Readymade Vs Learning Management System

Readymade Vs Learning Management System: What Would You Prefer?

Managing a Learning Management System (LMS) is not always easy. It is crucial that you meet the learner’s expectations. As technology advances, you must upgrade your eLearning platform to ensure that your students have access to a safe and up-to-date learning technique.

The user interface is one of the most important parts of an LMS, and your theme is the core of it. An LMS theme has an impact not only on the aesthetic element of your learning journey but on the learning experience as a whole.

Readymade Learning Management System theme

Ready-made LMS themes are the themes that are readily available in the LMS format. For building an eLearning portal, you just have to select a theme that comes with various Google fonts, sidebars and widgets, and color palettes. The content developer or an author can just import the content and set up their eLearning website with just a click.

Benefits of ready-made themes

Ready-made LMS themes or predefined LMS themes are less time-consuming and cost-effective than customized LMS themes. You can just select a theme from the list of themes that already matches your color scheme and needs. No need to go for designing the website altogether.

In addition, there is no need for a coder or designer to develop or deploy the eLearning content. Authors and trainers can quickly develop and deploy their content from anywhere, anytime.

Moreover, since LMS themes are created by the vendors themselves, they are constantly updated to meet market norms. You don’t have to worry about updates and improvements.

With an easy user interface of the ready-made theme of LMS publishing, updating and translating is an easy task with limited options, making it ideal for small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelancers.

Customized LMS theme

Customizing your training portal with your own LMS theme is more than simply changing the colors; it also entails altering the appearance and feel of your platform to reflect your brand and identity.

Because adding a personal touch to your training can help you connect with your learners more effectively.

Benefits of a custom theme in Learning Management System

Customizing eLearning courses has many advantages, but it may also seem like a lot of effort. However, using an intuitive, easy-to-use training platform, customizations are made in a matter of a few clicks.

Even small adjustments, such as adding your logo or your corporate motto, will remain in the minds of learners and remind them that this is the platform you created for them.

This will help you get more credibility and reliability, just make sure you are consistent with your brand identity elements across all media, whether it’s the messages you distribute, the ideals you promote, or the language you use.

Additionally, if you are using an LMS to train your customers, customizing it according to your brand will help enhance consumer acceptance. Moreover, since you have more control over updates and upgrades, you can make your LMS more comfortable and easy to use.

The more comfortable users are using your LMS, the more likely they are to sign in and finish their course. A platform that doesn’t match your website or other communication channels will quickly turn off users.

Also, there are no solutions in LMS that are perfect for everybody. You know your learners better than anyone else, and you understand their problems better than anybody else. As a result, you should also personalize your LMS themes to match their demands and provide a better learning experience.

Gamification and assessment notifications can also be added to a custom-made LMS for a theme that can increase user retention and employee engagement.

Conclusion:

The development of an eLearning program that offers a range of features necessitates considerable user experience investment. It requires the creation of bespoke modules and the customization of an existing codebase. As a result, you should choose a custom LMS theme with a basic codebase that you (or your developer) may enhance to improve the user experience. Although a ready-made theme for LMS offers ready-to-go patterns, one-step development, and deployment.

You can select a ready-made theme filter and check out the LMS review section to make a wise decision about the customization of the LMS interface as per your training requirements.

4 Best Solutions You Can Tailor for Your Remote Workers

Four Best Remote Worker Solutions You Can Implement

Remote workers can be an essential aspect of your business. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began and spread, companies underwent forced lockdowns, thus increasing the number of remote working employees. A survey states that 88% of businesses worldwide directed and encouraged their employees to work from home. This unexpected change in circumstances forced many companies to search for ways to work with their remote employees. Thanks to advancements in technology and software, employers progressively find it easier to work productively with their off-site staff. Reports show that several companies are changing some job positions to allow their workers to work full-time or partial hours from home.

However, shifting to a remote work setup has a fair share of challenges for employers. How can you manage the attendance and performance of your employees in a remote setup? What are the best strategies to secure business data with distributed teams? Business communications, people management, time management, customer service, and IT security are common topics of concern for many employers planning to embrace remote and hybrid (combination of in-house and remote employees) workplaces.

Now, companies can tap into several solutions to meet their productivity quota with remote working staff. As an employer, what are some of the best solutions you can tailor for your remote workers?

Human Resource Onboarding Software

Various digital human resource (HR) platforms ease the time-consuming process of hiring and integrating new staff into an organization. These HR digital packages assist in the reduction of time taken between searching for capable employees to hiring them. These platforms aid you in reducing the amount of paperwork needed for hiring staff, processing employee benefits, and simplifies the set-up of payroll.

GoCo Onboarding platform

GoCo blog points out companies can customize HR platforms to meet the needs of their business. The value of these platforms affects your business’s bottom line by reducing the cost of having a well-streamlined HR structure.

Communication Platforms for Your Remote Workers

Ongoing and clear communication is essential to the success of any business project and venture. Your remote workers face isolation and non-face-to-face immediate interaction. Team meetings, coffee and lunch breaks, chats with colleagues made it easier to access direct information between in-house co-workers. Employees working in remote locations do not have the same access to these informal chats. To reduce this lack of immediate communication, you can invest in internal communication customizable software and platforms to include remote workers.

Zoom Video Conferencing

The Zoom platform enables businesses and individuals to conduct group meetings, one-to-one meetings, and host events and webinars. During these events, Zoom video conferencing allows you to present your PowerPoint presentations, the use of whiteboards, and other software that engages your employees or clients. It allows for the set-up of different breakout rooms for more in-depth team discussions or social chats. You can record a meeting or webinar to have it accessible during offline hours to your employees, clients, or as a marketing tool for your website.

Microsoft Teams to Help Your Remote Workers

Microsoft Teams offers a virtual office for team discussions, meetings, social chats, and team document collaboration. This virtual office makes it easier for remote workers to fit into an organization or company. Microsoft Teams allows room for file sharing, basic video calls, integrating different applications, and other features. A feature within Microsoft Teams is its digital working space under its ‘Together mode’ that allows both in-house and remote teams to work in the same workspace or ‘sit together’ as a team.

Remote IT Support and Support for Remote Workers

In-house office setting, getting the IT staff to check on your computer or failing software is not a hustle. How about when you are working remotely? Platforms such as TeamViewer make it easier for the IT guy to help you fix your computer problem.

TeamViewer

With TeamViewer installed on your computer, the IT staff can remotely and securely access it. You provide the IT person with the login details and the security number generated when you access the TeamViewer, thus allowing the IT staff to access your computer and help you fix the computer issue. Team viewer gives remote access to any device across various platforms.

Because remote and hybrid workers are at a high risk of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, companies and organizations must take more stringent security measures. Phishing, ransomware, and data leakage are just a few of the many IT problems remote workplaces may encounter. A minor IT problem can become a disaster, compromising the entire business. Hence, remote workplaces have several options:

Hiring an in-house IT expert.
Taking advantage of managed IT support Melbourne services.
Self-managing your IT security.

Conclusion

Remote work settings are increasingly growing, even after the peak rates of the pandemic, because of their cost-effectiveness. The recommended solutions above can help you manage your remote workers without compromising your business data, employees’ performance, and output quality. Having the right tools and strategies for remote work management can help make your company more successful.

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Multitasking 101: Effective Strategies to Handle Multiple Projects at Work

Everyone has situations when it is necessary to work and organize the work process correctly. Man is not a computer, and he has no such property as multitasking. With many tasks, we do the first, then the second, then the third, and so on. Many, perhaps, think of themselves as great multitaskers. Still, modern researchers have concluded that the human brain can focus well on only one task. Suppose you engage in another task simultaneously, the likelihood of loss of work quality and making mistakes increases. Let’s see how to debug this very multitasking and remain an adequate person.

How to Manage Multiple Projects at Work

Planning goals

Your main goal is to deliver quality work on time. It is essential to maintain an emotional balance, a desire to continue working with the project, the team, and the company. Working effectively on all projects is well taught in preparation for the PMP certification. Having received quality training, you also positively characterize yourself as a specialist in the company, which further affects the likelihood of working on important and exciting projects, increasing your value. PMP certification will significantly facilitate the work itself and allow you to achieve greater efficiency.

Effective multitasking

Get as much information as possible about the project when you connect to it. Make a list of questions that need to be answered at the beginning of the work. The main principle is to find out everything, if possible: from the project’s name to the minor details. Ask questions, and don’t stop until you get an answer that you understand. If you start getting to know the details of the project after a few weeks of work, it will look odd. If a certain project requires teamwork then make sure to get familiar with the work method of your coworkers. Get to know them better with various team-building activities and once you know them better you can divide work and tasks more easily and efficiently.

Time management

If you are on a part-time project, your team should be aware of this. Create time schedules for projects, for example: on project “A,” I work until 1 pm, on project “B” and “C” after 1 pm. On project “A,” I spend no more than 3 hours a day, and on projects “B” and “C” – no more than 5 hours. Make a plan and stay on schedule. It makes sense for those who are deeply immersed in work and forget about time to set the alarm or make reminders – whoever is comfortable. Read a couple of books on time management. I don’t know the person who was hurt by this.

Planning each project

Don’t get started without a plan. It is much more effective to make a plan at the beginning of a project and stick to it in the future. It can be the main points, and it can be a plan for a week, a month. Everything is individual, what suits and likes you. Ideally, this could be a specific planning tool. In its simplest form – a table by day with columns: the project, the planned time and tasks, the time spent and the result of the work, problem points, etc. Making notes, you can deduce patterns of which assignments are given with ease and which are problematic.

Remember that there is always something more important, and something can be postponed without loss. Prioritizing is difficult but necessary. By analyzing the current situation, prioritize your tasks. The Pareto principle in its most general form is formulated as follows: 20% of the efforts give 80% of the result, the remaining 80% of the efforts – only 20% of the result. This rule applies to workflows as well. Identify the main and the secondary and start your work with the main.

