No sleep.” “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” “Sleep is for the weak.” I often see motivational statements like these hashtagged on social media. The idea is to spur high-achievers on to work harder for better results. But what if that’s exactly backwards? What if our willingness to shortchange our sleep is actually sabotaging our success?
Rest
What to Do When You Find Yourself Overcommitted
Have you ever found yourself feeling like you have too much work and not enough margin? The good news is that it can change. Here are seven strategies I am following.
How to Make Your Weekend a WOW Experience
Every year comes freshly stocked with 104 weekend days. That’s 28 percent of all available days in the year. It’s like a full quarter! The trouble is that we treat our weekends like a slush fund to bankroll more work. We’re forfeiting a tremendous amount of time we could invest in better uses. Almost a […]
Are Limiting Beliefs Keeping You Trapped at Work?
A year after the New York Times published a brutal exposĂ© on Amazon’s 24/7, on-the-job culture, the retail giant announced it was experimenting with a thirty hour workweek for some of its employees. As far as I’m concerned, this is great news. When I talk with entrepreneurs, executives, and other leaders, I regularly hear they’re […]
What No One Ever Told You About Work-Life Balance
When it comes to work and life, most of us know what it feels like to be out of balance. But do we know what it feels like to be in balance? It’s not a trick question—even if it seems so at first. A few years ago, I took my mentoring group on a ropes […]
3 Reasons to Keep Your Laptop Closed This Weekend
The weekend gives most of us the chance to downshift and recharge. But how often do we seize on it to catch up or get ahead on our work instead? If researchers are right, more than ever before. Not only are we working more hours on the weekend, we’re cramming the time with more chores, […]
The Four Disciplines of the Heart
Life is hard. It’s easy to lose heart. That’s why it is essential that we cultivate the disciplines of the heart, so we have the resources to face life’s challenges.
3 Winning Elements of Pope Francis’ Leadership Style
During his recent trip to America, Pope Francis addressed the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. And the truth is leaders of all kinds have a lot to learn from him. Francis is enormously popular. But whatever we personally think about this particular pope—pro or con—or the Catholic Church, it doesn’t change the fact that […]
No, You Don’t Have to Work 24/7 to Succeed
I love Amazon, but like many I was disturbed by what I read in the New York Times’ recent exposĂ©. Still, I was actually more disturbed by what came next. I read defenses of Amazon from entrepreneurs, leaders, tech writers, and others. Some were easy to agree with. It’s a free country, after all. People […]
9 Reasons You Need More Fishing in Your Life
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve enjoyed fishing. But the older I get the more I realize I don’t just enjoy it. I really need fishing. I recently went fly fishing on the Bighorn River in Montana. I was lucky to go with several other guys. Some were old friends, others I had just […]
When You’re Just Too Tired to Make the Right Call
When do you make your best decisions, at the end of a day crammed with meetings and calls? Or early in the morning after a day of rest? My Twitter stream was filled last week with teachers and professors grading papers—and by that I mean teachers and professors complaining about grading papers. It’s hard work, […]
7 Sure-Fire Ways to Reduce Stress and Restore Your Sanity
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on the trend in slow reading. The idea is that intentional time in a book can improve our minds and reduce our stress. If you’re a book person like me, this is no surprise. It doesn’t matter if it’s paper or digital, just taking thirty minutes out […]
6 Strategies to Sleep Soundly, Wake Rested, and Accomplish More
I’ve been thinking a lot about sleep recently. Most research shows that we don’t get enough, and our deficit is seriously hurting our productivity, our physical health, even our mental well being. Leaders and business writers like Arianna Huffington and Tom Rath are devoting more time to the topic. Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, a book I’m […]
Why People Who Sleep Longer Achieve More
Our society puts a high value on achievement but not much on rest. I hear people brag about how much they work and play but never how much they sleep—usually the opposite. But what if sleep could help you achieve more? My team and I just finished launching the Get Noticed! Theme for WordPress, and […]
Should You Dare to Think About a Sabbatical?
A sabbatical may be just what you need. Don’t be too quick to dismiss the idea. With a little planning, it might be possible.
44 Actions You Can Take Now to Boost Your Energy
Too often, we seem to accept the fact that our energy level is what it is. Not true. Here are 37 things you can do to put more spring in your step.
How to Overcome the Winter Blues
I started experiencing mild depression the week before Christmas. Here’s how I overcame it by re-focusing on the basics.
Sleep and Your Productivity
Of all the things that affect my energy and productivity, nothing is more important than getting a good night’s sleep. Exercise, diet, and mental focus are all important, but they can’t make up for a lack of rest. Here’s how I make sure I get a good night’s sleep.
Six Ways to Take a Micro-Sabbatical
My pastor recently took a three-month sabbatical. I imagined him sleeping in until ten every morning, followed by extensive periods of crossword puzzles and personal grooming. But he assured me that his time off was really more professional in nature: he studied up on the Emergent Church and did a biblical tour of Turkey. Am I jealous? No, of course not. Resentful is probably a better word.