I received a letter recently from a client. It read in part: … I also made it to the bottom of my inbox, and I’m not letting things “ripen” there. Your encouragement to “decide to decide” has been helping to prevent things from piling up. … My client is succeeding because she is deciding. Professional…
Category Archives: Psychology
What is focus?
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC What does it mean to have focus? Simply, it means to do one thing at a time, while thinking about that thing. Focus is one of the most potent organizing techniques available. Few things equal the power of focus for helping us perform at a higher level….
Goals: Whose Agenda Is This Anyway?
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC I’ll begin by assuming that your goals have all the essential ingredients that separate a goal from a wish, that is, they are specific, measurable, achievable, and time-limited. Before you adopt them, there’s another important test they need to pass. Whatever goals you choose, make sure they…
Goals: Change or Transformation?
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC My friend and master story-teller Pamela Grenfell Smith has posted a short, thought-provoking entry titled “What’s the Difference Between Transformation and Change” What supports goals that are marked by spaciousness, richness and flexibility? What sorts of goals create anxiety, rigidity, and stress? Do you have any goals…
Are You "Chronically Disorganized"? Probably Not.
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC Do you think you may be “chronically disorganized”? Our first impulse might be to laugh and say, oh yes, that describes me perfectly! It turns out that chronic disorganization (CD) is a technical term rather than a humorous one. It describes, not someone who often can’t find…
Following Through: The Pink Poker Solution
If we as humans are “wired” to forget about non-essential projects as readily as a lizard forgets about her eggs, how will I ever learn Spanish before I arrive in Sevilla or get my taxes done before April 14th? I must shape my circumstances and surroundings to support my goals, to keep my top objectives…
Following Through: What’s Wrong With Me?
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC Tra dire al fare, c’e in mezzo il mare. (Between saying and doing lies the sea.) — Italian proverb You have set a goal, and it’s a good one. You know what steps you need to take, at least initially. Maybe you’ve taken one or two of…
Improvement: The Butterfly Effect
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC Can small changes really make a difference? If I rely on tiny changes to get me to my productivity goal, won’t I have to wait forever to see progress? Consider the story of the work of MIT mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, told so compellingly in James…
Improvement: Tiptoeing past “Amy”
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC Like weight loss, getting organized is one of the top five resolutions on New Year’s lists. Every year. So why are we not all specimens of peak productivity and perfect health by now? While it’s undeniable that sometimes change happens in an eye-blink, more often getting good…
Improvement: Kaizen or the Big Win?
by Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company LLC When making changes in habits or processes to improve productivity, which is better: to make a dramatic change or to move ahead with small incremental steps? Some people tend to opt for the sweeping gesture. Comparing habit change to removing a band-aid, they want to yank it…