Energy and Focus: Recent Episodes
Josh Mitchell
Learn how to create more energy, sustained focus, and guilt-free productivity in your life and work. Hosted by Josh Mitchell.
Do you misplace things all the time? Do you have truoble finding what you need when you need it? You may benefit by having some strategies that help you stop losing things. In this episode, that is exactly what you will learn!
What do you do to celebrate the things you acomplish? What are your reasons for doing what you need to get done? How can rewards and motivations keep you aware and pushing forward?
Try waking up at 4:00am or 5:00am tomorrow and see what happens. Here are some tips of how you can actually make that happen.
Who Not How is a concept that comes from Strategic Coach and Dr Benjamin Hardy's book of the same name. In this episode, you will hear an overview of the concept and see how it can help you in your thinking and execution.
What is something you can do every day so you can get to the productive state?
Daily Flow — Morning
Check calendar
- Note today’s appointments/locations - check in with people to confirm?
- Note travel time - how long does it actually take to get to these places?
- Meals - what am I going to eat?
- 60-90 minutes of clarifying and organizing - do I have this?
- Rest/recharge time
- Planed time to go to sleep
Review Next Actions Lists
- Put your eyes across your options for when you go to do work
- Pull out any critical action steps
- “You can only feel good about what you’re not doing when you know what you’re not doing.”
Review Waiting For Lists
- Anyone you need to ping today?
Mindsweep
- Anything pop
Ins to zero
- Clear out your inboxes (task manager, paper, email, slack, etc)
Daily Flow — Evening
Check calendar
- What actually happened today?
- What’s happening tomorrow?
- Anything to communicate with spouse, family, friends, coworkers?
Mindsweep
- Anything that might keep you awake tonight?
- What has your attention the most?
In this episode, I share a collection of a few principles that serve as the foundation to my productivity. Steal them. Improve them. Add to them.
Part two of a conversation about your productivity tools. Here is a link to the mindmap I use to visualize the tools I use:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3vx81sd2l3xa37/Gold%20Standard%20Productivity%20Tools.pdf?dl=1
How often should you look at your tools and decide if they are working for you or not? You will learn how to evaluate your tools and make decisions on whether to keep what you are using or find something new.
Here is a link to the productivity tool mindmap I use to visualize this process:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3vx81sd2l3xa37/Gold%20Standard%20Productivity%20Tools.pdf?dl=1
What would it look like to wake up feeling rested and grateful? Is there an opportunity for you to rethink how you set your alarm and how you want to wake up each morning?
Emerson SmartSet Alarm Clock Radio https://amzn.to/3T8zxR8 (affiliate link)
What might happen to your attention and focus if you turned every notification off on your phone, computer, and tablet?
Ever wonder how you can break a bad habit? There are things that you may be doing that you want to stop doing -- but how? In this episode, learn the thinking process of how you can create new, healthy habits to replace the bad ones.
Here are a few thoughts on the future of text messaging as it relates to productivity. I created this list in 2021 and thought it would be fun to share these ideas here — to see what happens in the years ahead.
Sometimes we can set things up that are not convenient at all yet allow us to be more productive. I call it "purposeful inconvenience." Maybe there are some walls you need to put up to allow your productivity to soar.
Great question from Matt Noss about thinking about work when you're "off" at home. If you have a question you want answered on the podcast, visit joshmitch.com and click on the microphone button!
When you have margin in your life, you can lead with greater confidence and focus. In this episode, Eric Peoples teaches on how to create more margin and what is at stake. You can find the Eric Peoples Leadership Podcast on Apple and Spotify by searching for his name.
If you give yourself a picture that a weekly review will be hard, it will be. What can you do to make it easy? Learn how to approach your weekly refresh with a new perspective.
Drain doesn't have to wreak havoc on your entire life and productivity system. Learn how to take what is frustrating you and how to move forward.
Checking the box is what we do when we cross things off our list in a quick, disengaged manner. In this episode, Josh Mitchell answers Kayla's question about how to approach a meaningful agreement without inappropriate pressure.
We must keep materials to help us finish projects. In this episode, you will about project support materials and where they go.
Here are some principles and ideas for how to arrange your desk. The key is to get to what David Allen calls "all but REDS" Reference, Equipment, Decoration, and Supplies. If you have a question, head over to https://joshmitch.com/ and record a question that I can answer on an upcoming episode!
Anything that takes more than a single step is a project. But too often, we don't "catch" all the projects we are commited to. In this episode, learn how to notice projects and define what done looks like using this simple method.
In order to start your journey of becoming more productive, you must first become aware of where your attention is currently going. Become aware. It's that simple. Awareness allows you to make a decision about what to do next and why. Thank you to Dan H and Brittany R for their questions. You can leave a question at joshmitch.com to be answered on the show!
We need to think things through every week. It's hard. Here are some subtle thoughts on how to reflect during your weekly review time.
