B-ALERT System
02/05/12 15:12
I ran across this great acronym from author Jack Canfield. It really resonated with me and I wanted to share these concepts with you to ensure each and every day is a productive one.
B is for Blueprint Just like with any project it is important to have a big picture view of the end result. If you don’t have this in your possession how can you hope to make progress or more importantly measure your progress throughout the day. The reactive person is one that doesn’t have a blueprint for the day, which results in eroding productivity and becoming a slave to other’s needs. Don’t let this be you, take the time to review your calendar, tasks, and major projects the night before. This will enable your brain to focus on these items while you sleep and you will wake up focused and ready for a productive day.
A is for Action This is critical for a productive day. Learn to differentiate between being busy and actually engaging in activities that propel you forward in pursuit of your goals. Migrate from reactive to proactive and you will achieve a significant amount with less effort. Make sure you are maintaining your big picture view and your actions will reflect that.
L is for Learning Never, ever stop learning. Take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn whether it is by engaging in conversation with others, reading books, or failing. Consider watching documentaries, attending concerts, or talks on areas that interest you. These all represent learning opportunities that build character and our leadership muscles. I challenge you to find three new learning opportunities and incorporate them into your daily routine.
E is for Exercise We can accomplish so much more, be more creative, and effective when we are in peak health. As knowledge workers our body and mind are the instruments of our craft. We need to be in optimal health to extract high levels of performance. If you are not exercising on a regular basis start now, the dividends are huge! From personal experience I started training for a half marathon this month and the burst in energy since I started training has been phenomenal. My mood and creative potential have increased as well.
R is for Relaxing I am a firm believer in setting goals and working hard to achieve them. I also take regular breaks to rejuvinate myself. Daily I work in short bursts of 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of renewal. For me this is the optimal mix and ensures I remain focused throughout the day. I also never eat lunch at my desk, instead I take a opportunity to get out, weather permitting, and go for a walk to clear my head and prepare for the next part of my day. I also think taking regular vacations is critical to maintaining high performance. When I go on vacation I completely disconnect. No email or voicemail is allowed. These periods of renewal have a dramatic effect on my productivity.
T is for Thinking I cannot stress enough how important it is to maintain big picture thinking by establishing regular time to think. I use this time to focus on my current projects, goals, and what I will do in the next seven days to move toward achieving them. Above all else it ensures that each week I am making progress. It is also a reflective time where I can review the events of the past day or week and glean learning opportunities. Do this one thing and you will see a huge gain in productivity!
I encourage you to commit to the incorporating the B-Alert system into your daily life and measure the benefits that come from a disciplined approach to productivity and performance.
B is for Blueprint Just like with any project it is important to have a big picture view of the end result. If you don’t have this in your possession how can you hope to make progress or more importantly measure your progress throughout the day. The reactive person is one that doesn’t have a blueprint for the day, which results in eroding productivity and becoming a slave to other’s needs. Don’t let this be you, take the time to review your calendar, tasks, and major projects the night before. This will enable your brain to focus on these items while you sleep and you will wake up focused and ready for a productive day.
A is for Action This is critical for a productive day. Learn to differentiate between being busy and actually engaging in activities that propel you forward in pursuit of your goals. Migrate from reactive to proactive and you will achieve a significant amount with less effort. Make sure you are maintaining your big picture view and your actions will reflect that.
L is for Learning Never, ever stop learning. Take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn whether it is by engaging in conversation with others, reading books, or failing. Consider watching documentaries, attending concerts, or talks on areas that interest you. These all represent learning opportunities that build character and our leadership muscles. I challenge you to find three new learning opportunities and incorporate them into your daily routine.
E is for Exercise We can accomplish so much more, be more creative, and effective when we are in peak health. As knowledge workers our body and mind are the instruments of our craft. We need to be in optimal health to extract high levels of performance. If you are not exercising on a regular basis start now, the dividends are huge! From personal experience I started training for a half marathon this month and the burst in energy since I started training has been phenomenal. My mood and creative potential have increased as well.
R is for Relaxing I am a firm believer in setting goals and working hard to achieve them. I also take regular breaks to rejuvinate myself. Daily I work in short bursts of 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of renewal. For me this is the optimal mix and ensures I remain focused throughout the day. I also never eat lunch at my desk, instead I take a opportunity to get out, weather permitting, and go for a walk to clear my head and prepare for the next part of my day. I also think taking regular vacations is critical to maintaining high performance. When I go on vacation I completely disconnect. No email or voicemail is allowed. These periods of renewal have a dramatic effect on my productivity.
T is for Thinking I cannot stress enough how important it is to maintain big picture thinking by establishing regular time to think. I use this time to focus on my current projects, goals, and what I will do in the next seven days to move toward achieving them. Above all else it ensures that each week I am making progress. It is also a reflective time where I can review the events of the past day or week and glean learning opportunities. Do this one thing and you will see a huge gain in productivity!
I encourage you to commit to the incorporating the B-Alert system into your daily life and measure the benefits that come from a disciplined approach to productivity and performance.
