Podcasts about pomodoro method

With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   In This Episode:   Running a shop can feel like juggling flaming squirrels – I totally get it!    In this episode of The Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I'm sharing a powerful training from the Retailer's Inner Circle library to help you focus, prioritize, and actually get things done (without the late nights and endless to-do lists). If distractions and squirrel-brain are wreaking havoc on your retail business, listen up. This one's for all of the busy retailers out there trying to get things DONE!   Takeaways for Independent Retailers:   How to protect your personal time as a retail CEO The power of setting non-negotiables for work-life balance What a CEO Date is – and why it will change your week The difference between results and goals: what are the three “cross-offable” things you need to do today? How to use the Pomodoro Method to beat distractions: You'll be shocked by how much you can get done in 25 minutes! 4 D's to simplify your to-do list: Do, Delete, Delegate, Defer Why batching tasks and working away from the shop floor matters How small group support boosts momentum and accountability   Need more? Join me and our supportive community of retailers in my Retailer's Inner Circle! There is so much to love about the Inner Circle: access to countless masterclasses on everything from inventory management to money matters, a supportive community of like-minded retailers to bounce ideas off of, a monthly playbook to track your progress and help you plan your events and promotions, and so much more. Check it out HERE.   Not ready to join but want to purchase the stand-alone Foot Traffic Made Simple masterclass? You can purchase it on demand HERE.   Related podcasts we think you'll like:  Episode 33: The CEO Date: A Non-Negotiable Habit is Key to Creative CEO Success Episode 48: The 3 Biggest Time Wasters for Retailers and How to Avoid Them Episode 136: Annual Planning That Fills Your Life Buckets About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven't met yet, I'm Wendy, a small business coach and founder of the Retailer's Inner Circle, where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business.  Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a top-ranked podcast, I've helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dream and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, The Retailer's Inner Circle, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence.  I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers. When I'm not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I'd love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/    For more support from Wendy   Retailer's Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer's community Free resources for shop owners   Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG    All of Wendy's programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Subscribe & Review on iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, I'd love you to consider it. Subscribing means you won't miss an episode! Click here to subscribe to iTunes! If you want to be more of a rockstar, I'd love it if you could leave a review over on iTunes as well.  Those reviews help other retailers find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!

It's the 250th episode of The Pulp Writer Show! To celebrate this occasion, this episode takes a look at the expectations people have of a full-time writer's life and contrasts them with the reality. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Talons of the Sorcerer, Book #6 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: TALONS50 The coupon code is valid through May 27, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 250 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 2, 2025, and today we're looking at what it is really like to be a full-time writer. This is also the 250th episode of the podcast, so thank you all for listening to the podcast over these last six years. Before I started recording, I totaled up the total length of previous podcast episodes and came to about 78 hours, give or take. That's like three days of continuous talking, which sounds less impressive when you realize it was recorded over the last six years.   Thank you all for listening and here's hoping you can stick around with the next 250 episodes. Before we get to our main topic, which is the expectations versus reality of being a full-time writer, we are going to do Coupon of the Week, a progress update my current writing projects, and then Question of the Week. So let's kick off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Talons of the Sorcerer, Book Six in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store. That code is TALONS50. As always, you can get that coupon code and the links to my Payhip store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through May 27th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we have got you covered.   Now an update on my current writing projects. I am 60,000 words into Ghost in the Corruption, which puts me on chapter 13 of 21, so I'm about two thirds of the way through. I think the rough draft will be between 90-100,000 words long, so hopefully I can have that out before the end of May, if all goes well. I also just finished Chapter One of Shield of Power, which will be the final book of the Shield War series and that'll be my main project once Ghost in the Corruption is finished. I'm also 87,000 words into Stealth and Spells Online: The Final Quest, and that will be my main project once Shield of Power comes out. I expect Final Quest should come out pretty soon after Shield of Power just because I've been chipping away at it for so long and I'm getting close to the end.   In audiobook news, recording is almost done for Ghost in the Assembly and that'll be narrated by Hollis McCarthy. Recording is totally done for Shield of Deception (as narrated by Brad Wills) and that is working its way through processing at the various audiobook platforms, so hopefully we'll not be too much longer before we can get that to you.   00:02:26 Question of the Week So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects. And now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended to inspire enjoyable discussions of interesting topics. This week's question, what is your favorite Jonathan Moeller book? The reason for this question is that this is the 250th podcast episode, so it seems like a good topic for that particular milestone. And as you might expect, we had an array of different opinions.   Joachim says: You are kidding us! By the end of the week? How long did you think about your own answer? Let me mirror you: for my own answer, the question is a bit difficult because I spent money on all your books, which meant I thought all of them a good buy. So let me split my answer into male and female protagonists. The best female book was Ghost Exile: Omnibus One because it prompted me to continue with Ghost Exile and fill in the Ghost series later. The Ghosts Omnibus One and Ghost Exile: Omnibus One were my first two books from you. The best male book was the one with Jack March where Thunderbolt said, “males are ogling breasts which never existed”, especially as such AI generated videos are now all over the place on YouTube.   I have to admit that I first came up with the character of Thunderbolt back in early 2021 when I was working on Silent Order: Rust Hand (that was before the AI boom really took off), so she turned out to be a very prescient character for the AI era in a number of ways.   Joe B. says: That is a tough question as there are many contenders. I'm going to go with one that is a little different, Sevenfold Sword Online: Creation, but now known as Stealth and Spells Online: Creation.   Justin says: I nominate Soul of Swords, an excellent end to an excellent series.   Perry says: There can only be one! Demonsouled. Paul says: For me, I think my favorite female protagonist  book is Cloak Games: Truth Chain. Such a dramatic change to Nadia, sets up the series in her struggles with self and enemies so well.   Brad Wills (who as you know narrated the Frostborn, Dragonskull, Malison, and Shield War series for me) says: Does a three book arc count?  Excalibur, The Dragon Knight, and The Shadow Prison made for a fantastic lead-up and finale of the Frostborn series.   Hollis McCarthy (who as you know, narrated the Ghosts and Cloak Mage audiobooks) says: Ghost in the Storm, when Caina and Kylon meet in the Battle for Marsis. Nonstop action, incredible chase scenes, and a great intro to their combative relationship.   Fred says: It's hard for me to say which book is my favorite. All your book series were all great.   Juana says: Frostborn: Excalibur with Ridmark. I happen to love stories about Excalibur, odd but true. Caina in Cloak and Ghost: Rebel Cell because Caina and Nadia are an incendiary team. So there! Randy says: Frostborn: The Dragon Knight. This whole series is great, but that is one of the high points.   Dennis says: I couldn't name my favorite as I enjoy everything you write. I probably enjoyed the Frostborn series best at the time, but having bought and read every one of your books it's now impossible.   Kevin says: There's no way on earth that I could put one book above another, so I would've to take the coward's way out and say Frostborn: The Gray Knight simply because it has a book that drew me to the worlds of Jonathan Moeller back in the spring of 2017, since which time I have bought 117 of his books, including a few omnibus editions, so a few more actual books, I suppose. I avidly read them all as they're published these days, except the Silent Order series (just doesn't grab me and pull me in like the others). Jesse says: Cloak Games: Sky Hammer. Damaged Nadia at her best, epic action the whole way. And yeah, the chapter The Last Death of Nadia Moran was viscerally cinematic and probably the biggest emotional payoff you've written in my opinion, tied her entire journey together. In my head, I cast Castle-era Stana Katic as Nadia, and it worked better than I expected it might.   Morgan says: I can't narrow it down to just one. So top three in no particular order, Sevenfold Swords: Swordbearer, Dragontiarna: Gates, and Stealth and Spells Online: Leveling. That being said, I think Niara might be my favorite character of all your books I have read.   Jonathan T says: I too am torn though only between two books, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife and Frostborn: The Shadow Prison.   [Side note/addition from The Transcriptionist: My vote is for Half-Elven Thief!]   So thank you everyone for the kind words about all those books. For my own answer, the question is a bit difficult because I've written them all, which meant I thought all of them were good idea at the time. I suppose the glib answer would be the one that made me the most money, which was Frostborn: The Iron Tower, but it really depends on the category, like my favorite heist book, my favorite mystery book, my favorite dungeon crawl, my favorite first in series. So I think I'll go for the most basic level of categorization and split it up by male and female protagonists.   My favorite book of mine with a female protagonist would probably be Cloak Games: Rebel Fist, since it's such a turning point for Nadia and starts the trajectory of the rest of her character arc. It's the first time she really has to save the day instead of just trying to save herself and shows that her brother Russell can also handle himself, which as you know, comes up again later. My favorite book of mine with a male protagonist would probably be Dragontiarna: Defenders, since it has the Battle of Shadow Crown Hill, which was one of my favorite sequences to write. Four different characters have plans and they all crash into each other at the same time, which was a lot of fun to write and set up, which was a real highlight for me in 2020 because as we all know, 2020 was a fun year.   00:07:35 Main Topic of the Week: Writing Full Time: Expectations Versus Reality   So that is it for Question of the Week. Now let's move on to our main topic this week, writing full-time: expectations versus reality (admittedly from the perspective of a self-published author). If you spent any time around the writing community on the Internet at all, you know that many people dream of becoming a full-time writer, and sometimes people think that the only way to be successful as a writer is to write full-time. There are many expectations that people have about what it means to be a full-time writer. Now that I've been a full-time indie writer for nearly nine years at this point, I can provide some lived perspective. In this episode, I will talk about five of those expectations that people have about full-time writing and the way those expectations might be skewed.   So before we get to those, I should mention how I actually became a full-time writer. In 2016 (which seems like a really long time ago now), the Frostborn series was doing really well, and at the time I was also working full time and I realized that summer I was going to have to move for family reasons. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea of moving at first, but I decided to embrace the idea and try to make the best of it. This would involve moving a considerable distance to a different state and all the different problems that entails. So I thought about it and I thought I could look for a new job, but any job I would be qualified for in the area I was moving to would make less money than I was actually making from writing part-time. So I thought, why not try and make a go of full-time writing and see what happens?   Since that was nine years ago, I think I can safely say it's worked out pretty well. And I will say that it's been a pretty good experience and I am very fortunate and very grateful and very blessed to have been able to do this because not everyone has the opportunity to pursue a full-time creative job like I have been able to for these last nine years. That said, while it has been pretty great, it comes with a lot of flexibility and I've gotten to write a lot of great books that many people have enjoyed, it's not always all wine and roses, so to speak, which is part of the reason why I wanted to do this episode to let people more in what the reality of being a full-time writer for this long has been like. So with that introduction out of the way, let's move on to our five expectations versus reality.   Expectation #1: Full-time authors make a lot of money. The reality is that even full-time authors generally don't make that much money. A survey from The Author's Guild showed that the median amount that full-time authors make was just about $20,000, though full-time romance writers had a higher median income of about $37,000. Remember that this amount is before any health insurance costs, benefits, retirement contributions, and of course taxes that a traditional job might be able to provide or help with. In the United States, buying even fairly basic health insurance can easily be a thousand dollars per month for a family, and that doesn't include any costs related to deductibles, prescriptions, or additional dental or vision insurance. Authors are either on their own for healthcare in the US or have to rely on a spouse or partner's healthcare coverage. In other words, you either have to pony up a lot of money to buy your own health insurance or you have to rely on your spouse or partner's healthcare coverage.   And at least in the US, taxes are also much higher on the self-employed. Uncle Sam really does not like the self-employed. If you are self-employed, it is in your best interest to essentially form a small corporation and work for yourself (though for details on how to do that, you should consult with an accountant licensed to practice in your region). Now all these costs can add up pretty quickly, and they make the amount of money that you'll earn from writing much less than you think based on raw earnings before taxes and all the other expenses we were talking about. You also have business expenses like cover design, site hosting, editors, narrators, advertising, et cetera, that take even more pieces out of those earnings. You can duck some of those, but not all of them.   So it boils down to that you have to make a significant amount of money as an author to make an actual living after taxes, healthcare costs, and business expenses are taken out of your earnings, which is one of the reasons that writing part-time as you have a full-time job is not the worst idea in the world and can in fact be a very good idea.   Expectation #2: My next book will make as much or more than the last one did. The reality is that your next book or series might not make you as much money as the previous ones did. In fact, you can reliably predict that most book series will have a certain amount of reader drop off as a series goes on, which is why these days I tend to want to keep my series under nine to ten books or so. Budgeting based on your current income levels is not wise, especially with the current economic climate (which for a variety of reasons is very unpredictable) and with increased competition in the ebook market. Most authors have a peak at some point in their career. For example, Stephen King is still obviously making a great living as a writer putting out new books, but his new books don't sell nearly as well as the ones he put out in the ‘80s. J.K. Rowling's novels for adults (she writes as Robert Galbraith the Cormoran Strike series) don't sell anywhere near the number of copies as her Harry Potter series did at its peak.   For myself, my peak years in terms of writing income were 2016 and 2017, and I've never quite been able to recapture that level. In fact, in 2024, I only did about two thirds of what I did in 2017 (my peak year), which can be a little nerve wracking as you watch those numbers move up and down. That is why it is important for a writer (like many other creatives like actors) to anticipate that they might only have a limited window of peak success and to save aggressively rather than living large on the amount you're earning in that peak era. And I am pleased to report that I was fortunate enough and sensible enough to do that, so that even if my income has varied from year to year (2017 onward), it hasn't been a crippling loss and I haven't been out in the street or lost the house or anything like that.   Expectation #3: You will be happier if you write full-time. The reality is that is not true for everyone. Some people actually do better creatively and emotionally with the time restrictions placed on them by having a full-time job. Many famous writers, including Trollope and Kafka, kept their full-time jobs. Even Tolkien was never a full-time writer. He was a professor of philology until he retired. That was interesting to me because personally, I haven't had much in terms of emotional trouble being a full-time writer. I've always kind of had the ability to hyperfocus on a task, and I've been doing that for almost nine years now, and it's worked out well for me.   I've since realized that is not true for many people. One of the things that demonstrated it to me, believe it or not, was insurance actuarial tables. One thing that I tried to do after I became a full-time writer was try and get disability insurance in case I had an accident or severe illness and could not write anymore. I learned that it's extremely difficult for full-time writers to get disability insurance due to their high rates of substance abuse and mental illness. I was astonished by this because I've never had problems with substance abuse or mental illness myself, but given the number of writers and other creatives I've known who have had those issues, perhaps that's not that surprising, but I was still baffled to learn that.   For example, in my area there are a number of tree management companies (because it's a heavily wooded area) and it's a lot easier for an arborist who works with a chainsaw all day to get disability insurance than it is for a writer, which is somewhat crazy to think about because as a writer, I'm mostly sitting in a chair all day pressing buttons on a keyboard while an arborist is climbing a tree or in a crane with a chainsaw, which is a much more physically dangerous thing. But because of the rates of substance abuse and mental illness among full-time writers, apparently it is very difficult for full-time writers to get disability insurance. Some people struggle with the lack of structure and outward accountability that comes from being a full-time writer and find that actually decreases their productivity and leads them to fall into substance abuse or sink deeper into mental health problems. Very few people have the self-discipline and mental resilience required to be a full-time writer for years on end. And that's not me tooting my own horn so to speak, but apparently it is just the facts. Some writers even go back to full-time work just because they find it less stressful or better for their wellbeing. So I think this is an excellent example of having to know yourself and know what is best for you. For example, if you're a very extroverted person who enjoys talking to people at the office, becoming a full-time writer where you spend most of your time by yourself typing might not be the best for your long-term mental and physical health. Expectation #4: Writing full-time will make me more productive. The reality is having more time does not necessarily mean that you'll be more productive. Writers are notorious for falling prey to time wasters, such as social media scrolling, research spirals, and writing adjacent activities (of which there is a whole series about on this podcast already). It does take a lot of a self-discipline, focus, and determination to be a full-time writer. If you are a full-time writer, especially a full-time indie writer, you also have to balance writing time with various administrative tasks, marketing and ads, social media, fan correspondence, and the various tasks involved in the self-publishing process. Writing is not the only thing that writers actually do, and the other tasks often make finding time for writing more difficult than you might expect. Even traditionally published writers still have to carve out time for administrative work and assisting with marketing and social media work.   As your writing career scales up, so does the behind the scenes workload. This is true in my case. Up until 2023, I basically did everything myself, but I did have COVID pretty badly for a while in 2023 and it just knocked out my energy for a while and I realized that I can't keep trying to do everything by myself. I basically had a choice, either cut some tasks or get some help. So I have some people now, some contractors who help me with things like listening to audiobook proofs (I used to do that all myself), doing the podcast transcript, and Excel record keeping (which I used to do myself). While that is an expense, I don't regret it because it really has taken a lot off my plate and freed up more time for writing, which of course is the entire point.   Expectation #5: I admit this one made me laugh. I will have more free time as a full-time writer. I can attest firsthand that that is not true. What you have as a full-time writer is flexibility. The reality is, although there is flexibility on the job, the hours can be more than for a full-time job. There's a joke that full-time writers can work any 12 hours they want every day.   Most indie authors are putting out far more than one book a year in order to make a full-time income, and that requires a fairly demanding pace that most people don't have the self-discipline to maintain as a lifestyle for years and years on end. The majority of full-time writers right now are either romance or erotica writers who are putting out at least a book a month, sometimes even more. As I mentioned in an earlier point in the show, the administrative task can take far more time than most people would imagine. They could, depending on the circumstances, be easily 40 hours a week on their own before you have time to do a single word of writing on the page. I found you really have to guard your writing time well and find ways to keep administrative tasks, distractions, and necessary tasks such as home maintenance or childcare separate from writing.   Anyone who has ever worked from home is familiar with how difficult that can be because home comes with a wide set of distractions. Granted, that's often fewer distractions than the office, but home can have its own set of distractions. I've mentioned before that you need a bit of tunnel vision to produce the quantity of writing I do month after month. I do keep to a pretty rigid schedule. I have daily word count goals I always try to meet and I use the Pomodoro Method to make sure that I'm prioritizing my writing time.   If you are self-employed and working for yourself, that means there are no allocated vacation or sick days and no paid sick leave in the writing world. Taking a couple of weeks off usually means anticipating a loss in income, such as a month without a book being released. Sometimes, especially in the case of illness, family emergencies, and so forth, that just can't be helped. However, the long vacations people imagine writers being able to take mean either a loss of income or a couple of weeks beforehand of working extra hours to make up for it. For example, Brandon Sanderson, who is probably the most famous fantasy author right now, still works and writes on his vacations and does extra work before leaving for a vacation (such as pre-recording videos).   So as you can see, most of the expectations people have about what it's like to write full-time come from the hope that it will change their productivity or make it easier to write. In reality, if you manage your time well, you can often meet all your writing goals even while working another full-time job. Some people are even more productive under the time pressure of only having an hour or so available to write each day. You don't have to wait until you are a full-time writer for your writing career to start. I wrote for decades and published for years before I was a full-time writer.   Frankly, the idea that you need to be a full-time writer in order to be taken seriously or make money exists only in your own mind. Whether you are a full-time writer or not, what matters is having the discipline to shut out distractions and write with absolute consistency regardless of the circumstances. Even writing 250 to 300 words every single day can add up very quickly, even if you don't do it in 15 minute bursts like Anthony Trollope did.   Finally, I suppose this makes it sound like I'm painting a very bleak picture here, but I'm not. As I said before, I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do, and I'm very grateful to all my readers that I'm able to write full-time and even hire on contractors for narration and behind the scenes work. I appreciate and am very grateful to all the readers who have supported me by continuing to buy my work and access it through subscription services like Kindle Unlimited or Kobo Plus or library options like Libby and Hoopla.   So that is it for this week. I hope it provided some insight into what it's like to be a full-time writer. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show and all 250 episodes. I hope you found the show and all 250 episodes useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Alex talks through the science of procrastination, his own journey with it, and tools he uses to take charge of it.  — Show Notes: (0:00) A note from our sponsor (2:28) Welcome back to Founder's Journal (3:33) Why we procrastinate (5:23) Cognitive biases (6:28) Hyperbolic discounting (7:21) Temptation bundling (8:40) Social commitments (10:00) Conclusion — Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Gusto. Head to www.gusto.com/alex — Episode Links: • Cognitive Biases: https://foundersjournalpod.morningbrew.com/13-dangerous-psychological-biases/  • Pomodoro Method: https://foundersjournalpod.morningbrew.com/my-favorite-productivity-method/  Check Out Alex's Stuff: • storyarb - https://www.storyarb.com/ • growthpair - https://www.growthpair.com/ • CTA - https://www.creatortalentagency.co/ • X - https://x.com/businessbarista • Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lieberman/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grab a timer and get ready to say goodbye to procrastination. The Pomodoro Method is a data-backed way of getting stuff done. The time management technique is named after Francesco Cirillo. He was an Italian student in the 1980s who struggled with procrastination. Francisco had a tomato-shaped kitchen timer on his desk. Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato. He set it for 25 minutes and committed to focusing on his work until the timer went off. Then he took a five-minute break. Timing work and break intervals had a remarkable effect on his productivity and mood. And the Pomodoro Technique was born. It's easy to try and very effective with getting work, homework and even household chores done. It's easy to try and very effective with getting work, homework and even household chores done. On this Dying to Ask: How pomodoro intervals work Why this procrastination technique is effective What happened to Francisco Cirillo after he developed this time management method Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes CLICK HERE to listen on Stitcher CLICK HERE to listen on Spotify

Feeling overwhelmed by your endless to-do list? You're not alone — but what if you've been tackling it all wrong? In this episode of The Business Edit™ Podcast, we're diving into the Pomodoro Method — but not the way you've heard about it before. If you think Pomodoro is just about setting a timer for 25 minutes and cranking out as much work as possible, you might be missing the point (and the real productivity boost).In this episode, I break down how to actually use the Pomodoro Method to avoid burnout, stay focused, and create a rhythm of work and rest that fits your life — whether you're running a business, managing a household, or both.You'll learn how to adapt Pomodoro for longer, more creative tasks (hint: 25 minutes isn't always enough), how to stack Pomodoros effectively, and why the breaks — not the work sprints — might just be the most important part of this strategy. Plus, I'll walk you through planning active and passive breaks that actually recharge your energy and boost your focus — no more scrolling through Instagram and calling it a “break.”Tune into this episode to discover a new, more effective way to work — one that's flexible, realistic, and designed to help you stay productive without sacrificing your well-being. Hit play on The Business Edit™ Podcast now, and start simplifying your to-do list today!SHOW NOTES: jadeboyd.co/youre-doing-pomodoro-wrongLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:The Pomodoro Technique overview CONNECT WITH JADEWebsiteInstagramJoin My Email List LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS + PRODUCTIVITYOrganize your Business Digital CourseThe Business Edit™ Coaching ProgramFREE RESOURCESFREE Double your Profit While Working Less MasterclassFREE Task Batching WorkbookFREE Weekly Review ChecklistThe Business Minimalist Blueprint WorkbookThe Business Minimalist Podcast Archive

Stop Killing Your Time in 2025! | The Black Coffee Club Live ⏰

Economic growth requires labor productivity. We all aspire, in our own ways, to be productive, if only because our productivity is directly tied to our rewards. Yet American labor productivity has stagnated since the first decade of the internet coming to business. AI is now held out as the latest savior to productivity.Modern productivity culture is an outgrowth of optimization obsession. We can measure more than ever, so we gravitate to squeezing out incremental gains and sometimes lose sight of the direction we want to go. We chase productivity growth hacks like the Pomodoro Method and lean on apps like Notion. The quest for productivity has become a secular religion.This week, we discuss why we are constantly searching for productivity, our own approaches to productivity, why AI isn't the silver bullet, and why what we really need is better prioritization.Watch us on YouTubeTroy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletterBrian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletterAlex Schleifer's Human ComputerFollow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

