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How To Be SUPER Productive Every Day
People often ask me, "How in the world do you have time to do all that you do?" This is often followed by hushed whispers of "He must be a workaholic!" The implication is that it is impossible for someone to accomplish a lot and still enjoy life. Let me tell you?WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! What is my secret for accomplishing all the things that I do? I DON'T WASTE TIME! Yes, I have some lazy days. Once in a great while, I am tired, running on empty, and I just hit the wall. There are days when I get a butt-kickin' headache and can't get anything done. Then, every so often, I fall prey to that lazy-procrastinitis disease. However, I do my best to not waste time. At almost every point of my day, I am reading or studying something. When I am driving, I listen to a radio program or DVD that furthers my goals or increases my productivity. Many times, even if the TV is on, I'm busy reading or working on some of my goals. "Then you truly are a workaholic!" No, I'm not. When I decide not to work, like when I'm spending time with my family, I don't work. I disengage from work and spend time with them. Plus, we don't waste away our time mesmerized by the one-eyed-brain-killer (that's the TV for those of you who are glued to the tube). When people say, "I don't have time to ? (take your pick - write an article, create a product, start a business, read my Bible, spend time with family, help the needy?.), I've learned that for most of those people, it is the same problem. They have all kinds of time to waste but not enough time for anything meaningful. The major culprit today, in my opinion, is PES (Passive Electronic Stimulation). I'm not sure if PES is actually a term; if not, I just made it up because I don't want to type it over and over. What is PES? It is television and movies, electronic games, Instant Messaging, social internet sites, internet news sites, internet pornography, gossip, scandal or Hollywood voyeurism, email, etc. It would be adequate to stop the list right there because the two primary ways that people waste away their time are listed. They are television and internet. Most people that I run into are dealing with this issue in some way or another. They claim that they don't have time, yet they spend at least an hour or two A DAY on electronic entertainment of some sort. They "surf the net" or engage in mindless activity for pure pleasure. And we're talking about the productive people here. The "unproductive" ones are spending 4-10 hours or more A DAY involved in these activities. It's unbelievable! With that said, if that's how you want to spend your time, so be it. It's your time. Just don't let me hear you whine about not having enough time while your personal and financial goals lay by the wayside. Be honest and say, "I am choosing to turn my brain to mush by wasting my time on passive electronic stimulation instead of pursuing worthwhile goals for me and my family." Go ahead, stand up for your choices. It's your life. Spend your time doing the things you want to do - just be honest about it. Look at the truth about what is really being said (Are you saying these things?) -I don't have the time to start a home business and work towards financial freedom because there are 20 hours a week of football and golf that must be watched. -I don't have time to read more and educate myself professionally and spiritually because I have to spend 2-4 hours a day checking email, instant messaging and keeping my page on MySpace up to date. - I wish I could, but I don't have the time to exercise or pray or go to church. I stay up until midnight every night watching movies, the news, or the latest Hollywood gossip. From my experience, I would estimate that even disciplined people probably waste 1-3 hours a day on PES, the average person wastes 3-6 hours a day, and an alarming and growing number of people waste 5-10 hours every single day on passive electronic stimulation. And, this doesn't even mention the impact of PES on your brain - inability to think abstractly, loss of cognitive skills, decline in ability to communicate both personally and professionally. There are most likely all kinds of other negatives that I don't even know about. Any business owner can tell you that it is difficult to find employees who are able to write and communicate well. That business owner will tell you that those skills are scarce today. I'm not a doctor, fancy researcher, or scientist... but my experience, gut and instincts tell me that PES is the primary culprit in the dramatic loss of communication skills and productivity in America. Of course, the experience, gut, and instincts of a fairly bright monkey could easily surmise the same thing, it's so obvious. So?now what? It is my desire that you honestly evaluate the role that PES plays in your life. Take a look at how much time you actually spend on these activities. You may be surprised how much time you are wasting. Be honest with yourself. After you've taken the time to look at it, think about what you could be accomplishing if you invested your PES time into something productive like pursing financial freedom or spiritual fulfillment. If, in the end, you still WANT to spend your time in that way, then go ahead. Do it. But, don't complain that you "don't have time" to overcome your obstacles and pursue your goals in life. The choice is up to you. Oh, by the way... reading my blog - http://www.gbrentriggs.com - does not count towards PES. :) G. Brent Riggs, author of "Life Without Debt" and "Serious Faith" has over 20 years experience as an business owner, teacher, personal growth coach and mentor. You can contact him from his main website: http://www.gbrentriggs.com>http://www.gbrentriggs.com
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