Paula Kreissler is the kind of person we all want to be: respected businessperson, community leader, health advocate, devoted partner, and political activist. She wears many hats – and does it beautifully.
Raised on a farm, Paula learned the value of hard work, patience, and healthy eating. Through her 25-year career in FedEx, she developed her skills in the areas of leadership, decision-making, and strategic thinking. Currently, she is the President and CEO of Wound Care Clinic and the Director of Healthy Living and Community Development for Healthy Savannah.
But what absolutely fascinates me about Paula is her demeanor. She is the most “cool, calm, and collected” person I’ve met in many years. I feel relaxed and happy just being in her presence. I wish I could bottle her up and drink her with some orange juice every morning.
We could all hate Paula. Truly. She exercises regularly, eats healthy stuff, has a wonderful 18+ year relationship, runs a successful business, and does things that change the community for the better. But, she’s just so likeable!
So, how does she do it?
Paula Kreissler’s secrets of success:
- Remain calm. Even in the face of chaos, stay calm, assess options, decide next steps, lead others, and stay off the drama train.
- Be self-aware. Take personal responsibility and ownership for your life. Use therapists, coaches, and specialists when you need them.
- Prioritize your tasks. Recognize when something is an “A” priority and allocate time to do it. This especially goes for the easy-to-forget-but-oh-so-important routine tasks.
- Take notes. Whether electronically or on paper, always note what you need to do and indicate whether or not it has been done.
- Be selective. Choose activities and tasks that are consistent with who you are and how you should be spending your time.
- Allow for breathing room. Avoid scheduling yourself for every minute of every day. Calendars should have blank spaces.
- Lead by example. Never expect people to “do as I say, not as I do.”
- Be productive, not busy.
Paula is a joy to be around, and yes, someone we aspire to be.
Here are three things you can do to be more Paula-like:
- Decide what’s most important to you and write your personal mission statement
- Take a deep breath before reacting to any real or perceived emergency
- Smile even when you don’t necessarily feel like smiling
Because, according to Paula,
“I try to do it all with a smile on my face and laughter in my heart.”
This article is a part of my #ProductivitySuperheroes series where I profile people who are exceptional at managing their time, tasks, information and/or life in general. If you’d like to nominate yourself or someone you admire, please email getproductive@melissagratias.com.
Are you ready to prioritize tasks, address time challenges, and master your information?
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Melissa Gratias (pronounced “Gracious”) used to think that productivity was a result of working long hours. And, she worked a lot of hours. Then, she learned that productivity is a skill set, not a personality trait. Now, Melissa is a productivity expert who coaches and trains other businesspeople to be more focused, balanced, and effective. She is a prolific writer and speaker who travels the world helping people change how they work and improve how they live. Contact her at getproductive@melissagratias.com or 912-417-2505. Sign up to receive her productivity tips via email.
Remaining calm is always a toughie.