In this week's episode, I take a look at what goes into writing 10,000 words of a rough draft in a single day. Coupon of the Week returns! This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book #1 in the Ghost Armor series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: SERPENT50 The coupon code is valid through January 24, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for the new year, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to episode 233 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is January 3, 2025, making this the first episode of 2025, and we are a quarter of the way through the 21st Century. Today we are looking into what goes into a 10,000 word writing day and how I managed to do ten 10,000 writing word days in 2024. We'll also do Coupon of the Week, an update on my current writing projects, and Question of the Week.   So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. As you might remember from last year, I did do Coupon of the Week for the blog last year, but I sort of fell off doing it in June and never got back around to it. But the new year is time for new endeavors, so we're doing Coupon of the Week again (hopefully in a more organized and sustainable way this time). So this week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book One in the Ghost Armor series, as excellent narrated by Hollis McCarthy at my Payhip store. The coupon code is SERPENT50, and that is SERPENT50 (all in caps). Again, that is SERPENT50. The coupon code is valid through January 24th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for the new year, we've got you covered. The coupon code and the store link will be in the show notes below. So that is this week's Coupon of the Week.   Now let's move on to my current writing projects. Every year for the past couple of years, I've published a short collection with all the short stories I published in the previous year, and I'm pleased to report that 2024: The complete Short Stories is available now and you can get it for $0.99 USD at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play Apple Books, Payhip, and Smashwords. It's only going to be 99 cents for the month of January, so now would be a good time to get that. I'm surprised how many people buy the anthology because I give away the short stories for free with all my newsletters throughout the year, but people have told me it's more convenient to have one bundle of the short stories that they just get for $0.99. So that's what we're going to do. You can get that for $0.99 through January 31st.   In writing progress, I am now currently 50,000 words into Shield of Deception, which puts me on chapter 12 of 31. So I think I'm between 35 and 40% of the way through the rough draft. It depends on how long the book's going to end up being, but I think it's going to be around 110 to 120,000 words. I'm also about 7,000 words into Ghost in the Assembly, and if all goes well, I'm hoping Shield of Deception will come out this month and Ghost in the Assembly will come out in February, but that may slip by a month because as I said, Shield of Deception is going to be a very long book.   In audiobook news, proofing is underway for Cloak of Masks, so I'm confident that will be out in January and that is excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. Leanne Woodward is currently recording Orc-Hoard, the fourth book in the Rivah Half-Elven series. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:03:06 Question of the Week   Now let's do Question of the Week, which is intended to inspire enjoyable discussions of interesting topics. This week's question: do you make New Year's Resolutions? No wrong answers, obviously. The inspiration for the question was the fact that I posted this on New Year's Day. I had a few responses to this. Mary says: No, I did do a few things getting cleaned up on the day and switched the calendars at midnight.   Bob says: Never have. I feel it's best to resolve problems as they occur.   Cheryl says: Not anymore. I never kept them, so I gave up making them.   Gary says: Not resolutions per se. It is a good time though, to take stock and evaluate whether I'm doing the things I should be doing to get where I would like to be.   Tracy says: Nope, roll the dice and go! LOL.   Jean says: I'm just good with making it through the year. Still intact, LOL.   I can't argue with that.   Venus says: The last resolution I made, many years ago, was to never make another New Year's Resolution.   For myself, no, I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. I suppose my writing goals for 2025 might qualify, but I have enough books that I essentially own a small publisher now, so it's just sensible to make good business goals for the year.   In my personal life, if I need to make some kind of change, I try to do it at once. The most successful personal changes I've made throughout my life usually tend to be in late spring or summer, not at New Year's Eve. What I actually did on New Year's Eve instead of making resolutions was eat mozzarella sticks, watch a movie, and play video games, which made for a pretty enjoyable New Year's Eve. I wonder if New Year's Resolutions are kind of a zombie cultural artifact since it seems like not too many people actually make them anymore, but that would be beyond the scope of this podcast episode.   00:04:51 Main Topic of the Week: Anatomy of a 10,000 Word Day (side note: all times are based on a 12 hour, not 24 hour clock)   Now let's move on to our main topic for the week, the anatomy of a 10,000 word day. On December 2nd, 2024, I wrote 10,000 words of Orc-Hoard in one day. It was my ninth 10,000 word day of 2024. A few people who are interested in writing asked about the logistics of it, like how did I actually pull it off, that kind of thing. That seems like a reasonable question since not too many people have 10,000 word days.   So let's discuss this a bit. I think for myself, the main two components of a 10,000 word day are one, I don't have anything else I absolutely have to do that day. Two, I don't have any unexpected interruptions that require time and attention. Since I had a grand total of ten 10,000 word days in 2024, you can see how rare these two circumstances are. If there are 365 days between January 1st and December 31st, then the conditions for a 10,000 word day only happen 2% of the time.   First, let's take a look at precisely what I actually did on December 2nd, 2024. I should note this is lightly censored to protect family details, but overall, it is accurate for my schedule on December 2nd. At 6:45 AM, I woke up. At 7:10, I made coffee, checked various accounts to make sure nothing got hacked overnight, checked and answered email, set up social media posts for the day, and wrote 250 words of Shield of Deception because that was my secondary project at the time. At 8:30, I proceeded to the gym and spent an hour exercising. At 9:30, I returned from the gym, showered, and cleaned up. At 9:45, I used the electric leaf blower to get some light snow off the sidewalk and porch. Thankfully, this did not take very long because if there had been enough snow that I would need to break out the shovel and the snow blower, then there wouldn't have been a 10,000 word day. At 10:00, I started writing and I did absolutely nothing else but write for the next several hours. At 12:00 PM I stopped for lunch, and at that point in the day I had written 2,700 words of Orc-Hoard so far. At 12:45, I finished lunch and returned to writing and did nothing else until 2:00. At 2:00, I made some coffee and paused to answer some texts and emails that had come in, and at that point I had written 5,100 words of Orc-Hoard for the day. At 2:20, I resumed writing, did nothing else but write for the next several hours, and by 4:45, I reached the 10,000 word mark of Orc-Hoard. At 5:00, I made dinner and cleaned up afterwards. At 6:00, I wrote another 250 words of Shield of Deception and I set up social media and blog posts for the next day. I answered a few emails and texts and I checked various ad platforms to see how they were performing. At 7:00, I stopped doing writing and work-related things for the day.   As you can see on December 2nd, I didn't have any unexpected interruptions that demanded attention, and I didn't have anything else that I had to do that day, which as I've mentioned before, is really rare. So I'm pleased that I made the most of it.   By contrast, let's look at the next day, December 3rd. I only wrote 6,500 words that day, which is still a good number, but I had numerous other things I had to do and there were several interruptions. I needed to email some people with tax questions. I needed to fill out a fair bit of paperwork for tax compliance related to those questions. I had to make several changes to my ads, and I also needed to go grocery shopping. Additionally, several people came to the front door and a couple of packages were delivered, and therefore I had to stop writing and go answer the door a bunch of times. Obviously, none of these things were bad or particularly onerous. Even the tax paperwork wasn't all that bad as these things go, but they still took up time and had to be done.   Additionally, interruptions are sometimes tricky because in all honesty, I'm not as mentally agile as I used to be when I was younger, and I have a harder time switching tasks abruptly. Like 14 years ago, I could go on my lunch break, slam out 2,000 words, and then go back to work without missing a beat. But that was 14 years ago/15 years ago now. Nowadays, I find it harder to get back to what I was doing before I was interrupted. So the fewer interruptions I have, whether planned or unplanned, the more I will write. When I say do nothing else but write for the next two hours, that is exactly what I meant. No internet browsing, no social media, no playing with my phone, no Photoshop, no checking one thing quickly, just a word processor and a lot of typing.   For those long stretches, I typically use what's called the Pomodoro Method, 25 minutes of uninterrupted activity followed by five minute break before doing it again. I used to check email during those five minute breaks, but that can quickly get out of control. So instead I started playing classic Super Mario Brothers on the Switch during those five minute breaks. That is different enough from writing that makes for a good mental reset and the game loads quickly so I don't waste my break time waiting for the game to load. Similar vintage platform games also make for good Pomodoro breaks. For the actual timer part, I just use the timer app on my phone since that's good enough for what I need it to do. I've had a couple days where I was at like 8,000 words by 3:30 PM and something came up, so then I powered through an extra 2,000 words at night. I try to avoid writing a lot at night because it's good to give the brain rest, but I will if I decide it's necessary. I should note that I've been a full-time writer for nearly a decade now, so that means I have the time to do a 10,000 word day when the circumstances are right, and indeed it's in my best interest to do so.   Back when I had a full-time job, I think I only had one 10,000 word day ever. I was snowed in on a Saturday and there was nothing else to do, so I wrote 10,000 words that day. I think it was for Frostborn: The Master Thief, if I remember right, specifically the part with the wyvern. But since I am now a full-time writer, obviously it is in everyone's best interest if I get as many words down as possible every day when I'm working on a rough draft. I should also note that I don't really think this kind of workflow, the one that I've been using for years, is mentally right for most people. If I'm really interested in something like writing, I focus on it to an intense degree that I think most people would find unsustainable and mentally unhealthy if they tried to do it. So if you're a writer and a 10,000 word day sounds unimaginable, I really don't think you should beat yourself up about it.   So that is how I do a 10,000 word day. Circumstances have to be just right, which is why it doesn't happen all that often, but it's probably for the best. A 10,000 word day is, I have to admit, a lot of mental effort, which is why I very rarely have them back to back.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.

Send us a textWelcome to Organizing with Ease! I'm your host, Diana Moll, and I'm excited to kick off our October Focus: Simplify, Streamline, and Succeed series. Over the next five weeks, we'll be exploring how to prepare your home and life for the upcoming holiday season—while keeping it simple and stress-free. In this episode, we're diving into the importance of simplifying your space before the holiday rush begins. We'll discuss practical tips to declutter and organize your home, making it a more enjoyable and peaceful environment for you and your loved ones.Why Simplifying Now Matters1.Mental Clarity: Clutter can significantly increase stress levels and decrease focus. According to a UCLA study, cluttered homes lead to higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. By starting your decluttering process early, you create mental and physical space to breathe.2.Making Room for What Matters: The holidays bring an influx of decor, guests, and gifts. Clearing out unnecessary items now ensures you have space for the things that truly matter.3.Setting the Tone for the Season: A well-organized home doesn't just help you now—it makes the entire holiday season smoother. You'll spend less time searching for things and more time enjoying your family, friends, and festivities.The Fresh Start Method™ and Creating Lasting HabitsWe discussed how the Fresh Start Method™ can help you declutter and organize your space effectively, forming habits that stick even during the busy holiday season. Here's a breakdown:1.Find & Sort: Identify areas in your home that need attention. Sort items into categories—Keep, Donate, and Discard—to set the foundation for a functional and holiday-ready space.Pro Tip: Use the Pomodoro Method by setting a timer for 25 minutes to focus on one area at a time. This helps prevent overwhelm and builds the habit of regular decluttering.2.Reduce & Evaluate: Let go of items that no longer serve you. Ask yourself:Do I love this item?Does it fit my lifestyle now?Will it add value during the holiday season?3.Systemize & Harmonize: Create simple systems to keep your space organized during the holidays, such as designated bins for holiday decor or a coat and shoe station in the entryway.Pro Tip: Label bins and use baskets to save time and energy in the long run.4.Sustain & Tidy: Spend just 10-15 minutes at the end of each day tidying up. This simple habit keeps everything in place and prevents clutter from building up again.Practical Decluttering Tips for the HolidaysGuest Rooms: Declutter and organize your guest room to create a welcoming space for visitors.Closets: Apply the 80/20 rule to your wardrobe—let go of items you haven't worn in a year.Kitchen & Pantry: Clear out expired items and organize your pantry to be ready for holiday cooking.Entryway & Living Room: Keep these high-traffic areas clutter-free and ready for holiday decor and gatherings.How to Use the Pomodoro Method for Lasting HabitsThe Pomodoro Method is perfect for building habits because it breaks tasks into manageable chunks Connect with Diana:Business email: Diana@dsdeclutrr.comOur Instagram: @dsdeclutrrOur Facebook: @dsdeclutrrOur Websites: dsdeclutrr.com

Did you know that adult women are the largest group being diagnosed with ADHD? Dr. Anna Burns shares her journey and how understanding ADHD can empower moms in business.   Join us as we discuss: How ADHD can impact your life as a mompreneur and the importance of understanding your brain's unique wiring The significance of self-compassion and grace in overcoming the challenges that come with ADHD The value of meal planning and pre-making decisions to lighten your load as a mompreneur  Tools and strategies that can help you prioritize your time, manage your energy, and create a fulfilling life that works for you   If you are a mompreneur dealing with ADHD or know someone who is, Dr. Burns provides valuable insights and practical tips to help you create a life that supports your brain and allows you to show up authentically in all areas of your life.   Connect With Anna: Website | Instagram   Don't forget to grab Anna's FREE resources, the Pomodoro Method download, and the Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning with ADHD: https://annaburnswellness.com/resources   About Dr. Anna: With over a decade of experience as a pelvic health physical therapist and a degree in psychology, Dr. Anna Burns, PT, DPT has combined her love of the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of living with ADHD into her 1:1 and group coaching programs. She provides strategies, tools, clarity, and accountability to help fellow ADHD moms, like herself, create a life that supports the ADHD brain so they can show up authentically in life with more energy, less overwhelm, and more self-compassion.   Be sure to follow this podcast to automatically receive new episodes: Apple | Spotify | Webpage   Connect With Martine: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram   Book A Free Clarity Call with Martine: https://calendly.com/martinewilliams/clarity-call   Check out my favorite books and items to make life and business a little more simple and a lot more fun!: http://www.shop.martinesfavoritethings.com    About Martine Williams: Martine is a life coach, public motivator, podcaster, author, and mompreneur who helps other mompreneurs win at work without losing themselves in the process. Martine brings her experience as a certified PDP Professional and life coach to coach entrepreneurs on how to illuminate their strengths, cultivate their confidence, and elevate their lives. She also loves inviting mompreneur guests on the show to share their perspectives and provide inspiration, success tips, life hacks, and skills for a burnout-proof life and business. This podcast is edited and produced by: Chris Assist Media

Real talk: I need an intervention around focusing IN on tasks, so we're trying out the Pomodoro Technique – a popular productivity method using a timer! Throughout September, I'll be trying this technique as a tool to focus, and I'll report back next month with what worked, what I learned. So, come along with me on the journey! Link to the timer mentioned! Read the blog: lifegoalsmag.com Connect with me on instagram: @itscoleylane Intro and outro music by Oleksii Holubiev from Pixabay

Send us a textIn the latest episode of the Business Life of Husband and Wife podcast, Episode 133, a Foundation Hour edition, Clint and Robyn dive into practical techniques that can enhance productivity and problem-solving in the business world. If you've been seeking ways to improve your workflow or better manage your team, this episode offers some valuable insights. Here's a breakdown of the concepts discussed and how you might apply them to your own business practices.Support the Show.Crushing 2025 | Pigeon Tree (square.site)Business Life of Husband and Wife – Information and advice for partners in business togetherBiz Life - Soft Cover | Pigeon Tree (square.site)Pre Order - Soft Cover | Pigeon Tree (square.site)

I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here...In this episode, I talk about:-Why traditional productivity tips don't always work. -Leveraging the '12 Week Year' for focused execution.-How to prioritize tasks that move the needle. -Avoiding burnout while staying productive. -Tools and apps that can streamline your workflow. Calendar, Pomodoro Method. Momentum Chrome App, Habit Bull App, Tiny Habits by Dr. BJ Fogg, and The 12-Week Year Book by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. Want to get my best productivity tools? Click here to download: https://goconfidentlyservices.myflodesk.com/productivitytoolsThis is an invitation to join a supportive community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are creating an impact in the world.A mastermind is a community of peers who exchange ideas, provide support, and offer sound advice for running a successful business.Join the Confident YOU Mastermind now at https://goconfidentlyservices.myflodesk.com/confidentyoumastermindSupport the Show.Other helpful resources for you: Learn more about my Confident You Mastermind Today! Here's your Guide to Starting A Podcast in 30 days, download yours today! For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you're looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a callto explore if you'd be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Thank you for listening to our podcast. Please Subscribe! Join our Facebook GroupInstagram, TikTok We love reviews! Please leave us a review.Contact us if you want to Launch, restart, or grow your podcast.

In the latest episode of our podcast focused on the developer journey, we explore the critical topic of good and bad habits that can significantly impact a software developer's career and overall productivity. As we're midway through the year, it's an opportune time to reflect on our practices and consider areas for improvement. The Power of Status Reporting Habits One of the most effective developer productivity habits is regular status reporting. This might seem tedious initially, but it offers substantial benefits over time. A daily stand-up routine, similar to Agile methodologies, can help you reflect on your progress and plan your day effectively. For instance, every morning, take a few minutes to answer these three questions: What did I accomplish yesterday? What am I working on today? Are there any blockers? Doing this creates a mini-retrospective that keeps you on track and provides a clear picture of your progress. This habit can be implemented using various tools, from old-school pencil and paper to modern apps like Evernote or Trello. Managing Your Task List Another critical developer productivity habit is managing your task list efficiently. It's essential to keep your list concise to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Try writing down no more than four critical tasks for the day. This can be done on an index card or a small piece of paper to limit the number of items you can list. For example, if your daily tasks include: Fixing a bug in the user authentication module Writing a new feature for the dashboard Reviewing code for a colleague Updating project documentation This focused approach ensures you tackle essential tasks without being distracted by less critical ones. Using this method, you can maintain a steady pace and avoid being busy without being productive. The Pomodoro Method Effective time management is crucial for maintaining productivity. One of the most recommended techniques is the Pomodoro Method. This involves working in short, focused bursts (typically 25 minutes), followed by a short break. For instance, set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a specific task without interruptions. Once the timer goes off, take a five-minute break to recharge. Repeat this process four times, and then take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This method helps prevent burnout and keeps you focused on your tasks. Taking Meaningful Breaks Taking breaks might seem counterproductive, but it's one of the best developer productivity habits you can adopt. Regular breaks can prevent mental fatigue and increase your efficiency. For example, step away from your desk during your lunch break and do something different. You could read a book, walk, or engage in a hobby. This change of pace can refresh your mind and improve your focus when you return to work. Continuous Learning Habits To stay relevant and improve your skills, make it a habit to learn something new every day. Spend 15-30 minutes daily learning new coding techniques, exploring new tools, or understanding new frameworks. For example, if you're a Java developer, you might spend some time learning about the latest updates in Java. Or, if you're interested in automation, you could explore tools like Selenium or Jenkins. This habit keeps your skills sharp and adds variety to your day, making your work more interesting. Establishing Good Work Routine Habits Finally, establishing a consistent work routine is crucial. Determine the hours when you are most productive and stick to that schedule. This helps create a rhythm and reduces the difficulty of deciding when to work each day. For example, if you are most productive in the morning, start your workday at 8 AM and take a lunch break around noon. Resume work in the afternoon and aim to finish by 5 PM. Consistency in your work hours helps maintain a work-life balance, preventing burnout and increasing productivity. The Power of Consistent Habits In conclusion, integrating these developer productivity habits into your daily routine can enhance your efficiency, stay organized, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. These habits improve your productivity and contribute to your overall job satisfaction. Start implementing these strategies today and see their difference in your developer journey. Feel free to share your thoughts and tell us about the habits that have impacted your career. What are some of the good or bad habits you've experienced? Your insights could help others in their journey to becoming better developers. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Productivity Habits To Start Your Day Right The 21-Day Habit Building Challenge 3 Habits For Every Day and a Happier Life Code Reviews – Build Habits And Best Practices The Developer Journey Videos – With Bonus Content

Another edition of Influence Podcast is here again! This podcast episode looks at a strategy for being productive at work which can change your way of carrying out your business activities – the Pomodoro Technique. Whether you already know it, sometimes employ it or are just hearing about it for the first time, there is a lot in this episode on how best to utilize your time. Episode Highlights: - What is the Pomodoro Technique? - Introduction to Pomodoro Method and its possible effect on productivity. - How I personally found success using this method. - Modern business practices and their concern with productivity. Key Takeaways: -The Pomodoro Technique can significantly enhance productivity and focus. -Setting clear, realistic goals each week helps manage workload and expectations. -Consistency and discipline in following the Pomodoro intervals lead to better work-life balance and overall efficiency. I encourage you to try the Pomodoro Technique and adapt it to your personal and professional routines. By following these strategies, you can improve your productivity and achieve more in less time. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with your network. Don't forget to subscribe to the Influence Podcast for more tips and strategies to grow your business. Make sure to subscribe to the Influence Podcast on your favorite platform and leave a review to let us know how we're doing. Follow Us: Instagram: ⁠@jakeadamdavey⁠ Facebook: ⁠Jake Adam Davey⁠ YouTube: ⁠Jake Adam Davey⁠ Music Credits: Island by MBB https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/Island-MBB

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ black belt and founder of “BJJ After 40,” Mike Bidwell. Mike joins the podcast to discuss his start in traditional martial arts, how stretching his hips improved the health of his knees, Mike's favorite stretch to improve hip flexibility, Mike's most important rule to follow before full rolling, how to “clear the calculator,” the importance of having Jiu-Jitsu as a release, the two critical questions to ask yourself in BJJ, how training evolves as you get older, the utilization of “Precovery,” active recovery, the "Pomodoro Method," how to build good habits, who inspired Mike's coaching, recovering from an injury, how Mike discovered BJJ, and the idea behind "BJJ After 40." To check out the full tournament schedule for The Chewjitsu Open head over to https://chewjitsu.nuwaycombat.com/ Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of your total purchase. Check out podcast exclusives including conversations with guests, Q&A sessions, and tons more at https://patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast  

Focusing can be hard - especially with all of today's distractions. In this solo episode, Will breaks down and provides you with several tools to pull you out of the weeds of distraction and distress. Related Episodes: Managing Overwhelm: https://pod.fo/e/176baa the Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself: https://pod.fo/e/16c4ed Optimal Hydration: https://pod.fo/e/117ec2 Time stamps: (00:01:13) Tools for focusing. (00:03:54) The importance of movement. (00:10:22) Emotions and human experience. (00:11:48) Controlling Emotions (00:16:25) Controlling thoughts, emotions, actions. (00:22:06) The BAMO breath. (00:26:36) Protecting Your Mind (00:29:42) The power of breathing. (00:33:07) The Pomodoro Method. (00:38:17) Meditation circle details. (00:41:10) Meditation retreats and mindfulness practices. Synopsis: Transform your mornings into a powerhouse of energy and intention with a simple, yet profound routine. Will reveals how combining physical movement, intentional breathwork, and meditation can elevate your focus and self-control to new heights. Imagine starting each day feeling calm, clear, and creatively charged!Begin with some stretching, yoga, or a quick workout to awaken your body. Then, harness the power of your breath with the BAMO (Breathe and Move On) technique to reset your mind, and dive into meditation to master your focus and emotions. These practices are your toolkit for navigating daily life with ease and mindfulness.Feeling overwhelmed? Try the STOP method: Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed with intention. This simple strategy can be a game-changer for managing stress and staying present.Boost your productivity further with the Pomodoro technique. Work in focused intervals, take short breaks, and watch your efficiency soar!Start small and build these habits gradually. You're not just improving your day; you're crafting a life filled with purpose and presence. Ready to embrace a routine that supports your well-being and sharpens your mind? The journey to a more intentional you begins now!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mentalkingmindfulness/message

In this week's episode, we take a look at tips & tricks for avoiding procrastination while writing. This week's coupon is for the ebook of DRAGONTIARNA OMNIBUS ONE, which you can get for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: WINTERDRAGON The coupon code is valid through March 2nd, 2024. So if you're looking for a very long fantasy book to read, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 187 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February the 8th, 2024 and today we are looking at tips and tricks to stop procrastinating so you can get your writing done. We'll also have Coupon of the Week, updates on my current writing projects, and a few questions and comments from readers. First off, let's have Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon is for the ebook of Dragontiarna Omnibus One, which you can get for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: WINTERDRAGON. That is WINTERDRAGON and that will also be in the show notes for this episode, along with the links. The coupon code is valid through March the 2nd, 2024. So if you're looking for a very long fantasy book to read, we have got you covered. Now for updates on my current writing projects. The rough draft of Sevenfold Sword Online: Leveling is done and I have made good progress on the editing. I am very confident (well, mostly confident) that I will be able to get the book out before the end of February. So watch my websites and listen to this podcast for future updates. I've also written a short story called Damage Per Second that is an accompaniment to the book and newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of the short story when Sevenfold Sword Online: Leveling comes out later this month. I am also on Chapter 2 of Ghost in the Veils, which I think puts me at 5,500 words or thereabouts and that will be my main project as soon as Sevenfold Sword Online: Leveling is done. I am also 25,000 words into Wizard Thief, which will be the sequel to Half-Elven Thief and that hopefully will come out before too much longer after Ghost in the Veils is done. In audiobook news, recording for Shield of Storms is underway. We've listened to some chapters of it and it's looking good, and hopefully that will be out in March sometime. Now a couple of comments and questions from readers. Our first comment is from Cyril, who asks: Have just read all the books in the Silent Order series. Could not put them down. The storylines followed from on from book to book and did not jump about all over the place, backwards and forwards like some of the writers do these days. Any more thoughts on sci-fi books in the future? Will try some of your other works but my main interest is sci-fi. Keep writing. Thanks, Cyril. I'm glad you like the books. In answer to your question, I am not presently planning any new science fiction books, but neither am I saying no to the possibility after I wrap up some of my current ongoing series. Maybe the next series will be a science fiction one. We will see when I get there. Our next question is from Alice who asks: Hi. I love your books but have dyslexia and so listen via audio. So I was wondering what of your books are in audio and what of them you have planned to have done an audio. I just hate starting the series to find out half of it is not in audio. Thanks, Alice. In answer to your question, the completed series that I have an audio would be Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, Dragonskull, Malison, The Ghosts, and Ghost Exile. All those series are complete. Some other ones are ongoing, but they are not complete yet and won't be complete yet for a while. So if you want to listen to completed audiobook series, the ones I just listed off are the best place to start. 00:03:32 Main Topic: Avoiding Procrastination Now let's go on to our main topic this week, which is something I've noticed many writers struggle with, not with just writing, but in many areas of life: procrastination. Why do people procrastinate when they should be writing? And what can we do about it? What can we do to address that? It's a very common, writerly trope that at last I will have two free hours available to write, so it's time to start vacuuming the carpet or to clean the kitchen or to do laundry or do anything except get the words down on paper or the word processor. So let's take a look at why writers procrastinate and what we can do to address those problems. So first off, we need to understand the root causes of procrastinating. Procrastination is generally a short term reward that doesn't feel like a reward. It should feel like you're giving yourself a break, but you're not actually removing the cause of the stress, so you're not actually solving the problem. What will actually make you feel better is the achievement of doing something, even if it's an incremental gain or a small improvement. So what causes people to seek out this short term break in the form of procrastination? One of them is our good old friend perfectionism, also known as the Nirvana Fallacy, where if something cannot be made perfect, there's no point in attempting it, which overlooks the fact (since it's a logical fallacy) that forty percent of a good thing is better than 0 percent of a good thing. Another way people tend to lean on the Nirvana Fallacy that way is if I can't write X number of words per day, there's no point in even doing it, whether that number is, you know 1,000 or 5,000 or whatever. But that overlooks the fact that you know 500 words or 3,000 words or even just 1,000 words or 100 words is still better than 0. Another root cause of procrastination is fear of failure, where people think they won't be able to finish a book or write a good book, so they should wait until they could or they can't market a book or make a billion dollars from one, so they shouldn't bother writing one (which again, is the Nirvana Fallacy right there) or the belief that everything you write is trash, so you just re-edit what you've written over and over again rather than writing new words. This is just something that has to be overcome emotionally. Every writer at any point of any project they've ever written will at some times feel that what they're writing is complete nonsense and they should stop. You just have to learn to ignore this feeling and keep moving. Another root cause of procrastination is the siren call of side quests or busywork, where you can get caught up in planning or outlining or creating series bibles or doing research for your book, or buying software or supplies without a clear plan to actually use them, or reading about writing, watching Tik Toks about writing. All these things give you the illusion of writing, but they don't actually get you anywhere. Some of those activities may be necessary and you may have to do them, but they are not helping you get words down on the page. For example, in a couple of weeks I'm going to have to take an entire day to get my tax paperwork organized and sent into the accountants for tax season. That's going to be a very busy day. That's going to be some work, but it doesn't count as writing and it is very easy to fall through the trap of seeing all these various side projects or support projects for writing as writing, but they're not actually getting any writing done. For this kind of thing to avoid it, it's best to set a clear time limit for these types of activities and do not count them as part of your writing time or writing progress. Now let's look at a couple of different strategies to address these root causes and to defeat them or at least circumvent them. One common tactic is to break down a large and complicated task into smaller pieces. Start with a very small word count that can be done quickly and feels easy like 50 or 100 words, not something larger. There's this book called Atomic Habits by a guy named James Clear that explains the process of breaking down goals into very small pieces and I've seen that strategy work very well for some people. So if you want further details on it, that book would probably be a good place to start. Another useful technique is to change your expectations, or just do it. For example, no editing as you write, no going back and trying to fix what you just wrote. Just get it all down on the page as fast as you can and when the rough draft is done, that's when you go back and edit. Some find the exercises of morning pages from the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron helpful, where you do three pages of stream of consciousness writing every day with no editing, no filtering, no self-criticism. Just get it on the page and then move on. It's also a very good idea to avoid writing adjacent activities during writing time, such as outlining or research or answering emails or social media. All those other various things that can be necessary but sometimes turn into a time sink. Another useful technique is to build a focused environment for your writing. Now, what does that mean? You may want to pick a spot with no physical distractions, such as a spot with no TV, definitely no video games, maybe a place where a lot of people don't walk by (like the spare bedroom in your house), or if you're writing at a university or in public, maybe like a library carrel or a quiet floor of the library away from the main floor. You also want a spot possibly that's away from clutter where you're not seeing other chores you have to do, like bills to pay or laundry to do or that kind of thing. For some people, being around ambient noise or being around other people does actually help them work. This is really not the case for me. I have written large quantities of all my books in coffee shops or doctor's waiting rooms or other waiting rooms, as I wait to pick people up or to meet people. But it's not something I seek out and I only do it when circumstances compel me to do it. I would rather be writing quietly at my desk with no one around. However, not everyone works that way, and some people actually do derive energy from being around other people who are working. So you could go to a busier area of the library, like a chair or table on the main floor or a coffee shop and write there along with many other people who derive enjoyment from doing that. One key part of building a focused environment is managing tech distractions. While writing, you may want to turn off the Wi-Fi because that reduces the temptation to just, you know, casually check something on Wikipedia and then get caught in a Wikipedia spiral for the next half hour. You may want to create a phone setting that allows calls or messages only from certain contacts to come through. Sometimes when people write they want to turn their phone off, but they don't because they're worried an emergency call from, you know, a friend or family member might come in. So there are options where you can configure your phone to only let messages from your contacts through while blocking you from getting on, you know, Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or TikTok or any of the other social media time sinks. There are a variety of different phone and browser modes that can be set to limit certain apps or sites or notifications and so forth, because phone addiction is definitely something people struggle with when procrastinating and writers are no different. Another method of battling procrastination is with routine and planned times for writing. It can be helpful to pick a specific time every day and stick to it. If you're going to do this, it's best if you pick a realistic time. Just don't decide right, I'm going to get up at 4:30 in the morning every day and write, because you're probably not going to if you're not already getting up at 4:30 in the morning anyway. If you try that, you'll probably get up at 4:30 once or twice, get too tired to continue, and that will be that. It's probably better to pick a different time in the day. Mornings and lunch breaks tend to work well for a lot of people, since people generally have less willpower as the day goes on and many people have very tiring jobs where they just want to get home, eat some dinner, and then watch some Netflix and go to bed. For myself, I used to write quite a bit on lunch breaks back in the day and that can be a very useful tool for getting some writing done. Time blocking or the Pomodoro Method can be very helpful. I use Pomodoro a lot when writing my books lately, pretty much since oh, like 2019 or so. The Pomodoro Method is where you set a timer and then you spend 25 minutes working on your task to the exclusion of everything else. You take a 5 minute break, then you do another 25 minutes of working on your task to the exclusion of all else with, you know, Wi-Fi off and everything, and then you take a 10 minute break and repeat until you are done or you run out of time and have to do something else. I have found Pomodoro to be very helpful, to the point where on my desk I have a dedicated tomato shaped timer because Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. If your brain works like mine, Pomodoro might be very helpful. Another useful way to avoid procrastination is accountability. You can find an accountability partner in a writers group or find a friend to text your daily word count to. Generally family members, spouses, and romantic partners tend not to work out terribly well as accountability partners for a variety of reasons, so you may be better off using a friend or someone from a dedicated writers group. Writing groups can be helpful. It depends very strongly on the nature of the group. Some of them are very helpful. Some of them have the typical toxic dynamics you often find in a dysfunctional small group, so if you feel a writing group is not right for you, there is no reason to stick around. But there's a variety of different ways you can find writing groups. Many of them meet online or on Facebook. And the final way to avoid procrastination is, if possible, make the task pleasant. Find an environment you enjoy writing in: comfortable, good lighting, comfortable chair, or a chair to enforce a good posture (if you prefer). Some people even set up a separate writing desktop in Windows 11 with its own special background and settings to make them more focused for writing and to remove the habit of, you know, just checking Facebook or Wikipedia or the news for a few minutes. It's often a good idea to pair writing with a task you enjoy, such as drinking coffee. If you have a walking desk or treadmill, you can very often walk slowly and write at the same time. Many people enjoy that and also it's good for physical health as well. If you do enjoy walking and you're willing to dictate, Kevin J. Anderson has an excellent book called On Being a Dictator where he describes his method of using dictation to get his writing done, where he'll take long walks near his house, dictate into a digital recorder, and later pay a transcriptionist is to transcribe it into a Word document so he can edit it. Finally, perhaps one of the most effective techniques for avoiding procrastination is bribery. We all know bribery makes the world go round, whether we admit it or not. Build in a reward, like for 10,000 words, you get a break. Or if you have a streak for X number of days, you can get a treat like new pens or a new notebook or a game or something like that. So it's often a good idea to build in rewards for tasks you might otherwise put off. So those are all our tips and tricks for avoiding procrastination, and I hope you will find them helpful. So that's it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful and a quick thanks to my transcriptionist, who helped me gather all the data for this episode. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

