A personality psychologist, researcher and award-winning teacher, Tim Pychyl is an expert on personalities, inter-personal dynamics and individual productivity and motivation. As a researcher he has broken new ground in applying personality psychology to real-world situations, and developing tools and approaches that help people to be more productive.

Tim is also an extremely popular and well-regarded teacher. He was a recipient of a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship, and has won numerous awards for his classroom work. He was also a 2005 nominee for TVOntario's Best Lecturer Contest. Prior to moving into the academic world, Tim was a senior manager with a Canadian retailer chain. He has an excellent ability to bring cutting-edge research into the business arena, helping executives to develop new and more effective approaches to workplace challenges.

An associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, Tim Pychyl holds a PhD in psychology and, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is the Director of the Procrastination Research Group. He provided the vision for—and was the founding executive director of—the Institute for the Advancement of Teaching in Higher Education. Tim is a warm, witty and dynamic speaker, who establishes an instant rapport with his audience.

One of the major recent advances in personality psychology is the realization that each individual's life consists of a rich system of "personal projects". Everything we do is, in essence, a project. Some of these are small, mundane tasks— making breakfast, reading the newspaper, walking the dog. Others, however, are more substantial, meaningful, and potentially even life-altering—repairing a damaged personal relationship, finishing a degree, achieving a major accomplishment at work.

How we manage these personal projects is a key determination of our individual success and well-being. And, from a business perspective, it is a major driver of excellence in the workplace, because embedded in these "personal project systems" are the projects and goals of the groups to which an individual belongs-their families, community groups and of course the companies for whom they work.

In this remarkable presentation Tim Pychyl explores the nature of the personal projects we all pursue, characterizing them around key elements such as meaning, structure and manageability, and providing practical advice on better managing them. This talk is highly customizable to the needs of each specific audience. With advance feedback from the event organizers he is able to provide descriptions of the nature and specific challenges associated with the projects of the group he is addressing, and the steps his listeners can take to be more effective in addressing those challenges. This program is a unique and welcome addition to any conference or meeting, providing thoughtful insights that are immediately applicable in both a personal and business context. Tim's emphasis is on self-understanding, practical advice and tools for change that will provide your audience with tactics to increase goal achievement, personal productivity and well-being.