The seed of honesty

The seed of honesty A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.He said, It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. I am going to give each one of you a SEED today one very special SEED.  I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.  I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After abou t three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.  Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.  By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didnt have a plant and he felt like a failure.Six months went by still nothing in Jims pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didnt say anything to his colleagues, however He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil He so wanted the seed to grow.A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.Jim told his wife that he wasnt going to take an empty pot.  But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes.Jim put his empty pot on the floor and  many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.Jim just tried to hide in the back. My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown, said the CEO. Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.Jim was terrified. He thought, The CEO knows Im a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed Jim told him the story.The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!Jim couldnt believe it. Jim couldnt even grow his seed.How could he be the new CEO? the others said.Then the CEO said, One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed.  I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead it was not possible for them to grow.  All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.  Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. * If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. * If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. * If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. * If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. * If you plant hard work, you will reap success. * If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation . * If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest.So, be careful what you plant now;  it will determine what you will reap later..Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You BackAuthor Unknown Story was submitted by visitor Madhukar

Developing A Healthy Organizational Culture Essay

Human Resources approach performs an extremely essential function in creating and maintaining competitive advantage; many organizations disregard the importance of HR in creating competitive advantage. The three priorities will require a major transformation in the organization. HR strategy should support the conversion, and help the workforces to acclimatize in a different environment. One major objective of the innovative HR strategy will be to create a healthy organizational culture that supports innovation, collaboration, and intercontinental operation. Leadership plays an enormously important role in developing a healthy organizational culture. (Dessler, 2013) Furthermore, the innovative HR strategy will provide the workforces a platform where they can express their opinion, thoughts, recommendations, and perspectives for the conception of a more productive workplace. The workforces can also share their views on how to create a supportive organizational culture. The personnel will likewise share their ideas and recommendations on improving processes, cutting expenditure, reducing waste etc. The Availability of such platform will improve employee satisfaction, create a sense of ownership, involve employees in decision making, and motivate employees to achieve their individual as well as organizational objectives. (Dessler, 2013) Additionally, the modernistic HR strategy will develop a workforce preparation procedure that can determine the critical abilities and skills ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Innovative Hr Strategy For Developing Healthy Organizational Culture1869 Words   |  8 Pagessupport the conversion, and help the workforces to acclimatize in different environment. One major objective of the innovative HR strategy will be to create a healthy organizational culture that supports innovation, collaboration, and intercontinental operation. Leadership plays enormously important role in developing healthy organizational culture. (Dessler, 2013) Furthermore, the innovative HR strategy will provide the workforces a platform where they can express their opinion, thoughts, recommendationsRead MoreOrganizational Culture and Its Effects on Team Development and Effectiveness1566 Words   |  6 PagesIndividual Assignment: Organizational Culture and Team Effect Paper Explore how organizational culture develops and how it affects team development and effectiveness Organizational cultures develop over time thus the need to adopt and integrate valuable components towards realization of effective and efficient development of the organizational cultures. Understanding of the organizational culture is an essential aspect towards the achievement of quality culture with the aim of enhancing the outputRead MoreOrganizational Culture Assesment1717 Words   |  7 PagesCase Analysis B: Organizational Culture Assessment Life is stressful and the value of the healthy organization is measured by the quality of the work-life balance of the employees. Even the best-managed organizations have stressors occurring on the regular and the irregular periods. Those regular stressors, such as quarterly reports or financial tides are expected. The unplanned and often unsuspected stressors occur within the organization. These unplanned stressors will create chaos and an unhealthyRead MoreThe Need for a Strong Safety Culture in the Workplace Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesThe death of twenty-nine workers in an explosion at an underground mine site is a catastrophic example that demonstrates the critical need for a strong safety culture in the workplace. Ben Heineman, the author of the article â€Å"Valuing Safety is Good for Companies’ Bottom Line,† (2010) suggests that â€Å"culture consists of the shared principles and shared practices which influence how people in organizations feel, think, and behave.† Today, most industries view strong safety regulations as a crucialRead MoreAddressing Employee Stress Creates Sense1547 Words   |  7 PagesFinancially speaking, addressing employee stress makes sense. A PwC investment analysis report from 2014  found initiatives and programs that fostered a resilient and mentally healthy workplace returned $2.30 for every dollar spent. In addition to this financial capital finding, organizational research has demonstrated a positive relationship between employee resilience and performance (Luthans, Avolio, Walumbwa, Li, 2005). The results are clear: many Americans have little difficulty identifyingRead More Leadership vs. Management Essay979 Words   |  4 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The culture of an organization is embodied in its vision as well as the actions and attitude of its employees. Managers can sometimes sustain the skeleton of the company culture but it takes a leader to invigorate it and keep it healthy. A manager works hard at keeping the â€Å"old† culture and a leader works even harder at ensuring the culture is innovative and breathing in each of its employees. Both are concerned with the company culture, but only the leader will make sure the culture is evolvingRead MoreLeadership vs. Management1020 Words   |  5 Pages The culture of an organization is embodied in its vision as well as the actions and attitude of its employees. Managers can sometimes sustain the skeleton of the company culture but it takes a leader to invigorate it and keep it healthy. A manager works hard at keeping the old culture and a leader works even harder at ensuring the culture is innovative and breathing in each of its employees. Both are concerned with the company culture, but only the leader will make sure the culture is evolvingRead MoreThe Leadership Model : Inclusive Leadership And Organizational Culture Among A Diverse Global Group Of Employees1065 Words   |  5 Pagesof all subordinates regardless of race, creed, color or national origin play an equally important role in the strategic organizational plan. Such traits allow leaders to effectively engage with subordinates of a wide variety of cultural, demographic, and social constrictions. This assignment will address the role of inclusive leadership in stre ngthening the organizational culture among a diverse global group of employees. The organization is planting business operations in Greece, Singapore, GermanyRead MoreCitigroup : A Leading Multinational Investment Banking And Financial Services Corporation1653 Words   |  7 Pagesvirtual teams of five client service representatives and meeting the stated goals for the department. How well these teams perform will be a direct reflection of how effectively my leadership skills will influence our organizational culture. Empowering Leadership and Organizational Culture The expectations for today’s workforce are as diverse as the workforce itself. With changes in workplace trends driven by new technology and Millennials and Generation Z’ers becoming the largest share of the AmericanRead MoreEmployee Health And Wellness Definition Essay948 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of an employee wellness program is to promote healthier employees who because they are healthy are happier more productive employees (Danna Griffin, 1999). Wellness programs have positive outcomes for both the employer and the employee (Danna Griffin, 1999). According to Chenoweth (n. d.) â€Å"for wellness initiatives to succeed, they must be an intrinsic part of an organization’s culture† (p. 1). Additionally, in order to have a successful wellness program leadership must be supportive

Robert Frost s Poem After Apple Picking - 950 Words

