Things You Need to Stop Wasting Time

 

Today I received a thank you email from my blog reader named Hope.  She said my blog helped motivate her through an arduous recovery process last year.  Although her entire story was both heartbreaking and inspiring, this one line made me pause and think:
It’s hard to think about a story like Hope’s and not ask yourself:  “What do I need to stop wasting time on?”
Here are some things to consider, that I’ve been examining in my own life:

1. Distractions that keep you from special moments with special people. – Pay attention to the little things, because when you really miss someone you miss the little things the most, like just laughing together.  Go for long walks.  Indulge in great conversations.  Count your mutual blessings.  Let go for a little while and just BE together.
2. Compulsive busyness. – Schedule time every day to not be busy.  Have dedicated downtime – clear points in the day to reflect, rest, and recharge.  Don’t fool yourself; you’re not so busy that you can’t afford a few minutes of sanity.
3. Negative thinking about your current situation. – Life is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile.  So talk about your blessings more than you talk about your problems.  Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing.  Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there.

Surround Yourself With People Who Challenge Your Thinking

Are you feeling uninspired and stuck? Perhaps it's the people around you. Here are five ways to get people to challenge and inspire you to success.

 

It's nice to have people around who support you and are of like mind. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow a certain level of relaxation. Most of us develop a stable of people with whom we like to work. We know their styles, and they know ours. It's comfortable and expedient. It is easy to find a rhythm, and it works. Unfortunately, that level of comfort can stall the very learning and innovation that can expand your company and your career.

It's nice to have people agree, but you need healthy conflict and differing perspectives to dig out the truth from a group-think and ideation. If everyone in the group has a similar point of view, your work will suffer from confirmation bias, rarely breaking boundaries and creating often unnecessary failure.