Walking yourself through the Ideal Week exercise will help you craft your 168 hours so you are aligned with your internal and external commitments. Get my Ideal Week worksheet here: https://joshmitch.com/ideal-week/
When we keep things in our head, we can forget what to talk about with the people in our life we need to talk to. Have you ever had a situation where you ran into someone and you knew you needed to talk about something, but couldn't remember what it was? An agendas list will help to solve that. It's the process of keeping track of what to talk about and with whom.
"We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life." C. S. Lewis
“There are no interruptions, only mismanaged inputs.” David Allen
Learn how to better manage the "inputs" of "interruptuions."
Send me a question at https://joshmitch.com/
Note taking can be hard. In this episode you will learn what sometimes gets in the way of us taking good notes and how you can learn better techniques so your notes are useful.
Send me a question at https://joshmitch.com
Research article - The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard
When you have time to do work, you must have a list of options to choose from. In this episode, Josh unpacks the 4 limiting criteria for getting things done. This is a part of David Allen's Getting Things Done framework, but is a really thoughtful process for figuring out what you can't do from your Next Actions list.
Leave me a quick question to be answered on the podcast. Simply record a voice memo over at https://joshmitch.com/ and I'll put it on an upcoming show.
Do you struggle with getting your ideas to spread? In this episode, learn how to clarify your thinking so other people understand what you are saying. Have a question about today's show? Leave a message over at https://joshmitch.com
Have a question about productivity and getting things done? Record a question and I'll answer it on the podcast. Just head over to https://joshmitch.com/ and click the button.
The right music can help you get focused! In this episode, you will learn how to integrate music into your productivity practice.
Links:
Focus At Will
Endel
Michael Hyatt Writing Playlist
Study playlist
Josh Mitchell Spotify Profile
You spend a lot of time reading and watching content online. New blog posts, podcasts, articles, and email ALWAYS seem to be coming your way. Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed? Here are 5 ways to deal with content overload.
Creating a written agreement of how you work is an investment of your time today that provides a big ROI tomorrow. In this episode, you'll learn why we don't take the time to create clarity around our work commitments and how you can get shared understanding on how to get things done.
There will be moments when you are not in the zone. So what should you do during those moments? In this episode, Josh Mitchell offers 7 tweaks you can try to overcome moments of feeling unproductive.
In our work, there will always be items that remain undone. Sometimes this is an opportunity to clarify. Other times, it's a part of reality. In this episode, I unpack 5 mistakes you may be making and offer 4 solutions to deal with incomplete items.
I never thought I'd be a dog person, but here we are. Teddy, my toy poodle, makes me more productive. Here are the 5 ways he's helped me with my productivity game.
To develop the habit of doing consistent mind sweeps is to keep things out of your head and into a system that allows you to take next steps. Learn how to build this habit and keep it consistent.
Reading guilt is that feeling of having too much to read and not being able to get to it all. You can learn how to overcome this and feel better about your reading commitments and create an action plan for how you will choose to read and complete books you want to consume.
In your daily workflow, you have to take time to review and think about your commitments. There are three different ways you can do this. In this episode, you'll learn what they are and how to look at your existing projects and actions in a fresh way.
When it comes to completing tasks and projects, deadlines and due dates give us a specific point to work toward. In this episode, you’ll learn about three different kinds of deadlines: actual, arbitrary, and aspirational. Learn how to spot them in your personal management.
To be at your best when you work from home, you must pair the nature of your work with the tools and environment that are most helpful to accomplish the purpose of the task. Sounds simple, but the most advanced productivity coaching is often subtle and profound.
Here are the steps:
1. Determine what kind of work do you need to get done?
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- What category of work is it?
- Free Day; Focus Day; or Buffer Day?
- 3 Fold Nature of Work
- Pre-Defined Tasks already on lists
- Defining Tasks and processing information
- Unplanned Tasks
2. Choose the right tool
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- What tools do you have available?
3. Set up your workspace environment
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- What different rooms would be helpful?
4. Ask Questions
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- What will your stopping point look like?
- How will you know when you’re done?
- What will it look like when it’s done?
- What will you look like when you’re done?
- What does doing look like?
We have to clean up and maintain areas of our life so we can think clearly about our work. In this episode, you'll hear why it's important to spend time on mundate activities and how they relate to the bigger picture.
Want to know the secret to getting perspective on all your commitments? The weekly refresh is a process to help you think about the bigger picture and choose where to put your energy.
Get my PDF checklist here (no sign up required)
https://joshmitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JM-Weekly-Review-Checklist.pdf
To make good decisions on how you want to focus, you must first decide where to "point the camera" in terms of your attention. Josh Mitchell uses a camera illustration to uncover how to choose which perspective you want to see and then choose an object to then focus on within that landscape.
Sometimes the hardest person to manage is yourself. Learning the art of self-management is one of the most important skills every leader must develop. In this episode, you'll learn 4 concepts to grow in the area of managing yourself.
