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Guest post by: Stephanie Calahan Become an Author

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A while ago, I went up to the Chicago suburbs and delivered a half day workshop to the Association for Accounting Administration. As I was leaving, the meeting coordinator gave me an awesome insulated cup for the car. I was thrilled because I needed a new one.

When I got home I was even more excited.

I took the lid off of the cup to clean it and I found CHOCOLATE! In writing today, I am making a confession. I am a chocoholic!! Whew. OK. I said it. They gave me a mixed inventory of Dove chocolate. I loved them all, but my absolute favorite was the caramel filled ones.

So there I sat, staring at the candy and trying not to open the first one. (My will power diminishes after eating one.) Of course, I gave in and ate my first one.

I was surprised to see that on the inside of every wrapper are little messages. It is like a chocolate fortune cookie! With every one I opened, I found another productivity thought.

"Get Your Feet Massaged"

Now doesn't that sound wonderful? Chocolate and a massage! But there is a productivity thought here. So many of us work and work and never take time out to recharge. That is what this message is telling us.

You see, when you don't take the time to relax and recharge, you go into overload. When you are in overload, you cannot think as clearly or operate as effectively. We often put off taking care of ourselves, because we say we will do it after X gets done.

Well, I didn't get a massage, but I did go outside and work in my flower beds for a while. It was such a beautiful day and I really enjoyed it. I did not stay out there for long, but it really made a difference! When I came back into the office I was inspired and got all kinds of work done.

So, I opened another milk chocolate (I have a hard time with just one) from Dove and read: "FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS"

How often do you take stock in your situation and determine that you need to make some changes, only to second guess yourself later? Usually your instincts are correct on some level, but we don't give ourselves enough time to develop a solid habit.

* Do you question the systems that you put into place?
* Do you second guess yourself after a short period of time?

Why do you do that?

Body Doubling

Judith Kohlberg’s book What Every Professional Organizer Needs to Know About Chronic Disorganization - is one of our industries leading resources on working with different types of people. In her book, one technique she discusses is to "body double."

Many people need someone there when they work on a project. They need the reassurance of another person. This particular type of consulting and support is one of the most difficult to complete successfully.

It is based on the fact that some clients know what needs to be done, but do not know that they know! By being there and reassuring the client, they are able to follow their instincts and get a LOT more done. If you are second guessing yourself, rather than changing paths, reach out to someone you respect and run it by them. You are likely to find that the idea you have is a good one and nothing should change.

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