No, That’s not a typo.  StayFocusd is an app available through the Chrome Web Store.  I.Love.It.

An important part of my job is staying on the cutting edge of productivity products and research.  You wouldn’t believe how much there is to learn about attention, perception, learning and communication styles.  I dedicate several hours a week to reading up on these topics.   My job is also to try out productivity apps and software, so I can make appropriate recommendations to my clients.

Tell me you know someone who never surfs at work, I will answer that I have a bridge to sell you.  StayFocusd is an app designed to help people self-impose boundaries on their web-surfing, in order to get back on track after a deviation.

To illustrate, I regularly buy printer ink on Ebay.  I also love to shop for deals.  On anything I need, and some things I don’t.  StayFocusd gently interrupts my surfing at intervals I choose, and hints “Shouldn’t you be working now?”.  I much prefer that to Instant Boss’ sharp “Back to work!”.  Certainly better than wasting time when I could be getting valuable stuff done.

Over the past 4 years, I’ve been waging a passive war against all things Microsoft.  Maybe I’m just bitter to still be working mainly off a 5-lb laptop “equipped” with Windows Vista (much like a donkey is equipped with a full load that will eventually break its back).  Each update brings at least one noticeable new glitch.  With an average of one update per month, over several years.. you get the picture.  This did nothing for my productivity.  In fact, the psychological stress of it all was bringing me down.

First, I got around MS Office with Open Office, a free, open-source office productivity suite comparable to Windows Office, except its free (in cost and of glitches) and open-source.  Open-source means that the software is constantly being developed and improved by a network of “volunteer” software engineers (some professional, some not).  The result is the most mind boggling example of virtual collaboration I can wrap my head around.  And that just makes me smile inside and out.

Google has been my favorite browser and search engine for years.  Want to know how to fix or do anything?  ”Google is your friend” is my answer.  Provided you know what you are looking for, and don’t get lost in the centrifuge of information available, the Google search engine is a fabulous time saver for research.  the Chrome browser isn’t perfect, but it beats the heck out of Microsoft IE (I can’t even bring myself to type the full name).

Now, Google apps are in town, as part of Google Chrome.  I could go on and on about how much I love Google Apps, but I won’t, mainly because blog writing is supposed to be concise.  I now happily use Google apps for everything from accounting and invoicing (Wave) to time management (StayFocusd!).  I am moving to the cloud, where my information is anyway safer than on a laptop that could implode at any moment.

According to a 2005 study published by the University of London Institute of Psychiatry, “ Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers”.

The most benign interruptions have a similar effect on productivity as arriving at a 4-way-stop intersection. It is just not possible to make frequent stops and maintain speed at the same time.  So, even if you don’t get lost, you’re still not making very good time.

Frequently, repeat interruptions create a sort of panic effect, causing a new association, and a new “priority”.  Before you know it, an hour has slipped away, and the number #1 item on your desk has not been addressed.

This is the constant challenge of  individuals with attention challenges such as with ADD and other neuro-exceptionalities.  For everyone else, common wellness issues such as sleep or food deprivation, or even a stuffy nose can lower alertness to this point.

Living up to the multitasking myth is a daily struggle for many of my clients. This is where adapted productivity tools come in to play.  Tools such as visual and auditory cues, as well as an appropriately organized workspace, help many people get back on track, in spite of interruptions.

We live in a time where multi-tasking is a requirement, even if it is not ideal for productivity.

If you or someone in your team is having trouble keeping up, it could be that adapted tools and skills would make a huge difference.  A productivity assessment will give us the answers you need to have a happier and more productive life.  Visit the Corporate Services page of my website to find out how I can help you and your team beat the multitasking myth!

There is no shortage of information available on procrastination.  Amazon.com lists 50 titles of self-help books addressing different aspects of procrastination.  Now, if I’m late on a project deadline, the last thing I need is to snuggle in with a book.

I’d like to empower you by telling you that not procrastinating is entirely a matter of decision.  That is to say, procrastination is a result of indecision, more than anything else. Fear, fatigue, perfectionism, disorganization, poor time management, discomfort, and distractions make decision making even harder, but the bottom line is adopting a mind over matter attitude is your first step towards success.  You are in charge.

People do who don’t procrastinate are usually great at intellectualizers. They instinctively pave over excuses with practical solutions, and so quickly they don’t even know they’re doing it.   But, for many people this is a conscious process.  I don’t believe that people who don’t procrastinate don’t experience fear, fatigue, perfectionism, disorganization, discomfort, and distractions.  However, they don’t let these things stand in their way.

Coaching is a great vehicle for help in decision making. Rather than analyse your fears and challenges, coaching works with your self-awareness to develop decision-making steps that are right for you.

If you’ve been following my blogging launch in 2008, you may have noticed a sudden nose-dive in posts. It’s disappointing, to say the least, to feel “left hanging”. I’m here today to tell you that I’M BACK! and to let you in some personal experiences I’ve grown through recently. Keep reading – this is to your advantage!

We all know someone who thinks the world would be a better place if only we (or they) could “fix” our weaknesses. True, in theory.  In reality, trying to “fix” ourselves or someone else often leads to disappointment at best, conflict, low self-esteem and  dissolved relationships at worst.

The hallmark of my organizing and coaching services is that they are strengths-centered. What does that mean? Strength-centered services focus on leveraging your strongest skills and abilities to compensate for your areas of challenge. I also affectionately call this “the path of least resistance”.   Meaning, rather than try to fix you, we look at the challenging task, to see if it can be made more easily manageable, delegated or (best of all) eliminated!

What does this have to do with my recent vanishing act? While I have been away from blogging and tweeting, I have been focusing on learning the therapies to treat our youngest son, recently diagnosed with PDD-NOS, or Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I’ll spare you the gory details on the disorder, and skip to let you in on the life-altering fact I  learned in 2008:  Just as we human beings are, for the most part, very similar but somewhat different on the outside, so too are our brains very similar, but individually unique.  This is no secret to people familiar with neuro-science, occupational therapy, education (especially Special Ed), and many more “neuro-professions” (I coined that myself – what do you think?).

The bottom line is that people with major neurological differences (like ADD/ADHD/LD) experience aspects of life and living differently from “typical” people.  They hear, see, feel, smell, and relate differently to our shared environment.  It’s up to us: parents, teachers, friends employers and co-workers, to help people with differences adapt to face challenges and leverage strengths.

If you are struggling with organizing or time management, and have failed at “tried and true” methods, you may consider that your brain is just “wired differently”.  You probably don’t have anything diagnosable, but even if you do, you should know that there is a productivity consultant who won’t make feel inqdequate because of it.  I don’t want to fix you – I want to help you discover the systems that match the way your brain works. 

Don’t think that because nothing has worked up until now that no one can help you.  Contact me for a complimentary phone consultation and find out how getting ARoundTuit can change your life!

With best wishes,

Lauren

A round tuit is what most people are waiting for to take action on all sorts of tasks: the boring or unpleasant or overwhelming ones, or the ones they simply don’t know what to do with anyway.  When approached about their (let’s face it) procrastination, these people often say they will do whatever it is just as soon as they get around to it – or is that a ROUND TUIT?