Don’t get distracted while multitasking

You have planned and organized your workflow on projects. Be prepared to be distracted with or without reason. The transition to another task/project always takes time to rebuild and get involved in work. You not only split your work time into projects but also spend it switching between them. Always try to keep these jumps to a minimum. At the end of the day, after switching several times, it may turn out that you have not completed a single task on any of the projects, and the result from your work is minimal.

All of the above is the experience of professional project managers, and this is just the top of the iceberg. Perhaps, it was not a discovery for you. For someone, that was a straw that will help keep you on the waves of multitasking.

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How to Deal with Workplace Stress

How to Handle Workplace Stress

A silent killer is present in your workplace; his name is workplace stress. He shakes your concentration, depletes your energy, and shakes your confidence. Your colleagues whisper about him and the managers are in denial of his existence. Numerous scientific studies have linked stress to a wide range of physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches, chest pain, stomach upset, and sleep issues. Not to forget the role it plays in mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

According to OSHA, stress is a hazard in the workplace. And it costs organizations an average of $190 billion in healthcare bills every year. This problem affects almost every industry in the world. More than 60 percent of adults have reported that work is among their biggest sources of stress. Researchers at Harvard and Stanford found that stressful jobs can lower life expectancy. The best way to manage stress is to keep it at a healthy level so that it doesn’t overwhelm you. And we are here to help you do that.

1. Prioritize and organize

One of the best ways to deal with stress in the workplace is by prioritizing and organizing it. Even if you are a disorganized person, planning will decrease your stress. When you are organized with your time, you’ll avoid rushing in the morning and putting in extra hours. You’ll avoid the negative effects of clutter and boost your efficiency at work. Here’s how you can do it:

Set clear goals: Before prioritizing, you have to set clear goals. You should clarify your goals and objectives with your manager. Ensure that your to-do list is filled with activities that support your big goals.
Prioritize: Prioritizing is all about using your goals to determine the importance of each task. Before working on a task or activity, ask yourself, “Is this getting me closer to my goals?” If the answer is no, it shouldn’t be a priority.
Focus on three things: Everything can never be a priority. You need to focus on three things that will have the greatest impact on your goals each week.
Set deadlines: All important activities or tasks should have a deadline.
Create a to-do list: This is simple and quite effective. To get things done on time, you need to write them down on a piece of paper or an app. Organizing your activities in order of importance and spending most of your time on the important ones will pay off in spades.

2. Avoid multitasking

Back in the day, multitasking was a popular method that people used to get more things done during the workday. However, people realized that doing multiple tasks at the same time greatly affected their accuracy and speed (not to mention their mental health). Scientific studies have shown that the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking splits your focus. And you end up doing all your tasks in an average way. Keep in mind that no one wants average. We all want the best. Instead of multitasking, train your mind to focus on one thing at a time.

3. Focus on progress

What does it take to become a high achiever? Some excel at work by being perfectionists. However, perfectionism can create huge problems for you and your colleagues in the workplace. Nobody is perfect in this world. This means that no one can do everything perfectly all the time especially in a busy workplace. Therefore, don’t focus on perfectionism – focus on progress. Progress involves striving to do your best and congratulating yourself for every step you take regardless of its size. When you focus on progress, you’ll achieve your goals easily and quickly.

4. Record your stressors

Identifying situations that lead to stress in the workplace is essential if you want to improve your mental health. Working in an uncomfortable space, or with unwilling people can result in overwhelm and stress. Being aware of your thoughts and emotions in different situations in the workplace is one of the best ways to deal with stress in the workplace.

5. Take time to recharge

The recovery process involves having periods where you neither think of nor engage in work. You need to disengage from time to time in ways that fit your preferences and needs. Don’t waste your vacation days. Whenever you can, take time off to unwind so that you come back to the office feeling energized and ready to perform at your best. If you can’t take time off, turn off your phone and focus on activities that aren’t related to your work for a short time.

6. Set boundaries

In our modern world, you can be pressurized to avail yourself all the time. You need to boundaries to avoid stress in the workplace. This could mean not checking your email once you leave the office or not answering work-related phone calls in the evening at home. While everyone has different preferences when it comes to balancing their home and work life, you need to set clear boundaries to avoid conflicts and the stress that comes with it.

7. Develop healthy responses

Stress is part of life. You cannot avoid it completely especially in the workplace. Therefore, instead of fighting it with alcohol or fast foods, you need to make informed decisions when tension rises. Exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress. You can also consider making time for your hobbies. It could be reading a novel, playing games with your loved ones or going to concerts. Always make time for people and things that make you happy. Getting good quality sleep is a key ingredient for stress management. Forming good habits such as minimizing gadget use at night and limiting your caffeine intake during the day will pay off.

8. Relax

Various techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditation can help you deal with stress effectively. Start by taking a few minutes every day to focus on simple activities such as walking, breathing, or preparing a good dish. Your ability to focus on a single activity will get stronger as you practice. And you can apply it in other areas of your life.

Conclusion

These tips will help you deal with stress in the workplace effectively. What are you going to try out today?

Justin Osborne is a essay writer, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at best essay writing service.

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12 Ways To Reduce Employee Burnout And Increase Productivity

Employee burnout is a problem in stable environments let alone the current turbulent times. It is far more important to take care of the employees than it has been in the past. The employees that burn out faster are usually the ones who are too invested in their work and are high-performers. Therefore, it becomes even more important to retain these employees rather than preparing for new recruits which cost much higher.

I have been working in the corporate world for close to two decades and I can vouch for the employee burnout concept. There are a lot of factors that can help you determine if you as a business owner, manager or HR needs in order to reduce employee burnouts such as what’s the general philosophy of your firm? What is the kind of behavior that is promoted at the workplace? Are there enough resources and are they available to everyone? Is the culture of your workplace an open one? Do you have an easy onboarding process?

12 Ways To Reduce Employee Burnout and Increase Productivity

While you answer those questions, somewhere in the fine lines of the records you will be able to read the real reason behind why employees get overworked at your workplace. Here are some ways to reduce employee burnout:

1. It is a 9-5 on paper and 9-10 in reality:

Yes, we all know that is a thing with workplaces, don’t we? You have to introduce proper working hours in your organization if you want to prevent employee burnout. There are people who can work longer hours than others, but let those extra hours not be the basis of performance. Promote a healthy work culture where sitting extra hours in the office doesn’t mean brownie points, it just means inefficiency to complete the given amount of work on time. Promote getting in early and getting our early culture or maybe discuss with your team and see what works best for them. Maybe in the wake of the current situation, they have some special requirements. Please take it through the proper procedure and see if you can help.

2. Make employees feel welcome:

It is very important that you make your employees a priority while taking decisions that might impact them in any manner. Make them feel involved in the company’s decisions and make their opinions valued and heard. For example, In my previous organization, there was a concept of Career Counsellor and the counselee within the organization. This career counselor was someone who was not on the same team as your manager and could still present your case to the manager because their role is similar to your manager’s and so is their position within the organization. This made it very easy for the employees to approach the career counselor even if they couldn’t directly approach their managers about a certain issue.

That’s a brilliant idea, in my opinion, however, it always made me feel like a direct approach works well but you have to create the right environment for it. Make all your employees heard and valued. It works well not just in keeping employees happy but makes them productive too.

3. Play fair and square:

Does the workplace promote untimely promotions without merit? Does the workplace support recognition for small achievements of some employees while ignoring the others? If your workplace promotes such hostile practices, then you know why your well-performing employees are looking for other jobs. It is safe to say that we all love honesty and hard work and if you keep the workplace honest, it is likely to make everyone want to perform to the best of their abilities when they don’t feel cheated and their efforts don’t feel useless to them because someone less qualified got promoted over them!

4. Promote vacation time:

A lot of companies around the world are now promoting unlimited vacation time. Think of a time where the number of holidays you take is not directly proportional to your salary. Now think the same about your employees. Think about how much load it takes off the chest. But well, let’s be real. It is not possible for every company out there to change their policies overnight for newer concepts that are still in testing waters. What can be done is that companies can encourage their employees to take vacation time and utilize it. It is also important that employees are encouraged not to work during their vacation time. It should be an actual time off work for them to enjoy other things in life so that they return to work refreshed. A good night’s sleep can work wonders for us, imagine what a two-week-long vacation can do. Don’t we all function better after a vacation? (Well, keeping our urge to go on another vacation aside!!!)

5. Offer flexible and remote working options:

Companies used to think that remote working wasn’t possible, and now look at them! They have shut offices because they realized they will save on so many expenses that way. Many companies, big and small have adopted the work from home permanently where they have given up their office spaces. It depends on the employee to the employee but you should have the option of letting your employees work remotely if they want. You can organize this process of managing remote work by using FactoHR, BambooHR, and Payroo. Apart from that, you can always honestly give your employee feedback about their productivity if it suffers. But hard-working employees who are ready to put in the work even while being away from the office are hardly shirkers. Therefore, it is important for you to be flexible and allow for remote working options within your organization.

6. Take care of their well-being:

Whether it is that yoga session or getting a general physician and that psychologist or leadership expert on board, you need to take care of your employees. This instills in them a feeling of being cared for and looked after and employees who feel a part of the family, don’t leave the family.

7. Have an open channel of communication:

Is everyone in your organization comfortable talking about their problems and just at water coolers and washrooms breaks in hushed voices but actually, logically put their point forth and get a solution for it? If that doesn’t happen, it is time you make some changes to the workplace and encourage employees to talk and connect more. Because some problems can be solved just by being a part of a good and helpful network that always come forth to solve any issues the team might be facing.

8. Introduce and practice the concept of work-life balance:

A lot of firms talk about work-life balance but only a few practice it. Do your employees work after going home? Do your employees work during their time off on weekends? Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions, then you need to work on inculcating some good work culture within your organization. Employees need to have time off from work for their minds and body to relax and rejuvenate from all the hard work they put in while at work. Here’s a leave management guide, in case you don’t have one in place yet.

