When we think about increasing productivity, generally our thoughts gravitate towards managing our time more effectively. While time management certainly is one integral part of increasing productivity, all too often the work environment is ignored.

Regardless of the location of your workplace, there are aspects that may be controlled to decrease distractions. Though there are certain things that simply cannot be controlled, focus on that which is in your control and you’ll be on your way to a more joyful work environment.

If external noise is an issue, consider investing in a pair of quality noise-canceling headphones. Listen to your favorite music, a white noise CD, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet. Only you know how you work best. Sometimes I crank up the speakers, and sometimes (particularly when I am writing) I need silence. Consider what kind of audio backgrounds suit you best for your tasks.

Ensure that you are comfortable- but not so comfortable that you risk falling asleep! Anyone that works at a computer for a significant amount of time should also consider wrist braces to provide additional support and help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Just about every office product is now available in an ergonomic option. From chairs to keyboards, these are all designed to prevent any undue stress on any body part, eliminating the associated distraction. Little things like raising the height of your computer screen could also help cut down on neck strain.

Eliminate the clutter. A board full of post-it notes is not only unattractive but also can lead to frustration when looking for a specific notation. Organize your notes in a notebook, smartphone app, or computer program. When sitting in your work space, you want to be inspired. For instance, a study from Texas A&M indicated that the presence of flowers and plants in the work environment increased innovative thoughts in both men and women.

Focus on what you are able to control and take these seemingly simple actions. You not only will see an increase in your productivity- you’ll also find your body feels more limber and enjoy an increased personal satisfaction with your work!

Have any tips you want to share with the community about this? Please feel free to share on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/HelenKimCommunity

Love,

As a boss myself, it can be easy to take the role for granted and slip into complacency when working with team members. Sometimes it is simply necessary to take a step back and evaluate myself and my own behavior before doing that of employees, and while this may seem like a waste of time out of an already packed schedule, it can prove invaluable.

Recognize that, as a leader, you constantly set the tone for your company, regardless of how many people you employ. This shifts and evolves a bit over the lifecourse of any company, as priorities may change with the state of the world around us, but it is just as important as keeping your accounts balanced.

Consider some of the ways you are silently setting the tone for your employees:

• Arriving to appointments and meetings promptly.
• Acting respectfully to everyone you encounter in the course of your day.
• Acknowledging mistakes, taking responsibility when appropriate.
• Seeking knowledge from those that are more knowledgeable about a topic unapologetically.
• Maintaining a positive attitude- find the joy in your work!
• Trusting that others will follow through on their word.
• Making honesty not just a policy, but a practice.

Assuming you have screened your employees before hiring them, any positive changes in your work behavior will likely result in the same from them. Be the employee you want, and it will be much more likely that you will attract the same. The rest will come.

Love,

8 Tips to Prosperity

1. Forgive yourself and others for any financial trespasses

If you are gripped by the past or feel you were a victim of a past financial indiscretion, you are not allowing yourself to move fully forward. You use your time and energy to place blame on others for what happened but end up disempowering yourself by handing the reins over to someone else. You get to choose which thoughts you want to entertain.

2. Invest in yourself

Take Extreme Self Care of yourself. If you’re not well cared for, your ability to prosper will suffer (and besides, you want to be able to soak in all the great things coming to you!).

How would you rate where you are in the following categories?

Physically: Are you getting enough exercise, sleep and eating healthy foods?

Elevate your vibrations by stimulating your senses: Listen to music that moves     you, books that stimulate your imagination and mind. Hang around “Uppers” (remember the Saturday Night Live skit where they created “Puppy Uppers” and “Doggy Downers”?)

3. Understand that Money has no power

The source of your supply comes from within. Until this very basic principle is learned and accepted, life will give you plenty of opportunities to master this. You are in complete charge of your Self. If that seems kind of overwhelming realize that there is no such thing as perfection which is why perfectionists tend to make themselves very unhappy. The greater your sense of consciousness the bigger the receptacle into which money will flow towards and from you.

4. Money loves clarity

Research your future. Put real numbers to everything you want in your life, even if the money hasn’t shown up yet. Get your “dream life” out of your thinking mind which is only a tiny part of what you need to create what you will for yourself. For example, if you dream about buying some real estate, go to some Open Houses.Write down what you want in full detail. The more specific and clear you are about what you want, the more likely you are to receive it. ?

