The Dream Manager Blog

Getting it Done!

Matthew Kelly — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:35:49 -0400

I love working with people who get it done. They just get down to it and do what needs to be done. But I am not always like that myself. Sometimes I procrastinate like anyone. Here's my challenge: each day for the next week, start the day by doing something that you have been putting off. Those things rent space in our minds and drain our energy. Liberate yourself from one of them each day for the next week. Then think about how you feel each day when you are done with that task. You may just find a new habit.

Downtime

Matthew Kelly — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:53:51 -0400

You need some. We all do from time to time. And summer is a great time to do it. Have you planned some downtime? I mean days or weeks when you completely disconnect from your work. Turn off your cell and ignore all email. It's hard, but it is the best thing you can do for yourself, your clients, and your company. Really! You will come back rejuvenated and ready to go. It's going to be a great fall for those who take some downtime this summer. For the rest the fall is likely to be a drudgery that they keep wishing will end.

Tired of Being Tired

Matthew Kelly — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:08:22 -0400

If you are captured as a prisoner of war, the first form of torture that will likely be used on you is sleep deprivation. You will be deprived of sleep because when you are tired you will do things that you would not ordinarily succumb to. In short, you will betray yourself. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. In our modern culture, we torture ourselves in the very same way. Most people are tired most of the time. You need sleep to function at a high level. Some time in the next couple of weeks schedule a really good night's sleep. Sleep until you wake up. No alarms. No interruptions. Just sleep.

The Potential of an Organization

Matthew Kelly — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:45:29 -0400

An organization can only become the-best-version-of-itself to the extent that the people who drive the organization are striving to become better-versions-of-themselves. This is universally true whether the organization is a business, a school, a government, a nonprofit, or a sports team. To the extent that a CEO, an executive team, and a group of managers and employees explore their potential as individuals, so too will an organization explore its potential.

Don't React, Respond!

Matthew Kelly — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:24:14 -0400

Too often I find myself reacting to things that happen during the course of a busy day. And more often than not there is a living, breathing, human being on the other end of my reactions. So I have tried this year to seek a calm inner response to the happenings of my day as a first step. Whether a happening is good or bad, I have found that by seeking a calm inner response first... I avoid reacting in ways that are neither healthy nor helpful.

Try it. Be mindful when things happen, especially the unexpected. If you are able to be conscious of your inner response, you will find you're responding more... and reacting less.

Are You Exploring the Potential of Your People?

Matthew Kelly — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:31:44 -0500

The future of an organization and the potential of its employees are intertwined; their destinies are linked. An organization can only become the-best-version-of-itself to the extent that the people who drive that organization are becoming better-versions-of-themselves. To the extent that a CEO, an executive team, and a group of managers and employees explore their potential as individuals, so too will an organization explore its potential.

Unleashing the Power of People

Matthew Kelly — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:25:41 -0500

Do you have a highly functioning personal life? What are you doing to help the people around you have highly functioning personal lives? I know, it has nothing to do with work... but team members who have highly functioning personal lives operate at a higher level at work.

Business is still about people and business is always going to be about people. People are the challenge of business. Do something this week to bring your personal life to a higher level of functionality and your work will be more focused and effective. If you manage people, part of your role is to help them have highly functioning personal lives.

Stop Procrastinating

Matthew Kelly — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:33:01 -0500

Whatever it is you want to achieve in your life, career, business, relationships... procrastination is one of the main obstacles. Begin each day with a focused task that leads you one step closer to all the things you want to accomplish. Email very often equals procrastination. If you start your day with email it will drain you on the energy you need for your real work. So, whatever that one thing is that you should be doing that you keep putting off, pushing aside, passing over... do it.

White Space

Matthew Kelly — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:56:45 -0500

Whether you get a white Christmas or not this year, I would like to encourage you to create more white space on your calendar in 2011. White space is very healthy both personally and professionally. Over the past several months I have purposefully spent less time traveling to consult and speak... and the white space has produced some of the best work and ideas I have had in a decade. The white space has also created massive levels of personal and professional satisfaction. So, get busy blocking out some chunks of time for the first quarter when you can do the most important work. Create some white space on your schedule, and I promise you great things will happen.

Those Who Fail to Plan...

Matthew Kelly — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:45:26 -0500

Napoleon said, "Those who fail to plan can plan to fail." I started this past weekend to put together my personal strategic plan for 2011. I usually do this between Christmas and New Year's Eve... but I couldn't wait. Have you scheduled some time to plan 2011? Are you just going to stumble into the new year, or are you going to approach it strategically?

Schedule some time to do some planning, dreaming, and strategizing for 2011. It can be any time between now and the end of the year... but put it on your schedule today.