In the realm of mental health, the significance of structured daily routines for depression cannot be overstated. Kimberley Quinlan, an anxiety specialist with a focus on mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and self-compassion, emphasizes the transformative impact that Daily Routines for Depression can have on individuals grappling with this challenging condition. Depression, characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in once-enjoyable activities, affects every aspect of one's life. Quinlan stresses that while professional therapy and medication are fundamental in the treatment of depression, integrating specific daily routines into one's lifestyle can offer a complementary path toward recovery and mental wellness. THE POWER OF MORNING ROUTINES FOR DEPRESSION Starting the day with a purpose can set a positive tone for individuals battling depression. Quinlan recommends establishing a consistent wake-up time to combat common sleep disturbances associated with depression. Incorporating light physical activity, such as stretching or a gentle walk, can significantly boost mood. Mindfulness practices, including meditation, journaling, or gratitude exercises, can help foster a healthier relationship with one's thoughts and emotions. Additionally, a nutritious breakfast can provide the necessary energy to face the day, an essential component of "Daily Routines for Depression." DAYTIME ROUTINES FOR DEPRESSION Throughout the day, setting realistic goals and priorities can help maintain focus and motivation. Quinlan advocates for the inclusion of pleasurable activities within one's schedule to counteract the anhedonia often experienced in depression. Techniques like the Pomodoro Method can aid in managing tasks without becoming overwhelmed, breaking down activities into manageable segments with short breaks in between. Exposure to natural light and ensuring a balanced diet further contribute to improving mood and energy levels during the day. EVENING ROUTINES FOR DEPRESSION As the day draws to a close, engaging in a digital detox and indulging in relaxation techniques become crucial. Limiting screen time and investing time in hobbies or skills can provide a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Establishing a calming bedtime routine, including activities like reading or taking a bath, can enhance sleep quality, an essential factor in "Daily Routines for Depression." WEEKLY ACTIVITIES TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION Quinlan also highlights the importance of incorporating hobbies and community engagement into weekly routines. Finding a sense of belonging and purpose through social interactions and new skills can offer a much-needed respite from the isolating effects of depression. NAVIGATING TOUGH DAYS WITH COMPASSION Acknowledging that the journey through depression is fraught with ups and downs, Quinlan advises adopting a compassionate and simplified approach on particularly challenging days. Focusing on basic self-care and seeking support when needed can provide a foundation for resilience and recovery. In conclusion, Daily Routines for Depression are not just about managing symptoms but about rebuilding a life where mental wellness is prioritized. Through mindful planning and self-compassion, individuals can navigate the complexities of depression and move towards a more hopeful and fulfilling future. PODCAST TRANSCRIPT If you're living with depression today, we are going to go through some daily routines for your mental wellness.  Welcome. My name is Kimberley Quinlan. I'm an anxiety specialist. I talk all about mindfulness, CBT, self-compassion, and skills that you can use to help you with your mental wellness.  Let's talk about living with depression, specifically about daily routines that will set you up for success. My goal first is to really highlight the importance of routines. Routines are going to be the most important part of your depression recovery, besides, of course, seeing your therapist and talking with your doctor about medication.  This is the work that we do at home every day to set ourselves up for success, finding ways that we can manage our depression, overcome our depression by tweaking the way in which we live our daily life because the way we live our lives often will impact how severe our depression can get. There are some behaviors and actions that can very much exacerbate and worsen depression. And there are some behaviors and routines that can very much improve your depression. So, let's talk about them today. DEPRESSION SYMTPOMS Let's first just get really clear on depression and depression symptoms. Depression is a common and can be a very serious mental illness and medical condition that can completely negatively impact your life—the way you feel, the way you think, the way you act. It often includes persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness that can really impact the way you see yourself and your own identity. It often includes a lack of interest in pleasure in the activities that you once enjoyed.  Depression symptoms can vary from mild to very severe. They can include symptoms such as changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, loss of energy, excessive guilt, difficulty thinking or concentrating. Sometimes you can feel like you have this whole brain fog. And again, deep, overwhelming feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.  Now, it is important to recognize that depression is not just a temporary bout of sadness. It's a chronic condition. It's one that we can actually recover from, but it does require a long-term treatment plan, a commitment to taking care of yourself, including therapy and medication. So, please do speak to your medical professional and a mental health professional if you have severe depression or think you might have severe depression.  It can also include thoughts of wanting to die and not feeling like you want to live on this earth anymore. Again, if that's something that you're struggling with, please go to your local emergency room or immediately seek out professional mental health or medical health care.  It is so important that you do get professional help for depression because, again, depression can come down like a heavy cloud on our shoulders, and it tells a whole bunch of lies. We actually have a whole podcast episode about how depression is a big fat liar. And sometimes when you are under the spell of those lies, it's hard to believe that anything else might be true. So, it's very important that we take it seriously. And as we're here today to talk about, it's to create routines that help really nurture you and help you towards that recovery.  TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION Before we move into those routines, I want to quickly mention the treatment for depression. The best treatment for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy. Now there is often a heavy emphasis on mindfulness and self-compassion as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at both your thoughts and your behaviors. And it's important that we look at both because both can impact the way in which this disorder plays out.  If you don't have access to a mental healthcare professional, we also have an online course called Overcoming Depression. Overcoming Depression is an on-demand online course where I teach you the exact steps that I use with my clients to propel them into setting up their cognition so that they're healthy, their behaviors, so that they bring a sense of pleasure and motivation, and structure into their daily lives. And then we also very heavily emphasize self-compassion and that mindfulness piece, which is so important when it comes to managing highly depressive and hopeless thoughts. So, that's there if you want to go to CBTSchool.com/depression, or you could go to CBTSchool.com, and we have all the links right there.  DAILY ROUTINES FOR DEPRESSION All right, so let's talk about daily routines for depression. Research shows that, specifically for depression, finding a routine and a rhythm in your day can greatly improve the chances of your long-term recovery. And so, I really take time and slow down with my patients and talk to them about what routines are working and what routines are not. I'm not here to tell you or my patients, or my students how to live their lives and what to do specifically. I'm really interested at looking at what's working for you and what's not. Let's first start with morning routines.  What often very much helps—and maybe you already have this, but if not, this is something I want you to consider—is the importance of a consistent wake-up time. When you're depressed, as I mentioned before, a common depression symptom is sleep disturbance. Often, people lay awake all night and sleep all day, or they sleep all night and they sleep all day, and they're heavily overwhelmed with this sleepy exhaustion. It is really important when it comes to morning routines that you set a time to wake up every morning and you get up, even if it's for a little bit, if that's all you can handle. Try to set that really consistent wake-up time.  What I want to emphasize as we go through these routines for depression is I don't mind if you even do tiny baby steps. One thing you might want to start from all of the ideas I give you today, you might just want to pick one. And if that's all you can do, that is totally okay.  What we also want to do is we want to, if possible, engage in some kind of light movement, even stretching, to boost mood. There's a lot of routine, even just stretching or gentle walks outside. It doesn't have to be fast. It doesn't have to be for an hour. It could be for a quarter of a block to start with. But that light exercise has been shown to boost mood significantly. And then if you're able, maybe even to do that multiple times throughout the day.  Another morning routine that you may want to consider is some type of mindfulness practice. Again, we cover this in overcoming depression and with my patients in CBT, but some kind of mindfulness practice. It might be journaling, it could be a gratitude practice, it could be preferably some kind of meditation. Often, what I will encourage my clients to do is just listen to a guided meditation, even if you don't really follow along exactly. But you're just learning about these concepts. You're learning about the tools. You're getting curious about them if that's all you can do. Or if you want, you could even go more into reading a book about mindfulness, starting to learn about these ideas and concepts because they will, again, help you to have a better relationship with your thoughts and your feelings.  Another morning routine I want you to maybe consider here is to have some type of nutritious breakfast, something that supports your mental health. We want to keep an eye out for excessive sugar, not that there's anything wrong with sugar, but it can cause us to have another energy dump, and we want to have something that will improve our energy. With depression, usually, we don't have much energy at all. So, whatever tastes yummy, even if nothing feels yummy, but there's something that maybe slightly sounds good, have that. If it's something that you enjoy or have good memories about, or if it's anything at all, I'm happy just for you to eat anything at all if it's not something that you've been doing.  Let's now move over to work-day or daytime strategies or routines. The first thing I want you to consider here throughout the day is setting realistic daily goals and priorities. We have a course at CBT School called Optimum Time Management, and one of the core concepts of that course, which teaches people how to manage their time better, is we talk about first prioritizing what's most important.  If you have depression, believe it or not, one of the most important things you can do to prioritize in your daily schedule is pleasure. And I know when you have depression, sometimes nothing feels pleasurable. But it's so important that you prioritize and schedule your pleasure first. Where in the day can you make sure that you do something enjoyable, even if it's this enjoyable, even if nothing is enjoyable, but you used to find it enjoyable? We want to prioritize your self-care, prioritize your eating, having a shower, brushing your teeth. If nothing else gets done that day, that's okay. But we want to prioritize them depending on what's important to you.  Now, if you're someone who's depressed because you're so overwhelmed with everything that you have to do—again, we talk about this in the time management course—we want to really look at the day and look at the schedule and say, “Is this schedule nurturing a mental health benefit to me? Is it maybe time for me to reprioritize and take things off my schedule so I can get my mental health back up to the optimum level?”  I have had to do this so many times in the last few years, especially as I have suffered a chronic illness, really separate like an hour to really look at the calendar and say, “Are these things I'm doing actually helping me?” Sometimes I found I was doing things for the sake of doing them to check them off the list, but I was getting no mental benefit from them. No real value benefit from them either.  Another daytime strategy you can use is a technique or a tool called the Pomodoro Technique or the Pomodoro Method. This is where we set a timer for a very short period of time and we go and we do the goal and we focus on the thing for a short period of time. So, an example might be I might set a timer for 15 minutes, and all I'm going to do during that 15 minutes is write email. If 15 minutes is too much for you, let's say maybe you need to tidy up your dishes, you might set a timer for 45 seconds and just get done with what you can for 45 seconds and then take a short break. Then you set the timer again. All I have to do is 45 seconds or a minute and a half or three minutes or five minutes, whatever is right for you, and put your attention on just getting that short Pomodoro little bout done.  This can be very helpful to maintain focus. It can be very helpful to maintain the stress of that activity, especially if it's an activity that you're dreading. And so, do consider the Pomodoro technique. You can download free apps that have a Pomodoro timer that will set you in little increments. It was actually, first, I think, created for exercise. So, it sets it like 45 minutes on, 20 seconds off, 45 seconds on. And so, you can do that with whatever task you're trying to get done as well.  Another daytime routine I want you to consider is getting some kind of natural light or going outdoors. There is so much research to show that going outside, even if it's for three minutes, and taking in the green of the earth or the dirt under your feet, really getting in touch and grounding with some kind of nature, or being in the sunlight, can significantly improve mood. So, consider that as well. And again, I'm going to mention, make sure you eat lunch. Eat something that boosts your mood and boosts your energy levels.  Now let's talk about evening or wind-down routines for depression or practices. Now, number one, one of the things that we often do the most, which we really need to be better about, and this is me too, is doing some kind of digital detox in the evenings. Try your hardest to limit screen time before bed because we know screens before bed actually disturb our sleep. We also know that often we spend hours, hours of our day scrolling on social media. And even though that might feel pleasurable, it actually removes us from engaging in hobbies and things that actually make us feel good about ourselves.  One of the best ways to feel good about who you are and to feel accomplished is to be learning something or mastering something. I don't care if it's something that you're starting and you're terrible at. We have a lot of research that even moving and practicing a skill will improve and boost your mood so much more than an hour of sitting and watching funny TikTok videos.  Now, again, if all you want to do is that for right now, that's fine. Maybe spend five minutes doing some hobby or task—something that you enjoy or used to enjoy—that you feel like you're getting better at. Maybe you learn Spanish, you learn to crochet, you learn to knit, you do paint by number. It doesn't matter what it is. Just pick something and work at something besides looking at a screen, especially in the evenings.  Another evening routine I want you to consider is some kind of relaxation technique for depression—reading, take a bath, maybe do again some stretching or some light yoga, maybe dance to one song. Anything you can do to, again, move your body. Again, we have so much research to show that moving your body gently, especially in the evening, can help with mood.  Another thing here is to find a comfortable sleep routine and bedtime routine. So, if you can, again, go back to your scheduling, and if you're not good at this—we do have that online course for time management—create a nighttime routine that feels yummy in your bones. Maybe it's reading a book, a lovely warm blanket, the pillow you love, a scent—sometimes an oil diffuser would be lovely for you. Dim the lights, close the blinds, create a nice, warm, cozy nook where you can then ease into your sleep.  Overall, weekly activities and routines that you may want to consider for your mental wellness include again finding hobbies. It doesn't have to be grand. You don't have to sign up for a marathon. You don't have to become an amazing artist. You can just pick something that you suck at. That's okay.  I always tell my patients to do paint by number. It requires very little mental energy, but you do have this cool thing that you did at the end that you can gift somebody, or you can even scrap it at the end, it doesn't matter. Put it up on your wall—anything to get you out of your head and out of the mood piece—and really get into your body, moving your hands and thinking about focusing on other things.  One of the most important things that you can do to help boost mood and decrease depression is to find a community of like-minded people. The social interaction and improving and maintaining connections between people are going to be so important. In fact, in some countries, the treatment per se for depression, no matter how depressed somebody is, the community go and get them, bring them out, they have a party for them, they cook for them, they surround them, they dance with them. And that's how those communities and tribes help people get through depression. And we in our Western world have forgotten this beautiful, important piece of community and being a part of a big community family.  Now, if you have struggled with this and it's been difficult, I encourage you to reach out to support groups. There are so many ways—meet-up groups, local charities, volunteering, maybe finding again a hobby, but a place where you go and you're with other people, even just doing that. You don't have to spend a lot of time, but being around people. Even though when you're depressed, I know it doesn't feel like that's a helpful thing. We do know that it does connect those neural pathways in our brain and does help with the management and maintenance of depression recovery.  Now, what do we do, and how can we maintain these routines on the really tough days? When it comes to handling the tough days, I understand it can feel overwhelming. All of this can feel like so, so much. But what I'm going to encourage you to do is keep it really simple. Just doing your basic functioning is all that's required on those really tough days. It doesn't matter if you don't get all the things done on your list. Be compassionate, be gentle, encourage yourself, look at the things you did do instead of the things you didn't get to do, and also seek support. Reach out to your mental health professional or a support group or your medical doctor or family or a friend or a neighbor if you're really needing support.  There will be hard days. Depression is not linear. Recovery for depression is not linear. It's up and down. There will be hard days. So, be as gentle as you can. Keep it as simple and as basic as you can. Do one thing at a time. Try not to focus at the whole day and all the things you have to do. That's going to help you feel less overwhelmed and, again, help you get through one thing a day.  Let me do a quick recap. The importance of routine is huge. Routines are going to be probably one of the most important parts of your long-term recovery, besides, of course, treatment and medication. It will help you to get through the hard and stressful days and will also allow you to slowly make steps into the life that you want, and often, because we have depression, depression can take away the life that we want. So, that routine can help you slowly build up to the things that you want to do and get back to the life that you do really value.  I encourage you all to play around with this. Remember, look at the routine you have already, and maybe add one thing for now. Take what works for you, but if some of the things I mentioned today, don't leave them. Please don't feel judged or embarrassed if some of these aren't really working for you. We have to look at what works for us and be very gentle with ourselves with that as well. I hope this has been helpful. The routines have really saved me in my mental health. And so, I hope it helps you just as much as it's helped me.  Have a great day, and I'll see you guys next week.

Discover the power of "theme days" to streamline your focus and prioritize tasks. The Full Focus Planner has been my go-to for taking planning to a new level, assisting me in setting weekly goals and daily priorities. I'll introduce you to a simple yet effective phone box to eliminate distractions and underscore the importance of creating a conducive work environment.As we dive into work, explore the Pomodoro Method with a gravity-based timer that I find incredibly helpful for maintaining focus. I also recommend using blue blocker glasses to protect your eyes from exposure to screen. Lastly, I'll share how sticky notes work like magic, allowing me to jot down distractions without derailing my work.Join me on this journey to heightened productivity, and be sure not to miss the chance to access my business resources guide for links to these tools. Let's make this year our most productive one yet!Mentioned In The Episode:  Free Resources:Make Your FB Profile Profitable - https://shellyniehaus.ck.page/fbprofile The Business Power Hour - https://shellyniehaus.ck.page/businesspowerhourEmail Quickstart Guide - https://shellyniehaus.ck.page/emailguideWeekly Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://shellyniehaus.ck.page/prayercall Connect with Shelly Niehaus:Website: https://coaching.shellyniehaus.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/educated.empowered.inspiredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-niehaus-7680652/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shellyniehauscoaching

My journey began with a common misconception: multitasking as the pinnacle of productivity. Like many of you, I wore my ability to juggle tasks as a badge of honor. My days were a blur of back-to-back meetings, my inbox a never-ending stream of demands. I felt busy, indispensable even. But beneath that veneer of constant activity, I was struggling. Grant writing became a herculean task, and picking up new skills felt like wading through molasses. I was always tired, perpetually exhausted, and my concentration was in tatters. It wasn't until I delved deeper into the science of productivity that I understood the toll my lifestyle was taking on my mental well-being. The truth hit hard: our brains are not wired for multitasking. Each time I switched between tasks, I wasn't being efficient—I was depleting my prefrontal cortex, the very engine of concentration and decision-making.Breaking free from the multitasking trap wasn't easy. It required a fundamental shift in how I approached my work and life. I had to embrace mono-tasking, the art of dedicating my focus to one task at a time. The transition was challenging, but the clarity and efficiency that came with it were undeniable.I encourage you to take these insights and apply them to your own lives. Experiment with mono-tasking, embrace time blocking, and give the Pomodoro method a try. The path to productivity is personal and ever-evolving, but with intention and the right techniques, we can all achieve a more focused, fulfilling, and productive life.Get my BEST Resources herehttps://www.goconfidentlycoaching.com/quicklinksFind me on the Socials https://www.instagram.com/julie_deluccacollins/https://www.linkedin.com/in/goconfidentlyjulie/https://www.facebook.com/jdeluccahttps://www.tiktok.com/@juliedcbusinesscoachGet my book here: https://casadeconfidence.com/bookThis is an invitation to join a supportive community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are creating an impact in the world.A mastermind is a community of peers who exchange ideas, provide support, and offer sound advice for running a successful business.Join the Confident YOU Mastermind now at https://goconfidentlyservices.myflodesk.com/confidentyoumastermindSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast. Please Subscribe! Download my best resources here for FREE or Visit our website Join our Facebook GroupInstagram, TikTok We love reviews! Please leave us a review.Contact us if you want to Launch, restart, grow your podcast.

In this episode of the More Than Social podcast, we cover the crucial techniques of effective time management, a challenge many business owners and entrepreneurs struggle with. I highlight the personal challenges I have had when it comes to balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, and share my personal journey and methods used for efficient time management. We cover strategies like prioritizing tasks, setting strict boundaries, learning how to delegate, using productivity tools, and creating strategies that resonate with one's personal life and business goals to work smarter, not harder. The Challenges of Balancing Motherhood and EntrepreneurshipI share the struggles I have faced as a new mom and what I've learned in my first year of motherhood and running a business. Understanding Time ManagementWe break down what exactly time management is beyond what Google tells us it is. I teach you how to know what time management really means for you. The Importance of Effective Time ManagementEffective time management is that ticket for a smoother everyday life, and I teach you the secrets I have learned this last year. The Art of Prioritizing and Batching TasksA key aspect of gaining more time in your day is prioritizing and batching your tasks. I teach you the simple rule I've been following to help me gain more time in my day. Setting Boundaries and Delegating TasksAnother really simple move that helped me focus on my goals on a larger scale was setting some pretty strict boundaries. Boundaries and delegating tasks have been key in creating more time, and I will give you my secrets on how to do just that. Learning how to say noDo you struggle with saying 'no'? I used to also! In this episode, we talk about the importance and the power of saying no, and how it actually gives you more time back in your day. Creating SMART goalsAre you familiar with SMART goals? They're specific, they're measurable, they're achievable, they're relevant, and they have a time associated with it. I teach you the importance of having SMART goals and the urgency and purpose they serve to help you prioritize the things that you need to focus on. The Power of Automation and Productivity ToolsYou know how much I love automation and using it to be more productive and save time. We talk about some key tools to use to save more time. Embracing Your Unique Time Management StyleWe all have different time management styles, and we uncover exactly how to find yours. The power of over-communication Lastly, we talk about communication and the power of over-communicating -- whether it's your team, your family, or within yourself. We talk about:  [0:00] Intro [2:05] The Challenges of Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship [3:45] Understanding Time Management [5:25] The Importance of Effective Time Management [7:20] The Art of Prioritizing and Batching Tasks [8:45] Setting Boundaries and Delegating Tasks [11:05] Learning how to say no [12:50] Creating SMART goals [15:20] The Power of Automation and Productivity Tools [16:45] Embracing Your Unique Time Management Style [17:45] The power of over-communication Connect with me Website - https://lisaanne.ca  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/LisaAnneCoaching Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LisaAnneCoaching YouTube - http://www.YouTube.com/LisaAnneCoaching  LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/LisaAnneCoaching  

Nanowrimo starts tomorrow and if you're going to win, you've got to have a strategy. It's no small task to write an entire draft of a novel in thirty days! Luckily, in this bonus episode Valerie is here with three proven strategies that to help you do just that. You don't need to follow all three, just pick one that works and go for it. Good luck!For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleFor information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinarsTo learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.auFollow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francisFollow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Suppose you believed that the ecological/embodied cognitive scientists of last episode had a better grasp on cognition than does our habitual position that the brain is a computer, passively perceiving the environment, then directing the body to perform steps in calculated plans. If so, technical practices like test-driven design, refactoring in response to "code smells," and the early-this-century fad for physical 3x5 cards might make more sense. I explain how. I also sketch how people might use such ideas when designing their workplace and workflow. Books I drew uponAndy Clark, Being There: Putting Brain, Body, and World Together Again, 1997Alva Noë, Action in Perception, 2005Also mentionedGary Klein, Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, 1998I mentioned a session of the Simple Design and Test conference.The sociology book I contributed to: The Mangle in Practice: Science, Society, and Becoming, 2009, edited by Andrew Pickering and Keith Guzik. My chapter, "A Manglish Way of Working: Agile Software Development", is inexplicably available without a paywall.The MIT AI Lab Jargon FileI believe the original publication about CRC cards is Kent Beck and Ward Cunningham, "A laboratory for teaching object oriented thinking", 1989. I also believe the first book-type description was in Rebecca Wirfs-Brock et. al., Designing Object-Oriented Software, 1990. The idea of "flow" was first popularized in Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's 1990 Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. The idea of the hedgehog and the fox was popularized by Isaiah Berlin in his 1953 book The Hedgehog and the Fox (a wikipedia link).The original developer of the Pomodoro technique describes it here. There was a book about it, but Goodreads has been sufficiently enshittified that I can't find it. Perhaps you might be interested in Reduce PTSD and Depression Symptoms in 21 Days Using the Pomodoro Method instead? Because Goodreads prefers that.The Boy Who Cried World (wikipedia)CreditsI was helped by Steve Doubleday, Ron Jeffries, and Ted M. Young. I took the picture of Dawn in the tango close embrace.

