Episode 115: There’s no shortcut to productivity greatness

00:52 Welcome to Unfrazzle, a podcast for solo business owners with a big vision who are ready for a kinder more sustainable approach to productivity. I'm Louise Miller and each week i share bite-sized insights to help you step away from the hustle stop faffing and stay focused so you can make your brilliant ideas happen and make a bigger impact in the world Before we dive into today's episode, if you enjoy what I'm sharing here on Unfrazzle and you'd like to support the podcast. You can buy me a cuppa by going to BuyMeACoffee.com slash Louise Miller and making a one-off donation. I'll pop a link to that in the show notes. Okay grab yourself a cuppa and let's get started!

01:30 I know how tempting it is, how compelling it is to believe that there's a quick fix or hack that's going to solve all of your productivity problems and that when you find it, you'll be fixed. Your productivity will skyrocket You'll be able to focus for longer tick more things off your list stay on task instead of bouncing around all over the place and ultimately get more done! I've fallen into this trap myself tempted by planners apps books and Asana or Trello But none of those things work because they're missing a big piece of the puzzle. So let's take Asana as an example, yes it can be a really great way to manage your To-Do lists and your tasks particularly if you have a team when you need to collaborate but for it to work in other words for it to help you do the right things at the right time You need to be crystal clear about what you're actually putting into it

02:18 So if your to-do list is already overwhelming and you're not getting things done, transferring that list into Asana is not going to fix that. In fact I'd argue it can make things worse especially if you start adding due dates and then you don't meet them which then means every time you log into Asana you're going to see loads of tasks in red yelling at you making you feel like you're behind! And I worked with a client once who had been using Asana and she hated that feeling so much she just stopped looking at it altogether So when you understand that simply setting up a new task management system is not going to help your productivity, it kind of raises the question well what will help? Well the thing that makes the difference is something that Asana can't give you and that's thinking time quiet space and decision making. All those things we think are going to help us those quick fixes they can't weigh up what is on your To-Do list alongside your vision and your goals in your capacity and help you bring meaningful purposeful order to that chaos

03:16 The quick fixes and the hacks and the task management systems, they skip that bit which is why they don't work. So how do I know that? Well because for the last five years people have been telling me that they tried everything to be more productive and none of it worked until they gave themselves that time in that space to think and make those decisions inside Make It Happen Club Make It Happen Club is not another task management system. It's a means of knowing what should and shouldn't be on your list in the first place, and then creating an achievable plan to get that done. And if people want to take what we do together during our planning sessions in the club and then put all of that into Asana or any other tool they enjoy using to help with their day-to-day task management – of course they're absolutely free to do so! I have nothing against those systems when used in that way, when used thoughtfully

04:04 After someone has taken the time and the space to actually think and make those decisions. But when you think that those kind of quick fixes, hacks systems whatever you want to call them on their own will save you and get you out of a frazzled pickle that is when you're setting yourself up to fail And I've seen so many people get stuck looking for shortcuts when there isn't one and that isn't what I want for you So if there's one thing I would love for you take away from today's episode it's this You can only be more productive when you know what's important, when you know the capacity you have available. When you have the self-awareness and tools that you need to move through any obstacles that might trip you up. When you pay attention to what works for your day today and when you can see and really feel the connection between things on your To Do list and what you want life to look like or feel like. And a shortcut tempting as it may seem is not going to give all of this.

04:57 But taking that pause often, at least once a month to check back in with all of those things is going to get you moving forward and being more productive and getting more done. And if you'd like to do that calmly and quietly and purposefully with me in Make It Happen Club I'll pop a link to that in the show notes. And if that's not for you right now that's okay but how might you let go of the eternal hunt for a quick fix? And go deeper so you can boost your productivity in a sustainable way for the long term As always, I really hope that this helps and i look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you for listening to Unfrazzle. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who needs a dose of calm productivity in their life and I'd love it if you could leave me a rating and review as that will help more people discover this podcast! If you would like to hear more from me to help stop faffing and take back control of your time, you'll find the link to join my mailing list in the show notes and I would really love for you to join us so thanks so much for your support and look forward to seeing you next time