5 Tips to Boost Productivity!

Make no mistake, I'm not an expert in productivity, at least in the direct sense.  How I consider myself to be pretty good at productivity considering what I do in my day-to-day routine.  I've chronicled in a previous post how I go about my day, and here are some tips that may help lead you to be more productive during your day. 

• Wake up early
• This doesn't have to be super early, but 15 min can be a game-changer
• Plan ahead
• I have certain things that change day to day and I go ahead and plan/schedule them a few days in advance
• Meal Prep
• Social Media Posts
• Be on time
• The Marine Corps taught us that "Fifteen minutes early is on time.  On time is late.  And late is you're dead."  I live by this and it helps. 
• Don't sweat the small stuff
• I tend to remain fairly low-stress.  Sometimes a large thing catches me off-guard, but nothing I can't handle.  Learn how to deal with daily stress though exercise, meditation, or even just talking through it and you'll see a change.  
• Pray
• Pray often.  When you ask the Lord to help you with your problems, stress, and life...He Will!!!!  Pray in the car, pray in the shower, pray everywhere!  When you can do this, I promise your life will change.  

I'm often in awe of people who look at me and what I do in awe.  This is because how I do my life is normal for me, and I find it to be nothing special.  What I outlined in the 5 tips is what I do regularly and seem to be able to maintain my lifestyle (and my family's) long-term.  

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Stress Relief

My last few posts had to do with personal inspiration and music.  Today I want to discuss stress relief and what we need to do to combat stress.

Honestly, I'm not usually stressed. This may come as a surprise considering I work with the public and more specifically, people who are trying to make themselves better.  If you've ever been in the same situation, you know the stress that ensues when you wear the stress of
others on your shoulders.  I honestly have a lot that I should stress about, and sometimes I do, but I found the perfect partner to share my life and my experiences with (I'm talking about you wife ;) ).

Not only do I have a wife whom I can share my stress with, I have an occupation that allows for me to reduce my stress.  Honestly sometimes life's easier at work, other times it's not.  I can go in, basically hang out with my friends all day, make people sweat and then go home.  Each day is unique, because each person is unique.  I love the challenge of it all, and if you know me even a little you know I struggle to sit still and literally do nothing (I'm sitting here right now writing this and even then I'm doing that).

Stress is not something that you live without.  How you manage this stress is more important than anything.  My stress relief comes from lifting & fighting, writing some of these posts, and honestly just wrapping my head around what's going on in the world.  I don't stress about things that I cannot control, or at least at the moment.  I watch and listen to people stress about things, or should I say complain, and yet do nothing to intervene (mostly politics).

Outline what stresses you out and what helps for you to relax.  If you have a greater list of stressors than things that reduce it, you need to consult some coaching to release some of that stress.  If it's the other way, keep doing what you're doing.  Stress is there, but it doesn't have to overwhelm you.