Sharp The Podcast

        Episode 77 -  I was invited to join Karl Craig-West on his podcast. It's all about being self-employed and we've decided to share the episode here, so you can listen to it too.  Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: Why I'm at the kitchen table What I've been up to since the last episode Who Karl Craig-West is Moving to self-employment Helping businesses improve performance Marketing Making videos Social media Perfectionism - (It was actually episode 47!) Not working long hours Juggling chainsaws Why it's crucial to have a system that supports you Can anyone be self-employed? The importance of goals Why we don't want a Ferrari Having a plan The Big 3 What a newly self-employed person should do quickly The daily task Planning your life - not just your job Why sharppodcast has been quiet All the resources we discussed: How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie Karl's website The Smashing Self Employment Podcast His LinkedIn Profile Karl's YouTube channel My LinkedIn Profile sondevelopment.com The sondevelopment YouTube account The voiceover Twitter account As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!  

      Episode 76 -  I promised you an episode to listen to at Christmas - and here it is! We've taken a look back at what happened in 2021, the episodes, the stuff. Then, we look forward to 2022 and I give you an alternative to New Year's Resolutions. Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: Moving house and rebuilding the studio New jobs  Building the business (have a look if you're interested): sondevelopment Doing face to face training again Creating my own digital content (have a look if you're interested) sondevelopment - YouTube channel Review of our episodes this year - click each one to listen in full: Looking Ahead – STP069 Work-Life Balance – STP070 Meditation Benefits – STP071 Casanova Brooks – STP072 Quick Update Joy & Deadlines with Suzy The Casual Birder STP073 Resilience & Smart Culture with Mark Billage STP074 Physical and Mental Fitness with Aaron Morton – STP075 Approaching 2022 - the alternative to New Year Resolutions The Forbes article on why New Year's Resolutions Fail Focus on progress - not the goals Having a decent toolkit: Accountability to someone Daily external reminders as to why you're doing this Apps to show your progress Read about the thing you're trying to change Tell lots of people Make a video of yourself to remind you why you're doing it when it's tricky Take a picture of your face every day (optional!) Record milestones Journal and document what's better about your new lifestyle Finally, we scanned through all the subjects we've covered in 4 years - WOW! Have a listen to the episodes you've missed during the Xmas to New Year break As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

  Episode 75 -  This is a great conversation. We spoke with Aaron Morton not only about his approach to fitness, nutrition and psychology but also so much more! We learn why, for Aaron, being a personal trainer is not only limited to physical fitness, how to look at your wider lifestyle, and why you may need a crisp strategy.  Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: How Aaron helps people with habits: Eating Breathing Sleeping Movement General Physical Preparedness - GPP Specific Physical Preparedness - SPP Work-Life Balance Happiness and confidence Coaching people to fitness His approach to managing time  Lists Breaking tasks down Components Steven King's routine Seinfeld chain method Core stability Relationships  Creating a framework to support it Weekly planning General Relationship Preparedness (GRP we invented this! Copyright Steve and Aaron®) Emotional eating - The Health Protocol Willpower versus habit Alcohol Here are the links to the resource we talked about: Aaron's website - AMT Instagram - @aaronmortonco YouTube channel - Aaron Morton Training Facebook - Fit By Health Breath - James Nestor  Wim Hof Method Parasympathetic nervous system Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker GPP Jocko Willink podcast Keith Johnstone - Improvisation Steven King's 13 Writing Tips Seinfeld method - the chain The Stanford Marshmallow Test Anthony Keidis - Scar Tissue sondevelopment.com As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

      Episode 74 -  This is a JAM-PACKED conversation. We chatted with Mark Billage from Smartculture.UK about resilience, communication, leadership and loads more. Listen to the end where we talk about his brand new book. This one is WELL WORTH an hour of your time! Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: Blue socks! Smart Culture Leadership and culture Joy Communication The 5 Voices Being self-aware Understanding people better The impact of your voice Cross-cultural training Culture shock "I See You" Mark's book about leadership principles Resilience Ability to bounce back Flexibility It's not fixed - you can develop it It's about being able to deal with change Nelson Mandela Why learning is an important part Being realistic about where you are at not optimistic Getting perspective Coaching Personal Development Being curious for life Mark's productivity Get clear on what you're doing Use a diary Create spaces Prioritise Use to-do lists well Choose a time of day based on your energy levels Here are the links to the resource we talked about: Smart Culture Mark's course on resilience Mark on Linked In The Book - I See You Sawubona - The Zulu greeting Nelson Mandela's biography Good to Great - Jim Collins Viktor Frankl - Why Meaning Matters an interview from 1963 Mary Johnson who forgave her son's killer The Dream Job Coach - Louise Jenner Clifton strengths Insights - Colours and self-awareness As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

    Episode 73 -  In this episode, we chat with Suzy from the Casual Birder podcast. We cover so much stuff and get into a really rich conversation about how Suzy has found herself 'stuck' with her productivity, and look at some solutions. It's a great chat! Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: Peach socks! Learning is about a journey not a destination Focusing on today Being confined unlocking joy Loads of helpful systems Trello Notion To-do ist Kanban Checklists Templates Prioritisation challenges Deadlines creating flexibility and space Weekly planners for family time Visualising great outcomes Here is the resource we talked about: The Casual Birder website Casual Birder on Instagram The Twitter account The Trello app Notion To-doist The Kanban system Checklists - The Checklist Manifesto Templates As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

      Quick update -  Not an episode, just an explanation! Yes, we've been gone TOO long. Have a listen to find out more.    As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

  Episode 72 -  We chat with Casanova Brooks. Casanova has driven himself from poverty and difficulty to significant success. We find out about his inspiration, his world, and how his frame of mind has helped him achieve that success.  We get a different perspective here to many of the areas we've looked at before. Inspiring stuff! Look at all this stuff we covered in this full episode: Being a parent and how his children inspire him Getting away from trading time for money Growing up with no Dad What 'monopoly' has to do with his success in real estate His 'why' (it's not real estate) Building relationships BHAG goals Why podcasting gives him the most satisfaction Work-life harmony The 40 40 40 How many cats there are The three E's And LOADS more  Here is the resource we talked about: Dream Nation - Casanova's community to help you build your dream Dream Nation Podcast - Jack Canfield episode Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki Richest Man in Babylon - George Clason Go For No - Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz The Millionaire Fast Lane - MJ Demarco Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield The Success Principles - Jack Canfield Jim Rohn E-Myth - Michael Gerber Rocket Fuel - Gino Wickman  Grant Cardone Dean Graziosi As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

Episode 71 -  This is the audio from my recent YouTube video all about the benefits of meditation. It was recorded on location, so the audio is different to the regular episodes.  Look at all this stuff we covered in this short episode: The YouTube video this came from Modern meditation doesn't need candles or the lotus position (unless you want them) Dan Harris and his panic attack live on air How he learned that meditation can help him  A bit of science research (it's actually Martinos centre - but don't tell anyone!) Some kinds of meditation Mindfulness Compassion (sometimes called 'loving kindness') Body scans Transcendental How I've benefitted Calm Lose the inner chatter Separating the match and the fuse How to do it Where the resource is Here is resource that we use, and you may find helpful: Dan's panic attack 10 Percent Happier App and Podcast Calm Headspace Jack Kornfield A YouTube channel we use for guided meditation The Martinos Centre research As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!    

