Successful Blog

How Ten Minutes of Daily Fun Can Give You A Better Life

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Editor’s Note: I was sent a preview copy of Dave Crenshaw’s upcoming book, and it really grabbed me. In this world where work is often referred to as “the grind,” it’s refreshing to consider the importance of having fun. My key takeaway from reading the book was to work within my natural rhythms, and support them, rather than fighting and trying to become a “morning person.” I’ve found that building in fun breaks injects excitement into the day. (My secret oasis fun is playing loud music from a special playlist. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.) Dave was kind enough to write a guest post for us, so please enjoy!

by Dave Crenshaw

Think about the old Hollywood movies depicting a barren desert landscape. Our noble hero marches inch by inch through this lifeless plain, hallucinating and dehydrated. It’s drawn out and agonizing. But just when you think “all is lost” or “I’ll just fast forward this part,” they stumble upon a beautiful, serene oasis in the middle of nowhere. It’s usually just a mirage, yet, somehow, it resonates.

These desert scenes are a metaphor for how life can become. We may struggle with a personal or entrepreneurial desert. The key to coming out of that desert is discovering our “oasis.” By “oasis,” I’m referring to meaningful, fun breaks that you consciously merge into your work day. These breaks refresh and rejuvenate your body and spirit.

The Oasis Concept at Work

The Work Oasis is how you go about taking little, fun breaks during your normal work schedule.

Whether you work in a multinational behemoth with tens of thousands of employees or you’re at a small start-up, the Work Oasis is vital to your productivity.

Most often, these are micro-oases (the plural of “oasis,” seriously!) that occur for 10-30 minutes multiple times each workday. This may be out-of- line with company culture, but for you to be more successful, it is important that you take the initiative to take these breaks.

A study by Harvard Business Review and The Energy Project found that employees that took at least three short, daily breaks were 81 percent more likely to stay with a company, and 78 percent of employees reported an increased sense of wellness. Quite simply—when you take fun breaks at work, you improve your productivity and well-being, and that makes a better life.

When Should I Take an Oasis?

You may have heard of the circadian rhythm or “body clock”. This is the 24-hour oscillation of energy your body goes through in a 24-hour period. Well, in a workplace context, you have an optimal cycle for taking breaks as well. Nathaniel Kleitman, a sleep researcher, discovered the “basic rest-activity cycle”—also called the ultradian rhythm.

Ultradian rhythms are shorter, recurrent patterns in our circadian day. Each person has an optimal cycle for how long they can work before needing a break. Similar to how each person has unique nightly sleep needs, a person’s work break needs to occur every 90 to 120 minutes. You can get to the point of diminishing returns where your work suffers if you don’t take a break. You just stop being as productive. Makes sense, right?

Experiment taking breaks between 90-120 minutes to determine what makes you feel most rejuvenated when returning. Once you discover your ultradian rhythm, you can build a schedule that supports it.

Discover Your Fun

You’ve got the rhythm, now it is time to figure out what you will do on the break. Think way back to when you were a kid. What did you do for fun? Did you like to play video games or play outside? Did you color or watch TV? These activities―however silly they may seem―are at the essence of who we are and how we like to have fun.

Now think about the adult equivalent of that activity. Maybe you take a stroll outside, watch YouTube videos, or play a game on your phone. I’m not telling you to be childish. I’m championing being childlike!

Come up with a list of activities you could do within 10-30 minutes and keep them close by to reference when you take an oasis.

It’s time to restore recess to our routine. Try the experiment and measure your results.

Once you implement your Work Oasis, you’ll likely notice than having more fun helps you get more done.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Dave Crenshaw is the master of building productive leaders and has transformed hundreds of thousands of business leaders worldwide. He has appeared in TIME magazine, USA Today, Fast
Company, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have received millions of views. He has written three books and counting, including The Myth of Multitasking which was published in six languages and is a time-management bestseller. His fourth book, The Power of Having Fun, releases September 19th. Learn more about Dave at DaveCrenshaw.com.

How to prepare your blog for Q4 2017

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My Girl Scout training taught me to “be prepared.”

Back then, it meant gathering enough kindling to build a proper fire, or carrying a canteen with extra water.

Now, it means periodically reviewing and reflecting on what’s ahead for my business. At the end of Q3, it’s good to look way back to January to see what your goals were.

Don’t beat yourself up if your current self hasn’t lived up to the hype of your January self. You’ve still got three months to pull out a victory (or two) if you don’t get distracted.

Here’s a handy checklist that will help you do a quick check-in and reset as we move into Q4 2017.

Review How Your Marketing Campaigns Worked So Far

Look through your key metrics for campaigns you ran the first two thirds of the year. How did they do? Do the results mean you need to shift priorities through the end of the year? If something isn’t working, stop doing it.