Robert Frost was one of the great American poets. His poems inspired and still inspire people of today’s time. His work will live on forever. All of his poems have a deep intellectual meaning to them. They make you think about what really matters in life. They make you question where you are in your life. Robert Frost once said, â€Å"Poetry is about the grief.† It is clear that this was Frost’s intention for each poem he wrote. For example, in After Apple-Picking the poem is about a man who seems to be dying and is reminiscing about his past life. The man is full of regrets after realizing all of the dreams he did not accomplish. The man is full of grief. He views his life as worthless and meaningless because of what he missed out in his own life. In the poem â€Å" After Apple-Picking† Robert Frost’s battling tones and figurative language alludes to an end of season, which conveys a message of reminiscing, and the end of one’s life. There are two tones in â€Å" After Apple-Picking†. In the beginning of the poem, the tone is somewhat of acceptance. The opening line says that the man was on his ladder and it is pointing towards heaven. This line suggests that he is close to heaven and that he is okay with it. But then the tone of the poem shifts drastically after line eight. The poem turns dark. Line eight states â€Å" I am drowsing off. I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  then ends the sentence with â€Å" It melted, and I let is fall and break.† These lines suggest that the manShow MoreRelatedRobert Frost s Poem After Apple Picking918 Words   |  4 PagesRobert frost was one of the most critically accepted and widely admired American poets in the twentieth century. He was honored for his achievement with multiple Pulitzer Prizes for his work in poetry. He uses vivid detail about nature and has been called a natural poet although, he denies such view. Robert frost work is more of the human condition which are they key aspect being related to being a human. He was so beloved because he understood the key aspect of being related to human and wrote poetryRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of After Apple-Picking By Robert Frost1215 Words   |  5 PagesFrom â€Å"After Apple-Picking† by Robert Frost Lines 1-8 â€Å"My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree Toward heaven still, And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill Beside it, and there may be two or three Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough. But I am done with apple-picking now. Essence of winter sleep is on the night, The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.† In the selected lines from Robert Frost’s â€Å"After Apple-Picking,† Frost creates the setting for the poem through time indicators, whileRead MoreEssay about Robert Lee Frost1452 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Lee Frost The mark of a great poet is his ability to engage the reader so that they analyse their own lives. Robert Lee Frost (1874 – 1963) – an influential American poet often associated with rural New England – is brilliant at this and uses poetry as a platform for the expression of his own general ideology. Frost’s belief that human society was often chaotic and stressful and that the meaning of life is elusive, has been promoted in his poetry. Frost looked to nature, whose undyingRead MoreMotifs Of Nature : Frost, A New England Poet2462 Words   |  10 PagesMotifs of Nature: Frost, a New England Poet Robert Frost, famous for his poems about nature, was a New England poet and farmer. Frost was born in 1879, in the state of California. At the age of eleven, Frost’s father died and subsequently the family moved to New England. Although Frost was born in California, he identified with the working farmers of New England. Frost bought his first farm in Derry, New Hampshire. Owning his own farm gave Frost firsthand experience with agriculture and living withRead MoreComparison Of Alexander Pushkin And Robert Frost3535 Words   |  15 Pages2015 Alexander Pushkin and Robert Frost both have written poems about autumn. There is a correlation between these two poems since they share many romantic features. â€Å"Autumn† and â€Å"After Apple-Picking† are both alike and different in many ways. Alexander Pushkin was born in Moscow, Russia and lived from 1799 until 1837. He wrote from a very young age, not only writing poetry, but also dramas and novels. He died in a duel when he was 39 years old. â€Å"Autumn† is a poem that contains many of the elementsRead MoreAfter Apple-Picking. Robert Frost, The Author Of â€Å"After1777 Words   |  8 PagesAfter Apple-Picking Robert Frost, the author of â€Å"After Apple-Picking†, preferred to write in a traditional form and pattern of English poetry. He is known for being a straight forward author, although he is not always easy to read. His effects, even though they are simple, depend upon a certain slyness for which the reader must be prepared (Frost 1). â€Å"After Apple-Picking† is one of Frost’s least formal poems. It is written in first person and is compiled of forty-two lines with two to eleven syllablesRead MoreThe Poetry Of Robert Frost3137 Words   |  13 Pagesexamine the poetry of Robert Frost for references to themes of nature, religion, and humanity and how they relate to each other. This exercise will be prefaced with a brief introduction to the man and his life as a segue to better understanding Frost’s verse. The unexpected but unavoidable aim of this composition will be to realize that Frost’s body of work is almost too sophisticated to comprehend, h is manipulation of language so elusive that each reader may believe Frost is speaking only to themRead MoreComparing Robert Frosts After Apple-Picking to Apples by Laurie Lee2445 Words   |  10 PagesComparing Robert Frosts After Apple-picking