Have you ever been at a child's birthday party? If the children are young enough, there is an almost-guaranteed scenario that will play out when it comes time for the cake. Some child will want the piece with all the frosting flowers, and it will be claimed by someone else. And instead of accepting another piece, the child will sulk and refuse to eat any cake at all. This type of behavior isn't limited to spoiled children at birthday parties. I have seen full-grown mature adults approach their productivity the same way.

Work and life no longer have distinct boundaries thanks to the technology that we carry with us at all times. Whether it is work jumping into our non-work time, or just the abundance of information we now have at our fingertips, life is much more complicated than it was 50 years, or even 20 years ago, which is when most of the current productivity systems were formed.

It used to be that work was work, and everything else was life. But with the advent of mobile technology, work is now everywhere. Work and life are not separate. It’s about whole life. Productivity techniques no longer apply to just work. They have to apply to our whole lives if we are going to be productive. So to that end, I present the Whole Life Productivity Manifesto. The Manifesto is being revised and will be re-released soon.

I have a confession to make. I have a hard time saying no. I am constantly asked to do things...because I have done things in the past. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean I have time in my schedule for the constant inflow of tasks. Yet the tasks still come, and I don't say no...and I end up overworked, under-rested and resentful. All because I have a hard time saying no. Today we look at some ways to say no without being rude, and getting the space you need.

Meetings can be, at best, a necessary evil. At worst they can be a soul-sucking drain of your creativity and time. One of the best ways to protect your productivity from this insidious sapper is to schedule a No Meeting Day.