3 Productivity Resolutions that Have Stuck for 2020

“Be more productive.”

That one’s got to be up there on anyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions.

What if we refined it a bit, to make it just a little more accurate, a little more realistic, and a little more doable?

As in, “I’d like to be more productive so that I can ‘power down’ at a reliable time every day, rather than feel like I’m working all. The. Time.”

Or, “I’d like to be more productive so that I can maximize my efforts in the most efficient amount of time.” (I think of this one as “collecting compound interest” on my output.)

Or else, “I’d like to be more productive so that I can get the have-to-do things done, and spend more time on the want-to-do things.”

I’m guessing that a few of you are nodding your heads, and have even gone down this path yourselves. I’m right there with you. So let me share a few resolutions that have “stuck” for me this year, that have boosted my productivity significantly.

The “Just One More Thing” Guideline

Before signing off at night, challenge yourself to do “just one more thing” that will enable you to hit the ground running the next day. Keep it small and discrete. Maybe it’s formatting the master slide for the presentation that’s due at the end of the week, or maybe it’s outlining the three points you want to make at a meeting the following afternoon. The idea here is not to finish the whole project, whatever it is. It’s simply to take an incremental step in that direction, so that the momentum is waiting for you the next day.

Track What You Drink, and What You Pour

I don’t mean literally what I drink or pour. Instead, I mean it in the sense of balancing the activities that fill me up (the “drinks”) with the activities that exact a price from my resources (the “pours”). The ones that fill me up? Meditating. Writing. Making love. Reading. Cooking. Conversation. The ones that exact a price? Pessimism. Gossip. Drama.

Try tracking those things, honestly and daily, in a place that only you see. Notice the correlation between your productivity when you’re “on a roll” with the activities that fill you up, several days in a row. Also notice the opposite.

A Vision Board of Index Cards

i’s true: a vision board is supposed to be visual. (That’s kind of the point, right?) For some of us, though, words are a more effective means of communicating, even to ourselves. That’s why my personal vision board is populated by plain old index cards, with writing on each of them that indicates a goal and the intention behind it. Remembering the intention, and being able to see it in front of me, enhances internal motivation. Which boosts productivity. Which gets things done.

What are some favorite productivity resolutions that work for you? Drop us a line and let us know. We’d love to hear.

Namaste,
Cathy

What We're Reading: 

There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.

Odd Woman Out – Slate.com

Aymann Ismail talks to a female Air Force officer about what happens when she no longer wants to drink like “one of the guys.” (Note: replace “military” with bev alcohol, and the similarities are striking.)

How Gal Gadot Is Teaching Wellness to Her 'Firecracker' Daughters Through Meditation Apps – People.com

I mean, even Wonder Woman Gil Gadot needs help to calm down her kids for bedtime…

Meet the Community!

Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.

Cheramie Law, Owner and Co-Founder of Salt and Pepper Wine, Texas (USA)

Years In the Industry:

I have been in the beverage industry for about 6 years now.  My time started as an enthusiast of wine made in Texas.  I quickly realized that there were many people who didn’t know the amazing things going on in the Texas Wine industry , thus my life/business partner Todd and I began traveling around the state (Texas is a huge state) meeting with winemakers, growers and industry leaders all in an effort to learn and educate on the great things happening in te Texas Wine region. We then realized that not many wineries were focus on the sale of Texas Wine outside of their tastings rooms so, we became wine brokers of small wineries. 

Recently, we have started our own wine brand, Cheramie Wine.  Our wine brand is focused on bringing 100% Texas wine to the world.  We will be releasing our first wine, Spring 2020 and our second, Fall 2020.   We can’t wait!

My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:

My biggest challenge is being able to prioritize my health and wellness in the midst of this wonderful chaos of building our brand.  With everything moving at the speed of lightning, taking care of myself sometimes moves to the back burner.  I have learned quickly that when I do not choose my health and wellness, the speed of the industry will outpace me.

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:

I’ve recently discovered Sadhguru’s Inner Engineering and his practice of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya.  This practice has been the most transformational thing that I have done for my wellness, thus far.  From the Shambhavi Mahamudra streams better eating, changed thought patterns on stress, and overall becoming a more conscientious person. I have also found that spending time alone to think and decompress helps renew my spirit.

You can connect with Cheramie on Instagram @Onbeingchermms and @cheramiewine and on FaceBook at saltandpepperwine

Let’s Meet Up:

The wine world is truly global and here are upcoming events and activities that we hope to see you at!

ABG Events and Presenter Activities:

Unified Wine & Grape Symposium Feb 4 - 6, Sacramento CA

·      Panelist “2020 Headwinds Facing the Industry” (Beck)

·      Moderator, “Tapping into Consumer Trends” and Panelist, “Data Matters – It’s Not Your Size, It’s How You Use It” (Cathy)

Wonder Women of Wine , Mar 28 - 29, Austin TX

Panelist “Health & Wellness” Panel (Beck)

—

Industry Event Travel:

Wine Paris, Feb 10 – 12, Paris FR (Cathy)

B.E.V. NY Conference, Feb 26, Rochester NY (Cathy)

Charleston Food & Wine Festival - March 4 - 8, Charleston SC (Beck)

Wine Marketing & Tourism Conference March 3-5, Eugene, Oregon (Cathy)

ProWein March 15 – 17, Düsseldorf GE (Cathy)

Bologna Business School, April 7 – 9, Bologna IT (Cathy)

Vinitaly April 19 -22, Verona IT (Beck)

Future Wine Expo May 12 - 13, Santa Rosa CA (Cathy)

Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.