Hi Everyone,
It has been an intense, yet immensely rewarding year. I’m looking forward to 2016 where a lot of the work I’ve done on employee well-being, discussed often through these quarterly newsletters, will begin to expand. In the spirit of increasing productivity and well-being — and helping you make 2016 the best year yet — I have asked readers to leave their best productivity tip (in the comment section below). The last time I asked for good tips, the best suggestion I got (in my opinion) was to modify your email signature in a way to give the appearance that all outgoing email sent from you is via your mobile device — making it more socially acceptable to reply with brief messages. A bit sneaky, but extremely effective.
Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: This quarter’s business interview is with Kate Matsudaira. Kate has held leadership positions in companies such as Decide (acquired by eBay), Moz and Amazon.com. In 2013, Kate started her own company Popforms, which was acquired by O’Reilly Media in June 2014. My interview with Kate Matsudaira about productivity and work is available here.
Health and Wellness: This quarter’s health and wellness interview is with Laura Putnam. Laura is a well-respected consultant, trainer and speaker on the topic of workplace wellness. She also writes on the topic for publications such as The New York Times and Entrepreneur, as well as authoring the book “Workplace Wellness That Works.” My interview with Laura Putnam about the topic of employee well-being is available here.
Life Experience: This quarter I went to the Rise Festival in Nevada. The Rise Festival is an artistic gathering attracting over 10,000 people from all over to send lanterns into the sky in unison. Words do not do it justice; got to see the video.
Contribution: My social contribution this quarter was to You Are Super Duper, whose aim is to help kids with serious illnesses and long-term afflictions have some fun through creating amazing and rewarding experiences.
I wish you limitless joy and prosperity throughout 2016. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I would like to thank you again for taking a look at this newsletter each quarter. It’s been really fun so far, and I feel fortunate that it has coalesced into something more meaningful and rewarding than its original design. If I can ever give back, please let me know.
In health,
Michael
P.S. For those of you going to IHRSA next year, please consider attending my session on workplace wellness. I’d love to see you there.
My productivity tip is to look in the mirror, pick the top item on the to do list and dive in. You’ve gotta do! With all the distractions in today’s world, sometimes just getting going is the hardest part. Merry Christmas Mike!
I like to get a head start on goals or 30 day challenges, before I actually begin or announce them. By having a few days of “unofficial” action under my belt, I’ve got some momentum going and having already started, neatly sidestep any procrastination or fear which might prevent me from beginning! It’s a little psychological trick that works for me, every time.
My tip on making 2016 more productive is to live Derek Sivers mantra of “It’s either HELL YEAH! or no.” In short, say “no” to anything that is not a “HELL YEAH!” to free up time for your real passions.
My best productivity tip is to turn off all non-necessary notifications on your phone—my calendar is the only thing I allow to send me notifications. Not only does this allow you to be more productive by reducing interruptions, it also allows you to be more present in your time with family and friends! It’s always a bit discouraging to spend time with a friend who has to look at their phone every. single. time. they get a ‘like’ on Instagram.
When I run through my to do list, I never skip an item. When you skip a task, you inevitably never get back to it.