Episode 70 -  We investigate the idea of work-life balance. What is it? Is it really a thing? How do we get it?  Look at all this stuff we covered: What really IS work-life balance? Why much of the advice seems to be unhelpful It means different thing to different people Three different perspectives from the 'TED' stage It is important and urgent for us to solve Work-life balance is a fallacy We could revisit our perspective Steve-In-The-Field's adverts are definitely unhelpful! What happens if you 'google' family-life balance or hobby-life balance Considering the research, what are the practical steps? Take up Shawn Achor's DAILY challenge for 21 days Write down 3 gratitudes Journal 1 thing that went well because of you Exercise Mediate Perform 1 Random Act of Kindness Take stock of your life Look at the whole picture Consider everything Michael Hyatt's 10 domains can help: Social Parental Marital Physical Emotional Intellectual Spiritual Financial Avocational (hobbies) Vocational (work) Set goals for the two or three you want to improve Be specific How would you feel? What would be happening? Work out the little things What are the little things you can do, which will support the bigger goals? How will you measure if you're doing the little things? Keep a record... Make a commitment... Log a daily streak... How do we consider 'work' in light of these new plans? Boundaries Commitments Choices with intention Let us know how YOU got on - all the links and research are below Here are the links to the resource where you can find out more: Wikipedia's unhelpful definition Mental Health Foundation's study Reed's article Forbes and the evolving definition of work-life balance Steve's plumbing work? Nigel Marsh's TED Talk - It's a problem to be solved Michael Walters' TED Talk - Is it a fallacy? Shawn Achor's TED Talk - Being happy in work (I love this talk so much) Houses On Line's delivery standards? BBC stats on global pay scales Qora answers on salary Michael Hyatt's Life Score Assessment As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful) Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcasts Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!   Music and effects in this episode courtesy of: https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/91924/ Neon Laser Horizon by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7015-neon-laser-horizonLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Aurea Carmina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4982-aurea-carminaLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Episode 69 -  We look ahead at what's coming this year, and what our thoughts are for making the podcast EVEN BETTER than it is now. Tell us what you think, we're gonna do a Q&A episode in the future. So ask us your questions in the comments on the website, on social media or by e-mail sharpthepodcast@gmail.com Look at all this stuff we covered: Moving houseBuilding the new studioTop tips to use ToDoIst with a big projectFriend of the show Laurie pops in to say hiOur ideas for the coming yearThe kitchen table - new house, new ideasDealing with changeNothing's perfectNothing's permanentNothing's personalQ&A - send us your questions, ask us anything As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 68 -  We have a look back at 2020. An awful year for many. So we decided to focus on what's happened with the podcast. There are 3 sections: we look at what changed for 'sharppodcast' in 2020, we quickly revisit each episode with a tiny sample, and then end with Steve and Lisa at the table. Look at all this stuff we covered: What's new for sharppodcast:Making videosNew formats for some episodesCovering current subjectsThen we do a quick visit to each episode, like a taster menu, but better:January - STP058 Mind MapsFebruary - Sharing Is CaringMarch - STP059 Laurie JefferyApril - STP060 Help With ChangeMay - STP061 To Do With TodoistMay - STP062 To Do With Todoist 2June - STP063 Todo Level 3 and Top TipsAugust - STP064 10 Cognitive Biases Spoiling Your ThinkingAugust - STP065 Resource RoundupOctober - STP066 The ALPEN MethodNovember - STP067 Resource RoundupDecember - STP068 Reflecting...oh hang on, that's this episode!Steve and Lisa back at the Kitchen TableSharppodcast episodes from 2020How 2020 has demanded more focus on home lifeMoving houseThe weekly plannerOur weekly 'meeting' (if you want to know more about this, let us know)Walking to workWhy winning the lottery doesn't necessarily make you happyTreating personal goals the same as work goalsGetting vaccinatedHugs!Jeff Wayne's War of The Worlds - Here's the official website, if you haven't heard this, you DEFINITELY need to find out about it As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 67 -  We've collated the best of the resource we've shared on social media in the past few weeks. We're aiming to give you a selection of things to look at for yourself, and hopefully you'll find something that works for you. Look at all this stuff we covered: ProcrastinationTime chunksYour 'why' and your 'how'Mindsets and self-sabotageDamaging your brainDealing with overwhelming to-do listsRechargingTaking things personallyMeditation Here are the links to the resource where you can find out more: Robert Taibbi - 8 Steps to Overcome ProcrastinationBryan Robinson - Procrastination a Friend Without BenefitsAccidental Creative - Time ChunksMy Instagram post - Work on your 'why' to help your 'how'Celine Da Costa - Stop Self SabotageBest Brain Possible - 7 Modern Lifestyle Habits Damaging Your BrainZen Habits - Overwhelming Todo ListsMy Instagram post - RechargingLachlan Brown - 11 Tips to Stop Taking Things PersonallyHackspirit - 25 Surprising Meditation Tips(And as promised, just for you, here are the links):HeadspaceTen Percent HappierJessica Abel - Hell Yeah! Or Hell No!My pic of the tree inspiring my thoughts on change As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 66 -  If you struggle to get things from your to-do list actually done, then ALPEN is for you. We have a look at this great method... Look at all this stuff we covered: Why it's different from other to-do list methodsYou don't have to work long hours to be effectiveProfessor Lothar J Seiwert - who is he?Why we don't like the word 'productivity' (again)Two acronyms (depending on your language):ActivitiesLengthPlan BufferEstablish PrioritiesNote SuccessOR:AufschreibenLange schatzenPufferzeit einplannenEntscheidungen TreffenNachkontrolleActivities - Get them written downLength - Work out how long each one will takePlan Buffer - Add in 40% (we tell you why)Establish priorities - Decide on which ones you're going to focus onNote Success - Review the day and identify what worked wellThe Sydney Opera House planning disaster What Helmuth Von Moltke the Elder saidReviewing your list every weekThe Two Minute Rule Here are the links to the resource where you can find out more: OECD stats working hours across the worldHow to prioritiseEpisode 7 - Habits and the Write Stuff (featuring Eisenhower Matrix)Professor Lothar J Seiwert talking about what he doesFind out more about Lothar J SeiwertYodelling: Astounded Christopher J Astbury Switzerland As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 65 -  A different approach in this episode. We've collated the best of the resource we've shared on social media in the past few weeks. We're aiming to give you a selection of things to look at for yourself, and hopefully you'll find something that works for you. Look at all this stuff we covered: Brain hacks3 daily habitsGoalsToday is uniqueStop taking things personallyCan we trust our brainStress and burnoutHabits and streaksDoing morePast present and futureStressProcess instead of goals and targets Here are the links to the resource where you can find out more: Entrepreneur.com - Brain Hacks to boost motivation/beat the work from home bluesSuccess.com - 3 things successful people do dailyPsychology Today - Wide awake at 2 am? Michael Hyatt - 4 ways to make daily progress on goalsSharppodcast on Instagram - Today is never going to happen againHackspirit.com - 11 ways to stop taking things personallyPsychology Today - Can we trust our brains?Psychology Today - I miss the old 'me'Lifehacker - You don't truly build a habit until you break your streakPsychology Today - Do more by doing lessSharppodcast on Instagram - thoughts about the past and future are all in the present moment Psychology Today - Stress can be good for you Lifehack - Why people who focus more on the process than the goal gain more from life As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 64 -  Your thinking isn't as rational or balanced as you think. Let us tell you why, and how you can be more aware of what's stuffing it up. Look at all this stuff we covered: What cognitive biases areHow they affect usWhy your brain is SO effective - and that's the problemHow not to make a cup of teaOur top 10 chart of biasesThe difference between sharks, selfies and coconutsTHE IDIOT (and his lockdown diary) Here are the links to the resource where you can find out more: Buster Benson's image showing 200 cognitive biasesThe Visual Capitalist - 24 Cognitive BiasesThe Scientific American article on the role of luck in success"Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman The excellent VeryWellMind article on biasesTed-X talk on the Dunning Kruger effectMyles on the Just World hypothesisVicky and her amazing art at EtsyJessica Abel's Creative Focus WorkshopLaura Gassner OttingThe Woo Long Talks podcastRun With Me On This podcast As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Buy me a coffee (I'd be ever so grateful)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 63 -  The final episode in our kind of 'trilogy' on using Todoist. We briefly explore how to use Todoist at an advanced level. We also share great disciplines for managing tasks regardless of whether you use paper, Todoist or something else. Look at all this stuff we covered: We meet Theresa - she's a 'Level 3' kind of personSharing files - so others can help you on the projectFilters - to keep track of everythingNeedless references to Findus Crispy Pancakes AGAINThe 'Teams Plan' on todoistSummarising Level 1 - The things Wanda might do:Simple to-do listsShopping ListsSummarising Level 2 - What Emma could use it for:ProjectsActionsRecurring tasksLabelsPrioritisingKarmaGamificationProductivitySummarising Level 3 - The sophisticated stuff for Theresa:Sharing filesUploading filesComplex projectsAssigning tasksUsing Slack and DropboxFilters to manage it allWhether you use todoist or not - our Ten Task Managing Take-Aways:Capture things well - either in a notebook, on paper, or electronicallyKeep a master list of ALL your tasks somewhereReview it regularly once a week moving things from your master list to places where you will come across them when you need to on an app, a calendar or a diaryUse 'Projects' if something has 2 or more actionsFor each action, write it down starting with the verb (the action word) e.g. "Write the..." "Call..." "List..."Group tasks together by contexts - where you will do themCarry out the tasks in batches - do similar things together (phone calls, check e-mails, brain dead stuff, focus stuff etc.)Keep a record of what you've done and reflect at the end of the dayReview what you've got for the next day - plan to do the task you enjoy LEAST firstPlan the good stuff in too - don't assume it will just happen The resource and links to find out more Real people doing real things with todoistUploading files in todoistUsing SlackDavid Allen on projectsWhy using 'contexts' is a good ideaThe benefits of journaling and reflecting at the end of each dayEating the frog As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: You could buy me a coffee (that would be nice!)Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - here Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 62 -  This is a great episode! In our second look at todoist, we move up to Level 2. Our survey said most of you use paper to manage your tasks. Todoist Level '2' could really help YOU too! Look at all this stuff we covered: We meet 'Emma' who has different stuff going on in her life - work stuff, hobby stuff, home stuff - and she manages it all with todo lists on paper and spreadsheetsProjects - they're not just for big things like building hospitalsPreparing Lucy's birthday celebration is a projectLearning the guitar is a projectBe clear on what the tasks are for your projectWhy you MUST get flames painted on the VolvoHow todoist can help you manage projectsWhy you might consider the premium packageA sentimental 'lockdown' reminiscence of going for a coffeeLabels - grouping 'like' tasks togetherBatching - a great way to work Deciding which tasks to do whenMy labels:5 min job10 min jobfull focuslow energyphonepcUsing todoist's fabulous 'natural language' to set up multiple recurring tasks and put them in the right place at the right time:"Choose colour of #flames @pc on Saturday at 3 pm""Check Facebook every weekday at 9 am #social @mobile"Karma - why it's vital, but all other task managers miss it outGamificationNeopolitan Ice Cream bar charts (this is mine)...Emma has now:Grouped all her different activities into projectsSet up recurring tasksCreated labels so she can batch tasks togetherLearned guitarGained a sense of accomplishment and achievement Here are the links and the resource we used: Projects - a great video guide from Carl PulleinTodoist's video on labelsFoundations video - including viewing tasks in contextAn overview of what you can do with PremiumA good article on batching. Note the name of the provider - I read it as "Metal Learners!" As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to the home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 61 -  Do you keep your tasks on a post-it note? Or are you happy using technology? We look at how "todoist" can help a range of people across a variety of situations. (Warning - episode features multiple references to Findus Crispy Pancakes.) Look at all this stuff we covered: Amir's story - the brains behind todoistHow a 'rootless' upbringing seems to have resulted in a great business ethosIf you're using pen and paper what could an app like todoist do for you?Freeing up your mental spaceKeeping track of what you've got onIntroducing the 3 levels we're going to explore:Wanda - who doesn't like technology and has simple needsEmma - with a more sophisticated life, Emma has a need for something more structured to help her manage lots of varietyTheresa - a full project and team manager who has complex needsWhy I converted to todoistLevel 1 (Wanda)Creating a shopping listUsing Alexa - (if you have one, you might wanna turn it off while you're listening)Sharing lists with people (unless you've bought fungal foot powder)Setting up folders for her other stuff Setting up tasks for future activity - cutting the grassRecurring tasks - recycling and cuddlesUsing todoist's amazing 'Natural Language' to easily set tasks upThe tasks we created looked like this:"Alexa - add Findus Crispy Pancakes to my shopping list""Cut the grass on Saturday""Take the recycling bins out every other Thursday at 7pm""Cuddle my partner every other Wednesday" (perhaps don't do this)How todoist uses this natural language to put everything exactly where you need it, ready for actionUsing your inbox as your master list (this is level 1 don't forget)How all this can give Wanda (and you) clarity of mindLetting you try this all out before we move onto Level 2 in the next episode where we'll meet Emma Here are the links to what you need, and where we did our research for the episode: Todoist featuresIntegrating with AlexaIntegrating with Google AssistUsing SiriThe difference between the inbox and a project (folder)Sharing folders like your shopping list (and other projects)Amir's interview on Founder Chats at Baremetrics As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe on apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it! Attribution for Wanda's voice https://freesound.org/people/bennstir/sounds/81129/

