Joining me this week as my guest is Mridu Parikh, the woman behind Life is Organized. She is a productivity coach, business strategist, speaker and trainer. She made it her goal to help individuals get clear on their priorities through effective time management, efficient processes, systems and life-changing habits – to do more in less time. A big fan of simplicity, we talked about introducing and learning productivity processes and systems, the methods she employs to make sure that these become habits, and how doing these alleviate stress and results in clarity and growth for individuals and teams. Here are just a few of the things you’ll learn about in this episode: How she reveres simplicity as the easiest way to introduce a process, and the importance of writing things down. Working with other people, how to get them motivated to do a task or enforce a process into their life and be consistent about it. The concept of the learning curve, and how to speed up this often-tedious phase through research and by reaching out to people. Her insights on alignment as a product of goals, action plans and prioritization, how to make these happen through the concept of ‘two-week sprints’, and samples to explain how it works. The importance of improving communication and technology, and intertwining the two to enhance processes for an individual and/or a team. The tool that she’s been using which allows for transparency and easy collaboration, and the how and why she chose this specific tool. We also delved into a blog post she’s written that made her look at limitations and excuses from a different angle and reframe these into motivation to maximize potential. Relevant Links Home - Life Is Organized Do This and Get Results - Life Is Organized How to Avoid the Dreaded Learning Curve (Of Anything New!) - Life Is Organized What Got Me From "Amateur" To "Pro" - Life Is Organized How to Write the Perfect To-Do List - Life Is Organized Why Thinking Like Legos Will Change Your Business - Life Is Organized Mridu Parikh (@LifeIsOrganized) | Twitter Productivity Freebie - The Productivityist - Life Is Organized The Productivityist Podcast: Beyond the E-Myth with Michael E. Gerber The Productivityist Podcast: A Closer Look at Automation with Wade Foster Use Asana to track your team’s work & manage projects | Asana Thanks for spending time with me this week. Enjoy the show!  Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guest on this episode of The Productivityist Podcast is my good friend Chris Ducker, whom I will be joining at the Tropical Think Tank event happening this coming March. Chris is a Virtual CEO, as he manages a BPO Call Center company and a Virtual Assistance business. But it hadn’t always been this way for Chris, who has also gone through long days and nights working IN his business before realizing that it wasn’t the way to live a truly productive life. In this episode we’ll discuss his life and business principles, Youpreneur and his other businesses, and the upcoming Tropical Think Tank. Here are some subjects we talked about: Chris discussed the evolution and intentional changes in his businesses. Why people prefer to work with people instead of businesses or big brands, and Chris's insights on how to set up businesses around the P2P philosophy. How Chris decided on making his name his own brand, and his mantra when it comes to marketing your brand. We also discussed how productivity isn’t always about speed, an anecdote on what made him decide to slow down, start delegating and making an intention to flip the switch, get away from work and just have fun. We talked about deleting certain tasks and projects that are no longer serving him, and why saying no to certain things, opportunities and engagements free him up to intentionally do things that he really wants to do. Chris dives into how to be everywhere, the behind-the-scenes process to do this, and choosing which platforms - based on your brand and personality to create a regular presence in. He also provided update on the Youpreneur community and what it currently offers to its members. Relevant Links ChrisDucker.com - Helping Entrepreneurs Become More Productive & Profitable Why You Need to Slow Down to Achieve More Fun with Joel Comm by Joel Comm on iTunes Why Focusing On ‘Being Everywhere’ is STILL Important, with Pat Flynn Youpreneur.com – The Entrepreneurial Community Where Nobody Gets Left Behind Chris Ducker (@ChrisDucker) | Twitter Tropical Think Tank - Where Business IS Pleasure! Thanks for listening! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on this episode is Lisa Woodruff, a professional organizer, productivity specialist and author of the book The Mindset of Organization: Take Back Your House One Phase at a Time. She coaches people to organize their households and their lives through systems she designed specifically for whichever part of your life or house that needs help tidying up and organizing. Lisa and I tackle one of the most popular systems she has created: The Sunday Basket. We also discuss her experience working with people as a professional organizer and how sometimes admitting that we need help is really all that’s needed to be more organized and productive. Here are some of the things we talked about on this episode: The three phases of life, and how her experience working with lots of clients made her efficient in identifying which phase they’re in and systems to put in place for their specific needs and hang-ups. The concept of the Sunday Basket as an organization and productivity tool, not just for women, but for anyone who needs help dealing with mail, paper, tasks, and other projects. How does The Sunday Basket system work in a dynamic household...and how does her family do it. A story that led her to conceptualize The Sunday Basket – which involved an 18-inch paper pile and staying up till midnight. The importance of realism and acknowledging when we need help to juggle work, home, and other facets of life as a step towards organization and productivity. How she advocates going paperless, and how The Sunday Basket is designed to handle more than just paper. The evolution of her business and the vision she has for it in the future. Relevant Links Welcome to Organize 365 | Organize 365 - Resources For Getting Organized | Organize 365 - The Mindset of Organization: Take Back Your House One Phase at a Time by Lisa Woodruff | Amazon Productivity | Organize 365 - Organization 101 - Organize 365 - Start Here - Organize365 - Lisa Woodruff (@organize365) | Twitter Thanks for listening. Until next time remember to stop guessing...and start going! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode's guest is a long-time friend whom I met at the World Domination Summit. He is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a best-selling author, the host of the Creative Giant podcast, and a productivity expert: Charlie Gilkey. Charlie helps creative people to start finishing stuff that matters. This involves weeding out through the noise of various tasks, priorities, and projects through Project Cagematch, and other productivity concepts up his sleeve. Half an hour is never enough for the two of us as we geeked out and chatted on various subjects. In this week’s episode, we discussed: Charlie’s views on starting the year and how (like me) he decides on starting it in a different month than January. What got him – or necessitated him – to get into productivity, and how being a person of multiple interests had him realize the lack of conversation on productivity in the academe. A brief background/history of the productivity movement and resource people, and how the productivity scene is much more competitive and challenging to break into currently. His tips on what people can do to wade through opportunities amidst ongoing projects. How to apply the Project Cagematch (a concept that originated from wrestling) in planning and prioritizing, which starts with self-compassion and how the process reveals our true values and goals. The one word to remove from our mental dialogues. Priorities and aspirations: The difference between the two and our tendency to confuse these ideas. How the starts and finishes of projects are more "hyped" concepts, leaving behind the middle part – and how to deal with messy middles and thrashing. His thoughts on letting go – which involves reviewing stuff periodically, updating awareness, recognizing changes, and the idea of sustainable mediocrity. Relevant Links Productive Flourishing How to Referee Your Project Cagematch (and Unveil Your Values & Priorities) Think Better, Live Better Fat and Lazy by CaseyNeistat | YouTube Twitter | Charley Gilkey Thanks for listening. Until next time remember to stop guessing…and start going. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anytime is a good time to establish a "well life", and it just so happened that we’re starting 2017 with a means to help you do just that. On this episode of The Productivityist Podcast, my guest is Briana Borten. She is a peace engineer and wellness entrepreneur who owns The Dragontree Spa and co-wrote The Well Life. Backed up with their experiences in alternative healing and a genuine yearning to help their clients to live a more fulfilling life, Briana and her husband Dr. Peter Borten wrote the book The Well Life: How to Use Sweetness, Structure, and Space to Create Balance, Happiness, and Peace, which Briana and I talk about throughout the show. Here's just some of what you'll learn: How Briana and Peter's wellness advocacy started 13 years ago, as they established the Dragontree with their background in acupuncture and Ayurvedic medicine, and what motivated them to write this book. The concept of "sweetness", and how and why it should be constantly present in our lives. The tools, techniques, and habits that they shared in the book that they found to have greatly impacted and improved their lives. How important a healthy foundation is, and how it involves seemingly mundane activities that allow us to nourish our minds and body. The connection between thoughts and feelings as well as intentions, and the body’s reaction to these intentions. The human data stream flowing into our lives all day long, the element of space, and the need to have space where we're not connected to anything or anyone but ourselves. What’s up with the current fascination and attraction of people to nature-based, alternative philosophies and healing? How space plays out vis-à-vis with her concept of scheduling - which ought to give us a greater understanding of our capabilities and limits. Briana’s journaling and meditation habit, and how this integrates into her life. The concept of "The Baggage List" and how accomplishing it can help individuals feel freer. Relevant Links The Well Life The Well Life: How to Use Structure, Sweetness, and Space to Create Balance, Happiness, and Peace: Briana Borten, Dr. Peter Borten | Amazon The Productivityist Podcast: Dr. Michael Breus The Dragontree Briana Borten Thanks for listening. Until next time remember to stop guessing...and start going. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Productivityist Podcast I zero in on Evernote with a guest who knows the ins and outs of the app. Charles Byrd will be talking Evernote with me with the goal of helping anyone get started and familiarize themselves with Evernote. He'll be giving insights, sharing tips, and offering hacks along the way. Charles lives in Northern California and worked in the Silicon Valley for tech companies for a significant time. He is now the founder of Byrd Word and hosts a 3-hour training course on productivity – specifically the uses of Evernote – and how this can save people time and, in effect, impact our lives. We talk about: How long Charles has been using Evernote, his initial reaction to the app, and how it has helped him in his career and, ultimately, his business. Where people should start when trying to adopt Evernote to help them with their productivity practices, and what the three concepts Charles teaches people when they are starting out with Evernote. Charles’s thoughts on the changes made recently by Evernote in its pricing structure, and on paying for the premium versions of apps and software. An anecdote of how useful Evernote has been in Charles’s life and how that story convinced a man to take Charles’s Evernote course. Evernote features that are not as heralded as they should be but have proven to be very useful for Charles. An overview of Charles’s Zero-to-60 with Evernote course to get people to do more in less time, and help them get up and running with the basics of Evernote quickly. Relevant Links Zero-to-60 with Evernote Byrd Word | Website Byrd Word | LinkedIn Charles Byrd | Facebook Charles Byrd | Twitter Thank you for listening. Until next time, remember to stop guessing...and start going! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Productivityist Podcast, I will be chatting with Wade Foster. Wade is the co-founder and CEO of the automation platform Zapier, which helps people automate their work by allowing connections between various apps. Wade and I will talk about how to get started with automation, and how to work your way through it. Listen up on this episode as we discuss: The correct pronunciation of Zapier, and the mission envisioned by Wade and his co-founder Bryan that pushed them to create Zapier. Instances where automation is more harmful than useful to productivity. How people start with simple tasks when integrating automation into their routines, and whether it starts from the workplace or at home. Keeping your automation efforts aligned amidst trial and errors by revisiting the original intent of doing so, and dealing with noise brought about by automation through Zapier. Wade’s thoughts on automation, or replication and delegation to another individual, to simplify tasks. The process from manual to automation or delegation, and how Wade tracks these to remind himself that it needs checking and paying attention to. How the Zapier team remains on top of updates, changes, and even systems issues with the numerous apps they integrate. Account security and privacy and how the Zapier team communicate these effectively to their clients/users. What people need to think about and do when considering automation. Plus, an XKDC comic that can serve as a good guide. Relevant Links The best apps. Better together. - Zapier - Zapier The Best Type of Automation - Productivityist 3 Lists to Freedom | Chris Ducker Case Study: Paul Jarvis - How to Build Your Email List as an Author | Zapier The Productivityist Podcast 60: Less Doing with Ari Meisel - Productivityist Workflow | Powerful automation made simple. xkcd: Is It Worth the Time? Wade Foster (@wadefoster) | Twitter Thanks for listening. Until next time, remember to stop guessing...and start going! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re "broadcasting happiness" on this episode of The Productivityist Podcast with my guest Michelle Gielan, the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness. Michelle was a national CBS news anchor turned happiness researcher, founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and has a new special airing on PBS called Inspire Happiness with her husband, fellow happiness researcher Shawn Achor. On this episode she talks with me about how our attitudes affect our lives and productivity, and learn about: What the idea was and what happened for "Happy Week" when she was still working as an anchor in CBS. Her insights on the influence of the news on the brain based on research she conducted with Shawn Achor and Ariana Huffington. Transforming