The Earnest Life: Recent Episodes
Laura Earnest
It's hard to focus and be productive in a world full of distractions. Twice a month, join Laura Earnest, a long-time productivity and self-development blogger, as she explores topics relating to a more focused and deliberate life.
When I was a high school math teacher, I used to always ask my students to check if the answer they got made sense. I knew that this world takes advantage of people whose math skills are poor and I wanted to give them some tools to be able to cope. Today I want to talk about how simple math is very useful in life. This is Episode 86: Why It Pays To Math.
Links from show:
- Proof of 1 = 0
- Payment Calculator
- Changing Jobs: Let’s Do The Math
- Math For Grownups by Laura Laing
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
A few weeks ago the young adult group at church did the service. The person delivering the message is a Navy veteran, a NASA scientist, and at the start of her civilian career. Her talk on “enough” got me thinking about the concept, and some later events played on it. So this podcast, number 85, will be on “enough”.
Links from show:
- The Earnest Life Episode 84: Tackling the Task List
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
My task lists have become a problem. They’ve been growing steadily, and it is now not unusual for me to have 20+ tasks on the list as I start the morning.
It’s not a sustainable approach. Even though I am knocking a good number of tasks off the list each day, it still keeps growing. There are some days I look at the list and I cannot even fathom where to begin.
Today I will talk about my experiment with open, closed and hybrid task lists and the things I am trying to keep myself working. I’m going to call this Episode 84: Tackling the Task List.
Links from show:
- Boyle’s Law
- Getting Things Done* by David Allen
- Zen to Done* by Leo Baubata
- Do It Tomorrow* by Mark Forster
- Mark Forster’s other time management systems
- Oliver Burkeman’s Imperfectionist Email List
- Time And Attention’s Burnout Episode
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
Filing papers leads to overwhelmed file drawers unless you purge them regularly. It’s not just papers, though. It’s also all the electronic stuff that you save, both files and emails. It’s easy to tell ourselves it doesn’t matter because of essentially unlimited mailbox and disk drive sizes. However, the more we shove into a cabinet, be it real or virtual, without ever cleaning it out, the easier it becomes to lose things and spend hours trying to find the information. In Episode 83 we will talk about the need for retention policies - and some ideas on how to implement them.
Links from show:
- IRS recommendations on retention
- Consumer Reports recommendations on retention
- Marie Kondo’s recommendations on retention
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
The weekly review, made popular by David Allen in Getting Things Done, is supposed to help you look back and assess the week as well as plan the next week. I have done various forms of the weekly review for years, but the “review” part of it always slid away in the face of planning for the next week. Recently I made a list of questions that will allow me to do a look back with intention, so that I can assess what happened in the past week - and more importantly, what is outstanding and why. I’m going to call this Episode 81: My New Weekly Review Questions
Links from show:
- Get your copy of the list of questions
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
A reader wrote in, curious as to what podcasts I listen to. She was particularly interested in how many productivity podcasts I follow. Today I talk about the 5 podcasts I never miss…and there is only one productivity podcast on that list!
Links from show:
- iCatcher - podcast player
- Noble Blood
- Time and Attention
- Irish and Celtic Music Podcast
- Science, Quickly
- The Archaeology Channel
- Beyond the ToDo List
- Optimal Living Daily
- The Creative Penn
- Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
One form of procrastination that I fight frequently is what I call Newton Procrastination: a body at rest will remain at rest. It’s the main reason I can’t get moving on things. And the key to fighting this is to make the barrier to motion so small that it takes almost no effort to get past it. We’ll talk about this today in Episode 79: Lowering Resistance.
Links from show:
- Newton’s Laws
- Timer Book Light*
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
I am a reader. I can cruise through a couple of books a week. However, my backlog is continually growing because I am only reading fiction. I decided a couple of months ago that I had to address the growing pile of nonfiction books. But it has not been an easy switch. In this episode, number 78, I will share the tips that I have used to make time for reading.
Links from show:
- Instapaper (https://www.instapaper.com/)
- Nebo (https://www.nebo.app/)
- Goodnotes (https://www.goodnotes.com/)
We all know that multitasking is bad. It has been estimated that multitasking can cost as much as 40% of your attention. But what about multi-projecting? Is it better to work one project and see it through? Or work several at a time? We will explore this question in Episode 77: One Project at a Time or Many?
