The Mister Productivity Podcast

In this episode, you'll learn how visualizing can improve your productivity. Chances are good that you’ve heard of cutting out pictures of things you want to own someday and posting them around your house or in your office or in your car.   HOW TO VISUALIZE Choose something you REALLY want. Picture what you want in as vivid detail as you can. Cut out pictures or create wallpaper using a website like Canva. Think about what you want, look at the pictures as much as you can. Imagine you already possess it.   YOU, VISUALIZATION & PRODUCTIVITY Some examples… If you’re always late, instead of stressing about it, which doesn’t solve your issue, visualize arriving on time. Or better yet, arriving early! What does that look like? How does that make you feel? See yourself arriving early. Imagine not feeling rushed. See yourself walking into the appointment calm, cool and collected instead of sweating, out of breath with a rapid pulse.   What if you are always rushing at the last possible moment to meet a deadline? Or submitting a proposal? Imagine finishing your project not early on the day it is due but 2, 3 or 4 days ahead of time. Think about how much lower your stress level will be. Consider how much better the quality of your work will be when you are working at a regular pace instead of a hectic one.   What if you desire to start your own podcast, create a YouTube channel or begin public speaking but you’ve been putting it off for too long? Don’t think about all that is involved. All the moving parts. Everything you need to do. That’s negative visualization. Think about already having a successful podcast, YouTube channel or of giving a powerful presentation. See yourself doing that which you desire.   The options are endless. But the key is the same.   VIVIDLY VISUALIZE ALREADY HAVING OR DOING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO. Note: nothing magical will happen once you start visualizing. It still takes work. But you will be cementing your desire into your subconscious mind! You will become laser focused. I mentioned Canva in this episode. Here is the link to them.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

What does it mean to gamify your productivity? Gamification is another tool you need to have in your tool bag. Let me ask you: Do you know... what to do to get things done? the strategies and tactics that work? the apps that work? Then what is the problem? I recently spoke with a client who had this very issue. After 2-4 weeks, they began to lose faith in whatever system they were using. They would try several systems, leave them and then go back to them again. This was a time-consuming process as they had to move their tasks from app to app to app. They confessed that over the past year, they probably wasted a full day of transferring tasks between apps. A full day! I suggested they should gamify their productivity. Yes, make it into a game. Who doesn't like to play games? "Just one more" If you ever saw the movie, Hacksaw Ridge, then you know that line. If you've never seen this film, go rent it (we actually bought it). It's a really good movie. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it, but at one point in the movie one of the characters is rescuing people from the battlefield. He is dead dog tired. After he brings each soldier down, he says "just one more!" I told this client when he began to feel the distrust of his system rearing its ugly head to say OUT LOUD, "just one more week". Then one more. Then one more. Until he passed that 2-4 week wall. Gamify your productivity. It really works. In this episode, I share a personal example about how I use this method as well.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

Everyone loves vacation. But...how you prepare for it makes a big difference.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

The topic of this podcast is a very personal one. The phrase, "to each his (or her) own", was never more appropriate. But my underlying theme in this podcast and whoever listens to my voice is that you need to do what works for YOU. The show notes for this episode can be found at MarkStruczewski.com/notifications. And that’s also where you can leave comments which I will read and reply to. This episode was prompted by an email from Philip Quintas of Fort Worth, Texas who wrote, "A lot of people talk about where to NOT have notifications turned on, but few talk about when notifications (other than your own personal calendar notifications - like you did so well in episode 007) are actually beneficial." What are notifications? So that we are on the same page... They are alerts you receive on your devices: smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. The challenge? You have too many turned on. Types of notifications (at least on the iPhone) include: - sounds - badge app icon - cover sheet (iOS 11 - scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2017, known as the notification center pre-iOS 11) - history - banners QUESTION TO PONDER What notifications do you NEED on? The keyword here is: NEED Wants are okay. These are YOUR devices I am talking about. And guess what? If you turn notifications off for something, you can always turn them back on. WHAT TO DO Do a NOTIFICATION CLEANSE for all your devices. Review every notification you have enabled on every device and turn them off (or on) as you feel is best for YOU. Whenever you install a new app, be diligent what notifications you allow.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