Prepare Your Content Calendar

If you’re blogging and/or sharing on social media (and hopefully you are), take some time to stockpile some content ideas and schedule them on your content calendar of choice. When the holidays start approaching, you’ll be able to have a pumpkin spice latte instead of scrambling for topics.

Make Sure You’re Up To Date with SEO Shifts

Google changes its algorithm a few hundred times a year; have you changed your SEO strategy this year? Of course you always want to keep your customers’ needs in the forefront of your content planning, but you should also be aware of shifting search priorities. Moz is my go-to resource for SEO.

Leverage End-of-Year Spending

Yes, it feels as though the end of the year is “looming,” but there’s some silver lining in there. Consider offering a special discount or bonus for new customers in Q4. Some organizations end up with budget to spend at the end of the year. You might be able to nudge indecisive prospects with a special deal.

Don’t Coast

It’s tempting to ditch accountability if you haven’t achieved your lofty goals for 2017 yet. Don’t do it! If it’s been a lackluster year, choose just one of your goals and hit it hard now. Set your mind on how great you’ll feel as you put your feet up in December by the fire. Break it down into weekly tasks, and get after it.

If you want to share your “one goal” with us here in the comments, we will cheer you on!

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via: Jessica Ruscello

How to Get More Done by Managing Your Energy

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We all aspire to be Dicky Fox from Jerry Maguire.

I’ll bet he doesn’t even drink coffee.

The reality is that, for most of us, our energy ebbs and flows throughout the day. We aren’t going 100 mph all day long.

Around 3pm, trying to get something accomplished is like pushing a cooked noodle uphill.

So what if we leaned into our energy flow to take advantage of the Dicky Fox time, while accommodating our natural low-energy time?

Here are some tips for working with your own natural energy flow, rather than fighting against it.

You’ll get more done, I promise:

  • ZONE OUT: Figure out what time of day is your “zone” and load high value tasks within it. For a few days, take active note of your routine and how energetic/productive you feel at different times of day. Note when you’re in “flow state.” Then try to schedule difficult or challenging tasks during that time (whether it’s first thing in the morning or late night).
  • OWN IT: Stop beating yourself up for cruising Instagram; give yourself a break to do that, then return to work. You might be spending more time unproductively being guilty than if you just took a moment to goof off.
  • SLEEP RHYTHMS: Do you need a power nap? Lots of famous go-getters included a brief nap in their routine (Churchill, Benjamin Franklin). Are you getting enough quality sleep in general? Your body needs that restoration time, so don’t skimp.
  • TLC: Don’t try to “push through” injuries or sickness. Take time off for recovery instead of doing half-baked work while ill. People who force themselves to keep going aren’t going to win a medal; they’re just going to infect the rest of us with that virus.
  • FUEL YOURSELF: Watch your snacks. Grab a handful of almonds or some apples/peanut butter instead of a Snickers or another cup of joe. The sugar or caffeine high will give you an artificial burst of energy, but then the crash will come.
  • CHANGE IT UP: When you start to feel your energy flagging, change scenery and/or your state of mind. Stand up at your desk, walk down the stairs, or use a technique to change your entire state of mind.
  • PERSONALIZE: Don’t use others’ schedules, follow your own body’s queues. Not everyone can do 4am crunches, and not everyone is jamming uninterrupted at Midnight. Listen to yourself, and set a schedule that is optimized for you.
  • MOVE: Exercise doesn’t sap energy, it creates it. Be a body in motion, and create your own energy source. Elevated endorphins can last a few hours after intense exercise!

Interested in reading more about how to manage your energy? Check out “The Power of Full Engagement,” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, which contains a step by step approach to increasing performance and productivity, or this HBR article co-authored by Tony Schwartz.

How do you keep yourself energized and manage your priorities? Please share your own tips!

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

How to prepare a disaster plan for your business

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Every business should have some minimal type of disaster plan.

Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur or have a remote team, you need to be ready for disrupted communications, the potential for lost data, and project delay due to a disaster.

We had to shut down and evacuate our Charleston, SC office last year due to Hurricane Matthew, so these insights are based on that (rather eye-opening) experience.

Your disaster could be something totally different…a fire, earthquake, incapacitation of someone on your key team, or an emergency you can’t even anticipate.

But there’s no need to panic if you have done some preparation ahead of time.

