 What do confidence and productivity have in common? Confidence, in essence, is what turns ideas into actions and tangible results. By definition, it is the feeling or belief of reliability or trust in something or someone. Self-confidence is a belief in ourselves. Confidence in ourselves is positively correlated with our performance and productivity levels. When our confidence levels rise, we are less likely to quit and more likely to follow through and complete something we set out to do. As a result, in some cases we see far greater success than we originally imagined. Do you have something that you’ve been procrastinating on starting because of self-doubt? Maybe it’s hard, you haven’t done it before, or it’s a bit outside your comfort zone? This is a common reason for procrastination. If the results are something that you really want (your “why”), then it’s worth the effort. Your “why” is your most positive motivator and can help you discover some tactics to boost your confidence, productivity and allow you to get that thing done. While we can be our best cheerleader (#yougotthis), we can also be our own biggest critic. We tend to judge ourselves more harshly than others, which depletes our self-confidence and leads us to staying stagnant in our comfort zone. The good news is that there are some things we can do to be more cheerleader and less critic … How to boost confidence and productivity In order to grow and see the breadth of your own potential, try some of these confidence boosting suggestions to end your procrastination and accomplish more than you originally thought possible! We’ve collected a few of Sports Psychologist Jarrod Spencer’s recommendations and added in a few of our own: Write a confidence script Doing something new and somewhat scary? Write and refer to a confidence script! Write down 10 facts you already know that indicate you could be successful with this new thing. For example: giving a new presentation to a new team or audience? This could be your confidence script:
Practice positive self-talk Switch negative self-talk to positive self-talk with affirmations (positive statements written in the present affirming success, results, achievement that you desire or are working towards). Begin with “I am…” statements, such as “I am committed to …” or “I am capable of …” or “I am easily and effortlessly … “. Acknowledge your own strengths. Visualize success
Ask for a pep talk
Shift your mindset
Done is better than perfect
Celebrate your accomplishments, everyday
Use these confidence boosting techniques daily to build your own self-confidence and minimize your self-doubt. Focus on your successes and with your heightened self-confidence you will continue to see the most productive and successful version of you! If you’d like help adding confidence building habits that can help boost your productivity, schedule your free no-risk Discovery Call to see how we can partner with you in your success! We’d love to help you be your own cheerleader as well as join your cheer squad.  Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
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My husband and I were in CA watching our son pitch for his collegiate baseball team on March 9th 2020. When we flew down on the 6th we dutifully used sanitizing wipes to clean the area around us on the airplane, washed our hands well and frequently, and greeted other parents of the team with elbow bumps (the new “handshake”). Little did we know that game on the 9th that we were lucky enough to attend would be the last we’d see (and that the team would play) for that and the subsequent baseball season. By Tuesday the 10th the college put out a policy that no fans would be able to attend home games. “That’s ok”, we thought, as there would still be a couple of “away” games in the area that we’d attend during our visit. By the very next day, Wednesday the 11th, the decision had been made to shut the campus down, students were to pack up their rooms and vacate within the next few days. The team held a closed “for fun” last practice on the 12th – pitchers hit, those who had never pitched did so, there was a lot of laughter, levity they all needed, and, according to my son, not a dry eye as they thought of the Seniors and left the field to clean up and head to a quickly scheduled “End of Season Banquet” at a near-by restaurant. Our son packed up his things, checked out of this dorm room and moved home within the next two days to resume school online. It got eerily quiet in many ways. Also that week work ground to a halt as clients cancelled conferences, speaking engagements, in-person productivity training, in-person consultations and organizing sessions. We personally cancelled a trip for later that month to celebrate my 50th Birthday and would later cancel a big trip for the fall to celebrate my husband’s. It felt hard to be productive. We had to pivot. I wrote a “Rock Your Work From Home” guide that I hoped would help our clients and community and offered that as a free resource. I offered a free “Organize to Optimize” webinar and then turned that into an affordable mini-course available on our website. I accepted the opportunity to co-Author a new book, 1 Habit for a Thriving Home Office. This was a collaborative project that kept me connected and in communication with others at a time that I needed that type of interaction. I turned training sessions into webinars, complete with enhanced hand-outs, manager’s guides, exercises, break-out rooms and activities that could be conducted virtually to keep participants engaged. I added two new webinars to help with common challenges our clients were facing. Work Productively From Home and Maximize Your Energy to Optimize Your Productivity remain a couple of our most requested workshops. Our team offered virtual organizing and productivity consulting sessions to help people even when we couldn’t be together in person. I created and launched our 6-Month Productivity Transformation Coaching Package. This is our most customized and totally virtual offering for those really ready to stop spinning their wheels, who are