Your employees don’t work but you send them emails during weekends which piles on more work for them over the weekdays? Well, then you need some work-life balance in your life too. If you are the manager and you are a good manager, chances are that many of your teammates see you as an inspiration or at least follow your orders without any questions because they have to. It is time for you to lead by example and take time off work. Give yourself the much-needed break or you will burn out before your employees do. When your employees see you being efficient with your work and managing your time perfectly, they will learn it too or maybe you can have short meetings and tell them how they can do their work more efficiently in a lesser amount of time and get themselves the much-needed break from work, each and every day.

9. Is it break time yet?:

How often have I worked in companies where the employees eagerly waited for the lunch hour like it was school! I always wondered why I was supposed to bring my school culture into my work culture? Work is supposed to be done with a peaceful and free mind, not while it is constantly making plans to eat lunch and biding time. Offices should have a culture of break time during the day, nothing that hampers creativity but something that will totally boost productivity if they don’t have the sword hanging over their heads for the break time they take if their work is complete.

10. Have cool-off zones and fun activities in the office:

A lot of offices these days have snooker tables, basketballs, PS zones, table tennis, foosball tables and other board games for employees to take their mind off of work and relax. It is important for you to make sure that employees have enough entertainment available at the workplace to rewind from a stressful situation at the earliest and nothing better than getting some stress buster activities right within the premises. You can have employees come together and make an intro video and have a lot of fun, while you are at it!

11. Consider reshuffling and rescheduling:

Employees burn out faster if they feel that the role they can perform better in a different role on the project than the one they have been assigned. And when that happens, it is important that as a manager, you hear them out and make the necessary changes, if you see their skill set is a better match. It is also a good idea to reshuffle work within the team so that nobody feels that the other person is favored with the most important tasks of the project, in spite of having the same skill set and credibility.

12. Ask for feedback:

You rolled out a new plan? There is a new vacation program? There is a new offshore program? If you are looking at fun activities and you need to generate new slogans for this activity that sticks, here is how to find effective slogans for your initiative. Or simply ask them about what they think about their position in the company and what changes would they like you to make in order to make it more conducive to them? Yes, a little effort from your end will go a long way in preventing employee burnout.

It is important to really take care of your employees if you want to keep them from leaving you and going to the competitor. You should take care to keep some basics in mind to retain the employees you have, especially the top-notch ones who run a higher risk of burning out sooner because they are more invested than others. It is up to you to make sure to find out if that’s happening within your organization and turn it around by not just stopping the employee burnout but making the workforce even more productive. Check out this article with 7 more ways to reduce employee burnout.

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7 Ways For Small Business Owners To Avoid Burnout

How do small business owners avoid burnout? For many small business owners, their businesses are an all-encompassing and time-consuming activity which requires their full dedication. Yet, burnout and the inability to switch off, particularly from technology, is a very real problem for many entrepreneurs. From depression to coronary heart disease and fatigue, burnout can have serious consequences for you and your business.

Here are seven ways to help you learn how to avoid burnout

Be Organized And Use Time Efficiently

Entrepreneurs tend to be extremely busy. In order to avoid burnout, effective time management is one of the most important skills that you need to develop. In order to stay productive and focused, make sure that you take some time to organize your working day.

Ensure that you have an organized filing system so that you can easily store and retrieve files and data whenever you need it. In particular, administrative and financial tasks can cause some of the most stress. If there are particular tasks that you find especially stressful or tend to avoid doing, make sure that you create a plan in order to get these done in plenty of time.

Similarly, make sure that you use a comprehensive bookkeeping system in order to stay on top of your finances. Not only will this enable you to stay up-to-date with your business, but it can also be used to automate tasks, thereby saving you time. This will also make it easier and less stressful when it comes to completing your tax return.

Prioritize Tasks

It can be easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of things that you have to get done. Instead of trying to do everything at once, make a list and prioritize the tasks. Consider using a digital list-making app, which enables you to set reminders and share your lists.

“There may be tasks that need to be prioritized first due to set deadlines. Alternatively, consider prioritizing tasks based on goals. You can further categorize tasks into those which are ‘important’ or ‘urgent’. Not only will this make things more manageable, but you’ll also be able to dedicate your time and energy to the most pressing tasks first. Most importantly, be realistic about how much you can get done each day,” says Hollie Wymore, a writer at Lia Help and State Of Writing.

Avoid Multitasking

Multitasking is an important and valuable skill. However, there are times when multitasking can actually be counterproductive, leading to divided attention and errors, as well as increased stress and burnout. Instead of trying to do multiple tasks all at once, schedule individual time for each task. In this way, you’ll be able to fully focus on each task, improving your productivity and reducing the potential for mistakes.

Delegate Wherever Possible

Entrepreneurs are known for trying to do it all themselves. However, it can actually be more efficient to delegate tasks to employees or vendors, freeing you up to do other important tasks. Be aware of tasks which can be suitably delegated to others within your business, as well as any areas in which you require additional support. As a result, you’ll be able to make better use of your time and skills, as well as those of your employees.

Similarly, learn when to turn down work. Assess incoming work against your ideal client, project or business goals. Avoid taking on work which doesn’t meet these lists to prevent unnecessary stress.

Stay Healthy

Very often, burnout can be traced back to other aspects of lifestyle, including poor sleep, diet and exercise. Many entrepreneurs put their businesses, particularly in the early days, ahead of their own sleep and wellbeing. However, staying healthy is essential if your business is to thrive.

“Start by assessing your sleep,” suggests Joseph Gray, a small business blogger at Boomessays and Essayroo. “Getting sufficient sleep every night is extremely important. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Similarly, make sure that you’re eating a healthy diet and try to introduce some exercise into your weekly routine. Try to schedule a lunch break every day, where you can sit down and take the time to eat properly or even do a short workout. This will give your body the chance to recharge and feel more energized and better prepared for work.”

Schedule Regular Breaks

Incorporate regular breaks throughout your day, as these will enable you to refresh your creativity and refocus. Similarly, if you’re struggling with a particular task, consider taking a short break or returning to it at a different time of day.

A change of location can also help break up the day and inspire more productivity. Many entrepreneurs have the fortune of being able to work remotely, so consider trying to work in a flexible work space or a coffee shop to aid creativity.

Set Work Hours And Stick To Them

To improve productivity, set work hours and stick to them. At the end of your work day, whatever time that may be, be strict with yourself and avoid answering emails and unplug from your devices. Having a regular schedule can help you to be better organized and make the most of your time. It will also help you to develop a more positive work-life balance, leading to reduced stress and burnout.

Similarly, schedule down time into your day. In the same way you’d schedule a meeting, schedule in some time for exercise, to read, or simply step away from your work. If possible, try to book a holiday too, whether it’s a full week off, a long weekend or even just one day to yourself.

Conclusion

Burnout is a very real problem for many small business owners. Running your own business can be overwhelming and all encompassing, leaving you with little time for yourself or your personal commitments and interests. However, in order to run a successful business, it’s essential that you find a balance between your work and home life. By following the steps above, you’ll not only avoid burnout and reduce stress, but you’ll also become more productive and successful.

Lauren Groff is a successful small business writer at Academic Writing Services and Essay Services, where she regularly writes about ways to improve productivity in the workplace, as well as sharing tips on how to run a successful small business. She is also an experienced editor at OX Essays. When not writing, Lauren enjoys spending time reading and attending business conferences

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TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is an essential skill that enables you to work smarter – not harder – to do more in less time, even as time seems to be small and the activities are more than the available time in a day. Failure in time management significantly reduces your efficiency and increases stress.

Sometimes, one day seems not to be enough time to get things done. However, it takes time management to use the same 24 hours we all get to be productive and achieve more. The highest achievers are efficient time managers. Using time management techniques will help you improve your ability to function more effectively – even when time is tight and pressures are high.

But first, when we talk of time management, what exactly do we mean?

What Is Time Management?

Time management refers to the process of organizing and planning your time – allocating how long you spend on specific activities.

Though it may seem counter-productive to spend valuable time learning about time management rather than spending it on the overwhelming work you have, the benefits of learning time management are significant.

Benefits of Time Management

Stress relief

Setting up a structured schedule and following it up to achieve desired results reduces anxiety. By checking off items on your list of tasks to be done, you can quickly assess whether or not you’re making tangible progress. This keeps worrying about whether you’re getting things done out of the picture as you become less stressed.

More time

Efficient time management creates more time for you to spend in your daily lives. Effective time management gives you the ability to allocate it better and free up wastes that you can spend on hobbies or other personal pursuits.

Increased opportunities

Efficient time management will reduce the amount of time wasted, and that is a skill that can create opportunities for you. Employers nowadays jump on those who can efficiently manage time, as they’d be profitable in their organization/ corporate structure.

Greater likelihood of achieving meaningful life and career goals.

Good time management skills allow you to achieve goals and objectives better and, more importantly, do so in a shorter length of time. It is, therefore, an essential skill for achieving your personal and career goals in the seemingly short time we have. This will also go to build your reputation as an effective manager.

On the flip side, failing to manage your time effectively can have glaring and undesirable repercussions:

Missed deadlines
Inefficient workflow.
Poor work quality.
A stalled career as a result of a poor professional reputation.
Greater stress levels.

It is essential to dedicate time to learn about time management and the techniques you can use to manage time better effectively.

Time Management Tips

Time management is inextricably linked to success in life, and here are some strategies you can apply to become a more effective time manager.

Create a time audit

Time management starts by identifying where you’re spending your time. Often, what you think is taking up your time isn’t always what is doing so. It is easy to misjudge how long it takes you to get tasks done.

For example, you may think writing an email takes up just 5 minutes of your time, and you allocate just 5 minutes in the belief that it is just a short 300-word email and shouldn’t take long to write. But the reality is, you’re overestimating your speed and underestimating other related, smaller tasks that go in to ensure the tasks go to completion; smaller tasks like proof-reading, monitoring language choice and locating email addresses. These smaller tasks unaccounted for can raise the time of completion of the email-writing task from the planned 5 minutes to well over 20 minutes – that’s 500% more time than you initially planned.

Now, imagine you had this same problem for many other tasks in your day. What was a well-balanced workload from the start of the day will soon spiral into a stress-filled and unproductive to-do list as the day goes on.