Links from show:
- American Psychological Association: “Multitasking: Switching Costs”
Want to let me know how you handle projects? Email me at podcast@lauraearnest.com
Have you ever completed a job task or a project, just to be told that it was no longer needed? I’ve seen it happen time and again. Today’s podcast, Episode 76, will talk about Questions To Keep You From Wasting Time and Energy.
Links from show:
- Talking Heads: Once In A Lifetime
- The Pot Roast Principle
- Teresa Wentzler Castle Sampler
I rarely have time to prep for the new year in December. The holiday season is a busy one for me, and it doesn’t allow for the retrospection that I find I want to give the start of a new year. I know that January 1 is only a date, but I like taking the slow weeks after the new year to consider the year ahead. I like to reflect and plan the new year in the slow weeks of January. My steps include:
- Review the old year
- Seeing what worked - and what didn’t
- Reviewing my systems
- Reviewing my tools
- A look at my targets and goals
- Evaluate how my life reflects my priorities
- Make a dream/vision board
- Start a new planner
- Tidy my spaces
- Make a 100 things to do list
Links from show:
- Making a Dream Board with Canva
Disruptions are a part of life. But depending on how we approach them, they can be minor blips, or major derailments. Using anchor points to assess the level of disruption and modifying routines, both in simplifying or complicating, allow me to weather disruptions without long-term consequences.
Links from show:
- The Importance of Routines
- What To Put In Your Morning Routine
- Building a Morning Routine That Matters
- How To Create A Productive Morning Routine
I love bright and shiny as much as the next person. Besides having all the new tools, and the untarnished promises that a new system brings, it also feels productive because I am working on my productivity system. But shifting systems is a big deal because there is a lot of switching time between. Today we’ll talk about how and why in this Episode 72 called Switching Systems.
Productivity systems leak. And like plumbing, sometimes the only evidence is after the fact. Today we talk about how leaks develop, how to spot them, and what to do about them.
The feeling of getting to zero in my email in box is something that really gives me a boost. I realized after a trip away that the piles in my life were very much like a backlog of email: incomplete decisions. I decided to go through my physical, written and electronic spaces to pursue a concept of zero.
Links from show:
In Pursuit of Zero: https://lauraearnest.com/zero/
If I have too many projects on my plate I shut down, overwhelmed by the volume. I needed to tackle this early this fall, and I tried something new: clearing the decks. It worked really well taking my 18 project list down to 4 in about 5 hours.
Links from show:
- Things I Learned From My Mother’s Death http://lauraearnest.com/mothers-death/
It’s always a big temptation to take shortcuts. Imagine where we would be if Columbus didn’t think it would be shorter to go east instead of west to reach India? But just as Columbus’s shortcut went horribly wrong on so many levels, other shortcuts can also go wrong. And so today we are going to take on the case against a particular type of shortcuts. This is Episode 68: the case against lifehacking.
It’s always a big temptation to take shortcuts. Imagine where we would be if Columbus didn’t think it would be shorter to go east instead of west to reach India? But just as Columbus’s shortcut went horribly wrong on so many levels, other shortcuts can also go wrong. And so today we are going to take on the case against a particular type of shortcuts. This is Episode 68: the case against lifehacking.
Life rarely comes at us in neat little chunks. And when life is chaotic, it can breed even more chaos as we are forced to be constantly on our toes and ready to pivot. This episode is number 67, Living with Chaos.
Links from show:
- The Importance of Routines: https://lauraearnest.com/routines/
- What to Put In Your Morning Routines: https://lauraearnest.com/what-to-put-in-your-morning-routine/
Life rarely comes at us in neat little chunks. And when life is chaotic, it can breed even more chaos as we are forced to be constantly on our toes and ready to pivot. This episode is number 67, Living with Chaos.
Links from show:
- The Importance of Routines: https://lauraearnest.com/routines/
- What to Put In Your Morning Routines: https://lauraearnest.com/what-to-put-in-your-morning-routine/
Productivity doesn’t happen consistently by itself. Consistent productivity is about applying techniques that can be learned and knowing yourself. Today we will talk about these. This is Episode 66 - My Top 10 Productivity Methods
Productivity doesn’t happen consistently by itself. Consistent productivity is about applying techniques that can be learned and knowing yourself. Today we will talk about these. This is Episode 66 - My Top 10 Productivity Methods
It’s become legendary about how Steve Jobs always wore a black turtleneck and how Zuckerberg always wears a gray t-shirt and how Obama only wore gray or blue suits. It was all in the name of minimizing decision fatigue. Today’s show will cover what decision fatigue is and how you can minimize it in your own life with some simple changes. This is Episode 65, Minimizing Decision Fatigue.