Episode STP060 -  With the whole corona-virus and lock-down thing going on, we wondered how we can help. It turns out there are three areas we know about that could be useful to you. How we do the 'home' thing, dealing with change, and learning new things. Look at all this stuff we covered: We chatted at the table and talked about Working from home - this is what can help: Set aside a dedicated area Plan your day with a structure Agree boundaries with the family Set a definite end time to the day Wear something different Doing 'Not-Work' from home: Set a schedule anyway - avoid the Netflix trap! Take baby steps Exercise Have a look at some online courses Be kind to others and yourself Change The change curve from Elizabeth Kübler-Ross The difference between a change, and the emotion it brings 5 stages of change Denial and shock Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance and integration What all this has to do with toilet paper Some practical steps you can take Identify the positives Think about change that you've experienced before Talk it out with someone Consider the worst that could happen Focus on what you CAN control Protect your well-being Doing some self-development or online courses Not all online courses are the same We looked at 5 different providers YouTube (you don't need a link do you?) The Open University The Great Courses (Plus) LinkedIn Learning Udemy You can also consider TedEd, Coursera, Alison, the Forum and more. Links to those and others can be found in this article from Lifehack Further reading and information is available from the following places: Businessballs The University of Exeter TedX - The Kate Braestrup talk Harvard Business Review Reachout Australia As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode STP059 -  We meet one of my favourite creative people - Laurie Jeffery. He describes himself as a photographer, a filmmaker and a story teller. Look at all this stuff we covered: Treating your commitment to people as important Why quality matters more than Stephen Spielberg How it's hard to find people who care Using great tools Working with good people Sharpening your tools How great calendar skills makes him a great photographer Preparing for the moment of scrutiny Asking for the 'impossible' and getting it Keeping your cool Why the guy who cleans the floor deserves time Not having a TV Why Sky called him weird, and he liked it Why social media is better than telly (a 'pre' corona-virus view!) Find out more and see Laurie's work at: @laurieshots on Twitter @laurie.jeffery on Instagram Laurie's Website (Some adult content - discretion advised) We also gave a shout out to amazing people who support, inspire or in some way have a part in keeping our podcast going. Here are their Twitter names and links to their work? Dan Benjamin - @DanBenjamin or  The Podcast Method BritPodScene - @Britpodscene or  Their Website  Comedy Geek Sketch Podcast - @comedy_geek1  or Comedy Geek Sketch Podcast  I Shake My Head Podcast - @i_shakemyhead or the I Shake My Head Podcast As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

As you can tell, this isn't an episode! But it's a request to you, our lovely listener, to share Sharp if you love it. There's all sorts of way you can share this audio: Copy and past the page this 'episode' is on from the website, into your social mediaShare the website 'subscribe' page https://www.sharppodcast.com/subscribe/If you use a podcatcher - there's usually a 'share episode' option. You could share it:Direct to a friend in WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, text messageDirect onto social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.You could put it up on YOUR website or social media accountOr you could do a screenshot and then post the image onto anywhere!Or of course you can go onto our social media, find this promo, and re-share. All the social links are belowFinally - here's an old fashioned idea: You could tell people in person! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast, and a 'proper' episode will be coming next - we promise! Rate or subscribe at apple podcasts by going here - apple podcastsContact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast hereConnect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening

Episode 58 -  If you have to remember things, plan things or share things - mind maps can help with that and loads more. We'll tell you how. Look at all this stuff we covered: What mind maps are Where they came from How they work What YOU can use them for Tony Buzan invented mind maps - he was a character 1970's BBC tv That idiot Steve In The Field makes another appearance Our research came from here - find out more: Use Your Head from BBC TV in 1974 How to Mind Map with Tony Buzan Hazel Wagner Ted - Mind Mapping Tony's Ted Talk (featuring elastic band boy) ImindQ - 10 real life uses of mind maps Visual Aids - the research document Science & Technology - Humans process visual data better As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Finally - the links to the cool people we mentioned at the start - check them out: Lisa LinkedIn Voiceover people Mel's British voice Carrie's Voice Debby Barnes Mike Broderick Guy Slocombe Audio production and help Chris Curran - Podcast Engineering School Mike Delgaudio - Booth Junkies Podcasters world - facebook group Podcast Editors - facebook group Smashing podcasts Which Murderer Release the Clowns The One You Feed The Casual Birder Yes But Why podcast Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 57 -  Because sometimes books are more than books. Don't let the battle of the printed word and the audiobook get you down - you decide. Here are 4 books we loved reading this year, now it's your turn to enjoy them. Look at all this stuff we covered: Being in the woods near THAT picnic table in the rotten weather 4 Seconds by Peter Bregman Change your habits and your life Dog-earing pages (yep!) The Getting Things Done Workbook by David Allen and Brandon Hall It's like David coming to your house and setting it all up with you The World Is F***ed by Mark Manson The thinking brain and the feeling brain (very cool) Philosophy, Narcissism, Religion - all the fun subjects But I read it twice in a week Talking To Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell Why people are rubbish at working out if you're lying How trained professionals get it horrifically wrong Audio - do you know how hard these people work to make sure you DON'T notice their work? Here's the links to the books, research and articles which inspired we used to produce this episode: 4 Seconds Seth Godin - This is Marketing Entrepreneurs Library with Peter Bregman The GTD workbook GTD Brasil Our episode on GTD for Teens Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman  My favourite of the 4 books - Everything Is F*cked The audio book version That image from Vietnam - The Story of Thich Quang Duc Mark Manson's video about the book Talking to Strangers The audio book version Revisionist History - The Queen of Cuba Malcolm's explanation at Penguin The Sandra Bland footage Audio in film Adam Buxton's podcast As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 56 -  If you haven't yet discovered how great GTD is, we tell you why - regardless of your age - you should read GTD For Teens. It's an excellent way of getting to know how GTD can work for you. Look at all this stuff we covered: We first covered GTD back in June 2017 in Episode 15 Bruce Lee and David Allen have something in common (now you know why we chose this episode's cover art) Enter The Dragon What having a 'Mind Like Water' means David Allen's Ted Talk including his reference to this phrase How we are bombarded with more data than at any time in history Why this book could be the solution An overview of each section: Introduction - Myggy and Cortland and the state of 'ready' Part 1 - The Art of Getting Things Done Part 2 - The Practice of GTD 5 steps Planning Map Levels of Focus - Google Maps and zooming in Part 3 - The Lab. Big Buckets! References/research/links Episode 15 - One Great Tool More info on GTD For Teens - plus buy the book here David Allen's TED Talk Bruce Lee - Be As Water Brain Pickings - Bruce Lee Artist Of Life Tech 21 - The Human Brain is Loaded Daily with 34GB Raconteur's Infographic Fast Company - Why It's Hard to Pay Attention Peter Bregman - 18 minutes As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it! "Tech Live" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 55 -  Would you like an extra week in your year to focus on really important stuff? How about TWO weeks? How about ELEVEN days of fun/important/helpful personal time? Take control of your calendar and you could have that - and more. We show you how. Here's all the good stuff: Forbes.com article on 6 things you should NOT have on your calendar Meetings Back to back appointments Checklists Notes Miniscule tasks Other people's priorities History.com and the Gregorian Calendar Today's date on the Hijri Calendar Yes - that idiot STEVE IN THE FIELD is back (well almost!) 9 things that SHOULD be on your calendar Tomorrow's frog Meetings with yourself Free/personal/family time Breaks Categories Where you are Travel time Date/time specific appointments Developing yourself LISA and Steve are back at the kitchen table TOO! 5 cool habits to support a SHARP calendar Weekly review Link work and home End of day review/journal Plan ahead - 2 further weeks each week Saying 'no' to yourself (by planning things other than the easy stuff)   Other research from: GTD Peter Bregman 18 minutes Project Management Hacks As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

No shownotes - just me, telling you, why you've been waiting ages for an episode! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

  Episode 54 -  We talk to the whirlwind that is Laura Gassner Otting! With her new book coming out (in April 2019 at time of writing) Laura shares her view on life, what gets in the way, and how we can all enjoy a life without limits! Look at all this stuff we covered: Laura's background and wide range of experience Socks (Isle of Wight of course!) New Year's resolutions Why there will always be a bigger boat How Laura uses her calendar (great tips here) Putting things off GTD "Limitless - How to Ignore Everybody, Carve your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life" Click on the link above to order/pre-order in the US, or here - To order in the UK What Consonance means to Laura The four C's: Calling Connection Contribution Control Why following your passion is bad advice Older entrepreneurs Your job may not be the reason why you're unhappy with your job Yep I had to read that twice - but it's correct Your brain is a liar What you do needs to match who you are Math(s), dancing, doing the big thing and much much more! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 53 -  In the last of our re-visits to helping you get even SHARPER this year, we go back to episode 30 where we summarised all the good stuff about routines. How is your start of day routine? Is it setting you up for the best you can be each day? And what about your end of day routine - does that help you wind down in the right way? These episodes are definitely worth another listen, which is why we did it! If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here: Episode 12 (Hello Good Morning) where we cover: Why you should think about your morning routine Planning to plan from a personal perspective Having a morning routine isn't just for people running multi-million pound operations But if they do it - why shouldn't you? I've done the research in places like Success magazine,  Forbes,Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, David Allen and so on, so you don't have to. Here are some articles for further reading: (Success link removed as article has since been taken down) Fastcompany - The morning routines of the most successful people Forbes - Routines of 7 successful but human millennial entrepreneurs What my morning routine is - and why I do it Circadian rhythms and - why they make you feel like you do Your alarm is a conflict, but you can make it work for you Why I get up at 4:50, and why you should get up at 6:37 Laugh, smile - do it FIRST The psychology of smiling Water water everywhere - get it inside you Run for your life - why some exercise every day is a good idea Oy - YOU! (time) Get cold - If it's good enough for Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins, it's good enough for us What 30 seconds in a cold shower tells you about taking things for granted The 6 steps: Alarm - set it with intention, don't snooze Laugh - look in the mirror laugh or smile at yourself, I promise you, it's funny and good Water - half a litre, 16 ounces re-hydrate quickly after you've woken up Activity - walk outside, gym, run - whatever works for you You time - 10 minutes of meditation, yoga, or just taking 10 to stop and think what you want to do today Shower - cold blast, 30 seconds at the end. Episode 13 (Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me) where we cover: How your 'start of day' and your 'end of day' routine support each other, and support you getting stuff done Why Forbes.com say how you end your day is critical - in this article Michael Hyatt says, "The right activities before you sleep can set you up for success the next day" in this article The two groups of 'end of day' routines - the workday one, and the dayday one Why it's even more important to have a defined end of day process if you do work which doesn't have its own clear end to each day THE END OF WORKDAY ROUTINE: A great template for a 7 step routine from todoist.com - the full article is here 1. Clean up your physical and digital workspace 2. Review your to-done’s 3. Write out tomorrow’s to-do list 4. Set yourself up to “Eat Your Frog” first thing in the morning 5. Confront the things you’ve been putting off. (Break them down and choose one 'next step' for tomorrow) 6. Set a time to end your workday and stick to it 7. End on a high note: Forgive yourself Show gratitude Do someone a favour My personal end of workday routine (from 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get the Right Things Done) looks like this: Spend 5 minutes asking yourself these key questions: How did my day go? What went well? What were my challenges? What did I learn today? About myself? About others? What do I plan to do - differently or the same tomorrow? Who did I interact with? Anyone I need to update? Thank? Ask a question? Share feedback with? THE END OF DAY (DAY) ROUTINE: Set a 'turn off your screen' time - and stick to it What Scientific American say about - using screens before bedt...

Episode 52 -  We go back in time, to an episode we originally broadcast in 2017 where we summarised the best ideas we'd found on setting GREAT goals. This version of EP29 is edited to be a bit tighter. We've got rid of the out of date stuff, and kept the good stuff. Wanna set better goals for 2019? Give it a listen. If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here: Episode 18 (Why Your Goals Aren't Working) where we cover: The resource out there on setting goals 5 steps which many people agree on when setting successful goals 1) Visualising your goal – invoke all of your senses The brain’s link between sounds, smells and memory 2) Writing your goal down – using the S.M.A.R.T. acronym Be Specific about what the goal is Define how you would Measure whether you’ve achieved the goal Use ‘Action’ language – Do, Become, Develop Realistic – either take this literally and make the goals realistic, or take the ‘Big Hairy Audacious’ approach and set really stretching goals. You decide! Set a Time limit to when you want to achieve the goal by 3) Sharing your goal Two schools of thought on this, make them public, or keep them private. Here are two perspectives: Fast Company say make it public  Derek Sivers says keep them private 4) Break it down Be sure to split bigger goals into smaller steps Be clear on the NEXT step Make it something you can do within 24 hours 5) Plan Set yourself dates in the diary to review your progress AND to celebrate your success The one thing missing from most of the advice – WHY Why WHY? Never underestimate the power of stating the obvious 30 million people have given up smoking this way 5 whys according to iSixSigma 5 whys according to Toyota A version delivered from our kitchen table How you can make reviewing progress more satisfying Use a good planner to manage your progress – this is nice Action Day Academic Diary 17/18 The importance of being flexible – your goals don’t have to be set in stone In fact if you set the wrong ones, and you’ve changed them, then the process works! Episode 19 (10 Great Ways To Track Your Goals) where we cover: Why it’s no good just deciding on your goals Apps and mobile based resource can track and support your goals, because your device is always with you We reviewed loads of different websites, blogs and resource to research what apps are out there We (I) found 95 different apps to consider So then I filtered them based on which ones got recommended the most In the episode, I talked about the top 5 – here they are: Coach.me Goals on track Strides Irunurun Lifetick Next up was ‘paper based’ resource – sometimes it’s just nice to write with a pen Especially if you’re in a field (or the field) The Self Journal – here’s the link While researching The Self Journal, I came across this video by Gillateen. He’s funny and cool My Pro Planner – here’s the link They had a nice video too – here it is Action Day planners – here’s the link Two further bits of resource which are paper based but not journals: Design the Life You Love by Ayshe Birsel – here’s the link Field Notes notebooks, my absolute fave – here they are Fisher Space pen, it can write upside down, underwater, in the snow. So if you find yourself upside down in snowy water it’s a must. Also if you just want to have a handy small pen, it’s also a must. Again – here’s the link As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website.