Effective time management requires that you have a realistic idea of what you can accomplish and genuinely take up your time. That’s why a time audit is essential.

One easy way to achieve a time audit is to use time-tracking applications to keep an eye on everything you do for a week. At the end of the week, critically analyze the reports on how you spent your time and see where you’re ineffective. This will allow you to become a better time manager as you take necessary corrective steps in the right direction towards effective time management.

Set achievable goals and prioritize your tasks

Taking on too much to do in a short and unrealistic time frame will lead to inefficiency, no matter how apt you are at time management. Having too much on your plate will make you less efficient and stressed out, and the remedy is prioritizing.

If you feel like you’re taking on way more than is feasible in a day, then you can try using the 4 Ds of time management: Do, Defer, Delegate and Delete. This helps you prioritize by having you put your tasks into one of 4 groups:

Do: For tasks that are important and urgent.

Defer: For tasks that are important but not urgent.

Delegate: For tasks that are urgent but not important.

Delete: For tasks that are neither urgent nor important.

Following this approach will help you determine what tasks you should prioritize and what tasks you should defer, delegate, or delete.

Also, when setting your goals, you should ensure they are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Create a daily plan or to-do list

Having a daily planner or to-do list is another significant step towards effective time management. You can do this either in the wee hours of your workday or at the close of the day in view of the following day.

In creating a to-do list, be sure to keep it simple. No one likes to keep seeing a half-checked list day after day, as it can be disheartening. It is better to over deliver because you are under-promised than to overshoot and fall short of expectations, which applies to your personal productivity.

When creating items in your to-do list, word them as though they were already completed rather than as yet to be accomplished tasks. For example, instead of “Submit project report to management,” rewording to “Project report to management submitted” would boost your motivation when you tick off the task as accomplished from your to-do list.

Plan your week on Sunday

As the next time management strategy, starting your week with a plan will help you focus on your top priorities. It also helps you transition from the carefree weekend mindset to a productive Monday morning “work brain.”

It is essential you plan for your week on Sunday to be more effective at time management. Planning before the first workday of the week will increase your chances of success as you would have broken down your weekly goals into smaller daily tasks. By doing so, you’ll be able to see what you need to do every day at a glance.

To better position yourself for success, set low-priority tasks from the latter days of the week, like Friday, and at low energy times too. Remember, your energy and creativity levels aren’t the same throughout the week. As such, program creative and demanding tasks on Tuesday and Wednesday and meetings for Thursday when overall work energy starts to decline. Invest your Fridays and Mondays for planning and networking. This will make you more efficient at time management.

Take on the most critical task of the day early in the morning

For the vast majority of people, the first few hours of work are the most productive. Strangely enough, you focus a lot better when your brain hasn’t fully awoken, and you should use this to your advantage as you strive to become better at time management.

Your productivity decreases through the course of the day. So, accomplish your most important and demanding tasks first thing in the morning. Take on the most mentally demanding tasks first thing as you wake up.

Use the 80-20 Rule.

The 80-20 rule, conceived by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, also known as the Pareto Principle, reveals that 80% of an outcome generally comes from only 20% of its inputs.

To become better at time management, leverage this knowledge and discover what activities are a part of that 20 percent.

If, for example, as an agency worker, you invest just30 minutes a day in sending emails to attract clients, then one hour daily to maintain a social media account that draws in fewer customers than the email service you maintain, it is clear you should drift attention to your emailing efforts if you want to maximize your efforts and get more clients.

You can always conduct a time audit or employee time tracking tools if you’re not sure of the activities that sit in your 20%. Al, this will go to make you much better at time management.

Take advantage of golden hours or prime biological time

There is a time of the day you’re most productive to each individual, what we’ll refer to as your golden hours or prime time. Knowing this will help you optimize your workload and make you more proficient at time management.

An easy way to find your golden hours or prime biological time is to segment your workday into 3-5 time slots. Closely monitor your productivity throughout the week at every time slot. At the week’s end, compare the timeslots and rank them according to productivity. The most consistent time slot in which you were most productive falls within your golden hours.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to plan your week better, engaging in more complex or highly involved tasks during your golden hours for greater productivity.

Make use of the Swiss cheese method

Large tasks can often make you feel overwhelmed, causing you to procrastinate or affect your ability to focus, as you seem not to know where to begin.

The next tip to effective time management is using the Swiss cheese method, coined by Alan Lakein. The swiss cheese method shows that the best way to approach such large tasks is to break them down into smaller tasks or time chunks. By completing a single, small task or a 15-minute time block, you’ll make a large project less daunting and more likely to be completed on time.

Put a time limit on tasks

Parkinson’s law shows that tasks expand to fill the time they’re given. If you apportion a task two hours rather than one, you’d realize that the amount of work needed to accomplish the task will expand to fill the whole two hours.

Therefore, another essential strategy towards effective time management is setting time limits for your tasks. Using time audits and time tracking, identify tasks that took longer than expected to accomplish. Set time limits to such tasks. This will enable you to be more focused and efficient at accomplishing the task. You will also be constrained to complete the task in the specified period, thereby preventing the task from expanding, as in the case when duties are not well-defined or controlled.

If you still realize you’re exceeding time limits, then you should probably examine your workflow and determine if you should assign more time to such tasks in the future. You could also eliminate little time-wasters like unscheduled breaks.

Record impromptu tasks too

In time management, it is an irrefutable fact that irrespective of how much you plan, unexpected tasks will always pop up during the day. You should also note these impromptu tasks beside your scheduled to-do list and tick them off as you accomplish them. By the day’s end, review your achievements, and don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back. This review period will increase your confidence and boost your morale in time management as you plan the following week’s tasks.

Be one day early

As we talk about time management, we can’t go by without addressing the aspect of working under pressure. Now, most people think they work best when they’re under the intense pressure of a deadline. They will, by this notion, put off work until the day before it is due. However, this isn’t the case for most. It is commonplace for projects to take more than previously planned, making it challenging to complete projects on time. As such, waiting for the last minute will make you a poor time manager, as the designated time may be insufficient to complete the tasks, thus setting you in a position to pull off an impossible feat.

So, set an earlier deadline for yourself than stipulated deadlines and work towards it. Always try to be a day ahead of time, and you’d become better at time management.

Be careful of replying to messages right away

You shouldn’t be quick at replying to emails or messages at the very instant they arrive if you intend to become great at time management. Attend to calls, emails, and clack messages in bulk during your downtime. Turn off unimportant notifications when working on high-focus tasks to avoid distractions and interruptions.

Determine desired results before meetings

As much as meetings are an essential part of every work environment, they are also a well-known time sink. Sometimes, those meetings, whether in person or via remote platforms, can go on longer than planned, and that is a real-time killer. Therefore, to ensure productive and timely meetings, establish the desired purpose and outcome of meetings before holding them. This will keep meetings objective and result-tailored.

Draw up an agenda for your meeting, and communicate with all participants well before the meeting. You will waste less time in the meeting and get back to work quicker, making you more productive and efficient at time management.

Schedule breaks between tasks

In our quest to become better at time management, we must understand that the human brain goes through primary rest-activity cycles (BRAC) during waking and resting hours of the day. The brain alternates between higher and lower alertness every 90 minutes. Therefore, after an intensive work session for more than 90 minutes, we begin to burn through our emergency reserve straw of energy to keep going.

Thus, it helps to schedule a break every 90 minutes to keep your focus to a maximum, thereby enhancing productivity during the workday. This is an excellent strategy for effective time management.

Make the most of waiting times

Waiting is an inevitable part of life. We wait in lines; airport terminals, train stations, waiting rooms, etc. these waiting times are a great window of opportunity to catch up on missed calls and messages. You can also take on activities like meditation, stretch/exercise, and answering emails on your phone. You could even catch up on reading a book in hand or on an e-reader. And the book doesn’t have to be related to work. In general, reading boosts concentration and improves brain connectivity.

Use apps to block out distractions

The “do not disturb” feature exists for a reason and is a great time management tool to keep you focused on computers and phones. There are tools out there that could block out distracting websites as you work, as well as social media feeds when you’re taking on an intellectually intensive task.

Minimize your open windows

When working on the computer, it can be easy to work with many open windows on the desktop. As such, focus your attention by working on just a single monitor at a time and keep just the essential window(s) open. If it becomes necessary, you could even go offline to stay focused on the task at hand.

Organize your emails

We work a lot with emails in a digital age, and having a cluttered inbox can be a time sink. One practical way to speed up email communication and waste less time on exchanges is to stratify and organize your inbox carefully. To do this, you could:

Archive emails that might contain vital info but don’t require an immediate response.
Use actionable labels like URGENT, PENDING, NEEDS ACTION.
Use filters to automatically assign labels to incoming mail based on specific criteria like the sender’s name or some other information/keyword they contain. You could use this to label all newsletters by setting up a filter for every email that contains the word ‘Unsubscribe,’ common to all newsletters.
Enable Canned Responses and create reply templates from emails that you’ve sent more than twice. Simply having a general outline of messages before you start will speed up the process considerably.

Avoid multitasking

When it comes to time management, one of the biggest hindrances is multitasking, as it dramatically diminishes productivity. Those who multitask are less likely to avert distractions than their focusing counterparts. Multitasking can also negatively affect your cognitive ability.

To combat multitasking, be disciplined to take up a single task, set a timer, and work on just that single task until you either complete it, or the timer goes off. This will help you stay focused and improve your quality standard as you become better at time management.

Exercise often

To become better at time management, then apportion time to exercise regularly. Exercise has a considerable impact on your productivity. You could achieve up to a 72% improvement in time management and workload completion by adding workday exercise to your routines. And the sessions don’t always have to be extended. Short and intense workout sessions will do the trick as well as longer sessions. Find what works for you and set aside quality time for short workout sessions to boost your productivity.

Sleep well.

A critical principle of time management is setting aside ample time to rest. Sleep is an essential aspect of human life, and the quality of sleep you get daily can significantly affect your productivity. Tired people procrastinate more and easily get distracted more.