Links from show:
- AMA article on decision fatigue: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119549/
- Baumeister et al article on ego depletion: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9599441/
- Challenges of the ego depletion research: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00568/full
- My article on morning routines: https://lauraearnest.com/what-to-put-in-your-morning-routine/
- Paprika software for recipes and menu planning: https://www.paprikaapp.com/
- Time Blocking: https://lauraearnest.com/time-blocking-example/
- Productivity Sprints https://lauraearnest.com/get-things-done-productivity-sprint/
It’s become legendary about how Steve Jobs always wore a black turtleneck and how Zuckerberg always wears a gray t-shirt and how Obama only wore gray or blue suits. It was all in the name of minimizing decision fatigue. Today’s show will cover what decision fatigue is and how you can minimize it in your own life with some simple changes. This is Episode 65, Minimizing Decision Fatigue.
Links from show:
- AMA article on decision fatigue: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119549/
- Baumeister et al article on ego depletion: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9599441/
- Challenges of the ego depletion research: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00568/full
- My article on morning routines: https://lauraearnest.com/what-to-put-in-your-morning-routine/
- Paprika software for recipes and menu planning: https://www.paprikaapp.com/
- Time Blocking: https://lauraearnest.com/time-blocking-example/
- Productivity Sprints https://lauraearnest.com/get-things-done-productivity-sprint/
I will be taking a couple month's hiatus from the blog and podcast as I deal with some personal issues.
“Good fences make good neighbors,” Robert Frost said. Boundaries are important, both in a physical sense, but also in an emotional and intellectual sense. I find, though, that most people don’t know how to set a good boundary, and this can severely hamper them as they work toward a more fulfilling life. This is Episode 64, which I am calling “Boundaries”.
Ironically, it takes a time commitment to learn how to manage time. Some of us are faster learners than others, and there are some lessons I wish I would have absorbed at a much earlier time than I did.
Links from show: Kindle Inventory Sheet https://lauraearnest.com/kindle-inventory/
When things shut down for COVID in March of 2020, I believed that it would be a few weeks and we would be back to normal. 2 years later, nothing has returned to normal, and I’m pausing to consider how this last 2 years has impacted, and will continue to impact productivity, simplicity and deliberate living. I’m calling this Epsiode 62: A COVID Retrospective.
There is so much information hurtling at us every moment of the day. I find that this can lead to a state of “always on” where my brain is constantly moving from one thing to the next. Today’s episode will talk about why it’s so important to have mental slow time and some ways of achieving it.
People often forget that in order to master a skill they need to practice. We’re used to thinking about practicing in terms of musical instruments or sports. But at the same time it also applies to things that we want to get better at: self-control, productivity, routines, deliberate living. Today’s episode will talk about the importance of practice, and how to practice most efficiently.
Living in a vacuum when it comes to productivity, projects and even trips can leave us off course and not reaching our destination. Today's episode talks about the importance of feedback, and how to find relevant feedback to help you accomplish your goals.
Some of us are sighing in relief now that December's busyness has passed. However, busy times can come at any point in your year. Today's episode talks about how to get through the busy times.
The last 18 months have been a difficult time, with many people switching to working from home. It's been long enough for us to grow used to it. Now many employers are bringing people back at least part of the time. It can be a difficult switch that will require some adaptation. Today we'll look at some of the areas that can need adjusting, and what can be done.
Living a deliberate life can be difficult at first because many of us are used to taking things as they come. Realizing that there are choices, and deciding what to do can often make us victim to mind traps. Today we will look at five of those mind traps, how to recognize them, and how to combat them as you move toward a more deliberate and productive life.
Just having a fancy kitchen doesn't make you a good cook. Likewise just having productivity tools doesn't make you productive. Today we look at ending the quest for the "perfect tool" and using what suits you best.
