The Wilder Zone

How To Survive The Plague When You Can't Call In Sick

I've struggled with headaches off and on for years. Just last week I had a migraine that lasted for three days. Anyone who has ever had a migraine knows they can, quite literally, take you down. By the third day with this migraine, on a scale of 1-10 it was a 12. I could barely force myself to sit up for more than five minutes, let alone think straight, or get any real work done.

Whether it's a migraine or the latest viral plague that's making you wish you could crawl into bed and stay there for the duration, when you run your own biz, there's no one to call in sick to, and no one to fill in for you, which means that while the best thing for you may be deep, prolonged sleep, that isn't always possible.  

For those times when it isn't possible, I've found it extremely helpful to recognize my patterns when a headache or illness hits, and to work around them. For example, I usually have an early warning system that lets me know that a headache or illness is creeping up on me. Rather than ignore the signs I take stock of the work that needs to be done in the coming week and I prioritize and knock out as much of the really critical work as I can. Then, if the headache or illness intensifies in the afternoon I can take a much-needed nap, or if it intensifies later in the week, I might even be able to take a day off.

The next time you feel something coming on:

1. Prioritize. Determine which work, or tasks, truly are critical, and which can be put off if necessary.

2. Make the most of the times when you're feeling best and when your energy is highest. This might be early in the morning after a good night's rest, or for an hour or two after the meds kick in. Use that time to knock out as much of the most critical work as you can.

3.  Take more frequent breaks if you need to and squeeze rest in wherever you can. Taking a break when you most need to can actually increase your ability to be productive.

4. Ask for help! I cannot emphasize this one enough. Why, oh why do we so often feel as though we have to be super-human and do it all ourselves no matter what?!

So, while taking the day (or days) off is undeniably the best course of action, that isn't always possible if there's work that simply must get done. For more tips on how to keep going, when as Tei of Rogue Ink put it, you feel like death, check out her post, Plauge-Ridden: Working When You Feel Like Death.

Photo originally uploaded by OpenDemocracy
 

Productivity Secrets for Creative Entrepreneurs - Grab the First Module for FREE

Productivity is a hot topic. The books, courses, and online information on the subject, are too numerous to count. Probably because it's something we all struggle with from time to time. Either we're way too busy and trying to figure out how to be more productive so we can get even more done, or we're stuck in a rut, knowing full well that we need to be getting more done, but can't seem to kick it into gear.

If that's sounding familiar (and I'm betting, unless you're very unusual, that it is) then Productivity Secrets for Creative Entrepreneurs is a home-study course you're going to want to check out. It's not like any other...you won't learn some new and ridiculously complex time-management system. In fact, quite the opposite...it focuses not just on what you do, but how you do it.

As the website states, you'll learn:

• The most important distinction every creative entrepreneur needs to know to quickly assess whether or not you’re spinning your wheels or producing results in areas that really matter.
• The single most important question you can ask yourself (or your staff) when you get stuck or frazzled.
• The start-up secret that will save you at least 4 hours every week.
• How to use a simple little physics principle to INSTANTLY eliminate overwhelm and get back to producing results and having fun!
• The shocking truth about multi-tasking. This is clinically proven, mental health information you need to know.
• How to use “spiritual aerodynamics” to decrease your drag and increase your productivity, effectiveness and life satisfaction.
• How to effectively break the email addiction and create 50% - 80% more FREE TIME within 24 hours.
• The key to re-training your clients and staff so they feel even more taken care of with less human effort on your part.
• Why you need to immediately retire your trigger finger and enjoy the lost art of accumulation.
• The single most important thing you need to STOP doing today if you’re having trouble getting things done.
• Why you need to get on what my friend Tim calls a “low information” diet and why most of us are being swept away in information overload.
• How to quickly determine what’s most important to YOU in your business and life so you can stop being distracted and scattered with meaningless tasks.
• How to re-assess your “To Do” list from a LIVE MORE perspective
• What needs to be on your “Not To Do” list and why you should have one.
• Why long-term goals rarely work for the ultra-creative and highly productive and what to use instead that does.
• An easy fill-in-the-blanks tool to uncover your personal “time suckers.” (Bonus: you can reuse this tool over and over to re-assess your time as your life and business shifts!)
• The single most important thing you need to do BEFORE you outsource or hire anyone. (Miss this step and you’ll pay for it big time in hard earned cash, lost revenue producing time and profit!)
• Reliable outsourcing resources to get others to work for you at a fraction of the cost.
• How to outsource the right way so you don’t waste time or money.
• Why you need to use the “ODG method” to spend your time on what matters most to YOU and stop your big dreams from getting lost in minutiae.

