I still observe many higher ed. leaders being pulled in too many directions because of unclear role definition.

Success also requires that the client be willing to break old habits.

Here are some examples of behaviors and habits that feed helplessness instead of fostering problem-solving and creativity.

At the core, time management is deeply emotional and rooted in the relationship you have with yourself, which is often the result of unpleasant past experiences.

You’ll have to work on reversing the brainwashing by intentionally choosing different perspectives.

Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing most of us to be home almost 24/7.

Managers often feel crushed under the weight of their workload and go from one task to another without ever stepping back, reflecting, and setting a new intention.

People who wear their “busyness” as a badge of honor are often scattered, disorganized, and not nearly as effective as they could be.

Let me make one thing very clear: I am not against working more than 40 or 50 hours, I am against wasting hours.

Projects you wanted to complete early in the week are pushed to the end of the week and by 5 pm on Friday, you still haven’t had a chance to start.

People whose minds seldom engage in these poor thinking habits rarely struggle with time management.

What about that thing that’s been on your mind for months or maybe even years? The mere though of it is draining. You feel discouraged. You probably beat yourself up for not having made progress.

No matter how busy you are, you must find a moment to reflect and set some goals for yourself. Then you will realize that small changes can make an enormous difference over time.

Now let me ask you: when was the last time you had a week with very little to do? So little to do in fact that you wanted more meetings to fill the time? Never!

On your campus, what kind of example does your leadership team set? Do people take pride in being busy and overworked?

Time management is emotionally charged and the first step to making improvements is to deal with emotions. People don’t always know consciously what drives their decisions and behaviors.

Obviously, improving organization, optimizing time allocation, and creating healthy boundaries and systems to reduce interruptions is a good start, but that’s not enough.

To make matters worse, you seldom get time to focus on writing. With constant interruptions and unexpected fires to put out, your work days go by so fast it can make your head spin.  

Many achievers work hard because of how they were raised. Their parents taught them the value of hard work. They were praised for working hard and their identity is defined (at least in part) by how hard they work and how much they achieve. Their value system is built on this foundation. Their self-worth depends on it.

If you believe your hard work pays off, then by all mean, continue. But if your sacrifice creates any level of dysfunction, it is important to be aware and choose deliberately what you want to do instead. Doing more of the same is rarely the best option.

Are you familiar with Parkinson's Law? It states that “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” If you have an unlimited amount of time to complete a project, you may never finish it.

E-mails were created to make our lives easier, not harder. Now, people seem to be drowning in a sea of incoming messages. It reduces their productivity and makes it difficult to catch up. Discover how to regain control over your inbox and increase your productivity. 

When you know, logically or intuitively, that what is being asked isn’t right for you, you owe it to yourself to look for reasons (not excuses but compelling reasons) to say no. Stop feeling obligated. Don’t say yes to a request if it means saying no to yourself! Learn how to do it guilt-free!

Discover how to prioritize, get organized, and follow-through to become highly effective and successful. Develop a habit of thinking in terms of return on investment when you allocate any resources, such as time or money.  Shrink your to-do list and focus on what is important. 

Most people procrastinate on tasks that they don’t want to do. They wait until the last minute possible or don’t even do it at all. They are under the illusion that avoiding the task is freeing but it’s actually the complete opposite. The reality is that discipline is freedom.  

Do you sometimes drive to work in the morning with a clear intention of what you want to accomplish, only to find yourself driving back home at the end of the day, tired for having worked long hours, and somehow not having accomplished what you wanted? Learn how to regain control over your schedule.