It's hard to keep using a tool that you no longer trust. Today we talk about what makes a tool untrustworthy, disaster recovery and knowing when to move on.
Articles mentioned:
- Why I Quit Evernote by Mike Vardy https://productivityist.com/i-quit-evernote/
- Why I Left Evernote by Laura Earnest https://lauraearnest.com/why-i-left-evernote/
It's time to get back in the saddle again. This episode talks about why I took a break, and how I addressed those issues, along with upcoming changes.
Today we've talked about the dangers of overplanning and how it ties into traditional project planning. Agile planning is a better way and we talk about how to do this.
Today's show will have segments on avoiding motivation, assessing your levels of commitment and moving on to unfinished projects.
Today we take an unconventional look at clutter: project clutter, hidden clutter, and using opportunities to declutter.
Today we're going to talk about how just putting your open loops - your unfinished objects - into a trusted system isn't good enough. We'll look at the Zeigarnik effect and how this can get in the way of focusing on what your are doing.
Today we're going to talk about complication, and how it often leads to us not reaching our aims. This could be in the systems we set up to reach our goals, or extra steps to get something done at home, or even just getting set in our ways. In any case, this unnecessary complication can stop us from reaching how we want to live our lives.
In this episode, we talk about when procrastination is a lack of clarity; approaches to stopping procrastination; and ten specific anti-procrastination methods.
In this episode, I will be talking about
- why a task list won't make you productive
- how a will-do list can help you overcome overwhelm
- using contexts on closed lists
It's been a year since most of us entered isolation. What have you been doing with your time?
Today we will talk about deliberate living: what it is, why it isn't the same as "intentional living" and what it means.
Most of us consider backups as something someone else does to our computers. But it's important to have backups of things that are crucial to your productivity, whether they are computer-based or not.
Links:
- iDrive: http://idrive.com
In Chapter 2 of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity , David Allen spells out the four criteria model for choosing the next thing to do. He says that you choose what to do next based on (in this order) context, time available, energy and priority. In today's podcast, I will explore ways to maximize the criteria so that you always have the most possibility of getting something done.
Links
- David Allen, Getting Things Done https://amzn.to/2YvNkpm
- Dr. Michael Breus, The Power Of When https://amzn.to/39ygURu
Yak shaving is an extreme form of distraction, as well as procrastination. So is overthinking. We talk about both of these today, as well as how to get back on track.
Links:
Pickles cartoon "but first": https://www.gocomics.com/pickles/2020/12/21
Seth Godin on Yak Shaving: https://seths.blog/2005/03/dont_shave_that/
COVID has meant that my daughter is attending community college and living at home, while many of her friends are out on their own for the first time. It also means that she is learning more life skills at this point in her life.
Not that I didn't try to teach her earlier - we had many sessions with the Girl Scouts where we taught the girls the basics of sewing, cooking, meal planning and finances. But now she's interested, and we're going over them again.
So today I'm going to talk about the skills I think everyone should be able to do to be self-sufficient - and why.
In this epsiode I talk about what I do instead of New Year's resolutions:
- Picking a word of the year
- Brainstorming
- Vision boards
- 12 week plans as well as how I approach changing habits.
Links:
- Making a dream/vision board with Canva: http://lauraearnest.com/dream-board/
- Canva: http://Canva.com
- The Power of When by Dr. Michael Breus https://amzn.to/3odaWdk
In today's episodes, we look at:
- What is enough?
- Tinkering
- Innovation vs. Standardization (routines)
In the recent reader survey, several people asked me how I managed to get everything done and have so much energy. Today's episode divulges my secret.
This episode debuts the segment format:
- Segment 1: Antelopes, Mice and Energy ROI: As a lion, you can chase the mice and starve to death, or go after the antelope and eat like a king.
- Segment 2: The Pickle Jar Theory Of Time Management: Big rocks and pebbles fill our jar. But does that mean that one is better than the other?
- Segment 3: Tying it All Together: Antelopes and big rocks, mice and pebbles. Balance and deliberate attention mean neither is more important.
Sometimes parts of my system break down. I started to realize that my daily productivity was lagging - that I was dragging tasks from day to day, deleting more than I wanted to , but yet not seeming to make progress.
I realized that it's because I was having to decide, time after time, what I was going to do every single time I looked at my tasks. It was draining my productivity as surely as a thousand tiny cuts would drain my blood.
