Pimp Your Work
Only recently did I write about sleep as an essential part of your workday as well as another article on taking a permanent break, but today’s post takes the cake when it comes to slacking off.  Today we’ll discuss how daydreaming can be a fundamental part of your work.
Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t discover it (but you already know what a slacker I tend to be, so it’s too late for these disclaimers).
In a recent article from The Boston Globe, scientists from several universities in the US and England discuss the importance of daydreaming …read more

Last week, I asked Pimp Your Work readers about their to-do list strategy.  Here’s what some of them have to say:
Lindsay from Writing For Your Wealth says that she doesn’t have a to-do list.  However, this doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a strategy for accomplishing her daily tasks.”I generally just approach my work day with one or two major things I want to get done, and I make sure I do them. Then I work on other littler projects or call it a day.”
While I have a to-do list, I agree with Lindsay’s perspective on lengthy lists. She …read more

PimpYourWork.com
You’ve got your GTD planner, cross off everything on your daily task list, and your email inbox has zero items.  Then, it happens.
You fall off the productivity wagon.
It was accidental, maybe you were sick a couple of days, or you were thrown off schedule by an extended vacation.  Or maybe you just watched too much TV.  It doesn’t matter what the cause is – it just happened.
You stopped being productive and went back to your old, bad habits.
Did I say ‘you’?  Excuse me, I meant  to say ‘I’. I’ve fallen off the productivity wagon these past two weeks.  The reasons …read more

PimpYourWork.com
Let me be honest: I slept for the most part of the day.  True, it was because I was feeling ill, but after a good day of sleep, I have to say that I feel more capable to tackle the work I have to do. I seem more focused and less likely to give in to distractions.
What are the benefits of sleeping, exactly?  If we think clocking in some overtime work and burning the midnight oil will do wonders for our careers, we might be in for a surprise if we find out that it might be doing the opposite.
A …read more

Last week, I asked Pimp Your Work readers what would make them want to leave their current jobs.  Here are their answers:
Miranda from Yielding Wealth says “I love my job as a freelance writer. Although if it ever got to the point that I couldn’t take time to spend with my family, I might quit it altogether…”
Lindsay of Writing for Your Wealth has sentiments that reflect my own.  What would make her leave her current job? “…nothing“, she says.  “I’m fortunate enough to have made my ideal job, and I’m working at growing it into a business with assets that …read more

PimpYourWork.com
There’s a stereotype about creative people – that they thrive on flexibility, rebel against rigid rules, and are subjected to the forces of inspiration (or lack thereof).  If this stereotype is true, then it’s amazing that creative people get anything done at all, let alone get anything done on time!
Obviously, the stereotype is a myth.  Creative people can be efficient, and, conversely, efficiency can be expected of creative types – even if it seems impossible.
So how can it be made possible?  How can creative people become more organized and productive?
Give ample time for brainstorming and idea generation.  Although great ideas …read more

PimpYourWork.com
In most industrial cultures, when a parent asks their child what they want to study in college, their desired field of study is measured against money.  Say “I want to study Fine Arts!” and your parent tells you to take up architecture instead.  Say “I want to become a novelist!” and people say it’s wiser to study journalism.  They say this as if journalists and architects are all about making money, and as if artists are always starving.
Is there really a dichotomy of doing what you love vs. working for money?
I don’t think so.  I think we are raised to …read more