Sacrificing sleep to get more work done hampers your productivity and cognitive ability both in the short and long run. As such, commit to at least eight hours of sleep every night, even when the deadline is fast approaching, and you’d be more productive at what you do.

Learn to say no

Time is small and precious. So, don’t waste the little time you have in ventures that do no good in advancing your goals and mission. Learn to say “no” to tasks and events that distract you from your priorities. Instead of automatically accepting invitations and offers, it’s better to say, “I’ll check my schedule and get back to you.’” This simple phrase will buy you time to assess offers better and make intelligent decisions.

23: Have a great time—no matter what

As you strive towards more effective time management, it is imperative that you not get obsessed with checking off items on your to-do list. We all need a work/life balance, and finishing up your list of tasks to be done today isn’t work sustaining a burnout tomorrow.

So, work steadily and enjoy yourself. Try to have a great time and find delight in what you do daily.

So, there you have it. With these time management tips, you will be more productive as you start taking control of your time. Here’s another article about managing your time.

effective communications keys to business success time management

15 STRATEGIES TO RUN TEAM MEETINGS

STRATEGIES TO RUN TEAM MEETINGS

Team Meetings are an essential part of the business environment, as well as the healthy functioning of teams. But to be helpful, they have to be done well. When done effectively, team meetings can propel the company as a whole on the path of progress. But when overlooked, it can hinder growth and foster stagnation.

TEAM MEETINGS – HOW TO RUN ONE WELL

So, how can you run an effective team meeting? Let’s find out.

Why Have Team Meetings?

So, what is the deal with team meetings? Do I need a team meeting? What are the benefits of having team meetings?

There may persons who wish team meetings could just be erased, and I hear you. But then, the benefits of these team meetings are significant and can enhance the team’s overall productivity. Here are a few benefits of having regular team meetings.

To provide information

Whenever there is information to be disseminated to all team members, the team meeting is the perfect venue. Major points can be explained and emphasized without having to repeat the same thing to all members individually.

To give room for feedback and Ideas

While the information may be a one-sided flow of intelligence /instruction from hierarchy to subordinates, feedback is the medium of reverse flow from subordinates to hierarchy. Feedback encompasses the team members’ reactions and performances for improvement. Team members, via team meetings, can express their challenges and opinions for the team’s betterment.

To strengthen a team

Getting together as a team in a team meeting instills that sense of commitment, unity, and togetherness, as team members get to interact with each other.

To enhance team collaboration

Team meetings create that avenue for team members to share information and collaborate actively to better the team.

Types of team meetings you need to know

There are various types of team meetings, each defined by some general considerations discussed later.

Onboarding Team Meetings

An onboarding meeting is a team meeting specifically designed to get team members on board with the team. These onboarding meetings are particularly suitable when new team members are hired.

When there is a recruit to the team, there needs to be that avenue to educate that individual(s) on the team’s general workings and their specific role. The onboarding avenue allows for training and orientation of new team members. These meetings help expose the organization’s structure, current and upcoming projects, and the newbie’s role in the team’s duties.

And the benefits don’t end there. These onboard meetings also help jumpstart the newbie’s relationship with management and other company arms as a whole.

Depending on the specific situation, there may be a need for more than one onboarding meeting. Here are a few meetings that can help new hires settle into their new role.

1-on-1s: A one-on-one meeting with an existing key member of the team will go a long day to settling in a recruit, especially when done on the first day and with someone the recruit will be working with, like a direct manager or team leader.
Meet the team: an introductory team meeting is necessary for recruits to meet the team within a few days of working. Such a meeting doesn’t have to be as formal as most meetings, as even a lunch or coffee meeting will do the trick.
Tools training: If the team member will be working with tools, systems, software, etc., it is essential to schedule specific training to cover this.
HR, Operations, and Facilities: The logistical side of operations is essential for team members, and as soon as possible, expose these newbies to such aspects as human resources, operations, and operation facilities.

Brainstorming Team Meetings

Ideas are the fuel to every successful business, and it is vital to keep a fresh influx of ideas. To do this, brainstorming team meetings are necessary.

Brainstorming team meetings aim to generate many ideas in so little time without critically examining and judging the ideas right then. The key to a successful brainstorming meeting is to focus on the plethora of ideas and not necessarily their feasibility. After brainstorming, you can carefully examine and choose feasible ideas to implement for the business’s growth.

Kick-off Team meetings

Whenever there are innovations or projects for a company, there needs to be an avenue to educate team members duly. The kick-off meeting is that avenue to fill team members in on the plan.

When adequately executed, team members become conscious of the long-term objectives of the project/initiative and can more effectively fit themselves in. This type of team meeting reveals the part each team member will play in the realization of the end project, and they can, by this knowledge, buy into the initiative. The enthusiasm of team members dramatically determines the project’s overall success, and that hinges on the success of kick-off team meetings.

Feedback and retrospective Team Meetings

As kick-off meetings are essential for initiating new projects, there needs to be evaluation and transfer of experience among team members. This is where feedback and retrospective team meetings come into play.

Seeing that no project ever executes perfectly, retrospective meetings are important because they present the opportunity for team members to exchange their experiences, highlighting what went well and what didn’t like the project wraps. These lessons and experiences go a long way to foster improvements for future projects.

Budget and financial meetings

When it comes to money, communication issues can spur quickly, and there needs to be a forum dedicated to examining financial issues.

Tension quickly springs up around finances, and financial team meetings are essential for addressing any concerns. After having decided what is to be done in other team meeting types, there needs to be a conclusion on who’d pay/get paid to do it and the costs of achieving it.

For adequate budget and financial team meetings, some central questions have to be answered clearly:

How much money will be spent?
What exactly is the money being spent on?
What kind of return should be expected on the investment?

Having everyone up to speed on necessary financial matters will help curb any future tensions or conflicts and provide better accountability, transparency, and financial management on the team.

Consideration for Setting up Team Meetings

The previously discussed types of team meetings are defined by some general considerations like frequency of meetings, the composition of meetings, motivation, and decision process

Frequency

The frequency defines the number of team meetings held in a defined period. The frequency of team meetings could be daily, weekly, or monthly. There are also irregular, ad hoc, quarterly, and annual meetings.

When team members are all assigned to a joint project, the daily team meeting works have to work together towards a common objective and need to arrive at decisions informally by unanimous agreement before progress is made.
The weekly, monthly, or quarterly team meeting applies when team members work on different but parallel projects. There is some degree of competition among projects, and decisions are likely to be arrived at by the chairperson.
The irregular, ad-hoc, or “special project” team meeting can be constituted when people, who usually do not come in contact with each other or do generally not constitute the same daily working team, are united by a desire to realize the success of a project for which they are united. Team members usually have an active role in decision-making.

Composition

Composition considers whether or not team members usually work together on the same project, as teachers in the same school department, or they have parallel tasks like plant managers and regional sales managers of a company. Are they strangers to one another united by the meeting, or do they regularly cross paths?

Motivation

Are team members cemented by a common goal in their work, like football players on a team, or do they have some competitive elements like research units in a company?

Decision process

How are decisions ultimately arrived at in team meetings? Is it by a majority vote, consensus, or decision-making in the chairperson’s charge after considering the facts, opinions, and discussions?

Types of team meetings to avoid

After exploring various types of team meetings expedient for efficiency in the team’s functioning, some team meeting types should be avoided as they have no benefit to team members’ productivity.

Status update meetings

While status updates are essential in the team’s overall functioning, Tools like e-mails, pagers, and even phone calls can suffice to give a status update. More digital channels for status updates are recommended and better suited for team health and efficiency.

Agenda-less Meetings

Organizing meetings without a plan or clearly defines objectives is an excellent way to waste time and company resources.

An effective team meeting should have a clearly defines objective and expected outcomes from the team meeting.

Too many meetings?

Meetings are good, but bouncing from one meeting to another without productive outcomes is wasteful and completely unnecessary. Meetings do not necessarily need to be too frequent to enhance team efficiency.

Follow the right modus operandi in setting up team meetings and follow through on discussions and resolutions, and only consider another team meeting when the situation indeed calls for one.

15 Strategies to Effectively Run a Team Meeting

Before the Meeting

1. Define team meeting objective(s)

Team meetings can have a range of objectives, like providing information, updates, teeing input from others, or address problems or challenges.

You shouldn’t just hold a team meeting on the assumption that team members would understand the reason for the meeting. No! It would help if you had a well-stated and well-communicated objective – the intended outcome of the meeting.

2. Develop a clear agenda for the team meeting

Once the meeting objective is clearly articulated to team members, then a meeting agenda should be developed. The agenda should reflect the key talking points for the meeting and communicated them to team members before the meeting commences. Having foreknowledge of what will be done in the meeting prepares the team members for the meeting. It helps in time management as discussions will be confined to stipulated objectives as in the agenda.

3. Link the agenda with the team mission

It is pretty easy for team meetings to stray from the mission and vision of the company. The company vision and mission define all business’s key objectives and must be reflected in team meetings and fed into team meeting agendas.

Team meetings should mission-related discussions to keep team members abreast of their role in the company’s growth. Remember, team meetings aren’t just for handling reports, motions and deadlines.

4. Determine the suitable medium for the team meeting

Is the meeting going to be an in-person meeting, or is it going to be a virtual meeting? The decision has to be made based on the objectives of the meeting and team members’ communication. The medium chosen will define the type of preparations needed for the meeting.

5. Be prepared

To have an effective team meeting, take time to make the necessary preparations for anything that may be needed during the meeting in advance. Meetings may require stationery like paper, pens, and some other tools depending on the purpose of the meetings, like financial records, bank statements, laptops, etc. As such, careful planning and preparation should be done, such that the time for the meeting isn’t mismanaged and reallocated to assembling needing materials, which should have been done earlier.

And it isn’t limited to just stationary. Who is going to chair the meeting? Who will act as the secretary of the meeting, taking down relevant minutes and resolutions from the meeting? These should be decided, and the relevant individuals communicated to avoid last-minute appointments that can significantly hamper team meetings’ productivity.

