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How could you be more productive in life with less stress? This presentation shows you how to plan your life strategically and how make the plan works on a day to day basis. It covers personal strategic planning, positive thinking, how to fight procrastination, stress management and much more.
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How could you be more productive in life with less stress?
© Jaleel Polin
BSc(Hons) Business Informatics, University of Mauritius
MSc Strategic Business IT, Portsmouth University, UK
Doctoral Research Candidate in e-leadership, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
jaleel.polin@ gmail.com
2012 V1.1
What will we discuss about? Who are you? What is stress? How to manage it? What is emotional intelligence & its
relation to productivity? How to plan your life strategically How to break down your plan into
achievable goals ? What factors hinders productivity ? What prevent you from achieving your
goals? How to make all these work together &
be more productive in both your life & work?
The new world of work High productivity is required more
than ever before in the new world of work.
We are all required to deliver more work in less time without sacrificing quality.
Look around you, how are people working these days?
If you have not change the way you work, it is TIME for CHANGE!
The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), used to call on Muslims to take the initiative to do good deeds before any obstacles arise. For instance, he said, "Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you: a starvation which may impair your wisdom; a prosperity which may mislead you; an ailment which may damage your health; an old age which may harm your senses; a sudden death; the Dajjal (Antichrist); or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter." (at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)
Productive v/s Unproductive PeopleProductive people:• Are always energetic• Have clear plans and goals in their
lives.• More ambitious & creative at work• Deliver more & Better in less time• Most likely to achieve their goals
and ambitions in life.• Achieve more work life balance• Suffer less from stress• Enjoy better relation with their family
and colleagues.
A recent study has shown that many people are mostly productive on Tuesdays only!
Unproductive people Often get Sunday blues• Comes at work tired • Less creative and feeling under pressure every
time.• Always procrastinate• Don’t have clear plans of their present and
future goals.• Just accept what they get in life• Often get the feeling that they are lost and
nothing is working in life.• Feeling frustrated at times and may face
difficulty in their family lives
Who you are & Where is your energy naturally directed?
Extroverts v/s Introverts
Extroverts & Introverts are as different as apples and oranges.
Introvert
Extroverts
Extroverts Have high energy Are interested in what is happening
around them Are open and often talkative Compare their own opinions with the
opinions of others Like action and initiative Easily make new friends or adapt to
a new group Say what they think Are interested in new people Easily break unwanted relations Source: Jung's theory of Psychological Types & personalitytype.com
Introverts Have quiet energy Listen more than talk Think quietly inside their heads Think, then act Feel comfortable being alone Prefer to work "behind-the-scenes" Have good powers of concentration Prefer to focus on one thing at a time Are self-contained and reserved Need to have own territory Usually do not have many friends
Source: Jung's theory of Psychological Types & personalitytype.com
Stress & Productivity
Source:http://altered-states.net/barry/newsletter419/index.htm
A certain level of stress is important to be productive!!
Managing Stress Have the right attitude to be
able to manage stress Change your situation…
(How?) Verily Allah does not change a
people's condition unless they change their inner selves Surah Ar-Ra`d (13:11).
Discard stressful objects/things & people
Avoid negative people Eliminate negative thoughts Think positively (How?)
Your interpretation of reality & paradigms Is the glass half
empty or half full.Dua of the prophet - O Allaah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being over powered by men.’ Sahih al-Bukhari, 7/158
Verily Allah does not change a people's condition unless they change their inner selves Surah Ar-Ra`d (13:11).
It is the right of every muslim to be free from anxiety, weakness, sorrow, debts and laziness But you have to change your own situation..
How you can change your situation depends on how you view reality.
The example of a believer is like a fresh tender plant which resist the wind Abu Hurairah (r) said: “The
Prophet, peace be upon him, remarked: ‘The example of a believer is like a fresh tender plant; from whichever direction the wind blows, it bends the plant. But when the wind dies down, it straightens up again. (Similarly a believer is tested by afflictions to strengthen his faith and heart, and he remains patient and firm). And an evil person is like a pine tree which remains hard and stiff until Allah breaks it whenever He wills.”
Source: Fiqh-us-Sunnah, volume 4, #1
Fresh tender plants resisting the wind
Stiff pine tree broken by the wind
Negativity that hinders performance. There is too much to do and there is never
time to do it. My work is placing too many
demands/pressure on me. I have to accomplish new tasks everyday
and I don’t like it. There is change everyday and I don’t like it. I don’t like my job and it is a nightmare to
work here. I am underpaid and other people are getting
more. I don’t have good colleagues or they don’t
like me. My senior colleague, head, rector, supervisor
or manager are incompetent.
Think about it.. If you often come across negative thoughts
think about the following saying from Umar ibn al-Khattab r.a: "No amount of guilt can change the past and no
amount of worrying can change the future. Go easy on yourself for the outcome of all affairs is determined by Allah's Decree. If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come on your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from you it cannot flee.‘’
(Umar ibn al-Khattab r.a)
Thinking Positively I am to recognize my weaknesses and act
upon it. I believe that change is an inevitable part of
life and I will adapt to changing circumstances. I view remarks, feedback and mistakes as
lesson for improvement in life I am willing to accept more tasks as a
challenge and feel satisfied and more confident after accomplishing goals set.
I don’t feel overwhelmed or too much pressure as I plan and prioritize my tasks.
I am willing to innovate & take risks, face challenges.
Lifelong learning is a must for my personal development.
Be positive while even while facing difficulties.. It is very important to be
positive & realistic even in difficult times..
Indeed, with every hardship comes ease" (Surah94: 5-6)
Common Saying: There's a light at the end of the tunnel..