In order to become more productive, it is critical that you tell your time where to go instead of wondering where it went. A great way to do this is to become a calendar ninja. Here's how to do that: The power of one. Use a single calendar for EVERYthing - business and personal. App versus printed calendar. It doesn't matter what I use or what your friends and colleagues use, you need to use what works for you. The advantage of an using a calendar app is that you take your smartphone everywhere with you anyways. With a printed calendar, you have to take it with you everywhere. And everywhere means EVERYwhere. How likely are you to do that? Avoid the temptation of combining a calendar app and a printed calendar. Pick one and stick with it. Color code your calendars so you can see what you have to do at a glance. Get a ginormous wall calendar for major projects. Share your calendar if you are in the corporate world so people know that you are truly busy. When you do this, you don't share what you are doing. They only see that you are busy. Don't forget buffer time. Avoid booking appointments back to back. And schedule travel time too. Make sure you have enabled notifications...at least one. Otherwise, you might miss an event. Consider multiple notifications where appropriate.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

It never ceases to amaze me that most successful (and wealthy) people hire multiple coaches while people who are not, don’t. And they don’t improve. Or if they do, it is a slower process. 13 REASONS YOU NEED TO HIRE A PRODUCTIVITY COACH 1. You are stuck and don’t know what to do next. 2. You feel as if you are working hard but not accomplishing much.  3. You have no peace or joy in your life because you are either working too hard or not working on the right tasks. 4. You fear taking the next step. 5. You can’t seem to get started at all. 6. You feel overwhelmed with everything you have to do. 7. You need someone unbiased to talk to about your challenges. 8. For encouragement/confidence 9. Help you see where you need improvement. Sometimes, you can’t see the forest for the trees. 10. Accountability 11. Help you create a clear vision 12. Correct bad habits 13. Take you out of your comfort zone WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH Before you start to search, be clear on what your needs are. Or at least what you believe them to be. Don’t make money the determining factor. In most cases, you get what you pay for. I’ve paid for coaches that weren’t worth a nickel. But that was my fault because I broke the rule… Don’t believe the hype. Don’t get excited with all that they say. Review their site, search them out online. What do others think of them? This is all before that first call. When you have the initial call, keep in mind it is an interview. You are seeing if you like them. No matter how good they are, if you don’t like them, I recommend you flee. After you hire them, tell them how you feel. If something happens you don’t like, don’t let it go. Your coaching experience depends on the coach AND you.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

Here are 5 things that affect your attitude and thereby your productivity. ONE Consider who are you hanging around. Take an inventory and get rid of those who are dragging you down. Or at least reduce the time you spend with them. This includes family and friends.  TWO What are you consuming? How much time do you spend watching the news, surfing social media and listening to gossip? THREE How much quality sleep are you getting each night? Sleep directly impacts your productivity. Four hours of quality sleep is better than eight hours of tossing and turning. Your day starts the night before. If you aren't sleeping well, what is going on before bedtime? Are you drinking a lot of coffee? Playing video games for eight hours? How are you sleeping…really? Use a sleep tracking app such as Sleep Cycle to track your sleep. FOUR What are the stressors in your life? Again, take an inventory of what stresses you out. Be proactive and schedule the time to think about this. Then create a plan to eliminate as much as you can. FIVE What does your outlook or vision for your future look like? Do you have one? What are your dreams and desires? Consider writing a dream day.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

FIVE WAYS TO DEAL WITH DISTRACTIONS AT WORK. BEFORE WE GET STARTED: What you will learn involves setting boundaries and perhaps retraining your co-workers. Chances are good that the percentage of people who violate your time is small. In all cases, you need to be professional. HOW TO DEAL WITH "GOT 5 MINUTES?" When someone asks you for 5 minutes, it is rarely just 5 minutes. If you truly don’t have time, tell them so. And don’t give in. Stay strong. But polite. Offer a time later when you can give them time. But if they persist, and you do have 5 minutes, then do the following: In front of them, open the timer on your smart phone, set it for 5 minutes, hit start and say GO! They might ask you, “are you serious?” Assure them, “yes, and now you have 4 minutes and 45 seconds.” If they tell you that that won’t work, say “that’s fine, I have 15 minutes at 2 pm available. Will that work?” If, however, they start talking, be sure to tell them when there are is only 1 minute left. This shows them you are serious. If they agree, say “great…see you then.” If they say they can’t wait and it’s really important, you’ll have to judge for yourself whether to break your rule or not. When they show up later, be sure to give the courtesy of all of your attention. Again, training them.   BARRIERS IN THE OFFICE Get rid of the chairs in your office if you are able. People who sit are more likely to overstay their welcome. They get comfy. People won’t stand for too long and they won’t sit on the floor. If you can’t get rid of the chairs, put books, files, folders, and papers in them - taking away the option of sitting. Share your calendar! You can share your calendar on Outlook without sharing what is on your calendar. Show people you are busy this way. Get a ginormous wall calendar and put major projects and events on it for all to see. You want others to KNOW how busy you are. Remember, we retraining the people who have been violating your time for a while. Use the power of no. Do you HAVE to go to that 2-hour meeting? Do you HAVE to go to the company 3-hour lunch? Do you HAVE to be included in the REPLY ALL email chain? Think about this: when you are saying YES to anything, you have no idea how many people or things you are saying no to because you can’t see into the future. (Or can you?)   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