Our brains are not capable of doing multiple cognitively demanding things at once which is why reducing multitasking will increase your productivity and motivation.In this episode Lauren breaks down the Pomodoro Method and how people from toddlers to adults can use it to build stamina around focus and sticking to one activity at a time.Try-at-home tip: Use music to regulate (use 80 beats per minute as a benchmark), check out Happy Hits playlists on SpotifyOn the Show:Five Ives WebsiteOther related resources from The Behavior Hub: Blog Posts: Ways to Neutralize or Gain Energy for AdultsRest and DigestHow Exercise Impacts Emotional RegulationPodcast Episodes:How to Get and Keep a Student's AttentionCalming and Coping StrategiesOur Online Courses: Stress and Trauma and the Brain, oh my!From Wild Emotions to Tamed Feelings: How to Self-RegulateDo you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744.Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.Check out our Facebook Group – Raising and Teaching Respectful Children The Behavior Hub websiteThe Behavior Hub blogAre you struggling with behaviors and not sure where to begin? Let me help!Schedule a free discovery call and let me be your Guide.As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

In case you missed it last year, we have rereleased the very popular episode in which Vicky Kennard discusses how students can best use the last few weeks before exams to maximise their chances of success. She highlights where students should be aiming to be at this stage and importantly, what to do if they're not there yet. Share this with every senior maths student, teacher and parent you know! ICE-EM Textbooks: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/ Neuroscience and education: https://www.youcubed.org/neuroscience-education-article/ Interleaving: https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-interleaving-foster-deeper-learning https://www.retrievalpractice.org/  Pomodoro Method: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

Get ready to supercharge your productivity and boost your energy levels with a game-changing technique on this episode of Couch to Active. We're diving into the Pomodoro Method, a free and remarkably effective strategy that can breathe new life into you daily. Join me as we unravel how it can help you regain focus, increase efficiency, and infuse your day with newfound vitality. Say goodbye to burnout and hello to a more energized you!  https://CouchToActive.com ABOUT THE HOST Lyn Lindbergh is the founder of Couch to Active, an online fitness studio that provides fully accessible group fitness and personal training to people who are blind and sighted. She is an award-winning author and host of the Health and Fitness Motivation podcast. Lyn is an educator. She holds a degree in Education and holds certifications as a Sports Nutrition Specialist, Weight Management Specialist, Aging Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor, and Group Fitness Instructor. Lyn lives with chronic illnesses fueling her compassion for what it takes to get moving when the body refuses to cooperate. She's a geeky-goofball, who smiles too much and takes her client's health and wellness seriously.

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is an annual event that provides an opportunity for homeschoolers to embark on a writing challenge that lasts all month. Whether it's a full novel, a poem a day, a sentence a day, or a graphic novel, our learners can leverage this event into something grand. Using time-based challenges Anyone can do just about anything for 30 days Enter Nanowrimo “National Novel Writing Month” September/October is Nano Prep Does Nanowrimo have to be about writing? What does that mean for children and younger writers? Give yourself space to recover Give yourself space to fail Can I continue this? Track your progress Support The Podcast If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast: https://homeschooltogether.gumroad.com/l/support Consider Leaving Us A Review If you have a quick moment please consider leaving a review on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeschool-together-podcast/id1526685583 Show Notes Short Bite - Using Reading Challenges - https://homeschooltogether.fireside.fm/328 NaNoWriMo - https://nanowrimo.org/ Youth NaNoWriMo - https://ywp.nanowrimo.org/ 750 Words - https://750words.com/ Write or Die - https://v2.writeordie.com/ Pomodoro Method - https://pomofocus.io/ Strides - https://www.stridesapp.com/ Nora Roberts Writing Day - https://fallintothestory.com/heres-how-i-work/ Stephen King on his work (careful some bad language) - https://youtu.be/xR7XMkjDGw0 Shut Up and Write - https://shutupwrite.com/ Connect with us Website: http://www.homeschool-together.com/ Store: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/homeschooltogether Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/homeschooltogetherpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/homeschooltogetherpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/hs_together The Gameschool Co-Op: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gameschoolcoop/ Email: homeschooltogetherpodcast@gmail.com

The Pomodoro method is a classic productivity tool. How can this listener—or anyone—use it when building their side hustle? Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week. Show notes: SideHustleSchool.com Email: team@sidehustleschool.com Be on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questions Connect on Twitter: @chrisguillebeau Connect on Instagram: @193countries Visit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.com If you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.

Are you looking for ways to increase your productivity? Tiffany has your back! She is sharing her personal strategies and tips for boosting productivity - from the Eisenhower Matrix to the Pomodoro Method and 'Eat the Frog' approach, learn how you can streamline your tasks and create a manageable workflow. Discover why taking breaks is important and learn how to delegate effectively. Transform your time management skills with these helpful tips! Have questions? Reach out to Tiffany on her website. Start achieving more today! Every Tuesday, Tiffany answers one of your submitted questions. To submit a question for an upcoming episode, visit here: https://www.moneytalkwitht.com/asktiffany Links & Resources Visit our site: https://moneytalkwitht.com Read more about Motion: https://moneytalkwitht.com/blog/motion-app-review/ Get Motion: https://moneytalkwitht.com/motion Focus Keeper App: https://focuskeeper.co/ How To Be Productive at Work with These 11 Best Tips

In episode 121 of the EVOLVE Podcast, Steve explores the power of binaural beats technology for improving mental health, brain function, and overall wellness. Binaural beats are auditory illusions created by presenting different frequencies to each ear, offering various benefits such as relaxation, focus, and enhanced sleep quality. Steve shares that he has been using binaural beats for over 20 years to induce relaxation, visualization, and creativity. Research studies have shown that Binaural beats can effectively reduce stress, anxiety levels, and improve cognitive abilities like focus, attention, and memory retention. Steve outlines a four-step process for using binaural beats to enhance mental performance, including utilizing the Pomodoro Method, staying hydrated, using a timer, and leveraging the Brain Wave app. Drawing from personal experience, Steve recommends using headphones and fully immersing oneself in the beats to achieve the desired state. He also suggests incorporating mantras and audio tracks to reprogram mindset and encourages listeners to consult with healthcare professionals, especially those with epilepsy or heart conditions, before using binaural beats. Furthermore, Steve emphasizes the importance of disruption and consistency in the process of personal evolution, with the podcast serving as a platform to help individuals become their best versions. He expresses gratitude to the listeners, urging them to follow the podcast on their favorite app and leave a rating to expand its reach. The episode is affiliated with Evolve coaching services, which offer support in personal development.   Follow Us! EVOLVE Insta: https://www.instagram.com/official_evolve_podcast/     Steve Cutler Insta: https://www.instagram.com/stevecutler_/ W Myles Reilly Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wmyles.reilly/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevecutler_ Web: https://www.evolve-cast.com   The EVOLVE Podcast is produced by Steve Cutler, all rights reserved. The mission of the EVOLVE Podcast is to empower people to disrupt their lives to EVOLVE their body, mind, soul and tribe. Steve Cutler helps people and organizations Evolve to higher levels. As a coach and consultant Steve has helped hundreds of people and businesses improve processes and protocols that have led to skyrocketing performance. With over 20 years in health, fitness, tech and entrepreneurial ventures Steve brings a strong background in operations, marketing, sales, and financial performance. Currently Steve runs EVOLVE, a lifestyle clothing, coaching and consulting business. Steve is the host of the EVOLVE Podcast, a podcast that disrupts peoples lives leading them to greater growth and evolution. #evolve #evolvepodcast #stevecutler #disrupt

It's time to stop normalizing organized chaos! There is no such thing. In this episode, your host Tareka Wheeler is helping to pull it together so you can increase your productivity and get organized at work. There is nothing worse than working hard and feeling like you didn't get anything done, or not being able to find that one file you need for hours because your desk is a mess. Tareka is providing you with strategies to help you be more productive and learn how to be a little more organized so you can move forward and upward in your career. Tune in if you're ready to get it together. EPISODE RESOURCES: - Time Management Tool - Forbes article on the Pomodoro Method and a Free Timer - Visit www.theprofessionaldnapodcast.com  - Schedule a Free Discovery Call! Let's talk about where you are and where you want to be in your career or business - Ask a Career Question! Have a career development or work-life harmony questions? Email Tareka at info@yourprofessionaldna.com and use the subject line "Career Question". - Learn More! Visit www.twstrategicsolutions.com to download free resources and explore her career development services at  Be sure to sign up for the Achiever Community email list to get weekly affirmations, career strategies, notifications about upcoming trainings, and so much more. Sign Up Today! Follow Tareka on social media: LinkedIn | Tareka Wheeler _PMP - linkedin.com/in/tareka-wheeler-pmp/ IG | @professional_dna - instagram.com/professional_dna/ FB | @ProfessionalDNA - facebook.com/ProfessionalDNA Twitter | @YourPDNA - twitter.com/YourPDNA --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pdnapodcast/message

Scott Miller is an Executive and Leadership Coach who focuses on Time Management. He's also the host of the Time-Task-Energy podcast. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about Scott's work coaching folks on time management with plenty of tips and insights along the way. We begin by hearing Scott's origins as a skydiving instructor and then a test prep coach. From there we learn how Scott flipped the script a bit by making time management the core focus of his coaching practice. How is procrastination like skydiving? What's the right way to experiment with techniques like eating the frog, bullet journaling, or the Pomodoro Method? And what exactly is the Paper Principle and why is it important in our tech-obsessed day and age? Listen in to find out about all of this and more. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on what's useful and emerging in the world of learning.

The biggest challenge most meditators face is finding enough time to practice -- and the Pomodoro Timer method is my favorite way to get around this. In this episode, I'll dive into the Pomodoro Timer method and show you how it can help you get more time to meditate. So if you're a meditator who always wishes you had more time for practice, listen now and download my free time tracking spreadsheet! Get the free spreadsheet and future video trainings: https://geni.us/pom4meditators Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DHxnTE11ADU My favorite Chrome extension timer: https://geni.us/K1p1 The Pomodoro Timer method is a great way to get more time for meditation because it helps you break down your day into manageable chunks. Essentially, the Pomodoro Timer method works like this: you work for 25 minutes and then take a five minute break. After four “pomodoros” (i.e. working for 25 minutes and then taking a five minute break), you take a longer break of 15 minutes. If you use even a few of these breaks to meditate, you'll easy get 20, 30 or more minutes back from your day to nourish your spirit. Using the Pomodoro Timer method also helps you refresh your mind and finish the workday less mentally fatigued. And you can reconnect with a positive motivation for your daily work tasks. May you and all beings be well. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buddhist-wisdom/message

In this week's bonus episode, Marissa and Joanne (the Happy Writer Social Media Captain and writer of several middle grade books) chat about the topic they most frequently get asked about from authors and aspiring authors: how to be more productive. In this conversation Marissa and Joanne share their best tips on how to be a productive writer, maximize time management, maintain joy in the process, tackle big goals, find the perfect work/life balance, and more.  Some of the methods/suggestions discussed:Alphasmart: https://hackaday.com/2020/11/05/alphasmart-neo-teardown-this-is-the-way-to-write-without-distractions/The Pomodoro Method: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/the-pomodoro-technique-is-it-right-for-you.html NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ Write or Die: https://v2.writeordie.com/ The Ivy Lee Method: https://medium.com/the-ascent/the-ivy-lee-method-a-profoundly-simple-yet-effective-way-to-get-more-out-of-your-to-do-list-71dea851e3cBooks discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

3 hrs of 30 x 5 min Pomodoro. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jen-lynn/support

In this episode, Risa Williams interviews Andrew Lawston, an author and translator of multiple books, and they talk about how to increase your productivity by taking scheduled digital breaks, mapping out tasks by the best time to do them, and using timed sprints.  They also discuss how to provide accountability to yourself by tracking your goals each week over a long stretch of time.Tools discussed: Pomodoro Method, Timed Sprints, and The Task Intensity Meter, Phone Time-Outs, and The Music Motivator from The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit.Other Episodes Mentioned: Brain Boost - Music, Episode 12.Host: Risa Williams,(risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).Guest: Andrew Lawston, (www.amazon.com/Andrew-Lawston/e/B007RCMTPS).Support the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

In this episode, I share the resistance I had to disclosing that I have ADHD.Last year, the theme in our alumni membership for the stuck to unstoppable program was Time Management.I had asked all of our alumni to track everything they do in a day.  It had been a while since I had done this activity, so of course I did it with them. When I looked at what I had done in a day, my initial feeling was SHAME. Here is a link to that blog post: https://www.writethedamndissertation.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-wife-mom-business-owner-with-addI had SO MUCH resistance around sharing it. So I started journaling and asking myself WHERE this resistance is coming from. I found an article that was writing by Sharon Saline, Psy.D. and I felt so seen.  I was able to make sense out of the resistance because my main driving thought was, "I'm a hot mess who looks like she has it all together."But what I learned in that article, is that Perfectionism, Anxiety, and ADHD is COMMON.In today's episode I also share a menu of choices that help me develop my executive functioning skills and keep me on track to hitting my goals. Full disclosure: What works for me, may not work for you. ADHD is tricky that way.It's going to take self-kindness to find what works for you.1. Build Awareness... what do I need? Look at what's working, less attention to what's NOT working. This means that we have to pay attention to the things we actually do well or well enough. I keep post - it notes everywhere... I have power thoughts posted at all times. I'm my computer, on my planner. I've learned to CELEBRATE my wins.  At the end of the day... three things that went well, EVERYTHING counts.Accept mistakes as part of living and learningSet realistic goals and lower the expectations you have for yourself. If it doesn't feel doable, I have to break it DOWN Put the space to bed once I'm finished with it. (I make the bed the minute I get out of it, I clean up my work space before I leave it) - everything in it's PLACE.Keep TO DO LISTS together (I have shopping lists on my phone, to-do lists)Use habit stacking.. autopilot is GREAT Establish different days of the week/month/year to do thingsUse the Pomodoro Method. I started using the method when I was writing my dissertation, and I STILL USE IT to complete tasks throughout my day. because it structures tasks into short bursts of focus time. It also sets a time limit for work, which can help prevent hyperfocus on a specific task for too long.  Learning time management skills can also help improve executive function. Although your brain can process information during a lengthy task, research suggests maintaining sustained attention for too long can cause mental fatigue. This tiredness may lead to impaired cognitive function and possibly an increase in errors. However, extending task time might be a better option if it takes you more time to acclimate to the task and shift into focus mode. In this case, giving yourself a few extra minutes to transition before setting the timer might be more effective. Also, if you have ADHD, adhering to the timer can help prevent hyperfocus from hampering your ability to move on to other items on your to-do list.I build "rabbit hole" time into my day. I build in time to go learn about if cows have best friends, the new variation of tulip with the ruffles, how to turn a treehouse into an airbnb, or to learn everything I can about an artist I heard in the car on my spotify playlist this morning. (I shared some of my recent google searches)I'd LOVE to know if you have ADHD and are a high performing woman, what works for YOU. Join the discussion here: 

