David Allen has said in his book, Getting Things Done, that the edges have become blurry in knowledge work. Many of us work with information. At the end of the day, you have produced more focused, directed information for yourself or someone else. You are moving information around all day. You are receiving information.

In knowledge work, you can likely be twice as productive. It requires personal processes. What happens when you get something new? An email, memo, or verbal instruction? What system does it enter? Is your personal process consistent and predictive? Such a system would give you peace of mind as you work and more capacity to be ready for anything. For starts, try to minimize the number of places where you get stuff. Commit to one place. If you use Outlook, it may be your inbox. Email yourself tasks or reminders. Get an efax account and fax yourself paper documents that will come to your email. Minimize the number of collection points as a start. From there, the process begins. You can learn more at www.zeroinbox.com.

What describes you? Scarcity or Poverty? Hoarding or Generosity? If you asked your friends, they can probably tell you. We all like to be considered generous, but sometimes, we are too nearsighted.

I have observed real winners in business and they have this great quality of generosity. They don’t measure what they give out; they just give. Their time, knowledge or possessions. It is a delight to be around them. They add value to the people they touch. They ask the question of themselves when they are with people, “How can I add value to this person?” rather than “What can I get from this person?” They believe there is plenty to go around. Do you invest in yourself freely?

Tim Sanders calls this being a “lovecat” in his book, Love is the Killer App. It marks the person on the success path. They are a giver, not just a consumer. So when you are around your colleagues, ask yourself how you can add value. Be a person of value to give. It creates a winner in you in the long term.

Adversity will happen. Something bad will happen to you and me tomorrow, the next day or sometime soon. What will you do? Most likely, your reaction will be predictable. It is what you have always done. How you face adversity defines you. What have you done in the past when hard things have happened? When someone treats you unfairly or cruelly? When you lost a job or a friendship? When hard times hit do you attack or retreat? Lead or cower?

You can’t just become courageous, or noble or wise or respected. Every adversity brings out the culmination of your past choices to adversity. If you have fallen short of what you desire when you honestly look back at how you handled hard times, don’t fret. The beautiful thing is that you will have plenty of opportunities to define yourself in a new way. Know that adversity is coming and prepare yourself. That’s living. Mere “existence” is just doing the thing you are scripted to do and avoiding pain altogether. It’s a poor strategy and a poor character in the end. Adversity defines you. Your choices define you.