your relationship to email, our brains’ negativity bias, and how emailing positivity can change your day – and even make you see the world differently. The problem with Happy Monday emails. How important it is to focus on behaviour instead of the person and what are the predictors of long-term success. What things you can do to promote change with people you’re interacting with daily. The importance of words to help people get on a positive track and an experiment that shows how words affect people’s behaviour. How to create a more positive relationship with your to-do list by "recrafting" it to fuel your brain. Relevant Links michellegielan.com | Michelle Gielan Broadcasting Happiness | Website PBS Special | Inspire Happiness Broadcasting Happiness | Amazon Shawn Achor | Good Think Inc The Happy Secret to Better Work | TED talk with Shawn Achor Wake Up & Inspire Happiness Video Workshop | Website Michelle Gielan | Twitter Michelle Gielan | Facebook If you enjoy The Productivityist Podcast I'd appreciate a rating and review in iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice. It helps people find the show easier and will help me make improvements on the show by seeing what you have to say. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shawn Blanc is back on The Productivityist Podcast and on this episode we dive into the subject of creative focus. A father of three, Shawn has a passion for creative focus and productivity, regularly writing about these topics on his blog since 2007. In this episode, Shawn and I talk about his upcoming summit, the systems and tools he’s employed in both work and life, his core values, and books that he’s bought but might not have necessarily read. Some other specific subjects we tackled in this episode are: The Systems vs Tools Debate and how Shawn uses both to traverse his life. How his work values and practices relate to his family life. The concept of personal integrity and the future self, plus a simple exercise he does on The Focus Course to establish these concepts. The Blanc Media Core Values, the guidance given to him by Barrett Brooks to articulate these values, and how it ties up with his business direction. The concept of traction and how to apply this in real life...and towards reaching your goal. An article he wrote titled Learning Not to Think About It, what it meant for him, and how he does it. His reading practices, how he expounded on this in his article I Buy More Books Than I Read, and one book that has really impacted him in making choices, changes, and spending his time for the coming year. Finally, he talks about the Creative Focus Online Summit, The Focus Course and how these can help us to manage our time and other areas of our lives. Relevant Links shawnblanc.net | Shawn Blanc Blanc Media Core Values | Shawn Blanc Barrett Brooks | Website The Power of a Focused Life | The Focus Course How to Get Time For Your Projects | Shawn Blanc Learning Not to Think About It | Shawn Blanc 2 Experts Share Exactly How to Use a Productivity Journal (& Increase Productivity by 23%) | The Fizzle Show I Buy More Books Than I Read | Shawn Blanc Goodreads | 2016 Reading Challenge The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone | Amazon Shawn Blanc (@shawnblanc) | Twitter If you enjoy The Productivityist Podcast I'd appreciate a rating and review in iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice. It helps people find the show easier and will help me make improvements on the show by seeing what you have to say. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael E. Gerber, founder of Michael E. Gerber Companies and author of The E-Myth Book Series is my featured guest this week. He discusses the main concepts of his new book, Beyond the E-Myth. Michael is a pillar of business development and coaching going as far back as the 1970s, and his insights on systems, startups and scaling up businesses into enterprises will be central in this episode. You'll hear about decades worth of business acumen and you'll learn about: What is a company of one, and how to build and scale it up? How he started his business, his experience creating the first business development / coaching firm, and how he positioned it. The E-Myth series and its promise to fix broken businesses (which is a difficult thing to do), and how did that play a part on his decision to create Beyond the E-Myth. The concept of Old Co and New Co, the difference and transition between the two. The mindset that Michael wants entrepreneurs to have when conceptualizing their businesses. The definition and the four components of an entrepreneur, and the concept of The Dreaming Room™ to awaken the entrepreneur out of anyone. How to employ a business development program that even novices can operate. Relevant Links: Michael Gerber Companies Beyond the E-Myth Michael E. Gerber on Amazon Michael Gerber on Twitter, and Facebook If you enjoy The Productivityist Podcast I'd appreciate a rating and review in iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice. It helps people find the show easier and will help me make improvements on the show by seeing what you have to say. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices