Jim Eagar Reading Time: 4 minutes“Where do you see yourself in five years?” It’s the wrong question. It’s a favorite in interviews, and people worry about how to ‘correctly’ answer it. Some productivity systems strongly suggest that you ask this question regularly and always have a five-year and a 10-year plan on file. Instead of long-term guessing, embrace curiosity and …
Reading Time: 5 minutesA Guide to Reading Nonfiction with Purpose Many of us interested in tech, productivity, and living a good life read a lot of nonfiction books. In the past month, while slowly reading one book of fiction, I’ve read four nonfiction books about productivity, spiritual growth, healthy eating, and retirement. Recently, I ran across the book, …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Appeal of Productivity Systems—and Their Trap Many productivity enthusiasts start with good intentions—trying to get more done—but end up obsessing over the perfect system instead of actually doing the work. It’s easy to become enamored with apps and systems. It appeals to our nerdy, organizational side as introverts. Productivity nerds start seeing the goal …
Reading Time: 3 minutesApple Invites on iPhone, iPad, and Mac There’s a new free service from Apple available to Apple device users, Apple Invites. Apple Invites is designed to be accessible across the Apple ecosystem, though the experience varies slightly by device: • The iPhone – The Invites app is designed for the iPhone. Download it from the …
Reading Time: 4 minutesYour Career and Family Gave You Purpose—Now What? Most of us don’t realize how much our job defines us—until it’s gone. For decades, work gave us a built-in sense of purpose and identity. We wake up every morning knowing what we need to do and who we are in the world. But retirement changes that. …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Common Misunderstanding Between Limits and Limiting Beliefs Have you ever stopped yourself from trying something new because you thought you couldn’t do it? That’s probably true of most of us. However, there’s a big difference between ‘knowing our limits’ and ‘having limiting beliefs.’ The two are often confused. Limiting Beliefs: Self-Imposed Barriers That Keep …
Reading Time: 4 minutesHow the News Took Over Our Lives Some people live their lives in the news. They spend an inordinate amount of time consuming news and allow themselves to be emotionally manipulated. As a result, they are always mad and upset about negative things in the world. For some, this has become so all-consuming that the …
Reading Time: 3 minutesMy Gut Reaction to the ‘Flywheel’ Buzzword I’ve noticed that every time I run across the term ‘flywheel’ in productivity or creativity circles, I have an immediate negative gut reaction. When I hear this term, I can’t help but picture a housefly sitting on a mechanical wheel in a machine. I keep encountering terms like …
Reading Time: 5 minutesDoes Your Productivity System Control You? Productivity systems can help us be more organized and complete the work we need to do. However, for many people, a too-rigid productivity system can lead to a sense of productivity enslavement. Instead of directing your own work, you feel like a slave working for a demanding master. Using …