Marie Forleo created this home-study course and because she wants to share this information with as many people as possible, she's giving away (yup, you heard that right...giving away) the first module of the course.

Get instant (and free) access to the first module of Productivity Secrets for Creative Entrepreneurs now and see for yourself. The free audio replay of the tele-seminar, 3 Simple Steps to Radically Transform Your Productivity...Within 24hrs! is also available for free.

Marie is a dear friend and and colleague but this post isn't about simply supporting a friend in making sales, or about earning a fat affiliate commission (because I'm not). This is a product I believe in, offered by a woman I believe in - an entrepreneur who walks her talk and creates information products because she genuinely cares about sharing the information than has been instrumental in helping her to live a life and create a business she's passionate about and loves. I'm posting about it for the same reason...and so I want to share with you anything that I think might better support you in living a life you love, and in building a successful business that supports that life.

So take a peek...if you love it as much as I do, you may decide to purchase the full course, and if it doesn't resonate for you, you won't have risked a thing by giving it a test drive.

 

 

Parenting Teens: The "I'm Crazier Than You" Method

If you've got teens or pre-teens then you know, or will soon know, that they go through a  period of temporary insanity that typically lasts between 3-6 years. You'll know that your teen has entered this period when you begin to wonder to yourself, or aloud to all who will listen, what the pod people did with your child (think  Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

I went through this period with both of my boys, now 17 & 21, and for me it was, hands-down, the most challenging period of parenting. Give me a toddler I can pick up and move out of harms' way or put in time-out, any day, over a rebellious, arrogant, I-know-everything-and-you-can't-make-me teenager.

This period of insanity can manifest in a variety of ways but often includes power struggles over things like what the teen can or cannot do, or wear, where they can or cannot go, and who they can or cannot spend time with. Typically, your views on these issues, and theirs, will be on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

If you're tired of the arguments, tired of the endless negotiating they'll inevitably attempt, and tired of feeling as though you're banging your head against a solid brick wall, you might want to try something different. Since chaining them to the wall in the garage or basement until they're 18 is not a viable option, what's a parent to do?

Give the "I'm crazier than you" method a try. (Disclaimer: You must have a fabulous sense of humor and be highly creative for this method to work well.)

It goes like this...let's say you're tired of hearing your teen blast their obnoxious music (can you even call it music?!) loud enough to be heard (and felt) all over the house, and your numerous attempts to reason with them to TURN IT DOWN! are having no effect (this is a period of temporary insanity after all) then instead of making yet another plea for peace and quiet, wait for your teen to have a friend or two over and then pop your favorite opera cd, or show tunes, or big band music into the cd player and crank that volume  up. WAY up.  You can bet you'll get your teen's full attention.

Or...let's suppose that your teen son (who actually has a 26 inch waist) is wearing the waist of his size 36 jeans down around his business and putting three inches of his boxers on display for all to see. Rather than having that argument yet again, show up to pick him up from the mall, dressed just like him! When he protests, mortified in front of his friends, tell him that you wanted to look cool too.

Or...if you've caught your teen smoking and she refuses to quit, yelling, "You can't stop me! I'll just smoke at school! (Yes, most high schools if they don't actually have a designated smoking area, do have an area just off campus where the teens go to smoke) show up at the smoking area during lunch wearing your ratty old bathrobe and fuzzy bunny slippers with your hair in rollers. Tell your daughter you wanted to spend some quality time with her and her friends.

The ways in which you can implement the "I'm crazier than you" method are limited only by your imagination and daring.

Awaken to a Beautiful New Day

Each day we have the opportunity to recreate ourselves and our lives, to make new choices, take new steps...and the possibilities of what we can create when we let go of our doubts and our fears, are unlimited.

Awaken is a short movie sure to inspire your day and start your week on a positive note.

Photo originally uploaded by Brian9000

 

Revolution Money Exchange - Earn $25 Just for Signing Up to Give it a Spin

Revolution Money Exchange is a relatively new service (still in Beta) that will allow you to send and receive money online for free. Yup, you heard that right...for free. And...until April 15th they'll even PAY you $25 to sign up and give it a spin.

I only just signed up for an account so it's much too soon to predict whether or not it will eventually replace PayPal, but I love that there are no fees associated with either sending or receiving money to/from other account holders.

If you've been using it I'd love to hear what you think of it in the comments below, and if you're not using it but would like to give it a try, simply click on the green button in the column to the right to give it a spin.