tired of feeling disorganized and overwhelmed and want to consistently focus on their priorities. I faced other productivity challenges and had to make some changes To deal with the stress of the pandemic and other happenings beyond my control, I also had to increase my level of self-care. I adjusted my expectations of what I could get done, and scheduled more time off to not “produce”. This was a lesson learned after almost nine months of working harder than ever before, not taking time off, and reaching a state of stress and burn-out that negatively impacted my physical and mental well-being. The changes I have made have been so helpful. I’ve noticed a difference in my productivity and my happiness. I know these changes have positively impacted those I serve and those around me. While productivity for me and the Simply Placed team looked different in the last year, we never lost sight of our definition of productivity – “Achieving Desired Results”. I never questioned whether Simply Placed would survive. I wanted it, our clients, and our community, to thrive, even if that was in a new way. What’s been your story? What productivity challenges have you faced while working remotely? In what ways did you have to pivot? In March 2020, people left their workplaces for what they thought might be a month or maybe two. We shifted into a “temporary” work from home mode. But in reality, most were still working fully remotely 12 months later and many will be for the foreseeable future. While many have adapted to a virtual work environment, for others the transition has been stressful, overwhelming and, in some cases, less productive. Every day, we are managing disruptions to schedules, our environment, and how we connect with others. We’re managing a lot all under one roof. All of that impacts our productivity. Perhaps you or someone you know is also experiencing Zoom Fatigue from being “always on”, via video. If so, you’re not alone in that, either. How we adapt to it, however, is paramount to our productivity and our energy, as teleconferencing is here to stay. What has challenged you the most? Everyone has felt the stress of the pandemic. And we want to stay productive at work while managing the other priorities of life at the same time. How productive have you been working from home?
Weigh in on your productivity challenges We recently polled our “Organize to Optimize” Facebook group and asked participants their biggest productivity challenge:
How many of those resonate with you? What’s been your experience? What has been your biggest productivity challenge? We’d really like to know! Are you practicing self-care and keeping up with the priorities in your life and work? Could your daily routines use a tune-up to help you work more productively and with focus and intention? We see your productivity challenges and we can help! Sometimes, we just need to hit the “reset” button. We can reboot our habits to be productive and get time back for what matters the most. We need to take time to take care of our self. Once we’ve done that, it is possible to be productive during times of stress. It’s been a year! Whether you are planning to return to your workplace in a full-time or hybrid mode, or will be continuing to work from home longer term, we can help. We can teach you strategies to take away the overwhelm, fatigue, and be more productive in your day. Schedule a free discovery call today! Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
If you feel mentally and physically exhausted today, this week or seemingly all the time, you’re probably not getting enough “rest”. No matter what job you have or what type of person you are, everyone needs rest. It’s a time for restoration of your body and mind to rejuvenate you back to a state of optimal performance. In today’s busy world, there is always another email to respond to, a meeting to attend or task to complete. As a result, life is constantly moving at a fast pace and with a sense of urgency. When this happens, everything else, including self-care, gets put on the back burner. To avoid becoming entirely exhausted and burned out, it is important to remember to rest and give yourself a break. No matter what job you have or what type of person you are, everyone needs rest. It’s a time for restoration of your body and mind to rejuvenate you back to a state of optimal performance. Mental rest vs “sleep” Not only is it important to rest at night and get a good night’s sleep, it is equally as necessary to rest your mind during your waking hours too. Here are some suggestions for how you can rest your mind and body in addition to sleep:
Let us help you include “rest” in your daily routines All of the above tips can work wonders on your physical and mental energy levels. Rest allows you to feel rejuvenated, motivated, and productive. It boosts your overall well-being in and outside of work so that you can lead the life you want to live. Give yourself mental rest in addition to physical rest. You’ll see things from different angles, approach problems with new perspectives and increased energy. Through our productivity consulting, training or coaching, Simply Placed can help you create habits and routines that include rest in your day. Schedule your free, no-risk Discovery Call and get started today. Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