Episode 51 -  New Year's Resolutions don't work. But at this time of year you might be thinking about what you want to be different in 2019. So we've re-released a tighter, updated version of Episode 28. Even if you've heard this already - it's well worth listening again there's SO much there! If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here: Episode 5 (Breaking Bad) where we cover: What are habits? How are they formed according to Charles Duhigg in his book – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change The notion of cue/routine/reward Bad habits – smoking – yuk! How to stop with – The EasyWay method from Allen Carr The plasticity of our brains and changing habits Podcast resource 1 – Freakonomics Radio – How to be More Productive Changing behaviour – the BJ Fogg Model The notion of Motivation/Ability/Trigger Podcast resource 2 – The One You Feed Episode 91 Why motivation is not the only way to change habits Why you should aim for ‘easy’ Baby steps – or ‘How to design a website just by opening a laptop’ David Allen’s idea of ‘Next Actions’ when tackling a project – GTD Episode 6 (Get Into the Groove) where we cover: New Year’s resolutions, and why they don’t stick – some stats Gym memberships – some stats from Planet Money Apps which can help you with the ‘cue’ and ‘reward’ parts of habit forming For both Android and Apple there’s – Coach.me Prefer simple and on Android? try – Loop Habit Tracker Prefer simple and on IOS (And Android)? try – Habit Bull Why the behaviour and reward cycle is so powerful – Judson Brewer on the TED stage Procrastination and how to attack it Episode 7 (Habits and the Write Stuff) where we cover: Even if you’ve already read it, it’s worth re-visiting – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People The urgent important matrix – Eisenhower version Charles Duhigg – Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business The Peter Bregman Podcast Peter Bregman –18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get the Right Things Done As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 50 -  We look back over what we've done in the past year or so, with a little help from our friends. Some of the stuff in there is: How we ended last year with our tribute to Steve in the Field What Mayor Lance Olive likes about STP, SITF and Episode 27 His tips on using a calendar well Mel Elliot's thoughts on her favourite episode - STP033 Ready Steady Tomato Giving YOU my system in Episodes 35,36 and 37 Laura Gassner Otting's thoughts on - STP034 How About NO Laura's own tips on saying 'NO' How moving house in April ended up with us making - STP038 Taking It On With Trello A fellow podcast producer, Suzi The Casual Birder, shared why she liked it My favourite episode - STP042 Jessica Abel Vic's top tip from Tourist Podcast What we did this summer Why Debby Barnes locked on to - STP 047 Overcomoing Perfectionism Our episode on Better Public Speaking helped me do my job Our friends Jeff and Cade over at Super Pee Pee Time podcast help us end this episode making less (or more) sense than where we started! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 49 -  Life is too short for terrible meetings. We explore how to make them better, whether you run 'em, go to 'em, or avoid 'em. Dive in... Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Who invented the meeting Terrible conference calls - an example Why a CNBC article confirms your worst fears - meetings can be rubbish Everything that's wrong with meetings Holding meetings 101 - The basics: Respect your attendee's time Get to the point Consider who HAS to be there Set the agenda Change the location Or even just change SEATS! John Cleese shows us what's wrong with meetings Can you make meetings better if you're invited to them? YES YOU CAN A great article by Tom Catalini - how to avoid meetings that waste your time Book meetings with yourself Find out from the organiser what the purpose is of the meeting Reach out to the other delegates and help each other prepare Why you should sometimes say 'no' Arrive late - or leave early A GREAT Ted talk by David Grady - Worth 6 minutes of your time trust me The radical stuff - what Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and other big players do Empty chair Silent reading time No Powerpoint Not before noon Only on a Wednesday Do 30 mins in 20 Purge recurring meetings Throw out the hangers on Lose the chairs Walk out (if you're not adding value) The research we used for this episode was: The Chicago Tribune/Vancouver Sun -  Meetistotle HBR - Stop the meeting madness Forbes article by Dean Brenner - The Secret To Better Meetings Tom Catalini - How to avoid meetings that waste your time Drayton Bird - Please Read Carefully Before You Even Think Of Attending A Meeting John Cleese - Meetings Meetings Bl**dy Meetings Fastcompany - Business Leaders Share How They Cut Down On Meetings Quartz.com - Top Business Leaders Meetings Project Management Hacks - 7 tips to more productive meetings Inc.com - 9 steps to better meetings CNBC - Jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban and Elon Musk avoid this productivity killer As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 48 -  In this episode we talk about why public speaking and presenting can be difficult, and we give you 13 tips to help you get better in this tricky area. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: My terrible presentation Trust me - you look better than you think Why we can find public speaking difficult - even scary Glossophobia Lisa talks to us from a different table about her experience Have your opening lines prepared Feeling anxious Tapping your fingers (not EFT) Relaxing about not having all the answers Using a 'car-park' A great Psychology Today article on why public speaking is so difficult Our physiology Anxiety about being anxious The stakes are raised Overestimating the skills needed and the consequences People's status Judgement and evaluation A new audience or a new idea Tips on speaking in small groups Toastmasters groups Knowing your subject Engaging with the audience Slowing down Thinking about breathing Conversation not presentation Less is more Have a look at this Toastmasters video Tips for larger more full blown presentations Accepting that nerves will happen Realising you look much better than you think People won't react like you expect, and that's ok Planning A beginning, a middle and an end Knowing your audience Practice Talking to one person at a time Use media carefully - Powerpoint can become your enemy easily! Aiming for average What we can learn from TED Talks Have a look at this great video from Chris Anderson at TED If you want to do further reading, here's where we got some of the insights Toastmasters International Grammarly Mindtools As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 47 -  Why perfectionism is at best, unhelpful and at worst, a serious problem. We explore what perfectionism is, and how to deal with it wherever it appears. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: The link between perfectionism and competitiveness Where both of mine came from (I'm better now!) Why you should never declare perfectionism as a 'weakness' in an interview What perfectionism is according to Steve and Lisa at the table What research says the different kinds of perfectionism are Adaptive and Maladaptive Self Oriented - Other Oriented - Socially Prescribed The worrying research that shows how it can be linked to mental health issues It's growing - especially among the younger generation The 6 disadvantages of perfectionism Why you should listen to Super Pee Pee time 6 ways of dealing with perfectionism in others How to deal with it if you manage people who have it 10 tips on dealing with your own perfectionism Baby steps Focus on what's enjoyable Be self aware Focus on the positive Meditate Focus on the journey not the destination Record your progress - not the target Laugh (a lot) Get inspired by dreamers and risk takers Embrace the idea that you are NOT in control Here's all the research and links: The Curran and Hill meta analysis of undergraduates from 1989 to 2016 Hewett and Flett on the 3 different types of perfectionism Psychology Today - The Challenge Of Perfectionism BBC Future - The Dangerous Downsides of Perfectionism The University of North Carolina study showing the connection between perfectionism and psychopathology The 6 key problems with perfectionism according to careeraddict.com Super Pee Pee Time - it's bonkers and I love it! Psychology Today - Alan A Cavaiola on dealing with perfectionists The book "Impossible To Please" by Cavailoa and Lavender Harvard Business Review - How to manage a perfectionist Tiny Buddha - The one thing you need to know to overcome perfectionism The Muse - How to stop perfectionism from ruining your life Psychology Today - 5 ways to overcome fear of failure and perfectionism Very Well Mind - Overcoming perfectionism As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 46 -  We dive deep into your memory, and think we should probably not have looked so close, given what we found! But in this episode we talk about why memory is important, how it works and how you can improve yours. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Devices versus memory Why I keep forgetting toothpaste What is memory? The Brain Institute at the University of Queensland's article on - 8 memory types What happens when severe memory loss hits us Memento - The IMDB summary Henry Gustav Molaison - his story at Wikipedia Adrian Ellis' story - at Headway Clive Wearing - the YouTube snip Where in your head is the memory? Janice Chen's experiment with - Sherlock Holmes and brain scans Ragbag - by Frank Burton University of Queensland tells us - why memory is like grass How to remember 20 random things How to remember people's names every time The Smithsonian article on - Simonides and the Mind Palace The article at BBC Future on our final memory tip Some of our research came from: The Scientific American The research from the Wellcome Foundation 12 BONUS take-away's to help you save time If you save an hour - you could spend 2 minutes helping us back: Text a friend a link to the subscription page - it's here for you to copy: Subscription link Share the latest episode on social media - Twitter Facebook Instagram Go to i-tunes or Apple podcasts and give us a 5 star review - click here As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 45 -  We've learned amazing stuff about our brains for this episode. We give you 2 great articles, a fab Ted talk AND a smorgasbord of remarkable brain related facts! Hold on to your hat... Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: We've realised that the SAW that we're sharpening every week is the one in our heads Did you ever notice it in the logo? All the mind-blowing facts in this episode come from this fab article at - bebrainfit.com How many? Phenomenal brain numbers A superb article from Sean Nisil at - Productivityist.com He has written about cognitive load Empty your brain Stop things filling it up You'll thank yourself, feel more relaxed, be creative and your 3 pounds of fat and water will be SHARPER! Lewis Hamilton doesn't drive a Hillman Imp A good news/bad news sandwich around how flexible your brain is What a great article from Lachlan Brown at - Hackspirit.com He tells us 7 activities or hobbies that science says can make you smarter Meditate Learn a second language Read Exercise your body Exercise your brain Learn a musical instrument Cumulative learning A lovely podcast I found via Brit Pod Scene It's called Tourist Podcast - and you can find it here A round of myths and misinformation about your grey matter We end up sharing one of our favourite Ted Talks It is by Anil Seth - his contact details are here And the Ted Talk is here Your brain hallucinates your reality - yep, how weird is that! We end up with the 10 oddest brain facts But sadly it's not all good news Cheer up - it's not the end of the world As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 44 -  Can you rely on time? Can you manage it? What were you doing with yours 3 days ago at 3:15pm? Wanna find out? Then have a listen! Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Time management doesn't work What does 'time' even mean? Could we change how we measure time - some people already have Time seems to stretch depending on what you are doing Psychology Today explain why the years pass faster as you get older Terry - come one, give him a chance! At least his facts are real The earth doesn't revolve every 24 hours The French tried to 'decimalise' time - TWICE! In the Soviet Union they changed the length of the week 3 times in the 20th Century Changing your approach to what fills your day could work two ways: Getting more done in the same time Doing the same amount in less time Which one do you want? They're both good for different reasons Lunchtime - how do you do yours? Why measuring 'performance' just based on how many hours someone works may not be useful Is it time to find out what fills your 168 hours? E-mails take up more than we think according to - Forbes.com That's just e-mails, where are your other 'time-thieves'? Track your time - it's VERY revealing The Art of Manliness wrote - this article on the subject You can do it different ways - one way is with apps Here is an article on time tracking apps you can look at Here's another one - because we like to give you choice! The one we used was - Toggl Consider how you're going to track your time with an app, there are 2 key ways: Every time you start a new task, log it Checking in each 15/30 minutes and logging what you've been doing The great thing about Toggl is that you can select categories and tags My categories were: Work - reactive actions (meetings, resolving stuff etc) Work - proactive actions (planning, developing, strategy) Routines Travel Calls Self development Eating Family time Relaxing Meditating Messing about Podcast production Instead of apps, try tracking time using a paper-based method There's loads around - but we made one for you Download it either from this image here... Or if your shownotes don't show the image download it here - The Sharp Time Tracker Decide on doing weekday/weekend or both Log actions every 15/30 minutes (you decide) Write EVERYTHING down - including messing about time (e.g. social media scrolling) Be honest Suspend judgement until you've finished Do it for at least 1 week - 2 if you can If you want to - log it on paper first (the raw activities) and then put into Toggl afterwards You can then categorise and Toggl gives you reports in different ways Take what you've learned and use it to inform what steps you want to take Go and look at any of our other episodes to work on what you've decided on A good place to start if you want to plan your day better is Episode 35 We discovered that Terry needs some equipment training! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 43 -  What makes us happy? Lots of things. Whether being happy means getting through things quicker, spending more time focusing on what's important, or being inspired - here are some ideas. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: A recommendation from Charles Duhigg (Author of Smarter Faster Better and The Power of Habit) It was this excellent piece by Alice Boyes at Harvard Business Review: Why we fail at focusing on what's important How to change that Schedule time for them Isolate the most impactful bits Anticipate and manage your feelings of anxiety Spend less time on unimportant tasks Prioritise tasks that will reduce your number of urgent/unimportant tasks Pay attention to what helps you see and track the bigger picture A podcast recommendation we've made before - 10% Happier Being happy doesn't just mean laughing, it can also come from feeling uplifted The latest episodes of 10% Happier do just that, give them a listen If you want to just get things done in the day we found a resource with 5 quick tips It was compiled by Ashley Stahl at Forbes.com We've covered these tips in various guises before, but they are worth revisiting and checking in with ourselves by asking, "Do I do these well?" Stop multitasking Take breaks Set small goals Take care of the biggest tasks when you are most alert Implement the two minute rule Question - What are you doing when you are happiest? The answer may not be what you think We look at and listen to the Ted Talk by Matt Killingsworth He explains how he created an app that 15,000 people responded to From 650,000 reports, he learned that there is one thing we're doing more than anything else when we are happy You'll have to watch the talk, or listen to the episode to find out! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 42 - I claim that we cover the meaning of life, the universe, and everything - in episode 42. It's possible I claimed it incorrectly, but we had a great chat about how YOU can finally free time up to get that creative project up and running - or in fact do anything which has been burning a hole in the back of your mind for the last few years. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Jessica's first piece of work that I discovered - Out On The Wire Then I found the amazing - Growing Gills We talked about how to focus on what's important How it can be difficult to find space to get that creative idea off the ground What you need to do in order to do it Jessica's fantastic - Creative Focus Workshop (Cover image credit: Jessica Abel) As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 41 -  Four ideas and suggestions for the price of one episode! And of course that price is ZERO pence, cents, yen, euro etc... Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Before we hit the subjects, a simple plea asking for your help - if you like what we do, please tell one friend who you think would also like what we do ONE: A great blog we found at lifehacker.com from Michelle Woo Michelle suggests we should split our to-do list into 2: A simple list A hard list She goes on to explain why paying attention to your biological rhythms can help you get more done Backed up by people such as Molly Crockett and Dan pink The full article by Michelle Woo is here The funny one at Buzzfeed (ketchup for bookmarks) TWO:  Evernote have a smashing podcast The episode we spotlight is one featuring Michael Hyatt and Marvell Allen Marvell talks about how influence is not limited to managers How people who work in organisations have as much influence in business She also helps us deal with difficult managers Evernote podcast link here THREE: I found a blog from success.com which was really inspiring Jim Rohn is quoted talking about his views on 'value' versus 'valuables' It takes a bit of reading - but it's worth your attention Success must be attracted and not pursued - Jim Rohn FOUR: Finally the amazing Daniel Pink (author of Drive) held a Ted Talk in 2009 He makes a compelling case for thinking more carefully about using incentives Instinctively you might think that if you offer an incentive, people will do better But you would be wrong To find out more - watch this super talk And if he convinces you - buy a copy of Drive and find out how you can make it work for you We have got a VERY special episode next time - I'll keep you in suspense, but if you've planned to get a creative project off the ground it will be well worth your while checking in.   As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Hi - this is just to tell you, that if you were expecting an episode to drop last weekend, you're right - it didn't! But there is stuff coming next weekend! In the meantime why not have a listen to some past episodes, they're really good - and you must have missed one of them!  Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Nothing - but keep your eyes peeled next weekend! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 40 -  Problems not going away? Struggling to solve the big ones? Then this episode is for you. We look at the Creative Problem Solving model and how it can help YOU sort them out. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Steve In The Field is back - OH NO! What do we mean by 'problem' ? The things that cause us to struggle: What the heck is 'convergent thinking'? Quotes - they sound nice, but many don't really help do they? Lisa and Steve at the table are back - HOORAY! We demonstrate why 'sticky thinking' doesn't help Creative Problem Solving - the CEF full explanation is here  The key stages of the Creative Problem Solving model Clarify Gather as much information as you can about the problem Use - The 5 Why Technique Ask more questions - Who? What? Where? When? How? Define your aim - where do you want to get to, what would the world be like if the problem went away? Remember, the problem may not be the thing you want to solve Ideate Come up with as much data as you can on the problem Brainstorm Use search engines Make lists Do Mind Maps DON'T judge at this stage - just get as much varied information as you can Develop Now you sort everything out Start to prioritise the things which may help you Consider losing the things which are obviously unhelpful Implement Turn it all into a plan Make it actionable Be SMART Do IT! Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo explained by Ted - here Have a listen to the FAB, challenging, demanding, beautiful podcast by Sean called Share A Slice Get some support and ideas to get houseplants looking great in your life by listening to the excellent On The Ledge by Jane Perrone Thank you to Stacey and Carla at the Brit Pod Scene network - a lovely bunch of people! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 39 - A roundup of the best stuff we've found on social media in this last 2 weeks to help you get better. If you recognise any of the words in the title, there are some solutions for you here. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Getting used to the new studio - does it sound OK to you? Some great resource on social media we've found to help you get better This fab article by John Rampton on - Discipline versus Motivation Miranda Marquit says - willpower is a limited resource and you need self-motivation to sustain you when willpower runs out Top Gun pilot David Berke disagrees. He says motivation is meaningless Me contradicting Jim Rohn? Controversial! Self motivation and external motivation Daniel Pink's fabulous book - Drive Podcast recommendation - Next Action associates GTD reducing stress Why I am calmer than I have ever been as a result Video recommendation - This fabulous Ted Talk from BJ Fogg The power of Motivation, Ability and a Trigger Changing our behaviour with tiny habits can cause long term change How a set of scales tweeting his weight for a year didn't help him lose weight But when he started changing tiny habits it started to work Finally a cracking article recommendation - 5 Emotionally Intelligent Habits for Dealing with Work Frustrations Getting frustrated at work? Yeah right - who doesn't Five emotionally intelligent solutions to some of those frustrations And these don't just apply to work but to anything which frustrates us: Wait to react Name the feeling Share how you feel with someone who can be objective. Reflect on the situation like an outside observer. Imagine it's 1/5/10 years later As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 38 -  David Allen said that anything with more than 2 steps is a project. But what if they've got 10 steps, 20 or more? We've found a simple solution to help you manage everything from a trip to the shops, to a full blown project. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Planning a party, running a website or a blog, having a family - these are all projects Why projects can be a problem to get hold of Action lists are not the best solution to them 'Spirally' bits How Trello can help Why Piggly Wiggly was different - according to the Smithsonian Projects are messy - Trello keeps it all together with you The great stuff that people do with Trello - have a look at their examples Taiichi Ohno and his visit to Piggly Wiggly in 1956 How he went on to develop Kanban and 'Just In Time' for Toyota Read more from Six Sigma How SIMPLE Trello is Or it can be more sophisticated if you need it If you can fill in a post-it note, you can use Trello What Joel Spolsky says about Trello Go and try it for yourself at - Trello.com As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Mini Episode -  Just a few words from me rambling a bit about the podcast, moving house and how lucky we all really are to have the problems that we have. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Er...Letting you know that the next full episode is called 38, and is really good?   As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 37 - In this final episode on managing your focus and attention, we look at dealing with the stuff that comes up in your day and give you some great techniques and solutions to help you get it done well. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: What's led to this episode: Episode 34 - How to say 'NO' to reduce your workload Episode 35 - How to decide what's important when prioritising Episode 36 - How to use 5 key tools to plan your day: A notebook (or somewhere to dump your 'mind') An Action list Buckets A Calendar A Routine BUT DON'T WORRY IF YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO THEM - OR PREPARED... There's loads in this one you can use either on its own, or with the structure How does your day look? Are you a canoeist, a balloonist, or a cyclist? PLANNING THE DAY This should take 5 minutes once you've got your template ready I use the questions from Peter Bregman's 18 minutes model: —Review your Action list – what will make this day highly effective? —What can I realistically accomplish in my areas of focus? (From EP35) —What will leave me feeling productive and successful at the end of the day? Then pick 3 things from your Action List and put them into your calendar for today as they are now things which MUST happen on this day How you do this is up to you, but the key is choosing 3 'Important' things to do today If you have more than 3 things, or you're not sure which ones to choose use: The Urgent/Important Principle - A detailed explanation here from Mindtools.com Urgent = It's got a deadline (usually someone else's!) Important = It will help you make progress on one of YOUR bigger goals Ideally you want to pick 3 things which are 'Important' but not 'Urgent' Eating the Frog Choosing the right energy levels Planning in breaks and movement Setting a chime every hour to check we're on course. When it goes off... —BEEP! STOP! Take a deep breath. Then… Am I doing what I most need to be doing right now? Am I being who I most want to be right now? Recommit to how you're going to use your next hour DOING THE DAY Scenario 1 - You are presented with a single simple action to complete Can you fully do this action, completely within 2 minutes? Is it a single item which does not have loads of others behind it? If so - do it as soon as you are presented with it This is the 2 minute rule Use this rule with discretion - don't just default to doing everything as it comes along Solution 1 - If that action can be done completely - apply the 2 minute rule   Scenario 2 - You're presented with a number of tasks and/or some will take more than 2 minutes Stop and think about what each thing means to you - what do you have to do? What is the 'action' you have to do to fully complete this task Break it down into multiple actions if needed Write each action down in a sentence with the 'action' word at the front E.g. "OUTLINE the Redman report" or "CALL the garage to book the car in" If you have a system - put it in there. If you don't - park it by putting it onto a list Solution 2 - Break the task down into a doable action - and put onto a list OR use your notebook/action list/buckets to put it into your system   Scenario 3 - Being presented with 2 or more things which want your attention NOW Use the Urgent/Important Test again The phone is ringing it's your son's school The boss wants a response to an email within 10 minutes A colleague is asking for some help with a task We decided that the school call was 'Urgent' AND 'Important' - so we did this first The boss request - that was 'Urgent', but not 'Important' (in our test) so we did this next Jane's request was 'Important' but not 'Urgent' - so we planned to help her later today when we had time Solution 3 - Use the Urgent/Important principle...