During the Meeting

1. Connect with everyone in the meeting

The purpose of meetings is to have face-to-face discussions and not to share information. What happens many times with team meetings is, the team meeting starts with the distribution of some data, and while talking is ongoing, team members have their heads tilted to the paper, losing connection with what is being discussed.

Preferably, share the needed information before the meetings, such that team members are well informed and can freely participate in team meeting discussions.

Team meetings are meant to establish a connection among team members, and everyone in the meeting should have that connection. This will keep everyone mentally on edge brainstorming and the same page.

2. Let some fun into team meetings

To most persons, the words meeting and fun cant possibly appear in the same sentence. But you can bring in about of fun to team meetings. This extra bit of excitement can go a long way to ease tensions in a meeting, relieve fatigue, and spark team members’ creativity.

You could introduce some games to team meetings. Yes, you read that right! Games like trading cards, brain-writing, the anti-problem, etc., can really liven a team meeting. And it doesn’t end there. You could also introduce story-telling in a team meeting as you ask someone to tell a success story. You could even use team meetings for seasonal awards to team members. These fun ideas can bring life to a monotonous meeting.

Fun in meetings can create team members’ enthusiasm about team meetings as they’d always look forward to participating in them.

3. Encourage Participation of Team Members

Sometimes, team members fail to participate in team meetings because they are oblivious f the objectives of the meeting or the procession of activities in the meeting. As such, it is imperative to have a relevant and well-communicated team meeting objective and agenda. This will encourage team members to participate in team meetings, sharing their opinions, and actively participating in decision-making processes.

In team meetings, be sure to give every member a chance to lead a discussion and present their ideas and viewpoints. When team members feel the push to participate, their excitement towards meetings will be shot up, and they will actively partake in discussions and decisions.

Be it in giving ideas or posing questions, all group members should contribute to group meeting discussions. Some easy ways to get input from team members in a group meeting include:

Regularly prompt, especially those who haven’t spoken up yet, asking for their input during team meetings.
Engaging team members in brainstorming exercises to trigger and encourage idea synthesis.
Delegating follow-up responsibilities from the meeting to team members, requiring them to present reports and findings in subsequent meetings.

4. Differentiate Fact from Opinion

As much as opinions and contributions should be welcomed from team members in a team meeting, there should also be references from facts. There should be data included in team discussions towards growth and progress. The team can’t rely on guesswork or conjecture.

There should be an analysis of data, trends, reports, etc., to guide the team towards practical discussions and action. A presentation of analyzed data on team productivity measured by, for example, team members’ punctuality can be done before discussions emerge based on the presented data. This will ensure discussions and deductions are fact-based and logical.

5. Periodically Recap Objectives

With team meetings, it is pretty commonplace for discussions to stray from meeting objectives and agenda. Tomeeting’she meeting’s objectives aren’t forgotten; it is crucial to recap the agenda and objectives as the meeting unfolds regularly.

Also, regular recaps of conclusions and agenda items will help keep discussions focused, thus keeping time-waste and off-topic discussions minimum.

At the End of the Meeting

1. Make the meeting actionable

After having discussed strategies and ideas for progress, what comes next? How do you know members remember what was discussed and are taking steps towards implementation?

At the end of the meeting, you can ask each team member to present their individual goals based on the discussions and conclusions arrived at in the team meeting. This will serve as a recap of discussions and ensure the retention of information by participants. The meeting should end in a way that pushes for action on the part of team members.

2. Make Decisions

Though it may have deliberations and significant contentions, an effective team meeting should always have a clear-cut decision and conclusion. You shouldn’t just dance around issues and end the meeting without drawing conclusions and making a decision agreement. This could even be in the form of agreeing to adjourn the proceeding discussions to a later date. Making decisions ensure the team doesn’t stagnate in a deadlock situation. Always ensure the meeting ends with a decision.

3. Define the way forward

At the end of the meeting, communicate a summary of proceedings from the meeting and the way forward and next steps with the individuals responsible for those steps. Also, communicate what has to be done, when it has to be done, who has to do it, and how it contributes to the project at hand.

4. Ensure Efficient Follow Up of Decisions

For a team meeting to be deemed effective, there needs to be a follow-up of proceedings from the meeting to ensure no vital information from the meeting is lost. Members are fully aware of all conclusions arrived at in the meeting. This can be done via e-mail or in subsequent team meeting discussions.

Also, there should be specifications as to who will handle what deliverables from a team meeting. A decision from a meeting won’t do much good until it is executed, and there should be a strategy implemented to follow up the implementation of decisions.

You should assign tasks to individuals with specific deadlines. This will increase the efficiency of team members while minimizing duplication of efforts.

5. Close on a note of achievement

The ending of a team meeting matters, and it should always end on a note of achievement. Even if the last item on the agenda was inconclusive, you could refer to an earlier resolved item to instill a feeling of achievement and progress to the team meeting participants.

So, there you have it. With these strategies, you can effectively run a team meeting.

Team Building System team meetings time management Training and delegation virtual team building

My Top Ten Favorite Business Tools for Entrepreneurs

My Top Ten Favorite Business Tools (Updated to 21 Tools) for Entrepreneurs

As I’m working with my clients I’m frequently advising them about business tools that are useful for small business owners and those who are self-employed. Since I believe that marketing is one of the most important small business owner skills, several of my favorite tools fall under that category.

Just as important as marketing is self-development and included are a couple of those tools in my list. I’ve listed 3 tools that I use in coaching my clients and 2 that help with the financial areas of business..

Hootsuite is a very helpful business tool with managing your social media posts. You can send one post to multiple social media sites with the push of a button, and you can schedule future posts so that your message broadcasts while you are on vacation or sleeping! Plans start as little as $19 per month.
MailChimp is an email newsletter distribution platform. You can create your newsletter using their templates, add subscribers to your list and send out hundreds of email newsletters a month for free.
Clickfunnels is an online business tool that helps you to build marketing campaigns without the help of a technical person. You can connect these campaigns to your website so that your visitors may view and buy your products or services online. The cost starts at less than $99 per month.
WordPress. You may already be familiar with WordPress. This famous website platform boasts of providing 28% of all the websites on the globe. That’s a lot of sites! These websites are relatively easy to design, but many business owners hire a web designer to set everything up. Adding content and images is really easy; very similar to Microsoft Word. The cost can be as little as zero.
Audible is a way for you to listen to all kinds of books on tape. I consider personal development to be essential for the small business owner. Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational person talked about the benefit of going to “automobile university,” that is to listen to audio recordings while driving your car. I frequently listen to personal development recordings while driving or working out. The cost is about $15 per month.
Quickbooks. Most everyone in business knows about Quickbooks; but did you know that this billing and invoicing tool can automate your payments from customers? Then you don’t have to manually create bills or chase customers for money. The payment shows up in your account so that you can spend more time with your customers. You can use it to pay your bills too! The cost is as little as $5 per month.
Our 36 Coaching Module Assessment. This business tool is a self-assessment we provide to business owners and self-employed people who are looking to improve their business and take it to the next level. The tool examines your business in 36 areas in your business. We have found that every business owner wants to experience freedom in business. That’s why we decided to become our own boss; to be free from another boss! The cost is zero.
Coaching Agenda. Our clients fill out a weekly coaching agenda prior to each session. Included on the agenda are Key Performance Indicators, Goals and Actions, Biggest Achievements, Challenges, Motivation level, and other important information. This tool tracks your business progress and results helps to achieve forward momentum and identifies obstacles to overcome. The cost for this business tool is included with all coaching packages.
Strategic Plan. In my opinion, one of the most important business tools an entrepreneur can use is the Strategic Plan. Therefore that is one of the first things we provide for our clients. For us, this important document includes your personal vision, values, goals and bucket list. To that, we add your business vision, values, and mission, your business goals and objectives which form the “big picture” and your action plan which breaks everything down into small steps to achieve the plan. The cost is included with coaching packages.
Canva. This simple and amazing content creation site will help you to create all kinds of images, presentations, posters, infographics, social media images and anything you can think of. There is a free version or you can pay $12.99 per month for the pro version.
Promo. is an online video maker that gives you everything you need to make high-quality videos that will help your business grow. easily create videos from scratch or choose from our selection of video templates. No editing experience needed unlimited creative options inside. They have millions of templates for all kinds of business types and it fits all types of content. With Promo, you can also make video advertisements freely and easily. Promo helps you to promote your business or products, improves brand awareness, widen your reach, and engage your customers.

