by Russell Tibbits
1:27 PM. A hard work out and St. Patrick’s day festivities have left me tired and it’s only Tuesday; so much for getting up early to hit the gym before work.
I can’t concentrate. My mind skips repeatedly to the song I heard for the first time last night. I’ve already downloaded it and replayed it at my desk 5 times today if not more. Usher and his catchy beats are costing me money!
Every time my devious mouse scrolls to the Internet Explorer icon to check our website, my fingers automatically default to social networking sites or sites with plasma screen televisions on sale. As it turns out, the 20th time checking these sites is not a charm; my friend still hasn’t joined my March Madness bracket and, no, they haven’t reduced the price on 42” HDTV’s today.
Why can’t I find the motivation to be productive? It’s not as if I have nothing to do. There are plenty of sales leads that need follow up, my portion of the sales funnel report needs to be updated, my inbox has papers in it from two weeks ago, at least that’s what the one on top says. I love my job and I still can’t find the motivation!
Applying the concepts for the Getting the EDGE course is sometimes difficult, even for people who teach the concepts. But I can apply the TEST method now without thinking about it. Even when it seems like I can’t focus, there is always something that can be done.
My mouse seems to default to the internet explorer. So while I don’t have the focus to follow up on sales leads, I decide to research the leads I do have by viewing their website, looking at the company history, finding out how many employees they have and viewing any recent news articles.
The paper inbox is glaring at me. And while I don’t have the desire to tackle that project, I email our IT person to outline three items that we need to resolve and determine a reasonable deadline. I’ve learned that in times where the motivation just isn’t there, it’s best to take small actions to move myself forward.
A quote we use in class, “Small things done consistently in strategic places create major positive impact,” reminds me to get back on task. Ah, yes, the small things in life.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Height of Creativity
by Kristi Willis
In a recent Getting the EDGE course in Salt Lake City, a participant approached me with an “aha” observation. He told me, “I have always thought of myself as a creative person and have resisted having a system because I thought that was rigid. What I’m realizing today is that having a system is going to let me be more creative, not less.”
I exclaimed, “Exactly!”
I also think of myself as a creative person – I write, cook, create my own greeting cards and dabble in a craft or two. I had also always fought having a system because I thought it was going to take time away from my creative activities. What I didn’t realize was that having to dig through paper, e-mails and electronic documents to find what I needed was taking away significant, valuable time from my creative pursuits. I was spending a lot of energy keeping track of things and now I get to use that energy on new ideas, which is MUCH more fun.
For me, the beauty of the EDGE system is that it’s pretty simple. It took a few months for it to become second nature for me (I’m a slow change adopter), but now that I’ve got it down, I can organize my incomplete tasks quickly and easily and know that I can find them again when I need them. I no longer have to worry or stew about them or carry my work to do’s home in my head over the weekend. I can turn my attention to more creative pursuits because I have a system I can trust.
In the last two years, not only have I made great progress in my work goals, but I have compiled 2 cookbooks, made over half of my holiday gifts for family and friends, started a small company for my greeting cards, and created a personal blog about cooking (http://www.austinfarmtotable.com/). I couldn’t have done any of it if I didn’t have the EDGE! Woo Hoo!
In a recent Getting the EDGE course in Salt Lake City, a participant approached me with an “aha” observation. He told me, “I have always thought of myself as a creative person and have resisted having a system because I thought that was rigid. What I’m realizing today is that having a system is going to let me be more creative, not less.”
I exclaimed, “Exactly!”
I also think of myself as a creative person – I write, cook, create my own greeting cards and dabble in a craft or two. I had also always fought having a system because I thought it was going to take time away from my creative activities. What I didn’t realize was that having to dig through paper, e-mails and electronic documents to find what I needed was taking away significant, valuable time from my creative pursuits. I was spending a lot of energy keeping track of things and now I get to use that energy on new ideas, which is MUCH more fun.
For me, the beauty of the EDGE system is that it’s pretty simple. It took a few months for it to become second nature for me (I’m a slow change adopter), but now that I’ve got it down, I can organize my incomplete tasks quickly and easily and know that I can find them again when I need them. I no longer have to worry or stew about them or carry my work to do’s home in my head over the weekend. I can turn my attention to more creative pursuits because I have a system I can trust.
In the last two years, not only have I made great progress in my work goals, but I have compiled 2 cookbooks, made over half of my holiday gifts for family and friends, started a small company for my greeting cards, and created a personal blog about cooking (http://www.austinfarmtotable.com/). I couldn’t have done any of it if I didn’t have the EDGE! Woo Hoo!
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