My lists were too long, too cluttered and too complex for me to be able to distinguish what I needed to do from moment to moment.
So I needed to revamp my task system.
Two approaches to getting things done, Little and Often (Forster) and Deep Work (Newport) are often pitted as exclusive options. I think there is a place for both.
This show discusses the space in your life, along with
- What the 5 types of space are
- Why you should consider clearing them
- How to clear them effectively.
Links:
David Allen, Getting Things Done: https://amzn.to/317sxJG
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way https://amzn.to/3fljDx4
Interview at Lifelong Learning: http://lauraearnest.com/episode-26/
Saying No Episode: http://lauraearnest.com/episode-28/
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it's not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no.
Support me at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LJEarnest
Why have we been exhausted through the shutdowns? I think it's because we've all been running on fumes. Today we talk about sharpening the saw and filling the well - activities to get us back to productivity without exhaustion.
Joshua Galinato of Galiway.Blog and Lifelong Learning podcast interviewed me about productivity, burnout and deliberate living. He has been gracious in allowing me to share the interview with my audience.
Check out his website at:
http://Galiway.blog
Today I talk about the importance of making a daily agenda - and why writing it out is key.
Today we talk about handling the three types of distractions when working from home: pets, children and other adults.
Sites Mentioned * IXL (http://IXL.com): a great site for math drills and learning * Khan Academy (http://khanacademy.org): a site for videos on specific topics in math, science and more * Teachers Pay Teachers (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/): resources created by educators; ranging from fun worksheets to full on curriculum.
For a long time people have been talking about the new normal. But everyone had the expectation that this is how things would be until they go back to the way they were before COVID.
The thing is, I don't think they will ever go back to the same. And I wonder how much we will be able to steer it to build a better normal for ourselves.
Today I'm going to do a quick podcast on what we should be thinking about as we shift once again in our lives.
COVID has completely uprooted just about everyone's lives. We're working, schooling, shopping, exercising, and socializing differently. Every aspect of our lives has been turned upside down and shaken - HARD.
Three months ago life balance meant a completely different thing. Today we'll take a look at the new balance - and I'm not talking about shoes.
Today we will look at the three types of boundaries that made it easier to have a balanced life, and how to apply them to the new normal.
We have a lot of information coming at us these days. And the fewer spots you have to fetch that information from means the more time you will have for other things. Today we're going to look at what your collection points are, and how to minimize them.
Links:
Evernote: My Maintenance Routine
http://lauraearnest.com/evernote-maintenance/
Feedly
http://Feedly.com
Instapaper
http://instapaper.com
Most of us now have time to tackle all those things we wanted to "when we have time." So why aren't we? We'll look at the causes and the cures today.
Once again I am struggling with burnout. I looked through my archives to see how I dealt with this in the past. And I thought I would pull together the information on burnout in one place.
Links (Articles Mentioned In The Show):
- From Laura's Desk - 19 April 2017
http://lauraearnest.com/desk-20170419/ - Recognizing Burnout
http://lauraearnest.com/recognizing-burnout/ - How To Give Yourself A Break
http://lauraearnest.com/how-to-give-yourself-a-break/ - From Laura's Desk - 4/28/2016
http://lauraearnest.com/desk-20160428/ - Preventing Burnout: The 4 Pillars
http://lauraearnest.com/preventing-burnout/
If you are not a long-time reader of my blog, or only know me through the podcast, you probably don't know much about me. Today I give you 10 thins you probably didn't know about me so that you can learn about where I come from, both literally and metaphorically.
I can go down a rabbit hole of distraction faster than a rabbit. To keep myself on track, I took a trick I learned as a parent - using external tools to enforce limits. Today's show is about the various limiters I use to keep myself away from distraction.
How To Set Up iOS Screen Time Limiter
http://lauraearnest.com/freebies/screen-time-primer/
Predictable annoyances wear us down, much like a river wears away stone. By dealing with these ongoing issues, we can free up our time and energy for something more meaningful. Let's turn our pigeons of discontent into bluebirds of happiness.
We're always told to be the best that you can be. We need to sharpen our skills, plunge deeper into our learning and then master whatever it is that we are doing.
Don't get me wrong - mastery can be great. We should all strive to master things that truly are important to us.