This week we're kicking off NaNoWriMo (Happy November) with a final bonus craft-minded episode. Grant and Brooke talk with thriller writer Andrea Bartz about her process—including the Pomodoro Method, creating fake deadlines, and writing discovery drafts. This is a perfect episode to GET YOU STARTED, which Andrea acknowledges is one of the hardest things a writer can do. This week's show is also a reminder about how much you already know about craft that you don't even know you know. Tune in to discover more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working for yourself is difficult. Working from home is difficult. Finally starting that big idea is difficult. Brad and LL discuss creating workday boundaries, giving yourself permission to be off, and using the Pomodoro Method for increased productivity.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co . And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How to switch off from "business thinking" after hoursSetting boundaries in your work day Give yourself permission to be offThe importance of bridging to create changeThe steps of the Pomodoro MethodEpisode References/Links:Learn about the Pomodoro Method!Get on the waitlist for retreats  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.Be It Till You See It Podcast SurveyUse this link to get your Toe Sox!ResourcesWatch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable PilatesSocial MediaInstagramFacebookLinkedInEpisode Transcript:Lesley Logan  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guests will bring Bold, Executable, Intrinsic and Targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co host in life, Brad and I are going to dig into the evolving convo I have with Lindy Nowak in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to interview, feel free to pause this now, go back and listen to that one and then come back and join us. And by the way, last time Brad and I did a recap. We realized that we actually kind of like introduce ourselves, or at least I'm only introduced at the very end. (Brad: Oh, yeah.) So hello, I'm Lesley Logan.Brad Crowell  And I'm Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan  And I don't really know how we changed that intro, but um, we'll think about it. (Brad: We will.) We'll consider it.Brad Crowell  It'll be and welcome back to the episode. And I'm Brad and I'm sitting across my lovely, Lesley Logan. (Lesley: That's right ...) It maybe will be like that. (Lesley: I don't know.) Y'all can vote. You just tell ... tell us if I should introduce us or if she should introduce ...Lesley Logan  Hey, it's my kind, it's kind of like ... We'll think about it. Well, it's it's the thought that counts. (Lesley laughs) Alright. (Brad: Thanks, babe.) So as you are listening to this, we are in Cambodia. We are at our house in Siem Reap Cambodia and hopefully on a water village tour. So we are totally recording this early but we're going to act like as we're happening now.Brad Crowell  Happening right now, this second. Lesley Logan  So we're just really super excited for to be in Cambodia, to be honest, like I'm jonesing for this and I have not had to actually make sure that my clothes fit in a check on on like on our carry on only bag in two and a half years. So, it's so also gonna be interesting (Brad: It's been since March 2020) Yeah. I've been ... (Brad: for you) because we'd been road tripping. So I'm like, load up the van. (Brad: Yeah.) But ...Brad Crowell  She's like, "I'll just put all my shoes in this other bag." (Lesley: I'm gonna take ...) That's a massive bag.Lesley Logan  Yeah, but I need all the tennis shoes because I can have them. It's gonna be fine. It's like an old hat. I'll figure it out. It'll feel really good. But if you are like, "I missed this one." You did. You totally missed this retreat. And so you should sign up for the waitlist because we will come one time next year on a retreat. And Brad is looking at that link.Brad Crowell  It's actually lesleylogan.co/retreats.Lesley Logan  Perfect. So I'm really, really excited about that. And I actually am still kind of coming off of the excitement of our in person business retreat. I just wanted to say a big shout out to some people. Thank you Mai for being an amazing speaker. Thank you Girl Squad for being an amazing photographer. Thank you to the Intelligent Change people who did this five minute journal, because you gave all of our retreaters, a five minute journal. Yeah, they did ... (Brad: Big shout out) big shout out. Also to Bronze Cafe for keeping us full with your amazing, amazing, amazing food, to Main Street Provision. I feel like I'm accepting an award but really I'm keeping (Brad laughs) that one. Saying all these thank yous and I just wanted to say that because we didn't have a chance before the retreat to actually do that, since we didn't have all of the goodness in our hands to shout out to those people. So big, big, big thank you. You did miss out on all the Profitable Pilates retreats if you were not at the two that we had this year. And (Brad: Ang guess what?) we're not having one in 2023 (Brad: True.) We're like making that a firm decision, even though I frickin love it so much. (Brad: And it's so good.) And I may do a 2.0 situation with the people who already came, but it might still have to be in early 2024. And we're ...Brad Crowell  And that was probably going to be invite only. (Lesley: It's going to be invite only. Yeah.) So you know, there's a there's an opportunity here to get on the waitlist. Here's the deal. Tell if you are interested in coming to Vegas to do a business retreat. You can tell us by getting on the waitlist for that profitablepilates.com/retreats. Plural. Okay, retreats, plural. That's how we'll know if you're interested in joining retreat with us here in Vegas. And right now we're looking at 2024. (Lesley: Yeah) So you know, it's gonna be a while but that's okay.Lesley Logan  Yeah, it's I mean okay. And you know what, you can still coach with us? (Brad: Yeah. Totally.) A lot of it's happening live just not in our house over at Agency, which is profitablepilates.com/agency. (Brad: That's right.) Anyways, (Brad: I love it.) we had an audience question to respond to.Brad Crowell  We totally did. It was a really great question. And I'm super glad we got this because this is actually something that Lesley and I struggled with, to be honest. (Lesley: Yeah.) How do you switch off from quote, unquote, "business thinking" is the main question and here's a little bit of background. I love being entrepreneurial and my approach to my business. I have my studio and office at home. And at times, I feel like I'm always working. I'm just always working. I'm juggling life at home, with my head occupied in my business most of the time. Does anybody else struggle with this? How do you shut off from your business in the evenings or during family time, or just on a lazy Sunday when your mind won't let you rest?Lesley Logan  I mean, this is amazing. It's one of our listeners of one of our agents members, he asked us and so when I gave her tips, I think I list out eight different ideas. (Brad: Wow) And I wrote, yeah, I did. I'll share them with you after you go first. But I will ... I was like, I was like, thinking things. I was like, sometimes I have to literally leave the house like, go shopping. Like I have to get out. I have to get away from everything. And that is when I've had the most laziest Saturdays. It's been when we're not here. And we're just like, doing things that people do in normal life like ... So I'm like, (Brad: Yeah.) "Wow, look how lazy I'm been." (Lesley laughs)Brad Crowell  Well, you've nailed it. Like, there's a couple, like the thing that I noticed, because I've been working from home. Since 2010, and on and off, but like it, that was the first time I ever did it. And the biggest struggle that I had was my, my apartment was small. So I only had one space, and that space was either, I'm working in there, but I'm also hanging out in there. I'm also eating in there. I'm also like, it was where I lived. So you know what ended up happening over time was, I was if I was in that space, my mind was in work mode. And so at night, I couldn't, I was always thinking about work. And when we moved years later, we moved to Vegas, the biggest thing for me was priority having an office, like have to have an office because it allowed me to dedicate a an environment like you were just talking about to when I'm in this room, I'm working, I'm intentionally working, this is not what I'm relaxing. I'm not watching TV in here, I'm not reading a book in here. This is me working. If I'm not in this room, meaning I go into the kitchen, maybe even for lunch, okay, I'm now at the kitchen table, I'm actually enjoying life, I'm watching a thing, or I'm listening to a pod, or I'm eating my lunch or whatever, and I'm not working. And so when you when you associate your work with a space, it will allow you to more easily quote unquote, "change hats." Right? No, you still have to be giving yourself permission. Okay, because ultimately, it's not like, you can't beat yourself up over this, like, "Oh, I'm thinking about work again." But really what it is, is giving yourself permission to, to not work. Okay. And that's the that's the thing, like as an entrepreneur, that's a really hard part.Lesley Logan  That's really great permission to not work.Brad Crowell  Yeah. (Lesley: Boom, right there.) Yeah. And I struggle with that, you know, like, we have a team, I feel obligated to make sure that the business is moving forward, we're always bringing in money, we can meet payroll, all those kinds of things. And when when I'm stressed, if I'm highly stressed, I, I really have a hard time not working. And my, my, my environment, it's even more important for me because, you know, I, it's unhealthy to just work, work, work, work work. And so it's really important to dedicate, focus and stress in one space. And then when I'm out of that, I have to like, actually go, "I'm just going to eat dinner now."Lesley Logan  Yeah, so agreed. And it's, you know, it also is hard if you both of you are entrepreneur, so it ... (Brad: Yeah, that's were we struggle.) If you are the only one who's entrepreneurial in your household, that's like actually kind of nice, because you just need to have to sit down with your family and like have a code word like banana. So when you start to work, and it's not a quick note to yourself, because you had an idea, because you will have ideas like that's the hard part, you will have ideas around. Like you'll see a billboard and you'll be off this thing, you'll go to a farmers market, like, "Oh, I love this logo. Oh, I could do this and have an idea." So you can quickly voice memo yourself or send yourself an email or something like that. But then if you kept going, if you start to write a whole blog post around what your idea was, then they show to go whatever the code word has just like snap you back out of it. And that's okay. Like you have to also give yourself it's going to be okay, like you said, not get mad at yourself, if you do start to think about work. The other thing is, is that there are so many apps today, so many apps today that will actually turn things off that you can't have access to. So I would the book is Indistractable by Nir Eyal. And he had a ton a ton of like different services that are out there that can like lock up certain apps on your phone, on your computer. So at certain times, you can't use them. Something that we had my assistant do is come over and get on my phone and literally set up different types of DNDs. So there is an apple it's like the focus mode. Right. So I have the hard Do Not Disturb which somehow Brad still can get through which sometimes you hear on the podcasts. Sorry lovesBrad Crowell  I'm waking it ... if you're watching on YouTube.Lesley Logan  He needs to go on a phone call, my tax ... it, I don't hear that. But I'm the, then we have I have a work one, which allows people on my team who have my phone number to get through to me, but no one else. And then there's like other ones you can have, right? So and those can actually be set to automations. So that you can actually, you don't think about it, the work one will come on at a certain time every day and at a certain time, to sleep on will come on a certain time and in a certain time. So like, you can actually have those in place. A couple other ideas, I actually have this few work apps on my phone as possible, I have to do social media for work. But those all those accounts are in one folder. And I don't have any red dots on any of them. So I'm not tempted to go check Facebook, on a non workday, I only check it when I'm working. (Brad: Yeah) So these are some other things you can do. And then and then I love that we can close the door to our office. I also love like closing my computer, there's certain things you can do this, if I'm no longer working, like maybe you need a sign like one of the girls on Agency that we coz she lived and worked in her same space is that she actually had an open and closed sign. So she flipped the sign open when she walked in because she's open for business. And then she would close it as like a physical thing. So it really is ...Brad Crowell  I know you also have like on your actual calendar, end of workday. (Lesley: You did say that.) You literally input in the your workday around 4:30 or 5 o'clock, whatever. Yeah.Lesley Logan  Yeah. I have that. I also have no like an app thing that comes up, no appointments. I have, all these things are in place to protect myself from myself.Brad Crowell  Right. Totally. And also, like when we take our evening walks. We used to like chit chat about business, the whole walk. And what we realized is we never actually leave time for ourselves to just be together and walk and listen to a pod or just talk or whatever. But as soon as it starts to be a brainstorming session, we try to put a pin in it and be like, "Hey, let's talk about that tomorrow." Because otherwise, you know, we could talk about business until you know next day ...Lesley Logan  Well also because not only do we have three businesses but also you coach 145 businesses. So it's like kind of easy to talk about business for anybody anytime but it's true I also bound leave my unless I'm walking the dogs alone. I leave my phone at the house. (Brad: Yeah.) And and that allows only your phone is with us and it's usually paying a podcast that we've decided we both want to listen to and we chitchat about the podcast. (Brad: Yeah.) That's it. So you know it takes practice. We're, it's not a perfect. I'm be real honest. We're not even close. But I do really think the some of it is like giving yourself permission to be off and also being kind to yourself when you're not. And then at whatever you can do to like almost create babysitting things or childproof locks for yourself until it becomes natural for you to just be off on your day off. Yeah, great question. You can send your questions into the @be_it_pod on Instagram. (Brad: Yes.) We love answering them, they can be about anything, they can be about business, they can be about life, dating, dogs. One of ours is snoring in the background. It's cool. Brad Crowell  Okay, now let's talk about Lindy Nowak. Lindy is an entrepreneur that left the New York City career path to begin her own website agency. She knows that each small business deserves a great website that properly meets client's needs, needs and as the founder and leader of upinaday.co. Lindy works to encompass patience and confidence in her business and team. Lesley Logan  I think she's so cool. I really, I really love her drive. I also loved she was so fucking vulnerable and authentic. (Brad: She was.) She was an open book about her struggles, her trials and everything and I love that because that's how we are and I it you cannot be it till you see it if you think that at all anyone is like slaying it overnight. No one is an overnight success. I promise you, I promise you. I dare you to show me someone who literally is an overnight success. What you're showing me is someone who finally got noticed after years of preparation, that meets opportunity period, (Brad: Yeah.) and so I just thought it was really cool.Brad Crowell  Years. (Lesley: Yeah.) Years. (Lesley: Year.) And I think that was great because she she had an expectation of you know, putting her services out there and then just like clients are coming woohoo, and you know now she said it's been two and a half years. And now it feels like they're busy and they have consistency and things are, are beginning to go down that path. But, you know, at first it was like, you know, she's got to fight and, you know, scratch and claw for every single client, like, it's because there's a lot of competition and stuff. And ...Lesley Logan  And I mean, also like, even the companies, even the coaches, even the businesses that you see out there that are like selling programs out there, not just turning on like, okay, everyone can sign up and it sells out. (Brad: Right) Like even us, we have to all year long be building relationships, be building that pipeline, be (Brad: Yeah) building that thing, so that when we do those things, it mostly fills up. And then we work really hard to get the rest. And so I just I just really love that she was so gonna vul... and share all of that, because so many of you have shared with me where you're at in your journey. (Brad: Sure) And it's important that you hear that even the people that you hear on this podcast, even the people that you see out there putting this beautiful social media together, they're working really hard. (Brad: Yeah.) ... they're working really hard. So anyway, one of the things I love that she said is the concept of bridging to create change in your life. You know, I love a good bridge. (Brad: Oh, yeah.) I love a good bridge, I am a great bridge. As at least what people say in the Pilates communities, like, "You're a great bridge." I am. So she talked to a couple of bullet points are creating a bridge between one project and the next, or one business in the next or between your full time job and the business you want to start. And she was talking about running her marketing thing, and then going into Up in a Day. I have bridged many, many times in (Brad: Yeah.) my life, and even including adding this podcast in, and there had to be a bridge to that. So (Brad: Sure), anytime and you're wanting to put something new into your life, there is going to have to be a bridge of time because you're going to have this ideal dream schedule where that thing exists in it. And then you have your current one. And then it's like what negotiations of your time and money to make room for the thing that I want to be the thing that I'm doing.Brad Crowell  Yeah, I mean, I think the idea of just simply, you know, quitting one thing and starting the next thing, the next day is not realistic. You know, it just never seems to happen that way. Typically, you have one foot in and one foot out. And then something happens. Usually you have to make the leap, take the leap, right. And you actually have to completely remove yourself from the first situation, usually, because you're stuck on getting a paycheck from somewhere and you fear that you're not going to be able to replace that income when you're starting the new thing, whatever the (Lesley: Yeah) new thing might be. And I mean, I I can attest to that. That was like, literally the reason why I stayed in the shittiest situation where it was so stressful all the time. And it was because I was getting paid well enough that it made me go, I don't know how I'm going to replace this income. So maybe I should stick around. And ultimately, you know, it was very stressful to do that.Lesley Logan  Well, we actually just talked about this one of our retreat girls, she has a job that pays her bills. (Brad: Yes.) And she doesn't want to do it. She wants to this other thing. But you know, one of the things that holding her back was health insurance. And I was like, "Can you just research how much health insurance costs? Like have you sat down?" And what if I think one of the suggestion was like, just get like a show up and like a show up job, like you show up, do the job and you fuck off, but you leave.Brad Crowell  Well, so so what the suggestion was, and this was brilliant. And I will happily share. This is Melissa Capitano's (Lesley: Amazing idea.) ... recommendation. And she said, she said, Okay, how much do you making it each month? Can you live on less than that? If you can live on less than that for multiple months? Put the rest of that money aside? So like, let's just say you're making 5000 a month. Can you live on three? If you can live on three stash that 2000, right. And she said, give yourself a number of months, until you've been able to put aside six months worth of $3,000. So in that scenario, if you're making five, and you're you're working, you're living on only three, you're saving $2,000 a month. So you would need if you have six months $18,000 set aside so we're actually looking at nine months of a bridge of like of a preparation. Right.Lesley Logan  But in the grand scheme of your life, nine months is nothing.Brad Crowell  Well, that would give you your six month runway, then hypothetically, you could quit cold your your full time job and start your new thing. (Lesley: Yeah) But you've been planning it for nine months. (Lesley: Yeah) Alternatively, the second suggestion that Melissa had was, what if you did that for only a couple months, put a little bit of money aside and then you left the full time job that's actually ca... capturing all of your brain. Because really, that's what it is. It's like you come home and you're fried because you've been working so hard mentally. You know that by the end of the night you just don't even want to think anymore so you don't have time, you don't have the mental energy to work on your thing. What if you could get a throw away job? Actually, I think this became like part of the conversation at that one.Yeah, ... Emily for the throw, she called them throw away job, or the, just show up job or the shut it down (Brad: Yeah) job.And typically, that would be in the service industry where you know, you're not necessarily making the decisions, you're just filling in, you know, so and you're probably not making what you need to make. But it's a, it's a short term income stream that you can keep for three and six months. It's the bridge, right. And that allows you maybe you have that couple $1,000 stashed, so for emergency stuff, but you have some of your income coming in. But really, what's happening is now, instead of working 40 to 60 hours a week, you're only working 40 hours a week at the most, and you're not mentally taxed at the end of the day. When you get out of your job, guess what, you're probably on fire to work on your side project, because you certainly don't want to work in this throwaway job forever, (Lesley: Yeah.) you know, whether whatever it might be. And like I said, typically in service industry, it might not be your your end doll, you know, goal. And every time you go in and work on that, it's going to be very real for you. Like, I don't want to be here forever. I better get my stuff together on my on my project, right. (Lesley: Yeah) So I thought that was a really helpful suggestion.Lesley Logan  And I love that she shared it because I because like, her thing is so cool. And they're so cool. And it can be as she tells her story. And this is not a site to her, we do this, everyone does this, you don't want to tell the whole journey and your story. Your story is like, I love this thing and I created this thing. And it's because the the bridge is actually like the middle. I know I'm really fucking loves the middle, like the middle is the middle. And so but I had to ask him like, "Well, did you just turn that off?" And the only thing I was trying to think of like, is there ever a scenario where somebody gets turned off and they only go on to the turn on and that is you get fired and you have a severance package to pay your fucking runway. That is the only time because all my friends who've been fired, didn't actually have the money to go right into their side hustle, they had to get a job (Brad: Yeah) to cover their bills. (Brad: Typically) So so yeah, sounds great. Anyways, what did you love?Brad Crowell  Well, what I loved was this idea of the Pomodoro method.Lesley Logan  I'm excited to see if you do this actually ... (Brad: So I've never ...) of your alley.Brad Crowell  It is not my alley. I've never heard of it before. And it's a productivity method. So what is it? It's a productivity method? What does that actually mean? It's Italian for tomato, I think that's funny. Pomodoro is tomato in Italian. Why would you do the Pomodoro method, it promotes sustained concentration. And it staves off mental fatigue. Okay, so if you are like me, you have far too much to do in one day, and you get burned out, and then you just stop. Right? So this method will help you sustain your concentration level and stave off mental fatigue. Who is it for? And I did a whole bunch of reading on this. (Lesley: And I'm seeing that.) I created a whole list on this. So who is it for? It's for people who find that small things derail your entire workday. Here's a great example of a small thing that derails your workday. You are working, working, working and notification comes along, it's a text message, bam, you're now no longer working. You're now on this text message. It is also for, like, email coming in or anything. If you're in a work environment, and people can interrupt you, that is the most incredibly distracting thing. Okay, second, if you feel like you're slogging through a project way past, when your brain is firing, well, then this Pomodoro method could be for you. Meaning if you're like, "Oh, my God, I have to write a 50 page paper so that I can get my master's degree. And I've been staring at a blank screen. And I just can't think." Right. Maybe you could use the Pomodoro method.Lesley Logan  Amy Ledin's kids use it there, they're homeschool. And she taught them the Pomodoro method. They all, she also taught them how to read like Jim Kwik does. And so (Brad: Crazy. I love that.) oh, it's so cool. But they get all their homework done. And they're not taxing them. They they're not cranky, and they love it. They're like they set a little timer up that it's so fun. It's really it's really easy to do once you know all the ways to do it.Brad Crowell  So that rolls right into the next, "Who is this for?" If you if you have lots of open ended work that could take an unlimited amount of time. For example, studying for an exam, making social media posts, writing blog posts, for me, it's checking my damn email, it just seems like it never ends. You know, like, if you have lots of open ended work that could take an unlimited amount of time. This could be for you, right? It's not like, okay, I have to load the laundry, there's a start and a stop. Now, there's like those ongoing projects, you could use this method. If you're like me, and I already said this and you have 50 things to do and you're pretty sure you're gonna get them all done in a day. But in reality, you never actually get any of that done. You get like three things done ... I always think I can get done more than I actually get done. Maybe this method will work for you. Lastly, notice I'm not saying that this method worked for me, maybe (Lesley: we are ...) I'm not avoiding this ...Lesley Logan  Here's what I, here's what I want to know this is, I'll hold you to this. Amanda helped me out here. I want Brad to try this out before his next solo episode (Brad laughs) so he can report back if he actually gets his ish done ... Because ...Brad Crowell  The gauntlet has been thrown. All right. The other thing is, if you love a good challenge or a game, you can gamify your work by using the Pomodoro method. I thought that was pretty cool. Okay, so the question is, how do you do it? Okay, so there's, there are a series of steps. I wrote down seven of them, you most people write down five, but I thought I'll break it out in a couple more easy steps. Step number one is to turn off all distractions and notifications off. No, nothing can distract you to be 100% (Lesley: hard DND) you have to be 100% able to focus. So nothing flashing on your screen. No phone, no flashing lights. People are not allowed to come into your office. If they do you punch him in the face. I told yeah, it's like hard punch in the face. No, don't do that. Okay ...Lesley Logan  My face for the listeners is like, like, this is the least violent person in the world. And he's like, punch them in the face.Brad Crowell  Step two, pick one task, okay, now, this is not a project. This is a task. This is a task that you can complete. Okay. And if it's not, if it's that ongoing thing, take a bite sized piece of the ongoing thing. Okay, I'm going to answer 15 emails. Okay. Next is, set a 25 minute timer. 25 minutes, okay. Then start that timer. Step four, focus on that task until your timer is up. Step five, take a five minute break. Step six, start another 25 minute timer. Right. Then a five minute break, then another 25 minute timer, then a five minute break. Okay, so you see the idea here. But (Lesley: That seven. every ... Yeah, the last step is you, you figure out three or four hours of these 30 minute blocks 25 working five minutes off, 25 working five minutes off, three or four hours at the max, then you get up, take a walk 15 minutes or 30 minutes, you actually take a legit break, that could be eating lunch that could be walking on the block that could be making the phone call to your folks that because it's somebody's birthday, whatever those things that like, get your mind back into a different mode where you're not concentrating on work. And then you could do a whole another round two of this, another three or four hour session. And then bam, you've now literally worked an eight hour workday. So that's the Pomodoro method.Lesley Logan  I'm so excited to see you do this. I love it.Brad Crowell  Yeah. I mean, you know, it's for me, I set aside time, I have a lot of meetings. So like, I will like when I have to actually get work done. Like, it will have to rearrange my schedule to be like, here's my three hour Pomodoro time of actual work. Don't bother me, no meetings or phone calls.Lesley Logan  But also, what if you just like sometimes you just have 25 minutes. So what if you just did the Pomodoro for 25 minutes? (Brad: Totally.) I mean, we use the timer ... the time cubes, we talked about before, but like, you know, I think that I think you should try it. (Brad: Yeah. I ...) That is me kindly asking you.Brad Crowell  This is me deciding myself being making the decision (Lesley: Y'all, I'm upholder ...) if I am going to do the Pomodoro method.Lesley Logan  If you all know Gretchen Rubin. I'm upholder, he's a rebel. I'm trying really hard not to make him do it because he fucking won't do it. But I'm really hoping that because he loves me so much. He'll try something (Lesley laughs)Brad Crowell  Yes. All of the things ... I'm not very easily guilted. SoLesley Logan  He's not. I still get my way. (Brad: I love it.) You're listening to a podcast that was definitely me getting my way.Brad Crowell  So that's the Pomodoro method everyone. All right. So finally, let's talk about those BE IT action items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Lindy Nowak? I'm gonna jump in. So she said right away, or she said actually last, she gave us three things. But one of them was the Pomodoro method. But she had already talked about that. She said, hey, write lists, get it out of your head, start your morning, or at the end of your day, with writing everything out that you need to do for that day or for the next day. So essentially, it needs to be on paper. If you're trying to juggle it in your brain, the list of things you have to do, you will not be able to focus. And I know this because I was like this. I could not focus because I was trying to remember all the stuff. Second I started writing things down and I could see it in front of me. Then I could not I could have I allowed myself not to worry that I was going to miss something because I could see it in front of me. Very, very straightforward. This is not like rocket science. But it's so funny how many of us try to remember our mental checklist in our head, get it out of your head onto paper.Lesley Logan  I can't even remember what I did this morning. So I gave up on remembering my task like, but I do love this. I write things out in the morning on my walk. And I rarely check it. But I like to get it out of my head.Brad Crowell  Well it's good. Like I said, the bigger picture there is not whether you check it, the bigger picture is there that you are you are setting yourself up to release it. (Lesley: Yeah) You don't have to worry about forgetting it because you wrote it down. (Lesley: Yeah) And that is that that worry. Like it's subconscious. You might not even realize you're worrying about your list. But you are genuinely mentally taxing, it is draining.Lesley Logan  Do you know what I think is? It's when you get mad at me for how many tabs, I have open on my phone, like I have all my apps open on my phone. And like, all these apps run in the background, so my phone is always dying, like the battery is always dying. And to the point that my husband doesn't really let me leave the house without actually taking the battery with me or he just I find my phone on a charger. And I didn't put it there. So but when you try to keep your list in your brain, you are literally draining your battery. So ...Brad Crowell  That's a great comparison.Lesley Logan  I thought so. I think I'm pretty good at this. (Brad: Sounds good. Sounds good.) Thank you. I think I'll keep this job. (Brad: What about you? What about you?) My biggest takeaway is be kind of yourself. Place yellow sticky notes with affirmations right your house. I love this. I love this. I mean, I tell myself amazing things all day long. As we all know, but but if you are not so good at that, which I didn't used to be one of the things I had done was actually set reminders on my phone to go off at random times of the day. And so sometimes things happen daily, sometimes things happened, like randomly on the week. And it was like we like 3:33 or whatever it's like a random time. And it would be say things that were a positive affirmation. So take a moment to do that. And then also get sticky notes. Brad and I used to leave ourselves, like leave ourselves, leave each other little sticky notes. And there's something really fun about that. We should bring that back.Brad Crowell  But I think so too. I forgot about that.Lesley Logan  Oh, we usually leave each notes every day, like on each other's coffee. I think right now I'm a little concerned about the white countertop. So leave me a note somewhere else. But, um, but I would, but literally look up positive affirmations like she said, like, just Google them. And then the ones that resonate with you, write them down. And if you don't like your handwriting, print them out and tape them around your house and random spots. They will surprise you. I know you think, "Oh, I'll see them." No, it'll surprise you all the time. Sometimes I look over my, "Oh I put it right there. It's so fun." So I really love this because y'all our life is already hard enough. You do not have to be harder on yourself (Brad: Yeah) than life already is. So please be kind to yourself. And, I'm Lesley Logan.Brad Crowell  And, I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan  Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening to the Be It podcast. We are so obsessed with you. I can't believe that this is episode 148. (Brad: It's crazy.) That means next episode we talk together 150. We didn't even celebrate that. You can watch this on YouTube, on the YouTube. (Brad: YouTubes) Yeah, you can.Brad Crowell  They should. Actually it's all fun.Lesley Logan  Yeah, I got great earrings on today. (Brad: Yeah) So I hope you do. And you can follow us on Instagram at the @be_it_pod. We're also on TikTok and slaying over there, (Brad: Yeah) by the way. (Brad: I love that.) So if you are a TikToker, you can follow us there. Leave your comments, leave your questions. That's how we answer them on the Be It, on the @be_it_pod and until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell  Bye for now. Lesley Logan  'Be It Till You See It' is a production of 'As The Crows Fly Media'. Brad Crowell  It's written produced, filmed and recorded by your host Lesley Logan and me, Brad Crowell. Our Associate Producer is Amanda Frattarelli. Lesley Logan  Kevin Perez at Disenyo handles all of our audio editing.Brad Crowell  Our theme music is by Ali at APEX Production Music. And our branding by designer and artist, Gianranco Cioffi. Lesley Logan  Special thanks to our designer Jaira Mandal for creating all of our visuals (which you can't see because this is a podcast) and our digital producer, Jay Pedroso for editing all videos each week so you can. Brad Crowell  And to Angelina Herico for transcribing each of our episodes so you can find them on our website. And, finally to Meridith Crowell for keeping us all on point and on time.Transcribed by https://otter.aiSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

