Are you inventing things to do to avoid the important?  This is a question I put on a Post-it note to help minimize the time I spent procrastinating. It works, so I made it and give it to audience members. by Eric Papp

What is your initial instinct?  You are at a red light; what do you do with your extra sixty seconds?  You are finishing a dinner conversation; what do you do next?  You are waiting in line at a grocery store; what do you grab to pass the time?  You guessed it, your phone.  Why do we always feel the need to check it?  According to a 2019 study by Asurion, adults check their smartphones 96 times per day or once every eleven minutes. The same company did a follow-up study and discovered that checking smartphones has increased to 352 times daily or once every three minutes.  WTF? What exactly are we doing to ourselves? Our attention span is shortening and is like that of a squirrel. Sometimes, I'll walk upstairs to get something, get distracted, and forget why I went upstairs in the first place. Can you relate to that?  This constant connection keeps us in a constant state of hurry.  We need space (be still and do nothing) but fail to realize the importance of it.  Space helps us  Slow down and organize our thoughts  Strengthens our concentration  ...

We act more on impulse rather than discipline.  I know that if I'm watching a show on Netflix (Pepsi, Where's My Jet?) and it's entertaining, I need to act fast not to watch the next episode. The next episode begins in 4,3,2,1. Look familiar?  It's startling how much these media streaming companies know about human psychology. But, unfortunately, our brain doesn't have enough time to process that decision, so the default answer is the next episode.  And at the moment, we usually tell ourselves something that will help us justify our decision to stay up late. Though, we lead to undervalues sleep. I'll do just one more episode. I deserve it; I've had a heck of a week  I'll be fine tomorrow.  Sleep is like an invisible bank account. You make deposits when you get a good night's sleep and withdraw when you don't get your 7-8 hrs.  And we usually only see the result once it's impacted our mood, stress, or performance at work.    by Eric Papp

When you want your friends to listen, they give you advice; when you want advice from your therapist, they listen. A treasured friend will listen, ask good questions, and provide encouragement. By Eric Papp

They don't ask for help. Intelligent people become trapped by their weaknesses when they don't collaborate. They have been conditioned most of their lives to rely solely on their brainpower and view asking for help as a weakness. If you have multiple people doing this, the result is frustration, isolation, and competition at work. By Eric Papp

Quiet Quilting is a term that is gaining much traction lately, but the behavior is nothing new "do the bare minimum." According to Gallup, at least 50% or more of the workforce comprises "quiet quitters." Why? Internal factors Employees are being asked to do more. Businesses often think the answer in times of change is to "do more." Some people are doing the role of previously two to three people and now have multiple bosses. When employees are asked to "do more," they often lose the impact and meaning of their work, and excitement gives way to apathy. External factors Coming off of a pandemic, some have not had a chance to renew themselves with a vacation or trip. And a media that feeds divisive stories has us feeling more isolated and cautious and causes higher levels of anxiety. So people show up to work with this type of mindset. This mindset sets the stage for survival, not collaboration or value creation. By Eric Papp