When you identify the different hats you wear and roles you play in a list, it becomes a powerful productivity tool. It will allow you to generate proactive thinking and planning that you otherwise wouldn't have without it.
Build your areas and roles list using this worksheet: https://joshmitch.com/areas/
Learn how to create categories so you can find what you need when you need it. You'll learn why using visual reminders of items isn't a great long-term system for organization and how to use labels to have places to keep things for when you need them.
Do you get frusturated with logging in and not knowing what your most recent password is? Managing your passwords can be a big task.
With a password manager, it doesn't have to be stressful. In this episode, you will learn 4 steps to use a password manager wisely.
1Password is my favorite tool and I highly recommend it. You can try it for free for 14 days using this link. (Affiliate link - but I'd recommend it without one as well)
A lot of things WORK but what will LAST? What will matter in 100 years? You'll hear a handful of core principles for shaping your productivity and thinking about work.
Using notebooks, planners, and pads of paper can increase your productivity. In this episode, learn a handful of tips and tricks to keep your use of paper tools fresh and easy.
Ever feel like your brain is cluttered and needs some overdue organization and tidying up? Learn how to declutter your head by spending some time thinking on what will bring you the clear space you need.
Planning doesn't have to be complicated or over-detailed, there's a simple approach that can work for the way our brains process information.
In this episode, you will learn six steps that will help you approach planning with powerful tools to help your ideas to spread.
Do you find it difficult to prioritize your work and actions? In this episode, you'll learn how to develop a "priority thinking habit" so you can choose what to do and give your best energy toward it.
It turns out there's a right way and a wrong way to take a nap. Learn how you can use the power of good sleep to become productive and leading from a place of rest.
When you gather your team, it should be energizing and exciting. But too many meetings are far from that. In this episode, we talk about how to have better meetings.
Have you ever felt sucked into the world of your phone or even addicted to using screens? If we're not careful, we can develop unhealthy habits when using technology. In this episode, Josh unpacks an article from Annie Sneed in the New York Times "Ask Well" section about screen addiction and what you can do about it.
When looking for solutions, we sometimes reach for a software solution, but a low-tech approach could be more effective. In this episode, Josh unpacks "bulletin board thinking" and how we can build trust by training people to come back to the same place for updated information.
Are you procrastinating on an action or project? Use this recording
to coach yourself through the issue.
Leaders can gain more margin by automating some tasks and putting others on auto-pilot. Automation can work for you in the background while you're sleeping. Auto-pilot can allow you to relax knowing you'll have what you need when you need it. It's your job to figure out when and how to use both to help you grow in self-leadership.
Engineering the start and end of your day might be the secret to greater levels of clarity, energy, and focus. To get there, you may need to become a morning person. You may need to learn a new evening routine. In this episode, you'll find some tips and advice to help you discover what is next for you.
Navigating your commitments at work can be overwhelming. On top of that, you have agreements at home and to yourself, personally. That is a lot! In this episode, Josh Mitchell unpacks how we can better understand "Work Life Balance" so we can lead full lives that are engaged.
Putting things off until a later date is often viewed as something to avoid. It turns out that it may be a good choice to postpone tasks or projects so you can focus on what's happening now. In this episode, we discuss how to better think about procrastination so you can make a decision on what to do next.
Clear out your email, clean up your workspace! Learn how to use the thinking process of "inbox zero" for your digital and physical world. We'll talk about the backstory of where inbox zero came from and how you can use it as a tool to make next action decisions on your work.
joshmitch.com is where you can subscribe for periodic email updates — I promise it will be an email you don't find annoying or useless.
At the start of the new millennium, David Allen published Getting Things Done, which quickly became the definitive guide on doing work in the information age.
Is this system the right one for your productivity? Learn some of the “moves” of GTD and how they can help you in your daily life – or if another set of practices and principles resonates with you more.
Stay in touch at https://joshmitch.com/
Your head isn’t a great place to hold and remember everything you need to do. If we want more energy and focus, we must develop a habit of clearing out our mind so we can focus on what is truly most important.
Stay in touch at joshmitch.com
Bad calendar habits can keep us from using the calendar in the most productive way possible. We must learn how to think better about the calendar so it can stay clean, up to date, and trusted.
joshmitch.com
Have you ever double-booked or found yourself overwhelmed and overcommitted? Contrast that to a time when you had an up-to-date understand of everything happening in your world.
In this episode, we talk about how your review process can allow you to have less anxiety in stress so you are fully in control of the commitments you agree to.
Stay in touch at https://joshmitch.com/
Most executives and high-achievers need 60-90 minutes every day to process open items and figure out what they mean. It takes time and energy to think through your work before you DO work.
Continue the conversation at https://joshmitch.com/
Learn how to create more energy in your life by catching open loops and blocking out the noise to create momentum.
https://joshmitch.com/
The Focus Tool: https://joshmitch.com/the-focus-tool-attend-avoid-access/