to Apples by Laurie Lee Poetry is an attempt to describe the nature and intensity of ones feelings and opinions. Often, however, these thoughts are too vague or complex to articulate. How does a poet translate these abstract ideas into something more tangible and workable? Simple, metaphorical objects and situations can be used to represent more elusive concepts. These can be interpreted in many different ways, however, and poets often use the sameRead MoreEssay on Robert Frosts Poetry2181 Words   |  9 PagesRobert Frosts Poetry Robert Frost said that a poem should begin in delight and end in wisdom Do you think that is true of the poems of Frost and the other nature poets you have studied? Frosts statement in the title is certainly true in some of his later poems and most nature poems, but in some cases, the wisdom comes first and delight is found at the end or, there is no delight only wisdom or, just delight or just wisdom. Not all poems abide by Frosts rule! The Pasture, beingRead MoreRobert Frost : A New England Poet3698 Words   |  15 PagesRobert Lee Frost Known for being a New England poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California on March 26th, 1874. Born to a New England father William Prescott Frost Jr. and a Scottish mother Isabelle Moodie who moved to the west coast from Pennsylvania after marriage (Bailey). Both his parents were teachers and poets themselves, but his father later became a journalist with the San Francisco Evening Bulletin (Bailey). Frost spent 12 years of his life growing up in San Francisco, until

NATURE and How It Affects the Human Views Free Essays

The written works of E.B. White and Loren Eiseley primary show the importance of literary implications upon the truth that connects nature with human behaviors. We will write a custom essay sample on NATURE and How It Affects the Human Views or any similar topic only for you Order Now From their writings, It could be noted that the views of the authors upon the relation of natural wealth with the wealth of human individuals which they primary have in themselves.   To be able to explain this idea further, an examination on the stories of the said authors shall be explained in this paper. However, to continue with the observation of the written works, it is important to carry these following questions in mind during the discussion: How does the description of nature on the part of each author reflect the abilities of humans to change and retain their characteristics at the same time? How does the explanation of Natural adjustments able to picture the actual adjustments that humans deal with themselves everyday? How well did the authors discuss the ways by which nature itself becomes a metaphor to the human ways? Once More to the Lake by E.B. White The narrative description adapted by White in this particular story has much related the idea she was portraying to the trip that their family made to the pond when they went for a vacation. From the narration, it could be observed that she had a detailed description of every creature that she found to have inherited the areas that they were passing by. The life-based descriptions of the author upon the different living things that she saw along their journey showed so much connection with the human behavior towards the different situations that they are faced with everyday. The ways by which the animals tried to adapt to the changing climate as well as the changing situations that they needed to face in the environments that they exist with noted the fact the plants as well as the small animals picture the actualization if the fact that humans too are able to adjust with all the challenges that th they face in life everyday, that whatever the situations may post to them, they are trying their best to survive the pressures to the best possible way that they could. The Brown Wasps by Loren Eiseley In this particular writing, the small insects such as the mice were attested by the author as primary metaphors of the human behavior. This particular behavior relates the human creation towards the fact that they are able to make possible adjustments in their lifestyle depending on the environment that they are living in. It is undeniable that the ways by which the mice try to search for the best possibilities in the area that they are currently living in describes the exact process utilized by humans to adjust to the lives that they are supposed to face as individuals depending on the changes in their own society. Conclusion As a summary of the entire discussion presented herein, it is undeniable that both authors show the fact that the human behavior is indeed related to the fact that they are opportunists, like that of the small insects and small plants that are transferred from one place to another because of the wind or because of the demands of the climate, humans are also forced to change their lifestyle based on the environment that they are living in. This particular characteristic of humans makes it easier to survive life as they are able to portray in life right now. Reference: E.B. White Once More to the Lake (1941). http://www.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Essays/OnceLake.html. (October 26, 2007). The Brown Wasps by Loren Eiseley. (1992). http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/97173.html. (October 26, 2007).          How to cite NATURE and How It Affects the Human Views, Essay examples