Flock. For small businesses, communication plays a very important role. It’s a means of synergizing the office environment so all the relevant divisions can work in harmony. There are several requirements for in-office messaging and video conferencing, which can be addressed with Flock. It is mostly available for free unless you need the advanced features available for a mere $4.50/ month for each user. Since Flock facilitates both messaging and video conferencing at a low cost, it is our personal favorite.
Colorcinch is the cooler, down-to-earth stepchild of photo editing – always dependable, fabulously low-maintenance, and ready to prove their worth. They help you to “cartoonize” your images in a very cool way. Their price range from $3.99 per month to $5.99 per month.
Titan. Another important form of communication for small businesses is email. Aside from interacting within the office environment, email is used to inform clients and customers about your business products and services. Titan allows you to create official email addresses with your business domain that adds to your professional capacity. After a 30-day free trial period, you can choose to continue using this highly professional business tool for only $1.50/ month for each user.
Asana. Small businesses that require a level of symbiosis and planning when executing important projects. Asana is a project management tool for small and medium enterprises to keep employees focused on the step-by-step execution of the projects. You can create daily goals, assign deadlines, and allocate tasks to each member or team and watch as the tasks are completed with absolute effectiveness. Since Asana allows you to classify the project with short-term goals, it makes it easier to follow the progress of individual tasks. The basic project management tools in Asana are available for free. However, if you wish to use the advanced premium features, it’ll cost $11/ month for each user, and for business features, $25/ month for each user. Since Asana is a useful small business tool where you can view each project from different clients on one forum and keep tabs on the development, the cost seems meager as compared to its usefulness.
TimeDoctor. To run a small business with efficiency, you have to take Time Management into account. It is not optional to create effective calendars and schedules for each project for different clients. Time management increases your efficiency in manifolds. Not only can you check the development of the projects, but you can also dock the exact amount of time that your employees dedicated to your business. It can be overtime or slacking that causes delays in your projects. TimeDoctor is an excellent small business tool that tracks productivity and Time Management for all your business functions. You can try it for free for 14 days to evaluate its suitability for your business. You can subscribe to the plan for only $10/ month for each user.
Adobe Creative Cloud. For design-based small businesses, Adobe Creative Cloud is a blessing. It facilitates the use of multiple tools on desktop as well as mobile apps for all your design functions. It is an outstanding tool for creating attractive videos, adjusting features in photography, creating a web design, and programs to detect and track user experience. This small business tool is popular for its proficient design facilities and regarded quite highly among professionals. The plans for Adobe Creative Cloud vary based on how many people use it and for what purpose. For individual use, the price is as low as $10/ month. If you want to use it for business, then it costs $34/ month. Adobe Creative Cloud also offers separate packages for educational purposes, including small businesses that focus on training in design functions. For students and teachers, it costs $20/ month. For Universities, schools, and colleges, it costs as low as $15/ month.
Wave. Small businesses are extremely reliant on regular billing and payments. Since the profits are limited, and there are multiple expenses that you need to consider, payment cycles must be systemized. Wave is a targeted software created to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs. It helps you design customized invoices with your business domain and feature the identity of your brand. You can create recurring invoices for billing and payments and track the income and expenses accordingly. The best part about Wave is it is mostly available free of cost. However, if you wish to associate billing and payments with credit cards, then you might incur additional charges.
Turbo Tax. Maybe your business is a startup and you haven’t developed much complexity. You can do-it-yourself until you can afford a bookkeeper. Tax filing, especially for small businesses, can be really cumbersome. You have to consider all the previous year’s taxes, deductible business expenses, income, etc. That is why TurboTax comes in handy. You can synchronize TurboTax with QuickBooks to access all your income and expenses. It can also track the taxes from the previous year as well as deduct and business expenses associated with travel, advertising, materials, etc. The tool is available for $160 under federal jurisdiction and $50/ state. The cost of TurboTax may seem a little higher than usual, as compared to small business tools that perform other functions, but it is worth it when you get to save a considerable sum in tax deductions and returns.
Dropbox Sign. Another primary requirement for small businesses is signing important documents. When you accept a contract or need signatures from clients, suppliers, partners, investors, or even employees, it is helpful to have the process digitized for efficiency. Dropbox Sign offers the means for you to request the signature from them. Once the process is completed, a copy of the acknowledged and signed document is sent to each signatory for posterity. It helps keep your business functions above-ground and transparent, facilitating trust-building and understanding among all parties. The cost incurred for this most-useful small business tool is a mere $13/ month for each user for the standard plan. You can also upgrade to the business plan, which costs $23/ month for each user.
Paypal. It is a globally-accepted mode of payment for all small businesses. Therefore, you can provide local or overseas services and get paid via simple online transfers. The standard Paypal plan charges 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction. The Pro plan charges the same, with an additional $35/ month.

Two more honorable mentions: Slack and Basecamp. These two tools provide similar services but Slack is more geared towards communication while Basecamp is for project management. Slack starts at $6.67 per month and Basecamp is $99.00 per month. Both are great tools!

I’ve brought to you some of the best business tools, apps, and technologies that can benefit your business. Try some of the tools in this list and watch your business grow!

Questions about our small business coaching services?

Call us at 1-888-504-0777,

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Business planning business tools effective communications increase profits Key Performance Indicators keys to business success marketing plan time management workforce focus

HOW TO STOP OVERTHINKING

What is overthinking?

Basically, overthinking is thinking over something too much for too long a time. Everyone is asking the same question How To stop Overthinking?

Now, it is part of human nature to think things over before making a decision or taking a step in a situation, but it can spill into overthinking when you get trapped in your thoughts and can’t get out of your head. It is this condition that births stress, worry, and it happens to every one of us. But in some extreme cases, the grip on the mind can be so firm that some persons find it hard coming out of overthinking. Perhaps its worry about the future, or regurgitating and reliving past experiences, by dwelling on the “should-haves” and the “I wishes”. Some persons even fret over the impressions other people have of them and fall in the loop of overthinking.

There are some severe repercussions of overthinking. For example, in high-stress situations where a high-stakes decision is necessary, overthinking can come in the way of logical and sensible reasoning, and the resulting choices could be catastrophic. This could apply to your business, where overthinking can cost you a great deal of profit if you choose investment in the wrong area because you did overthink things.

Many of us suffer from “paralysis by analysis.”

Overthinking can also paralyze you mentally, making you incapable of deciding as you fear making the wrong decision. This can make you take no action at all, and that could be worse, in some cases, than taking the wrong decision.

So, whether you’re caught up in severe overthinking or just occasionally, restlessness becomes inevitable, and you could even slip into depression, elevate your stress levels, and cloud your judgment.

In this article, we will explore the various tricks and hacks you can employ to stop overthinking.

So, why do people overthink?

In most cases, overthinking comes as a result of depression or anxiety, and addressing these two elements may address your problem of overthinking. If overthinking isn’t as a result of some underlying emotional conditions, then some though hacks could be useful to manage and stop overthinking. So, how do you stop overthinking? Let’s find out.

How to stop overthinking

Let go of some past events

Overthinkers often regurgitate and relive past experiences, as they sometimes may find themselves recounting a one-time activity, adventure, or transaction and are imagining “what if”, or “I could have…”. Though this may seem harmless, it is sipping out energy from the present to the past.

It would help if you had this resolved in the depths of your mind: you can’t change the past – but you can choose to learn from it, adapting lessons from those perspectives and reshaping your view of the past. When you can bring yourself to accept the past is already done and can’t be changed, you free yourself from any unnecessary burdens, regrets, or grudges and stop your mind from overthinking. Redirecting energy from the past to the present moment is a great way to stop overthinking.

Practice taking authority over your thoughts

As a way to stop thinking, you must know that you can be in control of your thoughts – you can choose what to think about. As you realize you’re overthinking, you can choose to consciously divert your thoughts onto the present and not give in to overthinking. You can bring your mind back from a cesspool of overthinking to the here and now. How can you do that? Start by breathing. Then ask yourself some questions to diagnose the epicenter of your overthinking: “what am I thinking on? When is that? What is stressing me out?” etc.

You can journal how you feel and what you’re thinking about. That helps you keep track of your thoughts. As overthinking sets in, take up your journal and note down how you feel, what you’re thinking on, the mood you’re set into because of what you feel, and your concentration level in that mood. All these strategies help you follow up your thought patterns, to identify and stop overthinking.

Thinking about your thinking

This is the underlying concept behind metacognition – thinking about your thinking, being aware of your thoughts. Being aware of the thoughts you’re having and how they affect you can help you consciously overcome and stop overthinking.

Remember, the goal here isn’t to simply try to forget about specific experiences, but to become more aware of, and remove yourself from the core “being” of your thoughts. It is about observing your thoughts, what and how they make you feel, all in a bid to stop overthinking.

Zero-in on what you can control

One of the critical causes of overthinking is panic, anxiety or fear in a stressful scenario. When things start to go wrong, overthinking may seem inevitable. But in that, you can breathe, slow things down, and ask yourself, “what things can I control?”

Acknowledge what is on your mind, what you’re thinking about. Then, slow it down and expand your perspective to see what is within your power to change or control. When you focus on what is within your ability to control, you indirectly magnify your power to change things.

This also applies to businesses. When things seem to be crumbling or failing, don’t amplify what is beyond your control or what you wish you could control; instead, carefully assess the situation and see what logical steps you can take towards achieving your set goals. Maybe you’re running bankrupt, or the profits are dwindling; carefully consider what steps you can take towards reducing expenditures or strategies to revamp sales, rather than focusing on the state of the economy.

Acknowledging your fears is a way to stop overthinking

More often than we may realize, it is fear that spurs in the mind and results in overthinking. This could be fear of what others would say, how others perceive us, the error of making mistakes, of not being good enough to prevail, or the fear of losing. Such worries have the potential to keep you in indecision and cause you to overthink.

Our imagination can easily paint images of suffering more than we are experiencing. The fantasy of what things may turn out to be can birth fear and cause overthinking. How do you overcome this?

You can start to take action

Take a bold step towards what you fear. Action enables you to stop overthinking, as you transcend from imagination to tangible results. Even if you fail, you will have overcome your fears in that aspect and in so doing, subdued overthinking.

It will help if you internalize that no matter what may happen, you’re going to be ok. Be confident to take a step towards achieving your goals. That may be in your business; overcome your fears and insecurities by taking action, even a small one, in the direction of your goals. Being action-oriented enables you to overcome and stop overthinking.

See solutions, not problems

To stop overthinking, see the solution, not the problem. It would help if you amplified the solutions to problems rather than the problems themselves. Redirect your efforts, thoughts and energy towards solutions to problems rather than the issues.

The problems you may have cause anxiety and stress, breeding grounds for fear to set in, and thus, to overthink. To overcome this, you can write down those problems or share them with someone. Then, critically brainstorm on ways to solve those problems, rather than dwelling on the gravity and severity of the problems.

What if you hit a wall in your business?

Perhaps in your business, you hit a wall in sales, or the work schedule is stressing you out. You can start by writing it down clearly or sharing with someone like a friend. Then, get to brainstorming on how to get out of that challenge. Don’t keep going on and on about how problematic the situation is. No amount of complaining about a problem can solve it, but careful strategizing could.

Being open about your fears, problems or thoughts to a friend can open you up to a new perspective of things. This will give you just what you need to stop overthinking.

Be action-oriented

This applies in two folds: making the decision, then act. It will help if you practice making decisions and sticking to them. Indecision is a breeding ground for overthinking and to overcome it, you must be action-oriented, adding action to your choices.

