Stop Worrying About Metrics
“I was lucky, I learned very early on that I don’t have to worry too much about every change in business success rates. In my case, these are blog traffic, the number of registrations for my webinars, and book sales.
We can realize that two units of data is not yet a trend. I have also learned some practical techniques that remind me daily to not try to explain every rise or fall in an indicator. Yes, we humans have such a nature – to react to everything. But this incessant response and explanation very quickly tires and distracts from activities aimed at increasing productivity.
The process control control chart method helps to visualize the processes and collect some statistical information. Thanks to this method, we will be able to track the fluctuations in the indicator and understand why it is changing, and whether it is worth worrying about.”
Mark Graban, MBA, speaker at MIT and Wharton business schools, founder of Constancy, Inc., a consulting firm whose clients include General Motors, Dell, and Honeywell.
Stop thinking about work
“If you think about working around the clock, you still won’t get more done. In fact, you will start doing less. It’s exhausting and uninspiring. It is important to focus on something else besides your career.
For example, I’m into music. I’m a keyboard player in a rock band. It’s a good way to relax and helps me think through and work through my daily problems. And at the same time throw out all the rubbish from your head and focus.
Margareta Welsford, Sales Director for etc.venues, a British conference services company. The company has 18,000 events and 800,000 clients over the past year. The company recently announced plans to open a branch in New York.
Down with perfectionism, long live progress!
“If you think that the only way to succeed is to be absolutely perfect at all times and in everything, you will quickly burn out. I almost got caught on this. I was a perfectionist who clung to every imperfect little thing instead of celebrating success.
Stop thinking you’re a perfectionist. Better think about progress. Rejoice in your progress at every stage, no matter what you do. If you are already halfway to your goal or have already done half the work, you can say to yourself “wow, how much I still have left” or be glad that you have already managed to do so much. When I am happy with my progress, I get a dose of endorphins, and with them a new surge of strength to finish what I started.
John Livesay, author of Better Selling Through Storytelling, is a TEDx speaker with over 1 million views.
Say yes to stress
“My stress management technique, which is actually more stressful, is interacting with my partially paralyzed son. My child has special needs, but for me he remains the main goal in life. It reminds me of how good it is to be able to walk and talk on my own.
Because of this, everything else in life seems quite tolerable. If you can understand your stress and determine your skill level in solving life’s problems, you already have what it takes to face the difficulties head on and win. This is much better than avoiding problems and crises in horror.
Dr. Terry Liles, motivational speaker, life coach for professional athletes, military personnel and corporate executives. Author of four books on stress, including Performance under Pressure