Work Archives

Is the Current Labor Shortage Due to Jobless Benefits?

Why is there a labor shortage? What’s causing the shortage of workers? Could jobless benefits be the cause? As the economy starts to recover from the pandemic, some analysts contend that unemployment benefits are so generous that they discourage work. Many recipients make more through their benefits than they did in their previous jobs, so observers argue they have little incentive to seek work. Keep reading for our analysis of the current labor shortage and what factors are to blame.

3 Tips to Stay Focused and Keep Distractions at Bay

Do you find it difficult to resist distractions and get your mind to focus on the task at hand? What is the secret to sustained focus? When your mind is scattered, getting it to focus might seem like a tall order. According to Neil Fiore, the author of The Now Habit, the first step to getting into the zone of sustained focus is to get into a flow state. Here are three tips to stay focused and keep distractions at bay.

Avoiding Work: The 3 Reasons You Do It

Do you find it difficult to get yourself to sit down and do your work? Do you tend to put off work until the last minute and then end up scrambling? According to Neil Fiore, the author of The Now Habit, avoiding work is a symptom of anxiety rather than laziness or lack of motivation. Therefore, discipline is not an enduring solution. To address the problem, you have to tackle the underlying psychological reasons that make you dread work. Here’s why you’re avoiding work and just can’t get things done.

Why We Procrastinate and How to Avoid It

Do you tend to procrastinate on important projects, delaying them until the last minute? Why do we procrastinate? Is procrastination a symptom of laziness? Before we can tackle procrastination, we need to understand why we procrastinate in the first place. According to Neil Fiore, the author of The Now Habit, procrastination isn’t a character flaw—it’s a symptom of underlying psychological distress. Here’s why we procrastinate and how to avoid it, according to Neil Fiore.

Debunking the Myth: Procrastination Is Not Laziness

Does procrastination result from laziness? What is the real reason we tend to procrastinate on important tasks? Traditionally, we tend to think that procrastination results from laziness. In this view, procrastination in itself is the fundamental problem: It results from a failure of motivation or willpower, and the solution is to try harder and be more disciplined. This is simply not true. Here’s why procrastination is not laziness, according to Neil Fiore.

Possibility Thinking: Using Thought Experiments to Make Decisions

What are thought experiments? How can you use them to make better decisions? It can be fun to imagine what’s possible. You can actually harness this imagining to assist in decision-making and problem-solving. In The Great Mental Models Volume 1, Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien discuss the mental model of possibility thinking. Continue reading to learn how to turn your imagination into productive thought experiments.

How Perfectionism Drives Procrastination

Do your perfectionist tendencies cause you to procrastinate? How does perfectionism prevent you from getting things done? Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re worried about what can go wrong with a task or project. This happens especially when we demand perfection from ourselves. But perfectionism only exacerbates procrastination by making you more stressed. Here’s how perfectionism drives procrastination and what to do about it.

How to Deal With Task Avoidance and Procrastination

Why do we avoid the things that matter most to us, even when we know that doing so makes us unhappy in the long run? What can you do to overcome procrastination? Sometimes, task avoidance and procrastination result from being overwhelmed with the work itself—especially when tackling a large or complex project. If that’s the case, try breaking down the project into manageable parts to avoid procrastination-spawning emotions like fear and anxiety. Here’s how “chunking” or breaking down projects can help break the habit of procrastination.

The 4 Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination

What causes procrastination? Why do we put off things that matter to us the most? More importantly, how can you stop procrastinating once and for all? Contrary to a common misconception, procrastination doesn’t result from laziness or lack of motivation. Rather, procrastination stems from how you think about and approach work. Therefore, the key to overcoming procrastination is changing your relationship with work (and play). With this in mind, here are four strategies for overcoming procrastination.

How to Manage Your Career: Treat It Like a Business

Have changes in your industry impacted your career? Have your opportunities changed, even though you haven’t? In Only the Paranoid Survive, Andrew Grove discusses strategic inflection points—market disruptions that demand a response from your business. He also explains that your own career will face strategic inflection points, bringing major change down to a personal level. Read more for Grove’s advice on how to manage your career and ride the waves of change.