But there is a time for mediocrity as well.T he truth is that we are wasting precious time trying to master things that simply don't matter in the long haul.
How many projects do you have that aren't finished right now? I'm not talking about just the ones you are aware of. I'm talking about all those things that you put somewhere with the intention of getting back to them "someday". Today we will look at how starting projects can become a problem, a way to list all of your projects, and how to combat some of the things that can keep you from finishing.
Resources:
Kathy Paauw
http://OrgCoach.net
RAM Dump
https://orgcoach.net/ram-dump/
Our bosses don't expect us just to do our jobs. They also expect you to know some basic productivity techniques. Today we will go over 10 Productivity Things Your Boss Expects You To Know.
How you start your day impacts how the rest of your day will go. Start the morning frantic, and you will be playing catch up the rest of the day. But you can stack the deck in your favor by doing the two things that will make your whole day go smoother. Today we talk about what those two things are, and how they are interdependent.
Things mentioned in the show:
HeimVision Sunrise Alarm Clock, Smart Wake up Light Sleep Aid Digital Alarm Clock with Sunset Simulation and FM Radio, 4 Alarms /7 Alarm Sounds/Snooze/20 Brightness
https://amzn.to/31vydLt
The Miracle Morning
https://amzn.to/2JcFucM
For my monthly patron Q&A I was asked the question: "Do you put tasks on your calendar?" It's such a big question that I wanted to unpack that in a single episode, but I think it's also very important for people to hear.
Here are the five reasons you shouldn't put your tasks on the calendar.
Life can get caught up in the day to day task list items. So much so that we forget about everything except crossing off the next item. In today's show I will talk about an every day list. We'll look at what they are, how to make one, and how to make sure you do them.
Resources Mentioned:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear https://amzn.to/30ejeKr
- Email: laura@lauraearnest.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LJEarnest
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LJEarnest
You have a list of projects. How do you know which one to focus on? It all comes down to return on investment, at least in terms of time and energy. Today I will give you a way to rank your projects to make it a bit easier to figure out which one to tackle next.
What happens when a goal doesn't fit who you are? Many of us are doggedly pursuing goals - and struggling - against them because they simply don't fit us. In today's episode I will talk about why a goal might not fit, how to spot them, and what to do about goals that just aren't right.
When I started this journey back in college, I was convinced that all I had to do was use the right planner and write everything down, and I'd never forget to do anything or be late for anything again. In the years since then, I have learned a lot of lessons about productivity. Here are 10 things I wish I knew when I started.
These include:
-There is no magic bullet for productivity
-Not all systems will work for you
-If things don't work, people will tell you you're doing it wrong
-Productivity is a game of small improvements
...and more!
Calendars form the basis of any productivity system. These are the single item that tell you where you need to be and when. But calendars have evolved massively from 30 years ago, when everything was on paper. Today I'll look at my own calendar evolution and share how I use a calendar today.
Our brains simply can't hold everything that goes with modern life. Add in some stress, and it's more like a sieve than a filing cabinet. Today I'll talk about some common external brains and some tips on how to use them.
What do you do when you've done nothing so long that it becomes a habit? Today's episode talks about how I conquered that problem with the power of three: three tasks every day, with a secret weapon.
Whether you call it delegation, outsourcing or automation, turning tasks over to other people or things can get you hours back. Today's episode looks at things you might not have considered outsourcing, and how to tell if it is a good idea to outsource a task.
A system of record is the single place you check to get information. This episode looks at identifying systems of record for the basic components of a productivity system: calendar, email, task management and notes.
Today we look at unpacking a common concept: intentional living. We'll look at what intentional living is and the foundations. We'll also talk about what deliberate living is, and how to get there.
Show Resources:
- Ji and Wood study:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/dcba/fc9e218cf93a72f71a649c4d1e6a5507462b.pdf - Neal et al study
https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/545/docs/Wendy_Wood_Research_Articles/Habits/Neal.Wood.Quinn.2006_Habits_a_repeat_performance.pdf - Joshua Becker's Helpful Guide to Living an Intentional Life
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-helpful-guide-to-living-an-intentional-life/ - WikiPedia definition of intentional living
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentional_living - Huff Post article on Intentional Living
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/brianna-upton/intentional-living-thrive_b_9373834.html
The inagural edition of The Earnest Life where I share my background and obsession with productivity.