Episode 36 -  In the second of our series on managing your focus, we give you the structure to help you set your day up to be efficient, manage your focus and attention, and win at life. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Don't wish your life away just trying to get to the end of your day Demand a high quality of life DURING the day 5 Tools and Techniques to bullet-proof your day and make progress towards what's important Some of it comes from - David Allen's GTD And some from - Peter Bregman's 18 Minutes And the rest is from mw We look at the 5 tools in a simple 'manual' way first A Notebook An Action List Buckets A Calendar A Routine 1) A Notebook - Or something to dump your 'head stuff' into... Stop waking up at 2am because you've just remembered things The journey my Fisher Space Pen took INTERACTIVE LISTENERS - DECIDE ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO ENSURE YOU CAN WRITE DOWN ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD 2) Action List - Stop being woolly... What's wrong with a to-do list? I let you in on the secret The actual to-do list I was referring to (actually it's a good article) 'Write Blog Post' is the wrong thing to have on your list A better version could be: Decide on Blog Post Subject Write first paragraph Write second paragraph Write third paragraph Review and edit post Choose an image Upload to Wordpress Post on Twitter Start with an "Action" and keep it simple INTERACTIVE LISTENERS - IF YOU HAVE YOUR LIST FROM LAST WEEK, RE-WRITE THE ITEMS ON THERE INTO ACTIONS. A VERB OR ACTION WORD FIRST - AND KEEP IT SIMPLE. IF YOU DIDN'T DO LAST WEEK INTERACTIVELY, PRACTICE WRITING OUT SOME TASKS AS AN 'ACTION' 3) Buckets - Where you put the stuff ready to do it... Choosing categories to batch your work. GTD calls them 'Contexts'. Deciding on your buckets. Consider: Where do you do your stuff? Who do you do it with? What items or devices do you need? What are your different frames of mind? What do you tend to do when you've got high/low energy? A good resource for inspiration is at - Simplicity Bliss My buckets: Errands/Shopping - Things to buy, dry cleaners, groceries (we use Wunderlist for this) Home - Clearing garage, painting, housework Agendas - Things I do with other people, work, family, everyone Quick Jobs - Firing off e-mails, reading memo's, updating calendar Calls - Self explanatory Downtime - Where I put articles, website links or pamphlets for later reading Brain Dead - Cleaning things, tidying, clearing out Full focus - Stuff I have to pay attention to, writing reports, reviewing complex data, meetings. Often these will be things I will use the Pomodoro technique for Routines - Regular repetitive tasks. Things I do every day/week. All my repeat things are in here from daily meditation to clearing e-mails to zero. My 18 minutes actions are in here Review - The weekly review, along with any regular reports and info I get which doesn't need full focus, but is also not a 'quick job' Someday Maybe - Things that I don't need to do soon, but which I want to keep on the radar because thay may become live tasks at some point. Be careful as this can easily become a 'dumping ground' so must be cleared out weekly You need a physical representation of each bucket with the relevant jobs or actions physically inside them. You can use Expander Files, Filing Cabinets, In-Trays, A book divided into sections, Even actual buckets! Note - if you are doing this with pen and paper, it's important to keep a copy of the full action list somewhere ready for your weekly review. You are ensuring that each action is ALSO in one bucket. INTERACTIVE LISTENERS - DECIDE ON WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AS YOUR BUCKETS, AND HOW YOU ARE GOING TO PHYSICALLY SET THEM UP 4) Calendar - Where the good stuff happens...