An honest conversation with an entrepreneur who has began the journey of launching a web development company. Lindy shares her insight into the process that it takes to officially begin and the important tie between marketing yourself with your business.  If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co . And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:The journey through of starting something new How to get your name out thereLearn how to talk about yourself and your businessHow to teach people to trust your biz or productGrace through the evolutionDefining and using the Pomodoro Method for productivityTips for starting something new Episode References/Links:Learn about the Pomodoro Method!Up in a Day WebsiteUp in a Day on IGThe Power of Broke BookPurple Cow, Seth Godin  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.Be It Till You See It Podcast SurveyUse this link to get your Toe Sox!ResourcesWatch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable PilatesSocial MediaInstagramFacebookLinkedInEpisode Transcript:Lesley Logan  Hey, Be It babe. Okay, I am really excited about this. I did not know today's guests before, she's really like got on a Zoom call, like I really didn't and that's pretty rare for me, usually I have some relationship to them or through somebody else. And so I was like nervous, like a first date nervous. And I fell in love with this person. She is really incredible. And what I'm excited for you to hear her name is Lindy Nowak, she started Up in a Day. And I'm excited for you to hear is that first of all, she is vulnerable as fuck and like tells you, she's really just telling you her story. And I think that we all need to know what the behind the scenes. I know that social media makes everything look beautiful and pretty and perfect. And the reality is it that's that's what sells on social media. And also, I think I've said to you before, in another interview, when you're in the ish of it, it's pretty hard to make a post about that. You're like, "I'm busy trying to like spin all the plates. So I don't have time to make a post until I'm in celebration mode." But what I love that and Lindy, Lindy shares is like, she shares the hard times and she shares like the she shares where she's at right now. And she shared that journey. And she did with so much authenticity and honesty, and I'm just really thrilled. I'm really thrilled. She didn't sugarcoat anything, and not in a way that like it just makes it sound harsh, but just like, you can do this too. You can do this too. And I know it's so, so easy to to see other people and think, "Oh, that's great for them, but it won't happen for me." And I really truly hope that as you listen to Lindy and you listen to her story that you actually go, "Oh, this is so for me and I can totally do this and yes, it's gonna be hard and I'm gonna be kind and gracious to myself." And of course, those BE IT action items, you know, I friggin love them. There's a few of you I already know are going to take these and use them and so I can't wait to see your posts on Instagram. Make sure you tag @upinaday and make sure you tag the @be_it_pod so we can share what you're doing and share what's moving you and help you be it till you see it. Here's Lindy.Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guests will bring Bold, Executable, Intrinsic and Targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.All right, Be It babes. I'm really excited. I have a badass woman for you all to listen to. And I find that when I am working on doing a new project, doing new things I really need examples of people who've done that to like almost be like a spirit animal or a spirit guide, sort of compass because it can feel like you're the only person doing it. So Lindy Nowak, thank you for being here. Can you share everyone with who you are and what you're up to?Lindy Nowak  Sure. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. So I am the founder of a website company called Up in a Day. And we are two years young and I started it because previously I had a Digital Marketing firm. And we're doing a lot of branding a lot of 360 campaigns for big clients. But what was happening is we were getting a lot of entrepreneurs or new businesses coming to us and saying, "Look, I've had this website. I'm not happy with it, we're not found on Google, the messaging is off, or it's half done or I've spent $10,000. And I don't know, I don't even know who built it anymore. And it's so old." And it was really heartbreaking actually. And I just didn't have it in our margins to help these people quickly, because they obviously were coming to us in a panic, they needed a great website fixed or redone and on a budget. So eventually, I was like, "Yeah, there has got to be a better way for these entrepreneurs to get a website their business deserves." And that's how Up in a Day was born. I have always wanted to ...Lesley Logan  I think that is really cool. I'm so sorry, I'm interrupting you. Because (Lindy: No, it's okay.) I want to just like, highlight here, it's like, same, like we meet a lot of people who either they spend too much money on the wrong thing so they somebody sells them on, like some $15,000 website that has supposedly, like gonna be optimized for Google. First of all, they should all be optimized for Google, this is not a thing anymore. Like, (Lindy: Yeah.) that's how they're all built. (Lindy and Lesley laughs) They're all (Lindy: I love it.) they're all built like that now. Okay. So like, if you go to Squarespace, it's going to be built for Google ... (Lindy: Exactly.) Right. So, so don't let them put that as a price tag on there. And then also, like, they often don't know how to work the site. So then every time they want to make something different, any changes, and then the person who put the copy in there, it's just like, some standard, like boring words that don't actually resonate with anybody. And then they because they're the I person with the idea. They don't know what they're supposed to do. So then they're screwed, because they just spent their last dollar all their savings have this amazing idea. That is heartbreaking. And I, I understand that.Lindy Nowak  Oh, it happens so often. And it is heartbreaking. When I started the company, I was like, "Okay, what are the real real problems that these people are currently having? Like, what have they gone through that we can completely change and fix." So that speed, so they don't have to wait weeks and months? It's getting on Google. So we partner with Squarespace. It's ... and do all their SEO. So all the nuts and bolts are ready to go. And then what happens after it's built out? What if they just want to make like minor adjustments, and they don't know how, and they don't want to wait weeks for further web developer to make it. So another cool thing about Squarespace and why we use it is because we'll send everybody with a video showing them exactly how to make updates, billing all that stuff, and the backend of their site so that they have true ownership of their websites. I just feel like, you know, like in a day, in a day of Instagram, social media in general, we're always scrolling, we're skimming, we're going fast. The things we want Amazon, we want it now. And we want it quick, which is, you know, for better for worse. We're just starting to really become that culture, in society, in Western society where everything is at our fingertips. So yeah, so I guess I interupted.Lesley Logan  Yeah. So people like have, people have to move faster. And it is true. Like, it can be so scary when you're not someone who consider yourself tech savvy, but your business has to be online. And then you have to make these changes. I love that you're, I love what you've created because there is absolutely people who want to just pay someone to do it for them. And that is a different level of person. But when you're brand new at the business, at your business, I personally don't believe in throwing money at a problem because you actually don't know if it solves itself. If the money solved it, like you don't know these things. And there's actually an amazing book called The Power of Broke like, most most companies start off with, like, very little money. So you have to really do your research, you have to really figure out how to listen to people, and then solve that problem. When you when you don't, when you don't have the problem of having no money for your business. You're like, "This is the idea I want to do and I'm just gonna roll with it." So I wonder though, like, what with so you were working for another company and you were doing all this stuff? And they were having these issues and then you started you're own? Was that something that like came easy for you? Was it scary for you to like, start up with something new like, and also how'd you get people to hear that you exist?Lindy Nowak  Oh, my gosh. I, okay, let me preface this by saying I had many sleepless nights, but it was so worth it. I actually spent 15 years in corporate, I was working in New York City. And actually the when I then I moved to Miami where I'm at now. And the digital marketing company was like was mine but it was like all referrals. We never had to go reach an audience because that we had big clients from New York City that were referring others to us. So you know, it was like, you know, when I started it, I was like, I thought by starting a website company that was built for millions and millions of people who are struggling for their online for a great online presence, we were just going to get customers coming at us left and right. And we're going to reach everyone's going to know about us. And it's going to be amazing where I'm going to make so much money. And it's going to be so fulfilling. Oh, you I may, I remember the first month I started it first, it took six months just to develop the business model. And the processes because the whole point was like to make my life easy as well, like very turnkey, very solution oriented, very streamline. And to have it very transactional, so that was a lot of work. So that's where the sleepless nights came in.Lesley Logan  Six months. I want to just like that, like six months, y'all, I think it's really easy even if you just tuned in the beginning, you're like, "Oh, she went from that to this. And now she's got this great thing." Six months just to get it to where the processes would allow you to actually help the people who wanted to help and the number of people you wanted to help, and a price point they could afford, but also at a price point that would allow you to have a business, not a charity, which is really hard to do. And yes, they don't just come rolling in even if you've amazing SEO, they don't come rolling in because the Field of Dreams will told us a lie in the 80s. Like, if you build it, they don't come you have to build it and then talk about it all the freakin time to the right people.Lindy Nowak  Oh my gosh, that is one of I remember I was in, I was lucky enough that one of my good friends started her own PR firm. And so we get (Lesley: Oh, my God. Amazing.) to trade oh, I got so lucky. So anyway, she got me this really great interview on medium.com. And that was one of the things that I I said is like, you know, when you are starting a company, it's all about getting out of your comfort zone and talking about what you're doing to everybody. And I wasn't like I was very much an introvert at the time, I even had to have a coach that taught me how to talk about the business, to be confident, to to be short and concise about exactly what we offer and who it's for. Because as a business owner, we're always kind of like blob like around. Like, we don't get to the point of exactly what we're offering and the solution we're offering. It's always like, and then we do this and then we do that. No, no, no. So ...Lesley Logan  Yeah, people are like, I got so many words. And I didn't hear my name in there. And I didn't hear my problem. So (Lindy: Right.) I'm not even listening anymore.Lindy Nowak  Yeah, yeah exactly. And I had to learn how to talk about myself, as a woman, business owner, as an entrepreneur, but really talk about the business and what's going on, because it's all about exposure. And I didn't start up in a day with like a ton of savings or anything like I was just still on my own with a digital marketing firm. And so I was I've been you know, I started as a bootstrapping, if you will. And it's I, the one lesson I learned, one of the many lessons I learned is that you can't just like go all in with high expectation of sales. It's actually a slow game, especially when it's a service industry. And you have a company that even though you are very unique in your niche, and you offer something that nobody else does, that there are million other web agencies out there that are also vying for customer attention. And so it is a long game, and you just have to be patient, but you have to be confident and know your worth. Know that if you're going to succeed, that you have to be patient with yourself and be kind to yourself. I had to learn the hard way with that, too, when I was mentioning that had sleepless nights, because I put so much pressure on myself to like, perform and to have this million dollar company. But even then we're not even there yet. And ...Lesley Logan  Well, and also like I think we look at businesses, even women owned businesses that are being you know, getting getting more and more attention. And we like, "Oh my God, these multimillion dollar business, these women built these things." And then you find out like I was listening to another podcast about some water, some type of water. And the host was like, "Oh my God, I love your water ..." Like it's like one I don't know, it, like made seven figures and the woman's like, "Yeah, it's just like, so when did you start?" She's like, "10 years ago." 10 years ago. And yes, she's getting a lot of press now and yes, people are talking about it. And yes, we all know about it now but we didn't know about it for the nine years and six months before that, you know, like and I think it's easy to see these people go, "Okay, they did it. I should be able to do it." And yes, but you have like you said I love that. Be kind and patient with yourself. Because what we don't know is how long were they doing it before we heard about it? How many how many sleepless nights did they have? And you know, I think it's I love that you said and I think this is really key especially in service based industries, I even think product based industries, because the your expectations to the sales, you think I definitely did this every time the very beginnings of our businesses, we put something up on the website, and I was like, we're gonna get so many people to do this. And I was like, put so much pressure on myself and my husband and like our web person, get it up, we're gonna get it up, it's gonna make some money, we need money right now. And then like, the email would go out and like not know nothing ... And it's like, because I'm reading, Seth Godin is Purple Cow book again. And it's, again, a really great reminder. And he's like, "Yeah, because you have to hit the right people whose problem it solves at the exact time. They're looking for that problems solve."Lindy Nowak  Just like us. I also that took a while for me to learn to I'm like, "Oh, yeah, not everybody knows that they need a website, and not everybody's in the market for a website." (Lesley: Mm-hmm. Yeah.) Actually, you know, I came up with a little strategy about that, or how to get around that I don't know if it will help you or your listeners. Offering I, obviously, a lot of people do this, but offering something for free. So one of the, you know, it's kind of like marketing channel for us now. So we offer a free website review. And it allows us to not only give back to people who you know, need help with their website, maybe they have their own designer or developer, or they did on their own. But also, like, at some point, you know, they're like, "Oh, my gosh, she's right like, look at all the like, the marketing, you know, tips and tricks that she's wanting us to do and shit that she suggested." And then eventually, they're like, "Oh, my gosh, just forget it, can you just get on a call with us and do it for us." So it's actually like, I, that's been a really good thing for us, because it's actually fulfilling, (Lesley: Yeah.) outside of, you know, designing great websites for the business owners and having them be so happy and relieved. But also like, just, you know, it's almost like pro bono work with a little bit of give at the end, like ROI.Lesley Logan  I think what I love about that is and you know, everyone, you can try to see yourself in this in this situation that she's saying, it's like, you're basically showing your expertise to someone because it's, this is very hard, like, I'm a Pilates instructor and like, of course, I would love someone to come in and just buy my ten pack or buy my annual membership. But if they haven't actually taken a class with me, or they actually haven't seen that I know what I'm talking about, or that I can solve their problem, they're probably not likely to drop that kind of money. Like, it's just just the truth. You know, like, I worked in retail, and even it was the random day when someone walk in and go that purse. That's the purse, (Lindy: Right.) I'm buying. And typically, they already looked at that purse. And I just happen to be standing there the moment that like, "That purse." Right. So so but you're basically saying, like, you're taking part of your expertise, you're making it available for free, even though it's highly valuable for them to see a) they have a problem. And b) you know how to solve that problem. And then it allows them to build trust with you before they're forking over their money, because nowadays, it's not that people don't have money. I mean, even though where people are thinking the economy, the recession, the truth is that actually people have money, more people are working and have ever worked before. It's just that they're like, before I give you this money, how do I know that you're not going to run away with my money?Lindy Nowak  Yes, exactly. Especially when you're buying stuff online. It's like, it's a service. Right? (Lesley: Yeah. Yeah.) You question. (Lesley: Yeah.) A lot of our customers come to us with cold feet already, because they have a website that they're unhappy with, for whatever reason. And they with that being said, they had bad experience. And it's, I'm actually acting as the onboarding salesperson because I don't, at first I was like, I'm not going to be the face of the brand is just going to be more like SAS products. So I don't have to, like, you know, talk to anyone and because they're just going to buy the websites online, and, and then we're gonna customize it for them. We totally changed that. It's because I learned that people do have cold feet, that they are questioning you, they don't know what they're gonna get. And they don't know where you're from. And so I've had to put myself in the, as the face of the company. And it was really hard for me to do at first, I didn't like putting my face all over social media, never have before and I started doing it. And I got more confident about our offering and myself. And the more people I talk to, like, you and I are talking right now, that's how we, you know, bring customers on. I just, you know, I have trusted myself and our product. So when I talk to people now, you know, after two years of doing this, I can tell them, "You know, I'm not quite sure up in a day is for you. Maybe you don't need to redesign your website like I don't want to see you putting $4,000 behind a brand new website."Lesley Logan  Right. Some people think that if I just put money at the problem, then the problem is fix but it's like but that might not be the problem that ...Lindy Nowak  Espe... oh my gosh, totally. Especially and you mentioned it earlier. Like if they don't know who their market is, that's one of the questions we always ask because all of our websites are built for their marketing and sales goals. If they don't know who they're going after, it's really difficult for us to, to execute, (Lesley: Yeah.) in a way that works for their business. And we're like a very honest company and very communicative about the scope and what we offer. And ...Lesley Logan  It's almost like you need a quiz for those people like you. So (Lindy: Yeah.) in case you want to create something more for yourself, I think a quiz for people might be helpful. But you know, I want to go back to something because you're telling that I hope everyone's hearing this, she's telling this amazing journey. She was like, "This is the idea I have, I'm not going to be the face of it." And then you quickly realize you had to pivot. And I think I know everyone hates up frickin word pivot. But like, let's let me just tell you, that word wasn't invented in 2020. And it ain't going away. Like, very, very rarely is an idea that is successful at the end, the same thing that it started at the beginning, very rarely. Most, everything has to evolve, has to change, has to grow, has to react to what people are saying to them when they do it. Because you're like, "Okay, when we say this, this is what I mean." And then people go, "Oh, are you talking about, you know, my, my iPhone watch?" And you're like, "No, what made you think that. Okay, now I have to change that because that's not actually like a made people think of the wrong thing." And so, you know, I've had to change with a change the boxes on our flashcards. So we had flashcards I had one box, and then quickly realized, "Oh, actually, if we want to get them in stores, we want to get them in places, we have to make them more commercial with and make them look more like this." So to change everything, and it's like, I think we get hung up on. "But I said I was gonna be like this. So it has to be like this." And actually, we we need to be a little bit more malleable. And going back to what you said, the beginning, patience and grace with yourself. Because being malleable means changing what you said you were going to do, and not like your lying, not like you're going back on your promises, but just that you're going, "Oh, people need a face of accompany before they give money, because most likely, the reason they're here is because they gave the wrong person money. And now (Lindy: Yeah.) they're not sure if I can trust someone."Lindy Nowak  Also ... also, with that being said, being graceful, right? With grace with yourself. And having that compassion for yourself. It's okay. Let me give you an example. When I had to pivot, I was like, I felt like I was I had failed, like I had lost all these months doing one thing, and that was so much revenue that I that I lost, and I should have been doing this all along. And so now oh my gosh, the thought of having to do all that work to like, you know, change everything, change the website, copy ... It's okay, you have to tell yourself, it's okay, just start with what is the most important thing you need to do right now and then divide up your day your week, and make the change and go slow. And it doesn't happen overnight. But sounds so easy. Now, because I've been through it and it wasn't easy, but you know, to be to be okay with the fact that it's, it's good to evolve and I wouldn't you know, I won't even say pivot or change. I would say evolve. If you (Lesley: Yeah.) change your mindset and the words that you you tell yourself and you are you You know when you're thinking, when you're journaling, like try not to say stuff like, I haven't yet, so it's almost like I have yet to or like negative words like not change not that change is negative but if it's in a negative connotation, use the word evolve because you are evolving every day. You are growing whether you work for yourself, you work for someone else, you don't work, maybe you're you're a stay at home mom that is evolving like everything you're doing day to day is is really amazing. (Lesley: Yeah.) Even if you are home sick and watching TV, you're resting I think that's amazing.Lesley Logan  I really love this. I love the idea of like watching that negative words and then like giving them even a reframe to like a sick day is like I'm actually resting and giving my body some rest. Because I think the pressure that goes back to that pressure we put on ourselves especially as women like I really there's so much pressure and it's like yes, like I'm not gonna I'm sitting here and like one of the questions I have for you and you don't have to answer because it is personal I didn't tell you beforehand but like (Lindy: Oh) how the fuck do you afford to grow something when you like your business relies on you... Do you know what I mean? (Lindy: Oh yeah.) Like I think a lot of people listening are like, "Okay ladies, this is really nice. It must be nice for you but like I actually have to make money right away from the thing that I have an idea because I can't ..." Do you know what I mean? Like was did you have your other business as you're starting this? Did you completely pivot? Like, what was the bridge? Because I think that that's information that I knew I needed to know, when I was trying to grow my business.Lindy Nowak  That's such a good question. And it's so important to know, because we're going back to like, that seven figure woman who's like on the podcast, right? It's like ... (Lesley and Lindy laughs) Yeah, well, I was, without giving, like, I was definitely under six figures when I started up in a day, I would, you know, because I just had a small digital marketing company that I wasn't really pushing, and I was just kind of comfortable, but not happy. And let's see what did happen. I mean, to be completely honest, I got lucky. I started the company. And the transition was, I was I still had my retainer clients that were paying, I don't know what she was she paying anywhere from, like, 1500 to 2000 a month, that was so helpful. So there's like rent, right? And then I had the one off clients that would come in and out for like, a project fee. And then I would have the retainer that retainer clients, but the kind of ones that like are all like, he's kind of with you, for a long time. And then, but they don't always have a project for you. But the projects are usually big. And then we had one big client, which was not fun, but it was a good chunk of money. But you know money goes fast.Lesley Logan  Yeah. So well (Lindy: And then ...) also because you, you know, you live in like I, I knew also, it depends on where you live, right? You live in a big city, like, even if you said, like, you know, unshot, like low, like under six figure like in a in a big city, that is not enough money. But now I want everyone to hear this. You didn't just completely turn off one business to turn on another business, you had to straddle (Lindy: Yeah.) for a while. And I think that that is really key to hear. Because I think it's really easy for people to like, look at you or I and listen to us and look, listen to other guests I've had, and think, oh, they just did that. And I don't have the time, I need time to do that. And the reality is, unfortunately, when you are trying to start something new, it's not unless you have some sort of trust, or investment for someone, or maybe have support from a person who lives with you, you might likely have to be doing two things at once. And (Lindy: Totally.) that was hard to do. And prioritization of time is really difficult, because I remember I would be working for a corporate company. And they were definitely paying my bills. And then I had that I had this other thing where I can make more in the in less time. But I just need more time to make that more so I could get rid of the thing. And I had to do both for about who I want to say about six months of like, just like, I just have to keep going and putting this away putting this away and doing these things. And so those, you'd be surprised what you can get done in 15 minutes, you're like, "I only have 15 minutes to work on my business today. I'm going to work very hard. What is the thing that moves the needle forward?" So was that was were you bridging for a year, two years, when were you able to do still have that other company work both like, were you able to just go completely up and Up in a Day?Lindy Nowak  It was a bridge for four for about, I'd say eight months. So almost a year. (Lesley: Yeah.) And you, the hardest part was actually letting go of my clients because as soon as you let go of those retainer clients, you are off and running, and you have committed yourself to your new company. But I was ready. I remember the first website that I did it because I was like testing it. It was for my CPA. And he had a really terrible website. And he had mentioned it. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I would you know, can I just redesign that for you? And you give me a review." I did. And it was awesome. And then that's when I gained the confidence to be like, "Okay, we're going now." But yeah, it was a good eight months for sure. And I will say that during the time for me, I remember being like kind of like really anxious, like, I tend to move really fast. Like I'm just, "I want to get it done." And that's how I was I was like, "Why isn't this done yet? Oh my God, why aren't we launching it. Like, this is so annoying. I just want it done. And I just want to have up in a day because I know it's going to be great, but it's taking so long. And there's so much to do on a daily basis. And it's not ready yet and I just wish so bad it could be ready." And I was just like putting on myself that way that's not a good thing to do. Just (Lesley laughs) you definitely want to have a mindset of those Pomodoro moments, if you will, where you're like, "Okay, I'm gonna put 15 minutes straight. And I'm going to get a ton of work done and then we're going to go back to the day job and then I'm going to do it again in two hours and then go back to the day job." That's what, if I could go back that's what I would have done. I also work a million hours.Lesley Logan  Yeah, can you can you explain the Pomodoro method? Because people I know it, I love it. It's, I need to implement it more. But can you explain that to people might not know it.Lindy Nowak  I also need to implement it more. (Lindy and Lesley laughs) I'm not doing it right now. It is a method and it's a work method in which you are structuring your time as time management, provide a system, and you worked, you set a timer for 25 minutes, and you work only on that project, you shut everything off, put your phone away, put your messages with all that stuff, your email, and you only work on that one project for 25 minutes, and then you take a break. And however long that break is, I can't really remember, maybe it's an hour and then you go, and then ...Lesley Logan  Yeah, I don't remember that, I don't remember that have a break either by now you just do that. And it's like, it's like proven that people get a ton done. They're super (Lindy: Yes.) focused. And like, we don't really actually like, yes, if you are working on you have a regular job, and then you're working on your business, you might have eight to 10 hour days. But the truth is, is that when you implement this method, and we'll we'll find a link to it, y'all put it in the show notes. But Amanda is like, "We will?" Yes, we will, Amanda. Thank you so much, Amanda. But like, but what you would be surprised is if you actually don't just have this open block of time, like, "Okay, I've got six hours on my day off to work on my business." But if you actually like break it off into chunks, you can get more done in less time. And it's really amazing. And, and maybe we'll put that in our BE IT action items will both work on the Pomodoro method implementation a little bit more. Okay, Lindy, what are you excited about right now? Like, what is it that you're working towards right now with your business, with your life? Like what's, what's the next thing to come?Lindy Nowak  Oh, my gosh, that's, that's a that's a big question. I guess the answer would be that we are in growth phase, which is super exciting. And that means that we have, what that means is, we have found a marketing channel that is starting to bring in the leads that is working for us that we are not putting a lot of money behind paid advertising, which is amazing. And exposure and getting the word out and beginning to see people ref... in like third party like almost like third removed referrals coming to us. We're being found on Google. When someone searches quick website or website agency quick turnaround like we're showing up and where it's fun to see that exposure. Because remember, I mentioned that I was like pushing it like we're gonna make so, we're gonna get so many customers like that. And it wasn't like that until now. And it's two and a half years. So and now I'm seeing it and that just like gets me so excited. I you know, you can see, here's an analogy you're on, you can see in front of you the hot coals on the bonfire, and they're beating red and they're just ready to catch fire. And we're looking at that red hot coal. I'm getting like goosebumps thinking about it. Because the most rewarding thing about to the most rewarding things. One, what have you watched myself grow as a business owner, and a confident woman which before I was not so much. I was I was a different way. And then the second is like how happy we I see these clients of ours, once they see their website, because it's like the big reveal. And that is so rewarding. It's so cool to see.Lesley Logan  Lindy, this is so fun. Okay, we're gonna take a brief pause. I'm so excited for you, by the way, like being in that growth phase. I also love that analogy. Like I'm really just like, I like love that and I understand that. And it's like, it's like the word precipice is one point in my mind, but like, that also feels very scary. Like you're on the edge of falling, but like you're on the edge of soaring and it's so freaking cool. Okay, we're going to take a brief pause and find out where people can find you, follow you, get to work with Up in a Day, and you're BE IT action items.Okay, Lindy where can people get in touch with you? Stalk you ...Lindy Nowak  You can stalk us ... you can stalk us on our Instagram. You can find us on our website. It's upinaday.co.Lesley Logan  Great, love that. We'll put all those links below and is your Instagram also Up in a Day? (Lindy: Yes.) Great. That's amazing. Okay, so bold, executable, intrinsic, targeted steps people can take to be it till they see it. What do you think?Lindy Nowak  I'll give you three. The first one is be kind to yourself. And action item, take your yellow sticky notes and put them all over your bedroom or your bathroom mirror. And do little affirmations about how you love yourself or you are, "I'm rocking this" or whatever it is you can actually Google self affirmations online and like thousands come up and it's amazing. And then the second one is have the Pomodoro method. Try it. (Lesley: Yeah.) Just try and get a little timer and get one of the little tomato timers then you're really doing the Pomodoro method. And try it, just try it out. If you're transitioning into a different career, you're pivoting, or you're or, or, you know, whatever it is try the Pomodoro. It's awesome. And then the third thing is, I would say, you know, outside of the Pomodoro, structure your time by writing lists, even if it's a journal, like start your morning, or at the end of the day, and list out every single thing that you need to do the next day. And then the next morning, either put it on a whiteboard, just like five or six things. And then just keep everything in a list so that you don't feel overwhelmed because if you guys keep it all up in your heads, it gets very overwhelming, and then you aren't focused. So just put it on paper.Lesley Logan  I love all of those. I love all of those. I also, I already can see some of our listeners, you know who you are putting those post it notes everywhere. And we are big fans of timers around here, we have the time cube and friggin like my husband and I stop... we used to share an office and now we separated offices because it's just we work very differently. So so that I can hear his time cube go off and my time is going off, (Lindy laughs) and the dogs are just like "What are all the beeping?" Oh Lindy, you were amazing. I'm really grateful for how authentic and vulnerable and just willing to share your journey and what you're doing with your audience. I know that so many of them will definitely need Up In A Day for themselves and for where they're going and what they're being it till they see it in. But also just like hearing your story really does make people feel so seen. Because, yes, that is how growth of business looks like everyone. It just, it just takes the time it's going to take and you have to show up every day and just thank you for sharing all of those truths with us. Everyone, how are you going to use these in your life? So tag @upinaday tag, the @be_it_pod. Screenshot this, send it to a friend who's also trying to build their thing. Let them know like, "Hey, it takes time. Be kind to yourself." And let us all know that we can, we can probably make the world a better place if everyone being kind to themselves. Imagine how they're gonna be nicer to others. So, until next time my loves, Be It Till You See It.That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review. And follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the @be_it_pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others BE IT TILL YOU SEE IT. Have an awesome day!  'Be It Till You See It' is a production of 'As The Crows Fly Media'. Brad Crowell  It's written produced, filmed and recorded by your host Lesley Logan and me, Brad Crowell. Our Associate Producer is Amanda Frattarelli.  Lesley Logan  Kevin Perez at Disenyo handles all of our audio editing.  Brad Crowell  Our theme music is by Ali at APEX Production Music. And our branding by designer and artist, Gianranco Cioffi.  Lesley Logan  Special thanks to our designer Jaira Mandal for creating all of our visuals (which you can't see because this is a podcast) and our digital producer, Jay Pedroso for editing all videos each week so you can.  Brad Crowell  And to Angelina Herico for transcribing each of our episodes so you can find them on our website. And, finally to Meridith Crowell for keeping us all on point and on time.Transcribed by https://otter.aiSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I'll say it: grind mentality/culture makes me cringe. Getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night and bragging about it isn't a badge of honor. It will catch up to you eventually. Sleep is so important to our long term success! I want to share with you my thoughts on productivity in 2022, a model you can use to help your productivity, and why you should ditch the grind mentality.   Time Stamps:   (0:18) Talking Productivity (1:40) Important Quote on Productivity (4:08) Why Sleep Matters (4:55) The Pomodoro Method (7:45) Be The Most Productive Version of You ------------- Join the Born to Thrive Community! ------------- Join the Lifts with Alex App Today! ------------- Follow Me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/thealexallen/   Follow Me on Tik Tok! - https://www.tiktok.com/@thealexallen?   Follow the Born to Thrive Podcast Instagram Page! - https://www.instagram.com/borntothrivepodcast/   Follow Lifts with Alex Instagram Page for Training, Nutrition, and Life Tips and Content! - https://www.instagram.com/borntothrivepodcast/   Click Here to Stay Up to Date with All of My Offers and Freebies! - https://beacons.page/thealexallen/

Despite being a common diagnosis, many people with ADHD may go most of their lives without ever officially being diagnosed. Although there are a number of challenges that this presents, one of the most frustrating is that the longer ADHD is left untreated, the more difficult it becomes to change our habits. Even so, that doesn't mean it's impossible - and our guest today proves it!For this week's episode, I invited Bob Shea - a renowned children's author who only recently received an ADHD diagnosis at age 52 - to talk about the trials and triumphs he experienced living with hidden ADHD for so long. Although Bob has some legitimate regrets about not getting diagnosed sooner, he's worked hard to address his challenge areas and make meaningful transformations in his habits. As a result, Bob has seen major improvements in both his personal and professional life that he's excited to share with our listeners. He also reveals the tools, systems, and interventions that helped him along the way. His contributions to the podcast reveal an important lesson - it's never too late to get the support we need to become the best version of ourselves. I know you'll enjoy listening to Bob's advice, wit, and humor just as much as I did during our conversation.Here are some relevant resources related to our conversation:ADHD ResourcesOn-Demand Webinar: ADHD Fundamentals - What you need to succeed after diagnosis: This is the link to a webinar Beyond BookSmart held recently. If you register, you'll gain instant access to the webinar. 8 Things You Need to Know About ADHD After a Diagnosis: A blog that summarizes key points from the webinar linked above.ADHD Information for Adults: This website includes information on medication and non-medication approaches to managing ADHD.How To ADHD YouTube Channel: An amazing channel that tries to both normalize and help support the trials and tribulations of living with ADHD. Dr. Tracey Marks - Skills Training for ADHD Playlist: A fantastic psychologist and content creator with invaluable insights on living with ADHD. Other Stuff We DiscussedBob's Planning and Time Management Strategy Here's a pic of Bob's notebook so you can see how he lays out his tasks and week.The Sam Harris Meditation App: This is the meditation app that Bob likes to use every morning.Jetpens.com: Bob's favorite place to shop for pens online. The Pomodoro Technique: 25 Minutes to Increase Productivity: This is the time management approach called the Pomodoro Method that Bob uses. We also use it as coaches!Leuchtturm1917 Notebook: This is the notebook I use for my bullet journal.Time Timer Visual Clock: This is the visual timer that I asked Bob about and then he showed me his which he had on the desk next to him.River Fox BuJo: My daughter's Pinterest account I mentioned in the episodeBob Shea's Instagram and WebsiteContact us!Reach out to us at podcast@beyondbooksmart.comIG/FB/TikTok @beyondbooksmartcoachingTranscriptHannah Choi 00:04Hi everyone and welcome to Focus Forward, an executive function Podcast where we explore the challenges and celebrate the wins you'll experience as you change your life through working on improving your executive function skills. I'm your host, Hannah Choi. When my kids were little, we spent hours at our local library and we'd go home with 50 or so books at a time. We especially loved picture books that made us laugh. And one day we discovered an author called Bob Shea, and Bob's books quickly became some of our favorites. Thanks to the internet, we found out that Bob also lived in our home state of Connecticut. We followed him on Instagram and really enjoyed his drawing tutorials and quirky posts. And Bob started inviting other children's authors and illustrators to have a conversation with him on Instagram Live every Friday. And one day he had author and illustrator Charles Santoso on for a chat. And Bob openly and very candidly shared about his experience having ADHD. He talked about the time management strategies that he uses, and how important they are for him. I knew at that very moment that I just had to invite Bob on to be a guest on the podcast. So today, I've got you a very entertaining and very real conversation about how ADHD impacts his life, how medication really helped and the tools and strategies that he uses to find satisfaction in his life. And I'm really thrilled to share Bob's story with you today. Before we jump in, I want to acknowledge that not everyone with ADHD uses medication. And whatever choice people make about medication is theirs and theirs alone. There are alternative options for those who choose not to use it. And for those who do use it, they likely find that it doesn't work well just on its own. As you'll hear Bob say it works well for him because he combines it with other non medication strategies. If you are interested in learning more, check out the show notes for more reading and resources on this topic. Okay, now on to the show. Okay. Hi, Bob. Thanks for joining me today. Do you wanna introduce yourself to our listeners? Bob Shea 02:10Sure. My name is Bob Shea. I'm a children's book author and illustrator. And I found out that I had ADHD when I was 52.Hannah Choi 02:24Did you, did you won...have you had you wondered before in your life?Bob Shea 02:30I not in a serious way. It was probably the six months before I was diagnosed that I really started to think that it was more than just character flaws.Hannah Choi 02:51Did something happen? Was there like a some kind of shift in your thinking or something that got you to start with questioning that?Bob Shea 03:00There were two things I did start following some ADHD accounts on Instagram. That was one thing. So that put it on my radar pretty strong. And what would happen was or what happened I remember specifically, someone did a real that had symptoms of ADHD that I had never known would have been things and it was exactly how my brain works like exactly. And it wasn't the traditional. This is what ADHD is why because my the one of the reasons I one of the reasons I didn't think that I had it was because I know people who you know, in five minutes, you're like, Man, this conversation is 20 different subjects. And my my brothers both have it in and in the three of us it presents differently. So that was difficult. I'm not hyperactive, I don't have any of the traditional things. My my thoughts about ADHD were Bart Simpson, bad student acting up can't sit still. I was I did well in school. I wasn't a troublemaker at all. None of those things. So I was like, I don't have any of that stuff. And then there was a day when I was trying to finish a project I was trying to finish a book that I had do. And I couldn't do it like I couldn't pick up my iPad and open up the file and start... like it was due it was like that safety net of, of a looming deadline did not fail to ignite the fire. And I was scrolling on the Instagram instead. Like, compulsively. I was like I can't stop doing this. I'm look I was like I need some kind of stimulation that and the the I was I'm looking forward to doing the book. Like it was not like Yay, I'm gonna do this book and I'm excited finally gonna get to dig in. I've avoided it and I, I made an appointment for the next day with my, with my doctor with a physician's assistant. I went home and told my wife and she was like, Yeah, that's a really good idea.Hannah Choi 05:23She's like, finally the day has come.Bob Shea 05:24She was like, yeah, she was like, Man, she got the worst of it over the years, I'll tell you. So, yeah, so then I went to the, you know, when I went to this appointment, and I almost cancelled it. I was like, you know, just do your work. I'm sure you're fine. She's gonna let I had gone to her one time for Xanax because I had to go on tour. And I didn't want to talk to people that asked for like, I'm like, Look, I just need, I don't take it normally. Like, she has my records. Like, I'm not a drug seeker. But I was like, I'm traveling, I got to talk to people. I need some Xanax. And she was reluctant to give it to me, and like really gave me a hard time about it. And so I was like, she's not going to do anything for this ADHD, she's gonna laugh at me. She's like, come back when you break an arm. That's what I thought it was gonna be when you have when you're bleeding. Give me a call, like not for this. Boo hoo hoo, you can't get your work done. But she was really, really empathetic. And I had I had in the three months prior stop drinking, because it was a pandemic, and I was getting really heavy. Yeah. I was exercising every day. And I was, I had cut sugar out. And I was meditating a lot. I'm a big meditator. And so I went down the litany of what was happening, and that I had that I had and hadn't been doing these things in the last three months. And she said, everything you just said is what I would have told you to do. I would have said, eat better exercise and meditate. She said, if you're doing that stuff, and then she gave me an assessment, and I was laughing, because it was like, they were watching me during my day. I was like, Yes. Like, that's what I do every time. Yeah, they're like, do you like not? Do you get really close to the end of a project and not finish? I'm like, there's something new to do here. Like, right? I'm like, Yeah, you know, like everybody does that like, no, not everybody. And she put me on Adderall right away. And it was flipped, like flipping a switch. It was great. It's wonderful. I know it doesn't work for everyone. And everyone has their own way of treating it. But for me, my wife was like, thank God.Hannah Choi 07:48That's awesome. Yeah, that's so great. It's so great that you that you didn't let the part of you that wanted to not go that that part didn't get its chance. And you just went anyway and talked with her. Yeah. Well, I mean, I actually know that a lot of people are afraid to find out because they don't want to find out that that, that they have X, Y or Z. And but I'm sure it has been your experience. Once you find out it actually can really open up a lot of doors and opportunities and possibilities and totally different way of thinking about yourself.Bob Shea 08:23Just Yeah, I saw my, the past 50 years of my life and an entirely different light. And I was like, Man, why did anybody put up with that guy? He was the worst. I was, I was so glad I actually was birth because I was like, man, like,my life would have been so much different. Had I known that I could have been fixed. But you know, and then the other thing is like, both of my brothers have it. They don't want to do anything about it. Like they like it. And I'm like, really? I'm like I would I can't get rid of it fast enough. I'm like this is I don't I don't spin this into a positive thing at all. For me personally, I'm like, I have I could get I could have been high. Who knows what my life would be like, if I didn't have it? It's not it's not some secret power that I have.Hannah Choi 09:18Right? Right. But like we were talking before we started recording, don't you feel like it has given you some of the creativity that you've needed to to create the do the stuff that you've done, create the books that you've done andBob Shea 09:34yeah, I'm, I'm hesitant to give that so much credit because, but I'll tell you I think that that's true. I think that it allowed me to say, see to make connections I wouldn't have made otherwise when I was coming up with things and what it did was it gave me a unique voice creatively, my sense of humor is very unique to me, for good or for bad. I'm not saying that it's better or worse than anyone. But I'm saying when I write jokes or make a joke, it's comes out of left field. And it's not, Oh, I see what he's doing when he's doing this. It's very strange, for better or worse, but I'll tell you all the things that it didn't wear me all the things that it did for me, I would trade it to be have had a normal life, because I think it was a million times a detriment than it was, then then whatever it gave me.Hannah Choi 10:39Yeah, that's so interesting. Yeah,Bob Shea 10:41If I was sitting right now in my office up in Hartford, Connecticut, as executive of insurance company, in the HR department being like, you know, we have a lot of events coming up. And we have to do these things in a nice, neat desk. I'd love nothing more.Hannah Choi 11:00Well, I have to say that I'm really glad that you did not discover your ADHD until you were 52. And I think that there are lots and lots of children in the world that are really glad you didn't. And lots of parents.Bob Shea 11:12Well, I appreciate you saying that. But you know,Hannah Choi 11:15So if you look at your life, since you were diagnosed, since you started, like, you know, taking Adderall and just being okay, I have a diagnosis. This is this is why do you see Have you seen the change? Could you compare the like before and after?Bob Shea 11:33It's night and day, I mean, that there's there's work things like like right now, I'm as busy as I've ever been in my career. Right now, for the last two months, and probably going into the next couple of weeks, I have so much to do. And it's fine. Like, it's not, I'll have to work this evening, I'll have to get up early in work. But it's fine. I can. I can see it for what it is. I it's not overwhelming things. I was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed all the time. And that affected my relationship with my family. Because nobody can talk to me. Because you have so much going on in your head. That is all equally important. That was the thing. Everything you had to do was just as important as the other next thing, which actually wasn't as important. So when my wife would come in the room and go, Hey, what should we have for dinner? I'd be like, how can you come in here and add another thing to this pile that's in my head, right? And now I'm just I'm so much more pleasant to be around. I was irritable all the time. I was I thought I thought it was over. I thought I thought I was going to I thought we were going to split up because it may like we didn't talk about it. But in my head. I was like head in my head. I was like, I don't know what's wrong with me. But I can't be around people.Hannah Choi 13:04Do you think that it was it's mostly that medicine that has changed things for you?Bob Shea 13:11Yes, you know, yeah, because, but that but there's I have to explain that a little bit. I do think that that's the case because I wanted to change. I didn't want to be like that. I knew that I was I knew that I was a jerk. And I knew that I was impatient, and that I couldn't she on the weekends. She'd be honest. She's like, you know, when you're home on the weekend, all you want to do is be at work. I know that you're I know that you're not happy. I couldn't, I couldn't relax. I couldn't go just do something. And it was because I thought I had failed the previous week, getting things done. And so I was trying to always try to catch up. I was always trying to catch up. The medication allowed me to make use of the systems I had been trying to put in place because it was always planners. So always had calendars, planners. How do I do this? How do I do this? And once I took the medication, I was able to do all the things. And everything fell into place. It's all it's all a bit. It's not just oh, it took a pill. I was fun. It was it was a framework of things. And knowing that you're even now I'm like, You're bad at this. So you have to do this more than other people do. Because you're so bad at it. Yeah, yeah.Hannah Choi 14:32So what's what kind of systems and strategies do work for you?Bob Shea 14:36It's sort of a it's sort of a mix of a lot of different systems that I had found. But But basically, it's capturing all the information in your head. So I I just did it this morning because it's Monday. I usually do it on Sundays. I write down everything I have to do that week like and it's all in a big pile. So it can be work on this illustration. And the next thing could be make an appointment for a haircut. Like it's not there's no over here you put work and over here you put it it's it's a, it's a messy list on the page next to that I put big blocks because I have to see things and I can't do this on the computer, I have to write it down with my hands, or else. It all looks the same on the computer. It's just like typed words. It could be anything. Yep. And now, because a draw, we're like writing a list, you can draw a little picture of something. Oh, yeah. Whatever. Yeah. So then I, so then I do the days of the week next to that, just horizontal bars of Monday through Friday. And then I drop in roughly, where what I'm going to do on what day really rough like not like you at three o'clock are going to do this. Yes. Then when the day comes...this all sounds so complicated. And it's not. Then on the day I draw a box for every half hour of the day, I make a list, I make a list, I'm going to I'm like, I'm going to work on this. And I'm going to work on this and I make a box for every half hour of the day and I write in the box, what I'm going to work on at what time and it's it is very flexible. If I don't, I'm okay with that. But I have to just know that I have a plan. I will not make this punitive because I will be mad at it. So it's to help me it is not to punish me ever. And one of the things that I did it first, or one of the things that helped the time while blindness was so bad because I'd be like I have a book to I'll take me two days, I don't know, that's fine. You know what I mean? Like, I had no concept. So what, so what I do is I write what I plan to do in that in those blocks time. Then when they pass, I go, and I don't do it immediately. Like at the end of the day, I'll say, Boy, I thought that thing was going to take me an hour and a half took me three hours. That's awesome. So I'm training myself to know what things really take like, oh, going to the post office, that's probably negative 20 minutes. Like, really, you gotta get an envelope, gotta find the right size envelope, you got to pick up the address the person gave you you got to seal it, you got to walk down, there's probably going to be aligned, you know, you're gonna get a coffee after because you did an errand and you need a treat. And then you know, by the time you get back, like how long did that trip to the post office, it takes an hour. And then you have to be like, alright, you have to go to the post office today that costs an hour. Like and then you know, because then you're like, then you're not, you overestimate what you can get done. And then at the end of the day, you feel terrible. You're like, you beat yourself up and you're like, what's wrong with me? And you're like, Yeah, you know?Hannah Choi 17:48Yeah, time blindness is a really big. It can, it can really impact so many aspects of your life like, like actually just running out of time. But then also the your opinion that you have it yourself. Yeah, if you constantly are not estimating the time correctly, then you're just gonna feel like you can't get anything done.Bob Shea 18:12Yeah, yeah. And as a result as a result of doing that. And the medication I don't take on as much. Yeah, ever. Because now when I see so if I'm sitting here, and I go online, or whatever, and I go, Hey, look at little felted animals, looks fun. I could get some felt. And I'm gonna make little, like penguins and foxes. It'll be adorable. I'm a children's book author. I should be doing this whimsical stuff all day. And then you go and you look that stuff up. And you buy felts and you got felting needles and stuff. And then you're like, how am I going to do this? And then the reality hits.Hannah Choi 18:55It's just so funny because my other my other job is I, I teach fiber arts classes with a friend of mine and that's like exactly what we do!Bob Shea 19:07Right? But it looks really fun. I have the needles here. I in my closet, I have the needles. But now I see that and I go Yeah, that'd be fun if you have time because and the only reason I say this because I'm like, Well, what are you going to do the other 20 things I taught myself that. Agreeing to do something means you're saying you're not going to do something else. Right? And I'm talking to the guitar in my corner. Okay?Hannah Choi 19:37Just this morning, I was talking to a client and he, he is an adult who was also recently diagnosed with ADHD. And he was talking about how, like for work he's doing really great like staying on to on on track and not taking on too much. You know, and checking like, Is this realistic? Like if my you know, am I is it realistic to take on another client or whatever. And then and then we were talking about how you also have to kind of do that in your, you know, in the in the fun things. Like you, you, you might want to make the felted animals and play the guitar and you know, be really good at all these things. But if you would you ask you have to ask yourself the same thing you ask yourself with your work, like, is it realistic to take on all of these things? If you if you take on too much, you can't do it all and then you just beat yourself up?Bob Shea 20:29Yeah, that's the thing. I could enjoy none of the things. Yeah. And all it was was another source of tension with my wife, because it's like, my half done projects were all over the place. And she was like, can you just throw this out? Now just bring it to Goodwill, or give it to somebody throw it away? And she was right. But I mean, I was like, I was like, I'm gonna make that it's gonna be great. And that's the other thing too with ADHD, you can't be bad at things. Like if I played guitar, I was like, I'm gonna be really good at it. So I didn't say that with guitar, but with most most things. I'm like, I don't want to just, I don't want to do this half measure. I want to be good at it. It's like, Well, yeah. And again, with the paying attention to how long things take. I'm like, I can't do anything else.Hannah Choi 21:15Yeah, right.Bob Shea 21:16I'm full! Like even with work, I'm like, when are you gonna do all these amazing?Hannah Choi 21:21There's only so many hours in a day. Yeah. And you have to sleep and you have to eat and you have to have some downtime.Bob Shea 21:27Yeah, I belong to a Makerspace in New Haven. And it's good and it's bad, because it's great because I can go there for the day. And I'm like, I'm just doing this and I enjoy it. And I I said to my... I stopped putting up requirements on myself. I'm like, when I go in, you're gonna fail at all the things and not walk out with a wooden, whatever you were making. You're going to walk out with your materials all ruin that you paid for. And just and but I'm like, That's the day that's fine. And the other thing, the other other reason it's bad is because they keep getting new stuff, which Oh, wow, you guys gotta chill. So I could do pottery? Oh, my gosh, I'm looking at slip casting. And what do I need? What do I need to buy for this? Man, I'm like that. So now I'm like, ignore that, don't learn how to use the tablesawHannah Choi 22:23You're getting a lot of practice of saying no.Bob Shea 22:25I am! I'm just ignoring stuff. I'm like, I let me tell you, I hate Pre-Adderall Guy so much, that I'm saying no out of spite. I'm like, you don't deserve to make pottery. Help bring another thing into the house. You. I see you back there. You know, because it's still I'm still the same thing. Like my brain still is seeking those that stimulation to like, it's still dopamine, when I'm like, a new thing to learn. There's a lot of dopamine in that goldmine of dopamine. So passing that up as Adderall makes you say, you've got enough to get by. You don't need to go look for other places, even social media. I'm on social media so much less. I used to be on Twitter all the time.Hannah Choi 23:17So going back to the strategies that you use, how did you develop those? How'd you come up with those?Bob Shea 23:22Even before the Adderall, I was obsessed with time management. Always, always, always, always, unsuccessfully. I remember in the 90s, A long time ago, I went and did a Franklin Planner thing. And I think I kept a Franklin Planner for a while, like for a year, probably about a year and then I had to refill it. And I'm like, fellas, I'm gonna have to do that anymore. But I always remember the sort of the principles and stuff. And I remember now thinking back, like it's not ADHD friendly. Like they're very, it's very, like, it's for people who already have their act together. And it's just a way to clean up their act.Hannah Choi 24:08Those linear thinkersBob Shea 24:09It's so I always thought it's always like, something wrong with me. I thought I always thought it was like a character failing that I had, I was like, Well, you know, I was like, You know what, I always hated sports. When I was growing up, I probably just don't have discipline. And that's a now that's why they always wanted you to do that, so that you could do a boring task that you didn't want to do. And then, so I had an even I was even going back to the makerspace I was designing all these electronics, things that were all about how to remind me to do things. Every one thing, I had a thing where I'm still making this one, and that's not me lying, it's my first project. I was gonna have more successful authors than may record a message to me like, "Hey, how's that book coming you were telling me about?" Yeah, and then randomly during the day, it would announce that whatever I was doing was like, Oh, I was looking at felted animals. Back to work, yeah. I had I have it all sketched out, like, how it works. And the components I need, but everything I did everything I was like, seriously, I was like, I'm going to film, because I didn't know how the day worked. I'm going to film this was an idea of flowers, drying and decaying and falling off the thing. And then I'm going to play it fast during the day over eight hours, so that when I looked up, I go, Oh, the things are starting to fall. That means I have this much time. I was trying to, I was trying to find ways to look at time visually that I'd understand and not like just a clock, which I'm like, that's just the number I don't know. Because you come in in the beginning of the day, and you're like, I have all day. You know, and you're like, well, and then you're like, Well, I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee. I'm gonna go take a walk. And then I'm like, Jesus running out real quick.Hannah Choi 26:06Yeah, like half a day now. Have you heard of the Time timers were like shows a red...like, It's like, it looks like a clock. And yeah. That right there. Do you use it?Bob Shea 26:19Sorry about that noise. That's part of my thing with with the, with the blocks that I draw out the half hour blocks, 25 minutes, because it's the Pomodoro Technique, basically. Yeah. Yeah. Are you if that is the I'll tell you something. The timers are the key to everything. If if I use the timers, the days I'm I'm, I'm diligent about using the timers. That's a good day. If I'm just like, oh, just freestyle it today. It's like it's not a bad day, it still works falls apart a lot easier. Those timers, because it gives you a little deadline. Yep. And you look at that thing. And you're right, like the visual thing for me was huge. And so for that deadline, I go, I tell myself, you can't look at your phone, because you're working. And so then that way I go, Well, there's only 15 minutes, I can not look at my phone for 15 minutes. But if I don't have the time, or it's every three minutes up, pick it up. Yeah, I'm better about it now, but that's how it works. I also blocked Instagram on everything but my laptop so that when I sit down, it's intentional. Like I'm gonna go on Instagram now. Look at messages I do. scroll a little bit. It's boring on your laptop. You're not on the sofa looking at TV and doing it. So I'm out faster. I'm in and out faster. And and then on my devices for work. Like my iPad. No. No social media. Still the news? I still look at the news all the time. But no social media. Yeah. Pinterest is great. I like Pinterest. Yes.Hannah Choi 27:57It is great. My daughter is like slowly racking up a whole bunch of followers. She does bullet journaling. Yeah, she does. She does bullet journal. She has this bullet journal. She's 13 years old. And she's really starting everyday. She's like, Oh, I have like 20 more followers. She's up to 350! Yeah, it's so cool. But she like shares like her that art the art that she did it for the week and how she laid it out. AndBob Shea 28:24Does she get this she get... she's been to like JetPens, right? And she gets all this stuff fromHannah Choi 28:29I don't know what JetPens is. But she's got all the pens. Bob Shea 28:32Sorry, I told you because oh, there's a whole other world of pens you don't know aboutHannah Choi 28:38JetPens, okay, I gotta write that down. Bob Shea 28:39So good. I love I love that stuff. And like pencil cases and like pencil sharpeners that look like pandas. Hannah Choi 28:48And you guys could talk for hours. She's totally into it. Bob Shea 28:52So So I give her a lot of credit, because I couldn't keep up with a bullet journal. My thing is like black ink and then read for like, what I really did, because I'm like, I had to pare it down to a simpler.Hannah Choi 29:04Yeah. Well, I keep a bullet journal too. But mine is also like, super. It's just like, there's nothing fancyBob Shea 29:11Yeah, that's what mine looks like. Yeah. And you have the same you have that kind to Yeah. Yeah, my wife made minus 10 or something.Hannah Choi 29:20Yeah, yeah. IBob Shea 29:20don't know how you say it. I use those a lot for other things. But I don't but I use a different I just use a grid. Very simple one because I go through so many of them.Hannah Choi 29:30Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So keeping systems like that requires some practice. It requires quite a bit of perseverance and quite a bit of, you know, discipline. What motivates you to stick with it?Bob Shea 29:49This I think what, what motivates me to stick with it is that, like I said before, it's not punitive. It's not it's not it's here to help me not make me feel bad. So as I use it things that don't work for me, it was a little more not complicated. There were more, there was more to it when I first started doing it, anything that didn't sort of serve me I got rid of. So now it's like, it's a way to collect my thoughts. It's not a way to to be a taskmaster that you have to do these things. At the end of the day, a lot of times, I'll have gotten made a lot of progress on things, but maybe not even the things I thought I was going to do. And then I'm like, that's still a good day, I made a lot of progress. And I'm proud of what I did. Like, I'm glad that I moved the needle on this project. The other project can wait a day, because I have long deadlines. You know, like, I don't usually I think, like when I was doing graphic design, like maybe I didn't notice it much because it was like That thing's due in two days, like and it would be like in the next week, something else would be due now. It's like months at a time. That's bad for people like me.Hannah Choi 31:01Long term planning is like a whole different set of skills thatBob Shea 31:04I'm still working on that that is like, time makes no sense to me. Three months, like, that's never gonna happen. It's never gonna be here.Hannah Choi 31:14Have you ever watched inside the mind of a master procrastinator with Tim Urban? He, it's a TED Talk that...Bob Shea 31:22Yes, I think so! He has he does his thesis in the last day. That was hilarious. Yeah. So good. Before I knew I had ADHD. Yeah, it's hilarious!Hannah Choi 31:35it's a great, that's such a great example of exactly what you just.Bob Shea 31:41Yeah, yeah. It's like, and it's, I'm not. I so I just turned in a book. A couple of, I'm in the revision process of it now. And I was proud of myself. Because it was only two weeks late, instead of three months, like yeah, I was real- And I'm sure they are, but it was a new art director and I don't think that they were as proud of me as I am.Hannah Choi 32:05You're like, you don't know what this means.Bob Shea 32:08Like, I'm like, checking outside to see if the UPS guys bring in like, you know, a Harry and David box gift basket. Two weeks late, two weeks late, not three months. Like, oh, look, guess who's almost like a normal person?Hannah Choi 32:26That's so great.Bob Shea 32:27I have friends who are like, Yeah, this isn't due till September. So I finished it early, so I could get out some other things. I'm like, What are you talking about? I've never, ever done that. Ever. That's the thing. I had a friend who told me he did that. And then I was telling him about the ADHD. And he's like, maybe I have ADHD. I said, let's take a step back. Yeah. Remember how you told me? You just finished something up? That's not due for three months? No, no, no, no. I'm not a medical professional, but no.Hannah Choi 33:01So funny. What do you think would happen if you turned something in on time?Bob Shea 33:06I might have no, I don't know. I have no idea what that's like, I think that I'm gonna tell you though, I see the I see the benefit of doing that. This sounds so dumb. This sounds like such a, Are you new to being in the world? Like, if I so working alone and making up my own projects and things it's like, it's it's so much more helpful to me to have a system and try to get in on time. Because that frees up time for other things. Not felted animals, other projects that could maybe make money, right? Like there's, I mean, it's a balance with the kids books, because I can't, I can't have people be like, Man, he's cranking these things out once again. You right, you know what I mean? Like, Hannah Choi 33:57Can't be too productive! Bob Shea 33:58Good, right, like, have a side hustle. I can drive for Uber in those two weeks. That's what I could have been doing.Hannah Choi 34:08No, no, Bob. Bob Shea 34:10I don't think that's not a good idea. Hannah Choi 34:11You obviously did something different to get your three week overdue and a three month overdueness down to two week, two weeks overdue. What do you do different?Bob Shea 34:20That was that that's the last piece that I'm working on now. What is the long term plan? I can't I don't understand how time works. I don't get that. You know, I don't get that. Laters not does not a thing. Laters Not a thing. And it's not better than now. Like the way I behave now? Yeah, I'm gonna behave like that tomorrow. Like, I'm like, I can be like, Oh, tomorrow when I wake up, I'm gonna be all put together. You know what I mean? So now this machine that I've made that can kind of not a very fast moving thing. It's it's constantly pressing forward, which is good and not speedy. But so it's only recently that I've acknowledged that the future is going to happen, whether I like it or not. So I start to use. So now I am using a calendar. On my computer, which I don't like to do, I should actually get a physical one. And I'm writing in dates things are due so that I can see them approach. Yeah, that's good. I know that I have something due on August 1. And I'm already obsessed about it not obsessed. But I'm already like, if you don't get started on July 1, you're never going to get that done. I know that that's and I'm like, I can't. Last minute panic. It gets old after 50 years. Yeah.Hannah Choi 35:47Takes the wear and tear on your body. Yeah. What if instead of... what if you put the deadline- So you have the deadline that it's due on August 1? What if on the calendar on July 1, you wrote, like, start the thing?Bob Shea 36:04Yeah, that's, that's what I should do. And I did. I did that. The one that was two weeks late, I put in every day like you are supposed to be working on this thing. I am the worst employee. I just, I That stuff's easy. If I'm like, if it's due in 30 days, I'm like, Well, I can go to MakeHaven today. You know what I mean? Because it's 30, I still got 29 days - work a little harder.Hannah Choi 36:36And I suppose thinking, well, if I just do it all now and I get it done five days before the due date, then I could spend five full days in a row at MakeHaven.Bob Shea 36:46that sounds like a wonderful world that I do. You know, I'll tell you, I have that conversation with myself in a very convincing manner. executing that plan, to a degree where all the steps are taken care of in a in a timely way. And let me tell you something, too. It's not me. It's not me blowing it off. It's, it takes longer than I guess. So even with this thing, even. And then things happen that you don't anticipate. You know, that's the other thingHannah Choi 37:19Yeah. And the unpredictable variables of life,Bob Shea 37:22That and that's even going back to the boxes, and it applies to the month to going back to the boxes. If you write down what really happens. You can look back and go, oh, there's all these things that I didn't know in the morning were going to happen that I had to deal with. And so you don't feel bad. At the end of the day. You're like, well, it wasn't my fault. I wasn't I wasn't like googling what movie was Nicolas Cage in in the 90s was the thing and they switched faces. You know what I mean? You're like, you don't you don't stop to do that. As long as I'm like working and not like, just looking at, you know, woodworking videos. What I like to do - keep that to my personal time.Hannah Choi 38:05Yeah, having some flexibility, like, like, flexibility both in what we do during the day and also like recognizing that, that we cannot be rigid all the time. We cannot. As much as we want to stick to whatever we have planned for that day, it just doesn't. Yeah, definitely gonna happen.Bob Shea 38:25Yeah, it's, it's, it's about being honest with yourself about how you work, and then saying, Look, you work this way. Here's what'll work with that without you beating yourself up because I because I couldn't figure it out. Because I was like, I did all this stuff in my career to get to the point where I'm have autonomy. I can work by myself. I come up with my own projects. Great, great, great. And I'm like, and then you ruin it because you're on stupid Twitter. Why would you do that? You have you? Here's everything that you wanted. And you undermine yourself. It's awful. It wasHannah Choi 39:10How much do you think that had to do with fear? The fear that you weren't going to be do it do it right or fear that it was going to be uncomfortable while you were doing whatever it was.Bob Shea 39:22That's a big part of it because I would - the books - I can't look at books that I did already. From the past. Somebody's using an angle grinder outside. So I can't look at Yeah, so good. It's like, I hope I hope they're making a playground. Something good.Hannah Choi 39:45I never found out what my neighbors were doing.Bob Shea 39:48Right. Hold on. Let me look real quick. Oh, soft serve ice cream. It's gonna be good. Yeah,Hannah Choi 39:55Wait! That's another distraction. Now, I think they're building a brand location of the makerspaceBob Shea 40:02Oh, that's good. Right there. Right? They are. It's they're putting in a table saw. More noise, Great. Yeah, you know, you get so excited for these projects. And in your head, it's perfect. It's the best thing you've ever done. And then you can then you put it down on paper, and there it is going through the filter of your abilities.Hannah Choi 40:25And your own self criticism, I'm sureBob Shea 40:27I can't I was saying before, before they were making the ice cream stand outside, but I can't look at my old books. I can't open them up. People are like, Oh, what was that thing? And I'm like, I'm not going I'm not opening that again. All you see is the things you did wrong. And and in my case, all I see is Yeah, you did that at the last minute, didn't you? Yeah, you're a champ. You're a prince. Look at that, aren't you Like, aren't you professional?Hannah Choi 40:53I'm so curious. I want I kind of want to follow up with you in a couple of years and see, like, if you, like see how your thought processes about your own work have changed? Yeah, I'd be interesting to see that.Bob Shea 41:07I think that I think that I'm managing expectations about that. And as long as I can be comfortable with myself, I'm fine. Like I said, like the overwhelm went away. So I'm not always like, yeah, I sort of can just accept things the way they are and be like, yeah, that's okay. And I'll tell you, that is so huge. Like, it's so huge.Hannah Choi 41:35Yeah. So I'm, I'm doing an episode on procrastination. So would you say you are a procrastinator?Bob Shea 41:46Yep. Yeah, more. So before the Adderall for sure. Yeah, yeah, I still do it. And now when I do it, I can stop if I want to. But also, if I'm doing it, and I know that I'm doing it, I'm like, give yourself a break. You're okay. It's not that big a deal. Because what the other thing is about understanding how you work. So I write this grid during the day, the last couple of hours, like probably from from four to four to six. You're not getting anything done. Like you're not, you get it you get an ice cube of creativity every day, you get like, here's this, you can you have this for like an hour and a half, and then you're not gonna get anything good. Stop. So I know from four to six, I'm like, Alright, clean up your office, which is still a mess from ADHD, I'm still working on that. Clean your office reply to emails, low cognitive load things. Yeah. Because that's the time when I'll be like, looking at Instagram or something. Because I'm, I'm out, I'm out, I'm out of stuff, you know.Hannah Choi 42:53So something that I try to work a lot with my clients on is is exactly that, like noticing, diminishing returns, noticing when your effort is not, is not being effective anymore. And so that's so great that you, you know that about yourself, and you know, what the things that you can do, instead of just messing around, like, you know, you can still do some things, which is going to make you feel better about yourself by the end of the day, like, oh, like, like all these other things that I did? Yeah, I may not have like, written more or drawn more, but I did make my space more usable,Bob Shea 43:30Which is another goal. Like it's one of the things so it's like, yeah, I can I can move piles around for the next hour from one spot to the next. Just which is another thing I can't I bet it. I can't see. I'm clutter-blind as well. Anyway, but uh, but yeah, that's, that's the thing is to just be easy. Go easy on yourself. And if you if you know that you're diligently trying don't like I'm like, yeah, they know. It's all working out. Okay, it's all from everything's for my benefit. So I don't mind it so much.Hannah Choi 44:04Yeah, that's great. And being able to do that self reflection is so important. And, and, and recognizing, like, what your strengths are and what's challenging, and how you can use both of those. Bob Shea 44:17Yeah, a lot of that, too. I mentioned before I'm a big meditator meditation has allowed me to understand my thoughts as they're happening, and to recognize thought patterns and be like, alright, I see what it is you're doing now. And you take your level you're a little distanced from you don't become your thoughts. You're able to like observe them and go, alright, you you don't want to do this. Why not? Yeah. And then think about what else can I do instead? And that lets me shift and then that way I'm not hooked on the well you back off other thought because I'm getting some dopamine from this Instagram and then I'm gonna ride this for a while.Hannah Choi 45:05So how do you? How did you get into meditation? And how do you keep yourself? How do you? How do you keep up with the practice?Bob Shea 45:13I, you know, my, my mother in the 70s was into back when it was a super popular thing. She was into Tm. It's a transcendental meditation because it was like on the Merv Griffin Show. You know,Hannah Choi 45:26I remember people talking about that when I was little.Bob Shea 45:28Yeah, you know, I was like, That guy was on TV all the time. It was super like it was a pop culture thing. And then she would do it, she went to some meditation thing, tried to get us boys to do it, we laughed, and we're like, I'm not doing this. We tried once. You can't make people meditate, you cannot make them do it. But I always remembered that she did you know. And so I think when I was like, in my 20s, I started doing it again, late, my late 20s, I did it. And I did it in a different way. I didn't do TM, but I would just do it with the real. And again, I had to do the ADHD, I'm like, You need to build this muscle of focus. And so I did it that way for a while. And it was fine. It was fine. It was good. I didn't really know what I was getting out of it. And then I started to use the Sam Harris app a couple of years ago. And that's really the thing where he walks you through why you're doing it and how to do it and all this stuff. And that and he's like, he comes at it from a point of view of not like it's a spiritual thing. It's other goes my my cuckoo clock to did let me know that an hour has passed in my head. So I have an understanding of time. I've 10 clocks all around the thing. I'm obsessed with clocks now. It's a good one. Yeah, and I'll let the bird keep talking for a second. There it goes. And that the keeping up on the practice is, all of these things work in tandem, I have to, I can tell when I'm eating poorly, if I'm not exercising, if I'm not doing meditation. Life's worse. Like even with the medication life's worse. So if I try to try to ride my bike in every day, I usually when I you know, and this is more of a habit forming than anything else. Usually what I'll do is when I get in right away, I'll sit and meditate. When I walk in the door, put my stuff down, sit on the cushion. There's on the app, it's a meditation everyday 20 minutes do it and it's over. Like when I wake up when I wake up. I try to write for a while. Then I'll exercise that I might go for a run. I'm in, meditate, set, it all sounds wonderful. It sounds like you have this wonderful thing. It's all it's all tension. It's all motivated by fear. So that's the foundation is fear. So but it all helps me stay focused a little bit.Hannah Choi 47:54Yeah, right. It's a fear of not feeling good, right? I feel a fear of failing, you know, those strategies are to help you be successful.Bob Shea 48:02I can feel better. I feel better. If I get sleep. I have to get enough sleep. And then I just I feel so much better. I'm so much more able to deal with things.Hannah Choi 48:13Yeah, I I really feel that with exercise. Like for me, I really need to exercise if I don't exercise then I tend to really beat myself up a lot. And when I exercise I'm much gentler myself. And I actually just ran a half marathon yesterday I ran the Fairfield half marathon. Yeah. It wasn't my first half marathon but was my first time during the Fairfield one. It was really fun. Two more questions for you. They're not long. What are you excited about?Bob Shea 48:43What am I excited about? Me personally? In the world? Because nothingHannah Choi 48:52Okay, personally? Yeah, I know the world is awful, right? PersonallyBob Shea 48:59I'm excited about my son's graduating high school, he's gonna go to college in the fall. I'm pretty excited about that. I'm, I'm doing I'm - because I do one thing at a time now. I'm doing some I have some good projects at the makerspace that I'm excited about. I'm excited, just even about running and riding my bike. I'm so excited that it's nice outside. It's all very simple things that I do. And I write down gratitude stuff at the end of the day. And it's always the same thing. It's always like my wife, something delicious, and out and my bicycle.Hannah Choi 49:35I have been keeping a gratitude journal for - I'm in my fifth year now. It has, I have to say like I think that has made one of the biggest impacts on my life. Bob Shea 49:39For real? Hannah Choi 49:39Oh, yeah. It's amazing Bob Shea 49:42Do you do it in the evening or in the morning to start your day and set your intention kind of thing.Hannah Choi 49:54Yeah, that's a great question. I do it in the evening and I also sometimes end up doing it in the morning for the previous day, because I forgot to do it. But what I have found, it has helped me so much with negative thinking. And, and I find myself throughout the day going, Oh, that's something I can write about. I automatically think that way now. And it also at the end of if I have like a particularly hard day, it forces me to look back on it in and look for the even if I can be grateful for the challenge of that hard day. I made it through or, or whatever, like my kids made me happy or, you know, something.Bob Shea 50:43This day is over. I'm grateful. Yeah.Hannah Choi 50:47During the pandemic, I often just wrote, "I'm just glad this day is over". Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. So that's been a huge thing for me. So I'm glad you're doing it too. Yeah.Bob Shea 50:58That's good. I'll start to - I'm not mindful of things during the day. To to jot down that's a great idea. That's good. That brings it into the whole day.Hannah Choi 51:08Yeah, yeah, it's been really nice. And it's cool too, because the one that I use as a line a day journal, so it's actually got five years on each day. So I can look back on that, that day from the previous and so I'm in my fifth year now. So I can look back on on all of them before and it's really interesting to see that I do tend to be thankful for a lot of the same stuff. And so that makes me feel really good. Like, Oh, those are those are things that I should be doing. Like I do kickboxing, and I'm very often thankful for kickboxing. And, sadly, the place where we do it at is closing. But umBob Shea 51:43Oh, really? Hannah Choi 51:44Yeah. It's a real bummer. But it's it is it's really nice to look back on that. And just, it's like evidence. I just I love looking for evidence. And there's a lot of evidence in that book.Bob Shea 51:56Yeah, yeah.Hannah Choi 51:59All right, one more question. How do people find you even though you're not too much on social media?Bob Shea 52:05On social media, on Instagram, I'm Bob Shea books. And then I do have Bobshea.com. That's my books website. But those are really the two main places the main thing is is Instagram, @BobsheabooksHannah Choi 52:22and on your local children's library bookshelves.Bob Shea 52:25Oh, yeah, exactly. Wherever, from your local independent bookseller. Yeah, just go in and go in and demand my books. And if they don't carry them there, they usually have a display in the center of the store, like new releases or whatever. If they don't have it, just flip that over. Flip it over, run out.Hannah Choi 52:45Well, that's that's how we found you, my kids. When my kids were little, we can't remember how we maybe they had one of your books up on like the, like the top, they put like one of the books up on the top?Bob Shea 52:56And oh, okay. Yeah, good I hope so.Hannah Choi 52:58So every time we found out you had a new book, we are super excited. So thank you for being a part of my children's childhood.Bob Shea 53:04Oh, sure. Thank you.Hannah Choi 53:08All right. Well, thanks again, Bob. This is great. It's really interesting to hear different people's perspectives. And and I'm so glad that you found strategies that are working for you. And I wish you luck on figuring out long term strategy planning, I think that I was thinking about it, like, just the fact that you're very good at doing your daily stuff is probably why you ended up with only being two weeks late and not three months, like, Yeah, I think that daily practice, probably just made you more aware of time and just made you more productive at, you know, the only thing I was, I was wondering, do you work backwards? Like, do you ever do start at the finish? And then figure out like, Okay, well, I know that they want it, like this amount of time ahead of time. And then and then okay, that means it takes me usually takes me about five days to do whatever and then schedule that there. And then it's like, all of that, all of that time blindness that you're conquering, can be so useful, right? Because, you know, you know how long things take now. So then it makes it easier when you're working backwards to budget in time. So yes, yeah, I think take now,Bob Shea 54:25I would I, I know I should. I should do it that way. In fact, I used to use Gantt charts, you know, again, you know those things. So again, a Gantt chart. I, this is my pre ADHD like, I was so obsessed with them. Like I gotta come up with a way that I can do this. Basically, it's a timeline, and then you hang like a string that moves along with for every day. But on that chart, you have the different things that you're different tasks that have to get done, so you can see where you are and whatever tasks and then So But what ends up happening is you just keep moving the task, like the Gantt chart is, so that is a quick visual, like, if you have five things going on where you are and all those five things.Hannah Choi 55:10Yeah, that's cool.Bob Shea 55:12Yeah, no, yeah.Hannah Choi 55:14I recommend looking at how long things take you and trying to, trying to figure out and adding in buffer time and adding in time for all those variables that we can't predict.Bob Shea 55:28I do. I try to add 50% more than my guess. And I'm getting better at it, but not still can't do like I'm never spot on.Hannah Choi 55:40Have you ever read Atomic Habits by James Clear?Bob Shea 55:43I did. I did. That's where I got the sit down and meditate as soon as you come in.Hannah Choi 55:47Yeah. Habits stacking. Yeah, I was meant to. I meant to mention that earlier when you were talking about that. But I like his idea of just 1% better. It obviously adds up over time, like you have you have proof. You have proof that a little bit better does add up over time.Bob Shea 56:05Yeah. And then the other the other thing I do in the book with the boxes, the next day, I look at how I did the day before. And I go Yeah, you know, you kind of were messing around too much at this time. And you know, you went for that walk was longer than you thought. So then that day, I can be like, Yeah, that's what I say. I'm like, I'm going to be a little bit better today than I was yesterday.Hannah Choi 56:27Yeah, that's so great. Oh, you're like a dream client. Oh my gosh.Bob Shea 56:31I'm too introspective. Hannah Choi 56:34Nah. No such thing. Well, thanks so much, Bob. This has been great.Bob Shea 56:39Thank you. That was fun.Hannah Choi 56:43And that's our show for today. I really hope that you had a chuckle and learn something useful from Bob. Or maybe you could just really relate to his story. More and more adults are being diagnosed with ADHD, so this feels like a really relatable and important story to share. Check out the show notes for a link to see some of Bob's time management strategies. And thank you for being here and taking time out of your day to listen. If you are enjoying learning about these important topics we're covering in each episode of Focus Forward, please share it with your friends, and be sure to check out the show notes for this episode. And if you haven't yet, subscribe to the podcast at beyondbooksmart.com/podcast. We'll let you know when new episodes drop and you can easily find the resources we share on each topic. Thanks for listening

