Rejections are the battle scars of writers.
I think I would have been more successful in my writing career if I hadn’t had the grandiose idea of submitting material to the top paying publications such as Reader’s Digest, Saturday Evening Post,...
View ArticleIs your way of working really working?
In the book called The Power of When, author Michael Breus sheds new light on when to schedule our writing projects. We know that prime time is the time that we are at our peak energy level and...
View ArticleTechnological distraction
Oliver Berkeman, in his 2023 book, “Four Thousand Weeks,” says that surveys reliably show that “We feel more pressed for time than ever before.” He even mentions that a Dutch team suggested back in...
View ArticleThe battle for your brain.
Marketers, for one, are great fans of brain research, and books like Why We Buy, by Paco Underhill, Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom, and How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer give plenty of examples of how this...
View Article“Serial multitasking” reduces performance.
Our brains are not wired for multitasking (working on two or more activities at the same time.) Attempting to do so reduces our energy level, puts a strain on our cognitive resources, increases stress...
View ArticleNew time management strategies are needed.
Over 50 years ago, time management consultant, Alan Lakein, wrote a book called How to Get Control of Your Time and your Life. It was an immediate success – a bestseller that is still available on...
View ArticleTime is real, but how can you manage it?
In my last blog article, I indicated that the work environment has changed since Alan Lakein wrote his book about 50 years ago. In fact, our working environment is changing quite rapidly, but little...
View ArticleAlways check email in the morning, Part 1
After learning more about our brain, how it is wired, and its impact on our productivity, I changed my mind about trying to ignore my email until later. I discovered that it requires exceptionally...
View ArticleAlways check email in the morning. Part 2
The Zeigarnik Effect can work against you when you leave a task unfinished, such as working on other projects while there is email waiting to be reviewed. This effect was first observed with servers in...
View ArticleMissing deadlines could be deadly.
After finding the source of word deadline, I urge all businesspersons not to confuse deadlines with due dates or target dates. The term deadline first appeared in the 19th century when prisoners were...
View ArticleBe smart when using your smartphone.
In the last blog article, I suggested that we might be introducing too much technology into our lives too quickly. The smartphone has already replaced your family landline, your wristwatch, your...
View ArticleTime is a gift. How you use it is up to you.
A person’s most valuable asset is not his or her inventory of possessions, money, skills, or experience. It’s time. Time is irreplaceable. Without time, none of these other things would exist. Time is...
View ArticleAnyone can become a top performer.
In my latest book, Making Writing Work for You, I suggest that even if you have an innate talent for writing, you must work just as hard to develop it. I’m convinced that anyone can become a great...
View ArticleMaking writing work for you
In my recent book, Making Writing Work for You, I mentioned in the final chapter that writing is cathartic or therapeutic. I briefly mentioned that as a teen I would write about my failures at dating...
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