Spirit Magazine - December 2013 - (Page 64)

Business Angry Birds might be considered "dawdling purposefully" if it lifts your mood and reduces stress. BEIGE Not on your itinerary. Break free from the beige, bland and generic. Designed for those who love open spaces, open thinking and open expression, this is where travel creates possibilities. This is Aloft Hotels. Different. By design. Book this package and enjoy 2 free drinks. alofthotels.com/wxyzbar 75+ hotels all around the world. Free in all guestrooms ©2013 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Aloft and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates. For full terms and conditions, visit alofthotels.com/wxyzbar. Service of alcohol subject to state or provincial and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age. Like, 'Oh! My daughter needs two apples for 'Red Week,' and I have to get that email out, and I need to prepare for that meeting, and, and ... ' Then I tell myself I'm freaking out and map out what's going to happen at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and noon and when I'm home." Vanderkam says that kind of specific, concise, achievable list is a smart strategy. "If you have an extremely short list of tasks and assign a time to them, they are more likely to get done. If you don't make a decision about what you want to do, life comes at you." And life, at times, is the contrary yin to productivity's yang. Lastminute meetings, personal crises, a working lunch that runneth over: How do you keep from getting completely derailed? Vanderkam says it comes back to a well-thought-out agenda. "It's a good idea to leave some slack in your day. If every minute isn't spoken for, you have the ability to not only deal with crises but seize opportunities as well." STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER It may sound obvious, but there's a big difference between being productive and sitting chained to your desk, lethargically futzing on the computer in a guilt-driven, ineffective effort to crank out a sales analysis. While you may feel compelled to go through the motions of being busy, research shows that stepping away for a few minutes when you're mentally drained will ultimately make you more efficient. Vanderkam says, "Part of using your time well is managing your energy and being strategic about taking breaks so you can feel productive enough to get things done." Killjoy alert: A "strategic break" is not a free pass to spend hours at a time on fantasy football or Angry Birds, or to binge-watch all six seasons of Lost. But little doses of those things might be considered "dawdling purposefully" if they lift your mood, reduce stress, and boost your will to reformat that spreadsheet. Williams' daily download on her morning commute, grabbing an afternoon coffee, and snacking on a piece of chocolate-all of these things help her stay more productive in the long run. That's in part because mind-wandering time can be good for creativity and problemsolving, but also because rewards are terrific behavior reinforcers (i.e., we are suckers for treats). "Sometimes you have to figure out little motivators for yourself and visualize the long-term reward," Williams says. To that end, when she needs to stay up late working on GivingCity, she gives herself time to eat from her secret stash of chocolate and "poke around [the Internet] looking at gowns for the opera. Then I'm sitting there already, just a click away from my work." MOVE IT, OR ... JUST MOVE IT, OKAY?! Newsflash No. 1: In case you haven't heard, exercise is good for you. Newsflash No. 2: So is eating well and getting a good night's sleep. Newsflash No. 3: Obesity and other chronic health problems cost the U.S. more than $150 billion in lost workplace productivity every year. Newsflash No. 4: You can work exercise into your day. Really. Wellness and productivity are interconnected on so many levels it's hard to know where to start. According to Tim Church, a professor at http://www.alofthotels.com/wxyzbar http://www.alofthotels.com/wxyzbar http://www.alofthotels.com/wxyzbar

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - December 2013

Spirit Magazine - December 2013
Contents
Gary's Greeting
Gary's Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Worlds
Your Pictures
Media Center
Spice up your drink repertoire
Eat Drink Sleep
Cook with chickpeas
Stay Overnight in Nashville
The Numbers
Make a Case for Paper Maps
Look out for Bigfoot
Plan Interplanetary Trek
Wise Guide
Co-opt Criticism
Business
Meet your New Favourite Travel Buddy
Provoke Productivity
Tales of a Tippling City
Rediscover Sin City
The Other Side of Vegas
Your Adventure In Albuquerque
Promotional Series: Spirit of Florida
Focus On: Health Resolutions
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Services
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The "If" List

Spirit Magazine - December 2013