Streetcar Named Desire By Williams Essays - English-language Films

Streetcar Named Desire By Williams After the reading of a play entitled A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams, there was quite a discussion on what women thought of as the ideal man. Was Stanley Kawalski the type of guy women secretly yearned for their whole lives? Although many responses came up, a few questions were not mentioned: What makes the ideal woman? What is it that attracts men to women? Stanley Kawalski may be the ideal ?macho? man, but what about his wife, Stella? Upon closer investigation, I have concluded that indeed Stella is the ideal woman. One of the qualities that make Stella such a fantastic woman is her compassion. After all, who else could deal with a sibling like Blanche? Stella was extremely tolerant of her sister. She was sensitive to both Blanche and Stanley's needs. She knew deep in her heart that Stanley loved her. This allowed Stella to care for her husband despite the fact that he abused her when she was pregnant with their child. It should not be forgotten that she is forgiving. Although Blanche made all of those horrible accusations against her husband, Stella was not too upset to see to it that she receive proper treatment. She cared so deeply for her older sister that she arranged for Blanche to ?rest in the country.? How sweet that was of her. Time and again she demonstrated just how kind and forgiving she really is. Another quality that makes Stella most endearing to men is her knowledge. Stella has recognized her place and is completely content with this understanding. It is her job to clean up the house after Stanley and his poker buddies. She knows that she will return to Stanley no matter what he does. It could range from a simple white lie to raping her sister. Stella grasps the fact that she will remain faithful to Stanley for life. This makes for an appealing woman. What man wouldn't appreciate someone like her? One last feature that attracts the opposite sex is that she is ignorant. They say that ignorance is bliss, and in this scenario, it is true. She is oblivious to her husband's roguish traits. This means that her husband is able to do as he pleases, no consequences attached. Of course, there is the possibility that she perceives what is happening and simply refuses to do anything about it. The end result is ultimately the same. It is no wonder that Stanley loves being with Stella so greatly. Any ?manly? man will attest to the statement that this is the way a woman should be. ?Every man is a king? and therefore should be allowed to fulfil his every desire. In conclusion, Stella is indeed the ideal woman. No man could resist being in a relationship with her. Unlimited freedom, free housekeeping, and great ?loving? are all guaranteed with a girl like Stella. Every woman needs to know her place the way Stella does. It is not as though she receives nothing in return for all of her attributes. She acquires a meritorious husband like Stanley, and he is without a doubt quite a catch. In the end, it is qualities such as these that make Stella, or any girl, a stellar woman.

Titian essays

Titian essays No one knows exactly when the Italian artist, Tiziano Vecellio, was born. Over the centuries, there has been a great deal of confusion concerning the date, due to a misprint in his biography by sixteenth century art historian, Girgio Vasari. Vasari recorded the date as 1480, but the progress of Tiziano Vecellios work, as well as other documented sources, announce his date of birth to be sometime between 1488 and 1490. (Magill 2310) The place of his birth was Pieve de Cadore, in the Alps north of Venice. Tiziano Vecellio, also known as Titian, was a great master of religious art, a portraitist, and the creator of mythological compositions, which have been so decorative and inventive that no other artist has yet surpassed them. People such as his wife, Cecilia, Giovanni Bellini, and the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, influenced Titian. (Magill 2311) Titian is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Italian High Renaissance. Titian developed an oil-painting technique during his time as an artist of successive glazes and broad paint application that influenced many generations of artists to follow along with his other various important accomplishments. Titian had many accomplishments in his lifetime. In 1518, Titians Assumption of the Virgin was shown at the Church of the Frari in Venice. It was in this composition that Titian seemed suddenly to absorb the achievements of the Roman High Renaissance style. At the time, it was learned that Titan had not traveled much, and therefore assumed that he squired this knowledge of art by visiting artists, studying their drawings and reproductive engravings. During the decades following his appearance in the art life, Titians reproductions placed him along with Michelangelo, as the most powerful artist in Europe. He was recognized for his mythical paintings, three of which he created for Alfonso I dEste of Ferrara, called The Bacchanal of the Andrians, The Wor...

How To Write More When You Dont Have Time

How To Write More When You Dont Have Time In our Better Blogger Survey, we found out two things about (most) of you: 86% of you plan to publish more content than you have been. 75% of you are on  a team of only two people or are blogging solo. Nathan suggested that I talk a bit more about this topic, partially because of the fact that I work as a solo blogger and write about 6,000 to 10,000 words each week, and also because you and I have similar goals (yep, I took that same survey and can vouch for these two concern points). Usually, I’ll push the idea that if you can’t handle more, you can’t do more. But for the go-getters out there who are insisting that you are going to write more  no matter what, here’s the ugly truth: Self-discipline and work lie ahead, not gimmicks or hacks. How To #Write More With Your Small Team via @JulieNeidlinger And, to get things off to a great start, let’s talk about distractions. Control The Distractions To Write More I’ve talked about distraction-free writing  in terms of the writing space itself, and how the visual distractions of the app you write in might hamper your writing efforts. Nothing derails my ability to write more, though, than the fact that I can check Facebook, my phone, Twitter, and every other non-work â€Å"information† source under the sun to avoid the work of writing. I blame my browser’s URL recognition and the fact that I can start typing â€Å"facebook† with just my left hand for sending me over there so much. It’s as if my hand starts typing â€Å"face† on its own at this point. Recommended Reading:  How To Improve Your Personal Productivity As You Blog These technology and computer-based distractions are a struggle to deal with, but there are some technological based solutions you  can use (e.g. Chrome plugins that limit time on social media, or a browser that locks you out of websites you’ve deemed distracting during work hours). But there are other distractions that have nothing to do with technology. I write at home, and since we’ve been having wonderful warm fall weather lately, I like to open up the windows for fresh air. The distraction? A neighbor who leaves the dog out all day while he is at work, leaving the neighborhood with incessant barking and howling the entire day. If you’re like me, once you hear a noise and really notice it, it’s all you hear. That white noise machine works great for putting you to sleep at night, for example, until one night you hear the loop and from that point on, all you can hear is the loop. So with Mr. McBarky in the neighborhood, I find I have to write elsewhere (basement, coffee shops, library) or keep the windows closed. If not, I inevitably end up enraged on a ridiculous level, calling animal control to report the dog. Control your #distractions to #write more content, grow your blog, and increase your impact.So what to do about the distractions that keep you from writing  more content and hitting your blog schedule goals? 1. Identify your distractions. Distractions can be digital, they can be audible, they can be hunger, they can be coworkers, they can be disinterest, they can be emotional- anything that sends your thought off track. Before you can defeat them, you have to be able to identify them. What am I doing when I realize I’m not writing? If you sat down to write and suddenly realize you aren’t, diagnose what happened. Write down what distracted you, and where you ended up. Write down what time of day it was, and the setting (where you were) when it took place. Note why you think you were distracted. 2. Find the distraction pattern. Distraction patterns often follow typical paths. We can focus better in the morning  (especially as you get older), while we almost look for distraction later in the afternoon. We can focus better if we haven’t been sitting still in the same place too long. We get sleepy after a big meal. Look at those moments of distraction that keep popping up. Can you see a pattern? Was it because you were bored, tired, or had just eaten lunch? Try to figure out when and why you are the most distracted, and see if you can plan your writing  to happen when you are least distracted. This is tricky in a team; the plans and meetings of others are inevitably going to force you into distraction zones. This is a valid topic of discussion with your team regarding the scheduling of meetings and other distractions versus the goal of writing  more content. Find your distraction paths to change your perspective productively. #writingYou may find one key reason for â€Å"distraction† is procrastination. Procrastination is its own beast, that horrible trap when you put off doing something you don’t want to do as long as you can. It’s certainly not a part of writing more content, though I could very well be a card-carrying member of Procrastinator’s Anonymous. I’ve mentioned before how you can work with your procrastinating tendencies and still produce, and I stand by the idea that you can work with it as well as overcome it to some extent. Procrastination is often at the heart of most distractions; we go looking for something else to do. We actively want  to be distracted. It’s the toughest one to deal with, and takes the most willpower. 3. Build on useful distractions. When I am trying to read something difficult that I know is good for me, I find my mind wandering. I will miraculously remember a million valid things I need to remember doing, things I don’t seem to recall unless I’m otherwise trying to harness my attention to something difficult. Keep a piece of paper handy and write down those to-dos, those â€Å"oh yeah† moments so that you can get it out of your mind and can get on with the main thing at hand. Otherwise, they just sit there and fester and make it impossible for you to get your writing done. How To Turn Negative Distractions Into Something Useful #bloggingAnd heck, you’ll probably end up with a fine task list when you’re done. Might as well capitalize on the inevitable distraction and turn them from something negative into something useful. 4. Kill useless distractions. Here’s where the meat of the whole â€Å"control your distractions† approach takes effect, and it won’t be fun or pretty. It’s going to hurt. I mean, if we are people who are checking our  mobile phones nearly once every six waking minutes of the day, we are clearly addicted to distractions. We give lip service to our disgust with experiencing distractions while we secretly crave any chance to be interrupted from work. So... Mobile phone.  Turn off your phone completely so there are no dings and vibrations. Or, turn off all app notifications. Or go into a room away from your mobile phone. Offline. Write with pen and paper, or even a typewriter (for reals, not ironically), so that you aren’t tempted to venture down any Internet rabbit hole. If you need the Internet to do research, write the outline  and basic post structure offline first. You can write in Google Docs offline, so turn off your Internet connection and use that feature. Get a door.  Find a quiet place that has a door and let your team members know (or your family, or your kids) that you cannot be interrupted until a set time. Get a clock placard and hang on the door with a note about interruptions if you have to. Limit messages. Forbid yourself from checking email more than three times a day. Two is even better. The same for social media that you use for messaging. Unless you are the social media manager or it's part of your planned  social media engagement program, get off of it. This is why planning is important for all content creation, including social media. Without planning, you sort of find yourself on Twitter, all the time. Whoops. Dominate your stomach. Have water nearby, before you write, unless you plan to break at regular intervals to walk and get water. But don’t eat too much before you prepare to do your most arduous content creation. Eating makes you sleepy. A little hunger pang during your writing isn’t going to kill you; it might sharpen your senses a bit. While fatigue can improve some aspects of creativity (because it wears down barriers you erect in your mind), writing a coherent blog post while drowsy doesn’t work. If you get great ideas while you’re sleepy, fine. Do the writing of those ideas while you’re sharp and awake. Rethink your hunger. No more â€Å"I think I need a snack† excuses. Most of the coffee consumed in offices is likely out of boredom. You just want to get up and away from your desk. Set a timer. Sometimes, I find it really helpful to inject a level of fake â€Å"stress† by setting a timer and saying, for example, that I have 1 hour to get a post written. Granted, I’ll have to clean it up and such, but it really turns the focus on when you’re racing against the clock. You produce. You can clean it up later. Move around.  Get up and away from your desk. Go for a walk before you sit down to do any major writing. If you’re one of the frozen chosen like we are up here in North Dakota and it’s too cold out, find a stairwell and go up and down a few flights to get the blood pumping. Procrastination problems. Admit you’re a procrastinator, and start working on the self-discipline to do the hard stuff first. That alone will decrease your distractions because you’ve removed the biggest contributor to the category of Distractions You Can Control. Tidy up.  Get junk and clutter off of your desk and workspace. No noises. No, you cannot do a good job writing with the TV going or music blaring. I know some people swear that they can’t write without music blaring through their earbuds, but I really doubt it. Perhaps there are some scenarios or rare situations, but generally, having the words of others wafting through the brain isn’t going to help you write a blog post. And sitting down in front of the TV in the evening with your laptop with the idea that you’ll write and watch Netflix at the same time? Liar. It will only take longer than if you did it without the background noise. If your team is serious about writing more content  and also realizes that distractions are a serious issue, you will need to essentially create a â€Å"clean room†, a place where distractions cannot be found. No phones, no noises, a door- whatever you’ve determined is derailing your writing  efforts. Stop Being An Island John Donne  said that no man was an island, and the same can be said for your team. There are other people out there who can help you write  more content through things like guest posts and interviews. It’s just a guess, but when most content marketers (particularly solo marketers) start thinking about the overwhelming state of writing more content, they are thinking as islanders. They are thinking it’s all on them. They are thinking that each piece of content is brand new, from scratch, all on their lonesome. A couple of truths about writing  content that can help get you off the island: There are great guest writers  out there. Find them on the blogs you already enjoy reading. Find them in the comments section. Ask them if they’d like to write for you. Please remember to reuse your content. Content curation  is a valid part of â€Å"your† content plan. Most ideas are derivative. You don’t always have to come up with new ideas every day. You can expound or rework your own, or other’s, ideas. In other words, you can include other people's content in your efforts to â€Å"write† more content, even if you didn’t exactly create the content. The big trap for you comes when you view writing  as starting fresh and new each day. You think you’re running a race on your own when you’re actually running a relay and passing off the baton. Writing is like running a relay and passing the baton. You're not alone. #bloggingThe overlap between growth and quantity. It’s not that you don’t already know those things in that list; we’ve talked about them a lot here on this blog. But I think it’s easy to think of them in terms of â€Å"these are growth hacks† and forget that they are also a part the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"writing more content† set. More content often leads to more growth, but if you step back and see it not just as part of your plan to grow but also part of how you’ll simply go about increasing your content output, it might help you approach these ideas better. Growth tends to be numbers we measure after something has occurred. Writing  a larger quantity of content is something that has to simply happen right now. So, if you have a list of things to do to grow your brand, and you have a different list of things to do to write  more content, and those lists don’t have these similarities, you need to rethink your approach. A Lack Of Resources Perhaps the stumbling block for writing more content  is that you lack resources. These might include: Time Ability Knowledge Money Well, that’s really all of it, isn’t it? Any kind of blogging resource falls into one of those biggies. I can’t conjure up more time for you, though I can talk to you about using it more wisely and defeating procrastination. I can also suggest a couple of things that might be consuming the limited amount of time and resources that you have. If you don’t have time to write long, long blog posts, don’t write them. Ideal blog post length  is really quite arguable. Different bloggers swear by different post lengths. Fresh and frequent content happens easier with shorter posts if you are short on time and blogging solo. You may love Blog X’s layout and gadgetry, and the success they’ve touted from using them, but if you don’t know how to create and/or maintain such things, why are you wasting so much time chasing it down for your own site? Just create good content and forget the bells and whistles for now. You may not know as much as the rest in your niche. So capitalize on that from two directions: Learn by reading the experts, and create content for your own audience based around what you found and learned from the experts. Eventually, you’ll gain the knowledge yourself. In the meantime, you write  more content and you bring your audience along for the education ride. You may wish to be the Oracle Of Your Niche, but it’s probably not going to happen. If you don’t have the time to search down 10 white papers for research for one post, find one really good piece of information and set your plan to create three pieces of content from the one. When tallying up what resources you think you need as you create your content marketing plan, list resources you actually have instead of resources others have that you want. You can still make great stuff with fewer resources. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention. The key to writing more content  from a small amount of input is to be creative with what you have, not what you think you should have.