5. Declutter

If you have clutter in your life it’s stuck energy and that can translate into your money flow. Keep your channels open and flowing. Pick one area of your life to start: Papers, Clothes, Food. (It might be easier to have a friend with you for moral support when you start sorting through your stuff).

Organize yourself so you can receive and pay money easily. Do you have one place where you store Logins and Passwords to your bank accounts, your shopping carts, your investment statements, your credit cards? Do you have a place where you keep your bills?

Do you work and live in environments that make you feel “rich”- that sustain you, so you can create ideas that prosper?

6. Keep a Spending Diary in order to understand your triggers.

A few days after you track everything you buy, go through the list of items bought and ask some of the following questions from April Benson’s book, To Buy Or Not To Buy – Does this have the same value today that I thought it would when I purchased it? What mood was I in when I bought this? Have I used this yet? This helps you learn to be proactive, not reactive.??

7. Track your Time, Energy and Money

Many sabotaging behaviors that prevent us from prospering come from unawareness of how we spend our Time + Energy. Try tracking all your activities from the moment you wake up to the moment your head hits the pillow. Then ask yourself these questions about every activity; How much time did this take? How much energy did it require of me and what was the quality of energy I received in the doing of it? How much did it cost or did I make? On a scale from 1-5, was it worth the Time, Energy and Money spent and/or made? Money allows us to do what we want with our time and energy.??

8. Understand that everything, every situation, is temporary

Whether you have more than or less than enough money to cover your needs and desires right now, your financial situation is temporary. Money, like your breath, needs to flow in AND out. Get intimate with your money, visit with it consistently (20 minutes a week should do it once you get a system in place) and it will teach you everything you need to know about your Self AND support you and your life purpose.

I’m caught. There are no options.

My throat tightens causing my voice to become shrill; my shoulders are shoved into my stiff neck.

I can’t imagine that anyone could behave the way she does. “What makes her think she can do this and get away with it?,” I ask myself.  “What’s my role? “What’s the lesson here?” Loving-kindness is great in theory, but send loving thoughts her way? NO WAY!

Distracted, I scan the room trying to avoid the bright sun rays that permeate this space. I see the painting of the crab that my mother gave me 2 years ago, evidence of her latently discovered artistic talents. I peruse the spines of the books on my shelves which cause me to reflect on the different and significant milestones in my life which is getting longer and longer. I return to planning our dinner party for 13, mining for recipes. “Simple is good”, says my beau relieving me somewhat of the self-imposed pressure I feel to envelop my friends in a gastronomical bubble. Still, I can’t help myself. My mind toggles back and forth. “Should the first course be a pasta dish or fried calamari? Roasted potatoes or Potatoes Anna?”

The day progresses. I flee into my world of phone calls + emails + meetings = Connection. Laughter is heard on the phone lines, smiles are seen via video conference calls. Technology delivers today.

The illusion of helplessness begins to slide away.

The sky grows dark, one indication that this long day is soon ending, but the darkness helps me focus.

She is deeply unhappy and that’s what informs her actions. I manage to unearth a very, very tiny bit of compassion towards her, despite a knee jerk reaction to resist the slightly kinder lens through which I try to see her.

It’s now the end of the day.

I realize that I have exited my cage.

Tomorrow, Mark Matousek will be speaking at the Gates Foundation at 9:30 AM PST, hosted by author Eckhart Tolle and actor Jim Carrey.

He will speak about Why Story Matters: Transformative Power of Telling the Truth.

You can catch him live here. http://www.livestream.com/gatelive

Want to get up close and personally learn from Mark? Click on Marks’ photo to learn about his upcoming workshop in New York City, “The Art of Spiritual Memoir”.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

“Teacher. Mentor. Speaker. Mark Matousek’s work is devoted to showing you how to achieve creative and spiritual freedom through self-inquiry.”
- Psychology Today

This workshop is designed to introduce students of all levels – from non-writers to professional wordsmiths – to the art of spiritual memoir.

Sign up today and enjoy the early bird price of $109 (ends February 20th)

Click here to register!

Last chance to enjoy an early bird special price on the upcoming Masterclass Series!

The Masterclass Series (with Jennifer Hamady & Helen Kim starts soon…

Just a reminder —

Want to be your personal best? Click here to learn how you can work with masters who can help you.

Hurry, the early bird price ends February 7th and the $25.00 off coupon code - IAMKINDWITHMYSELF expires tomorrow (February 4th).

Click here to register!