Why should I be happy where I work? Some positive ideas.. I have a good salary compared to
the number of hours I work. I have ample time to spend with my
family & kids during holidays. I am working for a noble cause;
educating the employees, parents and leaders of tomorrow.
My workplace is clean, secure and have a good infrastructure
I am working for a good company which is expanding every year while others are closing down.
Defining Success in life How do you define success?
Cultural & Islamic point of view? Climbing the career ladder? Having a good home life? Raising your kids properly? Having a lot of money? Having or maintaining a good health?
What is the key to success?“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” [al-Nahl 16:97]
Understanding Success A successful person has a clear definition of
success. You've got to be very careful if you don't know
where you're going, because you might not get there. (Yogi Berra)
Is achieving work life balance part of your success?
Importance of emotional Intelligence for success Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to
the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions.
Your ability to manage your emotions is a determinant factor for success in life: IQ only account for 20% of a person’s
success in life What accounts for the other 80%? Some
of the missing ingredient lies in emotional intelligence — the capacity to acquire and apply emotional information.
References: http://www.training-games.com/pdf/Connecting-Emotional-Intell-To-Success_pdf.pdf
http://www.6seconds.org/2007/04/16/white-paper-emotional-intelligence-success/
Having the right attitude for success (Emotional Intelligence)
Success is an attitude not just a set of achievement or financial gains.
Your attitude at the beginning of a task more than anything else will determine your success or failure.
Sets achievable goal Lives life to the full Prioritize important issues Maintain a positive mental attitude Recognize success Stop chasing false goals and
expectationsHolden & Renshaw, 2002
Work Life Balance How could work life
balance be part of your success?
Could you work smarter but not harder ?
How could you be more efficient, talented & creative in what you are doing?
Do you know how to set criteria and develop plans for success?
Work life balance concept in Islam A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the
Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers)." Narrated Anas bin Malik
Thinking Big You are what you think. Success is determined by the size of
one’s brain but by the size of one’s thinking.
If you think Positively & BIG, your brain will help you find innovative ways to do it..
The size of someone bank account, happiness account or general satisfaction account is dependent on the size of one’s thinking
People are not thinking big because they believe opportunities to lead does not exist. (David J.Schwartz from the book, the magic of thinking big)
The Islamic Obligation of thinking big: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgTzDp8iSKY
What you think is what you get.
Strategic Thinking You can take actions in the present
that will help determine the future. Don't make predictions about the
future, but rather suggest multiple possible futures, often in the form of "scenarios" or stories about the future.
Understand your life Explore plausible futures (personal
scenarios) Plan to achieve the future you want
(personal strategic planning)(Wheelwright,2011) & www.personalfutures.net
Planning Your life strategically (Personal Strategic Planning)
Create a vision of your future
Visualize your future Develop plans and
strategies to achieve that future.
Begin with the end in mind (Covey’s 2nd Habit)
Comfort Zone & Risk Management You have to take risks if you
want success and a better future.
You need to get out of your comfort zone
Risk can be managed Assess the risks properly Create contingency plans Use Scenarios Planning A,B,C Risk Management in Islam..
Leave your comfort zone and take risks!!Who risks nothing, gains nothingQui ne risque rien n’a rien (French Proverb)
And that there is nothing for man except what he tried, His efforts shall be seen. And rewarded to fullest extent." (Sura An-Najm 53:39-41)
Short term Planning Break down your long term
plan in an action plans with SMART goals.
Short term (Monthly, Weekly, Bi-Monthly etc..)
• Assign checkpoints & milestones • Check whether every actions you are taking are moving you towards
your goal or away from it?
To do List On a daily basis, write down
the activities that you need to accomplish
Make use of sticky notes either on your PC Desktop (virtual) or use the paper version.
At the middle of day & End of day, review your to do lists & plan for the next day.
PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT or ADJUST
Demmings Cycle: Plan > Do > Check > Act
Procrastination – The emotional battle You procrastinate because you want
to do things that you find too difficult.
Then you indulged immediately in activities that are either less painful or pleasurable.
Think what is preventing you to move forward.
You feel good about the thing that you want to do it is also generating negative emotion.
You have two options: Give up on that desire, either for good or to accept postponement until another time
Adapted & Source www.1dayhabit.com
Low productivity due to Multitasking Research shows that our brains
can only focus on one thing at a time.
Increased levels of stress related hormones are present during multitasking.
Build a clear and manageable to-do list. Then work your way through it, one task at a time.
You’ll actually get more done both in terms of quantity & quality.
How to make all these work together? The new world of work require
you to be more productive Know who you are (Introvert or
Extrovert) How do you view reality? What are your paradigms &
Worldviews Define your own meaning of
success
How to make all these work together?
Be emotionally intelligent Be patient..it takes time to
succeed.. Manage Stress Fight against negative thinking Think positively Have the right attitude for success Self Motivate yourself Commit yourself to work towards
achieving work life balance"Oh you who believe! Seek help with patience perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere.“ Quran (2:153)
How to make all these work together?• Think Big• Think Strategic• Turn your strategies into actions
Short term planning Smart goals To do list
Everyday avoid: Procrastination – Battle against yourself emotionally Multitasking – Finish one task first then tackle another
one.
How you can change your situation? Remember: Verily Allah does not change a
people's condition unless they change their inner selves Surah Ar-Ra`d (13:11).
… And to be firm and patient, in pain and adversity And throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing Surah Al-Baquara 2:177.
Verily, with every difficulty there is relief Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5-6
Act NOW!!!! You now have the
tools/keys to solve/unlock the success puzzle
It is time for change before it is too late
You need to start NOW! Start solving the puzzle
for success Remember : Plan > Do
> Check > Act
The End
Feedback Questions & Answers
References & Recommended Reading List