Late one morning in the dead of summer, I checked the mail at the front door of our Madison Avenue office. Strewn among letters, flyers and magazines was a mysterious little black book with a bold claim: “Master your Whole Life” by Bob Reed.
Master my whole life in 120 pages? Yeah right. I can’t even master my day in 120 pages! Nevertheless, curiosity got the better of me and I flipped open to the first page. Read the rest of this entry »
Just a few weeks ago, the leaves were turning from green into brilliant reds, oranges and browns; the temperature was a balmy 20 degrees celsius and there was not a cloud in the sky for three days straight – it was a perfect weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving.
For many of us, this holiday involves getting together with the family to enjoy the last few days of nice weather. It also means pumpkin pie, apples and spice, carving up a large bird, talking about the latest topic (politics, sports, trends etc.) and then proceeding to sleep off the fourteen pounds we just ate.
My strategy for getting through the weekend is usually balancing the copious amounts of food with just the right amount of physical activity. But mostly, I try not to think too hard about making the weekend perfect. I just got with the flow!
We recently met with our partners 4ward – the company that is developing our new website. We’re all very excited about the project, which we hope to launch at the end of the month. Standby for more!
One summer, back in my university days, I joined a sailing club. The club’s boathouse was a modest little outfit perched at the bottom of a cliff along the lower Ottawa River, in the capital itself. Every so often, when the conditions were just right, I’d head down to the docks with my friends Grant or Roger and we’d sail off into the sunset with Parliament Hill as our backdrop.
Sounds magical, doesn’t it? Well, I suppose it would be if you were just a passenger. But sailing is hard work. First you’ve got to rig the boat. To do so, you’ve got to know how each piece fits and how to tie all the knots. Second, and more importantly, you’ve got to know how to read the wind. And once you’ve finally cast sail, you’re constantly watching what’s around you: the current, the waves, the wind and the shore.
This past weekend, I dragged my feet out of bed at 7 am on a Saturday morning to write a paper for a course in strategic management. And trust me – I must be pretty darn committed, because the only other thing that would drag me out of bed on a Saturday morning at 7 am would be to catch a flight to a remote and exotic vacation destination.
Nevertheless, I plowed steadily through the day. You see my strategy is simple: I stop every so often to give my brain a break. Sometimes though, these breaks lead to emails, the fridge, the TV or the phone. Before I know it, I’ve started five other things and forgotten why I took a break in the first place!
This got me thinking: the only way I can maintain focus for an extended period of time is to take breaks. But when do breaks provide the energy get the work done, and when do they lead to distractions that prevent you from getting the work done?
By Michael B. Tatham
It’s that time of year again, when leaves turn different colours, the temperature drops and days get shorter. It’s also that time of year when we gather together to celebrate the season.
Now, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking….
That’s right: Sunday afternoon football.
Trust me, there’s nothing better than sitting down in front of your brand new, high-def big-screen TV; beer in one hand, remote control in the other to watch some sports. Except there’s one small detail: this year you bought a new system so to watch the game, you will need to hook it up.
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