Productivity | Dr Jason Jones

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How to utilize Visualization for Personal Success

What if you could experience a situation before it actually happened?

You can!! Your brain can make this happen and aid your ability to perform and achieve at your very best.

Athletes, speakers, actors, performers, and average people like you and I have learned to use the power of visualization to reach their goals.

Jerry West, a former NBA all-star who was known for making clutch baskets at the last second was asked why he was so good at it. He explained that he had practice making shots at the buzzer thousands of times. Other great athletes like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Tiger Woods have talked about the power of visualization in their routines.

Famous golfer, Jack Nicklaus said: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head.”

It’s not just athletes who can benefit from the practice of visualization. Anyone can increase work performance, increase confidence, boost motivation, and improve ability in just about any skill. Giving better presentations, stopping a habit, exercise effectiveness, eating less, and even sleep quality can be aided by implementing visualization in your life.

Visualization works because the process of creating … Read More >

May 13, 2013

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How Sitting Kills Motivation & Health

It sneaks up on us. We don’t even realize how long we do it each day. And it’s one of the quickest ways to obstruct our physical energy and motivation.

I’m talking about sitting.

The average person sits about 7.7 hours each day and the research tells us that this amount is too much and is a contributing factor of disease and hinders metabolic health.

The research reminds us that the more body movement we create throughout the day the better oxygen can move freely through our blood and the more energy we will have, both physical and mental.

Movement not only benefits our health, it’s also the foundation of our motivation. The work chair and the couch at home can be one of the largest barriers to our energy and drive. Looking for opportunities to stand rather than sit can give you a health, energy, and motivation boost. This boost can lead to increases in vitality, productivity, higher engagement and performance.

I ran across the following infographic at Juststand.org. It’s a great reminder of why we have to be intentional about integrating movement into our everyday work or we risk poor health, disease, and hinder our ability to … Read More >

March 23, 2013

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How to Create Laser Focus

In our fast-paced work environment it is difficult to find time to give focused attention to the things that require deep thinking and contemplation. Multitasking has consumed our workday and quick decision making is an absolute necessity if we want to keep up. In my work, I’ve found that neglecting to take the time to focus my thinking results in a lack of thought expansion, creativity, and innovation.

I’ve been on a journey over the past year to find ways to better focus on some key projects and ideas. I’ve tried a number of techniques to determine what helps me to dial in my thinking. I’ve found that I have to be very intentional about how I plan my time of focus and how I manage my energy during this time.

Here are my 4 Steps to Creating Laser Focus.

1. Schedule time for focused thought. Make sure you are putting time on your calendar for focused thinking. For most of us, if it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t get done. This time is not just of value to you, but it’s of great value to your company. Every organization needs leaders who take time to be contemplative and strategic. … Read More >

September 22, 2012

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How to Read a Book in 30 Minutes

If you’re like me, you would like to read more, but you find it hard to set aside time to read a 200-300 page book. There are a number of books each year that I would like to read so I have had to learn a technique to glean the key points while bypassing the fluff that so many books contain. In the video below, I share my process for how I read through a book in 30 minutes and still get the main points.

May 19, 2012

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5 Ways to Build a Positive Brain

A considerable amount of research has accumulated over the past decade on the topics of optimism and positivity. It is now very clear that a person’s level of optimism not only impacts his/her personal life, but there is solid evidence that a person’s level of optimism can actually predict his/her performance on the job. In fact, one study found that only 25% of a person’s job performance was predicted by the person’s intelligence level, while 75% of job performance was predicted by the person’s level of optimism, social support, and ability to see stress as a challenge (Horn & Arbuckle, 1988; Estrata, Isea, & Young, 1997)

Other studies clearly show high levels of optimism and positivity supports job success, productivity, resilience, positive work relationships, and even specific job outcomes like sales volume. One of the most interesting findings is that the higher level of optimism a person has the more receptive the person’s brain becomes to learning, change, and adaptability through higher levels of dopamine.

These studies point to the fact that our ability to determine how we perceive and handle our circumstances can have a significant impact on our career achievement and our life satisfaction and happiness. We can … Read More >

April 18, 2012

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How to Become a Morning Person

Getting up early in the morning can be a great strategy for making sure you have time to do the things you want to do. In this video, I share 3 ideas that helped me become a morning person (even though I am naturally not one) and get more things done everyday.

March 4, 2012

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Why Your Personal Energy Is So Important

It’s evident that more people and organizations (both for-profit and non-profit) are becoming increasing interested in how to maximize energy. The reasoning is simple, the more energy a person has the more she or he will be able to fully engage in whatever activity is at hand. In our energy draining world, where many of us work in energy depleting environments, and sometimes with energy sucking people, the skill of maintaining and even optimizing our energy is a key factor of personal and professional success. I am convinced that without optimized energy, it becomes very difficult to effectively focus, engage, and persevere in the activities and experiences that lead us consistently on our mission path.

I like what Jim Loehr says about energy in his book The Corporate Athlete Advantage, “Just like the sun’s energy spawns life in plants, and plants spawn life in humans, we spawn life in whatever we give our energy to.”

As you think about your personal energy development, I’d encourage you to think about the following dimensions that work interdependently and make up the fabric of your life energy.

Physical Energy is the energy that is created by the nutrients and oxygen that you … Read More >

February 19, 2012

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Energy for Life (Part 5) – Increasing Your Mental Energy

Optimizing your mental energy can give you better focus, create clarity of thought, and help you stop the mental fatigue so many people feel at the end of the day. In this video post I share 3 simple ways you can increase your mental energy.

February 10, 2012

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Energy For Life (Part 3) – Increasing Your Physical Energy

Physical energy is a foundation to your overall personal energy. In this video I discuss the 4 areas every person must focus on to generate optimal physical energy. 1) Sleep/Wake Cycle, 2) Movement/Exercise, 3) Recovery, and 4)Nutrition. I’ll share with you several quick ideas for how you can better focus on each of these areas.

February 1, 2012

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“Your first and foremost job as a leader is to take charge of your own energy, and then to help orchestrate the energy of those around you.”

-Peter Drucker

Energy for Life (Part 2)

To increase your energy you must focus on all 4 energy dimensions of your life including Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual. We can’t just focus on one or two areas and expect to have abounding energy or life balance. While each dimension is interdependent on the others, when we focus on creating energy in all areas we can achieve an exponential energy effect.

January 27, 2012

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Energy for Life

One of your greatest assets is your energy. The amount of energy you have will determine your ability to fully engage and perform in the areas of your life that matter most. This is the first of a series of videos I will share on the topic of creating more energy in your life.