zap your energy!

3.    Get Rid of Them
Time to put these annoyances in your schedule so you can get rid of them.    In some cases, you may need an attitude adjustment (work on your mindset) so it is no longer bugging you (acknowledge it and just let it go?!!).  Try some experiments and do some things differently!  Tackle a few things each week!

4.    Long Term Strategies
Put strategies in place to ensure tolerations don’t happen again like putting stronger boundaries on your time or relationships, systemize everything possible (automate, simplify), or put other support in place (delegate or outsource).

5.    Celebrate Your Success
Acknowledge your achievement in getting rid of things that annoy you.  The more you celebrate your success, the more positive you become, and the more you’ll be able to achieve anything you put your mind to.

Now it’s your turn to take action and get rid of some tolerations that are bugging you and weighing you down.  You’ll be amazed how much lighter you feel and how much more energy you’ll have to tackle some BIG ideas in your life.  Now go out and Think Bigger and Act Bolder!  And Enjoy!

A huge majority of the population spend vacation time answering emails, taking calls and participating in meetings while TAKING vacation.  (It’s hard to turn OFF when you’re on 24/7!)   You may achieve some shorter term gains back at the office while still being connected.  But in the long run, it might not be providing a sustainable ability to focus, get things done, AND produce the best results (and we haven’t even mentioned the fun-factor here!).

The whole point of disengaging is to change your focus and charge your batteries.  Many people need to rest; others need a change of scenery so plan your disengagement around people, places, and activities that re-charge your energy!!  You could curl up with a good book or travel to a far-away-land!

Here are my top 5 ways of preparing yourself for “A Vacation of Disengagement”:

1.    Mindset.

Set yourself up so that everyone knows that you not “contactable” (i.e. like a remote desert island with no phones or computers).  For some, this is easier to say than you’re not available (which you’re NOT, but it’s harder for some when you’re usually available 24/7).  And then, pre-vacation planning commit to being NOT available while you’re away (i.e. stop checking email!).

2.    Clear Off Your Plate.

Leave time just before vacation and use that pre-vacation energy to clean up as much as possible before you leave.  You’ll be especially glad to come back to a fresh office or home!

3.    Know Your Next Steps.

Leave yourself details on the next steps for major projects while it’s fresh in your mind so you don’t have to re-think where to get started when you return from vacation.  This also helps “dump the brain clutter” so you can leave without thinking about what you have to do when you get back.

4.    Have Backup While You’re Gone

Be clear about who is going to back you up while you’re gone.  Ensure you change your voicemail and use autoreplies for email to let people know that you’re gone and you’ll get back to them when you return (or better yet, for them to contact YOU when you’re back!).

5.    Give Yourself a Transition Day On Your Return

Give yourself a day (or at least a morning) without any big meetings on your return so you can get caught up and get focused on your priorities without getting sucked into the details!

Enjoy your vacation time to get caught up and relax or get active doing things you love.  And if you don't know what these are (or have forgotten), perhaps now is a time to start experimenting to find some new passions.  Do what gives you energy, have fun, and recharge your batteries.  When you get back you will have a different perspective on it all!

I totally get it, because that used to me! When my manager used to ask me what my 5-year plan was, she used to get a blank “deer-in-the-headlight” kind-of-look and a corresponding vague corporate answer of where I thought I wanted to go……accelerate in my career, reach the next level, etc. But frankly, I really had no idea what a 5-year plan looked like and wasn’t even sure if I was working at the right company let alone the right job.

I’ve since discovered a step-by-step approach to set a direction that not only benefits you but also your company, and allows the flexibility to be open to the opportunities that present themselves (and that you create!!). It allows you to figure out the things that you love to do and where you can create a natural success path where you are your most creative, innovative, and successful!!!

One step along the way is answering the question” What’s BIG and IMPORTANT to me?”. Think of this majestic picture of the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal that I took when I was trekking there. It’s something that inspires me every day to think BIG! It also represents a very IMPORTANT trip that was life-changing for me!

What is the impact of this “BIG and IMPORTANT” question for you? It helps reflect about what are the biggest and most important things to you which will help prioritize everything in your work and life. It helps set a compass of where you’re going so that priorities are clearer and decisions are easier. It starts to design a future that you can be passionate and inspired about that will draw you forward! You’ll start to think about how to design and plan your work and life to fit you, instead of just letting it happen!

So here's what to do!

Step 1: Planning and Preparation
Set aside 2 hours in the next 2 weeks in your calendar (I had one client spend a whole weekend doing this exercise!). Plan for an UNinterrupted and completely UNplugged environment! Like a coffee shop or your back porch.

Step 2: Brainstorming
Take a blank piece of paper and write the question down with a timeframe?
“What is BIG and IMPORTANT to me this summer/in the next 12 months/next 2-5 years/next 5-10 years?”
Spend the time writing notes, doodling, mindmapping, or journaling. Don’t judge your answers, just write them.
Relax, sip coffee! Keep asking the question (out loud is better or whisper it if you’re in a coffee shop) and keep writing for the first 90 minutes.
(HINT: If you ASK yourself a question, it's amazing how your BRAIN will focus on it! )

Step 3: Reflection and Action
Time for some reflection. Review your answers and look for themes, patterns, connections.
Write down 3 things that you learned you would like to focus on in the time frame that you picked.
Write down 3 actions (Big Bold ones) that you’d like to take in the next two weeks.
Give yourself a pat on the back!

You can try this out with different time frames to see what happens. It’s amazing what is already in our minds just waiting to come out when we slow down (even just a little) to find out!