MY REVIEW OF THE THINGS 3 APP Note: this is NOT a paid review. In fact, the developers don’t even know I am doing it (well, they do now!). My review is not based on anything I’ve read or heard about Things 3. It is based solely on my use of the app. ABOUT THE APP Things 3 is available for iOS and Mac only. I am using and am a beta tester for all 3 versions of the app. It is a premium app which means it is a paid app. As of the date this podcast was recorded, the iPhone app costs $9.99; the iPad app, $19.99 and the Mac version, $49.99 WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THINGS 3 It’s just a to-do app. It doesn’t try to be anything else. It has a well-designed layout and is easy to use. There are multiple view options including: Inbox, Today (my favorite), Upcoming, Anytime and Someday. It has indirect Siri integration as of right now (see below for great news!). It doesn’t use iCloud sync which can be problematic. Instead, they use their own sync which is fast and seamless. To-do lists inside projects including repeat reminders inside projects. WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THINGS 3 For reasons I don't understand, items listed in Today and Upcoming views are NOT in chronological order though the reminders fire correctly. This offends my sense of order! LOL There is no direct Siri integration - though this is coming in September 2017 with iOS 11 now that Apple has opened SiriKit to developers. Not only is there is no collaboration, they tell me that there are no plans for it. But they did say this is a highly requested feature. I don't understand why collaboration is not part of this app. Currently, you have to unlock the iPhone screen to complete or snooze a task. The only snooze option is for 10 minutes. Though the CEO did tell me via email, “Our current limitation on iOS stems from using an older API to schedule these reminders. We plan to clean up in the future so that we can offer more options.”   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PRODUCTIVITY APP. What is a productivity app? I am referring to the calendar, reminder/to-do, and notes apps. Let me point out one very important thing: there is no such thing as a perfect productivity app. Step one: try to use what you already have on your device. Many people assume these apps are horrible but that's not always true. Have you tried to use the pre-installed apps? They just might serve your needs. If not, then... Step two: Ask your friends and colleagues what they use and why. Ask to see the app and how they use it. What do they like about it? What don't they like? What would they change about it? See what’s hot in your App Store. Read all reviews - not just the 4 and 5 Star ones. Why did it get bad reviews? Perhaps the reasons some people gave it bad reviews would be the same concerns you have. Read reviews online. Preferably unsponsored ones. Try it out if it’s free. Keep in mind that you often you get what you pay for. Developing an app costs money. I own several premium apps that are phenomenal - but not perfect. And then there's this. It's okay to combine apps that do the same thing. I use the iOS Calendar because I like the day view option that my favorite calendar app, Fantastical 2, doesn't have. So, I create events in Fantastical 2 but view the events on iOS Calendar. I just recently started doing this. Think outside the box if you need to. Guess what? Even if you pay for an app, it’s okay to change! You are not obligated to keep using an app. Here are the links to the apps I am currently using (but am not paid to use): Things 3 (to-do app), iOS and Mac only - I'm currently a beta tester for this app. I use the iPhone, iPad and Mac version. Paid app. Fantastical 2 (combines reminders and calendars into one app), iOS and Mac only. Paid app. My review of Things 3 that I mentioned is here.   If you’re looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com.   Join The 7 Day Productivity Challenge or go to MarkStruczewski.com/7day   Follow me: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook   If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.