What’s Your Secret Weapon?

Shoes are one of my vices, especially high heels. I wear them everywhere.  To meetings, on office days, to lunch with the girls, out on a date with my man and even to teach classes.  Here’s a shot of a few of my favorites.

Cute or not, at the end of a day standing up in front of an audience in high heels, my feet hurt.  People ask me all the time: how I can possibly wear heels so much?

Here’s how:  Yep, Dankso’s are my secret weapon. Not the sexiest shoes I own, but hands down the most comfortable.

The point is, it’s important to take care of yourself to keep moving forward. The key is building it in along the way, rather than going the crash and burn route that most of us do.

Remember the story of the two woodcutters who competed to see which one could split the most wood in a day? One woodcutter went all day without a break while the other stopped for 10 minutes every hour to sharpen his axe and rest.  At the end of the day, the woodcutter who took the breaks had split more wood even though he spent less time at it.

Sometimes “sharpening your saw” is learning a new business tool, but it is just as important to nurture yourself.  In many ways, it’s the secret weapon of productivity.  How much longer does it take you to do something when you are tired?

What’s your secret weapon for productivity?

• Maybe it’s taking a morning off to enjoy a walk after working for the last week without a day off
• Maybe it’s taking time to snuggle with your kids at night and read them a story even though your email inbox is overflowing
• Maybe it’s having lunch with a friend or dinner with your spouse where the whole purpose is to laugh and enjoy the moment

Whatever it is for you, build it into your schedule. It can feel scary when your calendar is already overbooked and you feel behind, but I can tell you from experience, once you do make time for these things. Everything else will fall into place.

You will be more focused when you are working and get better results. Taking care of yourself is the secret weapon for success.

For more of my secret weapons, stay tuned for next week’s post.