Episode 35 -  The first episode in a series of 3 where I share with you my trusted system for managing my activities. In this episode we work out how to define what's important to you, so you can make the rest of the system work really well. This is an interactive episode - you will need some paper, and a pen if you want to work this out for yourself. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Time Management doesn't work - you can't manage time! Why we can only ever do one thing Stop trying to manage the time, and start managing what you pay attention to You don't need to feel anxious any more about what you haven't done You can apply this to work, home, family or life in general No apps in these episodes (almost) Steve in the Field makes a brief appearance - and of course a poor choice! Why you need a filter to decide on what's important to YOU The four levels which will help you decide importance: Level 1 - What's the point or purpose Level 2 - What are the different areas Level 3 - What is the stuff - the detail Level 4 - What should I do right now Whatever you're reviewing, start at Level 1) The point or purpose Job - What is the point or purpose of your job? Why does that role exist? Some answers could be: To grow a business, to make people's lives better, to pay the bills! Vocation - What is the point or purpose of the vocation? Where is the value of that vocation to society? Some answers could be: To make society better, to remove suffering, to help disadvantaged people Parent - What is the point or purpose of being a parent? How would you define aims which might be bigger than you? Some answers could be: To prepare children to be great adults, to help children learn to make a contribution, to ensure children feel loved and secure NOW COME UP WITH 2/3 'PURPOSES' THAT APPLY TO YOU! Then it's time to look at Level 2) What are the different areas? Job - What are the broad areas you focus on in your job? Some answers could be: Marketing, Sales, Developing People, Recruitment, Customer Engagement, Networking Home Maintenance - What are the areas you look after or need to plan for? Some answers could be: Gardening, Decorating, Housework, Plumbing NOW COME UP WITH 10-20 'AREAS' THAT YOU FOCUS ON OR WORK IN APPLICABLE TO WHAT YOU'RE REVIEWING Now it's time to look at Level 3) The detail, the stuff, all the tasks you get involved in Job - What are all of the tasks and activities you work on, everything you can do with your hands, arms, legs, brain, mouth - physical things you can do Some answers could be: Meetings, presentations, complaints, producing reports, appraisals, interviews, phone calls, writing reports, raising invoices, creative activities Parent - what is the stuff that fills your day? Some answers could be: School runs, parent/school meetings, making lunch, homework, bedtime stories, dealing with accidents, cleaning. NOW COME UP WITH THE ENTIRE LIST OF ACTIVITIES AND TASKS YOU GET INVOLVED IN. THERE'S LIKELY TO BE LOADS SO TAKE SOME TIME OVER THIS. RE-VISIT THE LIST A FEW TIMES. THERE'LL BE STUFF YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN! Lisa and Steve had a bit of a chat at this point to see how she got on NOW! Put your Level 3 list (Activities) to one side, you'll need it for next week Grab your list for Level 1 - think really carefully are you happy about your 2/3 things you've got for Level 1 ? Grab your list for Level 2 - the areas of focus. Look at them, consider them against level 1 purpose, ask yourself this question - which ones are most likely to positively support Level 1 stuff? What are 3-6 areas of focus which more than any others support Level 1 ? Put a star by the side of the 3-6 areas of focus you’ve chosen Then rewrite each one an ACTION starting with a verb like 'grow, build, sell, develop, gain,