Here’s a basic checklist to run through now, while all systems are normal:

  • What types of natural disaster are more common in your location? Our Charleston office is in the hurricane zone, but our Seattle office went through the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. You might have offices in wildfire or flood zones. Tailor your plan accordingly.
  • Consider insurance on your physical site (are you renting, do you own your furniture/IT equipment, what’s covered). Is your landlord responsible for utilities, repairs, access during an emergency? Do you have “key man” insurance if needed?
  • Where is your data stored? Are there backups? Does your data center have its own disaster plan? Do your employees back up their data individually, and do you have access from a central location if their access is interrupted?
  • Do you have multiple Internet service options?
  • Where will you go if you have to evacuate? Have you shared that plan with your colleagues?
  • If you have a team of far-flung remote workers, is there a way for everyone to “check in” and say they’re safe? (Facebook has added a feature called Safety Check that helps with this.)
  • Is your office fire-ready? Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers? Does your staff know how to use them?
  • Have you had a fire drill? Do you have an emergency meeting spot outside the building?
  • Who is in charge if the person in charge is not available? Who makes decisions?
  • How will you communicate during the disaster, with colleagues and clients?
  • Who is responsible for public messaging on social media, etc.? Do they have passwords and access available remotely?
  • Who gives the “all clear” for staff to return to the office? How do they communicate that?
  • Have you done cross-training as much as possible? Especially for small teams, be sure that critical responsibilities are double covered for continuity if a key staffer becomes ill or injured unexpectedly (payroll, client billing, etc.).

Once you’ve considered all of the above, and come up with your answers, don’t forget to share and communicate the plan with the rest of your team. You may even want to share some elements of the plan with major clients, so they know what to do in case of emergency.

Be sure to store your plans and instructions in an offsite, accessible location (that’s where services like DropBox come in handy).

Have you gone through a natural disaster with your business? What tips would you add to the list?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Persuasive writing taps into emotional responses

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Don’t be afraid to use emotional punch to make your writing more persuasive.

Persuasive writing uses words that evoke a gut-level response from the reader, that paint a time and place with specificity.

The next time you open your laptop to start writing, think about the emotional state you want your reader to reach.

  • If you’re writing website copy, make them curious enough to click some links.
  • If you’re writing a novel, inspire love (or hatred) for your main character.
  • If you’re writing a business blog post, get your readers into a state of inspired energy so they’ll be acting on your advice.

You learned a lot of cool words when you were in school. Remember Barron’s vocabulary tests? (No? Just me?)

However, don’t be the guy who lobs big words into his writing just to get an ego boost (look how erudite I am!). Be the guy who chooses precise words with intent.

Examples of emotion words include: cheerful, intrigued, confident, tenacious, and liberated. Scientists have even come up with new words to describe very specific emotional states. Could you find a way to weave a little “pronoia” into your story? Remember that it’s not about necessarily using those emotion words…it’s more about eliciting that feeling from your reader.

If you typically go straight from blog draft to “publish” button, consider taking an editorial pause.

Re-read your article, and look for ways you can grab the reader by the lapels, starting with your headline.

Consider the words you’re deploying.

Consider the structure of your story.

Consider surprise.

Your writing will stand out from the crowd if you find the courage to write with emotion.

 

Featured image via: Alice Achterhof

Changing channels – should you switch media platforms?

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Now is a good time to shake up your content strategy and your mix of platforms. Audiences are everywhere, from Facebook Live to print magazines to in-person events. People are moving from one screen to another, from one format to another, and no longer tied down to one mode of consumption.

When is the last time you re-evaluated your media platforms? Are you stuck inside your WordPress blog like a mime in an invisible box?

I’ve seen the following platform jumps in the last year:

  • The blogger Pioneer Woman has a TV show and a print magazine
  • Gary Vaynerchuk is on the new Apple show, “Planet of the Apps”
  • Tim Ferris is on a cable network with his own tv show, “Fear{less}”
  • Lots of Vine stars had already moved to Instagram when Vine shut down
  • TV and movie stars are doing podcasts (have you heard “Anna Faris is Unqualified” or Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s the Thing” yet?)

Why do you think these stars are shifting gears and finding new outlets? It’s because they want to reach new audiences and keep up with the shifting media landscape.

Here are some tips to help you decide if you need to change the channel:

  1. Maintain flexibility, don’t get locked into one format forever. If you’ve been on the same platform since you started writing, it is time to check out other options. Talk to your peers and get some inspiration, or test drive some other spaces. If you’ve always blogged on WordPress, venture over to Medium and see how it feels.
  2. Keep an eye on where your key audience lives. It may not be the same answer as when you started. People who wouldn’t have considered Instagram a couple of years ago may now be super-users.
  3. Never forget about “old media.” Print articles, TV or radio guest spots, or even mailed newsletters might feel fresh and new now. Don’t shut off a channel just because it isn’t a shiny new object.
  4. Has your viewership/readership stagnated? Perhaps adding a new punch of content from another source would bring in fresh visitors.
  5. Use your five senses as a jump-off for your creative thinking. Every channel targets different senses…visual, auditory, touch…what senses are you currently employing, and which ones could you explore?

Hopefully this sparked some ideas for you; what do you think about changing channels?

 

Featured Image:
Anton Ponomarev