Stress can negatively affect your productivity and quality of work. High levels of stress can leave you with a lack of energy, creativity and focus, increased feelings of anxiety. When your mind is worrying, it draws your attention away from the task at hand. It is mentally draining and decreases your productivity in the present moment increasing the chance of overlooking small mistakes. It can also take a physical toll on your body. More frequent sick days can result in an even larger loss of productivity. Some levels of stress can be good for boosting your motivation and productivity, however. Not feeling stress about the tasks at hand can leave you bored, unengaged and uninterested in doing a good job, but slightly increased levels can help to spark interest, creativity, and increase our engagement and productivity. As stress increases, productivity and performance also increase—up to a point. The Yerkes-Dodson law says the dependency between stress and productivity/performance follows a bell curve. Optimal stress levels for peak performance differ for each person and also depend on the complexity and your familiarity with the task at hand. Tips and tricks for reducing stress If you are feeling very high stress levels, there are some things you can try to reduce that. As always, make sure you are tending to personal care at home. Getting a good night’s rest is #1 in the stress reduction tool kit. Also, make sure you are also eating nutritious foods and fitting regular exercise into your schedule throughout the week. Meditation and focused breathing are also great sources of relief. Partake in relaxation, fun, and/or creativity experienced through other personal hobbies or outlets outside of work. Journaling or talking with someone else can also help to identify your source(s) of stress. This enables you to take direct action to solve the root cause of the problem. To reduce stress during the workday, take periodic breaks to give your brain and body time to rest and reset. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try to reduce your workload by delegating or outsourcing some of your tasks, when possible. Using a time and task management system helps reduce stress, allowing you to feel more organized so nothing slips through the cracks. Lastly, try to focus on the aspects of your work that you do have control over. If you are able, choose projects to work on that you are personally more interested in. As a result, you’ll be more invested in the end product. By increasing your sense of control over your tasks, you’ll feel more engaged and stimulated by your work and in turn your focus and productivity will increase. Or, increase your stress and feel more engaged If you are at the other end of the bell curve and need to increase your stress levels at work a bit in order to feel more engaged, try some of these tricks:
We can help you find the balance Stress is a spectrum and a natural part of life for everyone. Different levels of stress may assist or hinder your performance, depending on you and the type of work you do. If you are feeling too stressed to be fully present and productive, OR you are feeling bored and not engaged enough to produce your best work, try some of the tricks above to find the optimal level of stress needed to reach your peak productivity and performance levels. How do you handle stress and not let it derail you? If you feel that stress is getting in the way of your productivity, there are several ways that Simply Placed can help! Start by scheduling your free no-risk Discovery Call today. Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
 Do you ever glance at the clock just before 5pm when the workday has almost come to an end and ask yourself, “what did I accomplish today?” Are there days when you feel like you just couldn’t accomplish anything on your “to do” list? One thing we recommend to our clients in this situation is to use a time log to track how they spend their time. You can create your own time log by creating a spreadsheet that has the time you start your workday to the time you end your workday. Not an Excel wiz? No worries, this exercise can be accomplished just as easily by taking out a piece of paper and writing time slots down the left hand side. We recommend using 15 minute increments. Next to the window of time, write down what you worked on or did. For example, write down what you did from 9am to 9:15am, 9:15am to 9:30am, etc. Did you check your email, talk on the phone, talk with a co-worker, work on a project, file, surf the internet, etc.? Block off some time on your calendar right now to create a time log. Once your time log has been created, make it a priority to keep track of your daily activities for the next few days. Be brutally honest about how you spend your time; remember, this is only for your benefit. Keep your log close by so that it is easy to update throughout the day. The purpose of this log is to raise your awareness about how you currently spend your time. Once you have a few typical days worth of your time logged, take some time to review it. You may be surprised to see where your time goes. Check back for our next blog post on how to review and analyze your time log. Don’t want to create your own time log? We’ve created one for you and its included in our current package special, “A Shot of Time Management “. You’ll get a one hour consultation, a time log, our book, Six-Word Lessons to be More Productive and two 15 minute follow up calls to help you analyze your log and create an action plan for change. Contact us today to book your package.  Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
What is accountability? Accountability is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.” Accountability is a willingness to accept responsibility for our own actions. The benefits of an accountability partner Motivation helps get you started, but in order to stay on track and sustain the results, you need an accountability partner! When we commit to something to another person, we are much more likely to follow through. Studies show that if you have an accountability partner, you’re 65% more likely to compete a task and you’ll increase your chance of success by up to 95%! Do you have someone to help you keep your goals moving forward? If not, you would be surprised to learn how motivating and powerful it is to be accountable to someone. Once you choose your partner, here are a few ways to get started:
Sharing your goals with someone else creates a lot more energy and momentum to follow through, keep at it, and work through challenges. An accountability partner is a highly effective way to increase your productivity – personally and professionally. If you don’t already have an accountability partner, think about someone you could ask. Because this is a two-way relationship (in return, you hold them accountable for what they’re working on), it’s a win for them as well. Accountability in action In February, our “It’s About Time” virtual productivity program will focus on Accountability in Action. Participants will learn how accountability works as a productivity strategy, how to choose a partner to hold them accountable, structure the relationship, conduct check-ins and much more. If you could benefit from this, or other productivity strategies, we’d love to have you join our group! Are there other productivity challenges you’d like to overcome? Do you need an accountability partner that won’t let you fail? We play that role with our Six-Month Productivity Transformation Package clients. It’s a valuable part of the program that leads to results. Schedule a free discovery call and let us help you make this your most productive year, personally and professionally. With accountability, you will stay on track and sustain the results! Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
Is overcoming procrastination a goal you’ve set for your life or work this year? Is there something you’ve been putting off because it seems overwhelming, won’t deliver immediate results or for which you lack clarity? It starts with changing your habits Procrastination is one of the biggest roadblocks to productivity. You can avoid procrastinating on something that is important to you by changing your habits and making it a priority. While that sounds like common sense, there are several strategies you can use to establish more productive habits and overcome tendencies to put things off. Here are a few things to try:
This month in our “It’s About Time” virtual productivity group, our topic is “What Are You Waiting For?” If this a question that resonates with you, we can also help you learn valuable strategies that will help you get “unstuck”, overcome procrastination and get priority work done. Could you use some help overcoming procrastination? We work every day with private clients in productivity coaching sessions to identify their goals, remove barriers and time wasters, planning and prioritizing their time and creating effective systems so that they accomplish what they want, with less stress, and have more time for what matters most to them. Are there productivity challenges you’d like to resolve? Schedule a free Discovery Call today and let us help you tackle what is holding you back. Next time you feel there is something you are procrastinating on, take the first step – just a small one. The momentum you will gain from that will propel you forward toward your goal. Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.
 Have you resolved not to resolve this year because setting goals just hasn’t worked well for you in the past? Did you set goals for 2020 that you weren’t able to achieve, given how the year unfolded? Selecting one goal for the start of the year is a good start (it allows you to channel time, energy and efforts in a focused way), but just setting the goal is really about having an intention. What you do or don’t do from there will determine your outcome. It has been said before that an intention with no action is just a dream. Dreams aren’t bad, but if we want to turn them into reality, we need to pair them with action. Desire and determination are a good place to start, but motivation (your “why”), a specific action plan to which you are committed, and some accountability will get you a lot farther towards and ultimately to your destination. Know Your Why Once you’ve settled on your one goal, think hard about why you want to achieve that goal. What will success in the area you’ve selected do for your life, your relationships, your business, health, finances or anything else you hold as valuable? The answer to this is typically your motivation for moving forward. Visualize success. Consider posting pictures, words, or some other visual trigger to remind you about your goal, what success looks like, and what you’ll feel, see, have, or be able to do once you achieve the goal. Make reviewing this vision board, affirming statement, or other visual a part of your morning routine. Focus your mind on what you want and why you want it each and every day to help you focus on the steps you’ll need to take for success. Create an Action Plan Be very specific about what you want; set a SMART goal. Then start plotting a course backwards from your end goal. What do you need to do to achieve this? Write down all the steps, big or small, that you need to take to achieve your goal. Consider how much time you’ll need for each step. Flushing out the steps involved is important for a number of reasons:
Embrace Accountability Tell co-workers, trusted advisers, friends and others in your personal and professional network what you’re up to. Tell a number of people, or enlist an Accountability Partner. Share with them your goal, your “why” and your action plan. Ask them to help hold you accountable. When we commit to something publicly, we are much more likely to follow through, because we know someone we have told, may ask us about our progress or our success. Instinctively we want to please, so while you are not completing your goal for anyone other than yourself, you will be motivated to have positive things to share with those who are in the know. Consider setting up a regular time that you’ll “report in” on your progress; weekly, for example. This ensures that you don’t go too long without addressing challenges you may face, fessing up to inaction, or celebrating your small wins along the way.  Debbie Rosemont, Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant, started Simply Placed, in 2003 to help clients increase productivity, maximize efficiency and bring balance and control into their work and lives. Simply Placed associates work with individuals and businesses to create effective organizational systems, clear clutter, successfully manage time, focus on priorities and achieve goals. They help people work smarter, not harder, to increase their bottom line and peace of mind through consulting, hands-on organizing, and group training. They can be contacted at 206-579-5743 or [email protected].