Episode 34 -  We start a series of episodes on managing your time and priorities even better. This time, we're looking at a simple way of reducing the amount on your plate in the first place: Saying 'No'. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Who Evette Huntley Flindt  was Why we're interested in her first born son What he says about choices - his video is here Why it's sometimes easier to say 'YES' Kenny Nguyen CEO of Big Fish Presentations and why he thinks we should consider 'NO' His video about it from the TED stage An article by Kristin Wong in the New York times - May 2017 on the subject Carl Richards also has a view in this article from 2016 Leo Babauta writes great things about goals, habits, simplifying and productivity His blog which has been listed by Time magazine in their best of top 25 blogs - Zen Habits  The article Leo wrote - The Gentle Art Of Saying No The headlines (but we really recommend you read the article) Value your time Know your priorities Practice saying no Don’t apologize Stop being nice Say no to your boss Pre-empting I'll get back to you Maybe later It’s not you, it’s me THE question you should ask every time: "Why should I say no?" As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it! One of the tracks featured in this episode was: S Strong - The Rover by S Stronghttps://soundcloud.com/s_strong Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/DhBCxKQPHiI

Episode 33 -  We go on a journey from modern day Manchester to 1980's Rome, and learn how you can solve YOUR procrastination problems. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Who on earth is Bradley Griffin Why is he in Starbucks? (The clue is that the episode is about procrastination) What that's got to do with 1980's Italy How a student there had some problems, and why it matters to you how he solved them The Pomodoro Technique An introduction video from Cirillo Company  The basic steps: Step 1 - Get the tools: a timer, a piece of paper, and a pencil Step 2 - Turn off distractions, and be clear on what piece of work you're going to do Step 3-  Set the timer for 25 minutes Step 4 - Start working, really focus, and just work. During the 25 minutes, if something comes up that could distract you, make a note of it on the piece of paper, and carry on working Step 5 - When the timer goes off, step away from your work Find out more from Cirillo Company on the technique What Lisa and I think about it The more advanced elements The original book - link to purchase the original is here A cool You Tube video by Francesco D'Alessio on aps you can use If I'm not somewhere that I can use a 'tomato timer', my go-to Pomodoro App is Tide As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 32 -  We solve the problem of getting stuck and not seeing things through to the end. The answer is not only simple, but can give you the best of both worlds. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: What happens in our heads when we get stuck on things An article from Inc.com which refers to a Princeton Study Why it's the same as making a choice between 'cake now' or 'broccoli later' How this may explain why we get distracted and don't finish stuff The 3 SHARP solutions: 1) Giving yourself rewards with intention 155 ways to reward yourself - the article is here 2) Social Accountability Getting outside of your comfort zone by being accountable to others A good article by Do The Things with some ideas Joining a Mastermind Group - here's some resource Finding a coach Meet Up where you can join like-minded people Apps to improve your fitness regime Fitbit - you can join up with friends to compare activity Strava - where you can compare runs or cycle routes with others Pumpup - where you can track progress, post your success, and get a coach 3) Gamification Why the gaming industry is so huge How the quality of games can help us with 'work' stuff Yu-Kai Chou's talk on what gamification is How you're already doing 'gamification' even if you don't realise it Why we need to stop thinking about 'work' and 'play' differently - according to Janaki Kumar A great article from Trello featuring: Using 2 dice and a bit of paper to reward yourself A 'gamified' version of Social Accountability to punish your pal! We talked earlier before SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: but this is a gamified version called WILL YOU PUNISH YOUR BUDDY? Using Apps to take gamification further if you want to Yu-Kai's useful article on the top 10 gamified productivity apps - including: Super Better Todoist Karma - which ranks your performance on to-doist Epic Win Habitica As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!