I used to watch the people at work run around all day long talking about how busy they were.  They would talk about all the things they had to do, but never really accomplished anything.  They were very active, but not at all productive.  If they didn’t  have anything to do they would get really nervous.  I think most were afraid if they stopped they would realize how miserable they were.

Since employees are basically just renting out their time, I would hear things like, ‘I like to be busy because it makes the time go faster.”  If you stop and think about it, you are saying that you want to speed up your time.  Since you are going to die someday, maybe that is not the best approach, maybe you should find something productive and meaningful to do with the limited amount of time you have.

What are you busy doing?

Focus on producing, it makes you feel good and creates the things that you want in life.  You will get things done and achieve your goals.  You will value your time and enjoy your life, instead of just trying to hurry up and get it over with.

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I used to watch my fellow colleagues drag themselves back to work after lunch.  The 4 or 5 people deemed “The Lunch Club” were consistent underperformers.  I would curiously ask where they ate and it was usually, Cici’s pizza buffet, Taco Bell or some restaurant.

I found that their habit of going out to lunch everyday was counterproductive for four reasons.

1. Time.  Driving to a restaurant for lunch, sitting down to get a table, waiting for your food, paying and driving back takes up a lot of time.  I used to heat up the leftovers from the night before, eat at my desk and be back to work ten minutes later.  That is a 50 minute daily advantage.

2.  Carb load.  When you eat too much it makes you tired.  When you are hungry, you are not tired.  I have found that when I combine protein and carbohydrates together for lunch, like pizza, taco or a sandwich, I do not have as much energy for the next few hours.  Restaurant portions are always more than a single serving and cause you to overeat.  The lunch club loaded up on carbs and spent the second half of the day staring at the clock or trying not to let the manager see them nod off.

By breaking up your meals into 5 per day you can avoid this afternoon crash.  Eating a big breakfast, then some yogurt/fruit/energy bar/protein shake mid-morning, a salad for lunch, then another snack in the late afternoon will boost your productivity and allow you to be focused and alert the second half of the day.

3.  Money. After tax, tip and gas they were spending at least $10 – $15 per day.  This type of luxury can really add up.  $12.50 per day in a 20 workday month is $250, money that could be saved or invested.  If you make $60K per year, that is 5% of your income.

4. Gossip.  Usually when you get the people who want to “get out” of the office, out of the office they naturally gossip about what is going on around the workplace or start complaining. When you let peers reinforce negativity for your job, you are really not helping anything but moving your self closer to unemployment.  Surrounding yourself with negativity and complaints will get you nowhere, you have to take responsibility for where you are in life and take action to change things you do not like.

I have found that limiting the amount of times I go out to lunch increases my productivity.  By eating 5 small meals per day, I keep my metabolism going and do not feel stuffed, lethargic or tired.  When people ask me to meet for lunch I tell them that I do not do lunch, but would be happy to meet them in the morning for coffee.  This tactic makes my time seem more valuable, maximizes efficiency, saves money and gives me an energy boost.

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