 Many people are being asked to temporarily work from home, if possible, during the current COVID-19 outbreak, and some are choosing to do so voluntarily. Working from home does have its benefits, including no commute, the ability to wear pajamas “to the office”, and being a little more flexible in your schedule. However, it also comes productivity challenges. With several schools being closed and kids also home, some people might fall into the trap of it feeling like a “weekend” or holiday. But most people still have work deadlines to meet and projects to complete. If you are prone to procrastinate, struggle with staying focused or have trouble sticking to a routine or schedule, we have some strategies that can help you get over these hurdles and get your priority work done from wherever you may be.
It is also important that you plan breaks to step away from your work at regular intervals. For example, take a half hour a couple times each day to get outside for some fresh air and take the dog for a walk around the block – it’s a win/win for you and for the dog! Remember the same good practices you use at your office for how often you are checking text messages, social media and the stock market. Once you finish your priority work for the day, leave “the office”. Remember to maintain work/life harmony and not work past your usual hours just because your office is just down the hall. Shut down your computer and spend some extra time when you would otherwise be commuting to connect with your family in whatever way is meaningful for them and for you. And remember, working from home doesn’t mean you need to live in total isolation (unless you are under quarantine). If everyone is healthy, you can still meet up with your work team in small groups, if necessary, or get together outside for a hike and some team building time in nature. Just be sure to practice smart habits like good hand-washing and consider alternate greetings to shaking hands.  Debbie Rosemont, Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant, started Simply Placed, in 2003 to help clients increase productivity, maximize efficiency and bring balance and control into their work and lives. Simply Placed associates work with individuals and businesses to create effective organizational systems, clear clutter, successfully manage time, focus on priorities and achieve goals. They help people work smarter, not harder, to increase their bottom line and peace of mind through consulting, hands-on organizing, and group training. They can be contacted at 206-579-5743 or [email protected].
It is hard to be productive when we are feeling stress in our lives. We are living through unprecedented times right now. Many things are outside of our control, but getting a handle on what we can control is the best way to move forward through the stress. Whether it is taking time to process our feelings and emotions, or extra time to practice self-care, these few things can help bring a sense of predictability to an unpredictable time. Consistent habits alleviate stress On days that feel too overwhelming, maintaining consistent habits can help alleviate feelings of stress. When you follow a predictable routine in your day, it will help you be more productive, keep your priorities in focus and be of better service to others in your life. Routines and habits are comfortable to fall back on when we are feeling unsettled. Set small goals to complete every day until they become productive, healthy habits. Soon these small tasks or goals will become second nature for you. When you have a set pattern of tasks, activities or habits, at some point they become instinctive. You just DO them without even thinking about them because you know the result will be worth it in the end. Routines for a productive day Here are six simple strategies to help you re-establish some routine in your life so that you can get more done, focus on your priorities AND have time for what matters most to you.
Set small goals to complete every day until they become productive, healthy habits. Soon these will become second nature for you and you’ll find yourself less stressed and more productive. Debbie Rosemont, Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant, started Simply Placed, in 2003 to help clients increase productivity, maximize efficiency and bring balance and control into their work and lives. Simply Placed associates work with individuals and businesses to create effective organizational systems, clear clutter, successfully manage time, focus on priorities and achieve goals. They help people work smarter, not harder, to increase their bottom line and peace of mind through consulting, hands-on organizing, and group training. They can be contacted at 206-579-5743 or [email protected].
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