Decide to do something, get on your feet and actually do it. And it starts with the small decisions. As you practice being decisive, you quickly become action-oriented. The action stems from the decision, and the decision comes from you. if you must stop overthinking, be a person of action.

Manage your stress

Develop ways to manage your stress levels. Stress exacerbates overthinking, so keep it in check. This may involve altering your work schedule, taking breaks, prayer or meditation, or simply engaging nature, away from your smart devices and the modern world entirely for a while. Even taking a few minutes’ walks can go a long way to ease your mind of stress and help manage overthinking.

When you feel your thoughts are overwhelming and you’re caught up in overthinking, you can do these things to clear your head:

Take a walk. Merely engaging a walk in nature like a part for a few minutes can ease the congestion of thoughts and get you out of overthinking.
Do some exercise. Sweating out your thoughts helps you think better and eases you out of overthinking.
Go “dark” for a while. Simply disengaging from your digital devices for 30 minutes or multiple hours can really get the pressure off and ease your mind, thus, helping to stop overthinking.

Live in the moment

To stop overthinking, you should learn to live in the present, not the past. For some, this can be as easy as flipping a switch. But for others, you may have to redirect your thought patterns to the present consciously.

It is possible to take control of and alter the thoughts you are having. Before overthinking takes hold of you, you can smell it a mile away and reset your thoughts in time. Be it a high-stress environment, where all seems to crumble down, or perhaps worry is setting in or regret of the past; do this. Breathe and focus on the present; what do you see? What do you hear?

You can achieve this by taking on daily activities like prayer or meditation to stop your brain from reliving these moments. As time progresses, you’ll find it more natural to plug and unplug your mind from overthinking.

Stop Overthinking by controlling your emotions

To stop overthinking, you must take control of your emotions. That doesn’t mean you simply ignore and bury them, but to master them. It will help if you acknowledge your feelings. What you’re feeling right now and identify the reason why you’re feeling the way you’re feeling. If you feel anxiety, don’t just ignore that emotion. Search deeper to unravel the causes of that emotion and seek to understand it. Knowing is half the battle. When you see the source of specific emotions, you can better take steps to address those situations and stop overthinking in a preemptive manner.

Know the difference between fear and intuition

Fear and intuition aren’t the same, and a proper understanding of this will help stop overthinking in its tracks. The fear of making mistakes is often the cause of overthinking. That helps to foster indecision and gives a feeling something is not right. Being able to identify whether or not you’re driven by fear or intuition can help you stop overthinking and get to the action. By carefully scrutinizing your thoughts, you can better make decisions. Then deploy those decisions to action towards achieving your goals.

Ask yourself the right questions

The right questions can help diagnose overthinking and guide you out of it. Simply asking yourself why you overthink isn’t going to stop overthinking. Instead, that will lead to more overthinking. Rather, ask yourself questions that will bring about solutions to your worries. Ask questions that can help you make changes in certain areas rather than questions that will keep you in regret, fear or anxiety. In so doing, you’ll stop overthinking in its tracks and press on the path to success.

Don’t focus on what can go wrong, but what can go right

There are indeed situations in which the very thing that could possibly go wrong goes wrong. But often, all those negative possibilities play out in our minds and feed off of our fear, giving room for overthinking. Our fear of the outcome keeps us paralyzed, even above the actual manifestation of the outcome itself. So, don’t focus on the negative; look to what is going right. When thoughts of fear and failure set in, remind yourself of all that is going right. Subdue those negative thoughts. With that, you’ll have stopped overthinking in its tracks.

Learn to distract yourself

To stop overthinking, it is always good to have some happy and fun activities that you could engage in and distract yourself from overthinking. You could take up activities like playing an instrument, knitting, gardening, dancing, prayer or meditation, drawing, etc. All these distractions to distance yourself from worries enough to hamper the overthinking process.

Put things into perspective

It can seem easy to put things out of proportion and make situations bigger and much worse than they actually are. When we let thoughts of fear in, what appears as a bad situation can easily be exaggerated and magnified, and that’ll cause you to start overthinking things. There are some things you may just be pressuring yourself to accomplish within an unrealistic time frame. Thus, pushing yourself to overthink. Merely changing up such time frames or properly prioritizing tasks can go a long way to relieve some pressure from your mind and help manage overthinking.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

-Winston Churchill

Stop waiting to attain perfection

Many at times, we hold out of progress because we’re seeking perfection in every single thing we do. While excellence is essential; perfection can be impractical and unrealistic. This takes up more resources than necessary.

So, when you have the thought, “this must be perfect”, remember that perfection isn’t a smart move compared to progress. When you see improvement and choose to settle for excellence, overthinking will seemingly fade out.

Internalize the fact that you can’t predict the future

We don’t know what tomorrow holds. We can only plan and hope for what it’ll bring, but we don’t know what the future will bring. All you have to work with is now, this present moment. If you waste it in overthinking, then you’ll destroy the only chance you have at preparing for an uncertain future in worrying and overthinking things.

When you can fully internalize this fact, then when you find yourself overthinking, you can pull yourself out. The you can enjoy the present. And you can better plan for the approach and logically and sensibly anticipate and invest now for the future.

Accept your limits

To stop overthinking, you must know your limits – acknowledge what is your best and be content.

Too often, overthinking is birthed from a feeling of unsatisfaction with our best. We see that we aren’t good enough or our best isn’t sufficient. Once you’ve given your best in a task, you should accept the results as the product of your best and be ok with it. Tell yourself, “I did what I could; I put in my utmost best”. Of course, this works when you actually invested your best.

Be grateful

You can’t be ungrateful and grateful at the same time; so, be positive. The power of positivity is a great tool to help you overcome overthinking. Every day find things to be grateful for. You could make a list of things you’re thankful for, and daily acknowledge those things. Such a positive attitude towards life and your challenges will keep you from overthinking.

Relax and breathe

As easy as this may sound, it has the potential to get you out of overthinking. The next time you find yourself overthinking, simply take a deep breath and relax.

Here’s a simple exercise to achieve this:

Get a comfortable seat and relax your next and shoulders
Place your hands on your body, one across your belly and one on your heart
Breathe in and out through your nose slowly

Meditation or prayer

I know we’ve mentioned this before, but the emphasis here should show just how helpful this is. Engage in regular meditation or prayer if you find yourself overthinking regularly. There are tons of resources on the internet to get you started on how prayer or meditation works and what conditions are optimum to achieve maximum results.

Tackle automatic negative thinking

Automated negative thoughts (ANTs) are negative thoughts often initiated from, and involve anger, fear, anxiety and often involuntarily trigger a reaction to a situation.

A great way to tackle ANTs is to keep track of your thoughts by recording them and consciously working towards changing them. Here’s how you could achieve this:

Use a notebook to record and monitor your thoughts, how they affect your mood and your reactions to situations
Explore the possible reasons why you’re having the thoughts you’re having
Identify and explicitly denote the emotions you’re experiencing. Also, note what you’re telling yourself amid the situation.
Consciously replace negative thoughts. Instead of amplifying the negative, look to the positive aspects of the situation and zero-in on those.

Acknowledge your successes

When you find yourself overthinking, take a pause and note down some things you did right in the past day or week. Reminding yourself of your successes and achievements can help calm you and stop overthinking.

And these achievements don’t necessarily need to be huge; merely being on time for an activity or completing a planned assignment would do. These little wins will add up and have a significant impact on how you view yourself and enable you to stop overthinking.

Practice self-compassion

Have compassion for yourself. Too often we find it easier to let go of the shortcoming of others than those of ourselves.

Final Note

Overthinking can happen to just about anyone, and its management is critical if we are to enjoy happy lives and make sensible and unclouded decisions. With these tips, you can be well on the way to stop overthinking.

effective communications keys to business success time management

Readymade Vs Learning Management System: What Would You Prefer?

Readymade Learning Management System theme

Benefits of ready-made themes

Customized LMS theme

Benefits of a custom theme in Learning Management System

Conclusion:

Four Best Remote Worker Solutions You Can Implement

Human Resource Onboarding Software

GoCo Onboarding platform

Communication Platforms for Your Remote Workers

Zoom Video Conferencing

Microsoft Teams to Help Your Remote Workers

Remote IT Support and Support for Remote Workers

Conclusion

How to Manage Multiple Projects at Work

Planning goals

Effective multitasking

Time management

Planning each project

Don’t get distracted while multitasking

How to Handle Workplace Stress

1. Prioritize and organize

2. Avoid multitasking

3. Focus on progress

4. Record your stressors

5. Take time to recharge

6. Set boundaries

7. Develop healthy responses

8. Relax

Conclusion

12 Ways To Reduce Employee Burnout and Increase Productivity

1. It is a 9-5 on paper and 9-10 in reality:

2. Make employees feel welcome:

3. Play fair and square:

4. Promote vacation time:

5. Offer flexible and remote working options:

6. Take care of their well-being:

7. Have an open channel of communication:

8. Introduce and practice the concept of work-life balance:

9. Is it break time yet?:

10. Have cool-off zones and fun activities in the office:

11. Consider reshuffling and rescheduling:

12. Ask for feedback:

Here are seven ways to help you learn how to avoid burnout

Be Organized And Use Time Efficiently

Prioritize Tasks

Avoid Multitasking

Delegate Wherever Possible

Stay Healthy

Schedule Regular Breaks

Set Work Hours And Stick To Them

Conclusion

What Is Time Management?

Benefits of Time Management

Stress relief

More time

Increased opportunities

Greater likelihood of achieving meaningful life and career goals.

Time Management Tips

Create a time audit

Set achievable goals and prioritize your tasks

Create a daily plan or to-do list

Plan your week on Sunday

Take on the most critical task of the day early in the morning

Use the 80-20 Rule.

Take advantage of golden hours or prime biological time

Make use of the Swiss cheese method

Put a time limit on tasks

Record impromptu tasks too

Be one day early

Be careful of replying to messages right away

Determine desired results before meetings

Schedule breaks between tasks

Make the most of waiting times

Use apps to block out distractions

Minimize your open windows

Organize your emails

Avoid multitasking

Exercise often

Sleep well.