#052 - Join Jennie for the "well-oiled machine" episode where she talks with ex-consulting actuary for Fortune 100Companies, David Wood. David has built the world's largest coaching business, helping business owners become the badass leaders people want to follow, creating more authenticity, connection, confidence, and revenue. The two discuss:planning out your days, weeks, months according to macros and micros,CEO dates (these are BRILLIANT, and something to implement IMMEDIATELY),time sprints using the Pomodoro Method,why accountability is game-changing,what "clarity of distance" means and how hiring a coach is one of the only ways to get it, andhow to decide when it's time to hire help.David and Jennie both recommend using Upwork to hire, but ask questions that require thoughtful responses or use Jennie's trick of requiring them to use the phrase "Green M&Ms" in their query.David also blasts hiring notifications onto his FB wall, especially to find local talent.You can learn more about David at his website Focus.ceo. And Mouse in the Room, David's new book, is coming soon!Want to up-level your business? Take David's Samurai Program for FREE with a $990 accountability bond. Sign up at DoubleRevenue.net. And use the coupon code: COMMITMENT for an extra $500 off!Check out The Extraordinary Focus Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.Achiever's Academy opens its doors tomorrow! Come get the details and sign up (for basically what a Netflix membership costs) and start doing the things you've only been dreaming about at jennieoconnor.com/Achievers!Follow Jennie on Facebook and Instagram and come watch the video version of these episodes on YouTube!✨✨If you think this content is deserving of a tip, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd leave one here. I plan to use all proceeds for magick supplies and I promise to use my powers for good.

Episode Summary: In Episode 22, Saoirse encourages us to give our minds and reality, the same attention that we give to our homes as we welcome in the spring! She gives us practical tips and advice on how we can declutter unnecessary "things" from our mind.  Saoirse opens our eyes to a method she personally uses, called the Pomodoro Method. She clues us in on how to be more productive with the time we have, while avoiding burnout and overwhelm.   How can you achieve more while doing less and leap forward in your goals this spring? Find out on this episode of The Download! All the useful links mentioned in the episode are listed below. Host Bio: Saoirse Clare is an energetic mentor for Starseeds, creator of the Starchetype System, and author of the book “Starseed Archetypes: The Ultimate Guide.” After losing her dad at 27 due to brain cancer as well as her husband Kristian due to a helicopter accident, Saoirse started her spiritual journey. This led her to develop extensive expertise in the realm of spirituality as well as a strong desire to help others. Find out your Starchetype now: https://www.starchetypes.com/quiz

Every single person, company and media outlet is working overtime to capture your attention, and this causes a major amount of distraction for you.  It keeps you from your goals and dreams. ...its no wonder we can't focus most of the time ...its the reason mindfulness is so important to practice in your daily rituals   So, how do you eliminate distraction and create better focus? ...follow one course until successful ...get more done and greater results (the Prize)   Lifehack.org had a great article I thought I'd mention and run through their ideas with a few of my own.   11 Ways to Eliminate Distraction   Typical Americans get distracted every 11 minutes ...and it takes 25 minutes to settle into a task (blocking)   Distractions have a huge cost on your productivity and results in your life and business.   If you want better results you better get less distractions.   1-Keep Your Vision and Goals in Mind Clarity of your vision and “why” creates focus …it also motivates you to remove distraction   2-Clarify Your Day Before You Start Start your day with a plan Schedule your priorities, Identify to others, and be Strategic   3-Reduce the Chaos of Your Day Chasing too many priorities means that none will get done effectively Identify your top 3 daily   4-Do Those Tasks as Soon as Possible Start with the top priorities…Covey calls this the Big Rocks Work on the difficult things first for several reasons… …usually they are last and don't get done …challenge yourself…Goggins, start with the difficult…growth   5-Focus on the Smallest Part of Your Work at a Time Easiest way to kill focus is to become overwhelmed with the Big Picture You become discouraged and distracted with dreaming and ambiguity Create bite size chunks that lead to a bread crumb trail of results   6-Visualize Yourself Working Visualization is a very powerful strategy top athletes and producers use Brendon Burchard talks about setting INTENTION Michael Jordan, Connor McGregor, and many authors, singers, athletes...   7-Control Your INTERNAL Distractions Find ways to prepare your mind for work and focus…train your mind Working from home (for example) is hard if things remind you and distract your mind with other priorities and obligations…or feelings of guilt about what you “should be working on” Conflicts between the 4 quadrants of tasks can create confusion    8-Remove EXTERNAL Distractions You can control many external distractions, so Eliminate them Mobile phone, social media, television, phone calls, multiple screens Multi tasking is a distraction you can eliminate (time mastery episode)   9-Skip What You Don't Know Sometimes we go down a rabbit hole trying to figure out things we don't know and this causes distractions and time spend unproductive Focus on your Unique Talent and the key priorities you are great at Delete, Delegate or Eliminate the rest   10-Improve Your Discipline with Focus Practice Focus requires Discipline and this is a trainable skill 2 Great ways to focus:         1-Meditation and Mindfullness Practice to train your mind         2-Pomodoro Method asks you to set a timer on tasks. Remember, time expands to the amount you give it   11-Manage Your Momentum Momentum is a key ingredient to staying “on path” and “on task” Consistency, Discipline and Progress create momentum   Bottom Line…Distraction is a Key and Ever Present Enemy to Results Find ways to TRAIN YOUR MIND, CREATE FOCUS, and KEEP MOVING.   Check out the full article and other great resources here… https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-critical-tips-prevent-distraction-and-sharpen-your-focus.html

Every single person, company and media outlet is working overtime to capture your attention, and this causes a major amount of distraction for you.  It keeps you from your goals and dreams. ...its no wonder we can't focus most of the time ...its the reason mindfulness is so important to practice in your daily rituals   So, how do you eliminate distraction and create better focus? ...follow one course until successful ...get more done and greater results (the Prize)   Lifehack.org had a great article I thought I'd mention and run through their ideas with a few of my own.   11 Ways to Eliminate Distraction   Typical Americans get distracted every 11 minutes ...and it takes 25 minutes to settle into a task (blocking)   Distractions have a huge cost on your productivity and results in your life and business.   If you want better results you better get less distractions.   1-Keep Your Vision and Goals in Mind Clarity of your vision and “why” creates focus …it also motivates you to remove distraction   2-Clarify Your Day Before You Start Start your day with a plan Schedule your priorities, Identify to others, and be Strategic   3-Reduce the Chaos of Your Day Chasing too many priorities means that none will get done effectively Identify your top 3 daily   4-Do Those Tasks as Soon as Possible Start with the top priorities…Covey calls this the Big Rocks Work on the difficult things first for several reasons… …usually they are last and don't get done …challenge yourself…Goggins, start with the difficult…growth   5-Focus on the Smallest Part of Your Work at a Time Easiest way to kill focus is to become overwhelmed with the Big Picture You become discouraged and distracted with dreaming and ambiguity Create bite size chunks that lead to a bread crumb trail of results   6-Visualize Yourself Working Visualization is a very powerful strategy top athletes and producers use Brendon Burchard talks about setting INTENTION Michael Jordan, Connor McGregor, and many authors, singers, athletes...   7-Control Your INTERNAL Distractions Find ways to prepare your mind for work and focus…train your mind Working from home (for example) is hard if things remind you and distract your mind with other priorities and obligations…or feelings of guilt about what you “should be working on” Conflicts between the 4 quadrants of tasks can create confusion    8-Remove EXTERNAL Distractions You can control many external distractions, so Eliminate them Mobile phone, social media, television, phone calls, multiple screens Multi tasking is a distraction you can eliminate (time mastery episode)   9-Skip What You Don't Know Sometimes we go down a rabbit hole trying to figure out things we don't know and this causes distractions and time spend unproductive Focus on your Unique Talent and the key priorities you are great at Delete, Delegate or Eliminate the rest   10-Improve Your Discipline with Focus Practice Focus requires Discipline and this is a trainable skill 2 Great ways to focus:         1-Meditation and Mindfullness Practice to train your mind         2-Pomodoro Method asks you to set a timer on tasks. Remember, time expands to the amount you give it   11-Manage Your Momentum Momentum is a key ingredient to staying “on path” and “on task” Consistency, Discipline and Progress create momentum   Bottom Line…Distraction is a Key and Ever Present Enemy to Results Find ways to TRAIN YOUR MIND, CREATE FOCUS, and KEEP MOVING.   Check out the full article and other great resources here… https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-critical-tips-prevent-distraction-and-sharpen-your-focus.html

Catherine Avery was sick last week and unable to record a new podcast episode. Because we're running a special series this month called March MADHDness, Catherine selected this episode which previously aired on June 23, 2021 (Episode 96). She talks about shifting your language from saying “have to” to “get to” and why this changes everything. She describes how she learned this lesson from cancer and shares how she managed her life at a time when life became unmanageable. And how there were many opportunities for deep gratitude. She also explains what her official ADHD combined type diagnosis looked and felt like. Finally, tune in as she explains the Productivity Power Hour and the Pomodoro Method and why it works so well for her clients. Accountability is a big part of it. She ends with an offer to check out her accountability group:  Exponentially Productive  To learn more about your host, Catherine Avery: Productivity by Design (link www.productivitybydesign.com) To connect with Catherine: Productivity Breakthrough Session (link https://calendly.com/productivitybydesign/productivity-breakthrough-session)   *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Episode, Amber Cherie and TaylerBri invited Armoni Easley, a social impact entrepreneur in Northern California, to talk about the organization he co-founded, Project Optimism. Armoni's passion for mentoring kids led to the cultivation of this community that he leads with grace and enthusiasm. Listen in to be inspired to choose optimism even when met with adversity. Word of the Week: Optimism Self Care Tip of the Week: Try the Pomodoro Method for Time Management by using the Focus Keeper App. Have an iPhone? Click here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/focus-keeper-time-management/id867374917 Every Small Change Matters: Mindset Series - Part Five: Be OK with the NO - Take a second and think of the last time you asked for something and the answer was NO. - Reflect and don't be afraid to ask what you need - Don't take NO as personal - NO is not right now - Personal relationships are important in the NO - Don't be afraid to pivot Please support Project Optimism's 4th Annual Gift and Toy Drive with a monetary donation or toy. If you're in person, please go to: San Juan Unified School District 3738 Walnut Ave., Carmichael, CA If you're remote, please make a donation at: https://www.projectoptimism.org/donate Are you interested in connecting more with Armoni Easley and/or Project Optimism in Sacramento @projectoptimismsac and/or LA @projectoptimismla. To keep up with our episodes be sure FOLLOW The Innercircle Podcast on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE to The Innercircle Podcast on Apple Podcast and Google Podcast. FOLLOW US on Instagram @theinnercircle.podgals SEND us a letter of your thoughts to our EMAIL theinnercircle.podgals@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I discuss the Pomodoro Method - a fantastic way to track and organize your daily Spanish studies. If you want to become fluent in Spanish, you must include it in your life on a daily basis! How many Spanish pomodoros do you plan on doing each day? --- Check out my website! https://mexicanfluency.com/ Our courses: https://mexicanfluency.teachable.com/ For Spanish immersion, listen to the Mexican Fluency Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/latino-fluency-podcast Follow us on social media! https://Facebook.com/mexicanfluency https://Instagram.com/mexicanfluency --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/howtolearnspanish/support